Returning with more queens, a bigger budget, and with a touch of psychedelics, “Drag Den” is back with 10 new queens from across the country vying for the title of “Drag Supreme,” along with some shake-ups to the den’s rules. “We like to keep it new and interesting,” main judge and Drag Lord Manila Luzon said of the new season at the press conference ahead of its premiere.

The two-time award-winning host shares that for their return, they wanted to excite Filipino audiences with a lot of twists and new rules. “Drag is something that is always evolving,” she adds. “There’s always new stories to tell, there’s always different queens with different points of view, and I think that 'Drag Den 2: Retribution' reflects that.”

From the new set alone, “Drag Den’s” second outing leans heavily on this vision of a futuristic drag world. The neon-lit, cyberpunk-esque setting of the new den sees the queens competing in Tondo, Manila, in 2052, as show creator and director Rod Singh describes it. Along with their shiny new set, the season’s first trailer teased many changes to the competition’s format, such as proper lip-sync songs, previous contestants returning as guest judges, and even a tease of possible eliminations.

But through all the exciting changes they’ve implemented for the new season, Singh affirms that “Drag Den” stays true to its core purpose of showcasing the talents of their queens.

A retribution game

In explaining the new season’s title, Singh is playful in her explanation of how retribution will play out in the competition. “Retribution could mean a reward,” she teases, explaining that the title can allude to the show itself in its return. “Season two is our reward. It paid off, obviously.”

“But it could also mean punishment,” Singh adds with a cheeky grin. “So, I don’t want to spoil [it for] everybody, but you’ll see after the first episode what kind of retribution we’re going for.” She also elaborates that they want to have a title for each season they return, having this idea of “new game, new rules” for each den — leaving the den after the game and finding a new one for the next. Which explains why the den was raided after Naia won in the first season.

Commenting on the process of how they implemented changes for the show, Singh reiterates that “Drag Den” is a show “for Filipinos, by Filipinos.” For “Retribution,” they considered how the fans felt with the season prior, and adapt accordingly to what the audience wants — all the while never losing sight of what the show is mainly about, which is celebrating Filipino drag.

“We put the drag queens first, because this [show] is for them,” says Singh on the show’s priorities. “We do that first, and then we try to incorporate kung ano talaga gusto ng audience.”

“We put the drag queens first, because this [show] is for them. We do that first, and then we try to incorporate kung ano talaga gusto ng audience.”

This was clearly seen in the prior season, where a lot of focus was placed on each contestant’s background and growth before and during the competition, from Lady Gagita’s evolving political views to Naia overcoming her first episode stumble and becoming the underdog winner. No queen was put in a bad light, each having their clear strengths and defined perspective to Filipino drag.

Singh says that they see season one as the show’s “brand bible.” “Ito siya at heart, the purest form of it.” And she adds that every season after would be a variation of that bible.

Putting the queens first

In casting the queens for season two, Singh shares that they really went across the country to find talent for the new season, with the team personally traveling to provinces such as Iloilo and Cebu. A reality that Singh was aware of is that many drag artists don’t have access to the show. “A lot of the queens from the province, they have an impression that this is just for the Manila queens because [they’re closer] to the production, to the set and all that,” she shares.

To really tap into the diversity of drag talent that the country can offer, the production personally invited provincial queens to audition. Explaining these efforts, Singh shares, “When we talk about diversity, it should be diversity not just based on gender, we look at economic aspects as well.” Highlighting that drag is expensive, and some queens might need more support in getting them to audition.

She says that the production makes sure the queens are comfortable with the show, not forcing them or making them feel like they have to follow what the show wants from them, adding that it would be “a disservice to the queens that we asked to come to ‘Drag Den’” if the show were to operate like that.

Nicole Cordoves, one of the show’s judges and its resident Drag Dealer, adds to this sentiment, “[In Drag Den,] they allow the contestants to really live out their fantasy, and become yung best drag selves nila.” She shares that the show allows the queens to just express themselves. “This a world na kayong bahala kung paano niyo gusto i-craft ang sarili niyo, yung artistry niyo,” Cordoves adds with a giddy smile.

“We’re so lucky to have these queens that came,” Manila Luzon comments on the new season’s cast. “They’re so brave, they’re putting everything … out there to be judged by the world, for our entertainment. We’re so lucky to get to show this, and I’m so proud to be part of it as well.”

Lessons learned

“Drag Den” is not just a journey of growth for its contestants, but also for its hosts and judges. Cordoves shares that with the new season specifically, she’s learned so much of the parallels of drag artists and beauty pageants.

As a pageantry veteran herself, she recognizes the familiar struggles drag artists face and the pressure to do well, much like her experiences in the pageant scene. “For us, it was about women empowerment, and now it’s for the rainbow community,” says Cordoves. “We’re fighting for the same cause in the same way. It’s just that nauna kami, so kailangan tulong-tulong tayo dito.”

Sassa Gurl, the den’s resident Drag Runner, shares that before doing the show she had a limited view of what drag was, thinking there were rules and a template to follow to become a proper drag artist. “Going into ‘Drag Den,’ I realized that drag is not a template, it’s an art,” Sassa imparts. “It’s freedom, and somehow I realized na in drag you make the rules, and we apply that to the show.”

Manila Luzon reflects on her own experience as a drag artist, coming up from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in the US, she shares that the show has shaped a lot of the general ideas of what drag is for the public. “Because of its popularity and it’s been going for so long, it’s now starting to become predictable,” Manila Luzon opines.

She continues that with “Drag Den,” they get a chance to tell a different point of view. “We get to infuse it with our own culture here in the Philippines, we get to share it worldwide.” She concludes that the show’s strong point has always been showcasing the many facets of Filipino drag. “I think that there’s always good [in offering] something different, something that’s really unique. So I think we have that chance again with this season.”

“Drag Den Season 2: Retribution” premieres worldwide on Amazon Prime Video on Jan. 18.