RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 14: The Daytona Wind
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.
This week, the queens delivered one of the better acting challenges in recent memory with the soap opera parody The Daytona Wind. There really wasn’t a bad performance, and the queens were judged accordingly - no bottom two this week, six girls on top. And in West Hollywood of all places! But there’s a twist to this soap spoof. After filming the challenge, unknown to the queens, the production team added numerous fart sounds to the final product, resulting in a gloriously stupid and hilarious sketch. If it sounds ridiculous, that’s because it was!
9. DeJa Skye (last week: 7th)
When everybody else stood out with strong performances, DeJa Skye wasn’t bad, she was just forgettable — a cardinal sin at this point in the competition. She’s very lucky there wasn’t a bottom 2 this week, otherwise she would have been lip syncing for her life. Seven episodes in and I’m still just not connecting with DeJa Skye.
8. Kerri Colby (last week: 9th)
This one hurts as Kerri could’ve knocked it out of the park in a role that felt written specifically for her. Instead, like DeJa, she faded into the background. Really need Kerri to bring her energy in the confessionals to the challenges; she’d be unstoppable.
7. Angeria Paris VanMichaels (last week: 1st)
While filming the challenge, it appeared that Angeria would be lip syncing for her life by the episode’s end. Personally, while her performance wasn’t near the top, I still felt it was solid and serviceable, and the addition of the farts in post worked well with Angeria’s performance. There were no low placements this week, so she still has a clean track record. I’m not worried about Angeria Paris VanMichaels, she’ll be back at the top in no time.
6. Jasmine Kennedie (last week: 8th)
Nothing to really say here as Ross Matthews already nailed it: “I loved her performance as Alyssa Edwards in the main challenge.” Not a bad thing to channel the tongue popping diva, as she is always and forever one of Ru’s favorites. With her runway presentation, the judging panel again nailed it: “stupid ridiculous” as Ru said. A really fun week for Jasmine Kennedie!
5. Jorgeous (last week: 4th)
Perhaps surprisingly, Jorgeous turned in a decent performance for this week’s acting challenge. The opportunity to unleash her inner telenovela diva worked in her favor, as did Ru’s direction in the challenge. While a fun performance, with that runway, she would have been safe in a week with the standard top and bottom placements.
4. Daya Betty (top 2, last week: 3rd)
Honestly, Daya Betty could have arguably been safe if it was the classic Drag Race three tops, three bottoms mode of judging. Her status as “Top 2 Queen of the Week,” while great for storyline purposes, didn’t track for me. While her bimbo character was fully realized and very funny, I simply just didn’t find her as funny as Bosco or her scene partner, Willow Pill.
3. Willow Pill (last week: 6th)
Willow Pill is clearly the comedian of the season. Once again, her background in sketch comedy shined here. She never misses a joke, timing always spot on and I fully agree with RuPaul that she always has that extra something. Interpreting chaps as a giant wedgie hair pulling moment was inspired. Fascinated with how her mind works.
2. Bosco (last week: 5th)
As someone who spent a period of time watching Reba reruns everyday after school at 4pm, I appreciated Bosco absolutely nailing her Reba McEntyre mug in the main challenge. Truly uncanny. Not only was the look there, but she nailed the jokes, and even got the button to close the sketch. Bosco had my favorite runway look this week; her biker chick fantasy was EVERYTHING. Very strong week for Bosco, I definitely would have placed her as one of the Top 2 Queens of the Week.
1. Lady Camden (challenge winner, last week: 2nd)
Star making episode. Her performance in the challenge was on another level compared to the other girls; Lady Camden was ACTING. She stole every scene she was in, offered both drama and comedy, and nailed the look of the soap opera diva. Even with a powerhouse performance in the challenge, it was almost overshadowed by her gag of a runway, with one of the more memorable reveals in years. And then the lipsync for the win! Mawma, she was on fire this week. From the runway, to the challenge, to the lip sync for the win, Lady Camden delivered the best single episode performance of the season. A contender for the crown, Lady Camden emerges as a front runner. Thanks for reading! :)