Disclaimer - The rights of Total Drama Island and its characters belong to Teletoon, Cartoon Network, and all those associated with the show. No profit is being made by this fanfiction, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! Also, these are theatrical performances so to respect the actors, please turn off your cellphones. Thank you!
"Welcome back to Total Drama Redux! Our campers will begin their shows shortly, but at the moment, they're attempting to psych themselves up in their dressing rooms before the big show!" Chris announced from his seat at a table facing the stage. He chuckled before continuing, "Of course, what they may not realize is even their last minute attempts to get focused are on tape!"
The camera then pans to the Killer Bees who are meeting outside the two dressing rooms. Heather, addressing her team ordered, "It's time for your show, so try not to screw up too badly. Geoff and Beth have theoretically put all your props in place, but if they're not there, tough! Yell at those two after the show and deal with it. You are all to act as professionally as possible onstage as you are representing me, your director. I'm sure you're all woefully unprepared, but you better not lose." Heather then clapped her hands to dismiss the team and walked out into the audience.
"Ugh! That is just like her to be so mean and whiny right before the show," Beth complained to Lindsay as the two walked away.
"Well, she did do a lot of directing and stuff," Lindsay babbled aloud as she prepared to go to the audience. "Maybe it made her brain all tired and cranky?"
"Heather doesn't need much of an excuse to get to that level," Beth replied with a sigh as she double checked that everything was in place for the first scene change.
"Oh, okay, well drop a leg!" [1] Lindsay encouraged Beth as she walked away, leaving Beth quite perplexed as she merely watched the curtain close behind Lindsay.
Beth was snapped from her thoughts when Geoff walked up behind her and boomed, "I am so pumped for this, aren't you?"
Beth smiled quickly and answered, "Totally, although I wish I could be acting tonight."
"No worries, I'm sure we'll still have our own fun," Geoff replied with a confident smile as he put an arm around Beth's shoulders.
"You're probably right," Beth conceded as she returned to skimming the stage. "Well, everything looks organized to me, so let's do this!"
Beth and Geoff then headed back to the dressing rooms to wait until their first play was up. As they walked, they passed Trent who was trying to calm Eva down.
"Just take a deep breath, relax, and try to block out your fear," Trent advised Eva as the two sat on a bench outside the dressing rooms.
Eva tensed up immediately at Trent's words and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "I am not scared, got it?" she threatened, causing Trent to nod in response. Relaxing her grip, Eva added, "Good." An awkward pause ensued until Eva confessed, "Maybe I'm a little nervous, but that's just because I don't want to do any of this stupid artsy junk on international television."
"It's understandable," Trent began cautiously as he gauged Eva for any warning signs of striking a nerve, "But I think we can get a really high score if we just do what we did in practice in our actual performance."
Looking uneasy, Eva responded, "Hmmmph! Well, maybe." Standing up abruptly, Eva began storming over to dressing room and called to Trent before entering, "I just need some time alone, okay?"
"No worries," Trent answered before leaning back and shutting his eyes for a moment and beginning to review his lines in his head.
Entering the dressing room, Eva was greeted by the sight of costumes strewn all over the floor. Arching an eyebrow, she inquired, "And just what is going on here?"
"Girl, do you even need to ask with Izzy on the team?" Leshawna chuckled as she stepped away from the mirror where she had been adjusting her costume.
Izzy took this opportunity to jump out from behind the sofa wearing a bandana on her head, a fake set of chainmail over her body, a pair of black sweatpants with a tail on the back, a ballet slipper on one foot, and a cowboy boot on the other. "Hi Eva! I was just getting into character! Lots of them so I can totally improvise through anything onstage!"
"Look, I'm not in the mood for this right now," Eva snarled as she flopped down on the couch and pulled off her shoes.
"Oooh! Give Izzy a second to find that crystal ball again and she'll totally figure out what's wrong!" Izzy then dove over the couch and began rummaging through the box of props she had stashed there. Tossing objects wildly over the couch, Izzy eventually managed to locate the crystal ball and poked her head back over the couch, only to be met by Eva's angry glare. Izzy shrugged, decided she'd have better luck asking later, and ducked back down where she began playing with the props again out of sight.
With a chuckle, Leshawna returned to touching up her makeup. Deciding she was ready, she turned back to Eva and Izzy and announced, "Well, I'm off to review my lines one last time before performing, but break a leg tonight you two!" before exiting the dressing room.
After Leshawna left, Eva turned to Izzy and demanded, "Was that some kind of threat? Or does she think she's funny mocking my anger management issues?"
