[Spoilers for the finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars below]
Whether you’re on #TeamTrixie or #TeamShangela, everyone seems to be in agreement that the finale of RPDRAS season 3 felt a bit… anticlimactic.
It’s damn-near impossible to explain, from the TV viewer’s perspective, why Shangela, the show’s strongest competitor after Ben’s departure, wasn’t able to battle in the final lip sync.
To that point, as the eliminated queens voted on the top two, Shangela received a total of one point — a second-choice pick from Thorgy.
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ONE?!
You can see how the votes stacked up here:
?BONUS: See which lipsticks the eliminated Queens pulled to determine the Top Two! #AllStars3 pic.twitter.com/BKqbQSmwob
— RuPaul's Drag Race (@RuPaulsDragRace) March 16, 2018
Needless to say, people have some opinions on what went down:
I’m not even mad that Trixie won. She deserved it just as Shangela did. I’m mad that Shangela was robbed of the chance to fight for the win, when she was MORE than deserving of doing so.
— WESLEY ? (@wesleydminaj) March 16, 2018
HOW IS THORGY THE ONLY PERSON TO CHOOSE SHANGELA?!?? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!? WHAT WERE THEY THINKING? pic.twitter.com/BAF5TraAjk
— Best Friend Race (@bfracepodcast) March 16, 2018
All I have to say is shangela was robbed it should have been trixie and shangela in the top 2
— alex (@queensuarez22) March 16, 2018
I think it’s safe to say we’re not mad that trixie won we’re mad that shangela was robbed of her chance to win #AllStars3
— lem loves loona (@yvesappIe) March 16, 2018
Hillary Clinton your silence on Shangela being robbed on the RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 3 finale is deafening
— Jon (@prasejeebus) March 16, 2018
teyshan
Rupaul’s Best Friends Race at it’s worst. Shangela was robbed.
Ger
TOTALLY agree.
tommyz
a bit of recenge served cold.
Polaro
I’d have to agree that Shangela should have been top 2. Kennedy was the weakest of the 4. The good news is it made the decision for Ru easy. I was team Trixie, so the final result was fine by me.
DCguy
Really?? I thought Bebe was by far the weakest of the bunch.
frenchy
Trixie winning is like the universe trying to make up for the fact that Trump is President.
I REALLY dislike Shangela, but she deserved to be in the top 2. Am I sorry she wasn’t? Hell no. She had competed 3 times, and the fact that she got only one point from all the eliminated queens shows she wasn’t liked. There’s a huge disconnect between how they voted and what most viewers thought, which means we as viewers didn’t see a lot of things happening in the background.
Polaro
LOL, the universe needs to try harder, but I like the way you think.
CarrieV
Although I was/am Team Trixie ALL the way, I think Shangela only got one vote because each of the other eliminated queens probably assumed that Shangela was going to get a vote from the others. In the end, only Thorgy came through with a Shangela vote (and THAT was after the “SUCK IT” drama).
So many voters stayed home in November 2016 *because they assumed* every other voter would handle the situation and make HRC president. Many who preferred HRC over Dipsh!t Donald still voted Jill Stein or Bernie *to make a statement* that HRC had imperfections, as they, too, were confident that everyone else would handle getting HRC elected. I really, really believe that Aja, Milk, Morgan, DeLa, ChiChi, and Thorgy assumed that the other girls were going to elect Shangie.
A Shangie vs. Trixie showdown might have ended differently, obvs.
throwslikeagirl
Ru goes for the fresh, creative and unique to have drag advance. Shangela’s great, gorgeous, talented, and above all charming, but Trixie’s new. I agree with her win.
DCguy
You think? Kim Chi did Trixie’s make-up for her years ago and she’s never changed it. As far as wanting “New and Fresh” to win, that is fine, then don’t bring back Bebe and put Aja in the top 3. But none of it excuses an obvious front runner not getting to compete for the final lip-sync
Steve
I loved that Trixie won. I did not understand Kennedy’s place in the final 2 and then too see a lackluster performance in the lip sync. Though I think some of Kennedy’s votes might have been because of all the queens she was the one that needed a career boost as Kennedy was a forgettable queen.
Craig
I think the show wanted Trixie to win so they had to make up a way to knock Shangela out. I don’t know about the regular seasons, but the All Stars seasons so far seem obviously planned for a specific person to win. I mean, if had been based on the final lip-sync, Kennedy would’ve won.
Kieru
Trixie brought an emotional performance to an emotional song while managing to show her face throughout the lip-sync. Kennedy brought us a great dance routine that made it hard to see her actual lip-sync performance.
If this were So You Think You Can Dance Kennedy would have won that one easily. But this is RuPaul’s Drag Race and the category is “Lip Sync for Your Legacy” not “Modern Dance”
Celtic
Shangela was robbed! I like Trixie but Shangela should have been in the top two at a minimum. I haven’t liked this whole season. The finale was bad. I am so over the best friends race. Shangela worked her butt off. She was very consistent. Wow!
Greg
The queens that were sent home were just bitter.
Kieru
I mean of the two up there yes – Trixie is clearly the better performer. But what was Kennedy doing in the top 2 anyway? That should have been Shangela’s spot, and I’m pretty sure that in a lip-sync between Trixie and Shangela, Ms. Hallelo would have snatched the crown.
Honestly I don’t even understand most of the queens arguments for how to select a winner. The girls should be judged based on their performance throughout All Stars, not on what they can do with or without the win outside the show. That’s so disrespectful to all the hard work put into making it to the final episode in the first place – to just set that aside and vote for someone because you think they ‘need’ it more regardless of their actual talent?
Personally I think that was just a cover for voting for someone who didn’t eliminate you.
Pastor.Seren
Kennedy was there to be Trixie’s back-up dancer. Miss Bright Yellow Big Hair was Front And Center.
As for the eliminated queens (words…), divas gonna diva. Kudos to Thorgy for making the right choice.
Kieru
Right? In what reality is Thorgy the one to set aside a grudge and make a decision based on talent and performance?
Kevan1
Trixie should have stayed and both Shangela should have fought it out. These were the most worthy two. Thorgy got on my nerves.
krishmero
It is clear that the girls wanted Trixie to win. Of the 4, Kenedy was the weakest. If they put anyone against Kenedy, the other girl would have won. If they did Shangela and Trixie, Shangela probably would have won. The girls essentially forced Ru to make Trixie the winner.