Top 10 Manila Luzon Moments on RuPaul's Drag Race

Manila had been on two other seasons by “All Stars” season four, so she came out swinging at the reading challenge. She hysterically ripped into Farrah Moan’s ditzy attitude and colorful outfit in one shot. Manila was less kind to Trinity’s performances and looks, which she laughably roasted for the same reason. Monét X Change couldn’t help giggling at her comparisons to Bob the Drag Queen, especially since it was brilliantly used to mock Naomi Smalls as well. Many of Manila’s opponents had simple set-ups and punchlines, so it was great to see a queen have so many double-edged jokes.

The first “All Stars” season had stiff competition, so Manila Luzon said a mouthful within seconds of entering the Werk Room. With her black frock and some beautiful white fur, Manila rocked Cruella de Vil realness well. Plus her black and white hair had an impressive hand and cigarette woven in, to nod to her inspiration. Beyond her outfit, she gave hilariously confident energy in her commentary as to why she was selected. And she used her trademark wit to immediately read Alexis Mateo’s mask before she finally sat down. This over-the-top attention to detail assured viewers that Manila had only improved going into her first comeback.

The All Stars four talent show featured kabuki and flag waving, and Manila’s painting display took it further by mixing in several media. Luzon’s goofy outfit blended a smock look with a hilarious Bob Ross-like afro.The music and her frantic painting kept an air of mystery to the performance, and left us wondering what was happening. Her flip to close out the painting was a beautiful reveal and it showed that her talent went further than it first appeared. The fact that she had a dress unveiling to match her color palette only wowed us more. Manila blended music, fashion and painting into one moment, and we were gripped the entire time.

Boots were the name of the game for this runway, and Manila brought out her most risqué look of the series. Along with her tall black boots, she elicited a bunny with cute ears and a cheeky carrot gag. Manila’s pink straps added a chic layer of bondage to the look without being overly bawdy. She even hopped around the stage to tie both the bunny and strap motifs together with comedy. And the whole rabbit theme was a great callback to her season 3 look too. Though there’s always a lot of sultry outfits on “Drag Race,” Luzon’s sharp animal theme pushed the envelope in more ways than one.

Manila Luzon came out with a movie star design when the runway called for nighttime elegance. Her silver dress shimmered like a jewel, and saw her donning little crystals along her arms to enhance the aesthetic. The vintage beauty of Manila’s large blond hair tapped into old Hollywood without feeling over-the-top. She was able to show off her body thanks to tight fits that perfectly wrapped every curve. Luzon’s choices resulted in a rarely used “Shoot” by Raja on her web series, “Fashion Photo Ruview,” which is the highest honor for runway reviews. So by tying her whole look into one cohesive concept, Manila reminded viewers why she’s a two-time All Star.

Excellent performances in the Snatch Game put Manila head-to-head in a legacy lip sync with Trinity the Tuck. Luzon posed against walls of the stage, which wonderfully emulated Whitney Houston’s music video for “How Will I Know.” Her cutesy faces and arm pumps offered a more dynamic range of motions next to Trinity’s hip swaying, though Trinity did play off Manila for some fun chemistry at times. Luzon’s hilarious faces for the changing energy of each “How Will I Know” left the judges giggling in the dance’s final moments. Manila engaged with the attitude of the song to win against the usually fierce Trinity.

Though comedy challenges were already season highlights for Manila, she brought humor to death for Lady Bunny’s funeral. Luzon had us laughing immediately thanks to her hilarious umbrella prop and sniffing gag. She cleverly mocked funeral clichés to take shots at Michelle Visage. And her digs at Lady Bunny unexpectedly turned lewd jokes into jabs about overeating. Lady Bunny’s wacky accessories gave Manila ammo to make fun of Monique and Trinity at the same time. She had so much great material that RuPaul was dying of laughter just hearing about the tone she was going for. Luzon redirected jokes again and again, so people were cracking up nonstop.

To avoid the obscurity that hurt her otherwise strong Imelda Marcos impression on Drag Race, Manila played Barbara Streisand for an All Star Snatch Game. While some deemed her portrayal stereotypical after the fact, it’s hard to deny how iconic her loopy Streisand was, allowing her to keep her responses funny when other queens tried to interrupt her. And she hysterically cut through a lot of the sexual questions by playing off Barbara’s insane wealth. Manila countered all of Gia Gunn’s awful responses to mock her instead, which earned some of the loudest laughs. Her quiet shut down of Gia was equally satisfying for the viewers at home. Amidst a lot of awkward tension on stage, Manila’s satanic breakdown of all the arguing summed up how well she adapted her comedy on the fly.

For a runway themed around extravagance, Manila made the unpredictable choice of donning a pineapple dress. Though it had a silly concept, the reflective material gave it a nice glowing look as she strutted around. The green frill in her hair and the bottom of her dress comically referenced the top of a pineapple without taking away from the chic fashion. Her gold clutch kept the fruit motif going, and added a classy touch of gold. Manila’s pineapple earrings were extra in the best way possible, following the “extravagant” theme in more unique ways than her opponents.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

Sub Bra
“Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Style”

Money Dress
“Make Dat Money”

Teletubby Fight with Tammie
“It Takes Two”

Bad Girl Chic
“Queens Behaving Badly”

Holiday-Themed Runway Outfit
“The Queen Who Mopped X-Mas”

Back in season three, of all things it was stand-up that left Manila in a bottom-two showdown set to a disco version of “MacArthur Park.” Luzon hammed up the dramatic energy of the intro as she agonizingly grabbed her hair. Her cross-eyed look as the song picked up was too hilarious not to laugh at, and it was a powerful interpretation of the song. Manila warps the initial sadness of the track into such comedic insanity that it was hard to pay attention to Delta by the end. Plus her Big Bird-inspired outfit had us entranced. Between Manila’s chaotic energy and her knack for memorable faces, fans have been celebrating this lip sync for years.