RuPaul’s Drag Race Power Rankings, S7E08 – “Conjoined Queens”

We’re now past the halfway point in the season, and thanks to Ru’s ingenious method of bringing a queen back we didn’t even get any inflation. What we did get was a shake-up! Every queen is in a different position compared to last week, and not just due to Trixie’s return. However, as we inch closer to the final the top three seems more solid than ever. Will any of the top trio be unseated?

#1 Violet Chachki (avg 2, was #3, 2, 4, 1, 1, 1, 1)
Violet continues her ascent to likable, young, talented queen, and as the only queen not to hit the bottom (aside from Fame – we’ll get to her in a minute) she is back as the competitor to beat. This is the Adore story with a redemption arc and sans messiness, and it’s pretty damn compelling. Given that Ginger would be a repeat of Bianca’s mean red-head vibe, she ought to be getting a bit scared of an upset. Violet has some weak spots, but one of the next three girls are going to have to overcome some flaws to upset her march to the top three. And, not for nothing, but I discovered via YouTube that Violet is a lip sync addict who at one point was debuting a new song in her act almost weekly. She’s one of the few queens who could potentially survive a lip sync against Kennedy at full power.

#2 Ginger Minj (avg 2, was #1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 3, 4)
Despite hitting the bottom, Ginger really only descends a spot due to Violet’s continued strength. Why? Two words: Sasha Belle. Even though the silly idea this week was all Ginger, we’ve never seen her miss the mark on execution before and probably won’t again. Also, the “I don’t sew” came off as protesting a bit too much given the snugness of their costumes. If anything, I think a trip to the bottom ensures her trip to the finals as we seek to avoid a repeat of last year’s two never-bottom-two girls making it to the end. Plus, she’s an able lip sync artist who would only be slayed by a dancer dropping splits left and right – but, there’s two or three of those girls still in it.

#3 Kennedy Davenport (avg 3, was #2, 5, 3, 4, 6, 2, 2)
Kennedy didn’t do much to shake up her placement this week, but we did see that she can sew in a pinch and that’s a big decider in the final cut. I think combining that with her alternately weeks of safety and boundary pushing that clinches her a permanent top three ticket. Also, her spot as top strategist continues. And, finally, I feel like she’s still playing her cards pretty close to her chest when it comes to revealing her looks and capabilities. If you’ve ever seen on of her performances on YouTube, you know we’ve barely cracked her skills. With just five episodes left, it’s time to start showing those cards, girl!

#4 Katya (avg 5, was #4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6)
Oh, Katya, my beloved. I have watched six seasons of this show and never have I stood in both adoration and awe of someone as much as I do you. Her performances are getting progressively more unique and nervy each week, and those are two big factors in Ru’s equation for drag success. Yet, when it comes down to it, Ru already awarded two comedy queens (three if we say comedy vs. glamour is binary and lump Sharon into the former), and none of the two (or three) was quite so brilliantly off-color as Katya. I predict the “It’s not so bad to be fourth” Latrice Royale memorial award for this fan favorite, who might melt-down in a multiple-goals solo challenge.

#5 Trixie Mattel (avg 6, was #4, 5, 8)
Let’s get real: I’m most excited to have Trixie back not for her funny but for her fashion! A lot of these girls are a little on the dull side when it comes to runway. After she climbed out of her Barbie box, Trixie delivered back-to-back stunners before the misstep that sent her packing. I can’t wait to see what she cooks up for next week, and I am certain she can lip sync past Miss Fame – and, Ru loves juxtaposition, so you know we’ll also get a Trixie vs. Pearl redux, too.

#6 Pearl (avg 7, was #5, 7, 8, 10, 9, 7, 6)
Everything was coming up Pearl this week, but I think that could be the end of her honeymoon unless she brings this week’s twinsied fashion sense back to the runway again and again instead of her normal looks. She’s proven she’s a fierce competitor repeatedly in the past few weeks, but she’s running out of room to be safe on weeks where she doesn’t have a win in her. Her big chance is to unseat Violet as the ingenue of the season, and that’s going to take some doing.

#7 Ms. Fame (avg 7, was #6, 6, 6, 8, 8, 8, 3)
Fame lost me this week. I was banking on her to slay the makeover challenge to prove her staying power, yet she fell back on stale Sharon Needles leftovers for her look. A ultra-glam, ultra-brand Fame would have slayed. Plus, her editing has gone from sympathetic to mocking, which is never a great sign. Without a win under her belt, a makeover win to look forward to, or easy mark like Jaidynn to knock off, it’s the end of the road for this queen next week.