Photo Illustration by Erin O’Flynn/The Daily Beast/Paramount+
When RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 8 launched in May, viewers were first teased with the latest convoluted twist that the series’ producers concocted. This time around, queens who were eliminated from the show each week are automatically entered into the “Online Fame Games,” where they could win $50,000. In this very made-up-sounding, separate competition, the axed contestants could show off the high-concept looks that they didn’t get to feature on the season’s themed runways before they went home.
The Online Fame Games were actually a unique idea. The queens on All Stars work for weeks to pull together head-to-toe couture looks—literally, given that they have to prepare wigs, makeup, outfits, and shoes—that are both cohesive with each week’s theme, and singular enough to stand out in a crowd. Normally, eliminated queens will show off these complete looks on Instagram as episodes continue to air, with pre-arranged, professional photo shoots to highlight all of the remarkable details. With the Online Fame Games, the queens who were sent home had a platform to strut their stuff on an actual runway, instead of just in front of a few ring lights—and the potential to be rewarded for their efforts with prize money instead of just Instagram likes.
But the execution of this gimmick ultimately fell flat. (And on a show where bigger is always better, you never want to be flat.) The Online Fame Games were a nice idea, one that seemed like a chance to highlight the immense talent of all the contestants. But in Season 8’s penultimate episode, the Games proved to be just another disappointing twist on a show that has relied too much on trying to surprise viewers, when it should be bolstering its queens.