Are you ready to say Hola to a new All Stars line up? With plenty of US All Stars seasons, and with over eight seasons filmed (can you believe!), it’s now time for the European All Stars franchise to begin, and this time we’re traveling to Spain, for Espana to shine, and after wrapping up on season three last summer, a set of queens are back to compete for the crown, €20,000 and a place in the hall of fame.
Kickstarting the episode and the first queen to arrive is fan favourite Season 1’s Pupi Poisson, and for me, whom I adored, she had a charisma that was so enchanting and led everyone to constantly root for her. With both season 2 and season 3 queens back, we see just two returning from season one, and joining Pupi is fashion queen Sagittaria, and her goal this time is to prove that she now has the brains as well as the beauty. All Stars gives the queens a chance to showcase their glow up and, for us, the viewers, a reminder of how talented the Spanish cast was. Following Pupi, one by one we’re introduced to Pakita, Hornella Gongora, Onyx Unleashed, Juriki Der Klee, Drag Sethlas, Pink Chadora, and Samantha Ballentines. Without a doubt, this cast is ready to make some explosive TV, they’re an eclectic mix of loud and bold personalities, for me there are several contestants that I’m looking forward to getting to know.
Brand new seasons of drag race have started a new format with the opening main challenge consisting of a talent show. It’s a chance for the queens to display their talent to new and old audiences, and for me, it feels like the grandest of drag shows, and a great way to get a glimpse into what they do best.
Well, to say the talent show is a mixed bag would be an understatement, it was a true production, and as a viewer, it feels like this is going to be an outstanding season. Samantha Ballentine proceeded to tell us a detailed story of her first enema, and I guess the idea is to stand out and capture the audience’s attention, and this she certainly did. In comparison to the intricate routines put on by the likes of Drag Sethlas, who performed an incredible acrobatic performance suspended by a hula hoop from the ceiling, and Juriji, who sung an operatic number, it balanced out the show well.
As always with an All Stars season, the smallest mistakes stand out, and whilst there was no weak link; the only person that felt flat was Pink Chadora’s disco lip-sync remix. It had such a strong concept and so much potential; for me drag remixes with iconic spoken word pieces are the heart and soul of many good drag shows, and it’s such a shame she hadn’t edited it to shine more.
Familiar faces have returned to decide who places top and bottom, it’s the beloved Espana family consisting of Ana Locking, Javier Ambross, Javier Calvo, and special guest star singer Bárbara Rey. The jury decided that the bottom two are, unfortunately, Pink Chadora and Onyx Unleashed. I’d agree and say it’s a fair placement, and of course the all stars’ rules are back in play, and it comes down to the top two winners to decide the fate of who gets sent home. Back in untucked, the bottom two queens plead their case as to why should be saved. It’s an emotional moment with Onyx and Drag Sethlas, having a heart to heart due to them being close friends.
Lip-syncing for the win, the queens perform to Me Gustas Muco by Rocio Durcal, and what’s fun for viewers of the international franchise is learning new songs that are popular amongst the franchises culture. Me Gustas Muco is a fun, engaging track and seems to be a hit with the judges and cast alike. Although, Hornella starts strong, connecting with the lyrics and the emotion of the song, it’s Drag Sethals who decided to step outside the box and began what can only be described as a chaotic routine of contorting their bodies into shapes a pretzel would be jealous of. Due to the acrobatic lip-sync of chaos and flexibility, and in those incredibly high shoes, Sethlas wins, and a well-deserved one too. And the queen she decided to send home is Pink Chadora, not much of a surprise due to the heartfelt chat she held with Onyx in the werkroom we saw previously.
This opening episode was a strong introduction to the first Drag Race España All Stars franchise and it’s a great way to see the best back to compete. Having so many queens in the drag race realm, it can be hard to keep up, but it’s a reminder just why this franchise was voted as one of the most enjoyable seasons by the fans outside the US franchise.
So what did we think of the first episode? Drag Race España All Stars airs every week on:
🌎 7PM UTC on @wowpresentsplus (ex. Spain)
🇪🇸 8PM CET on @atresplayer
🇺🇸 11AM PST on @wowpresentsplus
