Culture

“Holy s**t”: Drag Race fans react to “wild” All Stars 8 episode

By Sam Damshenas

2nd June 2023

Major spoilers ahead.

From Jimbo’s instantly iconic (and chaotic) Snatch Game performance to that shock exit, this week’s episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 left fans “gooped and gagged to the gods”.

For their fifth challenge, the eight remaining queens played the Snatch Game of Love, with their celebrity impressions as follows: Heidi N Closet as Blackbeard, Jessica Wild as Iris Chacón, Kahanna Montrese as her mother Coco, Jaymes Mansfield as Jennifer Coolidge, Alexis Michelle as Bea Arthur, Kandy Muse as Renee Graziano, LaLa Ri as Sukihana and Jimbo as Shirley Temple.

Jimbo, who memorably won the first-ever Snatch Game on Canada’s Drag Race, was a force to be reckoned with as a result of her batshit, tap-dancing performance, which had Ru (and Kandy) in hysterics, while Alexis and Jaymes’s impersonations were also lauded.

Prior to the runway, Kahanna confronted Heidi for “antagonising” her during the challenge, “saying that I was struggling and throwing the jokes back at me”. After Heidi immediately apologised to Kahanna, explaining that it was neve her intent to “push” her down, Kandy seized the opportunity to question Heidi on comments she made to Jimbo off-camera.

“Since we’re talking about family and stuff, Heidi why did I hear that you went to Jimbo and told her that I’m coming for her?” to which Heidi responded “because you did” and looked to Alexis for backup.

While Alexis initially agreed with Heidi with a nod, she quickly backtracked and claimed she didn’t hear Kandy say that she would eliminate Jimbo if she lands in the bottom two. The conflict was awkward, resulting in Heidi telling her sisters that they should vote her off the show if necessary.

Describing the drama as “ugly and hideous”, Heidi then decided to exit the competition. “I need my peace and my joy, I’ve lost it here,” she told Kandy and Alexis behind-the-scenes. “No, I am not going to regret this. I’m pleased with what I showed.”

In her confessional, Heidi continued to explain that “no amount of money, no $200,000, no $50,000 from the Fame Games” is worth her happiness: “I’ve done what I came her to do. I came here to have fun, show my growth and have a kiki, honey.”

Following Heidi’s emotional exit, the seven remaining contestants walked the runway – in front of special guest stars Matt Rogers and Bowen Young – with their best ruveals. Jimbo was, unsurprisingly, declared the winner, with Jaymes and Alexis in the top and Jessica and Kahanna as the bottom two All Stars of the week.

Season 14 alum Jasmine Kennedie faced Jimbo in the lip-sync smackdown to Dua Lipa’s Hallucinate, where she won rave reviews from fans online for her Dula Peep choreo and acrobatic stunts.

Jimbo, who has competed in six lip-sync across three seasons, continued her losing streak. To date, she has won zero lip-syncs. With Heidi’s elimination still fresh, Ru announced – to the delight of Jessica and Kahanna – that “no one is going home tonight”.

On social media, fans expressed their joy over Jimbo’s Shirley Temple – with many declaring it was one of the best in herstory – and Jasmine Kennedie’s comeback, while lamenting Heidi’s abrupt departure. Check out the best reactions from Twitter below.