On RuPaul's Drag Race, each queen's entrance line is the audience's first impression of them. In an All Stars season, it's the returning queens' chance to make some follow-up impact. The eight competing previous winners on All Stars 7 have taken this opportunity and used it well.
RuPaul's Drag Race has come a long way in the realm of introductions. The first few seasons saw the queens quietly wander through a door before greeting their competitors. Soon enough, they realized it was the perfect opportunity to express themselves to the audience. It wasn't until All Stars 1 that entrance lines started to become a staple of the Drag Race universe, and by season 6 of the main show, there was no turning back.
Laganja Estranja's timeless line “come on season 6, let's get sickening” and Courtney Act's “is this America's Next Top Model?” are among the lines that started it all, and on All Stars, viewers expect even better openings. Now, it's time for the first-ever all-winners season of All Stars. The first two episodes of the RuPaul's Drag Race spin-off have arrived, and so has a cast of incredibly talented queens including Jinkx Monsoon, Raja, Jaida Essence Hall, and more—and their opening lines were as sickening as their looks.
Monét X Change: “You know what they say: Monét changes everything!”
Monét took advantage of a line RuPaul said during her season, which was a smart choice, but, it seems not everything went to plan. Her entrance was paired with a fun, relevant prop—a money gun (two, in fact). But unfortunately, only one decided to work. This stole the spotlight from Monét's entrance in all the wrong ways.
The Vivienne: “Don't you just love a long, hard, stiff... Competition?”
The Vivienne went for the cheap, not-safe-for-work entrance line for her U.S. Drag Race debut. It's a fun go-to nonetheless and landed nicely—especially considering the Drag Race UK queen followed it up with “I was feeling awfully horny” and entered the Werk Room with her hair styled into two horns. While perfectly in line with that UK-style humor, it felt expected.
Yvie Oddly: “Don't mind me, I just even the odds.”
Yvie stuck with what she knew and didn't offer any surprises—incorporating her name into her entrance line. In her original season, it was “move over ladies, this race just took an odd turn." She does get points for referencing both parts of her name for her All Stars iteration.
Trinity The Tuck: “Body, body, and more body. The holy Trinity has arrived.”
Clever, self-referential, and a slight shift from the familiar, the next spot goes to Trinity The Tuck. The humorous RuPaul's Drag Race fan favorite is known to many as 'the body,' and in her original season and first All Stars season she used 'the body' in her entrance line. She used it again here, but this time, Trinity uses her name to her advantage and it pays off in a quirky, interesting way.
Jaida Essence Hall: “Hey b*****s, she's... Back?”
Jaida took a risk by almost directly re-doing her original entrance line, all but one word. Creativity-wise, this ranks quite low in the scheme of things, but the delivery and familiarity bring it up a few notches. It's easy, it reminds people of Jaida's pre-winner days, and it's a reminder that Drag Race superstar Jaida doesn't need to name herself or go above and beyond to exude charm.
Shea Couleé: “...Oh, I didn't know I needed an introduction.”
Speaking of not needing to name oneself, Shea's entrance plays directly into the early days of Drag Race, where all a competitor needed to do was walk through the doors. Plus, it leans into the idea that everyone already knows who she is. Her timing is theatrical, giving the editors the opportunity to heighten the moment. Then, her tone oozes confidence, and just like that, Shea's placed herself as a front-runner to watch once again.
Raja: “Did somebody call for an EYE-con?”
Raja is the embodiment of evolution and growth with her entrance. Not only is the line and her outfit a reference to her first look from RuPaul's Drag Race season 3, but this is a heightened, more polished display of the outlandish yet fashionable queen audiences adored. She knows she's capable of anything, and calling herself an icon in the first few seconds of returning to the competition is a bold way to kick things off. Raja may be an important queen to watch this season.
Jinkx Monsoon: “...Line?”
This is quintessential Jinkx Monsoon. No one ever said the perfect entrance line was well-rehearsed, well-thought-out, or layered with meaning. Jinkx knows the audience is familiar with their persona and its many nuances. With this said, Jinkx walks in confidently, poses with self-assurance, and then reminds RuPaul's Drag Race viewers who they are with one simple, hilarious word.