Yahoo Lifestyle Who Will Win 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Season 17? Ranking the Queens After Episode 5
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 five weeks, we've only eliminated two queens. But we've seen our girls walk in five runways, compete in four 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.
This week no one was eliminated, but I still updated the rankings to take this week's 'RDR Live' challenge into consideration.
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 5.
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RuPaul's Drag Race Season 17 Episode 5 Power Rankings
12. Arrietty
Last Week: 9th
Track Record: Safe, Top, Bottom, 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, she keeps coming up short in every other capacity and her comedy chops this week landed her in the bottom. While we do have the ball coming up next week (a challenge she will most likely win), I don't think she is winning material.
11. Kori King
Last Week: 12th
Track Record: Safe, Bottom, Bottom, Safe
After two back-to-back weeks in the bottom (especially within such a large field of mid-tier queens), Kori finally managed to eke out a safe placement. But her caveman performance in 'RDR Live' was not great. While I could see her managing to win another lip sync or two, I think her departure is imminent.
10. Acacia Forgot
Last Week: 11th
Track Record: Bottom, Safe, Safe, Safe
I'm sort of annoyed that Acacia didn't land in the top this week, as her Golden Girls-esque sketch in 'RDR Live' was one of the strongest. I think Ru picking Onya Nurve (who was serviceable but not memorable) over Acacia just goes to show you that Ru doesn't care too much for this aesthetic, and will chop Acacia whenever the opportunity arises.
9. Lydia B. Kollins
Last Week: 7th
Track Record: Safe, Safe, Safe, Bottom
Lydia has such a fun aesthetic that I thought that would translate better to a comedy challenge. However, her timing in the Golden Girls sketch was off, and I don't foresee her shining in future comedy challenges either.
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8. Hormona Lisa
Last Week: 10th
Track Record: Eliminated/Saved, Safe, Safe, Top
Okay. Wait. I lowkey love Hormona, and she SHOULD HAVE WON THIS WEEK. She nailed the "Delicious Dish" knockoff sketch and her runway was great too. While I don't necessarily know if she has what it takes to win. I do think she's got more talent than the other girls give her credit for.
7. Lana Ja'Rae
Last Week: 9th
Track Record: Safe, Safe, Safe, Safe
In Season 16 Xunami Muse, set records for how many weeks in a row they were safe. Dare I say that Lana is filling that spot this year? Her runways are always pretty, and she seems like a good time. But she seems to be kind of average at everything. And sooner or later, that is going to stick her in the bottom rather than safe.
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6. Jewels Sparkles
Last Week: 6th
Track Record: Top, Safe, Safe, Safe
After a strong start, Jewels has fallen a bit into the background these last few episodes. She was fun this week with her Australian accent, 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. Sam Star
Last Week: 4th
Track Record: Safe, Win, Safe, Bottom
While Sam did end up in the bottom this week, I think that was mostly due to not recognizing how SNL's "Delicious Dish" sketch is set up, rather than a lack of talent. I bumped her down a bit, but I think she could still win this.
4. Lexi Love
Last Week: 5th
Track Record: Win, Safe, 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 as a Weekend Update anchor. That said, her pink leopard print look was one of the best looks of the week, so she could come roaring back.
3. Crystal Envy
Last Week: 1st
Track Record: Top, Safe, Top, Safe
Crystal delivered another solid performance this week. She is the consummate professional, and I think she's unlikely to give us anything truly bad. I'd pencil her in for a third-place finish solely because Ru doesn't like pageant queens that much. But she will be at the finale.
2. Onya Nurve
Last Week: 2nd
Track Record: Safe, Top, Win, Top
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. To be in the top this week over Acacia, however, signals that she's one to watch.
1. Suzie Toot
Last Week: 3rd
Track Record: Win, Safe, Top, Win
Suzie is SUCH an enigma to me. She keeps doing shit that typically RuPaul doesn't like, and yet RuPaul keeps liking it. She was very fun this week as Ru's old babysitter on 'RDR Live,' and I adored her clown look, but the vaudeville aesthetic is, again, something Ru doesn't typically go for. Perhaps, though, Suzie is channeling the Jinkx Monsoon kookiness in a slightly more theatre kid way, and Ru is connecting with that. I feel very reluctant to predict Suzie as the winner of the season. But having won twice out of the four times she's competed, she certainly is the frontrunner for now.
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