Why All Stars 8 Isn't Working So Far
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Email: derekroiter17@gmail.com.
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We're 4 episodes into Drag Race All Stars 8 and so far everyone seems pretty....whelmed. Following 2 beloved seasons with All Stars 6 and All Stars 7, it had a lot to live up to, and despite a lot of positive predictions, it has yet to land with me or with a lot of fans. In today's video, we're going to solve the mystery as to why.
We're going to make direct comparisons to All Stars 6, a season that follows the same formula, but did it much, much better. We'll talk about why things aren't translating the same on All Stars 8 and what I think we need to see happen for this season to start picking up with the fanbase.
From blatant riggory with queens like Heidi N Closet and Darienne Lake being overlooked in favor of queens like Jimbo and Lala Ri, to bland lip sync assassin battles, to the general vibe of the room being a bit off, we're going to get into everything that isn't working with All Stars 8.
Let me know in the comments below what your thoughts are on the season so far!
0:00 INTRO
5:07 FORCED REDEMPTION ARCS
8:42 NO PERSONAL ARCS
13:29 LIP SYNC ASSASSIN FORMAT
16:56 NOT LEARNING FROM MISTAKES/TRIUMPHS
19:58 WEIRD JUDGING/RIGGORY
21:12 LACK OF CAST CHEMISTRY
23:36 FINAL THOUGHTS 
Развлечения
Lala Ri on top for the ball was so rigged, they're making us think her fashion improved. If they wanted that storyline, it should be Heidi because it was deserved.
They could have made another high spot if they wanted to highlight Lala
Right!? The strawberry look! Come on
@@iandean1112 no??? That wasn't top placement worthy, period
@@gabrielchiavaroli2227 I was just giving a way to kinda excuse it and still highlight the correct people. Even just pointing out that her fashion is mildly better would have been enough.
I love Lala but her sewing challenge game went from worst of all time to just lackluster. Definitely not great.
I can understand how frustrated Heidi is because even the queens on the show can feel how overproduced it is
more and more queens are leaving for seamingly this reason, so hopefully theyll figure out its not working and change it
Zoom in on there faces when Pangina comes out to lipsync. They knew it was planned out. Kind of disheartening for them
@@anthonywilson1757 ugh that was so bad. Jimbo could have flunked that challenge and they still would have given her the win so she could lipsync against Pangina. It’s so over produced.
@@jmarshal i still wonder however, are some of those LSAs on call or are they scheduled for specific episodes beforehand? cause it's a much better look if it's the former
Girl Heidi ain’t winning this season, let’s be real
I'm upset the editors cut Darienne's melanoma story. Skin cancer prevention is soooo important and it's never come up in 23+ seasons - why not now?? And it tied into Darienne's look for the week, she felt apprehensive about wearing it because it showed her cancer scar, but she wore it anyway and SHINED! What a good story that could've been, and I wouldve taken what, like 90 seconds of screentime?
Sounds boring
@@cakes3958 shut up.
Not trying to be shady to anyone, but i feel like Jimbo should've been casted in a season with a lot of frontrunners (like an all stars 2 type of cast) because production is not even trying to hide the fact that she's probably making it to the finale, she feels out of place in a season full of underdogs and queens who want a redemption of some sorts
I agree. I really wish Jimbo was in a season of more prestigious queens because I do feel she is at an unfair advantage because of her being more experienced and at a higher level than the others.
The problem was that none of the frontrunners are willing to go back so soon and Paramount kept wanting to pump out one AS seasons every year and they absolutely need a heavy hitter to draw in the audience (if you noticed Jimbo dominates everyone on social medias in terms of likes and engagement so ofc they would wanna keep her until the very end)
Agreed, Jimbo probably has several times the budget and designers wanting to work with them than queens that have been out of the spotlight for years. I don’t doubt that Jimbo is talented but let’s not pretend that having the right budget or designer talent doesn’t give an IMMENSE advantage.
Im a big fan of Jimbo and this is very true. It’s a bit uncomfortable to watch… 🤷🏻♂️ we all know that Jimbo will probably win but we don’t want to know that!! 😢
right like global all stars
You captured it perfetly with "I watch it because it's drag race but I *don't care*"
The writers this season simply gave up on crafting good storylines
Can you honestly tell me when was the last time you watched drag race and you were invested in it? Because I feel like this sentence describes 90% of the seasons for me. Maybe I need to just stop watching 💀
@@mateusz1578 hey how r u doing? Are u married???
So... you guys bitch when the producers are crafting storyi lines (this season apparently?) but also love it when they craft story lines (jinx on s5 and AS7)?
Pick one, not both...
@Glenn Coco I think your comment is worded very poorly. It makes no sesnse.
@@TrixieMatteI your example just sounds like you don't like jinx monsoon. No one likes overproduced storytelling, and the queens all had a respect for each other on AS7
its so weird that this season also didnt start with the reading challenge OR the talent show??
They're probably postponing the Talent Show for the finale, so Jimbo can win the crown lol
Well, what would Kandy do? 😂 PS like her kind of as a drag queen just not on the show
No because then Darienne or Kasha would’ve done something fun and campy that would’ve been deliberately overlooked like Gia’s or Mariah’s talent show.
if they did that, they wouldn't be able to get rid of comedy queens like Darienne. it was obvious she was cast as a throwaway, sadly. even tho she is fierce queen
Yeah like did they edit them out because Sherry Pie won them or something?
That part about Kasha and Darienne's friendship shook me. It would've been way more impactful if we knew about that.
