Welcome to Canada’s Drag Race Power Rankings! Every Friday, we’ll debrief the week’s new episode of Canada’s Drag Race Season 2 to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. An unconventional materials challenge kicks off the second installment of Canada’s own Drag Race franchise. Which queens’ looks fetched top dollar with the judges?
12. Beth — ELIMINATED
Poor Beth just never seemed to settle into herself in this competition. You could tell the judges really wanted her to surprise them, as they were fairly adoring in their reactions during the lip sync. But even though both queens were messy, it was pretty clear that Gia Metric was the right choice to stay. Beth’s confidence just wasn’t where it needed to be to be able to compete on this level. But Beth can proudly join Juice Boxx among the first outs of Canada’s Drag Race, and considering how beloved she is, Juice makes for excellent company.
11. Gia Metric
There were some major Gigi Goode vibes in Gia’s choice of wig and makeup on the runway. However, while Gigi won her season’s design construction challenge, Gia nearly went home on it. I actually didn’t mind her look: it was simple, but it had a real sense of style and modernity. However, I completely agree that it made no sense for a premiere party eleganza prompt. Gia clearly had an idea in her head and just went for it, but that lack of flexibility to work within categories might cause her problems down the line. I also think that the Brat Pack is likely to get broken up at some point, and by virtue of this first episode performance, Gia seems most likely to pay the price for their cliquery.
10. Eve 6000
Eve is a lot! From jokingly declaring she was a flat earther in her entrance line to her histrionics upon being called safe on the runway, Eve seemed poised to court controversy after this first episode. But to her credit, she seems very aware of it, and ready for people to be mad at her for what she says. I’m impressed with her drag. Her mug and hair were pretty flawless this week, so I’m hopeful she can stick around for a while. Every season needs a drama queen to keep things lively.
9. Océane Aqua-Black
God, I love Océane, and I am just terrified we’re going to lose her early. Injuring her knee during the mini-challenge makes the odds of being Eureka’d/Victoria Scone’d very high. And even if she doesn’t get pulled, she’ll likely be at less than maximum efficiency for the Rusical next week. But how can you not love a queen who yelled “Hello uglies!” as her entrance line? How can you not love a queen who made a whole walk of shame look for her runway to cover up her limp? She’s just the best. If she can get through next week, she may be fine, but that’s looking like a big ask.
8. Kimora Amour
The self-described “carnival queen” was mostly absent from this episode after her very fun entrance. I’m excited to see more, because Kimora was a clear stand-out for me in the “Meet the Queens” videos. Her runway look, a giant gown made of ruffles, was pretty nice from the front, but I hated the change in materials in the back. She got waved through to safety, which felt like the exact right call. I’m eager to see more, though.
7. Kendall Gender
I’m pretty dubious of all of the Brat Pack right now, but Kendall does have my favourite name in the competition, so it all washes out at the end of the day. She’s a body queen, comparing herself to Kim Kardashian (which is funny, considering her name inspiration) and working the first runway in a Dita Von Teese-inspired look. I appreciate her drag, but it’s not quite to my taste; so far it’s a bit too focused on body with not much else. But there’s time to show more, of course. I just hope we get more of Kendall as an individual and less Brat Pack antics.
6. Synthia Kiss
Synthia’s probably my favourite of the Brat Pack, with both a voice and a sense of humour that recall Season 1’s Lemon. (I’m in an extremely pro-Lemon place right now, thanks to her fire verse on Priyanka’s new song “Come Through.”) What’s interesting about Synthia, and unmentioned in the premiere (but highlighted in her “Meet the Queens” video) is that Synthia took a step back from drag two years ago. That, I think, is a large part of why her fellow Brat Pack queens are so gagged to see her. I can’t point to another instance of a queen coming out of a semi-retirement to compete on Drag Race; usually it’s queens at the peak of their career who are recruited. I’m very intrigued to see how that plays out this season.
5. Pythia
One of the Quebec crew this season, Pythia seems like a fun, creative spirit. She was pretty quiet in this episode, but still got her fair share of confessionals, which is a good sign. Many a future top three or four queen has stayed under the radar early, but still been a major figure in the narration of the episode. (Think Bob the Drag Queen, Jinkx Monsoon and so on.) Both her entrance and runway looks showed a real sense of style, so I think she’ll be one to watch on the runway this season.
4. Adriana
Personally, I’d have given a top-scoring slot to Adriana this week. The Colombian queen served up a sharp colour palette and a pretty impressively made skirt, to say nothing of her dynamite giant hat. Maybe it wasn’t made with enough unconventional materials? But that didn’t stop the judges from giving Suki Doll a high score. Regardless, I’m very into Adriana right now. Her banter in the workroom with Icesis Couture was cute, and her entrance look was quite sexy. She’s a dark horse contender, I think.
3. Stephanie Prince
You can tell Stephanie’s gonna be the shit-stirrer this season, which I love. She wastes no time calling out the Brat Pack for being “narcissists,” and her confessionals are unfiltered in a way you need from at least one queen every season. She seemingly got pretty close to the win for her blue-and-pink look, and while I appreciated the construction of it and use of unconventional materials, I’m ultimately glad she didn’t. There was another look that was head-and-shoulders above it for me this week. But still, a very good first showing from Stephanie.
2. Suki Doll
Our mini-challenge winner Suki nearly swept the episode with a green gown that had Brooke Lynn Hytes gasping. Suki made a major first impression, and had she not tripped on the runway, I think she may have managed to pull off the maxi-challenge win. But like I mentioned in Adriana’s write-up, the unconventional materials were used pretty sparingly in Suki’s look. That, plus tripping on her own fabric, kept her in a solid runner-up spot. One thing to keep an eye out for: Suki came across as a bit obsequious during critiques. She playfully claimed that while designing, she could only think of Brad Goreski, and gushed that she tripped because she was stunned by Brooke Lynn’s beauty. It could all have been genuine, but it felt pretty calculated to me. That said, if she owns that calculation, more power to her—do what you gotta do, girl!
1. Icesis Couture
I’m obsessed. Obsessed! Everything about Icesis worked like gangbusters for me this week. She gave me comedy with her confessionals about her bad knees. She gave me drama with her excellent entrance look. She gave me fashion with her Vivienne Westwood-inspired runway. She gave me friendship in the workroom with Adriana. She had just about the exact premiere you hope all your favourites will get. Icesis is absolutely my pick to win this season, a fact that was true after her “Meet the Queens” clip (“I came here to make… a friend. Just a single friend.”) and has only grown exponentially after this episode. The fact that we get a full season of her after such a delightful start is a gift—and one that will keep me invested (hopefully!) all season long.
Why you can trust Xtra
