RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 10 Episode 1 & 2 recap: Bosco wins first place and $10,000

RuPaul shook up the All Stars format with the introduction of a "Tournament of All Stars" for season 10, bringing eighteen returning queens to compete in a point-based bracket system.

The first two episodes, which began streaming May 9 on Paramount+, introduced the first bracket of six contestants: Aja (Season 9, All Stars 3), DeJa Skye (Season 14), Irene the Alien (Season 15), Phoenix (Season 3), Olivia Lux (Season 13), and Bosco (Season 14).

Instead of traditional weekly eliminations, these queens will collect points across three challenges before the top three advance to the semi-finals.

Episode 1 saw the RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars queens writing verses for a heavy metal music video, with Aja taking the win and $10,000. Episode 2 challenged their improv skills in a murder mystery skit, where Bosco captured victory and the cash prize after a lip sync against Irene. A unique "MVQ" twist allows bottom queens to award points to competitors, adding strategic gameplay to an already fierce competition.

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What happened in the first two episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 10?

The competition kicked off with queens creating verses for "Winner Winner, Chicken Dinner," a heavy metal music video that pushed many outside their comfort zones. While Bosco felt the genre matched her aesthetic, others struggled with the headbanging requirements.

"I could release one fat, sweaty tear," Aja confessed during rehearsals with choreographer Jamal Sims.

On the runway, where queens showcased "Slits and Tits" looks, Irene impressed the judges panel, which included guest judge Ice Spice. Michelle Visage praised her performance, saying she "literally slayed this," while noting Phoenix appeared "shy" during the challenge.

Aja and Irene emerged as the top two, advancing to a lip sync battle to Ice Spice's "Think U the Sh-t (Fart)." Utilizing her ballroom experience, Aja secured the win and the first $10,000 tip of the season.

The tournament structure introduced a twist – the bottom four queens each award one "MVQ" (Most Valuable Queen) point to a competitor of their choice. This immediately sparked strategy discussions.

Olivia and DeJa quickly formed an alliance, while Olivia also created "Operation MiMu" with fellow House of Miyake Mugler member Aja. Seattle sisters Bosco and Irene maintained their pre-existing friendship but remained independent players.

"Yeah, everybody got a participation point," Irene remarked about the first round of MVQ distributions, where pairs of queens exchanged points: Bosco with Phoenix, and DeJa with Olivia.

Episode 2's improv challenge placed the queens in an unscripted murder mystery alongside RuPaul, Carson Kressley, and Michelle Visage. Tensions flared during preparation when Bosco and Olivia clashed over character choices.

"You wanna throw daggers, baby, let's do it," Olivia declared, refusing to be intimidated after feeling she'd shown too much restraint in her original season.

During filming, several queens provided standout moments, particularly Bosco, whose unexpected "I am blind!" outburst made RuPaul break character with laughter. Irene was also impressed with her clever references to Drag Race catchphrases.

Guest judge Colman Domingo called Bosco's improvisation "extraordinary," cementing her place in the top two alongside Irene. Their lip sync to Sophie Ellis-Bextor's "Murder on the Dancefloor" saw Bosco triumph, earning three more points and the $10,000 prize.

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What was the scoreboard after the two challenges?

The point system has created a clear hierarchy heading into the bracket's final challenge. Bosco and Irene lead with four points each, followed by Aja with three, while DeJa, Phoenix, and Olivia trail with one point apiece.

Where the bottom queens place their latest MVQ points remains unknown until RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Episode 3, where the competition continues with a basketball player makeover challenge. With no traditional eliminations, every point matters as only the top three queens from this bracket will advance to the semi-finals.

As Bosco demonstrated with her comeback from episode one to victory in episode two, momentum can shift quickly in this new tournament format. The innovative structure has added fresh layers of strategy to the All Stars competition, where both performance excellence and social gameplay determine who advances toward the $200,000 grand prize.

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RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 10 premiered on Friday, May 9, 2025, and is streaming exclusively on Paramount+, with new episodes released weekly.