00:00It was like watching my dreams just fall right out of my hands.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most compelling moments
00:09when we realized a Drag Race contestant deserved a second chance.
00:12For this list, we're only looking at the American franchise.
00:16Victoria, I applaud you for working through your pain this week.
00:20However, your knee injury requires additional evaluation.
00:26Number 10, Trixie Mattel's first elimination.
00:29You are an amazing queen. Keep on dreaming and keep on laughing. Now, sashay away.
00:38In one of the weirder eliminations on the show,
00:40Trixie Mattel was sent home in the fourth week of Season 7.
00:44Fan backlash was immediate.
00:46Trixie was already emerging as a favorite, and frankly,
00:49many questioned the fairness of her blondie lip sync against Pearl,
00:52with some even alleging producer interference.
00:55Your hair is extremely validating.
01:02You know, going home so that Pearl stays is kind of like a comfort, you know?
01:07Although Trixie was later brought back,
01:09eliminated queens typically struggle to regain momentum,
01:12so unsurprisingly, she was sent home again.
01:15Despite this, there was clearly a lot of support for the pink-obsessed Milwaukee queen.
01:20The shock and awe was like, when they said,
01:23Pearl, you stay, I was like, oh, we're both staying, thank God.
01:27Like, I was certain, certain that I was staying.
01:31Like Alaska before her, Trixie was an early frontrunner
01:34when she stomped onto the set for All Stars,
01:36and her eventual success in the cosmetics industry
01:39only proved she was destined for greatness.
01:42Number 9, Asia O'Hara's butterfly reveal.
01:50Thank you, Mr. Fox.
01:52For the second time, the Drag Race finalists
01:55faced off in a lip sync smackdown for the crown.
01:57With two challenge wins under her belt,
01:59Asia O'Hara was a likely lock for the top two.
02:03Then, tragedy struck.
02:04An ill-conceived stunt during a lip sync
02:07against competitor Cameron Michaels did not go as planned.
02:10Right up the window, I just want some respect.
02:14So close the door if you want me to respond.
02:17Cause prophecy is my middle name.
02:20Her intended reveal left a bunch of lethargic butterflies on the stage,
02:24and stopped her just short of victory.
02:34An All-Star season could give Asia the redemption she deserves.
02:38As of the time of writing, though, she's yet to reappear on the series.
02:42But we can just imagine the stunning butterfly-inspired runway
02:45she would pull out if she ever does.
03:03Generally, when a queen is eliminated,
03:05RuPaul declares her a star and sends her on her way.
03:08However, season 16's Mirage was so stunned by her elimination
03:12that she couldn't even move from the stage at first.
03:14Her exit in the fourth episode was hard to swallow
03:17for both her and many Drag Race fans.
03:19Although some were divided on the decision,
03:22as Mirage clearly didn't know the lyrics to the lip sync song,
03:25it proved that she had left a lasting impression
03:27despite her short run on the show.
03:29The only person I can watch is Mirage
03:31because she is giving performance down.
03:34She dealt two cards, queen at a three.
03:37And then I realized her mouth doesn't match the words.
03:41Any queen who can win that much support so quickly
03:44certainly deserves a second chance to prove herself.
04:05In season six, this Seattle favorite
04:07often butted heads with Rochester's Darian Lake.
04:10Their rivalry was so gripping
04:12that they lip synced against each other twice.
04:14However, two double shanties would have been asking for too much.
04:18During week 11's Glitter Ball,
04:20Bendolo was finally sent packing over Darian.
04:22She was a true fan favorite,
04:24so viewers were not too pleased with that result.
04:35Thus, another robbed goddess was born.
04:38From that moment on,
04:40fans eagerly anticipated the Miss Congeniality's
04:42inevitable return to the main stage,
04:44which eventually happened on All-Stars 3.
04:47But of course, no one could have predicted
04:49the unforgettable way her run on that season would end.
05:10Though Jinx vs. Roxy was the main event,
05:25Alaska's humor, smarts, and mastery
05:28of every aspect of drag and drag race
05:30made her one of the season's brightest stars.
05:40Without Jinx Monsoon in the mix,
05:42Alaska most likely would have taken the crown.
06:00But the season five champion's talent was too big to deny.
06:03Plus, she had a compelling underdog story
06:05despite her incredible track record and challenges.
06:08Even so, everyone knew that not only was Alaska
06:11a shoe-in for a second All-Stars season if it ever happened,
06:14but she was gonna be the one to beat.
06:16She made good on that assumption
06:18when All-Stars 2 rolled around a few years later.
06:38Sometimes, it becomes clear pretty early on
06:47that a queen isn't destined to take the crown.
06:49Aja came into season nine with guns blazing.
06:52She was young, scrappy, and had enough attitude
06:55to take on anyone who stepped to her.
06:57Despite her immense talent,
06:59it didn't seem like she was an actual contender for the crown.
07:02But her untucked rant may have single-handedly
07:05earned her a spot on All-Stars,
07:07simply by showcasing her ability to command attention on TV.
