Who Will Win 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 9? Episode 5 Power Rankings
We're nearly halfway done with RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9 and eight of our favorite queens from seasons past are in the middle of a battle for $200,000. Only this time, instead of taking home the prize themselves, they'll be competing for charity AND no one is going home. This week on Episode 5, the queens were paired up in a real estate-themed comedy challenge before showcasing (mostly bad) day-to-night reveal looks on the runway.
Related: 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 8' Take New York. Next Stop: the World.
In each episode, the queens will compete for Benefactress Badges with the three queens who collect the most badges vying for the crown in the season's finale.
Which brings us to the question: Who will win Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars?
To that end, I've put together a ranking of the eight queens competing on this season, ordered from least likely to most likely to be inducted into the Drag Race Hall of Fame. 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. This ranking is also based on how likely the queen is to WIN the competition, not just go far, and takes into consideration everything that took place in the season's first three episodes.
Here is last week's ranking of Episode 4 if you'd like to see where we stood coming into this week.
Related: Here's What the New 'Drag Race All Stars' Cast Is Excited to Show America
Feel free to swing back to Parade from week to week because I will be updating as the season progresses.
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9, Episode 5 Power Rankings
8. Shannel
Last Week's Placement: Eighth
Wins: 0
Benefactress Badges: 0
Not Cut Off
It's not a great time to be Shannel. After five weeks, she's yet to make her way into the top two, and unless something changes DRASTICALLY very quickly, she could be completely out of the running for the crown. Shannel is solid at most everything, but has yet to be able to beat out her more specialized competitors. Next week's roast could be a strong moment for her, but she'll have stiff competition.
7. Jorgeous
Last Week's Placement: Sixth
Wins: 0
Benefactress Badges: 1
Not Cut Off
After a strong start in Episode 1, Jorgeous has largely faded to the background. She needs another performance challenge to help snatch another Benefactress Badge, but next week's roast (the challenge that sent her home on her original season), probably won't help her odds much. I think its sort of unlikely that she wins this season, but I am enjoying watching her on TV.
6. Nina West
Last Week's Placement: Fifth
Wins: 0
Benefactress Badges: 1
Not Cut Off
Nina West's trajectory from fan favorite and Miss Congeniality to Twitter's punching bag and kind of annoying cast member is not one I would have predicted. I think given Nina's general place in the fandom at the moment, it seems unlikely that RuPaul would crown her, but its starting to look like Ru might not have that option anyways. She performed rather badly at this comedy challenge (her strong suit) and the appearance of a Christmas-themed lip sync outfit this week (after her disastrous reveal-centric one two weeks ago) makes me cringe in advance. I think Nina is also very unlikely to win at this point.
5. Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Last Week's Placement: Fourth
Wins: 1
Benefactress Badges: 2
Not Cut Off
I really do love Miss Vanjie and her performance as an incestuous, swamp-living real estate broker this week reinforced why. Her natural personality is just so charismatic. I really wish that she and Angeria had taken home the win over Plastique/Roxxxy, but I understand that Plastique's growth narrative needed to be rewarded. Vanjie will need to bring more than just her charisma if she wants to win this competition, but with two badges, I do think there is the possibility of her sneaking into the finals.
4. Plastique Tiara
Last Week's Placement: Seventh
Wins: 0
Benefactress Badges: 2
Not Cut Off
This was a massive week for Plastique. To win a comedy challenge (something she's struggled with in the past) really solidifies herself as an all around competitor and some who exemplifies growth (a quality Ru loves in an All Stars winner). She's likely to win another design challenge at some point and that might be all she needs to make the finale. I do, however, think winning the crown could be difficult if she has to lip sync in the end. She's lost twice already this season and Angeria and Roxxxy will be formidable competitors should either of them be up against her.
3. Angeria Paris VanMichaels
Last Week's Placement: Third
Wins: 1
Benefactress Badges: 1
Not Cut Off
Angeria hasn't won since Episode 1 but let me tell you, her time is coming. She's been blocked twice but has CONSISTENTLY been praised and near the top. Even this week, another loss, saw the judges fawning all over her. She has the fewest weaknesses in the cast, and I think could earn several more badges with comedy/performance challenges ahead (as early as in the Roast next week). I also think the fact that she's been cut off twice makes it sort of unlikely she'll be cut off again soon, which could allow her to sneak past those with more badges.
2. Gottmik
Last Week's Placement: First
Wins: 2
Benefactress Badges: 2
Cut Off
This was a rough week for Gottmik given that her and Jorgeous had a bit of a rough go at the comedy challenge and then she was cut off by Roxxxy. However, this was bound to happen to Gottmik given that she won two weeks in a row. Luckily, she's not cut off from a design challenge, meaning that she'll most likely be able to snag at least one more badge this season. I think Gottmik is pretty close to a lock for the finale in my mind.
1. Roxxxy Andrews
Last Week's Placement: Second
Wins: 2
Benefactress Badges: 3
Not Cut Off
Roxxxy Andrews was in seventh place in my power rankings after Episode 3 and now she's got three badges, isn't cut off and is going into the roast having already won the reading challenge this season. Roxxxy is GUNNING for that crown and she's likely to get it. Not only is she likely to win at least one of the six remaining challenges BUT she's also a much better lip syncer than the likes of Gottmik, Nina West and Plastique, meaning that if she gets to the finale, she has a strong chance of winning that final battle. Nina West must be REGRETTING giving that extra Benefactress Badge to Roxxxy last week now.
Next, Everything You Need to Know About RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 9