TOP 10: “Drag Race” Seasons of 2024
While certain fans might complain of Drag Race fatigue (I will never be one of them), 2024 may go down as the year that the RuPaul Industrial Complex began to slow down. It is true that there were more seasons than ever — by my count there were 15 seasons of Drag Race that aired this year, one more than aired in 2023. But the growth was in various All Stars editions; for original franchises, there was a notable contraction. No new international franchises emerged (Thailand came back…barely…after five years), while Brasil, Germany, Italia, and Sverige did not air, or even shoot, new seasons this year.
Hopefully that is a blip, because given the darkness that seems to be infecting practically the entire globe, the world needs the joy and the magic of Drag Race more than ever. We’ve already gotten announcements that South Africa and Northern Ireland are getting their own Drag Race franchises, and there are rumblings that at least two of the paused international franchises are working on return installments.
I watch literally every single iteration of Drag Race — I often skip reunions, but otherwise I watch every single episode — and have put together my list of the 10 best Drag Race seasons of 2024. If this empire is allegedly in decline, that is not evidenced on screen. This was a great year to be a Drag Race fan; while a few of the franchises fumbled, many more of them hit new highs with this year’s outings.
Read on for my takes, which DO include spoilers on winners in some cases. Where avaialable, I have also included the full first episodes, brilliantly made available by Drag Race mothership, World of Wonder.
You Might Also Like…
TOP 10 Drag Race Season 17 Promo Looks
Best Drag Race Snatch Game Performance
Best Drag Race Runway Look (S7-S12)
Dishonorable Mention: RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars (Paramount+)
What should have been the crown jewel of the 2024 Drag Race line-up was instead one of the low points of the entire year. For much of Global’s run, I staunchly defended it in my recaps, relying on two points: 1) no matter what, I was thrilled that these international queens were getting this shot, and this massive jolt of exposure; and 2) if we did not support this new, very expensive franchise, we would likely never get a second season. But in the end, this was an infuriating exercise that reeked of riggory. (Are we ready to talk about the hatchet job the editors did on both Kween Kong and Kitty Scott-Claus to make the winner seem palatable to the audience?) If this comes back for a Season 2 there need to be massive changes to the judging panel to make it a more level playing field for the international girls.
10. Drag Race France Season 3 (WoW Presents+)
A big letdown after the previous seasons; Season 2 was my favorite Drag Race season of 2023. My suspicion is that the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris impacted this show in various ways, including budget (the cheapest, laziest promo in modern Drag Race history), size of cast, and number of episodes. The Nicky Phone twist was novel, but not enough to save this group of queens, who were talented, but low on the Charisma scale. I could literally not remember anyone outside of the Top 3 when writing this. Speaking of low charisma, that winner… The next French installment will apparently be an All Stars season. Let’s hope they pull mostly from the casts of Seasons 1 and 2.
9. Drag Race UK vs the World Season 2 (WoW Presents+)
On paper this season should have been incredible. An stacked cast that pulled from a great selection of franchises – I was thrilled to see every one of them back. But after a strong start, the middle felt frustratingly low energy as queen after queen whiffed opportunity after opportunity. It ended well, with a great winner, and it launched Marina Summers and La Grand Dame into international stardom. So on the whole, still a net positive.
8. RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 9 (Paramount+)
Months after it wrapped, I’m still not sure how I feel about All Stars 9. I don’t hate the idea of a points-based, non-elimination All Stars where the queens play for charity. I’m just not sure this was the right cast for it. In more than one challenge, queens outside their comfort zones just fully gave up, knowing there was no actual downside to it (see 1/4 of the cast in Snatch Game). And yet, there were some truly brilliant moments this season. Plastique and GottMik gave us two of the best runway packages we have EVER seen on Drag Race. Shannel and Roxxxy Andrews got a chance to win over contemporary Drag Race fans. That Rusical was an all-around triumph. Plastique not making F4 is a huge mistake, and the eventual winner still feels like it came out of nowhere (though, yes, she performed well throughout). Like I said: conflicted. Catch up on my recaps for the season here.
7. Canada’s Drag Race: Canada vs. the World Season 2 (WoW Presents+)
Who would have guessed that the best All Stars edition of the year would be Canada vs. the World? A great cast filled with big personalities (mostly), who actually showed up in the challenges (take a note, UKvsTW2), and some great arcs for several queens, especially UK’s Cheryl. The winner received a ton of hate after her coronation, which is insane. Riggory my ass; that win was deserved, justified by a nearly flawless run. Let her have her fucking flowers! This season was a delight overall.
