The first season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars premiered on the Logo network on October 22, 2012. Contestants from the original RuPaul's Drag Race show returned to compete again. Cast members were announced on August 6.[1]
This season features 12 returning contestants representing all four seasons. It aired six one-hour episodes.[2] Contestants were judged on their "charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent" and, since they competed in teams of two, also "synergy". The winner received a supply of MAC cosmetics, a "one of a kind trip" and $100,000.[3] The theme song playing during the runway every episode is "Sexy Drag Queen" (dootdoot 'doot-swift' Remix) and the song playing during the credits is "Responsitrannity" (Matt Pop's Edit), the latter of which is originally from RuPaul's album Glamazon.
The first episode introduced several changes to the rules for the All Stars competition. Queens competed in teams of two, determined by the contestants themselves. Both members of the losing team would be eliminated each week. The bottom two teams chose one member to "lip synch for their lives". The non-lip synching teammates had the option during the first minute of the performance to declare a "she-mergency", hit a panic button and "tag in" to complete the performance. Mimi Imfurst and Pandora Boxx teamed up to form "Team Mandora", Tammie Brown and Nina Flowers teamed up to form "Team Brown Flowers", Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon teamed up to form "Team Latrila", Yara Sofia and Alexis Mateo teamed up to form "Team Yarlexis", Raven and Jujubee teamed up to form "Team Rujubee" and Shannel and eventual winner Chad Michaels teamed up to form "Team Shad". RuPaul dedicated the first episode in memory of Sahara Davenport, a former competitor in season 2 of RuPaul's Drag Race who died due to heart failure.[4]
The winner of the first season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars was Chad Michaels, with Raven being the runner-up.
Twelve all-stars enter the workroom. They are told that they will be competing in pairs for the season. To pair up the queens, each queen will hold up a sign of another queen that they want to partner with. If both queens match with each other, they will form a team.
Chad Michaels and Shannel matched on the first round of voting to form Team Shad
Raven and Jujubee matched on the first round of voting to form Team Rujubee
Nina Flowers and Tammie Brown matched on the first round of voting to form Team Brown Flowers
Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon matched on the second round of voting to form Team Latrila
Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia matched on the second round of voting to form Team Yarlexis
Mimi Imfurst and Pandora Boxx were matched by consolation as the last two left and formed Team Mandora
For the first main challenge, the queens will create an "opposites attract" and a "half-baked" photoshoot.
On the runway, category is Team Unity. Team Latrila and Team Rujubee receive positive critiques, with Team Latrila winning the challenge. Team Mandora, Team Shad and Team Yarlexis receive negative critiques, with Team Yarlexis being safe. Team Mandora and Team Shad are the bottom two teams. RuPaul then tells the queens that only one queen from each team will be lip-syncing. She also introduced the "she-mergency" button, which means that if the queen who is not lip-syncing presses the button, she will fill in for her partner and finish the lip-sync. Chad Michaels and Mimi Imfurst lip-sync for their pairs and they lip-sync to "Opposites Attract" by Paula Abdul. Chad Michaels wins the lip-sync, with Mimi Imfurst losing the lip-sync, meaning her and Pandora Boxx sashay away.
Eliminated: Team Mandora (Mimi Imfurst and Pandora Boxx)
2
2
"RuPaul's Gaff-In"
October 29, 2012 (2012-10-29)
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will play In Da Butt Ru, a game showing how well the queens know their partners. Team Rujubee wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will perform in RuPaul's Gaff-In Variety Show. They must do this as a celebrity impersonation.
On the runway, category is 60's Glam. Team Shad and Team Yarlexis receive positive critiques, with Team Yarlexis winning the challenge. Team Brown Flowers, Team Latrila and Team Rujubee receive negative critiques, with Team Rujubee being safe. Latrice Royale and Tammie Brown lip-sync for their pairs and they lip-sync to "There's No Business Like Show Business" by Ethel Merman. Latrice Royale wins the lip-sync, with Tammie Brown losing the lip-sync, meaning her and Nina Flowers sashay away.
Eliminated: Team Brown Flowers (Nina Flowers and Tammie Brown)
3
3
"Queens Behaving Badly"
November 5, 2012 (2012-11-05)
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will take manly selfies. Team Yarlexis wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will act naughty on the streets of Hollywood, earning points by doing pranks.
On the runway, category is Bad Girls Chic. Team Shad wins the challenge. Team Latrila, Team Rujubee and Team Yarlexis receive negative critiques, with Team Yarlexis being safe. Jujubee and Manila Luzon lip-sync for their pairs and they lip-sync to "Nasty" by Janet Jackson. Jujubee wins the lip-sync, with Manila Luzon losing the lip-sync, meaning her and Latrice Royale sashay away.
Eliminated: Team Latrila (Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon)
4
4
"All Star Girl Groups"
November 12, 2012 (2012-11-12)
For this week's mini-challenge, the queens will do a cheer-reading routine. Team Yarlexis wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the queens will form a girl group with celebrity women. Team Rujubee chose Kady Z, with them performing to RuPaul's "Jealous of My Boogie", Team Shad chose Jillian Hervey, with them performing to RuPaul's "Glamazon". Team Yarlexis chose Kelly Osbourne, with them performing to RuPaul's "Cover Girl (Put the Bass in Your Walk)".
On the runway, Team Shad wins the main challenge. Team Rujubee and Team Yarlexis are the bottom two teams. Raven and Alexis Mateo lip-sync for their pairs and they lip-sync to "Don't Cha" by The Pussycat Dolls. During the lip-sync, Yara Sofia pushes the "she-mergency" button and she finished the lip-sync for Alexis Mateo. Raven wins the lip-sync, meaning Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia sashay away.
Eliminated: Team Yarlexis (Alexis Mateo and Yara Sofia)
5
5
"Dynamic Drag Duos"
November 19, 2012 (2012-11-19)
For the mini-challenge, the queens will play a basketball game of "FISH". Team Rujubee wins the mini-challenge. For the main challenge, the pairs will create a super hero and a super villain look, with one queen playing as the super hero, and the other queen playing as the super villain.
On the runway, Team Shad wins the main challenge. Team Rujubee is the bottom team, with both of them lip-syncing to "Dancing on My Own" by Robyn. After an emotional performance, RuPaul announces that no one is going home.
For their final challenge, the final queens have to go to different locations within minutes of each other and perform different shows, consisting of a group interview, followed by an appearance at Hamburger Mary's to accept an award in their honor, and finish up with a comedy routine in front of a live audience.
The queens walk the runway one last time. Jujubee and Shannel are eliminated. The final two, Chad Michaels and Raven, lip-sync one last time to "Responsitrannity (Matt's Pop Edit)" by RuPaul. RuPaul then announces that Chad Michaels is the winner, leaving Raven as the runner-up.
