We’re six weeks into the competition and just a girl or two away from a field where everyone has truly come ready to slay. The ranks have shuffled since last week. With next week bringing a slightly belated Snatch Game, who is ready to shine?
#1 Ginger Minj (avg 2, was #1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
Everything is coming up Ginger for yet another week. Her runway was middling, but she’s one of the best actors in the history of the show as well as one of the all-time funniest queens – oh, and one of the best strategists, too! I’m over her cattiness in Untucked, which might be getting full of itself, but she’s a prohibitive fan favorite despite (or because!) of it. If she has her suitcase stocked she is going to cruise through to the finals. That makes her the queen to beat, and definitely the most-favored in Snatch Game.
#2 Violet Chachki (avg 2, was #4, 1, 1, 1, 1)
I am willing to accept that I might be the sole Drag Race viewer that is obsessed with Violet Chachki, and I do not care. I live for her every second of screen time. After a bit of a miss last week she was back in fine form this week with one of the best performances and runways. The judges don’t seem to get it, but I can’t understand why. Is it just the missing personality? All she needs is one little shake-up from Ru and we could have a clear and undefeatable front-runner on our hands. However, if there’s any week where someone lacking in self-awareness is at risk, it’s Snatch Game.
#3 Max (avg 4, was #2, 3, 3, 4, 9)
Max is really wobbling at number three right now. Her fashion is endlessly on point, but this is the first time we’ve seen her performance concept get a little overly grand and miss the mark. Combine that with her weird puritanical streak and Michelle coming for her gray hair and this grand old queen could be in danger if she makes another misstep. Yet, wouldn’t she also be a fine and consistent representative of the Ru brand? She’s still in the running, for sure. When it comes to Snatch Game, I worry that we’re going to see something so high concept that it falls flat. The best Snatch impressions have been almost vulgar in their simplicity, and that’s not Max’s scene.
#4 Katya (avg 5, was #5, 5, 5, 6, 6)
Finally, a win for Katya! She really deserved it, showing this week that she’s not just a choke artist with a sick sense of humor. Yet, her fashion is going to get in the way soon if she doesn’t switch gears from the constant glitter-bombs and go with something more unique and editorial like her runway looks from the first episode. I think she’s safe for at least another two weeks before things start getting cutthroat, and maybe she’s saving her fashion bests for last. The fanbase is obsessed with her, but I’m still not getting Next Drag Superstar OF THE WORLD from her. On the plus side, she’s probably best positioned to snag a Snatch Game win from Ginger – which would create quite a rivalry.
#5 Kennedy Davenport (avg 4, was #3, 4, 6, 2, 2)
Kennedy is the luckiest woman on the face of the planet this week, because if she wasn’t in the safe group she would have been lip syncing for her life. I’ve come to terms with her ultra-dry sense of humor, but she has no fashion sense beyond her showgirl looks and she failed in yet another performance challenge. That combined with her above-it-all attitude in Untucked has me completely over her. She’s coasting, and while she might have enough umph to dispose of the trio of women behind her, good luck with getting rid of the four thirsty bitches above her. Hopefully she has picked something obvious and safe for Snatch Game – and, who knows, maybe her wry comedy will really sell it.
#6 Ms. Fame (avg 7, was #6, 8, 8, 8, 3)
Let’s level: fame is both a type-A obsessed second guesser and an infinite emotional bomb that can go off at any and every second. She also consistently produces the most varied fashions on the runway, and she is genuinely likable. Plus, this week would have been a major victory if not for the breakdown they caught on tape, because her performance was fine once she was fed her inane nonsense lines. Even though Pearl has more momentum at this point, I’m really pulling for Fame to figure things out and show some fight. A few good weeks in a row from her could radically shift this ranking, but I fear for her in Snatch Game. Hopefully she picks an impression that’s very much in line with her actual personality.
#7 Pearl (avg 8, was #8, 10, 9, 7, 6)
Pearl’s turnaround continues with a legitimately solid performance, but yet another Madonna circa 1992 runway with a Michael Jackson messed up nose. Speaking as someone who loves Madonna 1992 above nearly all else in this world, her fashion is too boring for words. I’m happy we’re seeing some life now, but based on what we’ve seen so far I’m not sure there is a single exciting thing in her suitcase. As for Snatch Game, her humor so far has been rather broad – she has to pick an easy target.
#8 Jaidynn Diore Fierce (avg 9, was #7, 7, 11, 12, 10)
Barring a completely unforeseen circumstance, we’ll be seeing the end of Miss Jaidynn next week. Every queen left in the competition has bested Jaidynn’s best runway with their worst, and after a few weeks of confidence her take-charge approach to this episode backfired in a big way when she should have easily outshown her inconsistent teammates. Snatch Game isn’t about face or strutting, but we’ve seen some more reserved queens take the game because it’s the chance for them to focus the force of their personality into a powerful blast.
Here’s Kandy Ho, exiting at the perfect moment with her average of nine. Way to prove me right, Kandy. Katya: “What the hell did she die from, bird flu?” But, she got a special visit from Ariana!