Happy Ending Ball - RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs. The World S2E02

It’s another week of the Olympics of Drag Race! RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World Season 2 Episode 2 brought us “The Happy Ending Ball,” a fairytale-themed ball challenge with three looks – including a design challenge with conventional materials.

I am always a fan of Ball challenges being earlier in the season. Instead of being a final gauntlet for a slim group of exhausted queens as they near the finale, it becomes a chance for a much bigger pack to jostle for attention.

That makes sense to me, as it gives almost the entire cast a chance to have multiple runway walks and lets the judges make early eliminate decisions based on a wider sampling of each queen’s fashion sense.

Ball challenges on All Stars seasons bring an additional layer of complexity. They function as a proving grounds for who has had the biggest glow-up (and, who has taken the time to learn how to sew). Almost every queen in the RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World Season 2 cast outperformed their original season design challenge looks in this episode, but they were doing that alongside a firm top group of fashionable heavy hitters who were not afraid to go full camp to command Ru’s attention.

That lead to a surprising queen leaping into a top power ranking compared to last week’s Queens’ Variety Show recap, while a previous potential finalist tumbled out of contention.

(Want to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World outside of the UK? For most of the world, it’s available with a Wow Presents Plus subscription as soon as the episode is done airing.)

Readers, start your engines. And, may the best international drag superstar win!

Reminders: I consistently refer to Drag Race artists with their drag names and with she/her pronouns even when they are not in drag, which is the convention of the show. Some performers may have different personal pronouns. Drag is inherently brave, political, and artistic, and all drag is valid. It’s also hard to do. Every drag artist in the world deserves endless essays dedicated to their talents and life stories. I’m commenting on drag artistry in how it fits the established expectations of this specific television program, but the reason I’m commenting at all is because I am obsessed with drag and the people who create it.

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs. The World, Season 2, Episode 2 – Happy Ending Ball Power Rankings

Before we get started with our Power Rankings, we get to appreciate not only a RuPaul runway but Michelle Visage in the workroom!!!

I absolutely adore Michelle Visage. I know the queens find her intimidating, but for me she gives lovable Jersey Mom who is a little too obsessed with New Age woo woo.

So, basically, I think of her as a godmother.

Also, I think she is a terrific host with a magnetic camera presence and a true rapport with the queens. She ought to be deployed in the workroom more often – especially if she’s going to look so damn good.

It’s likely that Michelle got to play host in the workroom to give RuPaul a day to recover and get pumped full of steroids, antivirals, and/or coffee enemas after she sounded like death last episode. Luckily, Ru seemed to be back to her chipper, dulcet-toned self for this runway.

I love when Ru wears hair this massive. To me, that’s what she looked like back in the early 90s – even if that’s a Mandela effect and her hair was actually much smaller back then. Also, for me the high cut boots and matching long, black, vinyl gloves immediately give “fetishwear,” which gives this cute pink dress a slightly different vibe than it would have just with pumps.

#1 – La Grande Dame (was #2) [DRFr-S01 Runner Up, Pre-Season #2]

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La Grande Dame’s blend of high fashion and high camp scored her a second consecutive win as she racked up more laughs and gasps from RuPaul.

This Jean Paul Gaultier inspired bellhop costume was the most impeccable look in this category. It was giving gender-bending, but was it a Lady Prince Charming? I think La Grande Dame focused too heavily on genderfvck here and not enough on fairytale, because I’m simply not getting prince from this look.

That doesn’t mean I don’t love it. I’m obsessed with every detail! I love how the hat is slightly too big to make LGD’s head look dainty, how dense the epaulettes are with tassels, and how she got away with an ankle-length skirt because her shoes and tights are in the exact same color.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about this runway.

Much like The Boulet Brothers, I get tweaked when a drag look crosses too far into creature or cosplay without being dragged up just a little. That’s where I land on this high-impact She-vil Queen alien from La Grande Dame. It was shocking and legitimately scary, but I’m not sure if it’s “drag” for me.

