Recap: WTF Are the Fame Games?

The unfulfilled promise of the underdog on 'RPDR: All Stars 8'

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Spoilers ahead! 

Written by Ali Romig

I have to start with a confession: I thought last week’s episode of RPDR: All Stars was going to be the finale. In my defense, we’d clawed our way to a final three¹ (Jessica Wild, Jimbo, and Kandy Muse) and historically, that would spell out: F.I.N.A.L.E. However, as has become the norm during this off-kilter season, they decided to hit us with an unexpected—and entirely unnecessary—twist. Yes, for the first time in All Stars history, we have a top two. Cue the confetti—or, if you feel like I feel, the confusion. 

All Stars 8 has been baffling viewers from the start. When the participating Queens were announced, Twitter (RIP) was alight with commentary. Whether or not you’re of the subgroup decrying this season of All Stars lack of “stars”, it’s hard to deny that something is just…off. Personally, I don’t think a deficit of talent is to blame. After all, Joan! The Unauthorized Rusical was one of the most impressive to date, as far as each individual performance goes, and the Snatch Game of Love was also a standout (at least, the second group).

Paramount+

What I think this season suffers from instead is a storytelling problem. When the producers chose to invite lesser known Queens back (either because they’re from older seasons, went out early, were less popular or mistreated during their original run) they made what I thought was a bold and exciting choice. After all, what is All Stars about if not Ru-demption? Unfortunately, this also means they saddled themselves with multiple quote-unquote underdogs. To be clear, the RPDR multiverse is no stranger to the underdog. This is the Queen who steps her pussy up in the face of adversity and delights the audience with her unexpected Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve, and Talent. But here’s the thing: there is usually one underdog per season, and she is played off the other well-loved RPDR archetypes. The villain, the showgirl, the artist, the clown, Miss Congeniality, etc. In All Stars 8, we suddenly have eight or more underdogs (this is subjective!). This led to the producers forcing Queens into inorganic roles in order to aid the story. I think this is why we ultimately saw Heidi N’ Closet walk out—as a former Miss Congeniality, she didn’t appreciate the villain narrative she was getting (more on this in a bit).  

To be clear, I definitely think it’s possible to tell a worthwhile (or even thrilling!) story with a cast of underdogs. However, it seems to me that the RPDR producers were unwilling to let go of their tried-and-true formula and think outside the fuzzy pink box enough to pull it off this time around. 

This kind of jumbled and inconsistent storytelling not only affected our perception of the Queens, but also worsened their onscreen chemistry. There have been several low-energy or stilted moments this season, other moments were outright awkward. At times hard to watch, and at times downright dull, All Stars 8 may go down as one of the most misproduced seasons in herstory. And since there is no finale for me to recap today, I thought I’d go ahead and dissect the five biggest offenses of the season, as well as ask the question on everyone’s lips: what the fuck are the Fame Games?

Paramount+

Heidi N’ Closet’s Exit 

Personally, Heidi was one of the Queens I was most excited to see come back. Not only is she an unforgettable personality, but she’s also elevated her style quite a bit since her Season 12 run (never forget Nicki Minaj’s scathing critiques). So I was devastated to see her exit, rather unceremoniously, in Episode 5. Even before the walkout, something about her return seemed amiss. I got the sense that the producers were trying their hardest to create alliance drama around her, and Heidi was not having it. Later, she also revealed that she was dealing with family difficulties around that same time which distracted her from the game². While past All Stars exits³ were huge deals narratively, Heidi’s exit—which was largely instigated by off-screen drama—was rather minimized. 

I think this may have been the clearest sign that the producers weren’t entirely confident in the narrative they were spinning. Having to piece together a plot from multiple sources—off camera, Untucked, the show itself—left viewers unsure of what was happening, or why.

(Too Many) Cryptic Alliances

Alliances have always been a part of the All Stars formula. Usually, we get to see these entanglements play out as the contestants chat backstage before voting. This year, those conversations are only shown if you watch Untucked. Otherwise, all you get is cryptic, stage whispered conversations in the Werkroom while the girls paint. While it’s true I could simply watch Untucked if I really needed to know all the ins and outs, I don’t think it’s…ridiculous to want a show to be narratively cohesive in and of itself (without having to rely on supplemental content). In addition, this season featured the kind of alliance drama that ostensibly negates the point of the practice altogether. Throughout the season, it was near impossible to keep track of who was in an alliance with who, especially since the Queens seemed okay backstabbing easily and often. Alexis Michelle betrayed LaLa Ri to save Kandy, who then betrayed Alexis. Kandy’s also in an alliance with Jimbo, but has been accused of campaigning against Jimbo. It’s all so convoluted…and in the end, it’s not that interesting! 