As Eva prepared to storm from the dressing room, Izzy ensnared her in a net she had among her props and explained, "No silly! She was just wishing us good luck while we perform. Izzy's grandmother coined the phrase you know! It was all my doing actually cause I was totally going to go onstage but then I thought it would be really funny to scare my cousin, and I did and he totally was so terrified that he like stepped on a skateboard and broke his leg. So anyways, then Izzy's whole family except her went to the hospital with him, but Izzy had her best performance ever, so now like everyone all over the world says break a leg for good luck before a show. It's true!" Izzy then nodded her head vigorously a few times before returning to her lair behind the couch.
Eva, completely confused by Izzy's explanation grumbled, "Whatever," before realizing she was still in a net. Eva demanded that Izzy release her before returning to brooding in silence on the couch.
At the same time in the guy's dressing room, Justin was contemplating his options while admiring his reflection in the mirror. "Say, Duncan, how many points do you think you and Izzy can score?"
Duncan, who had not bothered to start changing into his costume shrugged and replied, "Depends."
Justin dubiously looked at Duncan and asked, "On what? It's a simple question you know."
"Nothing with Crazy is ever simple," Duncan responded with an exasperated sigh. "If she tries, we could get full points, but if she decides to break character or just run screaming from the stage into the audience, who knows?"
"Hmm, that is true," Justin answered before returning his gaze to the mirror. Finally emerging from thought, Justin sighed and resolved, "Well, I suppose that means I need to try then, but what will my adoring public think if I strain my voice?"
"Dude, toughen up already," Duncan growled as he spun Justin to face him. "Sometimes you seem like you're in the game to win it, but most of the time, you don't even bother to lift a finger to help. And really, worrying about straining your voice? How wussy can you get?"
Duncan chuckled as he turned to get his costume, but was stopped when Justin, whose face had darkened, forcefully grabbed Duncan's arm and pulled him towards him. "Don't you ever say that again!" Justin threatened as he leaned into Duncan's face.
"Oh, and I suppose the big Cry Baby's gonna make me?" Duncan scoffed and began mocking Justin, "Oh no! I think I chipped a nail holding that tough Duncan's arm! Boo hoo!"
Justin immediately responded by putting pressure on Duncan's arm, causing Duncan's eyes to go wide with fright and pain and stop laughing immediately. "I did warn you," Justin replied simply as he let go of Duncan. Regaining his normal persona, Justin added, "You know, you better get changing. Wouldn't want to miss the show, would you?"
"No," Duncan muttered as he looked at the ground away from Justin, fearing to make eye contact.
"Oh, and Duncan," Justin began with a sinister smirk.
Duncan immediately stiffened and answered, "Yes Justin?"
"Don't forget about our little voting pact now, ok?" Justin then smiled at Duncan and departed the dressing room so Duncan could finish changing.
(Confession Cam – Hot Button)
Justin – (trying to make sure he appears as calm and serene as usual) "What? I know Duncan's type and the only way to get through to him is force. Sure, I don't usually approve of such violence over small things, but Duncan needs to learn who his superior is while he's still in my debt. Besides, my perfect body puts me in a position to control the males as well as the females, so why not use it?"
Duncan – (glaring at the camera) "That was just a fluke! Pretty Boy only got me cause he had the advantage at the start! Oh, and if you bought my whole sniveling victim act, my performance will really get you later on. (pauses nervously before trying to justify himself) I mean really, when you're in a losing position, the smart thing to do is just whatever the person in control says. Well, until you get control. Still, that was really weird, even for Justin, but I guess the dude finally toughened up. I can respect that sort of, and I guess that means without Doris here and with Justin proving he's more of a man than I thought he was, Trent gets to be my new victim! This will be fun."
At the same time, Bridgette was giving one last pep talk to her team. "Now I know we didn't have quite as much preparation time as we might have liked, but I have confidence that you can all perform really well tonight! Break a leg everyone, and if you have any doubts before the show, feel free to ask me. Otherwise, I would ask that everyone take a moment of silence to focus on their lines before we perform to make sure we're ready for the stage!" Watching her teammates comply with the request, Bridgette noticed that Ezekiel still looked very nervous. After having everyone open their eyes and dismissing them, Bridgette and Courtney exchanged a hug for good luck and Bridgette then pulled Ezekiel aside. "Listen, Ezekiel," Bridgette reassured him, "I know you're worried about performing, but just try to block out the audience, okay? I know you've been practicing, and really, if Owen still hasn't quite memorized his lines, it might be up to you to carry the show!" Noticing Ezekiel's horrified expression, Bridgette quickly added, "Only if something goes wrong of course, and umm I'm sure you can do it, so don't worry!"
