All words by Garrett Scott
Let’s be real, Season 12 of RuPaul’s Drag Race has been one of the few things keeping the queers sane during quarantine. This highly-unusual yet herstory-making season is finally coming to an end this Friday, May 29th with, for the first time ever, a digital finale. The top three queens, Crystal Methyd, Gigi Goode and Jaida Essence Hall will have to lip-sync for the crown from the comfort of their own homes. Now, if you’re a Drag Race stan like we are, you know this is nothing near normal for the finale, and this season has also had its fair share of firsts, but if you’re not, we’ll spill the tea.
Sherry Pie made it to the top four, but as we know, has been disqualified and is ineligible to snatch the crown. More tea on her disqualification is linked here because we’re here to discuss winners, periodt.
Although we don’t know what a digital finale will look like just yet, RuPaul confirmed during the digital reunion episode that the top three queens will have to lip-sync to five songs during the digital finale, something we have never seen before. The finale is usually filmed live in Los Angeles on a stage in front of a huge crowd, so fans are concerned about whether a digital finale will live up to the hype of finales past. Regardless of how the finale is filmed, we will still have a winner to Season 12 very soon. Who deserves it the most?
We want to start this off by saying we think all three girls in the final three are great queens, and very deserving to be in the finale. So, let’s dive right into some pros and cons of each queen as they try to snatch the crown.
Crystal Methyd and her El Debarge-inspired mullet have won over the hearts of America (and especially RuPaul) this season with ease. This creative queen from Springfield, Missouri is doing drag that no one else is, and we are living for it. She’s weird, she’s spooky, and she makes us gag every time she turns that corner on the runway. Although she started off slow in the competition, she has slowly but surely progressed and improved throughout the season. She snatched her first Maxi Challenge late in the season and only had to lip-sync for her life once along the way. We are definitely fans of Crystal, but there still might be some need for a little more growth before becoming America’s Next Drag Superstar. Standing next to Gigi and Jaida, Crystal has a slim chance of winning in our eyes, especially after self-proclaimed oddball, Yvie Oddly, won just last season. Repetition is boring, and we don’t think RuPaul will crown another kooky queen this year.
Goode Morning, Campers! Gigi Goode rapped her way into becoming an early favorite after her sickening verse in I’m That Bitch during the premiere episode. This Los Angeles-based fashion queen is more than just a look queen; she can sing, dance and make you laugh while dressed as Maria the Robot. With four Maxi Challenge wins (only the third queen to ever win so many in a regular season after Sharon Needles and Shea Couleé), three Mini Challenge wins, and never placing in the bottom two, Gigi is looking Goode for winning it all. However, Gigi did go on a dry-spell of bottom and safe placements for a few episodes, which allowed Jaida to gain momentum. Alas, Miss Goode has the best report card of the final three, and at age 21, has shown us polished drag paired with a level of maturity and confidence fit for snatching the crown. If she doesn’t win this season, RuPaul will be hearing from many angry gays via angry tweets.
Last, but certainly not least, Jaida Essence Hall. Now, this bitch is fierce (tongue pop)! This Milwaukee queen truly is the essence of beauty, and is the self-proclaimed “trade of the season” (although our vote definitely goes to Jackie). She’s snatched up three Maxi Challenge wins this season and has worked that body -ody -ody down the runway week after week. Jaida is a quintessential pageant queen: she’s polished, talented, but just something we’ve seen before. Don’t get us wrong, she’s turned looks this season, but some weeks she hasn’t turned it like Gigi has consistently. We’re not gagging. Pageant queens have always done well in this competition, but again, repetition is boring. After watching queens like Alexi Mateo, Kennedy Davenport, Trinity the Tuck and Akeria C. Davenport all making it to the top in past seasons, Jaida Essence Hall seems to be falling in this same talented, but nonetheless, boring group of girls.
So, who will snatch the crown this season and be named America’s Next Drag Superstar? Each one of these queens is so talented and deserving of being in the top. They come together to make one of the most sickening final three queens in the competition’s herstory, so it’s anyone’s game. If Gigi doesn’t win though, you can catch us sulking in our bed for a week until RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars returns for its fifth season where we can watch our all-time favorite queen, Shea Couleé, snatch her deserved crown.
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