The camera work didn’t give us a solid look at this because LGD was moving so quickly, but it seemed like she may have had an open vinyl jacket with black skin beneath? I would have liked to see any kind of detailing on that chest piece or on the spine to help us read her shape within this black-on-black-on-black design. There’s a reason H.R. Giger’s Aliens are full of repeated geometric shapes and concentric rings – because they help define the shapes of the creatures.

By no means does that make this bad. And, I think La Grande Dame was lucky to pull it out in a ball where she had two other looks to bolster it. But, imagine this but with the crystal spine of Anetra’s Crystal Ball design challenge look!

La Grande Dame delivered simple elegance for her Drags to Riches design challenge look.

At a glance this might look like scores of other Drag Race looks that are made almost entirely of draped fabrics, but check out the even, deliberate seam between the gold lamé coming down from the left side bra cup as it descends to hit LGD’s waist on the opposite site. Check out her subtle flesh-colored gloves! Also, there’s quite a bit of beadwork along each of the seams in the stomach. Some of it is a little uneven, but… beadwork. In a design challenge.

I think my one question about this look is if the biege panel on her body is meant to be nude illusion or just a flesh tone. Since she color-matched her arms perfectly with the glove fabric, I think it might simply be beige. Either way, I think this would have looked even richer if that panel was either a better color-matched illusion or if it was in black instead of nude.

La Grande Dame has no obvious weaknesses on display so far this season. Next week is a high-concept challenge, which would normally be a knockout for LGD, but it’s also a group challenge. Unlike in France, where LGD tended to mesh well with groupmates, here her conceptual visions might clash with the UK queens or get too wild if paired with the other international girls.

I doubt that will lead to Ru risking a bottom two placement for this charming early frontrunner, but I also doubt she will be a winner for a third week in a row.

#2 – Keta Minaj (was #7) [DRHol-S02 4th, Pre-Season #7]

Keta Minaj flexed her fashion chops on the runway to deliver three stunning looks that all stunned in completely different ways. If she can maintain this level of polish and poise my initial concerns about her messiness aren’t going to be a factor in her placement this season – which makes her a force to be reckoned with.

I think Keta Minaj swept the Lady Prince Charming category. No one else came close to this level of fashion-forward genderfvck. I love how both the frilly blouse and the suit of armor are traditionally masculine elements of period clothing, but Keta has gender-bent them both to read as feminine.

The pink carrying down to the trailing cape on one side while the suit of armor continues to a leg on the other side is an example of asymmetry done well on the show. And, I love how the pink carries up into the hair.

This is a 10s-across-the-board look for me. Absolutely no notes.

Much like La Grande Dame’s She-vil Queen look, Keta Minaj’s queen left me asking “is this drag or is this cosplay?”

Yes, Keta is much more obviously dragged up than LGD’s alien queen. However, so much of her look was obscured by her black cloak here. I know that was necessary to give the illusion of her steed having back legs, but I just wish her cape was swept back from her shoulders so we could have seen more of her blouse and dress. Without that peak, this is mostly about her furry companion, which is pushing it into cosplay territory for me.

As always, rendering so much of a costume in matte black or white means it gets eaten up by the Drag Race runway lights. If the cape was more patterned or opulent, it would’ve read as being draggier.

Also, that lone, tiny, gold tassel in the back was driving me mad. It cheapened the whole look.

Keta Minaj delivered an impeccable Drags to Riches design challenge look that was on par with Marina’s effort as the best of the week. This black dress is perfectly fit to Keta Minaj’s body, but she also has the eye for detail to know how to style it effectively.

To me, that subtle belt buckle at the waist takes this from “design challenge garment” to “actual fashion.” It’s just one of those little details most queens would never think to add – plus, it adds shape and structure to an all-black look.

Also, check out the green sequin lining of the bust and hem and how that same motif carries onto the cape. Notice how the dress perfectly skims the floor as she walks. Then, let’s talk about the cape. THE CAPE! It is so gorgeous. So opulent. The fabric is utterly stunning, but the construction of how it wraps around Keta’s neck and then drapes over the front of her shoulders is what completely sold me on it.