"Errr, okay," Ezekiel babbled nervously as his stage fright came back in full force.
"Maybe you should get something to drink and lie down until your performance," Bridgette suggested in an attempt to calm Ezekiel down.
Responding more confidently than he felt, Ezekiel boasted, "Oh sure, the Zeke is totally gonna bring up the house with his wild skills!"
Confused, Bridgette merely nodded and added, "Well, I know you'll try your hardest. See you later!" before heading out to the audience to watch the shows.
In the girl's dressing room, Sadie was helping adjust Katie's costume and couldn't help but exclaim, "Eeeeeiii! You look so cute in Project Spotlight! I am like, so jealous."
"Aww, but I couldn't have done it without all your hard work," Katie responded humbly as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. "You're like the best BFFFL and costume designer ever!"
Sadie and Katie exchanged a quick hug while Courtney interjected, "I will admit that I was a bit surprised by your handiwork Sadie, but in a good way." Courtney curtseyed at Sadie and then returned to combing her hair.
"Ah, well thank you!" Sadie responded with a deep blush. "I'm not used to so many people complimenting me at once!"
"Think nothing of it. I'm never anything but friendly, a team player, and magnanimous," Courtney answered with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Katie and Sadie exchanged a confused look at Courtney's statement but decided to ignore it rather than asking for clarification and resumed gossiping about Noah. Eventually, Sadie realized how late it had gotten and gasped, "Oh, well I better get going to the audience so you two can finish your preparations, but wow, you just look so great Katie I can't believe it!" Sadie then dashed from the dressing room and sat down next to Bridgette.
After watching Sadie leave with a disdainful smirk, Courtney turned to Katie and complimented her sincerely, "You know, she is right. You do look really good in that outfit! You should consider wearing your hair down more often."
"Oh, well I'm not sure if I could do that," Katie prattled nervously as she too grew red at the compliment. "I mean, your hair is like always so gorgeous and perfect, but I'm not sure I could pull off the look." Katie nervously twirled a strand of her hair around her finger as she was lost in thought.
Losing all humility, Courtney beamed and responded, "Well, I always try to look my best, but I do have to admit, I'm a little jealous of how you look right now." Turning back to the mirror, Courtney requested, "Say, Katie, do you think you could zip up my dress?"
"Sure," Katie remarked as she ran over to Courtney and helped her. "Well, break a leg tonight Courtney, okay?" Katie said with a smile as she took Courtney by surprise with a quick hug.
"Definitely!" Courtney answered confidently. "Those judges are certainly in for a treat with me starting the night! But, break a leg as well Katie," Courtney concluded as she returned Katie's hug and the two of them left the dressing room.
In the guy's dressing room, things were going a little less smoothly. Owen was digging frantically through everyone's clothing and costumes trying to find his hat. "Guys, this is like really bad! I mean, how will I perform without my hat?" Owen wailed as he tossed his socks backwards, one of which landed on Noah.
Gasping for air as he pulled the reviling sock off his face and threw it to the floor, Noah quipped, "No doubt as well as you would have performed with it," causing Cody to chuckle.
"It was right on the top shelf before, and now it's gone!" Owen continued unperturbed as he knocked Noah's costumes off the rack.
"Would you chill out already?" Noah requested with a roll of his eyes. "Somehow making a bigger mess in the dressing room seems like the wrong way to go about finding it to me." Noah then walked over, shook the dust off his fallen costumes, and put the hangers back on the rack.
Cody nodded in agreement before adding, "Yeah, you and Ezekiel really made a huge mess with your costumes and props. Not the way to attract the ladies at all." Cody finished by shaking his head disapprovingly and leaning back against the wall in an attempt to look cool. However, his already tattered brown shirt became snagged on the rough fabric of the wall and when he tried to move away, a loud ripping sound filled the air as the tear on the back of it expanded to the front, exposing the skin on his stomach as well. "Awww man!" Cody wailed as he looked down at the damage. "As if it wasn't bad enough before."
"I'd have thought you'd want to show off the product of all your working out to your lady-fans out there," Noah taunted smugly as he double checked that all of his costumes were back together.
Before Cody could retort, Owen eagerly interjected, "Yeah, I mean you look totally hot!" Noticing the shocked, quizzical looks from Noah and Cody, Owen retraced his words and stammered, "I mean, look here's that jacket I lost! Now I just need to find my hot! I mean, hat, yeah hat!"
Noah and Cody exchanged a quick, knowing glance and slipped out of the dressing room, leaving Owen alone to rifle through the costumes.
