From butterfly disasters to iconic rants, we're diving into the most unforgettable moments that screamed "This queen NEEDS an All Stars redemption!" Join us as we count down the times Drag Race contestants left us knowing they'd be back for a second chance.
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00:00It was like watching my dreams just fall right out of my hands.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most compelling moments
00:09when we realized a Drag Race contestant deserved a second chance.
00:12For this list, we're only looking at the American franchise.
00:16Victoria, I applaud you for working through your pain this week.
00:20However, your knee injury requires additional evaluation.
00:26Number 10, Trixie Mattel's first elimination.
00:29You are an amazing queen. Keep on dreaming and keep on laughing. Now, sashay away.
00:38In one of the weirder eliminations on the show,
00:40Trixie Mattel was sent home in the fourth week of Season 7.
00:44Fan backlash was immediate.
00:46Trixie was already emerging as a favorite, and frankly,
00:49many questioned the fairness of her blondie lip sync against Pearl,
00:52with some even alleging producer interference.
00:55Your hair is extremely validating.
01:02You know, going home so that Pearl stays is kind of like a comfort, you know?
01:07Although Trixie was later brought back,
01:09eliminated queens typically struggle to regain momentum,
01:12so unsurprisingly, she was sent home again.
01:15Despite this, there was clearly a lot of support for the pink-obsessed Milwaukee queen.
01:20The shock and awe was like, when they said,
01:23Pearl, you stay, I was like, oh, we're both staying, thank God.
01:27Like, I was certain, certain that I was staying.
01:31Like Alaska before her, Trixie was an early frontrunner
01:34when she stomped onto the set for All Stars,
01:36and her eventual success in the cosmetics industry
01:39only proved she was destined for greatness.
01:42Number 9, Asia O'Hara's butterfly reveal.
01:50Thank you, Mr. Fox.
01:52For the second time, the Drag Race finalists
01:55faced off in a lip sync smackdown for the crown.
01:57With two challenge wins under her belt,
01:59Asia O'Hara was a likely lock for the top two.
02:03Then, tragedy struck.
02:04An ill-conceived stunt during a lip sync
02:07against competitor Cameron Michaels did not go as planned.
02:10Right up the window, I just want some respect.
02:14So close the door if you want me to respond.
02:17Cause prophecy is my middle name.
02:20Her intended reveal left a bunch of lethargic butterflies on the stage,
02:24and stopped her just short of victory.
02:34An All-Star season could give Asia the redemption she deserves.
02:38As of the time of writing, though, she's yet to reappear on the series.
02:42But we can just imagine the stunning butterfly-inspired runway
02:45she would pull out if she ever does.
03:03Generally, when a queen is eliminated,
03:05RuPaul declares her a star and sends her on her way.
03:08However, season 16's Mirage was so stunned by her elimination
03:12that she couldn't even move from the stage at first.
03:14Her exit in the fourth episode was hard to swallow
03:17for both her and many Drag Race fans.
03:19Although some were divided on the decision,
03:22as Mirage clearly didn't know the lyrics to the lip sync song,
03:25it proved that she had left a lasting impression
03:27despite her short run on the show.
03:29The only person I can watch is Mirage
03:31because she is giving performance down.
03:34She dealt two cards, queen at a three.
03:37And then I realized her mouth doesn't match the words.
03:41Any queen who can win that much support so quickly
03:44certainly deserves a second chance to prove herself.
04:05In season six, this Seattle favorite
04:07often butted heads with Rochester's Darian Lake.
04:10Their rivalry was so gripping
04:12that they lip synced against each other twice.
04:14However, two double shanties would have been asking for too much.
04:18During week 11's Glitter Ball,
04:20Bendolo was finally sent packing over Darian.
04:22She was a true fan favorite,
04:24so viewers were not too pleased with that result.
04:35Thus, another robbed goddess was born.
04:38From that moment on,
04:40fans eagerly anticipated the Miss Congeniality's
04:42inevitable return to the main stage,
04:44which eventually happened on All-Stars 3.
04:47But of course, no one could have predicted
04:49the unforgettable way her run on that season would end.
05:10Though Jinx vs. Roxy was the main event,
05:25Alaska's humor, smarts, and mastery
05:28of every aspect of drag and drag race
05:30made her one of the season's brightest stars.
05:40Without Jinx Monsoon in the mix,
05:42Alaska most likely would have taken the crown.
06:00But the season five champion's talent was too big to deny.
06:03Plus, she had a compelling underdog story
06:05despite her incredible track record and challenges.
06:08Even so, everyone knew that not only was Alaska
06:11a shoe-in for a second All-Stars season if it ever happened,
06:14but she was gonna be the one to beat.
06:16She made good on that assumption
06:18when All-Stars 2 rolled around a few years later.
06:38Sometimes, it becomes clear pretty early on
06:47that a queen isn't destined to take the crown.
06:49Aja came into season nine with guns blazing.
