‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 13, Episode 5 power ranking: It’s in the bag

Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race power rankings! Every Saturday, we’ll debrief the week’s new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. We’ve quickly arrived at Season 13’s ball challenge, and it’s time to put the dolls’ fashion mettle to the test. Who served us full meals on the runway, and who left us hungry for more?

12. Joey Jay (last week: 11) — ELIMINATED

Joey wasn’t the worst in the Bag Ball this week, but her fairly standard looks didn’t do enough to help her case. Then, flubbing her banter with Carson Kressley over the pun in her “Mixed Bag” look only made the situation worse. As Nicole Byer said: If someone wants to give you credit for a joke you didn’t make, take it! Had things gone differently on the main stage, we could have seen Tamisha Iman in the bottom over Joey. But that’s the thing about Joey: She’s great in confessionals and dances up a storm, but she lacks the quick wit that Ru expects in his dolls. And while she’s a terrific performer, she went up against an absolute force in LaLa Ri. She was outdone in the lip sync which, sadly, marked her end in the competition.

11. LaLa Ri (last week: 10)

The LaLa stan card I punched in the premiere remains fully active, as LaLa showed she’s hilarious, charming and even heartbreaking. Her confessional about Rayshard Brooks was vulnerable, emotional and necessary, adding to an important conversation about Black Lives Matter in the workroom. It’s easy to laugh with LaLa Ri: She’s entertaining as hell, and so funny (“Lord, bitch—not bitch, you know you’re not a bitch, Lord”). That she got so much time in this episode not just to entertain but also share her experience and enlighten was heartening to see.

Sadly, after an episode that featured so much LaLa, she failed to turn out a competent Bag Ball Eleganza look, incurring the judges’ ire. I was worried her high share of screen time would spell doom for her chances. Of course, none of us should underestimate LaLa in a lip sync; she absolutely dominated Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy.” I’m gonna be thinking about her picking up Joey’s prop dollars like they were tips for days to come. So very glad that LaLa is sticking with us. After two weeks in the bottom three, I’m hopeful for a change in her fortune very soon.

10. Tamisha Iman (last week: 4)

I’m a little worried about Tamisha’s trajectory. I’d have expected her to score high in the ball based on her love of ballroom and experience designing and creating her own clothes. I liked her Old Bag look, but it felt like her “Money Bags” look was more fit for an Executive Realness category than this one. (I assumed it would be Executive Realness, a favourite category of Ru’s, but he did not call it that in the category description.) The Eleganza look was just too much—a lot of great technique, but it didn’t come together in a strong final piece. I’m back to worrying about Tamisha’s longevity; I had assumed after her group’s premiere that her heavy focus in the edit boded well. But now, I think we may be looking at an earlier Tamisha departure than the fanbase would have hoped for.

9. Elliott With Two Ts (last week: 9)

Once again, Elliott’s performance was the definition of safe. All of her looks felt similar—honestly, she should be getting that critique as much as Joey has been—and were way too simple for the challenge. The “Money Bags” one in particular felt so standard. She looked good, but it wasn’t enough to make her stand out. And, once again, despite just being safe, Elliott got a ton of screen time thanks to her conflict with Kandy. (Not a great look to refer to Kandy as a “peasant,” by the by.) I keep thinking she’s likely to go soon, but it feels like the edit is still invested in her at this point. 

8. Tina Burner (last week: 7)

I’ve given Tina some room so far to work through her fixation on a fiery colour palette. I get that it’s her brand, and that’s big to focus on in modern Drag Race. But I truly burst out laughing when she came out in her Eleganza look (the one she made on the spot!) and it was a red dress with yellow suspenders. It’s not even one she’d brought from home! Her Brown Baggin’ It look was more impressive in presentation than in design, while I actually liked her houndstooth “Money Bags” look a lot. She does have a range, when she allows herself to show it. But I could not get on board with her bold declarations that she did something big by making a dress out of a bean bag. Everyone had unconventional materials this week! This was very much a safe week for Tina.

