After the somewhat controversial decision last episode to eliminate Spice, the queens return to the Werk Room mourning the loss of the plucky contestant. Once they actually read her mirror message - which Marcia Marcia Marcia uses to recall her infamous Untucked squabble with Spice over the phrase "canned bits" - the cast then starts congratulating Sasha Colby on her second maxi challenge win.
Who's Counting Wins, and Which Wins Count?
Sasha is the first queen to score two maxi challenge victories this season, which keeps her as the frontrunner for the crown. However, Loosey LaDuca takes this opportunity to interject and say that she's won three - two mini challenges and a maxi - so she should be considered the overall frontrunner. The only problem is, hardly anyone counts mini challenge wins.
Led by Mistress Isabelle Brooks, the girls react to Loosey's assurance that she feels good with a mixture of disbelief, laughter and snark. It seems evident to everyone that although Loosey has been strong throughout the competition, she's wound far too tight and cracking under this pressure.
"I'm just so happy for you that you're entering your bitch era," Mistress says gaily.
A few seconds later, when Marcia notes that she's a little upset about not being in the top for the Crystal Ball challenge, Loosey asks Mistress if she's going to attack her, and fumes in a confession that apparently everybody else can be mad about their placements but she can't.
"You never can complain about being safe," Anetra deadpans. "Unless you're Loosey."
A 50/50 Split: The Queens Get the Scoop
The next day, the cast enters the Werk Room with renewed vigor. RuPaul comes in to announce the latest challenge: The girls will be conducting live interview segments for the fictional news program 50/50. As Editor-in-Queef (a cursed phrase? Yes or nah?), Ru hands out the assignments:
Marcia and Sasha will get up close and personal with the legendary actress and musician Charo. Known for her flamboyant personality and appearances on popular TV series including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Rowan & Martin's Laugh In, and The Love Boat, the Spanish-American icon is sure to put a little "cuchi-cuchi" in Drag Race's kiki.
Anetra, Loosey, and Malaysia Babydoll Foxx are probing actor and media personality Frankie Grande. The brother of Ariana Grande, Frankie is a similar jack of all trades, having done everything from Broadway and big-budget TV to viral YouTube and social media projects. Looks like the Grande family took their Drag Race fandom to a new level this season.
Luxx Noir London, Salina EsTitties, and Mistress go inside the life of Love Connie, the outrageous drag queen who's made a name for herself as Drag Race's exercise guru. The dancing phenomenon is obsessed with 80s-era Jane Fonda, so there may be a lot for the group to "work out" in this challenge.
Going Deep With Love Connie
Love Connie takes the room like a whirlwind when she storms through the group that is Luxx, EsTitties, and Mistress. EsTitties ends up being mostly silenced by Love Connie's long-winded tangents and general kooky antics.
Then Luxx tries to meet motion with motion when she goes for a golf cart spin with the Galesthenics expert at the wheel. She pulls out all the stops to show her knowledge, citing Love Connie's appearance in Legally Blonde and dialing up her sense of speed to match her interviewee's. This results in a cute sketch with some nice funny moments.
Mistress aims to indulge Love Connie's passion for the culinary arts. However, the dancing queen proves a little too unpredictable for her interviewer, prompting the first time that viewers really see Mistress struggle. That can't be good.
Cuchi-Cuchi Cozy With Charo
When Sasha and Marcia step into the figurative ring with Charo, all bets are off. Sasha is up first, grooving on the star's energy right away as she and Charo dive into the making of a salad. They bond over having both lived in Hawaii, and the vibrant artist even shouts out to the camera in native Hawaiian: "Your crazy pig is eating my papaya!"
While the interview is undoubtedly a chaotic experience, it seems to be a controlled chaos. Charo might still be a spitfire, but she is a professional of over 50 years, and don't you forget it! She's clearly having fun with Sasha, who lovingly fangirls and keeps up with her pace, even exchanging jokes throughout the interview. ("I've tossed a salad before." "Behave, my child!")
Meanwhile, Marcia embraces her inner Diane Sawyer to have a heartfelt conversation with the legend. Despite Marcia's excitement to meet Charo, it's soon clear that she's having trouble understanding the star's distinctively accented speech.
Fortunately, Charo isn't fazed at all when she's confronted with the tough question "How old are you really?" "I'm an old bitch!" she exclaims, delighted. "According to my latest record, I came to America with Christopher Columbus."
Frankie Grande Speaks Frankly
Only Drag Race could get both Ariana Grande and Frankie Grande on the same season! Loosey, Anetra, and Malaysia are ready to take on the multihyphenate talent of Frankie.
Loosey channels Barbara Walters to kick off their interview. The vibe between interviewer and subject is super natural (and turns supernatural when they talk about the film Aliens), which allows their discussion to flow naturally from Frankie's marriage to his near-death experience in South Africa to his craft.
Anetra then travels to meet Frankie on set, where they explore his fitness routine together. It's an exercise in versatility for both of them, as Frankie is charming and Anetra comes out of her nervousness to be an effortless interviewer who can be soft yet made of steely resolve.
Malaysia catches up with Frankie in the kitchen, but he quickly assumes more of a hosting role than she does. As he teaches her to make pizza, Malaysia falls unusually quiet. Though she manages to eke out a few questions, it feels like the interview has flipped - and she has just flopped.
Runway: Night of 1000 Beyonces
Onstage, Ru and the judges are joined by special guest Ts Madison. Tonight's theme is "Night of 1000 Beyonces." Yes, we know somewhere Aura Mayari is crying.
In this challenge, the contestants must interpret one of Queen Bey's iconic looks. Luxx chooses the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors style, an ode to Bob Mackie gorgeousness. Mistress goes for peak Destiny's Child with the 2001 Grammys green glam, though her puppet Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland heads are a bit cartoony for her. EsTitties tries to glow with the 2004 Grammys golden dress. Sasha goes short and edgy with the 2006 BET Awards bralet-and-skirt pairing. Marcia picks emerald eleganza with the 2017 Tidal x Brooklyn charity event dress. Anetra is flawless in her iteration of the On the Run tour look. Malaysia is a stunner in black and white again for her version of the 2018 Global Citizens Festival. Loosey brings up the rear in a nod to the 2011 VMAs, where Beyonce famously revealed her pregnancy - though the drag queen's baby bump doesn't have quite the same viral impact.
Who's On Top?
The judges determine that Sasha Colby has gone for the gold again, and she's deemed the winner of the 50/50 challenge for her chemistry with Charo and overall stunning delivery this week. This marks her third maxi challenge win.
Luxx and Loosey place high, while Anetra and Marcia are safe. Shockingly, Mistress places low, but she just avoids the bottom.
Lip Sync For Your Life: Who's Going Home?
Malaysia Babydoll Foxx and Salina EsTitties land in the bottom two. They must lip sync to Beyonce's memetic "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)." Though both queens give it their all, EsTitties is judged the winner. Therefore, it's Malaysia's time to follow her drag daughter Spice and sashay away.
Check out Malaysia Babydoll Foxx's exit interview on WHATCHA PACKIN':
Watch New Episodes of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15
Catch next week’s episode on March 10 at 8PM ET on MTV. Stay up to date on RuPaul’s Drag Race through MTV.com and check back in with us for more episode recaps!
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Featured image: Marcia Marcia Marcia reacts to Loosey LaDuca's seeming breakdown (C) MTV