On stage right, Gwen was waving DJ, who was pushing a backdrop for the scene set in the hallway, toward her. "Just a little bit more and then that should be the last of them," Gwen called to DJ as she checked off the set in her head.
"Good!" DJ exclaimed as he wiped the sweat of his forehead. "I thinking moving them all around was more work than actually making them!"
Gwen chuckled and answered, "I think you're right. Still, they look great, and the two of us are going to wipe the smirk off Heather's face when she sees how great our sets look!"
"Yeah, I think I really did Mama proud this challenge," DJ concurred as he surveyed their work. "Thanks again for helping motivate me earlier Gwen!"
Gwen answered quickly, "You know, I really can't take most of the credit! Bridgette just did such a great job as director. She really kept everything running smoothly!"
"True that!" DJ agreed as he and Gwen began moving the split scenery onstage for Courtney and Cody's performance.
The two were startled, however, when they heard Chris's voice booming from in front of the closed curtain. "Welcome back viewers! You're just in time for our first performance which Courtney has entitled, 'Forbidden Love.' Although it's meant to be a tragedy, I'm sure we'll all find plenty to enjoy in the upcoming shows," Chris concluded with a mischievous chuckle. Realizing they had little time remaining, Gwen quickly double checked that all the backdrops and props were in place and hurried off the stage with DJ just as Chris announced, "And without further delay, let the show begin!"
The lights dimmed in front of the stage as the curtains slowly opened and a spotlight emerged on the left side of the stage. The backdrop depicted the interior of a richly ornamented palace and within the room was a large bed in the center and a regal desk with a chair beside it on the far left. A single doorway in upstage left provided the primary entrance to the room although an arch leading into the curtains provided another means of entry and exit. Courtney stood in front of this set wearing an elaborate royal purple dress with a streak of deep blue on each side of it that extended down to her feet where she was wearing a pair of sandals. Atop her head was a silver circlet, encrusted with a large amethyst in the middle. Courtney turned slowly, making sure her circlet flashed in the light and that the dress's fabric shimmered as it she moved languidly toward the audience, eliciting a gasp of amazement from the audience, especially Heather.
(Confession Cam – Appearance Is Everything)
Heather – (crossing her arms and pouting) "I hate to admit it, but Courtney looked amazing on the stage and as per usual, her hair was just perfect and accented by that gorgeous circlet. (Heather sighs wistfully). When I rule the world, that is definitely what I'm wearing! And maybe accented with a little bit of glitter too!" (Heather's eyes glaze over at the thought and she stares blankly at the camera for a bit before snapping out of her trance and leaving)
Lindsay – "Wow, Sadie is like the best designer ever, or was it Katie? Now I'm forgetting which one did all the costume for the other team, but Gwen looked so good in that costume! I'm a little glad I didn't steal that costume cause otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to see how pretty she looks! (Lindsay suddenly freezes as a look of realization crosses her face) But don't tell Heather cause I think she'd be like really mad otherwise!"
Delivering a monologue, Courtney gracefully seated herself on the bed behind her and lamented, "Oh, if only I wasn't so restricted here, bound by my parent's will, forbidden from ever leaving and exploring this wonderful world around me, while I'm left here to wither, a gorgeous rose like me, deprived of enjoyment and life." She then stood up and strode over to the window, gazing to stage right where the spotlight arose on a backdrop painted to look like a bustling town. With a longing sigh, Courtney continued, "Look at all those people below! They don't realize how lucky they are as they go about their lives, gazing longingly at the castle, desiring our trivial riches. Why, they're richer than we are, experiencing the fullness of life, and perchance even better, romance." With growing conviction, she added, "Why, I should defy my parents and go among them in the crowd. No doubt the common folk would revere the sight of their princess and it would provide wonder to their lives as well."
As she concluded her monologue, Courtney quickly dashed behind the curtain offstage, disappearing from view as she scurried backstage to the other side. As she darted past Katie, Katie whispered, "You are so amazing so far!" to which Courtney merely smiled confidently as she raced to DJ to quickly grab a lavender parasol before entering the stage.
While she was running, Cody had entered the stage in his costume that was little more than a torn tan cloth shirt, ragged pants held up by a piece of rope tied around his waist that were still slightly too long even after Sadie's alteration, and a single boot with his hair tasseled and dirt smeared over his face. His appearance elicited a tremendous laugh from Heather and the judges, causing Cody to temporarily break character, look down at his outfit, and flush with embarrassment. Attempting to regain his composure, he pretended to be haggling with an invisible vendor at one of the stalls in the market place while waiting for Courtney to enter the stage.