Being from Rochester NY and knowing their relationship, I couldn’t believeeee that they didn’t include anything about it!! There was one side comment from Kasha I think and that’s it.
Both Kasha and Darienne have great stories that DR is not able to articulate into the competition, Darienne coming back from her crucial battle with cancer, Kasha who's been a successful queen reading for kids especially in this current drag ban climate, put them together and put them in the wrong place at the wrong time because the show's overproduction and rigged strategies only put pegs in their ascension in the competition, at least imo. It would've also been a great redemption for Darienne since she was heavily disliked for the BenDela Creme feuds in S6 and to take her out of this bitter old lady image I think stuck with her for a long time for newer viewers.
I love our Rochester girls❤
the worst part for me is the older & early out queens being early outs again?? like it isnt a redemption story arc it feels like a confirmation story arc of why everyone was eliminated 😭 monica still is in her head, kandy is still rambunctious, lala still cant sew, jimbo still cant lipsync etc
hmmm I wonder who helped Lala with her Supermarket Super Model outfit? She was safe and it was actually a nice dress! Novice sewers can sew but can’t construct a dress like that. My guess is Alexis helped her with the pattern.
This. Makes it feel very anticlimatic and unsatisfying.
The only queen that gave us the all stars vibe was honestly Jessica. She's the one where we haven't seen her in a while but are so excited to see every week. Everyone else got dirt while jimbo and kandy are being pushed by producers in the most boring way possible.
@@streamsos clearly Kandy was the obvious push by producers. Her runway looks we’re not elevated enough compared to her promo, Jessica’s runway, and Jimbo’s runway….but her makeup was elevated. She will start a trend.
My three biggest problems with this season: 1) They're so clearly trying to make it the Jimbo meet-and-greet it's ridiculous. Does anyone doubt she's winning this season? 2) They're trying to give Heidi, the beloved Miss Congeniality, the delusional villain edit!! What?! 3) Kandy Muse is just there to stir the pot behind the scenes. All she wears is a different color bathing suit every challenge but she's probably gonna make it to the finale just because she causes drama.
I feel like the only reason jimbo is here is because ru wants to give her a win (no hate to jimbo shes fabulous) its just like they are telling us the story
They're treating Heidi like they treated Latrice in All Stars 4.
@@saigedoesart what do you mean Ru wanted to give her a win?
I think they thought Kandi could carry this season more than she’s able to. I would have loved to see a focus on how much Heidi has grown.
No i think jimbo is just the best lol so it looks that way, i dont think it matters what season was on she would do well…. The other queens not so much other than Heidi
"riggory"is such a go-to catchall for drag race critiques, but as someone who did not see her original season, the fact that Heidi in Closet has not yet been in the top in any challenge is getting ridiculous
The fact they didn't give Heidi a top placement in the ball when one of her biggest moments on her season was having NICKI MINAJ say she hates(x3) her hair and make up is such an insane miss
@@skeletonorchestra1504 …but LALA got the ball redemption (cause its her only story line LMAO). It’s crazy
@@emmetharrigan5234 Giving her the redemption when shawty made Ra'Jah's talent show dress that she made in a minute when Lala got 8 hours. AND SHE WAS CLEARLY HOLDING THE SKIRT. A whole mess, I love Lala but this edit for her is upsetting.
@@skeletonorchestra1504 for real Lala’s confessionals are like “fun energetic drag queen here to make her mark and shake things up” but then her challenge performances coast harder than Bianca and are more tired than Pearl 💀
@Emmet Harrigan I also feel like Lala suffered so hard from no Episode 1 Talent Show. Cause her song with Ocean Kelly was sickening, and we know she's a strong lipsyncer, but she hasn't been able to really be in her element.
To simplify; It's WAY too overproduced. We already Know who are gonna be the front runners of the season (Jimbo, Kandy, & Jessica), and because production keeps pushing them, it leaves other girls (Heidi, and Kahanna) to end up being robbed. In addition to this, because they keep focusing on the front runners, they don't focus on anything else (cast relationship, relevant storylines, etc.)
And honestly they ate good enough they dont need to push that hard
Kahanna? Robbed? She didn't really deserve the first win, but deserved high, but should've been high in ball, but that's it.
I understand that you just used examples, but I’d say Kasha was more robbed than Kahannah. Kasha could’ve been high or won the first two challenges and got send home on the 3rd ep while Kahannah deserved the first two placements, robbed for the 3rd, and favored for the 4th. Again, I understand it’s an example/opinion but I think Kasha really was robbed.
@@inventions178 kahanna had the best performance overall in the episode. best looks in the mini best challenge performance, best runway.
@@Bottegadoll But if you rewatch, Kahanna wasn’t saying her words in her verse nor in the lipsync against Aja.
The first episode I was shouting "WHERE IS THE READING CHALLENGE!?" because it's such a nice way to get into everyone's personality and humour and most important, interaction between the queens! It gives a nice moment to the early eliminated queens in the season too.
I wish that they would just give us more interaction between them because it's just all this force fed alliances. Heidi has mentioned about how they showed nothing of her quickly growing bond with Mrs Kasha Davis and how she was calling her aunty which would've further validated Heidi's reaction at Kasha being eliminated.
I am also just tired of the lip sync assassin format, nothing is working anymore. Bring back lip sync for your life. It's absolute criminal that they have people like DARIENNE LAKE and she was given no opportunity to lip sync anything.
