[Shaun]

43rd Place: Coco Montrese (Season 5, All Stars 2) - finished 5th and 10th respectively

Going into the second All Stars, Coco and Tatianna were the only two queens I wasn't too thrilled about returning. The latter managed to steal the show in the first episode, whilst the other...committed suicide.

Why wasn't I thrilled? Despite Season 5's reputation as "one of the best seasons ever" (6, 4, 3 and 10 are all comfortably better ), it was just so suffocating and draining to watch at the time. With time, of course, a lot of that season has gone on to become iconic, and there are so many staple Drag Race Quotes per episode that it's undeniably a pivotal season, but it was essentially a cast of six queens with a whole bunch of disposable filler. Why? Because of the freight train that was the Coco/Alyssa storyline.

It didn't help, of course, that both of them were phenomenal lipsyncers and sending home everyone in their paths when they inevitably tanked challenges - but putting aside the unjust and premature demises of the likes of Lineysha Sparx and Ivy Winters, the editing between these two as they confronted each other in the Workroom or on Untucked was honestly insulting to the viewer. Scenes were so choppy and reworked that it made whatever backstory and history there was between the two completely hazy.

I'm also not fully in love with Coco because she displays quite a few layers of 'ugly personality' in the season; notably eviscerating the likes of Jinkx and Alaska for their drag appearance and not really getting what it means to be a comedian (until, of course... she won the comedy challenge).

All of that noted, I put her in the top 50 on the strength of her four lipsyncs alone. She didn't do brilliantly at "It Takes Two" vs. Detox, but every other one was just... frighteningly good. I choose this as one of my favourites of all time merely for how much the judges and everyone else are enjoying themselves.

Youtube video

Coco also managed to beat Jinkx and Alaska in the best ever RuPaul Roast episode, with some quips that prompted reactions from Ru that've never been seen since, but otherwise her good episodes were fleeting Luckily, Coco's presence as one of the show's greatest ever villains and most quotable queens means she's surely a shoe-in for another future AllStars, and hopefully this time she doesn't experiment with an old Hollywood number.

Memorable quote(s): "And just for the record - LADYBOY - this outfit is what I wear on a Las Vegas stage every single night, people pay over a hundred-something dollars to see me every night, so whenever you get through trying to say that *I* don't look the part, I ain't doing my job? I've been doing my job since 1992 - was you even born yet? Don't TRY it little boy. MONICA, SEND HER ASS HOME."
"How can I put Jinkx? Well... Hot. Garbage."
"She's competing for the same title that I am right now. In that muumuu? Girl. She looked like a pumpkin. Oh hell to the naw."
"OH I'M NOT JOKING BITCH."
"Girl... find the note."
Best Runway(s): 100% that telenovela episode where she's flailing in some insanely-sleeved mango dress
Best Moment(s): OH. AT ALL.

Remaining queens
Acid Betty - Adore Delano - Alaska - Alexis Mateo - Alyssa Edwards - Asia O'Hara - Bebe Zahara Benet - Bendelacreme - Bianca Del Rio - Bob the Drag Queen - Chad Michaels - Courtney Act
Darienne Lake - Detox - Eureka - Ginger Minj - Jinkx Monsoon - Jujubee - Katya - Kennedy Davenport - Latrice Royale - Manila Luzon - Mariah - Monet X Change - Monique Heart - Nina Bo'nina Brown
Nina Flowers - Phi Phi O'Hara - Raja - Raven - Roxxxy Andrews - Shangela - Sharon Needles - Shea Coulee - Stacy Layne Matthews - Tammie Brown - Tatianna - Thorgy Thor - Trinity the Tuck - Willam - Yara Sofia