All Stars 10
The Tournament of All Stars launched with a bang — and landed with a thud.
Over the years, Drag Race queens have become increasingly wary of returning for All Stars. The expense of an All Stars-level runway package, plus no guarantee of being able to show it all before being eliminated, was already resulting in casts that were labeled “Some Stars” as of All Stars 5. Non-elimination seasons like All Stars 7 and 9 were one attempted solution; the Fame Games in All Stars 8 was another. Finally, Drag Race took its most drastic step ever with the Tournament of All Stars format in All Stars 10. The season technically sported its largest cast ever — 18 queens! — but half of them would never interact. Instead, three queens from each bracket would advance to the semifinals episodes, with two more sent home before a LaLaPaRuZa finale. This new format started remarkably strong, with the über-talented first bracket seeing Aja, Bosco, and Irene the Alien thriving, and the drama-filled second featuring Jorgeous, Lydia B Kollins, and Mistress Isabelle Brooks. But the third bracket brought the momentum crashing to a halt, as Ginger Minj swept the challenges to fans’ consternation. Things didn’t get much better in the merge phase, and by the finale, many felt the whole thing was a waste of time.