Yahoo Lifestyle Who Will Win 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17? Ranking the Queens After Episode 4
RuPaul's Drag Race is back, and that means that in a few short month we'll know America's Next Drag Superstar v.17. After four weeks, we've only eliminated two queens. But we've seen our girls walk in four runways, compete in three Maxi challenges and deliver plenty of confessionals. So while we still have months before the finale, we've got a lot of information already as pertains to the 12 remaining queens.
Which brings us to the question: Who will win Season 17 of RuPaul's Drag Race?
To that end, I've put together a ranking of the full cast of drag queens competing on this season, ordered from least likely to most likely to be crowned America's Next Drag Superstar. It's a power ranking if you will, and while there are supposed spoilers on dark corners of the internet, I haven't read any of them. And to clarify, this ranking relates specifically to their chances at winning Season 17 and not just making it far.
Last week I ranked Joella in dead last, so it was really a shock to no one that she was eliminated. However, this week's comedy/musical/performance challenge really did give us some new intel as to what these queens can do, so the ranking has shifted a bit.
You can read last week's ranking here, and check back every week throughout the season for updated rankings as the queens are eliminated. But without further ado, here's our ranking after Episode 4.
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RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 Episodes 4 power rankings
12. Kori King
Last Week: 6th
Track Record: Safe, Bottom, Bottom
After two back-to-back weeks in the bottom (especially within such a large field of mid-tier queens), I fear that Plane Jane's sister may be leaving us soon. We sort of always knew her fashion wasn't going to be a strength, but her sense of humor doesn't seem to be quite to Ru's liking either. While I could see her managing to win another lip sync or two, I think her departure is imminent.
11. Acacia Forgot
Last Week: 12th
Track Record: Bottom, Safe, Safe
I really do love Acacia's folksy aesthetic, but it is NOT RuPaul's aesthetic. And as we saw with the doily runway this week, Acacia doesn't seem quite able to bring that needed versatility. We've just never seen a queen like her on Drag Race, and she's not the kind of different that the show's format supports. I do love her, though, and thought she was funny doing the tango with Sam.
10. Hormona Lisa
Last Week: 11th
Track Record: Eliminated/Saved, Safe, Safe
Is Hormona going to win Season 17? No. But I do think her delusion makes for some excellent television. Her "I Nominate Myself" number this week was far from the worst, and I liked her pastel quilted robe. Hormona is growing on me, and I'd love to see a bit more of her before she licks another Badonka Dunk Tank lever and is sent home.
9. Arrietty
Last Week: 8th
Track Record: Safe, Top, Bottom
After four weeks, I think we can all agree that Arrietty has BY FAR the best fashion taste of Season 17 (and based on the cast's mid-to-disastrous runways so far, that is SORELY needed). That being said, Michelle Visage went in on Arrietty's signature elf makeup this week, and we got a reference to her not being talkative. I really hope that she isn't nixed before the ball, a challenge she will almost certainly destroy her competition in. But she could easily get in her head and get whacked on a comedy challenge.
8. Lana Ja'Rae
Last Week: 9th
Track Record: Safe, Safe, Safe
In Season 16 Xunami Muse and Dawn, set records for how many weeks in a row they were safe. Dare I say that Lana and Lydia are filling those spots this year? This week they were paired together and performed admirably, but didn't make the top three. While there are queens doing worse than them, all these safe placements (especially in a weaker cast than Season 16's) are getting to be a problem.
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7. Lydia B. Kollins
Last Week: 7th
Track Record: Safe, Safe, Safe
Everything I said for Lana applies to Lydia.
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6. Jewels Sparkles
Last Week: 3rd
Track Record: Top, Safe, Safe
After a strong start, Jewels has fallen a bit into the background these last few episodes. She was a bit hampered by her pairing with Arrietty this week, but she didn't shine in the comedy as much as I thought she would given how fun her confessionals are. I do think she'll benefit the most if Arrietty goes home, given that she's got some interesting fashion going on. But she needs another strong performance to keep up with the frontrunners.
5. Lexi Love
Last Week: 4th
Track Record: Win, Safe, Safe
While I sort of think that Lexi remains the only real viable candidate to win this season, she didn't quite nail the comedy in her "This Is Your Moment" musical tribute. That said, her black lampshade runway was easily the best of the week, so she could come roaring back.
4. Sam Star
Last Week: 1st
Track Record: Safe, Win, Safe
Sam continues to be a strong force in this competition even if RuPaul rarely likes to crown a conventional pageant queen. With a slightly more ragtag cast, Sam and Crystal Envy are both going to continue to shine. I think Sam's southern background could also help her sidestep the "you're too polished" accusations that I'm sure are coming for Crystal. Can she win? IDK, but this is a weird season so far.
3. Suzie Toot
Last Week: 6th
Track Record: Win, Safe, Top
Suzie is another queen that, on paper, doesn't have a chance of winning. While she's funny, RuPaul has never crowned a Broadway/vaudeville queen. That being said, Suzie has one of the strongest records of the cast and seems to have an interestingly nerdy angle to her drag that Rose and Jan didn't possess. Typically, I'd say she won't win, but this is such an odd cast in the pantheon of Drag Race.
2. Onya Nurve
Last Week: 5th
Track Record: Safe, Top, Win
Again. Strange to see Onya ranking so high. She's not particularly hilarious and her fashion is sort of bad –even if it does carry an important message. She is one of the few queens with that "it factor" personality that RuPaul loves though. It would be wild to see Onya win the season directly after Sapphira Cristal lost, though, given how much better Sapphira was at this similar style of drag.
1. Crystal Envy
Last Week: 2nd
Track Record: Top, Safe, Top
Crystal is the de facto leader at the moment, just because she seems like the most consistent across all metrics through four episodes. That being said, Crystal is the definition of overly polished ,and RuPaul does not like that. Perhaps Crystal will be able to get a little messy in the back half. But right now, she seems like a prime target for the "why are you so guarded?" speech.
Overall this is a strange cast. Typically, at this point, several likely winners have presented themselves. This season, there almost doesn't seem to be any. Perhaps that will make the back half of the season more fun to watch though. At least this isn't a second coming of the Sasha Colby meet and greet.
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