RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 premiered Friday, May 20, on Paramount+ with two episodes. It featured eight drag queens, who won one of the franchise’s previous seasons, returning to the runway to compete for the title of "Queen of All Queens.”
The incredible cast includes All Stars 5 winner Shea Couleé, All Stars 4 winners Monét X Change and Trinity the Tuck, and Drag Race U.K. Season 1 winner The Vivienne. Drag Race Season 12 winner Jaida Essence Hall, Season 11 winner Yvie Oddly, Season 5 winner Jinkx Monsoon, and Season 3 winner Raja are also part of All Stars 7.
The first two episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 dealt with the contestants’ introductions, new rules and snatch game challenge.
New rules include receiving a Legendary Legend Star
RuPaul Drag Race shows followed the same general format for a long time. The two contestants who impressed the judges the least had to compete in a lip-sync battle. The judges then picked the better performer, and the other was eliminated from the show.
In RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7, RuPaul Charles has introduced a new rule. There will be no eliminations this season. Instead, the two top queens of the week will be awarded a Legendary Legend Star. They will then engage in a lip-sync battle and the winner will have the power to block one of her fellow contestants from receiving the star in the next week's episode. Plus, the winner of the week will receive $10,000 prize money.
By the end of the season, the queen who will have the most number of stars will be crowned “Queen of All Queens” and awarded a $200,000 cash prize.
In the 80-minute long premiere episode, RuPaul Charles said:
“There's a twist. This season, no one will be eliminated. The gagoonery has begun. You’ll compete in challenges designed to test your award-winning charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.”
The host and judge continued:
“I'll name the top two all-stars of the week, each of whom will be awarded a Legendary Legend Star.... then, the top two all-stars will lip-sync for their legacy. The lip-sync winner will receive a cash tip of $10,000, plus the power to block one of her fellow queens from receiving a Legendary Legend Star the following week."
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 episodes 1 & 2 recap
The first episode of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 included the mini and maxi challenge. While the former was a reading challenge, the maxi round included writing and performing verses to RuPaul’s new single, Legends.
After the two challenges, the queens walked the runway showcasing their looks for the category named 'I’m Crowning.' The judges then announced the top two performers of the week, namely Shea Couleé and Monét X Change. The two then lip-synced to Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of Old MacDonald, and Couleé emerged as the winner of the episode, getting the chance to block any one fellow contestant from receiving the Legendary Legend Star in the next episode. Couleé picked Trinity the Tuck with whom she shared the crown in Season 4.
Episode 2 consisted of Snatch Game, in which the queens had to impersonate two celebrities each. Jinkx Monsoon and Trinity the Tuck were ranked as the top two performers, but the former won the lip-sync battle. Monsoon then used the blocking power on Couleé.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 premiere episodes were graced by an interesting panel of judges — RuPaul Charles, Michelle Visage and Carson Kressley. They were joined by guest judges Cameron Diaz and Naomi Campbell.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7 streams new episodes every Friday on Paramount+.