Previously on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars, Ru sent her handmaidens Chad and Alaska in to the werkroom to collect Chad’s girl Morgan, Thorgy, Milk, Chi Chi and Aja to give them a chance to ruturn for their ruvenge against the queens that dogged them. After a brief fake out that the two bitterest bettys weren’t coming back, we were introduced to their gillead monikers, OfbenDeLaCreme, Ofshangela, Ofkennedy, OfbenDeLaCreme & Ofshangela and the most tragic of all, OfbebeZaharaBenet.
While the handmaidens convened on the mainstage, the remaining queens returned to the werkroom to process Aja’s elimination. While BeBe felt bad about sending her home, she rightfully said that Shangela’s track record was better and therefore she couldn’t send her home. As she is wont to do, Kennedy quickly checked in to find out who Trixie would have eliminated if she had won the lip sync – she too felt Shangela had been performing too well to be eliminated, and Shangela counted her stars that her Khaleesi manoeuvres paid dividends.
The discussion then turned to everyone’s track record, which obviously got Kennedy at her most defensive as hers was by far the worst. Trixie then brought up the other factors that would now have to go into their decisions, like her killer post-show career and the fact BeBe already has a crown.
The next day the queens were visited by Ru who shared that this week’s challenge would require them to audition for his new supergroup The Kitty Girls … with ma’ fuckin’ BABY BUNTON on the panel. Before exiting the werkroom, he announced that they would not be the only band performing this week with the five handmaidens forming their own band. The top two of the winning band would then lip sync for the opportunity to select which eliminated girl would come back to the competition … and which of the top five would drop down to sixth place.
Obviously that pissed of Kennedy.
What followed over the next half hour was probably the most drawma mawma on Drag Race since Laganja appeared. Thorgy questioned why Shangela was upset about being told to suck it and called a fucking bitch. When Trixie tried to diffuse the situation and explain notegate, Thorgy then turned on Trixie, Shangela yelled at Thorgy, Thorgy accused Shangela of being shady by eliminating her and like Milk, I was thankful the table were too heavy otherwise there would have been some drag deaths.
Not to be outdone, Morgan questioned why DeLa eliminated her and as she likes to do, went in leading to Ben completely shutting down. Expect for telling her that she felt Morgan performed worst in the first week, despite what she thinks. Aja was living for the drama, but poor Ben’s eyes were getting glassier and glassier as the Morgan called her a hypocrite.
Aja was far less dramatic, questioning why BeBe couldn’t admit that Aja helped make her dress to the judges. BeBe wasn’t standing for this valid question and had some extreme attitude at poor Aja, cutting her off like she did during the deliberations the week before. Thankfully it fired up Aja, who vowed to send BeBe packing if she wins the challenge. Rounding things out Milk questioned what Kennedy’s criteria was for sending him home. To her credit, Kennedy pretty much laid out that it was personal and then explained how hurt she was when Milk jumped in and said she should have gone instead of Thorgy. This then lead to a breakthrough for Milk, realising that she had kinda been as arsehole throughout the competition. Jinx’s delusion, be gone!
Morgan took the lead of the eliminated group, vowing to go for the jugular. Meanwhile the top five went for the cheerocracy approach to group work, selecting their Kitty Girls. Shangela went for Sparkle Kitty, Kennedy opted to become Diva Kitty, BeBe ignored Trixie’s suggestion to honour her advanced age and instead went for, surprise surprise, Jungle Kitty while BenDeLa wanted to channel her feelings into a depressed kitty character. My heart, so broken.
The eliminated queens were first to record their song with coaching from Adam Lambert, dressed impeccably like a Pink impersonator. Speaking of which, Morgan went first and was super boring as Bimbo Kitty despite some killer lyrics, Aja slayed as LilBanje Kitty, Milk also selected rap as Milky Kitty inspired by her failed performance in Oh No She Betta Don’t, though this thirstier performance seemed likely to flood my basement.
The top five met with Adam where BeBe spoke in a combination of French, gibberish, scat and guttural noises.Trixie was up next as her nymphomaniac mathlete kitty, absolutely slaying her math lyrics though upset Glambert and her helpers with her dry attitude. Is Bob’s spirit channeling her and treating him as Lucien? DeLa went with Goth Kitty to channel her emotions after fighting with Morgan, though sadly Adam rode her the entire time and kick out any remaining confidence she had.