06:52She was young, scrappy, and had enough attitude
06:55to take on anyone who stepped to her.
06:57Despite her immense talent,
06:59it didn't seem like she was an actual contender for the crown.
07:02But her untucked rant may have single-handedly
07:05earned her a spot on All-Stars,
07:07simply by showcasing her ability to command attention on TV.
07:20After landing in the bottom in week three,
07:22Aja grew frustrated with the constant praise
07:24being heaped on Valentina,
07:26leading to one of the show's most iconic rants.
07:28Let me just say, I'm not mad at the judges
07:30because they're just doing their job and judging us,
07:33but, like, it sucks because I took a risk
07:35and I thought it paid off.
07:36Aja did return for All-Stars,
07:38where she seemed much more confident in her unique talents.
07:50Katya, you may doubt yourself sometimes,
07:54but I have no doubt that you are a star.
07:59Even in her last episode,
08:00Katya Zamylochkova's distinctive brand of humor
08:03was still top drawer.
08:04While her Hello Kitty character was a smash hit,
08:07the runway look she made herself was a different story,
08:09and it landed her in the bottom alongside
08:11one of season seven's strongest performers,
08:13Kennedy Davenport.
08:14I think in the pantheon of bad decision-making,
08:18I think my runway outfit is, like...
08:21The one?
08:22The one.
08:22Katya was great in the lip sync,
08:24but she was no match for Kennedy
08:26and was told to sashay away.
08:42The devastation across the internet was palpable that day.
08:46Katya was so beloved that RuPaul literally made a joke about it
08:49during the winner announcement.
08:50America's next drag superstar is...
09:00Katya.
09:04Would you please step forward?
09:05Even more inevitable than her Miss Congeniality win
09:08was her triumphant return to the main stage on All Stars 2.
09:15You have changed the world of drag forever.
09:20I love you and respect you so much.
09:23Technically, we had no idea All Stars was even a thing
09:26when Latrice sashayed away in season four.
09:29But if there ever was a queen who deserved another shot
09:32based purely on fan love,
09:34it was Latrice Royale.
09:35Get those nuts away from my face!
09:39I was really tapping into some serious acting skills there
09:43because Marge doesn't like nuts,
09:45but Latrice does.
09:47The season wouldn't have been the same
09:49without her shady confessional quips
09:50and instantly memeable reactions.
09:52When she was eliminated at the final four,
09:55she gave props to Mama Ru for elevating the art of drag
09:58and bringing it to the mainstream.
09:59Fans couldn't get enough of her,
10:01and luckily, they didn't have to go without her for long.
10:04Months after the season aired,
10:06Latrice became one of the first 12 queens to return
10:09on the inaugural season of All Stars.
10:14Like that!
10:17Shea Coulee loses the lip-sync.
10:25Any other universe,
10:27season nine would have been a walk in the park
10:29for finalist Shea Coulee.
10:30With four challenge wins,
10:32she had left her contenders in the dust.
10:34But RuPaul introduced the lip-sync smackdown mechanic
10:37for the finale,
10:38and all bets were off.
10:40In the first matchup of the night,
10:42eventual winner Sasha Velour
10:43revealed a shower of rose petals from under her wig,
10:46what would have been an almost certain win
10:48from Shea's clutches.
10:56There is not a single timeline
10:58where not inviting a titan like Shea back
11:00to redeem herself makes sense.
11:02All Stars 5 was all but decided
11:04the moment she strolled back into the workroom.
11:06I'm black.
11:11I'm Shea Coulee.
11:12I know y'all have missed me,
11:14but it's okay.
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11:42She went from leading the pack
11:43to crashing out in a single episode.
11:46Valentina had bombed week nine's TV pilot challenge
11:49and seemed stunned to find herself
11:50in the bottom two.
11:51For one reason or another,
11:53she refused to remove the mask
11:55that went with her look
11:56until Rue literally stopped the lip sync
11:58and forced her to.
11:59This is a lip sync for your life.
12:00We need to see your lips.
12:03Take that thing off of your mouth.
12:05I'd like to keep it on, please.
12:06It was a real mask off moment.
12:08The tremendously popular Valentina
12:10went home in one of the most unexpected
12:12eliminations in the history of the show.
12:15And her fans were like totally chill about it.
12:17And I should have volunteered
12:18to eliminate myself over your elimination.
12:21I don't think that she encourages that,
12:22but you could have said,
12:23I do not agree with the way
12:25you guys are treating this girl.
12:27Please stop.
12:29I'm really bad with social media.
12:31This moment may have ended her run on season nine,
12:33but it also jumpstarted her redemption arc
12:36for a future all-stars installment.
12:42What moment did you know
12:49a queen was coming back for all-stars?
12:51Sound off in the comments.
12:52Miss Vanjie.
12:54Miss Vanjie.
12:56Miss Vanjie.
13:02Do you agree with our picks?
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