The Queens Who Went Home Too Soon

Contributed by: John

When it comes to reality television, more screen time means more personality, so it’s not surprising that most lists of favorite Drag Race contestants will stick to the top five or six of each season. The top queens advance based on their talent, but a lot of the time, it comes down to winning the Lip Sync for Your Life. There but for the grace of Ru, go they. How different would season 2 have been if Raven went home after the second or third challenge when she was in the bottom? Or if Shangela left during the season 3 premiere, just like season 2? Here’s a list of queens who may have sashayed away too early. Whether they could’ve been major threats late in the game, or we just wanted to see the other tricks up their sleeves, these ladies left lasting impressions during their short time on RuPaul’s Drag Race.

    

Mariah

History may remember Mariah for her sense of style and tough-as-nails mug, but we fell in love with her razor-sharp wit and strong sense of sisterhood. One of our first impressions of this Atlanta queen was seeing her help a very flustered Mimi Imfurst rethink her Christmas couture outfit while saying “undergarment” approximately thirty times. Coming from the ballroom scene, Mariah’s drag persona put heavy emphasis on the look, but when it came to emulate Joan Crawford, the makeup confused the judges as much as the jokes did. Her speech during Untucked is easily one of the most powerful statements made on the show, and we were sad to see such a wise and polished queen go home so early.

Delta Work

Season three will always be remembered as the war between Heathers and Boogers, and we were sad to see Delta as the first Heather to fall. After wavering between success and falling into the bottom two, Delta’s confidence level was hurting by the time she got to the Ru Ha-Ha challenge. The judges were uncomfortable with her self-deprecating humor, and felt that she was holding back. It’s true that Delta’s personality shined more in the workroom and in the Interior Illusions lounge than on the main stage, but her hilarious banter with Raja and her Divine-inspired wardrobe made her one of our favorites. Manila may have won the “MacArthur Park” lipsync, but there’s plenty of proof out there that Delta’s a powerhouse performer.  

   

 Ivy Winters

Miss Congeniality used to be reserved for queens who made it to the top five, but Ivy Winters’ sweet nature and infectious laugh won the fans over, though she only made it to the top seven. Also, it didn’t hurt that she was Jinkx Monsoon’s strongest ally. Ivy’s sewing skills were unmatched in her season, and she had a Club Kid aesthetic with a circus performer past that gave her an arsenal unlike any other contestant. She may not have had the opportunity to eat fire during her time on Drag Race, but between walking on stilts with huge butterfly wings and wearing a dress made out of her own headshots, it was clear that Ivy has skills that lie way outside of your typical drag performer. She had performed pretty consistently (aside from her confused Snatch Game bit as Marilyn Monroe), so it was a bit of a shocker to see her leave halfway through the season.

Tammie Brown

We can’t tell if Tammie’s got a few extra voices in her head, or if the one voice she’s got came from another planet. Either way, we couldn’t get enough of her off-the-wall quips. So far, she’s been the only queen with the balls to fire back at the judges, openly disagreeing with Michelle Visage after the RuPaul’s Gaff-In challenge on All Stars. In the first season, she went head-to-head with Ru about focusing on negative critiques during the reunion, which resulted in a phenomenally tense and wise monologue from Ru. Group choreography proved to be a bit much for Tammie, and when she chose not to lipsync to Michelle Williams’ “We Break the Dawn,” we were sad to see her give up. Thanks to her distinctive faces and movements, though, Tammie’s easily the most gif-able queen to come out of Drag Race. 

   

  

Ongina

Our hearts were with Ongina at every stage of the competition, from her defining shimmy in the first runway presentation to her devastating breakdown after winning the Mac VivaGlam challenge. Reigning in the top three every week and winning two challenges, Ongina was definitely on top of her game, but a hiccup in the Drag School of Charm challenge had her lipsynching for her life after dominating the first half of the competition. Up against another frontrunner, Bebe Zahara Benet, Ongina had her work cut out for her, and both performed so well that Ru was forced to take a recess before making her decision. In the end, Ru felt that Bebe had “done the impossible” and outshined Ongina, but we saw a fire in Ongina that few contestants have been able to match.

The Princess

With an aesthetic that’s both distinctive and impossible to pigeonhole, The Princess was poised for greatness when she first entered the workroom. Her nautical Rupocalypse outfit stood out against the sea of flame-inspired creations, landing her in the top three. After the first episode, though, Princess met the same fate as other ladies who are more introverted than their competitors. Branded “boring,” and “zen,” Princess was criticized for not standing out as much as her fellow queens. A fair assessment, considering she was partnered with a powder keg like Jiggly in the wrestling challenge, but her second and third runway presentations were much stronger than she was given credit for. I mean, a child pageant dress with La Roux hair? COME ON! During the reunion, she expressed disappointment at what came down the runway after her elimination, saying that what she saw was “kinda lame” compared to her drag. Check out her Instagram and see whether or not you agree, but we think she could’ve gone much farther.

Serena ChaCha

At 21, Serena was one of the youngest Drag Race contestants, and combined with a fresh-from-college attitude, youth worked against Serena when it came to relating to her competitors. She stressed an interest in combining drag with performance art, but the execution didn’t go over well with the judges or with the other queens. Also, it didn’t help that her attempts at workroom reading were taken more harshly than she had intended. Serena sashayed away after two episodes, but she’s having a promising post-RPDR career. She’s perfecting her makeup skills and is currently working on a sickening music video with photographer Will Envy and producer B. Ames.  

Mimi Imfurst

Talk about a controversial queen. Though she was in the top three during the first two weeks, a frenzied performance in the Totally Leotarded challenge didn’t sit well with the judges. When it came time to lipsync to “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” Mimi lifted India onto her shoulders until India managed to wiggle free. The moment has become legend, for better or worse, and it was ultimately the reason that Mimi was sent home. It’s a shame, because we think Snatch Game would’ve been perfect for her talents, and she could’ve even reached Pandora-level love from viewers. Mimi has stayed hungry post-RPDR; just check out this video where she performs a mashup of more than 20 songs and spoken-word tracks. Also, “Queen” by Xelle (RIP) is one of the best songs featuring a Drag Race alum. 

  

   

Willam

Willam may have made it pretty far into season four, but if it weren’t for her disqualification, she would’ve easily risen into the top three. Between her quick wit and her designer wardrobe, Willam proved to be a standout queen, landing in the top in half of the challenges before having to lipsync. She may have rubbed a few of her competitors the wrong way, but she knew how to work the production and quickly became a fan favorite. The most frustrating part of Willam’s DQ may be that we were never given a concrete reason for the premature elimination; her explanation during the reunion has been contested by fans. Still, Willam’s had a monstrous amount of success since the show, releasing parody tracks like “This Boy is a Bottom” and “Chow Down (at Chick-fil-A).”

Morgan mcMichaels

As Chad Michaels’ drag daughter, Morgan brought a polished and perfected look to season two that’s worthy of her mother’s legacy. Morgan was an early frontrunner after winning the Gone with the Window challenge, and continued to do well in challenges as Raven, her best friend on the show, struggled in the bottom two. Though her Snatch Game performance was an example of what not to do in future seasons (don’t go for the look; go for the attitude!), her lipsync to “Two of Hearts,” completely choreographed from beginning to end, amazed the judges. Sadly, in the next challenge, Morgan fell into the bottom again and the lipsync song was more suited to Sahara Davenport’s performance style. There are dozens of videos of Morgan’s performances at Mickey’s in West Hollywood, and it’s plain to see that she’s a forced to be reckoned with.