7. Kandy Muse (last week: 3)

As a fan, I love that Kandy loves herself and celebrates her successes. However, I can’t agree with her that she deserved a top placement this week. Nor can I co-sign her belief that she was top two last week and would’ve won if not for her runway. (A bad look that, by her own admission, was supposed to function as her finale dress.) While being proud of yourself regardless of others’ opinions is vital, perspective is also important in this competition. Losing it can make it hard to understand what the judges are looking for. If you like what you’re doing, that’s amazing, but there’s a way to keep your confidence while also adjusting to what the judges are looking for. If Kandy can find that awareness, I think she’ll be a force.

6. Symone (last week: 1)

Well, she’s made it past her first big obstacle: Not being able to sew. I’m a bit surprised that Symone, who otherwise seems so prepared, didn’t come ready to stitch a garment together. She managed okay, and likely skated to safety on the strength of her looks brought from home. (I particularly liked her Fun Bags look, complete with popping at the end of the runway.) Her Eleganza look was too simple, and she knew it. If there’s another design challenge this season, Symone might be in trouble. But as it stands, this was the big speed bump for her to get over.

5. Olivia Lux (last week: 5)

A lot of what Olivia did this week worked for me, but there were some notable issues in each of her looks. Her Eleganza garment was well-constructed, but the overall shape was less interesting than the technique. I loved the cape on her “Money Bags” look, but didn’t love the wig or hairline. And while doing a boxer look for a “Punching Bag” category was a really clever idea, she unfortunately got beaten to the punch (no pun intended) by Symone wearing a boxer outfit back in Episode 2. So even though her overall presentation was quite strong, there were enough issues to keep her firmly out of the top three.

4. Denali (last week: 12)

How much should the final category of a ball be weighted versus the first two categories? On the one hand, it’s the only look you didn’t bring from home. On the other, it’s one of three, and thus should theoretically make up a third of your score. I ask because it feels like Denali’s Día de Los Muertos-inspired final look is what holds her back this week. While I thought it was breathtaking at first glance, it was a little stiff when she walked on the runway. Other queens managed to create much more naturally moving garments with other difficult materials. Still, her other two looks—a super fun Air Bag garment and a Cruella de Vil-inspired “Money Bags” look—were so effective that I’d have put her in the top three.

3. Rosé (last week: 2)

Instead, Denali got edged out by Rosé, logging her third straight week in the top echelon. While I was fully onboard with her high score last week, I’m a bit less enthusiastic about Rosé’s spot now. Her Bagpipes look was very literal, but fun, while her Big Business-inspired “Money Bags” look was more of a costume than a fully realized drag look. (Compare how she translated her inspiration to the way Denali did hers: Denali’s felt like a drag version of Cruella, not just dressed as Cruella.) I did like the movement in her skirt in the final look, but the actual garment underneath was pretty simple. A solid week for Rosé, but, for me, not deserving of that top slot.

2. Utica Queen (last week: 6)

I have truly done a 180 on Utica since her debut. Like Michelle Visage, I also wrote her off as weird for weirdness’ sake after the premiere. Since then, I have been more and more impressed by her drag and by her as a person. She was absolutely delightful in the workroom, helping LaLa with her sewing machine, and her “do you smoke weed?” moment from last week’s episode rightfully went viral. All three of her looks were absolute stunners, but the most attention should be paid to the actually jaw-dropping Eleganza fashion moment she made out of sleeping bags. She created a gorgeous garment in practically no time, speaking to her skills as a designer and seamstress. I’d absolutely have given her the win this week; even though I agree with Ru that her presentation can be a bit too campy, that didn’t change just how heads-and-tails above her competition she was in my eyes.

1. Gottmik (last week: 8)

Ru ultimately opted to give Gottmik the win, and I totally get it. Gottmik brings a high-level fashion aesthetic to the main stage, but never fails to translate it into something drag-y. I absolutely loved her “Money Bags” look, and found her Body Bag garment both shocking and entertaining. Where I lost it a bit was on her Eleganza look. It was very conceptual, which I can appreciate, and she styled it exactly right with her Joan Jett-inspired hair and makeup. It just didn’t strike me as nearly as impressive as Utica’s final look. Which, I guess, brings up the question of how much the first two looks should matter again: I did love both of theirs, but I would probably give Gottmik the slight edge. It’s clear that the judges are excited by Gottmik, and want to see more from her. This early win will likely boost her confidence moving forward. She wouldn’t have been my choice for this week, but she’s deserving regardless.

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