Finally, a spider headpiece could have taken this from conceptual to campy, but Keta styled it to be perfectly creepy.

Again, this is another 1o-out-of-10 look from Keta Minaj. I don’t have a single note.

I truly didn’t think Keta Minaj would bring runways that were quite this clean based on what I recalled from her run on Drag Race Holland. If she can keep up this level of quality, she might be La Grande Dame’s main competition on the runway all season long. Plus, note how Keta had the same gender-bending concept as Scarlet Envy here but executed it exponentially better. An eye for styling goes a long way on Drag Race.

Now, the question becomes if Keta Minaj’s somewhat reserved personality can deliver in performance challenges. Next week’s group challenge will put that to the test, as she’ll need to make herself heard amongst a bevy of louder voices to not get lost in the shuffle.

#3 – Marina Summers (was #1) [DRPh-S01 Runner Up, Pre-Season #3]

Marina Summers could have easily won this ball if not for what may turn out to be her season-long weak spot: her concepts could be lost on the judges when they are cultural or just too intellectual. Both those inspirations play much better on franchises not hosted by Ru & Michelle.

Y’all, I am so angry that the judges did not get this look. Flames. FLAMES. On the side of my face.

It is completely obvious to me that Marina is giving “Fuckboi of the Sea” here. It’s plain as day. The gauzy cape and waves of blue fabric are obviously supposed to be water. It absolutely read as water when she was in motion.

This is young Namor emerging from the sea to seduce Susan Storm away from Reed Richards.

HER NAME IS MARINA, PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT HARD.

This was a Top 3 look in this category for me. I feel like any non-Ru franchise would’ve appreciated this look much more.

Speaking of looks that another franchise would appreciate, we come to Marina Summers as an underwater She-vil Queen.

Again, even if you don’t know this Filipino pop culture reference to the Dugong character, it’s completely obvious that Marina is delivering a creature queen in the same way La Grand Dame was. And, this creature queen has body. I love the breasts, booty, and stomach rolls built right into this suit. It’s clever and different than anything we’ve seen on Drag Race before, which is increasingly hard to do!

This wasn’t the best of the She-vil Queen looks, but there was not a thing wrong with it. And, for me, it was a better drag look than what La Grande Dame delivered in this category.

Then, for Drags to Riches, Marina Summers once again topped the entire category. The silhouette she is delivering here is impeccable. Plus, exposing two different colors of underskirt in the front to emulate water lapping up against the shore? That is some next-level designing.

This is at the same level of design challenge intensity as Trinity The Tuck on RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars All-Winners. If a queen packed this in her suitcase rather than designing it in the workroom the judges would still be going wild over it.

I was pleased to see Marina get largely positive critiques despite the judges missing the mark on appreciating the first pair of looks. However, it leaves me with questions about if Marina’s level of intelligence is going to work for Ru and Michelle all season long. Marina’s A-Student nature could be a little much for the judges even on Drag Race Philippines where the judges understood all of her references. I fear some of her conceptual work could be lost on this panel – even if she comes out as an undersea creature and twerks.

#4 – Hannah Conda (was #3) [RPDRDU-S02 Runner Up, Pre-Season #1]

Hannah Conda designed an intentionally ugly garment for the Happy Ending Ball’s final look, but it was constructed well – and her other two looks scored top marks. Despite an ostensible low placement here, Hannah’s in this to win it.

This Lady Prince Charming look completes my Top 3 trifecta along with Keta Minaj and Marina Summers. To me, this fits the brief to absolute perfection. It is giving me “Dreamworks animated feature realness.”

I love the watermelon combo of clashing pink and green on top of regal gold. I love that it’s dressed up like a prince but with buxom proportions that make it attractive in a confusing way.

Not a single note from me.

