#RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 7 Review: Show Up Queen

Was RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 7 another obvious elimination?

“Show Up Queen” might’ve thrown in a twist at the end, but the editing made it clear who was going home. The judges finally got their way by removing a non-winner possibility from the batch.

It’s a sad reality to think that it’s better for the eliminated queen to not be competing than to actually be on the show.

Jan wasn’t going to win RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6.

The problem was that Jan was being authentically Jan, and the judges had a different version of her they wanted. Unless there was a complete opinion overhaul on the judges’ panel, they were going to keep seeing her as too “soulless” and “inauthentic.”

Jan surviving to the Final 4 wouldn’t have solved the problem either. RuPaul chooses the winners of the show, and he made it very clear he doesn’t connect with Jan.

[In confessional] The judges have been hot and cold with me for being too, you know, peppy and energetic. However, I love myself, and that’s the message I want represented in this song.
Jan

We’ve chatted before about Jan “being on” (like on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 Episode 4) and how that quality makes her seem fake. That critique is still valid because the peppy, upbeat, and overly happy performance side doesn’t give her levels.

Saying that her performance “lacked soul,” on the other hand, came from a personal preference that RuPaul had. The note summed up his thoughts about Jan’s time on Drag Race overall.

Another problem that led to Jan’s elimination was the critique about her lyrics needing to be deeper.

Jan’s biggest struggle (at the time in the competition) was the matter of being too inauthentic and upbeat. The issue was something that drove her to tears a couple of times because she thought she was being her true self. It’s all very gaslighting to be told one thing when you know yourself best.

Her lyrics needed a better connection to empowering other people. If she had tied the loving herself aspect to why people should love themselves too, those lyrics would’ve come across deeper and hit their mark.

Even then, her lyrics weren’t that different from Eureka!’s or Ginger Minj’s verses.

Pandora Boxx’s arc during “Show Up Queen” exposed more layers to her and the struggles she has within herself.

I wish that Pandora was doing better in the competition because she is trying her hardest to keep up and wants to prove herself. Breaking free of shyness, fear, and anxiety is a strong hurdle to overcome. However, she doesn’t have the level of skills to match the queens competing against her.

Trinity K. Bonet: Stop. Let it out. Go ahead.

Pandora Boxx: It’s taken me so long to actually love myself. So that’s why it’s hard to talk about myself because it feels like I’m not supposed to.

Kylie Sonique Love: Well, we love you!

Pandora Boxx: I want to be here so bad. It’s all I’ve wanted for eight years.

Her singing was fine, she wasn’t a strong dancer, and she’s been fading into the background during challenges. If anything, her personal growth as a person and drag queen will be the real victory in the end.

Pandora might not be long for this competition.

Speaking of the competition, why haven’t the queens learned to delegate during group rehearsals?

Ra’Jah O’Hara’s team made everything look seamless and cohesive by separating the work. Trinity K. Bonet taking charge of the choreography brought everyone together to create one connected routine.

[In confessional] I want my team to do well, and I’m not going to be tripping and falling and they’ll have to dance over me. I will not be choreography roadkill!
Pandora Boxx

Kylie Sonique Love’s team, on the other hand, fell into the classic Drag Race trap.

Ginger should’ve stepped back to let Eureka and Kylie choreograph. The other two queens were the stronger dancers and could dictate the steps. Plus, she wasn’t even the team leader; there didn’t need to be three voices fighting to lead.

The group number of “Show Up Queen” didn’t wow or stand out compared to other girl group challenges. The song had a catchy beat and lyrics, but the performance was flat overall.

Having the queens perform on the side stages in groups hurt them from delivering a great number.

The queens had a few moments where they had cohesive choreography and stepped off the stage. However, most of the number focused on them dancing in place to allow one queen to have a standalone moment in front of the judges. It felt very formulaic and routine.

Nothing from this performance made it a Top 5 contender.

Trinity cleaned up during both the Maxi Challenge and the runway. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 6 Episode 7 was her episode to win!

She dominated the girl group number by dancing the best, her lyrics were deep, and she served superstar energy on stage.

Plus, her Carnivale runway ensemble looked fashionable and fun. The outfit had the wow factor that blew the judges away once she walked up on stage.

[In confessional] Bitch, I’m not blinking worth a damn. Bitch, I’m a Mayhem Miller over here.
Ra’Jah O’Hara

Ra’Jah and Kylie were close behind as the next tops of the round. Ra’Jah had an amazing performance, but the judges wanted more from her lyrics, which I disagree with (she served it on stage!). And, Kylie had an amazing runway, but her lyrics needed to go a bit deeper.

Still, Trinity was stronger on all fronts; she had this victory sewn up.

For the “Hot Tropics” runway, Jan, Trinity, and Kylie had the best ensembles.

As mentioned above, Trinity’s Carnivale-inspired look served fierce fashion that blew everyone away. She made a strong statement that looked grand and festive.

Jan’s green tropical dress mixed both sexiness and comedy. Her look was a more polished version of Ginger’s runway outfit. Between the two, Jan’s outfit came out stronger from a final presentation aspect.

Kylie’s outfit, on the other hand, delivered on the sexiness yet again. Whoever designed Kylie’s runway looks deserves a raise! Her green bodysuit with palm leaves, green snakeskin corset, and feathers (and the matching green wig) made her look like a tropical bombshell.

“Show Up Queen” had a pacing and editing problem once the runway was completed. The short and abrupt cuts made it seem like the show tried to rush to the end.

If there was a perceived timing issue, some of the filler from the first half could’ve been removed. Like, some of the Werk Room banter and the prepping for the rehearsals.

Y’all don’t do this to me. This is not in my fantasy.
Kylie Sonique Love

Instead, scenes like the campaigning, the lip-sync, and the elimination were quickly chopped together. Not much time was saved for a dramatic moment like the tied vote.

This was a huge moment! The queens had never faced a tied vote on the main stage; it would’ve been nice to get more of their reactions and the shocked responses. We needed more of that to round out the twist.

The lip-sync of “Dance Again” by Jennifer Lopez didn’t get the attention it deserved.

Alexis Mateo from RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3 came back to slay the song and show her stuff. She most likely would’ve won the lip-sync with her moves and fierceness regardless.

Though, the lip-sync was over once Trinity’s wig fell off. Unless she had pulled trick after trick, RuPaul wouldn’t have given her the victory. If there’s one thing RuPaul hates, it’s when a wig falls off during a lip-sync.

Maybe that’s why the lip-sync was so short?

Last Thoughts From The Werk Room:

• The shocked faces over the reveal of the tied vote could be GIFs.
  
  
   
• Ginger crushing on the guest teachers is the storyline we needed for 2021.
  
  
   
• Michelle Visage not reading Eureka to filth over the beach ball bodysuit might be the most surprising twist of the night.
  
  
   
• It was so heartwarming for the queens to comfort Pandora when she broke down in the Werk Room. Sometimes it is RuPaul’s Best Friend Race.

Now, over to you, Drag Race fans!

What did you think of “Show Up Queen”?

Were you shocked at the tied vote? Who would you have voted out between Jan and Pandora? Will Pandora turn things around?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Justin Carreiro is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.