Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings! Every Friday, we’ll debrief the week’s new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6 to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. One queen’s fears about the game-within-a-game turn out to be well-founded, while the winner of the twist makes a big comeback. How does the top four look heading into next week’s finale?
5. Trinity K. Bonet (last placement: 4) — ELIMINATED
Well, this sucks. Trinity was spot-on in this episode. She made it to the final four fair and square, and a twist robbed her of that spot. I got the sense that the returnee was destined to win this challenge unless they significantly bombed, and so I empathize with Trinity’s feelings. And yes, as the queen with the most appearances in the bottom, Trinity was likely going to be the biggest target for elimination no matter how well she did. (And she did pretty well with her monologue!)
That said, Trinity could have done a lot more to fight for her chance to stay. She basically made her own case for her departure in front of the other queens in the workroom! If you’re one of the other dolls up for elimination, you’re going to take that and run with it, just as Kylie Sonique Love did when Eureka! asked her for a name.
The question becomes whether Trinity was destined to go out this week no matter what, or if hers was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Regardless, Trinity really did storm this season, and showed how far she’s come since Season 6. It may have been disappointing to see her lose two lip syncs, but as a well-rounded queen, she’s evolved by leaps and bounds. The top four just doesn’t quite feel the same without her.
4. Ra’Jah O’Hara (last placement: 1)
Owing to her pause at the start of her performance, Ra’Jah pretty clearly did the worst in the challenge. And while I liked most of her monologue, this was a bad time to make any kind of standout error. Everyone was strong this week, and had Trinity fought harder to stay—especially with Eureka! being the decision-maker—things easily could have gone very wrong for the purple-loving queen. Indeed, when Eureka! said that Trinity wasn’t where their mind first went during deliberations, I assumed they were talking about eliminating Ra’Jah instead.
Had that happened, it would’ve been a tragic final cut, since Ra’Jah has done so well throughout the competition. More than anybody in this final four, Ra’Jah feels like the embodiment of this season’s mission: true Rudemption. After being cast as the villain in Season 11, Ra’Jah won over the crowds with positivity, openness, and some really excellent (and all self-made!) drag this season. She would be a very fitting winner come next week’s finale.
As to whether she will win: I think her status as the season’s narrator and early frontrunner help her, but I do think we’re still being deprived of seeing her firmly make the case for her victory. One moment that stuck out in the workroom: she started to explain what a win would mean after her experience in Season 11, only for Eureka! to seemingly cut her off to have a moment with Trinity. It’s those small moments in the edit that have me skeptical we’re headed for a Ra’Jah win. But if she does indeed claim the crown, there will be no question that she deserves it.
3. Ginger Minj (last placement: 2)
Kind of a muted final note for Ginger considering how strong she’s been all season, no? I personally loved Ginger’s monologue—it was exactly the right mix of vulnerable and funny. But Carson Kressley noted that it came across a bit too polished. Alec Mapa gave Ginger a really good note, that a monologue shouldn’t sound like writing, and I’m not sure Ginger really took it. Her Oops! runway, a take on a series of hair straightener incidents, got a unanimously positive response from the panel. It was a solid look, but the presentation really took it over the top.
Despite her high-calibre track record, I remain somewhat skeptical of a Ginger win, especially after this final episode edit. Being called “polished” has become something of a death knell on Drag Race, as the show has increasingly valued vulnerability and a willingness to get messy.
How often was Rosé called a “pro” in a way that didn’t really feel positive? That said, Ginger is willing to let her guard down, and she’s certainly shown in past challenges (think of Season 7’s John Waters task) a willingness to embrace chaos. But the fact that Ginger is now getting the “polished” critique, at this critical juncture ahead of the finale, is a worrisome sign.
As I’ve said before, Ginger fits the mold of the typical All Stars winner (like Chad Michaels, Alaska and Shea Coulée before her), and I still think the smart money is on her victory. But I don’t think it’s a done deal.
2. Kylie Sonique Love (last placement: 3)
Look, call me a delusional fan, but I really think Kylie’s got this. This was a fabulous final episode edit for her, as she got rave reviews for yet another challenge type that we may not have expected her to thrive in. She did a great job setting up her success, what with her story about a bad experience reading in front of her eighth grade class. She expertly threaded the needle with Alec by highlighting how far she’s come since she last saw him, and she won over the fawning guest judge, Justin Simien. Personally, hers was my favourite performance, and paired with her ultra-cute Hot Dog on a Stick-inspired runway, I’d have given her the win this week.
The theme of Kylie’s season has been surprises. Whether it’s going deep for an acting challenge, pulling out a surprisingly great Dolly Parton for Snatch Game, or, yes, enrapturing the judges during a storytelling task, Kylie has more than stepped up to Michelle Visage’s Episode 3 challenge to come out of her shell.
Not only has Kylie grown since her first appearance on the show, she’s also grown throughout this season. She made the absolute most of this second chance that she has waited over a decade for, and no matter what happens, she’s walking out of this a winner—but my gut says she’ll be walking right on into the Drag Race Hall of Fame, too.
1. Eureka! (last placement: 2)
If you judge the monologue challenge by who was the funniest, then I absolutely understand Eureka!’s win. Their story was the most angled toward comedy, and they did a nice job of not relying on the scatalogical subject matter for their jokes. As the judges noted, they were also the most conversational, which helped bring the judges into their set.
But the challenge was pretty clearly not defined as a comedy task, so I can’t help but look askance at the most comedic performance winning the day. And as I said before, while I think Eureka! did well, I also think whoever returned from the game-within-a-game was likely to win the challenge unless they really fouled up. It’s not nearly as interesting to watch Eureka! go around and around in a revolving door.
How likely is a Eureka! crowning? I’m not sure. While it’d be a gag to see a returning queen finally win a season, I’m thinking that their win this week is the culmination of their storyline. Finally, after being so close all season, and even being eliminated, Eureka! is not the bridesmaid. That’s the story! But it’s not really a narrative that fuels a potential crowning.
If they do win, it’ll be akin to Trixie Mattel’s victory in All Stars 3: a queen with great success outside the show, who didn’t necessarily perform the best all season, but was consistent throughout. In All Stars 3, that was enough for a victory. But with this incredibly stacked final four, I’m thinking the show will go another way.
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