Then, Hannah crushed the She-vil Queen category in the “Non-Creature Division,” going head-to-head with Scarlet Envy for the best traditional Disney villainess look. Again, this is just so thought-through, from the colors, to the shapes, to the huge back plate, the crown, and the severe make-up. Hannah looks like a fairytale come to life, with enough detail to read on the big screen.

And then we arrive at Hannah Conda’s Drags to Riches look.

I think Michelle’s critiques were perfectly on-point here. Is it well-made? Yes. Is the shape on-point? Yes. Does it look particularly rich? No, because Hannah rendered it entirely in day-glo lamé in a way that makes her look like she’s headed to a children’s black light birthday party.

Hannah was one of several queens who were insistent on repeating the color story of their Lady Prince Charming runway in their Rags to Riches look. While I respect the storyline consistency, if Hannah had replaced either the pink or lime here with a different color and used just only or three neon mice this would’ve had a completely different impact on the runway.

Even if Hannah was ostensibly up for a negative critique on this episode, to me that felt like pure story producing. There were other much weaker queens in this line-up and she was never really at risk. It was easy opportunity to give a known favorite of Ru the illusion of an early stumbling block when really she did just fine.

Actually, she did better than fine: and even with this design look I would have Hannah tied for first in my overall ranking of performance in this challenge. (You can see my full stack rank at the end of this post.)

Next week’s conceptual experience challenge is one that Hannah Conda would be the odds-on favorite to win if she was flying solo, having crushed her commercial challenge on Drag Race Down Under Season 2. If the other queens on her team are smart, they’ll let her take the reins and execute her vision. If that happens, I’ll be shocked if she misses out on a win next week – which would vault her to the top of the Power Ranking if LGD, Keta, and Marina are safe.

#5 – Scarlet Envy (was #5) [RPDR-S11 10th, RPDRAS-S06 9th, Pre-Season #5]

Scarlet Envy presented two sides of her personality in this ball challenge: high-impact looks that don’t hold up to closer scrutiny vs. highly-polished looks that are too subtle to garner attention from the judges.

I think we can all see that there are obvious problems with this Lady Prince Charming look, even if we hadn’t seen the same concept executed better by Keta Minaj only seconds later.

Where Keta’s look effortlessly transformed masculine elements into feminine ones, Scarlet’s look is simply deconstructed. Why are the half-cape and shorts in tatters? What is feminine about this other than Scarlet’s makeup and the breastplate having a literal breast?

While this is absolutely genderfvck, I just don’t know if I’m getting Lady or Prince enough from it. The story simply isn’t clear.

If Scarlet’s story didn’t make sense in that first look, here she told an entire fairytale just with a flick of her wrists. This She-vil Queen look is high, high drag. It’s part Disney’s Maleficent, part Marvel’s Hela, and all opulent.

Everything about it is so perfectly considered. Check out how the central skirt isn’t just a drape of fabric, but a panel that widens as it hits the ground. Also, note the vine-y detailing on Scarlet’s stockings. There was not one part of this look that reads as “eh, that’s good enough.” Every detail is backed by another detail.

Scarlet Envy’s Drags to Riches design challenge look couldn’t be more opposite than her She-vil Queen look.

No, not because of the obvious Cinderella reference. Because this look is bad and full of sloppy details.

Look, y’all: I gasped when Scarlet walked this onto the runway. Volume always makes an impact in a design challenge. Scarlet knows that, and so she spent her design time focused on being a size queen. But, there isn’t one detail on this garment that looks good. The bust line is a mess. The middle panel of the dress looks like it was just randomly ripped rather than hemmed. The shoulders are uneven. The hem of the skirt looks jagged and unfinished.

It occurs to me that Scarlet may have intended to give an actual “rags to riches” storyline here with the lack of finishing, But, nothing about this fabric comes across as “rags.” If she wanted to have that effect, she should have rendered it in the burlap sack material she used as a shield when she first walked out onto the runway.

Scarlet Envy often has the same issue as Marina Summers had on this episode – Ru simply doesn’t get all of Scarlet’s references or humor. Yet, Scarlet also has a lackadaisical quality to her that doesn’t sweat the details as hard as Marina. It will be interesting to see if she can manage to play spoiler at all this season by snatching a win, particularly in an acting challenge – and, especially with her intent to cut someone strong if she gets to make a lipstick selection.