Darienne, Naysha, AND Monica are GREAT performers and didn't even get to show that.
See I didn't even know about this Heidi/Kasha relationship and now I'm sad we didn't get to see any of it. This sounds like BIG storyline potential and would have been so cool to see make the edit. Justice for Kasha 🥲
Yeah that was a ridiculous error... who thought it was a good idea to take both the reading challenge and talent shows from episode 1? I guess the same team that casted primarily fashion queens and then does an early snatch game with 2 parts in an ultra short episode. It's like they don't know what fans want at all.... or do but don't care.
I think assassins COULD work if they actually gave them the cash tip instead of rolling it over. Cause like, why tf would the assassin actually try to win when there’s nothing on the line for them? But I do think lip sync for your legacy a la AS2 is a better set up.
Not seeing kasha on snatch games makes me so sad, especially after her being robbed.
How was she robbed? Her dress was a monstrosity
@@cakes3958 not that, i really think she shouldve won/be at the top of the acting challenge. Plus - track record - she shouldve stayed(i know its a game and it isn't always supposed to be fair, its just how i feel😂)
@@sronmol9597 yes. (But also she kinda gave up) NOT ACTULLY but in the eyes of the queens ofcorse
@@bryanroberts7703 she actually talked about it, it wasnt from a giving up place. More of its just how she is (sharing kindness love appriciation ect) and it got misunderstood + i think there was something with the edit i cannot remember rn😭)
@@bryanroberts7703 but i definitely can understand why it can look like it
The riggory of against kasha and especially Darrienne makes me worried for other queens we’ve waited a long time for to comeback to comeback such as Dida ritz or peppermint
just depends on how production feels about you. Look at Jessica. Definitely worried for someone like Dida though. She'd get the exact same treatment as Naysha.
I feel like peppermint will likely be pushed to winning in order to complete the quad crowning of the Season 9 finalist.
I love Kasha and Darienne… but honestly, I don‘t think they were rigged. Darienne‘s bottoms made sense, and Kasha not being above Save too
how were either of those rigged? they did the worst, their track records were the worst and they were not giving good tv.
Maybe it’s the way it was edited but I 100% agree with the people that have gone home so far
“If you go on these queens social media or you tag them in your tweets or whatever and you are being hateful or nasty, you’re trash” THIS! I cannot even begin to comprehend how so many people think this is okay and it needs to stop
Someone said that this season feels like if All Stars 5 was trying to be All Stars 6 and i couldn't agree more
i think dragdet did lmao
@@dino2064maybe they did but I remember seeing the comment under JackFed's video
AS5 that wants to be AS6 but with worse lip syncs
I feel like AS8 had such an incredible cast that it fumbled so extremely badly and as a result literally all 4 of the currently eliminated queens feel robbed even if their eliminations made the most sense in the moment, like the fact they’re all incredible performers with such distinct voices and things to say and bring and not a single one of them really got to show their worth :/
This… smh
I will die on this hill: if any queen presents a bodysuit with stuff glued to it for a design challenge, even if it's well done and looks nice, they'll get reamed for it. But when Jimbo and Jessica do it, they get a pass because the judges thought it still looked nice? No ma'am
Jorgeous? Ahem! Aquaria?
I think the problem is that the producers didn't think about the challenges and the Drag queens talents. How the heck we didn't have the reading challenge and the roast at the beginning when we have freakin Darien, MS Kasha, Heidi, Lala they are so smart and funny. Instead we start with a fashion show... Only Jimbo will be consistent with fashion. So this season its kind of boring
I was with you up until "Only Jimbo". Does Kahanna Montrese not show up on your screen?
I agree with you. The season feels so overproduced and some queens feel predetermined to make it far which results in them giving unfair top placements (Lala in the ball) while other queens get left in the dust like Heidi. Jimbo is also way too obvious of a winner. Like what competition does she have? Jessica maybe?
Knowing Production probably Kandy
This season just feels very meh, and it feels super rigged just 4 episodes in. The only ones who are killing it so far are Jimbo, Jessica Wild, Kahanna Montrese and Heidi N Closet (who is being ignored by production)
The cast chemistry feels off either, it feels like All Stars 5 all over again
you're so right about cast chemistry - i wasn't sure how to word it but have been feeling like there's a lack of connection between a lot of queens (positive or negative)
Wait how is it super rigged if 3/4 of the queens you say are killing it have wins 😭
Kasha’s activism is so relevant to right now, and I was really bummed to see her go. Also, Jimbo is unfairly getting a bad rep in the fandom because of the riggory in her favor. It’s sad. Darienne, known for her witty and bitchy remarks, seemed neutered this season. Jessica Wild has been awesome though.
I don't even think it has felt particularly rigged for Jimbo, she's just slaying so hard compared to everyone else that it feels one sided
Jimbo is getting a bad rap because she's doing well, I don't get the favoritism some fans keep saying she's getting. She's doing better than the other queens
I feel like after three times she better be doing good or what was it all for lol
@@radiocallum I agree, I think she’s doing amazing, but a lot of fans don’t agree with her wins. Hard for me to tell who’s right here. I’d be quite happy to see her take the whole competition.
Because Darien wasn’t cast with anyone compatible for her to be herself. They always cast 2 or 3 each of like minded Queens who can turn a story and play off each other. This is the worst casted group of Allstars. They really screwed up cuz it’s winding down.
How is it is been so many seasons and production still doesn't know how to work with cast they got? We have Jaymes, Darienne, MKD, Lala etc. and they think Girl Group challenge is the best for this cast? Really?