07:20After landing in the bottom in week three,
07:22Aja grew frustrated with the constant praise
07:24being heaped on Valentina,
07:26leading to one of the show's most iconic rants.
07:28Let me just say, I'm not mad at the judges
07:30because they're just doing their job and judging us,
07:33but, like, it sucks because I took a risk
07:35and I thought it paid off.
07:36Aja did return for All-Stars,
07:38where she seemed much more confident in her unique talents.
07:50Katya, you may doubt yourself sometimes,
07:54but I have no doubt that you are a star.
07:59Even in her last episode,
08:00Katya Zamylochkova's distinctive brand of humor
08:03was still top drawer.
08:04While her Hello Kitty character was a smash hit,
08:07the runway look she made herself was a different story,
08:09and it landed her in the bottom alongside
08:11one of season seven's strongest performers,
08:13Kennedy Davenport.
08:14I think in the pantheon of bad decision-making,
08:18I think my runway outfit is, like...
08:21The one?
08:22The one.
08:22Katya was great in the lip sync,
08:24but she was no match for Kennedy
08:26and was told to sashay away.
08:42The devastation across the internet was palpable that day.
08:46Katya was so beloved that RuPaul literally made a joke about it
08:49during the winner announcement.
08:50America's next drag superstar is...
09:00Katya.
09:04Would you please step forward?
09:05Even more inevitable than her Miss Congeniality win
09:08was her triumphant return to the main stage on All Stars 2.
09:15You have changed the world of drag forever.
09:20I love you and respect you so much.
09:23Technically, we had no idea All Stars was even a thing
09:26when Latrice sashayed away in season four.
09:29But if there ever was a queen who deserved another shot
09:32based purely on fan love,
09:34it was Latrice Royale.
09:35Get those nuts away from my face!
09:39I was really tapping into some serious acting skills there
09:43because Marge doesn't like nuts,
09:45but Latrice does.
09:47The season wouldn't have been the same
09:49without her shady confessional quips
09:50and instantly memeable reactions.
09:52When she was eliminated at the final four,
09:55she gave props to Mama Ru for elevating the art of drag
09:58and bringing it to the mainstream.
09:59Fans couldn't get enough of her,
10:01and luckily, they didn't have to go without her for long.
10:04Months after the season aired,
10:06Latrice became one of the first 12 queens to return
10:09on the inaugural season of All Stars.
10:14Like that!
10:17Shea Coulee loses the lip-sync.
10:25Any other universe,
10:27season nine would have been a walk in the park
10:29for finalist Shea Coulee.
10:30With four challenge wins,
10:32she had left her contenders in the dust.
10:34But RuPaul introduced the lip-sync smackdown mechanic
10:37for the finale,
10:38and all bets were off.
10:40In the first matchup of the night,
10:42eventual winner Sasha Velour
10:43revealed a shower of rose petals from under her wig,
10:46what would have been an almost certain win
10:48from Shea's clutches.
10:56There is not a single timeline
10:58where not inviting a titan like Shea back
11:00to redeem herself makes sense.
11:02All Stars 5 was all but decided
11:04the moment she strolled back into the workroom.
11:06I'm black.
11:11I'm Shea Coulee.
11:12I know y'all have missed me,
11:14but it's okay.
11:15Before we continue,
11:16be sure to subscribe to our channel
11:18and ring the bell to get notified
11:19about our latest videos.
11:21You have the option to be notified
11:22for occasional videos or all of them.
11:25If you're on your phone,
11:26make sure you go into your settings
11:27and switch on notifications.
11:42She went from leading the pack
11:43to crashing out in a single episode.
11:46Valentina had bombed week nine's TV pilot challenge
11:49and seemed stunned to find herself
11:50in the bottom two.
11:51For one reason or another,
11:53she refused to remove the mask
11:55that went with her look
11:56until Rue literally stopped the lip sync
11:58and forced her to.
11:59This is a lip sync for your life.
12:00We need to see your lips.
12:03Take that thing off of your mouth.
12:05I'd like to keep it on, please.
12:06It was a real mask off moment.
12:08The tremendously popular Valentina
12:10went home in one of the most unexpected
12:12eliminations in the history of the show.
12:15And her fans were like totally chill about it.
12:17And I should have volunteered
12:18to eliminate myself over your elimination.
12:21I don't think that she encourages that,
12:22but you could have said,
12:23I do not agree with the way
12:25you guys are treating this girl.
12:27Please stop.
12:29I'm really bad with social media.
12:31This moment may have ended her run on season nine,
12:33but it also jumpstarted her redemption arc
12:36for a future all-stars installment.
12:42What moment did you know
12:49a queen was coming back for all-stars?
12:51Sound off in the comments.
12:52Miss Vanjie.
12:54Miss Vanjie.
12:56Miss Vanjie.
13:02Do you agree with our picks?
13:03Check out this other recent clip from Miss Mojo
13:06and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell
13:07to be notified about our latest videos.
Comments