RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 episode 3 Ru-flections: Was that leak calculated?
Valentina is master of the drag arts on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 (VH1)
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 bared its heart and soul with the Snatch Game of Love. Who left us wooed, weirded out or wanting? Find out below.
All Stars 4 Episode 3 Snatch Game of Love: the verdict
How much Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent was episode three packing?
Overall: C.U.N.t.
This week Drag Race was turned upside down—Gia got a nicer edit, Monet killed the runway, and we all saw the thing a week ago.
It was a sickening valen-teaser of an episode that also forced me to truly take note of this season’s star.
Challenge: C.U.N.T.
The best snatch game in history? Probably not, but boy is it up there.
The new format gave each queen more space to soar and more rope to hang themselves. Fly or die, it’s terrific TV.
Lewks: C.U.n.
Category is: boots the house down
Monet X Change in her best Drag Race runway look yet. (VH1)
Manila, Monet and Valentina were all booty calls.
But Latrice was a booty fall, serving a story and look that gave me 14-year-old returning unwanted garish Christmas top to Jane Norman in the mid-noughties.
Latrice looks less than royal in an outfit too basic for All Stars (VH1)
All Stars 4 episode 3: The shade of it all
My favourite shade came from insanely hot trade Gus Kenworthy, when he complimented Gia on just being there.
“You being here as representation for the trans community does a lot for trans people watching the show and you won’t even realise the impact, but it’s very large.”
RuPaul tries to look neutral as guest judge Gus praises Gia’s presence on the show and subtly shades RuPaul’s past attitude towards Drag Race contestants (VH1).
RuPaul trying to look as though this is a compliment to the show and not a direct rebuke of her attitude over the last year was priceless.
No wonder they used a wide shot.
“f**k Miss RuPaul and her ignorant ass.”
—Gia Gunn
All Stars 4 episode 3: Woking up?
Woke wins
Latrice’s 180 on gay marriage is the only glo-up I need.
Latrice Royale has come a long way since Drag Race season 4 (VH1)
On Drag Race Season 4 she scoffed at the idea, and firmly denied it—”hell to the no”—when Jiggly Calliente responded that she would “be pissed if Latrice is gonna be the first one that get married.”
And yet:
Latrice sporting her new bling to illustrate her attitude glo-up between Drag Race seasons (VH1)
All Stars 4 episode 3: I’m open to alliances
Manila is truly doing the producers’ work this season.
After stirring the pot last week between Gia and Farrah, she gives the Drag Race team exactly what they’ve been after for four seasons of All Stars—a discussion of alliances.
Had she tried to corner a lesser queen than Valentina she may have got away with her ballsy blackmail. But this leather-clad contestant was not to be cowed and called her bluff.
Instead it was Trinity that walked away with the alliance—honey catches more queens indeed.
Tralentina? Vinity? (VH1)
All Stars 4 episode 3: winners and losers
Master of the drag arts
Trinity, Manila and Naomi may have garnered praise from the panel but the real winner this week was Valentina.
Her performance was passable—I toot and shoot the boot lewk but agree she stomped on her snatch during the challenge.
It was her cool manipulation of Manila’s machinations that won the day.
Valentina—channelling Claire Underwood realness—slayed Manila’s play with a steely pitch of her own.
“What I can tell you is that I do see myself being in the top competing against your fierce ass. That’s a f***ing challenge I want to put on you. Can you handle it?”
Valentina is taking no prisoners in her quest for the crown (VH1)
It was then impossible for Manila to eliminate her without trashing her own reputation.
I wasn’t Valentina’s biggest stan on Season 9 but I am well and truly won round. Clever, stunning and magnetic—a queen is born.
Lip sync, lip sink or split lip?
Lip sink. Underwhelming performance by both so the judges gave it to the queen whose win would stir the pot the most.
A tribute to our fallen victor (and what about that leak?)
RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 has been the Gia show. Love or hate her, she has dominated the season.
Does she also control when the show is watched?
Many already done watched the new episode nearly a week ago when it was leaked online.
But was this the latest shot in the battle between the boom-boom gun Gia and RuPaul’s army of producers?
A brief history of RuPaul and Gia’s spat:
- RuPaul disparages the idea of trans contestants and is quickly forced to apologise.
- Gia Gunn is announced as part of the show after saying she would never compete again because her “kind is not welcome.”
- Gia shades RuPaul in a prior interview and on Twitter.
- There are rumours of transphobia on set.
- Drag Race clearly paints Gia as a villain, even editing that famous shady meme of Gia.
woke up with a scolding cup of tea today pic.twitter.com/Y0K2tUevCl— FEG (Feed Every Gorilla) (@FEGtokenio) December 19, 2018
- Gia raises the possibility she left the show due to transphobia at a gig in San Jose last week, saying, “f**k Miss RuPaul and her ignorant ass. It’s about to be 2019 and I’m tired of giving hoes credit that don’t deserve no credit.”
It's been probably "leaked" to mitigate the bad press Gia's created by implying she was dropped off the show because of transphobia. Now everyone can see that was fake news as it was actually her poor performance in snatch game.— gaytricia clarkson (@gaytricia_c) December 23, 2018
This episode also allows Gia a redemptive storyline after her genuinely moving conversation with Manila about what its like to be a trans contestant.
Gia opens up to Manila—who looks genuinely moved—about what its like to compete as a trans woman on Drag Race (VH1)
But Gia has promised one last shot
My side of the story coming this Friday on my YouTube channel 😁 Stay tuned.— Gia Gunn (@GiaGunn) December 26, 2018
All Stars 4 episode 3: Who is on top, who is the villain? A Queen-by-queen ru-view
We will update this page with the actual scores once VH1 uploads the results of their fantasy league, but here is the leaderboard according to my maths.
Trinity the Tuck
Edit: The one to beat / lip sync assassin (see: Alaska, Ben DeLa Creme).
Yep, she still be a slayin’.
Manila Luzon
Edit: All there on paper but not a winner (see: Ginger Minj).
This could well change to comeback queen (see: Katya).
Valentina
Edit: Kooky potential winner (see: Jinx, Sharon).
I think I’ve made my views clear on this.
Monet X Change
Edit: Comeback queen (see: Katya).
Ah, I don’t know! But she’s in serious danger of losing out on a top place again if she doesn’t step her p***y up.
Monique Heart
Edit: Narrator (see: Trixie).
She’s still the only audience surrogate we need but, like Monet, Monique is in danger of getting lost between the huge talents of All Stars 4. I’m starting to worry.
Latrice Royale
Edit: Fan favourite that loses out on a top place (see: Alyssa, Chi Chi).
Honestly, I hope so. Latrice has not brought it in the same way the others have this season and should have been in the bottom two this week.
Blame one Snatch Game disaster on the others? Fine. Blame two? It’s starting to look like you’re the unprofessional one.
Naomi Smalls
She’s only here because the fantasy league doesn’t give points for placing high and not winning.
I’d say Naomi, Valentina and—perhaps—Manila, are the queens best placed to challenge Trinity for that throne.
But all is still to play for.
All Stars 4 continues on Friday on VH1 in the US and Comedy Central in the UK.