#6 – Tia Kofi (was #6) [RPDRUK-S02 7th, Pre-Season #4]

Tia Kofi struggled in this ball challenge with both of her looks that weren’t a homage to the dearly departed Cherry Valentine – and, even that look could’ve had more impact. She simply might not have the suitcase or the eye for style to make a deep run on this season.

I suppose this Robin Hood inspired look has a certain fashion quality to it with the ruching at the bottom of the blouse and the top of the pants, but for me it just reads as “weird pants suit.” I’m not get gender-bending from it at all. Also, it’s a near-exact redux of a look from Tia’s original season, and while the execution is stronger it’s still ill considered.

Tia Kofi’s homage to Cherry Valentine for the She-vil Queen category is strong, but it suffers slightly from not being quite as clean or perfectly-proportioned as Cherry’s original (which had an upturned frill at the knees and a massive trumpet skirt).

Also, Tia should have reversed her cape so it was red on the exterior and black on the exterior to frame her dress. The lines of the dress were completely lost against the red of the cape. She had the solution right there and missed it.

Tia Kofi’s Drags to Riches look was more like just “rags.”

This is ugly, y’all. I appreciate that she gave the top some structure, but she’s delivering the same tablecloth skirt she did back in the design challenge on her original season. Just because she doesn’t look like an utter wreck doesn’t make this good.

I was expecting so much from Tia this season and I’m crushed for her that her glow-up didn’t include a better runway package. Clearly her week 1 “For Queen and Country” look and this Cherry Valentine tribute were meant to be two of the biggest stunners in her suitcase, but they both had a middling impact due to styling issues.

I expect Tia will do well – and maybe even win – next week in a more free-form challenge where Ru can find her delightful. But, I just don’t know how she is going to crack into the Top Four when several queens are also hilarious… plus, ready to beat her on the runway every week.

#7 – Choriza May (was #4) [RPDRUK-S03 6th/7th, Pre-Season #6]

Choriza May showed that fashion is still her weakest area, which will hold her back against a top group of killer fashion queens. She’s going to need to be a comedy killer to escape a low placement this season.

While Choriza’s matador look fulfills the gender-bending requirement of Lady Prince Charming, it’s just hard to look at. I think it’s actually a beautifully-made garment, but the dusky purple with black AND iridescent pink AND red AND lace AND frills make it hard to i tell where any part of this outfit began or ended.

I think this could’ve worked if Choriza skipped the red cummerbund and the blouse was somehow simpler. I love the makeup and wig!

I think Choriza May actually snuck into the Top 3 of the She-vil Queen category in the “Non-Creature Division” just behind Scarlet and Hannah.

Even if the sequin-festooned owl chest piece is fundamentally unreadable even in closeup (and also a dumb reference to a forgettable original season bit), the overall impact of this costume is right on the money for a fairytale villainess. I especially love the collar of feathers around Choriza’s neck, which is giving me Mister Sinister. Everything from the proportions, to the colors, to the makeup, to the size and scale of the prop works here.

I found it annoying that the judges had negative comments about how much smoke her prop produced. Most of the time the judges would come down hard on a prop if it just gave a tiny cough of smoke. Choriza did things right and filled the whole damn room. It was part of her presentation.

Unfortunately, I think Choriza turned in one of the worst Drags to Riches looks of the night. While it’s a serviceable garment, it’s not giving me “expensive” and there are serious problems with the entire bodice – including how it connects to the arms and the looseness of the bust.

Still, it’s a garment! This isn’t a complete design-fail, it’s just not a design success.

I think the judges had some other options for a bottom placement here, but it was good story producing to pit Choriza and Arantxa against each other for a save since they are good friends. Yet, this early bottom placement might harm Choriza’s overall trajectory the next time she hits the bottom against someone who hasn’t been there before. Her only hope to outlive her UK sisters is going to be turning up her campy comedy to 11. That might be enough to outlast Gothy and Jonbers, but defeating Tia Kofi will be a tall task considering they both are challenged in the fashion department.

