After fifteen weeks of ‘werk-room’ drama, fierce lip syncs, emotional eliminations, and bucket loads of makeup, the seventeenth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race US has finally reached its conclusion.
The finale saw Onya Nurve seize the coveted crown, with Jewels Sparkles, Sam Star, and Lexi Love finishing as runners up. Overall, this season has been widely criticised as being weaker than others, especially following the top tier Season 16. However, there’s no doubt in the fact that this season still provided viewers with some hilarious, shocking and touching scenes.
If you need your Drag Race fix after the finale, I’ve got you covered. Racers, start your engines and get ready to reminisce on the most iconic moments of Season 17!
The ‘Boogie Wonderland’ Lip Sync
When Lydia B. Kollins and Arrietty both landed in the bottom two of episode five, I was certain that the latter would come out on top. Lydia had been blending into the background for several episodes so my expectations for her in ‘Lip Sync for Your Life’ were low. However, I could not have been more wrong!
Lydia unexpectedly gave one of the best lip sync performances I have seen in a long time on Drag Race. From her stunning pink outfit, her intense eye contact with the judge’s panel, and her seriously killer moves, she rightfully triumphed and impressed RuPaul enough to save herself from elimination.
Viewers took to social media to show their love and admiration for Lydia following this iconic lip sync; many began to root for her and declared her the ‘lip sync assassin’ of the season. Ultimately, she proved that you should never underestimate anyone in Drag Race!
Sam Star’s Cher Impersonation
With Wicked: Part One (2024) and Part Two (2025) on the horizon, there was no better time for RuPaul to centre this year’s ‘Rusical’ around The Wizard of Oz. This year’s ‘Rusical’ had all the classic characters from this beloved children’s story: Dorothy, the Green Witch, the Good Witch, the Lion, the Tinman, the Scarecrow… and Cher.
Ru’s love for the “Goddess of Pop” means that Cher references are shoehorned into almost every episode of Drag Race. Sam Star’s embodiment of her in the ‘Rusical’ was hilariously iconic.
Early in the series, Sam was criticised for restricting her drag to her ‘Southern Belle’ persona. This episode allowed her to prove her versatility and bravery to step out of her comfort zone, making for an iconic characterisation that no Drag Race viewer will forget.
You can watch the entirety of the ‘Rusical’ here.
Joella’s Quilt Look
Joella was one of my favourite queens early in the season. She was bold, funny, and shady: everything I look for in a drag queen. Her runway looks, however, were not always up to par.
For the runway category, ‘Quilted For Your Pleasure’, she wore one of her most notable, and most ‘memeable’ looks. Taking the category theme a little too literally, she donned a huge quilt with RuPaul’s face on the back.
Viewers found this look hysterical, adding it to the show’s list of outfits that are so bad that they’re almost good. Joella famously claimed that in her home city Los Angeles, she is known for her ‘opulent’ looks. Was this look opulent? Debatable. Was it iconic? Most definitely!
Suzie Toot’s Unusual Talent Show
With her ‘Betty Boop’ inspired looks and her unmatched comedic timing, Suzie Toot was a strong fan favourite for much of this season. She cemented herself as a queen to watch out for during the talent show in the very first episode.
Whilst other queens performed rather generic, similar lip syncs, Suzie’s talents proved to be a little more unique. She performed a tap dance to a self-recorded 1920s-style song, impressing the entirety of the judging panel.
Ru loved her performance so much that she was placed in the Top Two for the week, alongside Jewels Sparkles. The two then battled for the win in a lip sync to ‘Woman’s World’ by Katy Perry. Suzie was able to showcase her talents again, performing a hilarious tap dance that embodied the lyrics in ‘morse code.’
Lexi Love vs Crystal Envy
Following the second talent show, Ru chose Lexi Love and Crystal Envy as the top two queens of the week. Both queens gave fantastic performances in the talent show, so there was no way of knowing who would come out on top in this ‘Lip Sync for the Win.’
They lip-synced to ‘Alter Ego’ by Doechii, with the singer on the judging panel before them. Both gave stellar performances, utilising all kinds of tricks and dance moves. Ultimately, though, Lexi seized the win for the week.
Drag Race fans immediately fell in love with this lip sync, praising both queens for their stellar embodiment of such an empowering, fierce song. The YouTube clip of the lip sync has already amassed over 1 million views. Talk about an instant classic!
The Family Makeover Episode
There is usually a makeover episode in every Drag Race season, in which the queens must makeover and perform with a family member. This season’s was particularly special because of how emotional it was.
The episode made for many touching and poignant storylines, exploring themes of acceptance, forgiveness, and the significance of parental support. All of the parents embraced the challenge of adopting a drag persona, which made the episode all the more entertaining.
Although Jewels Sparkles and Onya found themselves in the bottom two, Ru decided to keep them both in the competition, claiming the family love was ‘too strong’ to eliminate any of the queens. Overall, this episode was a testament to how drag can strengthen family bonds and how important it is to unconditionally love and support your child.
Lydia and Kori’s ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ Lip Sync
Showmances are not uncommon on Drag Race, but the likelihood of queens staying together after the season airs is low. This was not the case, however, for Kori King and Lydia B. Kollins.
Over the course of the season, viewers watched their connection blossom and strengthen each week. However, following a design challenge, these two lovebirds found themselves in the bottom two. In an iconic spur of the moment, they finally kissed each other halfway through their lipsync to ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ by Lita Ford.
Viewers and the judging panel alike were gobsmacked and giddy over this moment. After weeks of anticipation, the romantic tension between Kori and Lydia culminated in TV gold. Consider Drag Race’s next Emmy officially secured!
If you want to relive all of these iconic moments, you can stream Season 17 on Wow Presents Plus. All seasons of Drag Race, including the international versions, are also available to watch on here!