When will production realize we don't want storylines shoved down our throats? Just let it happen naturally. I would stay up until midnight waiting for the new episode to come on. Now I wake up on Saturdays and I'm like "huh. Guess I'll watch the new episode of All Stars."
I can't even bring myself to watch the episodes anymore. I just look up clips from the episode and at this point I enjoy that more
@mysticfox1663 have you seen Muniz's recaps? They're so funny haha and one of the only reasons I was excited to see Naysha Lopez lol
The things I like most about this season... are having Bianca on the Pit Stop and Kerri on the Ruview. They are really enjoyable there and make me wanna keep watching the season 😂
ugh tbh bianca was kinda getting stale on s15's last few eps but it was just a few bad eps bc for AS8 the guests are SOOO FUN like sugar and spice, mistress, KYLIEEE, and Alaska like this has been so good and kerri and raja's chemistry is so good as well.
It’s refreshing how Kerri just doesn’t care at all. She doesn’t care if it‘s high fashion or expensive, if it‘s funny to her, she‘ll toot it
Right? She's maybe not a high fashion expert, but she represents the casual drag queen who can judge if an outfit fits and whether it's on brand for the contestant. Plus she's so funny to watch
All I wanted this season was to see Mrs. Kasha Davis do Snatch Game and production has robbed me of that
THISSSSSS
i'm so early gia hasn't opened the door yet
no glamour before 12:30PM
When I saw Heidi's Untucked where she wanted to go home, I totally understood. Sometimes your gut just screams "The Jig Is Up" (fan brag) and it's better for your mental health to walk away rather than to wait until you serve your purpose and get tossed aside. I will admit, being from Rochester, I'm pissed that they had to take out both my ladies right at the beginning of the season. I'm team Jaymes now, but that feels more like "I guess I gotta choose someone to root for, right?"
Does anyone else feel like the seasons coming out so close to the previous one is contributing to them feeling lackluster? We just finished the previous season and now it's all stars.
Yes! I definitely have Drag Race burn out.
yes! i also why i personally like having a lot of queens from older seasons. sometimes it feels like someone gets eliminated in a regular season and they just go “it’s ok i’ll be in all stars” then you see them a year later and i find that it’s usually the same thing you saw a year ago. whereas queens from “older” seasons have changed/grown a lot and there is something new to see and learn about them
Massive contributing factor. I used to be such a super fan (not in an unhealthy way) back in the day- now I’m not bothered if I catch certain seasons.
Heidi should have been in the top every episode so far...and won atleast 2 times.....but she gets robbed on an Icecis CvTW level.
She evolved so much from S12, she already had the star quality and now she also knows hot to play drag race and slaying the challanges. I thought she is the obvious pick for the crown. But production riggory is just so pathetic.
When they said Lalari was giving Grace Jones on her last look, I looked over to my friend I was watching with and said outloud:
"That sounds like an insult to Grace Jones."
Its just too obvious no wonder Heidi was pissed in episode 3/4.
While I’m a bit annoyed at Naysha’s post show bitterness (she knew what she was signing up for) I agree with her that the AS7 format would be great for general AS seasons
You, jackfed, laganja and Joseph Shepard, sibling rivalry… the results are in! This season is not giving unfortunately! I really hope that All stars is rebranded as Global all stars and that production takes notes. What a nose dive from AS6 and AS7…
Right?! I truly wonder if the writing strikes are a major part of this. It would only make sense
@@OpulentPomegranate This was made a year ago, so no.
I feel bad for Jimbo. The fans are turning against her for "favoritism" when all of her placements so far have been well deserved. It feels like Jimbo and Jessica are the only ones putting 100% into the competition
EXACTLY.
I'm gonna say something controversial, but everyone is so meh compared to Jimbo and Jessica. They should've saved Jimbo for a season with stronger competitors cause right now Jimbo feels op.
I actually think Jimbo kind of held back in the first 2 or 3 episodes. She did good but it was not the crazy over the top character that demolished UK Vs TW
ur so right about the girl group challenge being a horrible start to the season, like i get that ppl have gotten tired of the talent show but it’s the way they chose the absolute worst time to change it. most of these queens aren’t well known in the drag race zeitgeist, so why are we taking away their opportunity to shine individually? 12 verses, in an episode with 5 looks from each queen. why
Heidi talked abt her conversation with Kahanna and Lala when they were all Safe, they were talking abt their experiences as black people in the south and their families...the content is here, they just choose not to put it in the episodes/untucked
Bianca on the pit stop and kerri on fashion photo ruview make this season look like its worthwhile
This Rajah O'Hara love is healing my deepest scars💝💖
The All Stars seasons hasn't that "X FACTOR" anymore. At this point we already watched every possible crossover, plot twist, challenge, runway look, and everything in between. We even had All winners All Stars, the only thing that compares with it would be a Season 2 of All winners, which for me is not a stunning idea. Even AS8 has an amazing cast is not enough for the audience to be pleased. Having an All Stars season every year is now soooooo pointless.
Another piece that's missing for me is the deliberation between the queens. Normally we see a lot about what everybody is thinking, and their relationships. With that missing it's like, "okay everybody walk off stage, and come straight back to lip sync"
ALSO I'm hoping they stick Kandy, Jessica, Jimbo, and Alexis together for the snatch game so we get queens who didn't gets to do it and queens who did good the first time together.
