Entertainment

'Drag Race's Final Four May Be The Best Yet

by Amy Roberts

For fans of RuPaul's Drag Race, one of the most defining moments of every season is discovering which contestants are in the top three. So much so, that many of us spend the season making wild speculations over exactly which queens are going to make it to the final three. So when the end of Friday night's episode revealed that there was no elimination on RuPaul's Drag Race, it was a twist worthy of one of Sasha Velour's signature screams. For the first time in the show's herstory, there's a top four on RuPaul's Drag Race, who will go on to compete for the crown of America's Next Drag Superstar in the season finale. And I am beyond excited about it.

For starters, the reasoning for the switch-up in Drag Race tradition actually makes a whole lot of sense, and it was evident from the start of the episode. Out of Sasha Velour, Shea Couleé, Trinity Taylor, and Peppermint, there clearly wasn't a single contestant who deserved to be eliminated. While Peppermint and Shea both excelled at writing and recording their guest verses on the Season 9 remix of RuPaul's "Category Is..." and instantly had their performance choreography down, it seemed as though Sasha and Trinity were struggling.

Based on the first impressions of their attempts at recording their guest verses and learning dance moves, it seemed as though either one was in danger of being eliminated. However, as the final performance of the song proved, both Trinity and Sasha had the fortitude and drive necessary to truly iron out their flaws and ace their performances. Shea and Peppermint might have served up some immense natural talent, but Sasha and Trinity pushed out of their comfort zones to achieve something that originally looked far from possible.

At no point during the final challenge of Season 9, or the four-way lip sync for your life, did any of the queens stumble or lose even the tiniest glimmer of their ferocity. They all served up an equal measure of the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent that fans expect to see in America's Next Drag Superstar, and truly set new high standards for the future of Drag Race by doing so.

It's also set the stage for what looks to be one of the most unpredictable — and exciting — finales of Drag Race ever, with four incredibly different, yet startlingly talented contestants battling it out for the victorious crown. The judges truly have a tricky task on their hands in picking a winner from such phenomenal competitors. As Mama Ru herself said, "This isn't going to be easy," and she's totally right, it won't be. However, it will make for great television.