Welcome to RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings! Every Tuesday, we’re debriefing the week’s new episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15 to determine which queens are riding high, and which need she-mergency care. With the finale just two weeks away, this is our final chance to evaluate the field one last time.
4. Mistress Isabelle Brooks (last week: 3)
I’m thrilled that Mistress is going to be in the Season 15 finale, because it wouldn’t feel right in the context of this season for her not to be there. She was a star this season, driving a ton of the narrative and doing well in all kinds of challenges (although only outright winning one). She’s more than earned a spot competing for the crown, and the finale will be better for her presence.
That said, if there was going to be an elimination this week, it would be Mistress. Like in the improv challenge, Mistress basically shut down when things were out of her control—this time when she was unable to easily pick up the choreography. She performed the worst in the music video, although I agree with Michelle Visage that she did well in close-up. Her runway look was impressively constructed, and clearly meant a lot to her, but we’ve seen better looks from Mistress this season. And in the final lip sync, while Mistress emoted well, her gown kept her from being able to keep up with Anetra.
Again, I think it’s right and good that Mistress is in the finale. And I’m excited to see what she serves us there. But based on her track record, and how far behind she is from two of her competitors in the fan vote as of this writing, I’d say she’s got an uphill climb to winning the crown.
3. Anetra (last week: 1)
Tough for Anetra to end the competition not only on her second (third, if you count the LaLaPaRuZa) bottom appearance, but also her weakest lip sync of the season. I could feel the air leaking out of the Anetra crowning balloon during the final moments of this finale, which was a real bummer. Especially after Ru and Michelle gushed over her so much in the Tic Tac lunch and during deliberations! Michelle really came out as a Stanetra—and as a Stanetra myself, I love her for that.
I do still think there’s a lane for Anetra to win it all, but it has narrowed. If we’re looking at a Lip Sync for the Crown situation, she needs to beat Sasha Colby in the first round. This would require a Sasha Velour-level gag, of course, since Sasha Colby has actually beaten Anetra once. But if Anetra is in the final round against Mistress or Luxx Noir London, I think her fan support, number of maxi-challenge wins and Ru’s adoration of her will get her the crown. If she’s in the final battle against Sasha, then I think it’s over. (This goes for if the individual song format from last season returns: I think, basically no matter what happens in the finale, Ru will declare an Anetra/Sasha final two, and Sasha will win.)
Do I think Anetra deserves to win the crown? Honestly, I think all members of this final four do. They’ve been extraordinary all season long, and they’ve all brought tremendous strengths to the table. And there is part of me that still wants Anetra to win! But at this point, I think the crown is going to another—and I think that’s the right decision.
2. Luxx Noir London (last week: 4)
Besides not securing the challenge win, Luxx had about as good a final episode as she could’ve hoped for. Lots of great connection with Ru, her season-best runway (with a perfect story behind it), a killer Rumix verse and performance—she ate up the last in-season episode. Does that give her a fighting chance going into the finale? I’d certainly say so! If you think about the other two times the win distribution going into the finale was 4-3-2-1—Season 9 and Season 13—fellow two-win queen Sasha Velour ultimately won it all, while Gottmik was a beloved figure who many hoped might take home the crown.
However, I do think the fan vote is going to work against Luxx. At the time of this writing, she is lagging behind all of her fellow queens on @RuPaulsDragRace’s Instagram and Twitter #Team posts. The fan vote is hardly the be-all and end-all on the flagship series—Violet Chachki and Jaida Essence Hall ultimately won without conquering the vote—but a winner coming in last among her fellow finalists would be unprecedented. (At least, on the American show; the British series is a different story.) In a herstorically great final four, I think it’s going to be small things that make the decisions—and this may be what keeps Luxx from the crown.
1. Sasha Colby (last week: 2)
Of course, all of this speculation about other outcomes is foolishness when Sasha Colby is in the competition. Within the last week, I’ve felt like I’ve snapped out of a dream of sorts—one where, in the face of Sasha’s run being excellent, but perhaps not quite as dominant as expected, I had started looking for other narratives for a winner. Sure, Anetra’s sudden shift into focus during the last few weeks of the season made her look like a strong contender. But then, I reminded myself: Sasha Colby is here.
The truth is, this season has always been Sasha’s. Her challenge performances have ranged from the mildly disappointing but still funny (the stand-up) to the excellent (the girl groups challenge, her improv performance) to the absolutely smashing (her neck-crack transitions in the first acting challenge! This Rumix!). Her runway package has been nothing short of astonishing—genuinely one of the best we’ve ever seen on the show. And throughout, she has been a generous, genial presence, one who never floated above the fray the way a legend of her stature would be entitled to do. She competed with her full self on Drag Race, and she slayed.
Putting all speculations and theories aside, the simplest answer is the correct one: Sasha Colby is going to win this season. And it will be an incredibly deserving win at that.
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