A little while ago, we gave you the black light teaser for the cast list of RuPaul’s All Stars Drag Race on Logo, which hinted at a bunch of the queens that would be coming back for a second shot at the title of America’s Next Drag Superstar. Well, thanks to some leaks, the official cast list has finally been revealed, most of which aren’t huge surprises, but since it’s official now, let’s take a look at the who’s in and weigh the odds as to who will win!
Tammie Brown Out of all the queens, Tammie is the one queen on the show who lasted the shortest amount of time, giving up after two episodes on the first seasons. But as one of the faces of All-State Insurance and a uniquely retro camp look, she became a fan favourite. Tammie’s odds in the competition are debatable; she’s amazing at comedy and old school charm, but her lack of modern influences may be her downfall.
Shannel A Las Vegas showgirl with tons of experience and a vast arsenal of talents and tricks up her bedazzled sleeves, Shannel is one who will probably go far. Her one weakness is her ego: She spent most of season one coming up just short of winning, and she did not like it one bit. If she plans to win, she’s going to need to set aside her ego and stop over-thinking things, or she may find herself out of a crown.
Nina Flowers Out of everyone in the competition, Nina probably has the strongest chances of winning, based on her prior track record in the competition. She’s the only queen in the all-star roster to have never landed in the bottom two, she’s beloved by long-time fans, and her make-up skills are second to none. She’s got a wide range of looks at her disposal, so out of the dozen queens, she’s shaping up as the one to beat.
Pandora Boxx Out of everyone on to ever appear on Drag Race, Pandora has probably become the most well-known and well-loved out of everyone. She was the first to be announced for the show based on fan votes, and she can definitely go far. During Pandora’s stint on the show, she was consistently placing high thanks to her charm and her sense of humor. That being said, the judges weren’t always high up on her main stage looks, but her large fan appeal and her experiences since the show should definitely serve her well.
Jujubee Oh Juju… She’s fun! She’s flirty! She’s sparkly! She has some great looks! But can she make it to the end? That’s debatable. She’s probably one of the best lip syncers to have ever graced the show, which will definitely keep her in if the unthinkable ever happens. That being said, her weaknesses come from her nerves (she flubbed the rock and roll challenge) and the fact that by the end of the competition, she was getting outshone by other queens. If she hopes to win, she’s going to have to consistently bring her A-Game.
Raven Raven lost to Tyra Sanchez in the season two finale, a loss that is still debated amongst fans of the show. She’s definitely endeared herself to fans of the show thanks to her uber glam looks and her bitchy wits, and she stands a chance of making it far. That being said, she didn’t do super well when it came to working a crowd (as seen in the Starbooty challenge) and she didn’t do super well when it came to being silly (The country realness challenge), but hopefully her sharp tongue and looks will keep her in the running.
Mimi Imfurst Here’s the thing: Everyone in New York City swears by Mimi. And believe me, during the premier of season three, I was rooting for her. But lordy lordy lord did she ever crack. Her rampant need for attention, her emotional meltdowns, and some rather questionable behavior – Remember when she threw India Ferrah over her shoulder? – got her booted. If she wants to stay in the competition, she’s going to need to pull it together and keep herself professional.
Yara Sofia The sad thing is, Yara actually stood a good shot of winning the title back in season three. But what kept her from winning? Well, Yara has a bit of a knack for relying on wackiness that got her into trouble at times, and by the end of the competition, the poor girl was just a bundle of nerves. That being said, her avant-garde aesthetic and her ability to laugh at herself could very well help her snatch some trophies if she can keep it together.
Alexis Mateo She was one of season three’s biggest competitors out of the gate, thanks to her humor, her vulnerability, and her looks — that gold dress during the totally leotarded challenge was just phenomenal — but for all the highest highs, she hit some of the lowest lows. Alexis isn’t great at creating looks from scratch (all three of her bottom two placements were challenges that required designing) and the judges were constantly calling her out for being too regional and for not doing enough to define her waist. That being said, along with Jujubee, she’s probably one of the best lip syncers, and if she can maintain that balance of spunky vulnerability, she could turn it out. BAM!
Manila Luzon Just barely edged out of the competition in season three by Raja, Manila is entering the competition with some pretty high standards behind her. Her lip sync to MacArthur Park set the standard on the show, and her ability to subvert her good looks with humor got her far. That being said, there were moments when some of her jokes came off as stale and questionable (The Ru-Ha-Ha challenge, as well as the “Wait, did she just… OH.” moment during the QNN challenge) but other than that, she’s well-balanced, and a strong competitor.
Latrice Royale Out of everyone on the show, Latrice easily has the most class, sophistication, and wisdom backing her up. She’s painted for days, sparkling, and just absolutely lovely. Out of all the big girls on the show, she’s the one who’s made it the farthest, and her lip syncing skills are second to none in terms of emotional range. That being said, she was fading rather fast by the end of her run on season 4, but her grace and experience could keep her around until the finale.
Chad Michaels Chad is probably tied with Shannel for having the widest range of skills at her disposal. She’s a character queen with numerous voices and personalities in her repertoire to call on, her looks are super polished, and her theatricality is top notch. That being said, she does occasionally veer a little bit on the safe side, as seen in the political challenge when she went with a fringe character rather than discussing politics. She stands a really strong chance of winning, but if she wants the crown, she’s going to have to get down and dirty for it.
