Although it feels like minutes since Shea Couleé conquered over Miz Cracker and Jujubee and finally sashayed away with a crown, this week will see another legendary queen inducted into RuPaul’s coveted Drag Race Hall of Fame. Over the past 12 weeks, the queens of All Stars 6 have competed in balls, lip-sync smackdowns, American Horror Story parodies, Snatch Game and, of course, a game within a game – leaving Eureka, Ginger Minj, Kylie Sonique Love and Ra’Jah O’Hara to battle it out for the title and a cash prize of $100,000 doollahz. Unlike past seasons, there’s no clear frontrunner for the crown, which makes this grand finale that more exciting. It’s anyone’s game. Here, we dive into why each of the aforementioned finalists would be a worthy addition to the Hall of Fame alongside Chad Michaels, Alaska, Trixie Mattel, Monét X Change, Trinity the Tuck and Shea Couleé.
Eureka
Challenge wins: 1
Lip-sync wins: 1
Up for elimination: 1
The self-described “elephant queen” may not have won as many challenges as her season 10 stint, but – controversial opinion alert! – this has been her best season of Drag Race ever. Eureka’s brought in some of the season’s biggest laughs with her Exorcist-inspired hellhound, tribute to Kathy Bates’ character in American Horror Story: Freakshow and instantly iconic impersonation of Divine in the Snatch Game. Her Pink Table Talk discussion around sex and Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent monologue about her shit-related fiasco solidified her skills as a host and public speaker – she could spend six hours talking about something incredibly boring, such as grass or Ed Sheeran, and we’d buy a ticket. And can we talk about that lip-sync showdown with Silky Nutmeg Ganache to Kelly Clarkson’s Since U Been Gone? Iconic, honestly. Not only that, Eureka boasts one of the best track records of the season with only one bottom placement. Granted, she was told to sashay away but all of her sisters have been up for elimination at least twice. It’s about time a plus-size queen won RuPaul’s Drag Race (the US version, anyway) and Eureka would be “loud, 500 pounds and proud”.
Ginger Minj
Challenge wins: 2
Lip-sync wins: 2
Up for elimination: 3
With two challenge wins under her belt, as well as two lip-sync wins, Ginger Minj is – statistically – the one to beat. While her participation on the series was questioned due to her prior involvement with a season of All Stars that wasn’t slaughtered by viewers (2), the glamour toad has continued to prove her status as one of the most reliable entertainers in the herstory of Drag Race. She became the second queen (after BenDeLaCreme) to win the Snatch Game twice, delivered two of the season’s best lip-syncs in her smackdowns against Mayhem Miller and Heidi N Closet and, to the surprise of no one, assassinated every single acting-related challenge. Fun fact: she’s also won $60,000 in cash prizes this season, more than the actual winning cash prizes in season one and two, Drag Race Thailand season one and two, Down Under season one and España season one. It’s often argued that Ginger Minj was “robbed” of a win in season seven, and her elimination on All Stars 2 was unfair, so is this a case of third time’s the charm? She’d be the first one to do it, and it would be deserved.
Kylie Sonique Love
Challenge wins: 1
Lip-sync wins: 1
Up for elimination: 3
The Kylie Sonique Love we saw on season two is leagues away from the Kylie who sashayed back into the werkroom for All Stars 6. She conquered an acting challenge over comedic powerhouses Ginger Minj and Eureka, defeated lip-sync assassin Manila Luzon in a smackdown and somehow left gays around the world screaming with an impression of Steven Tyler. Gays! Screaming! Over! A! Straight! White! Rock! Singer! When has that ever happened? Give us timestamps! She also rudeemed her season two Snatch Game of Lady Gaga as she embodied the queen of country, Dolly Parton, delivering one of the most gag-worthy impersonations in herstory in the process. Kylie has taken risk after risk and it’s paid off in spades. Her fashion game has been on point, too. Yes, when it comes to the statistics, her numbers don’t quite match up to the rest of the top four, but when has that ever stopped Ru? Remember when he crowned Yvie Oddly, one-time challenge winner, over Brooke Lynn Hytes, three-time challenge winner? It’s about motherfucking time we saw a transgender queen win the US edition of Drag Race, and a crown would look bloody gorge on Kylie’s head.
Ra’Jah O’Hara
Challenge wins: 2
Lip-sync wins: 1
Up for elimination: 2
Ra’Jah O’Hara can make a dress in one minute. Crown her goddammit! Like Kylie Sonique Love, Ra’Jah’s rudemption arc has been an absolute joy to watch. While she was one of fiercest lip-sync assassins of season 11 and her confessionals were top tier (her Yvie Oddly rants are legendary), ultimately, her story was side-lined and she sashayed away in ninth place. This time around, however, she’s served main character energy. As well as being the voice of the season, Ra’Jah hasn’t flopped once. The only time she was in the bottom two (bar last week’s semi-final, which doesn’t count), she didn’t deserve to be there – her American Horror Story tribute was so deluded and bonkers that it was, well, art. She also matched Canada’s Drag Race host (and her season 11 sister) Brooke Lynn Hytes in a lip-sync, made RuPaul cackle like never before with her LaToya Jackson impersonation and has turned it out on the runway week after week. Ra’Jah O’Hara following in the footsteps of Shea Couleé feels… right.
The grand finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6 airs this Thursday in the United States on Paramount+ and in the United Kingdom on Netflix/WOW Presents Plus.
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