They've moved the deliberation bit to Untucked
Dunno how Kandy is set to be in the top, she really has just been safe and that blow up doll look, wasn't gagged, I mean I was.... But from the smell
It’s very annoying because it’s only going to fuel more hate more hate for her, even though Kandy is a great queen. However, she was cast way too soon and has barely changed her drag, giving the same silhouettes as before and only being placed in the top for storyline purposes/to justify her being in the finale
Kandi looks are one note and she wears corsets/bodysuits
I was a little disappointed that they didn’t do a talent show on the first episode. Happy I wasn’t the only one thinking that
Yes, I thought it was so weird! I look forward to that challenge the most in each season
i have this weird theory that they aren't pushing heidi as much bc they know if it's heidi and jimbo final two heidi would totally out lipsync jimbo 💀
That honestly makes so much sense. We've seen (especially on UK vs the world) that jimbo isn't the best lipsyncer or dancer (as shown on Canadas drag race), so I'm not sure how she will win if she does get to the top unless she pulls off a cool stunt/reveal?
I really think what this comes down to is production doesn't really care about this season either. The drag artists were cast over a REALLY long period, Jessica said her spot on AS8 was locked in 2 years before filming, Naysha said her spot was offered 3 weeks before. We know that 4 UK vs The World artists were invited but Janey, Cheryl, and Pangina all declined, but all of them were invited after Jessica was. Heidi was probably cast around the same time Jessica was, being a lipsync assassin on AS6 like her, but Darienne was probably later on too since if she's on AS8 you would always make her a lipsync assassin first.
All this is to say that I think this is a cast of a couple queens that production wanted to get back and into a finale or potentially win, and then they literally just padded the rest of the cast with queens they don't care about but that the fans do. Darienne literally didn't deserve one of her 3 bottom placements in 4 episodes, they wanted her out. MBH, they didn't care about and wanted out, girl got 2 minutes of content. Naysha has leaked she was cast last minute so they wanted her out too just because she wasn't actually in their season plans. Kasha is not someone production likes much historically, so that's also a predictable elimination.
Production has all-but strongarmed the queens into the outcomes they wanted to happen. They have almost all said they felt Darienne shouldn't have been in the bottom in either episode 1 or 3, so in protest they will vote out the person who did worse and deserved the bottom more. Some have said they disagree with episode 4 too but by that point you're giving Darienne the Roxxxy edit which is worse than keeping her.
This isn't surprising or out of character rigging, of course. If it were this awesome channel wouldn't exist lol. But in all honesty, the reason this season isn't hitting IMO is that the drag artists on this season that production doesn't care about are artists that the fans have wanted to see back for SO long and are some of their favourites. On AS6 the only queens who fit that bill pre-season on a mass level were TKB, Scarlet, Jan, and Eureka!, all the other performers had loyal fans of course but they were smaller fanbases than otherwise. And while production rigged against Scarlet again, everyone else had great runs on the season, satisfying the fans. Remember before the season came out and the overwhelming online view was that it was such a weird cast because it was so weak? AS8 is the opposite, people were hyped asf to see particularly Darienne, Heidi, Jaymes, Kasha, and Naysha back, and 3 of them are already gone while Heidi has been denied even high placements she deserved to get, and Jaymes has been the most invisible character on the season. IMO she's in for a lategame couple of wins, but it's too little too late to win the season already.
AS6 was able to sell us on its narrative because we didn't have big expectations for a lot of the queens. AS8 we DO have expectations of pretty much all the queens, the biggest reintroductions are MBH and Kahanna, and MBH was the first out, while sadly comment sections I've seen aren't vibing with Kahanna too hard, and I kind of agree with that. Which isn't Kahanna's fault, the show has the power to make us like anyone they want to, and they're not doing it. For the queens we do have expectations for, the show is not matching those expectations at all. Like the ONLY synch up between what most of the fans wanted and what is happening on the show is Jessica being amazing and being rewarded for being amazing. That's literally it.
FTR I think production's desired top 4 in the pre-season was Jessica, Jaymes, Jimbo, and one wildcard slot. Covers the "old favourite returning and killing it", "early-out who is redeemed", and "really good at drag race all the time" broad archetypes in 3 slots. We'll see if it plays out that way though.
I’m a huge advocate for having the winner saving someone from the BTM3 because you can still have people plead their case to winner and the winner still needs to use strategy (i.e, maybe they’re helping someone out that doesn’t have a chance in winning the lip sync). Then the winner each week has to confront the fact that one of the two queens she didn’t save is still there. I know it’s not perfect, but it feels like a better fit - especially for a season like this one where Jimbo’s lip syncs aren’t fun to watch (and inevitably her single vote almost never counts) but we know she’ll keep being in the top. Have the dolls plead to her and then see whether someone saves her if she’s in the bottom or builds an alliance
I think this season is slowly building into Heidi vs Kandy/Jimbo as the main storyline, but yeah is taking forever and the eliminations really feel "MEH, who's next?", even when Darienne was kinda robbed in last ep because of that same old trick of magically making a bottom 3 instead of a bottom 2 and I was like "i don't care"
One of the issues that made AS8 get negative vibes was from the beginning with episode 1: when they edited out Jaymes Mansfield vulnerability and doing bad in the choreography, and what her teammates thought about that. I love Jaymes Mansfield a lot and she is one of my favorites, but this was wrong and made other queens feel very bitter about how production having clear favoritism from episode 1! Nobody is saying put Jaymes as one of the bottom 2, but at least show everything that was happening and how Jaymes will overcome it eventually, and do not let other queens and the fans feel this was not a fair competition from the start!
