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. One queen takes home her second victory this season. But which previously high-ranking queen went home instead?
7. Synthia Kiss (last week: 6) — ELIMINATED
While I really like Synthia and I think her bottom placement last week was incredibly dumb, I can’t argue with this result. We’ve seen Synthia in some rough outfits; her self-made look from the premiere remains my favourite of hers, and it’s been a rocky road from there. This week, she lost the second she delivered one of the cutest looks she’s ever worn this season for the Ugly as Sin category. To lack the understanding of how good she looked in this pink garment shows a taste level that’s all over the board—and that was never going to cease being a problem for the judges.
Synthia saved herself twice before with strong lip syncs, but alas, it was not to be this time. Her sister, Kendall Gender, just straight-up out-performed her on “Heaven.” I wouldn’t be shocked if we see Synthia in a future season, though. With her love of drag reinvigorated, I could see her reaching new heights in a return appearance.
6. Kendall Gender (last week: 7)
I’m beginning to wonder when we’ll see Kendall’s true power. So far, her best single performance belongs to her surprisingly strong work in the Rusical. Otherwise, she’s either been safe or scored low, including after losing a tough battle with rhythm in last week’s girl groups challenge. (Her verse is a guilty pleasure for me, but I cannot defend “And I’m! The! Re! Mix!”) Her output in this week’s ball ranged from just okay (her Sex, Drugs, & Rock ‘n’ Roll look) to the outright bizarre (her Ugly as Sin cat lady look). And while I appreciated that she was going for something ambitious, the shape of her Seven Deadly Sins look was smart in concept, confusing in execution. Thank goodness that she slayed the lip sync, but it’s a shame that she had to send her best friend home in the process.
5. Adriana (last week: 2)
Adriana is all over the place when it comes to her scores this season. She probably would’ve been my top choice last week if her team had won the girl group challenge, and she did earn a win from the judges for the acting challenge. But this is twice now that she’s gotten close to lip-syncing only to be saved by others’ more serious errors. With the field narrowing, Adriana isn’t going to be able to get that lucky every time. That said, her first two looks demonstrated great range, and her Ugly as Sin look was one of my favourites. However, her Seven Deadly Sin look was a mess, and while I appreciate her bristling at the judges calling it “lazy,” it’s true that it lacked polish compared to the other queens. Where will the Adriana score rollercoaster take us next week?
4. Kimora Amour (last week: 5)
I talked quite a bit about Kimora’s Ugly as Sin look in the recap, but it’s worth mentioning once more what a unique, quietly striking moment it was for a show like Drag Race to include. The judges gave her the proper kudos for it, and I hope the other series in the franchise take note of how such powerfully political drag can be featured on their iterations as well.
In terms of Kimora’s overall output, I think she did well enough to remain in that high-safe window she’s occupied for the entirety of this season so far. I really liked her snake-wrapped Envy look for the Seven Deadly Sins runway, and while her Tina Turner tribute in the Sex, Drugs, & Rock ‘n’ Roll category could’ve been a bit more polished, as Gigi Gorgeous noted, it was still a ton of fun.
I loved the message behind that one as well. Echoing what she said about Fefe Dobson a couple of weeks ago, Kimora made the vital point of highlighting rock’s roots in the Black experience. It’s easy to enjoy Kimora as a delightful narrator, but I appreciate that we’re getting to see so much of her as a declarative, insightful drag queen. She’s coming across as both a character and an artist, and on Drag Race, that’s a dream combo.
3. Gia Metric (last week: 1)
Were it not for that first week lip sync, I’d be calling Gia the frontrunner at this point. She has routinely placed in the top, and even that first week failure got redeemed in this episode, as the judges positively compared her sleepy queen Sloth runway look to her previous design challenge output. More to the point, there’s a real clear idea behind Gia’s drag: whether she’s dressed as a guitar for a rocker chick look or as a draggified Austin Powers, Gia’s really good at adding an extra twist. She wouldn’t have been my winner this week, but she more than deserved the praise she received.
2. Pythia (last week: 4)
Is it better to win the challenges you’re known for and nothing else, or lose the challenges you’re known for and excel elsewhere? That’s the question that separates our two frontrunners at this point. If you think the latter is the better plan, then you’re probably gearing up for a Pythia crowning at season’s end. She came into this competition proudly declaring her sewing and design abilities, but has lost out on both of the related design challenges to Icesis Couture. But when it came to the Rusical, Pythia handily won.
You could say that she’s got the element of surprise on her side, and I wouldn’t disagree with you. She did get really strong reviews for her runways this week, but I’d keep tabs on the fact that we’ve now had two separate judges remark on how similar a lot of her runway presentations are (Brad Goreski previously, and Amanda Brugel this week). Agree or disagree, it’s important to suss out what the judges’ narrative is for each queen. I’d say this is an intriguing one so far, if not one to be concerned about.
1. Icesis Couture (last week: 3)
Congratulations to Icesis on being the first queen of the season to win two challenges! That’s got to feel nice for any queen, but particularly one in a group this balanced. However, the other side of the question I asked in Pythia’s write-up applies here: Icesis has won two of the same types of challenge, and has failed to receive much positive feedback from the judges on any other task. Can she win a challenge that requires performance ability? So far, the answer has been no, and that could throw a wrench into her plans to become Canada’s Next Drag Superstar.
But if she can? Watch out. Because I think that’s how Icesis wins this season: by demonstrating the versatility that Drag Race judges oh-so-often request. The ball’s in her court now.
Why you can trust Xtra