The next day the queens started getting ready for their performances and thankfully Shangela encourage DeLa to use the time to clear the air with Morgan. While it felt like Morgan was going to go for round two, she got everything off her chest and apologised for how she behaved. They then made up, DeLa got her groove back and all was right with the world. Particularly after Milk and Kennedy cleared the air, with Milk wondering who else she has offended with her ego over the years.
On the mainstage the eliminated queens sat on a secret and slayed their performance, with Aja and Milk owning the song. Then the top five arrived and completely dominated, none morso than BenDeLaCreme. Again. And BeBe, who had the judges living for her special brand of wild. Ultimately the top five won the challenge, with Baby Bunton living for Trixie’s Baby inspired I.Q. Kitty while Adam was still smarting from her attitude the day before. Kennedy’s Diva Kitty didn’t go far enough, DeLa received universal praise, the judges loved Shangie’s look though felt she was a bit underwhelming in the performance and BeBe received universal praise too, though once again couldn’t admit who helped her during the challenge – #Justice4TheCountess. As such, Ben and BeBe landed in the top two and given the ultimate power, should they take out the lip sync.
Backstage Kennedy was feeling down since she was the worst of a really strong group, while Ben was really confused about what to base her decision on. Trixie’s advice was not to eliminate her, Kennedy once again went with the I’m not ready to go home line during deliberations, DeLa and Shangela had a love fest, BeBe felt Trixie lost her fire, misreading her confidence in her performance as blase and Kennedy and Ben rounded things out, with Ben deciding that she couldn’t possible eliminate her either. Meaning, she is going to try and eliminate BeBe, I guess?
The eliminated queens then got a chance to plead their case, with all of them focusing on having so much more to give. Well except for Chi Chi who, ever the realist, didn’t want to become the Roxxxy Andrews of All Stars 3. And Morgan was the kindest about DeLa and BeBe’s impending decision, saying no matter what, she will walk out of here with her head held high.
Despite BeBe owning the majority of the lip sync, she poorly executed a wig removal which, as Aja said, was not up to the rose petalled standards of the current reigning, Ms. Sasha Velour. That handed BenDeLaCreme yet another victory, and the opportunity to give Morgan another shot to showcase her skills. It then came time for Shangie, Trixie and Kennedy to receive their fate, which was the gag of the century as BenDeLaChrist sacrificed herself so that the rest of the top five could live. She was proud of her performance and already felt like a winner, and didn’t want to take that feeling away from the other queens. Kennedy, Trixie, Shangie and I were crying, Thorgy felt it was shady, Aja was shocked and Ru implemented an immediate ban on whiteout.
Ben was positively on cloud nine when I met her in the werkroom, thrilled that she didn’t have to eliminate more queens and that someone that truly wants and needs the title will have it. Now Thorgy made that seem like she was saying no one had a chance at beating her – but let’s be honest, they didn’t – but that isn’t how she meant it, just that the title wouldn’t make her feel like a winner. Or at least, that is how she sold it to me over some BenDeLaCreme Caramel.
Like DeLa, these desserts are terminally delightful. Sweet, gentle, smooth and delicate, they’re the perfect end to DeLa’s perfect run. To DeLa!
Enjoy!
BenDaLaCreme Caramel
Serves: 6.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup raw caster sugar
⅓ cup water
1 cup milk
¾ cup cream
2 eggs, plus 4 extra yolks
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Method
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Combine 1 cup sugar with the water in a saucepan over high heat and cook, stirring, until dissolved. Bring to the boil and cook for five minutes or so, or until the syrup is a dark amber colour. Pour into the bottom of 6 ramekins, and set aside until set.
While the caramel is setting, combine the milk and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Whisk the eggs and yolks in a bowl with ½ cup raw caster sugar and the vanilla. Still whisking, add the milk and cream until thick and glossy. Strain the custard into the ramekins and place them in a large baking dish and fill the dish up with boiling water to 2cm below the top of the ramekins.
Transfer to the oven and bake for half an hour or so, or until set. Remove to a wire rack to cool for a bit before transferring to the fridge to chill for three hours.
Remove from the fridge half an hour before serving. When you’re ready, dip the ramekins into hot water and turn out until a plate. Then devour.
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