Also like you said we don’t feel the chemistry and do not get a lot from the queens and their storylines this season! The episodes seem to be a little bit rigid, how we don’t even see how the top and bottoms feel and discuss the judging with the others and all the drama! We are immediately taken to the voting then the lip-sync! Before it was so much interesting and intriguing that makes us want to get more from Untucked, now it is like whatever!
drag race has completely bowed down to capitalism and the over saturation of modern all stars is glaring evidence. All Stars used to be an *EVENT* , we all used to froth at the mouth at the cast announcements because they didn’t come all the time. I think making an All Stars every year eliminates a lot of the dramatic potential for the show, because they’ve refused to alter their own formula to their extreme detriment and a year isn’t enough to build up anticipation or excitement. The queens are basically shoehorned into going into All Stars and a lot of people go into drag race now fully knowing that they’re really advertising their future all stars runs. If we had at least 2 years wait between each all stars, I think the quality would return, but Ru and WOW are making too much money now to care about quality over quantity
I think it is very odd for them to treat Heidi as a filler. Heidi is easily the most followed and famous queen of this cast and everyone loves Heidi lol. Them not pushing her but pushing Kandy is odd. Yes, Kandy makes great TV, but Kandy doesn't have the fan support Heidi has. If Heidi and Jimbo were top two, you'd get way less blowback than if Kandy or Alexis beat Jimbo in the finale.
love how every episode the queens talk about the stress of the voting as if we haven’t been knowing that’s what happens and also it’s been happening for 3 seasons now
honestly i fell in love with James because of his YT channel prior to this season (i was really down for a while a few years back and his drag history videos really gave me something to look forward to. i'm not saying he cured my depression but i really got to appreciate him from that) but idk if the audience who might not know him is getting the opportunity to really fall in love with him and that's a missed opportunity.
My wife and I have been watching RPDR since season 2. This is the first season in a long time where we forget about Friday. It's difficult to watch this after season 15. And everytime Heidi is robbed? I just can't.
Im a huge fan of Jimbo (I even thought she was going to win Canada’s Drag Race), but it’s so evident that production is pushing her win so hard this season is cringy to watch sometimes. 😩
Like the Pangina moment… Girrrrl…
I have never seen a season Jimbo is in so I am indifferent to her and I just do not like Kandy and her entire attitude and personality. Being Puerto Rican, I'd love to see Jessica win so we can finally have a PR queen actually win something and not just be kicked out the moment they stop caring because they're ASL and can't act out lines or whatever perfectly. That being said, it is criminal that they're ignoring the other queens so much. Heidi, in particular, I absolutely love but I fully understand why she was so upset in Untucked and why she's been mad on socials about it.
I'm not remotely fond of Kandy either
I think you're spot on. I'm having the same reaction to season 8. For me it's the basic (regular season) challenges and the level of performance of the queens on those challenges. This first episode lyriscs, vocals and choreo were (for the most part) so bad, it didn't feel All Stars level at all. At least half of the cast didn't really glow up all that much. It's more like a continuation of their original season. Okay, now I gotta go watch episode 5, because all my chores are done for the day... LOL
The moment the cast was announced and Jimbo was on I knew it would be rigged in her favor. The problem with this season is the only storyline so far is Heidi's alliances and the Jimbo/Kandy storyline. That is why the top 3 will most likely be them. If Heidi doesn't make it it's bc production rigged Jaymes in.
Wait I thought Pangina beat jimbo in the lip sync which is why Jessica won 30,000
tbf its not hard to beat jimbo without giving 100%
The lipsync assassin format is so weird now. Of course Raja didn't perform to the level she can... Could you imagine if you prevented your friend of getting 30k for... no reason? Why would she even do that.
I also low-key think production would've given the $30k to Jessica or whoever was the top all star even if they were clearly worse than Rajah because if they had held it another week, it'd hit $40k for the following week, which is WAY too close to the $50k prize for the fame games winner, which might cheapen it and make WOW look bad for not giving away more. Maybe I'm just wearing a tin hat, lol. All I know is WOW is making bank from these queens and they should pay them more in prize money or otherwise.
SPOILERS AHEAD
If the spoilers for Ep. 5 are true, then this is is the final key the producers needed to justify crowning Jimbo. When early spoilers surfaced, everyone said that Heidi quit because of Jimbo’s favoritism. Now we know Heidi quits because she wants to (in a way) protect Jimbo, and get away from all the fake alliances.
I’m almost sure that starting from Ep. 5, the edit will do a full 180 on Kandy and give her the full on villain edit, showing her as the fake quern, with Alexis right behind.
THIS will be the turning point for all storylines in the rest of the season, with Jimbo being the hero, the queen who is a threat to everyone else but who can’t stop feeling insecure of getting eliminated bc of what just happened in UKvsTW. Kandy and Alexis will become the villains and the rest of the queens will just become motors to their storylines.
In this way, at the final 2, Jimbo’s win will feel much more “satisfying”. Think Rolaskatox vs Jinkx or Silky vs Yvie.
I’m just hoping that production won’t be that harsh editing and showing the drama. I don’t exaaaaactly like Kandy, but I’d really hate to see her receive any hate for what’s coming
I am so fucking more excited now! I am definitely going to rewatch this season every night! Thank you! Jimbo jimbo jimbo!
