No Shade, But 'Drag Race All Stars 2' Failed Its Fans

After a heated and tumultuous season, RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2 has finally reached the end, with the crown going to...Alaska Thunderfuck.

Objectively speaking, Alaska performed well in challenges this season, and if the most important guideline for the drag race Hall of Fame is winning challenges, she deserved it. However, given that RPDR is a fan-powered series (especially compared to other TV shows that keep fans at a distance, unable to interact with the stars directly) this result is disappointing, to say the least.

Every season RuPaul asks fans whose team they're on, or more specifically, who they'd like to see take the crown. In terms of social media support, Katya decimated her competition, garnering significantly more support than her competitors.

But at the end of the day, the season seemed—and still seems—set up for Alaska to take the crown, between significant confessional time, questionable runway looks being praised, repetitive lip sync performances, and a positive edit which left her time to clarify and explain herself in her worst moments (a luxury not afforded to Phi Phi O'Hara). There is a palpable air of disappointment and disenchantment in the fandom at large, unlike anything the show has experienced before.

It's hard to feel good about this season, given how it started a downward spiral when Tati was sent home early, in episode two. Most of the queens this year were viciously attacked on social media, which, in usual RPDR fashion, was an experience reserved for the one or two queens that the show edited as villains (ex. Kennedy Davenport, Jasmine Masters, Phi Phi O'Hara, Derrick Barry, etc.). It was not a pretty sight to see a powerful series plummet from its heights down to a place where people couldn't, at the very least, even believe the competition was genuine.

#TeamKatya endured an emotional rollercoaster this season, particularly given how she shined this season and overcame so much pain to get to this point. It's hard to say why Ru didn't give the crown to her. Even if she didn't see the fan response, there were still reasons for her to choose Katya.

First and foremost, people (marginalized people in particular) can relate to underdog stories in very powerful ways. Secondly, Ru herself identified the Rolaskatox alliance and called the girls out for it in the podcast portion of the episode. Finally, none of the winners in RuPaul's Drag Race herstory have ever attempted to bribe anyone to stay in the competition, because none of them had to.

When all is said and done, RPDR will wait until the controversy blows over and move on with the next season. I've learned from watching the show since season two that they aren't going to change anything because at the end of the day people keep watching and upset viewers are still viewers. It's unfortunate that the show isn't more responsive to the community that made it what it is today, but that's business for you. Crown or not, Katya, as well as Tatianna and Alyssa, have come out of this season with an outpouring of love and support, so I'm sure they won't be wanting for gigs for a long time. Plus, some of the best queens didn't win: Latrice Royale, Jujubee, Manila Luzon, Kim Chi, Trixie Mattel, Kennedy Davenport, and many more.

Ultimately, when all is said and done, there's only one thing left to say...

What were your thoughts on the finale of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 2? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!