Paramount+

No Deliberations

Backstage negotiations weren’t the only conversations cut from this season. WHERE. ARE. THE. DELIBERATIONS? Season 15 of RuPaul’s Drag Race suffered from a similar plight when MTV limited episodes to 60 minutes. But after fan outcry, deliberations were restored about halfway through the season. All Stars 8 has not received this same kind of course correction. Instead, our esteemed panel of judges have been left with little to do, and the show is worse off for it. Not only do deliberations give viewers a look into how the judges are making their decisions–no matter how befuddling those decisions might be—it also allows time for guest hosts to shine (or flop, which can also be fun) and for us to hear differing points of view. Watching the judges speak more freely felt like chatting with friends. I continue to mourn the deliberations and pray for their speedy return.

Queen Burnout

In Episode 7, Kahanna Montrese threatened to quit the show after learning that they’d be doing yet another acting challenge. This prompted RuPaul to put on her “Mama Ru” hat and sit the girls down for “a talk.” “Feelings are not facts,” she told the tired Queens. While she made some points about how a lot of Queens don’t have the opportunity to show what they can do on a global stage like Drag Race, I think it’s also fair to interrogate why burnout has been so widespread among contestants? There is no denying the machine that is Drag Race. While it is absolutely a career launcher, I wouldn't have been mad about seeing Ru admit that the Queens are often viewed as little performance/content cash cows. 

A Final Two

Drag Race absolutely adores playing with form. And when it comes to finales, she is downright experimental! If you want a rundown of past RPDR finale formats, you can reference the infographic I made charting them here. That said, this season of All Stars took things one step further and bucked the recent tradition of adding evermore girls to the finale by doing the exact opposite. 

A final two isn’t necessarily upsetting in its own right, but given the larger context of the season, it’s basically zapped the final episodes of all remaining tension. Watching Jessica Wild return after thirteen years and kill the competition has been one genuinely entertaining bright spot during this otherwise forgettable season. So to see her predictably ousted with one episode to go, basically paving the way for an easy Jimbo win? Catch me watching the finale three weeks late when I remember to think about it!  

What are the “Fame Games”? 

I have been scratching my head over this all season. What’s worse? Every time they explain the games on the show, I seem to spontaneously black out, only to recover once they’ve already moved on. Sick of being in the dark, I did the research everyone else has been too disinterested to do. So, based on existing literature, here’s what I’ve surmised… 

Rules of the “Games”:

• A Queen is eligible for the Fame Games once she has been eliminated.

• At that point, she has the chance to show off the runway looks she would’ve worn on the show during Untucked. My confusion may be partly fueled by the fact that I haven’t been watching Untucked this season, despite the producers outsourcing a lot of content to Untucked. But also, I don’t think they made it clear enough that the looks would be shown on Untucked.  

• In addition to showing their looks on Untucked, Queens can also post additional content to social media. 

• Once all content has been shown–from the first to the last Queen eliminated–there will be a “fan vote” and the winner will receive $60,000 (this includes the roll over from last week’s lip sync). 

Now here’s where I really get confused: how will the fan vote work? Will it be a call-in deal? Will it be based on social media likes? Will fans be voting on the Queens’ looks, or–as the preview for this week’s episode suggests–their performance during the Fame Games Talent Show? And most importantly, how is this not just Miss Fan Favorite 2.0?  

I am all for the Queens getting to show off looks they undoubtedly spent good money on, and I am even more in favor of more Queens getting paid for their art–but I feel like a bit more thought could’ve been put into how this game would play out. But hey! At least it’s better than chocolate. 

The finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 will *actually* air July 21st on Paramount+. Congrats to Jimbo on her win!

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Next week on The Yearning, Meg steps into the spotlight with a review of Molly Gordon and Nick Lieberman’s Theater Camp.

1. For those of us who continued watching past episode two, that is.

2. I’d also recommend you read her comments on Alexis Michelle’s tears following her exit. An actress, she said!

3. ie. Adore Delano and BenDeLaCreme.