#8 – Gothy Kendoll (was #8) [RPDRUK-S01 10th, Pre-Season #10]

Gothy Kendoll doubled her all-time count of competitive runway looks by making it to this ball challenge. I never suspected her looks would be so understated, or so well-detailed.

The more I look at this Lady Prince Charming look from Gothy, the more I like it. It’s giving me “prince caught in a cross-dressing scandal,” which is on-point for the brief of this category.

I think the gold sash could look a little bit more luxe – like maybe more of a metallic gold than a yellow. Also, I don’t think nude pumps were the right choice for this look. They extend Gothy’s legs beautifully, but they don’t really fit with the rest of the story. Why would this prince have nude pumps? This situation called for an intensely frilly rococo shoe.

This She-vil Queen look might be the most-beautiful Gothy Kendoll has ever looked on Drag Race. I’m not sure this was the category to serve understated beauty, but delivering a modern, fashionable take on Cruella is certainly a safe play on the runway.

Of course, I’ll say what I always say: both black and velvet get swallowed up in the Drag Race UK vs. The World stage lights. A belt similar to the one on Keta’s Drags to Riches look or a silver cuff on the opera length gloves could’ve given this a pop of contrast.

I unreservedly love this Drags to Riches look from Gothy Kendoll! It’s giving nouveau riche, which is a perfect interpretation of the prompt for Gothy’s drag character. Also, there’s something quite fetching about the plain pink straps, the ruching at the waist, and the blue panel down the side. Plus, it’s styled perfectly with the dramatic wig and the silver glitter shoe.

Gothy showed a surprising amount of strength and restraint in this Happy Ending Ball challenge. There’s really not a single missed detail across all three looks, just things that could’ve pushed them slightly further. I think it’s clear that she’s more of a fashion queen than Jonbers, and if it ever comes down to a runway critique tie-break between the two of them I suspect Gothy will have the advantage.

However, Gothy is going to need to make her voice heard next week in the unusual branding challenge if she wants to avoid another trip to the Bottom Two.

This is the first time since her original debut episode mini-challenge where her intensely dry wit is going to be put on display on the show. She might be the least-obvious comedy queen out of everyone left in the cast, but I’m also coming around to her sense of style. If next week’s challenge is more of a performance, she could be in danger – but, if it relies more on aesthetics, she might come through looking particularly strong.

#9 – Jonbers Blonde (was #9) [RPDRUK-S04 3rd/4th, Pre-Season #9]

Jonbers Blonde calls herself a fashion queen, but her 3-for-3 flub in this ball challenge proves she won’t be any threat on the runway to the real fashion plates of this season. Unless she produces something strong next week that’s not just recycled lines from her original season, I suspect she will be next on the chopping block.

I have spent so long looking at this Lady Prince Charming look and I cannot tell you what is happening. Clearly it’s going for some sort of Vivian Westwood vibe, but it’s just too messy. There’s poofy gauze sleeves, giant paillettes, a tattered plaid skirt, a blue tulle underskirt that’s breaking out of its bounds…

…it’s all too much mess and not enough substance. And, it’s not particularly genderfvck. But, if I have to zero in on one thing I hate the most, it’s the black boots that cut her legs so high on the ankle. I say thee NAY!

I’ve noticed that a common problem with these Rita Repulsa corsets on Drag Race is that they never sell the right sort of proportion illusion. Maybe that’s because they’re so firm, or maybe it’s because they are too heavy feature a built-in illusion of curves, or maybe they’re all just tailored badly.

Whatever is causing the problem, this corset looks horrible – which is a pity, because conceptually it’s great and the boots and headpiece are top notch. But, the corset rises too low to suggest a chest, and the single strip of crotch isn’t anything any woman would wear in real life.

