Culture

There’s no denying that Lana Ja’Rae had a gouda run on RuPaul’s Drag Race. But there’s also no denying that by episode 12, it was her time to leave the competition. Her performance of both her own monologue and her interpretive dance to Sam’s monologue were lackluster, and her runway presentation, while very funny, didn’t quite live up to the category of “Ugliest Dress Ever.” That said, and hear me out when I say this … Lana won that lip sync. Sam did fine in the performance, but Lana delivered her best lip sync performance of the season to “Illusion,” kicking, splitting and serving the entire time. That said, when it comes down to it, the judges had to factor in track record, and Lana’s simply paled in comparison to the rest of her competitors.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 6

Track Record:

Jewels did a decent job this week, but with our number of remaining queens down to 5, “decent” is simply not enough anymore. Her “ghost” story lacked the humor and wit the judges were looking for, her interpretive dance was solid but not the best of the bunch, and her “ugly” runway dress read as garish rather than hideous. She certainly didn’t deserve to land in the bottom two and earned her safe placement this week, but with two straight weeks of middling performances in the competition, Jewels should be looking to wow the judges with a killer performance this week — otherwise, she is in real jeopardy of sashaying away.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 5

Track Record:

Throughout season 17, Sam Star has consistently been one of the best performing queens on the show. So when she wound up in the bottom two for the first time in the competition against a queen who was lip synching for a fourth time, there was simply no chance that she was getting sent home. But that doesn’t change the fact that her performance in this week’s challenge was the weakest of the group — her monologue felt stilted, her interpretive dance was lacking in any and all drama, and her runway looked glamorous instead of gross. In short, Sam’s track record saved her this week… but that excuse won’t be able to save her if she winds up in the bottom again.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 2

Track Record:

Suzie Toot performed about as well as we could have anticipated in the monologue challenge. Of the various queens’ speeches, Suzie’s was the most clear — it had a beginning, middle and end, told a full story with a moral, and ended up being pretty funny. Even though the judges weren’t thrilled with her performance in the interpretive dance, the truth is that she did well there, too, accurately portraying Jewels’ ghost story as best she could. And on the runway? Suzie knows how to do gaudy, ridiculous, tacky drag better than anyone else on this season. Props to Ms. Toot for her more-than-adequate performance in a week when she desperately needed it.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 3

Track Record:

It cannot be overstated how badly Lexi Love needed her second challenge win. As much as the judges clearly like her, it’s become clear over the past few weeks of this competition that Lexi was letting her inner saboteur (in this case, Lexi’s odd obsession with Suzie Toot) get the better of her in every single challenge. This week, though, Lexi put all of the small stuff aside and focused on the task at hand. Her monologue was funny and fresh, while her interpretive dance was easily the best of the bunch — every movement she made on the main stage made RuPaul roar with laughter. Once she turned the corner of the runway in a truly hard-to-look-at tulle gown, her win was set in stone — Lexi finally arrived in this competition, and it couldn’t have happened at a better moment.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 4

Track Record:

Three words: Four. Challenge. Wins. Like Symoné, Sasha Colby, Shea Couleé and other Drag Race icons before her, Onya Nurve has secured a whopping four challenge wins in a single season. It’s easy to see why — her monologue was easily the most entertaining this week, her interpretive dance was well-choreographed and funny, and her turkey-inspired runway look was hideous in the best way possible. Last week, the other girls spent plenty of time on the main stage and in Untucked justifying why they view Suzie Toot as an objective threat in this competition. While I certainly understand their consternation, it’s clear that the girls haven’t been paying close enough attention to the obvious frontrunner. At this rate, Onya Nurve has that $200,000 prize practically locked down thanks to her absolutely stellar performance on this show.

Last Week’s Ranking: No. 1

Track Record: