Is Bringing Queens Back into the 'Drag Race' Competition Pointless?

Spoilers for tonight's episode of All Stars 4 ahead...

Everyone loves a comeback and RuPaul's Drag Race is full of them.

Out of the 126 queens that have competed on RuPaul's Drag Race, only eight have returned to the competition after elimination in the same season. But while clawing your way back into the workroom is certainly an accomplishment, they never seem to stick around for very long...

So is it worth bringing them back at all? Let's take a look at their stats. (We're purposefully leaving Shangela, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, Eureka, and Vanessa Vanjie Mateo out of this equation since they returned the subsequent season.)

Carmen Carrera 

After Carmen was eliminated for her reggae rap on season 3, episode 10 "RuPaul-a-Palooza," the judges voted to bring the queen back two episodes later in "Jocks in Frocks." Unfortunately, she went home again that same episode after underperforming in the makeover challenge.  

Kenya Michaels 

This Puerto Rican princess was chopped during season 4's snatch game following a Beyoncé impersonation that didn't leave us crazy in love. She returned five episodes later for the makeover challenge in "DILFs: Dads I'd Like to Frock," but was eliminated that same episode. 

Tatianna 

Tatianna rightfully earned her way back into the All Stars 2 competition with her LEGENDARY lip sync against Alyssa Edwards to Rihanna's "Shut Up and Drive," but was promptly cut once again in the following elimination because of...a bedazzled white top. Alaska was playing the game, and win she did, but I will say that I am still willing to riot if y'all are. 

Morgan McMichaels 

McMichaels was an early out in episode 1 of All Stars 3 after she bravely declared that she was playing by her own elimination rules. Luckily for her, BenDeLaCreme didn't have the heart for the competition five episodes later and when the frontrunner kamikazied herself, she revived McMichaels from the grave. Still, McMichaels couldn't shake off the returning queen curse and was promptly chopped the next elimination. 

So who actually survived longer than an episode?

Trixie Mattel 

This larger than life queen faded into the background in season 7 and when she faced off in the bottom 2 with fan-favorite Pearl, she was cut for the edit. Do I have proof of this alleged production tampering? No, but just rewatch that performance and tell me Pearl deserved to say on that lip-sync alone. Luckily Trixie fought her way back into the competition four episodes later and she managed to survive another two before she was eliminated at 6th place. 

Naysha Lopez 

Lopez was promptly eliminated in season 8's episode 1 sewing challenge. For some reason unknown to the audience, Ru gives her another chance and brings her back in the beginning of episode 3 "RuCo's Empire." She survives the returning queen curse for an episode before biting the dust in episode 4 against lip-sync assasin Chi Chi DeVayne.

Alyssa Edwards 

Alyssa also survived the curse in All Stars 2. While the dancing queen was eliminated, then returned, then was eliminated yet again just two episodes later in her legendary All Starsrun, ultimately even Edwards couldn't survive the wrath of Rolaskatox. But just thinking about how incredible she would've been in "Read U Wrote U" makes my blood boil...

Latrice Royale

Latrice, Latrice, Latrice...It seems like Miss Royale has been fighting an uphill battle against the stacked cast of this season's All Stars. With Valentina eliminated last week, she just barely survived the curse. There's no doubt the queen is indeed legendary but with competition this stiff, the most minor thing can send a queen packing. Surviving is one thing, but does she have a glimmer of a chance to win the crown?

Tonight's shocking elimination makes Latrice the first returning queen to ever survive more than two episodes, but will she make it all the way? Evidence says...nope. And that begs the question: is bringing back eliminated queens ever worth it since they all end up gone just one or two episodes later? They were eliminated the first time for a reason, so I'm inclined to believe that the dead should stay dead. None of the returning queens had a chance to win the competition upon their return, especially Latrice who's up against some stellar talents who haven't already been eliminated and her track record stacked against her.

But on the flip side, these comeback queens certainly bring the drama.