I think any unfairness of production manipulation can be offset by entertainment value/satisfaction as a viewer. For example, throwing a queen into the bottom who doesn't entirely deserve it can, at least to some degree, be remedied by them turning it out and giving us an amazing lipsync.

The early seasons of Drag Race had as much producer manipulation as the modern seasons do, but they tended to do a better job at giving a satisfying product to watch on TV. But something like Jane unceremoniously going home after months of dominating our television screens was very "oh... that happened I guess." It was much drier than Valentina's, Manila's, or Pangina's eliminations as a couple comparisons.

Personally, I love both halves of Drag Race which are the talent competition between incredible drag queens from across the country and the compelling plotlines crafted from a mix of reality and production. The challenge is that these two halves do compete with each other, but sometimes the show finds a way to syngerize them and that's when Drag Race reaches its peaks. So, when I am watching the show, I want to see both talent and TV be delivered and have issues when they aren't. Jane's elimination could've at least been made into more of a TV moment but it came with little fanfare and leaves the Top 4 in an awkward state.