RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14: She’s A Super Tease
Power Rankings with P
Welcome to Power Rankings with P, a newsletter ranking cast members on the reality shows I subject myself to on a weekly basis. What can I say? I love slop.
The main challenge this week saw the queens overacting as exaggerated versions of themselves in "Season 14 Super Teasers," fake trailers created to build hype around this season of Drag Race. This was a fun and creative challenge, even if it was, ya know, not particularly challenging. Playing a heightened version of yourself in a sketch isn't the most difficult thing in the world, but it does show us which queens have a grasp on who they are and what they are capable of as performers. With that, here's how the queens ranked following this week's challenge:
13. Alyssa Hunter (eliminated, last week: 7th)
Based on the show's edit, I can’t say I’m surprised. After a non-existent presence last episode, it was only a matter of time before Alyssa Hunter would sashay away. Her overacting wasn’t working here, and the failed prop work in the lip sync only sealed her fate. We hardly knew Alyssa, but I’ll miss seeing her out of drag.
12. Kerri Colby (last week: 8th)
Kerri Colby’s aversion to appearing ugly or making a fool of herself is classic hot LA girl. She’s so gorgeous, but after the challenge and a low-effort LSFYL, I don’t know if Kerri’s performance level is quite there. However, she absolutely murdered the "Night of a Thousand JLo's" runway theme, modeling the iconic green Versace dress that JLo actually wore. Not a replica, THE dress. For that runway alone, she should have been safe.
11. Orion Story (last week: 12th)
For the second week in a row, Orion Story could have justifiably lip synced for her life. This comes after being eliminated in the first premiere episode so, I have to ask, why was she even brought back? She isn't proving herself in the challenges nor the runways, and eliminated queens should be working overtime to justify their spot back in the competition. I'll give her credit for committing to the bit, but that mirror make out gag still just wasn't funny.
10. Kornbread “The Snack” Jeté (last week: 10th)
Hate to say it, but I’m worried about Kornbread. I fear the pressure cooker that is filming Drag Race may be too much for her, as it's clearly effecting her performance in the competition. Now that she’s cried it out on the runway, hopefully she can get her head back in the game like it was for the premiere.
9. Jasmine Kennedie (last week: 5th)
After providing producers with a "talks a lot" storyline in the front half of the episode, Jasmine Kennedie was noticeably absent in the main challenge's final product. She once again missed out on being positively critiqued which, like Laganja and Jan before her, I'm sure she's feeling insecure about. Jasmine's exactly the kind of queen producers love to psychologically torture week after week after week, until their eventual elimination. I hope she has a great therapist back home.
8. Maddy Morphosis (last week: 13th)
RuPaul didn’t take an opportunity to smack Maddy Morphosis around this episode, so the heterosexual novelty must have worn off. Maddy did offer some funny bits while filming the challenge, but they did not make the super teaser's final cut. Then on the runway, her JLo inauguration look, a choice in itself, was ill-fitted. Overall, as a queen, she feels very half-baked. Fortunately, with the novelty waning, the "first straight guy on Drag Race" storyline could soon be a distant memory.
7. Jorgeous (last week: 6th)
Jorgeous continues to be gorgeous! She didn't manage to standout in the acting challenge, but she still looked incredible even while giving us nothing. After receiving positive critiques and high placements the previous two weeks, a quiet week here isn't something I'm too concerned about.
6. DeJa Skye (last week: 11th)
The production team is telling me DeJa Skye is funny, but I'm just not seeing it. She had a couple of moments in the teaser, but I wouldn't call them necessarily funny and certainly not memorable. Her big scene, a monologue about being young, was giving crickets. It fell very flat for me, to the point where I thought she was getting negative critiques and a low placement this week. Instead, I found myself perplexed when she was praised by the judges. Maybe in next week's challenge, another comedy based situation, DeJa will finally click for me.
5. Lady Camden (last week: 3rd)
As a UK born queen, "America's Sweetheart" is a funny character concept for Lady Camden, going above and beyond the initial prompt. Unfortunately, she just wasn't as present in the final cut as Angeria, Willow, or DeJa, leaving her safe. Hopefully I'm speaking too soon, but I get the sense that Lady Camden is being slept on by both the judges and story producers, something that concerns me for her future on the show.
4. Daya Betty (last week: 9th)
Something I enjoyed about this challenge was that every queen had at least one moment to shine in the finished super teasers. Daya Betty’s “I’m straight too!” was her only big line in the teaser, but it’s a funny, memorable soundbite that understood the assignment. This seems to be her strong suit, as she continues to dominate the confessional chair in the episode edit, slowly being revealed as one of our main narrators this season. She hasn't had a star making performance in the challenges yet, but her domination of the confessionals has me thinking her time is coming soon.
3. Bosco (last week: 4th)
During filming for the main challenge, I was anxious to see how Bosco's performance would read in the finished product, as she was kind of annoying and all over the place in the werkroom. I should have trusted her to know what she was doing, because she ended up being very funny in super teaser! She had a fun, exaggerated character that I wish had been noticed by the judges panel. Not her week, but still a strong showing.
2. Willow Pill (last week: 1st)
Are we just going to spend the next 10 or so weeks watching Willow Pill and Angeria Paris VanMichaels alternate between winning the main challenge? It makes sense with my French Vanilla fantasy! The show and RuPaul are both heavily invested in these two, and I imagine at this point, even though it’s early, they are both absolute locks for Top Four. Willow’s background in the alternative comedy scene as well as the drag world is apparent, and I can’t wait to see what hysterical, weird shit she delivers next week.
1. Angeria Paris VanMichaels (challenge winner, last week: 2nd)
Angeria Paris VanMichaels arrived at this competition with one goal in mind: to win RuPaul’s Drag Race. Angie came prepared to be crowned, and will be accepting nothing less. Her second main challenge win was undeniably deserved, and she continues to elevate the runway every week. She was easily the best in the challenge, and only Kerri, in, again, the literal Versace dress, rivaled her on the runway; Angie's interpretation of JLo's 2019 Met Gala look was simply impeccable. Four episodes in and Angeria already has two main challenge wins under her wig - the other girls should be scared.
The majority of the queens did great work this week, with the edit showcasing Angeria, Willow, and DeJa in particular. Bosco, Daya, and Lady Camden seemed to turn in hilarious performances as well, but they weren't anointed by the producers as deserving of high placing critiques this week. Still, Angeria and Willow's respective placements feel deserved, while I would have giving DeJa's high placement over to Bosco or potentially Lady Camden. Hoping next week is a good one for both of them. Thanks for reading! :)