SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for the 15th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
On April 14, the season finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race aired, boasting a talented crop of finalists: Anetra, Luxx Noir London, Mistress Isabelle Brooks, and Sasha Colby. While Anetra was my top pick to take it all, I was pleased to see Sasha Colby be crowned America’s Next Drag Superstar after an impressive lip-sync showdown against Anetra. Now that the season is over, let’s recap some of the most gag-worthy moments from these top four queens.
Let’s begin with Anetra — “six letters and three vowels.” Her viral runway talent show act from the first episode will go down in Drag Race history as one of the most iconic moments. I got tired just watching her do that routine. Anetra was my favorite contestant this season for a number of reasons, but mainly because her stage presence was unmatched by any of the other queens. She exuded confidence without cockiness and was a joy to watch in every episode, both on the runway, in the werk room, and in the talking head interviews.
Sasha Colby was the most well-known contestant before appearing on the show — so much so that the running joke of the season was that the entire competition was merely the “Sasha Colby meet and greet.” Despite her fame, she maintained a charming and down-to-earth demeanor throughout the season as she collaborated with her fellow queens. Her role as Carl in the Rusical, “Wigloose,” was especially interesting to watch as she, a trans woman, assumed the role of a straight male character. This flexibility and willingness to take on a role like that cemented her as a versatile competitor, open to any challenge placed before her.
Unlike Anetra, I found that Luxx Noir London exhibited a level of confidence that did border on cockiness at times. Even though I found her ego to be a bit inflated at times, I never found myself rooting against Luxx. She’s young, she’s passionate, and she’s talented. My favorite look of hers was on the runway in episode 12, when the theme was “gloves.” Dressed to the shoulders in plaster casts, Luxx turned the meaning of gloves on its head and completely pulled off the look. This demonstration of creativity is what sold me, and from that moment on, I believed she deserved a spot in the finale.
Mistress Isabelle Brooks had one of my favorite moments of the season in episode 13 when the maxi challenge involved a teacher makeover. Mistress’s vulnerability and willingness to connect with her assigned teacher was such an emotional moment of connection for the two. While the duo’s runway look was actually one of my least favorites that week, I found that the bond they formed in the werk room was the most memorable to look back on. Overall, I did take issue with Mistress’s attitude and wasn’t a fan of her harsh treatment towards fellow queen Loosey LaDuca; it reminded me of the cliquey behavior in season 5 from “Rolaskatox” (Roxxxy Andrews, Alaska, and Detox), which left a sour taste in my mouth.
Season 15 is well worth the watch. Some past seasons of Drag Race have fallen flat for me, but this surely isn’t one of them. The challenges were fresh and the contestants were of a high caliber, making it an all-around entertaining viewing experience.
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