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Alas, poor Hormona; we knew her well. After earning top marks in last week’s comedy challenge, it felt like a lane had opened up for the Chattanooga queen — she was no longer just “the queen who got saved in the second episode.” But when you’ve been in that precarious position even once on Drag Race, the eyes of the judges will remain fixed on you; if you slip up, it’s curtains. Hormona didn’t perform nearly as well as she should have in the ball (especially after a pretty good showing in the last sewing challenge), and her rendition of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Get Him Back” lacked the fire it needed to keep her on the show. I’m sad to see this queen get the chop, but the facts are what they are — this week, she drowned in the Sea Sickening Ball.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 6

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I’ve said for the last two weeks that Lana Ja’Rae was in danger, and here we are. After four straight weeks of coasting by and failing to stand out, Lana stood out in the worst possible way for the ball challenge. A look queen fumbling a ball challenge is a bad omen, and Lana simply did not show her best this episode. She managed to pull out a decent performance during the lip sync, but if Miss Ja’Rae wants her time on the show to continue, then she needs to figure out how to capture the judges’ — and frankly, the audience’s — attention next week.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 11

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With a name like Acacia Forgot, you really want to avoid being forgettable on Drag Race. Yet with this challenge and a few of her past performances, that’s largely what Acacia has been serving this season, and it’s becoming a big problem for her. None of the three looks she served on the runway felt especially memorable, and the one that did manage to catch my eye did so because it looked poorly-constructed. Her self-made runway didn’t have the flair or polish it needed in this design challenge — Acacia was just lucky there were two queens with worse looks on the runway this week.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 8

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Kori King did fine this week, and that’s the root of the problem here — with each passing week, it feels like “fine” is pretty close to Kori King’s ceiling. I was immediately drawn to this queen in the premiere episode, thanks in no small part to her shady quips and magnetic personality. But when it comes time for the challenges, that flair for the dramatic seems to slip away from the Boston queen as she fades into the background.

Her Left Shark look on the runway was the closest we came to seeing some of that sparkling sense of humor in her performance so far … and then she used it as a reveal to a “meh” Katy Perry tribute. If Kori really does want to reign, as her name suggests, then she needs to channel her work room antics into her performance on the show ASAP.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 9

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The week after a bottom placement is a stressful time for any queen on Drag Race, and I was glad to see Lydia perform well in this week’s design challenge. All three of her looks were cohesive and about what I expected to see from the alternative queen. However, it’s become clear that Lydia’s style lacks a lot of the polish that the judges are going to look for in a ball challenge like this. Coming back from the bottom is a hard, and it’s best to prove why you’re still there with a phenomenal week-after performance (more on that in a bit), and Lydia simply played it safe. She’s got another week to show her stuff — here’s hoping she rises to the challenge.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 10

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Welcome to what I’m now officially calling the Too Safe Crew, Jewels Sparkles! Much like her sisters Lana, Kori and Lydia, Jewels has spent the majority of this season sailing through with safe placements. Especially after touting herself as a seamstress early on this season, Jewels has failed to find her way to the top of either of the sewing challenges thus far. If I was her, I’d be sweating bullets right about now — all three of the other girls we’ve compared her to have wound up in the bottom after aiming for the middle. If she wants to get back to that momentum she had at the top of the season, then she needs to crawl out of the endless middle by going big with next week’s challenge.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 4

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Looking at her track record, it would be easy to add Lexi to the Too Safe Crew’s roster. But here’s what puts Lexi ahead of our friends lower down on this list — even when she’s in the middle of the pack, she’s selling every bit of her performance. Take the look she crafted this week; after the abject drama of SprayPaintGate, I was expecting Lexi to turn out some phenomenally gorgeous, stunningly crafted gown out of her piece of tarp. Instead, she wore it essentially as a poncho with floral accents and an attached yellow swimsuit. It’s a pretty basic, simple look, and one that could have easily been clocked by the judges for a lack of elevation.

But when Lexi walked down the runway, she managed to make her lily pond silhouette look better, just by the way she modeled it. Even when she’s not at her best, Lexi is still going out of her way to deliver a show-stopping performance every week. The judges are taking notice of that fact, and it’s keeping Ms. Love safe from getting the chop.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 3

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I’ll be very honest — Suzie is where she is in this week’s ranking because of her track record. While her first two looks in the ball this week were a great blend of her campy style and a more glamorous presentation, the look she made was the first time that the Suzie Toot charm simply didn’t work for me. I appreciated the Amelia Earhart homage, but the look felt sloppier and more unfinished than I’m used to from this stunning queen. Suzie is in no danger of going home any time soon — the judges are clearly as enamored with her as the audience at home is — but she still needs to be a bit more careful when presenting her couture on the runway.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 1

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Back in my premiere ranking for season 17, I said that I felt Onya Nerve’s fashion was lacking, especially when compared to her innate on-camera charisma. This week, I stand corrected! Each look Onya served on the runway was better than the last, with her self-made netted suit perfectly fitting what was called for in this challenge. It feels like there’s no stopping Onya at this rate — she keeps showing how adaptable she is with every new challenge, meaning she’s not going to get surprised easily. Future contestants, take note; this is how you make a great impression on Drag Race.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 2

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It’s giving “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” so far for Crystal Envy. In three challenges so far, Crystal has managed to wow the judges enough to earn top marks, but she’s yet to nab a win in season 17. But after her performance in episode 6, I feel confident that Crystal’s going places on the show. The judges are consistently impressed with her, and she’s proven to be nothing short of a consummate professional when it comes to the art of drag. She might not have a win just yet, but it certainly doesn’t feel like Ms. Envy is in any danger of leaving the competition just yet.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 5

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After winning the last sewing challenge with some ease, I knew that Sam Star would excel in this week’s challenge. Even still, her trash bag ball gown still managed to exceed my already-lofty expectations for a runway presentation. The look was equal parts exquisite and camp, maintaining her signature styling while still feeling like a worthy deviation from her past looks. Star’s pageant background continues to show throughout season 17 — and if her drag mother Trinity the Tuck is any indication of what else we can expect from this queen, then she’s almost certainly got a one-way ticket for the finale.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 7

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There are moments in Drag Race where you know you’re watching some top-shelf reality television, and Arrietty’s performance this week was one such moment. After earning a last chance last week thanks to the Badonka Dunk Tank, Arrietty had so much to prove to the judges in this ball challenge. Not only did she do just that — she served what I think may be one of the best packages of looks in a ball challenge in Drag Race history. Every single outfit she presented told a completely different story, with a different silhouette and a different makeup. In every category on the runway, Arrietty’s looks were easily the best without question. Even with a track record as chaotic as hers, Arrietty proved this week that she is one of the fiercest competitors on this show — and if she keeps up this level of work, then the other girls are going to have a hard time knocking her back into the bottom.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 12

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