As soon as Shea Couleé stepped into the workroom for this season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars, many of us knew the game was already over. Still, seeing the heavy competition walk through the door in the form of Jujubee, Miz Cracker, Alexis Mateo and other huge names from the world of drag did mean that this wasn't going to be a cake walk for our newly-reigned Hall of Famer.
In one of the tightest-fought seasons of Drag Race ever, where we saw some of the shadiest drama and entertaining performances, memorable moments weren't exactly hard to come by. We had two queens going at it from the off, a conspiracy surrounding a potential campaign to take Shea out, and the return of legendary lip sync assassins who worked hard to knock each week's challenge winner down a peg or two; and that's just scratching the surface!
Here, we take a look back at everything the producers, cast and crew got right this season, making it one to go down in the herstory books. Let the music play!
The Derrick Barry and India Ferrah casting
If the booking agent for All Stars 5 didn't know the history of out-and-out hatred Derrick and India had for one another before bringing both of them on board for the show, I'd be very surprised! To explain briefly, India was chosen as the host of Piranha (a nightclub in Las Vegas) before later being fired a few years later in 2017. Derrick's spouse and fellow drag queen Nebraska took the position thereafter, leading to a social media attack by India.
"You called her a pig in a wig!" Derrick shouted across the workroom in episode one, and we knew we'd stumbled across some reality television gold. Though the pair did look to bury the hatchet on a couple of occasions, their interactions and shade on Twitter since filming shows that they're never going to be 'sisters', no matter how much we love to think of everybody involved in Drag Race as a family.
Here's a lil' video delving deeper into the drama shared by the two by one of our favourite YouTubers, Jakeyonce!
Lip sync assassins arrive
This season, RuPaul decided that the winner of the main challenge would have to lip sync for their legacy against a returning legend of the series, picking up $10,000 and the opportunity to send their choice of queen from the bottom packing. If the lip sync assassin was to win, the $10,000 would roll over to the next week, and the entire cast would get a vote in who to send home.
With such a historic twist, Ru had to invite some iconic queens back. Audiences were treated to lip syncs from Yvie Oddly, Morgan McMichaels and Alyssa Edwards to name just three. A brilliant change to the format which we hope to see continue in future instalments.
I'm In Love (With Tom Hardy!)
Hardy would be my choice, but most of our competing queens got a little more inventive as they took to the mic and recorded lyrics for a brand new cast song called I'm In Love. It's one of the catchiest numbers a Drag Race cast have put together, and despite some hiccups ("I'm in love with Jason Momoa! He is my Superman..."), we'll have the track on repeat for months to come.
Snatch Game'd for the Gods
Bringing Flavor Flav to Snatch Game is something that shouldn't work, but Shea managed to hit it out of the park. Not only that, but in the words of judge Ross Mathews, "we finally have an Eartha Kitt to be proud of." Who could ever forget Jujubee in the role, saying she'd "sensually walk to the thermostat and turn up the thermostat to a sensible 74"?
Then of course we had Alexis bringing late astrologer Walter Mercado to the Snatch Game of Love stage, which was hilarious even for those unfamiliar with the eccentric personality.
India's MAJOR accusation
Fighting for her survival against Alexis in the bottom, India pulled winner of the week Shea aside and told her that Alexis had been campaigning in the week that Shea was vulnerable to elimination. She said that Alexis had been campaigning for Shea to go home and had gained Mayhem Miller's allegiance.
Keeping it cute and classy, Shea immediately confronted Alexis about the allegation, who denied it from the jump. Unsure who to believe, Shea went with her heart and sent India home, but she would continue to claim she never lied even with her exit.
In the season's final episode however, she was caught out. Mayhem denied anything of the sort had happened, and India admitted that she hadn't heard about voting Shea out until the votes had already been cast. There was no campaigning from Alexis; she was vindicated entirely.
Shea claiming her crown - wearing THAT wig!
Following an incredible lip sync for their legacy, Shea bagged the $100,000 prize and a spot in the All Stars Hall of Fame. Not only did she give a jaw-dropping performance, but she did so whilst wearing a blue version of the wig worn by Sasha Velour at the Season 9 finale, where Shea missed out on the crown because of one of the most gagworthy routines of all time. Why blue? Because that's the colour she was wearing when she was booted from the lip sync tournament.
Is Shea the best winner ever? Very possibly. She is unapologetically black, demanding change in the world that will allow equality for the black community and other minorities in the future. There is no doubt in anybody's mind that she will continue to use her now-elevated platform for good. Her runway looks have consistently wowed and her all-rounder status as more than even a triple threat makes her entertaining on every level. Shea is sheer excellence, period.
Watch the final three react to the crowning live, below:
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars is available to watch now on Netflix in the UK.
Tagged in RuPaul's Drag Race