Actually, this might have been better for the gender-bending category than for She-vil Queen! I’m getting more androgyny from this than from Jonbers’ Lady Prince Charming Look. It’s still a disaster, though.

I have to give Jonbers Blonde a modicum of credit for this Rags to Riches look. It’s the one time her odd, pieced-together fashion has scored a solid hit so far this season. And, it has enough of a modern “fuck you” quality to it to read as both haute couture and nouveau riche, which means she nailed the brief.

I think Jonbers Blonde always looks best when she takes her drag to a bitchy rich place where she reminds me of Emma Frost, and this look fits the bill. The straps are a little bit confusing, but I love that it’s a sequined shorts-suit, I love the absurdity of the skirt, and I love the polka-dot stockings with polka dot shoes. It’s a hodgepodge, but in this case it’s also fashion.

I’m negative on Jonbers Blonde because I’m disappointed to see her back so soon. She is a smart, funny queen who really deserved more time to come into her own so she could come back a confident competitor who understood her strengths without just parroting things that garnered Ru’s approval the first time around, That always leads to diminishing returns. I suspect next week Jonbers is going to try to be intentionally daft in the challenge, stumble or draw shade rattles when Ru doesn’t laugh, and then land in the bottom. And, I can’t see any way she could survive that other than through the grace of another UK queen winning the lip sync.

Eliminated: 10th Place – Arantxa Castilla La Mancha (was #10) [DREs-S01 7th, Pre-Season #11]

Arantxa Castilla La Mancha got her chance to show off her drag in front of RuPaul and on the international stage. And, it seemed like she really had fun while doing it.

There’s no question Arantxa would have been better served with a comedy or performance challenge early this season rather than a ball, but at least the ball meant she could show off multiple looks before heading home.

I think Arantxa has something in common with Scarlet Envy, in that her Gen Z humor can be lost on RuPaul. All three of these looks are envisioning familiar references through a youthful lens that is several generations removed from how Ru sees the world. I think they were the weakest looks in each category, but I also think a different set of judges might have found more charm in them – but, likely not enough to save Arantxa from elimination.

11th Place – Mayhem Miller [RPDR-S10 10th, RPDRAS-S05 7th, Pre-Season #8]

Category #1: Lady Prince Charming

Keta Minaj – Of all the looks, Keta’s read the most as Lady/Prince genderfvck
Hannah Conda
Marina Summers
La Grande Dame
Gothy Kendoll
Tia Kofi
Scarlet Envy
Choriza May
Jonbers Blonde
Arantxa Castilla La Mancha

Category #2: She-vil Queen

Scarlet Envy – Scarlet Envy had by far the most evil and opulent queen
Hannah Conda
Choriza May
Tia Kofi
Keta Minaj
Marina Summers
La Grande Dame
Gothy Kendoll
Jonbers Blonde
Arantxa Castilla La Mancha

Category #3: Drags to Riches [design challenge]

Marina Summers – There’s no denying that Marina’s construction was the richest, from head to toe
Keta Minaj
La Grande Dame
Hannah Conda
Gothy Kendoll
Jonbers Blonde
Scarlet Envy
Tia Kofi
Choriza May
Arantxa Castilla La Mancha

Overall Scores [out of 30]

25 – Keta Minaj
25 – Hannah Conda
23 – Marina Summers
19 – La Grande Dame
18 – Scarlet Envy
15 – Tia Kofi
15- Gothy Kendoll
13 – Choriza May
9 – Jonbers Blonde
3 – Arantxa Castilla La Mancha

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Drag Race World - RuPaul's Drag Race UK vs. The World S2E03– Crushing Krisis says:

February 26, 2024 at 1:41 am

[…] That lead one queen to ruveal more than just a runway look, but also a previously-secret talent she has kept under wraps through her entire Drag Race experience. It also gave us a fresh pair of winners, one surprisingly near-flop, and two very different senses of humor on the runway from a pair of UK queens. That lead to a number of shakeups in our power ranking compared to last week’s fairytale-themed “Happy Ending Ball” challenge. […]