Alright Mary: All Things RuPaul's Drag Race

Long before Valentina was bitterly crowned "fan favorite" to the jeers of her fellow queens at the Season 9 reunion...there was the Season 1 reunion. This episode is not only the birthplace of "I don't see you walking children in nature!", it delivers one of the fieriest sermons from The Gospel of RuPaul: "You Forgot, Tammie!" Shannel is giving us Grindr realness in her hunt for validation, Santino is brutally honest to a fault, Porkchop is the adult in the room we need, and Akashia has a stain on her dress. Also--Chloe Dao, if you're reading this, WE remember you.

The top two queens (as well as Rebecca Glasscock) are just some choreography, rapping and a Tic-Tac lunch away from the crown. But first, a clip show! We discuss Rebecca'a downfall, the evolution of final challenges, third place queens, Merle's hat, Mike Ruiz being extra, Cazwell, The Poseidon Adventure, Joan Rivers, and the world's first glimpse of a now cult classic queen.

Why you gaggin’? They bring it to you every season! A ball challenge, that is. Season 1’s ball is essentially one long marketing campaign for Absolut, with the prickly image czar Jeffrey Moran popping up for the first time ever to judge and read some well-crafted ad copy. We discuss Shannel’s desperate need for validation, what Jeffrey would be like as a boyfriend, the need for more vogueing challenges, Bebe & Nina’s friendship, and that terrible speech Shannel gave on the runway. Plus, our thoughts on the rumored AS3 cast and YouTube sensation/female drag queen Trisha Paytas.

Every season has one--whether it's jocks, dads or little women, the queens have been giving makeovers since the beginning. In Season 1, they were tasked with turning butch female fighters into femme drag daughters--the more "real," the better. (We disagree.) We discuss what it means to be a "real woman," Rebecca the strategist, drag as a pathway for gender identity and why Bebe won that lip sync. Plus: we move briefly into Season 2 territory to explore why Tyra really won her season, and if she could win future seasons.

We spent much of Season 9 talking about the #longcon that was Valentina, but long before she stoned those tights and asked to keep her mask on, Rebecca Glasscock was pulling a long con of her own. We discuss the game we (and many of the queens) think she was playing, as well as Ongina’s emotional reveal on the runway, the embarrassment of Shannel, and the potential Rigger Morris of that LSYFL.

“We need to see more vulnerability!” didn’t start with Michelle Visage, as we discover this episode. While Akashia was self-producing as the villain, Shannel quickly learned she needed to self-produce some flaws in order to stay in the race. We discuss her epic wig reveal, plus a special round of Wig Reveal Trivia, a fond remembrance of the movie “Trick,” an unofficial Moment of Appreciation for Oprah, Bebe’s panther on the runway realness, and a couple last drops of Season 9 reunion T.

It’s the first group challenge of the series with the queens channeling Destiny’s Child in rival girl groups. They even have some inspiration at the judges’ panel with special guest judge Beyon—no, not Beyonce, Kelly Row—not, not Kelly Rowlands. Michelle Williams! We discuss the character of Tammie Brown, Akashia as the original self-producer and Shannel as one of many queens who wanted to win too much Plus: Dragula first impressions, fawning over Shelly Long and draggy actors.

We're going back to the show's humble roots this week with our deep dive into Episode 1 of the blurry terrain of Season 1. We look past the aggressive filter and shoestring budget to meet the legendary queens who paved the way for seasons to come of Ru Girls. We discuss who stumbles and who shines in the series' first sewing challenge. But first we share our thoughts on Sasha Velour's Nightgowns revue, give a moment of appreciation for two show-stopping queens, and discuss the effects RPDR has had on local queens.

With Season 9 officially over, we take a look back at the looks we lived for, the quotes we'll be incorporating into our everyday lives and how right or wrong we were about our first impressions of these queens. Plus: trivia is back! We also discuss what's next for Alright Mary and drop the beat on Last Chance Lip Sync with a final fantasy lip sync song.

Our Season 9 queen has officially been crowned, in one of the most entertaining finales of the series. The decision to switch things up with a Lip Sync for the Crown gave us show-stopping reveals from Peppermint and Sasha that sent season frontrunners Trinity and Shea home and set things up for an epic final battle between a classic superstar and the self-proclaimed ‘future of drag.” Sasha Velour absolutely earned the crown, and we’re so proud to see it!