Ep.5 will be the final nail in the coffin as it basically establishes Jimbo as the hero of the season, coupled with the fact that she’s coming into the finale with 4 wins AND a Lipsync win as well so basically the crown is hers already, the other top 2 queen is just not gonna win lol especially when she’s already not liked by the fanbase and then ep.5 happened.
I’m not surprised that the rumors were fake either, they came from an unreliable spiller on reddit and Heidi + Jimbo are like besties irl.
@@davidnguyen9413 The thing is though that Jimbo has a ton of storylimes more than you realize and represent a special part of the drag artform that people forget exists in favor of acrobatics and pussy splitting to name a few
@@kennethtoro1875 oh no I love Jimbo and am very excited for her to win but I wish the race was closer and not a steamroll for Jimbo.
I feel the same… I feel as though its very by the motions and I don’t like the sameness of all the winners, if there is only one winner per episode i feel like the wins could be separated between the queens more and the lip syncs haven’t been exciting sparing jessica and kahannas
I believe overall the best seasons are the ones which happen organically, and the worst are those when production is forcing storylines/placements a lot and/or trying to emulate manually the best seasons. I'd say AS8 is the flop we thought AS6 would be, but could have been avoided also this time if production had done their job right. It really feels like they have already chosen their final4 and it's unpleasant to watch.
i’m thinking of all stars 6 & 8 as the out come of thor ragnarok & love and thunder.
the pulled a risk and the outcome and reception was more then they hoped for and for the next round they tried way too hard to ultimately make us disappointed.
all stars 8 is the first season since probably season 10 (international seasons included) where i dont know a single spoiler and have managed to avoid spoilers but hearing all this talk of the drama in tomorrows episode is making me soooooo excited i cant wait
what i dislike about all stars in general is when they cast older season queens then eliminate them super early in the series like what are they? cast fodder? like it’s so weird.
they also don't let them shine in their areas. like monica is a good lipsyncer, kasha is a comedian etc
I was so wowed by the cast, then checked which queens declined and immediately became disappointed🥴
Since I’ve become a drag race super fan, watching a large chunk of the various iterations of the show, this is the first time EVER that I’ve legitimately forgotten there are new episodes each week. Even with stuff like UK season 3 that was a hot mess I was still excited each week because I mean it was entertaining. I’ve just not been super entertained by AS8, and you perfectly summed up my thoughts as to why. This has all the ingredients to be AS6 but better, but so far that has been totally wasted
I just knew something was off with this season the minute I saw the cast list. I knew Darienne and Kasha werent going to make it far because they dont appreciate older queens. I knew they would shoot Jimbo to the top because what's the point of having her there for the 3rd time in 3-4 years if not to crown her. They should've done something like the run shangela had. Like give us time to miss her so that we can root for her later instead of overexposing her into a heel.
There's just no surprises from the jump and the people i wanted to see more from are alreadly gone.
I've never been a Talent Show fan but oh my god I didn't realize how much I wanted to see it until it wasn't the premier for AS8
I was waiting for you to show your opinions on AS8! I can totally see the outcome of the top3, jimbo Jessica and possibly Kandy.. I wish there was more drama and they showed more with longer episodes. It feels very produced and I do miss the old season layout 😭 jimbo for the win though she’s slaying.
Simple: it's overproduced, riggery is off the roof and top 3 was obvious from the beginning even without the spoilers.
It is not "early out" girls fault that this season is getting harsh critiques, it is judges and productions fault. They are pushing Kandy, Lala and Jimbo down our throat over and over and it is so tiring. I can at least understand Jimbo because she is funny and brings good looks but Kandy and Lala doesn't have All Stars runway, at all. Kahanna and Heidi is getting robbed so much, they deserved more high places and praises, compare to Kandy's hot glue dresses.
Jimbo is awesome on his own, he doesn't even need riggory cause it's so obvious he's way above the other contestants, right now his only competition is Jessica, Jessica really is shining so bright and it's beautiful to see it.
The producers messed up by casting Jimbo in a season like this, he should've been casted with front runners. So now, to not make it seem like the Jimbo show they're trying to compensate by grabbing attention to the "popular" queens like Kandy and LaLa when they're meh at best, that's why it feels so forced, because there's no real competition. This was such an awful casting choice.
@@alorockss yeah, I'm not big Jimbo fan but her placements doesn't seem rigged. she did well on challenges even if runways aren't high fashion always but they keep showing her all the time with the most obvious winner edit. its shea coulee all over again. just crown her and give us season 16 already lol
@@alorockss that’s rude
I feel for Mrs Kasha Davis too and I will be voting for her in the fame games!!!! Who’s with me??!
Kahanna should win Fame Games hands down. I'd have said Heidi to show her how loved she is... but she can't after leaving.
Have we gotten to a pt where producers approach certain queens and guarantee a certain placement. It wouldn't surprise me
It feels like every queen on the cast is getting the Blair St. Clair AS5 edit
Agreed! Lackluster, controversial to say the least. It feels so contrived.... Heidi i understand being so frustrated. Especially after hearing Nay talk about how James and Kandy are getting much more second chances and easy ups.
Also don't be nervous, you are great! Thankyou for your videos!
Gurl, you literally said EVERYTHING, PERIOD.
Just one thing i like to add: i was adding one thing but i can't remember kkkk (when i remember i come here again to talk)
that's it, you talked right sis, props 👏
Also you didn't talk abt this but I'm personally tired of people getting a 3rd chance (except the ones that were on As1) especially Jimbo who was on drag race not long ago, both times ☠️
YES. Like I’m sorry but there’s no reason for some of these girls to be back for a third time, especially so close.