6. Drag Race Down Under Season 4 (WoW Presents+)
Turns out, the thing holding back Down Under may have been RuPaul herself. All due respect to Mother, but by opting out in lieu of her book tour (I’ll be curious to see if Ru comes back for S5; I doubt it), Ru allowed Michelle Visage to step into the host role — and allowed all of these queens to breathe and have a bit more fun than we have seen on Down Under probably ever. Bringing in the previous winners/Down Under breakouts as judges and mentors was a wonderful addition. But bottom line, this success comes down to the cast, which I think is the best overall group Down Under has ever seen. The finale has yet to air of this writing, but I think this may edge out DU2 as the best season of the franchise. You can catch up on my recaps for the franchise here. It’s not higher than No. 6 because there were five truly remarkable seasons of Drag Race this year…
5. Drag Race Mexico Season 2 (WoW Presents+)
A MASSIVE improvement over Season 1, which had a very strong group of finalists, and then a whole lot of nothing. The Mexico 2 cast was stacked, and these queens were serving looks, giving personality, and putting on a goddamned show. I love Valentina, but replacing her with Queen of the Universe winner Taiga Brava made a huge difference, and she and Lolita make a terrific judging duo. If you slept on this season because Season 1 didn’t do it for you, please give it a shot. I was totally enamored with this cast, and the winner is such an exciting choice.
4. Drag Race Espana Season 4 (WoW Presents+)
After a dreadful Season 3 and a deeply polarizing All Stars season (sorry Sagi Truthers; the winner of that season was fully deserving), Espana came roaring back with a very strong Season 4. The caliber of queens was much higher in S4, with queens going home early this season who probably could have been finalists in S3. The underlying arc about paying homage to Spain’s drag/transvesti legends was so well handled, crescendoing with an emotional makeover episode and that triumph of a live finale. Great looks, breakout stars, and some serious drama (Mariana vs. Megui, Angelita vs. basically everyone) made this a season to celebrate, capped off with a winner who is a great addition to Espana’s royal court.
3. RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 16 (MTV/Paramount+)
First let me say, my Top 3 are all VERY tight — as the gays prefer it — and I give extra credit to Season 16 for sustaining its quality over 16 episodes. That is no small feat. You have to give credit to the Drag Race producers; at this point in the life cycles of most reality competitions, they’re getting awfully rickety and crickety. Not so Season 16, which felt fresh and exciting, with great challenges and a magnetic cast that put on a show every single week. I consider Season 16 the most successful season in the past 10 years, and it gave us a slew of breakout stars. Nymphia Wind is an incredible winner, and I’m sure we will see plenty more of Sapphira, Plane Jane, Plasma, Morphine Love Dion, Q…the list goes on, seriously. Check out my recaps of the season by clicking here.
2. RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Series 6 (WoW Presents+)
Series 5 brought Drag Race UK back after two lackluster outings, and left very big heels to fill. The queens of UK6 did that, and more. This cast is absolutely filled with legends and future legends, who brought it to us every ball. At this point, UK is known for a very strong Top 2 that slug it out while everyone else falls by the wayside. This season gave us an incredible Top 5, where any of those queens could have easily taken the crown, and the earlier boots were no slouch, either. I thought UK2 would forever reign as the best British season, but I think UK6 might have snatched that crown. You can catch up on my recaps for the season here.
1. Drag Race Philippines Season 3 (WoW Presents+)
There was no more exciting, unpredictable season of Drag Race in 2024. Philippines S2 was great, but S3 managed to beat it. Without question host Paolo Ballesteros’ best season, this edition felt fun even as there was major drama (provincial queen Khianna having to scrap for respect from the condescending big-city girls) and incredible heart (while the Maxie/Angel storyline ultimately felt highly produced, Angel’s near-elimination early on was incredible TV). I consider the DRPh3 Snatch Game THE Drag Race moment of the year; utterly chaotic but in the most charming way. This season will launch a slew of international stars, and I am absolutely desperate to see Maxie compete in an international All Winners season; I think she’s one of the strongest, most well-rounded contestants I’ve ever seen on Drag Race.
What were YOUR favorite Drag Race seasons this year? Leave a comment below!