Great video!
I also feel like this season is not entertaining enough, like the challenges are very mediocre, the queens aren't performing to their best capacities, and there aren't enough funny moments throughout the episodes, like I find myself watching a scene and I'm like, wow, that was the most boring conversation I've ever heard, like not everyone has to have zingers and lines but I feel like everyone is being hella reserved, or that's just what they're showing, but so far, this season is very forgettable, and I can't believe I'm even writing this when we have Alexis, Kandy, Jimbo, Heidi, and Lala on a season, like what is going on? I haven't wanted to read the spoilers, but I hope the season improves.
After last night's episode, you are absolutely right. I was seeing the focus on the strategy storyline, a little bit, but last night's episode fully confirmed it.
Love the X-men/X-Factor shirt and also the cat "condo" in the background!
I understand that people find the storyblines are boring but if (for example) Alexis michelle isnt slaying hard enough to win a challenge then she isnt gonna get a story line about her improvement. They only missed oppotunities i see is Darienne Kasha in the first few episodes and Heidi being kept out of high or win placements due to the favouritism of Lala or Kandy.
Yall can be peeved that Jimbo is getting wins but if the others arent slaying they wont be winning.
So true, if jimbo didn’t win they would say it’s rigged. But it’s not exactly productions fault for the wins, Jimbo is rightfully earning them and is doing the best. It’s sad because Heidi isn’t getting top placements that she deserves and the inevitable result of this.
Yes, AS should change its format: my ideal format is queens vote for the bottom two, voted queens have to lipsync for their life, queens safe are the top two (one winner per week)
I also think that the narrative of the season is not “redemption” but “integrity” it’s not well done so far
It’s like watching a producer literally moving around the Queens on a chess board for their own purposes. It’s SO over produced.
Totally agree and it’s breaking my heart how little I’m feeling it. So many missed opportunities for the audience to connect with the queens, like we have in seasons past! Drag Race is an event in this house, but I haven’t even watched episode 3.
I'm really disappointed by the overproduction and for the queens that are obviously being overlooked because of it. Kandy Muse tweeted before the season premiered saying this was going to be the best season of drag race, bringing old school drama and vibes, but I've yet to see it. At this point I'm just waiting for Ru to inevitably crown Jimbo.
i still rewatch the s12 rusical just for Jan, Gigi, and Jaida's parts -- literally skip through everyone else
ok but there wasn't 1 bad performance (even jackie was like okay) i watch the entire thing constantly
@@DragDetective i'll give you that! widow & heidi are always fun to watch perform! it is definitely one of the best rpdr performances overall
One note about this particular cast is that most of the queens are coming from different seasons. Jaymes and Alexis were both in S9 but Jaymes went home so early it barely counts. So that just leaves Kandy and Lala as the only two in who have previously competed together. Comparatively, AS6 had four memorable queens from season 11. It helps when a sizable portion of the cast is starting the season with an established history and chemistry. AS8 has some very talented contestants but overall it does feel a bit like a bunch of random strangers forced to work on a group project together.
I love the Ra Ra Riot album in the background, it’s one of my favs
I'm kind of crestfallen that both Darienne and Kasha won't be in the snatch game. Why would you do that to the audience?????????????
THE LIPSYNCS AREN'T LIPSYNCING! 🤣😂
I totally agree with everything. I missed when ep 3 and 4 came out and was so unbothered where as normally I'm watching it as soon as I can
I can't wait for your Drag Race podcast. It'll be amazing for sure!
The treatment of Jaymes Mansfield is really dragging this season down. Not even a huge fan or anything but I have eyes and damn she probably has the most diverse set of looks & ideas so far but got told she always looks "same-y & boring" like damn lol
The way I can tell Michelle was just saying that to set up a storyline for her to be eliminated. Makes me mad bc she deserves better
As I said on the JackFed video:
Monica went home as shy and nervous as she was on her original season.
Naysha went home without showing any of her strength as on her original season
Kasha went home without being recognized for her comedic value as on her original season.
Darienne went home without being as likeable as we know she can be, like on her original season.
James is still shy
Lala still has questionable fashion
Kahanna already got her spotlight and they forgot about her
Alexis is still serving drama and attitude
Heidi is still being edged
Kandy is still Kandy
Jimbo still don't know how to lip sync
And imo only Jessica has shown growth and feels like she's shining and fully developed.
Even if Jimbo has been given the winner edit, she feels too aware of herself this time around.
Yea I only see Jessica really doing her thing this season
I’m watching and we’ll see what happens is 100% the vibe
another problem with this season that ive noticed is Jimbo’s fanbase, on social media i already see floods of comments on queens who wear large breastplates with things like “The doors jimbo had opened/In your jimbo era, things like that
there’s nothing wrong with seeing comparisons between queens you like but to say jimbo invented big boobs in the year 2023 is wild
It’s the season 14 love for me ❤
I mean, while I agree this season hasn't really been hitting the same as recent great seasons, it's also by far not the worst ever, and I think it is just in the unfortunate position of having to follow AS6, AS7, and even S15 and CVTW, so it feels lackluster. But IMO it's a perfectly average season, and while I agree it could be a lot better, I think it still does the job and is entertaining enough.
I agree and I am sad for the cast, we are halfway through it still feels like we dont know anyone at all
Agree.
That's a good analysis - description of what's happening with All Stars 8.
Thanks for sharing.
🍯❣️🐝