(Confession Cam – Out of Order)
Courtney – (seething with anger) "Cody broke character on stage already? He didn't even have any lines yet! He's clearly just trying to sabotage my debut and is dead if we lose!"
Cody – "You know what makes not breaking character on stage easier? Oh, I dunno, maybe having lines? Besides, how can I impress my fans if I don't get to do or say anything? I mean, it's not like anyone would want to watch me doing nothing and just being dragged around by a girl through most of a season, right?"
As Courtney entered the stage, shielding her eyes with the parasol, she bumped into Cody who was backing up from the counter, holding a slab of meat. As the two collided, they both dropped the items they were holding. Shaken from her thoughts, Courtney apologized, "Pardon me good sir, but the sun was just so bright that I wasn't watching where I was going," as she reached for her dropped parasol.
"Eh, no harm done," Cody responded with a shrug as his eyes alighted on Courtney causing him to stammer excitedly, "Wait you're the umm, the, er what was it?"
Acting as though all the eyes in the market had turned upon them, Courtney hissed, "Yes, I am your princess, but you may call me Lady Belide. But come, we must be gone before all those here notice us. It would be a scandal for word of this to reach my parents!" Courtney then grabbed Cody by the arm and pulled him off stage with her during the blackout while Gwen and DJ pushed on the set of a large tree with red blossoms on it along with several rocks overlooking a stream.
When the lights came up, Courtney and Cody were sitting on the rocks facing each other while Courtney concluded, "And that of course is why palace life is simply too stifling for me, sir Claude. There is simply no privacy nor chance to do what I will under all those restrictions. Sure, it might seem perfect to one as simple as you, but it clearly isn't!" Offstage, DJ shook a sheet of metal to simulate the sound of thunder, causing both of them to stand abruptly as Courtney remarked. "My, that storm came on so suddenly! But where can we seek shelter?"
Cody responded, "I know just the place, so follow me, your highness!" The two stood up in the blackout while the stage crew pushed on a tiny hut and took the earlier set with them. Before the lights returned, the two slipped into the hut.
"My dear sir, I must thank you kindly for your hospitality and the shelter you have provided, but I must return to the palace. My father has surely noticed my absence by now and, well, he would be quite displeased if he knew I was in the company of a peasant and not developing my talents to win the heart of a prince. But before I leave, perhaps we could arrange a future meeting. While we were coming here and stopped to rest under that tree by the creek, I noticed the most lovely red blossoms. Meet me there tonight, and perchance I shall be able to reward you for your kindness." Courtney then turned, twirling her dress behind her as she exited the hut, leaving Cody staring love-struck at her departing figure until the blackout when the palace was returned to the stage. In the audience, Chef yawned loudly and looked away from the stage, causing Bridgette to grow worried about Courtney's performance although Chris seemed to be rather engaged.
Inside the palace, Courtney was gushing to her servant offstage, "Oh, but I simply must tell someone for today I met the most handsome peasant while I was out among the commoners. He was quite different from those princes since he listened to me and didn't always need the last word or constant reassurance of his wealth or power, and he seemed so sweet and kind. Oh, how I long to see him again, but father would be furious should I disappear a second time, and no doubt would punish you as well should I slip out again. So then, it may be better for me to abide by his will and suppress my desires. Oh, but that will never do! Please Clarice, without him, I shall wither and die. Fie on father's restrictions as they strangle my true feelings!"
Courtney flopped down helplessly on the bed in fake tears, but after some time passed, leapt up and dashed to the side of the stage. Leaning her ear against the curtain as though hearing a whisper, Courtney cried out happily, "Oh thou art ever so kind, so wise, so wonderful Clarice! But quickly, we must plan our ruse so as not to be discovered. With you in my bed, no one will be ever the wiser as I escape to the one I love, and I just know should father meet him, he'd change his mind in an instant! There's no way he could forbid my true love from taking flight! Oh, how I long to see him again!" Courtney than darted through the doorway and backstage as the lights dimmed to simulate night, and DJ returned the set of the tree along the river to the stage. At the same time, Gwen brought on a prop at which DJ kept glancing nervously, although she ultimately laid it down at the foot of the tree before scurrying offstage.
Courtney then dashed onto the dimly illuminated stage and began musing to herself, "Alas, how like a commoner to be late to our meeting. Maybe he's lost his way? Oh, I don't know how my poor heart could bear the pangs of him not coming! How I would perish without his loving embrace once more!" Hearing a rustling noise, Courtney realized someone must be coming and lay down on the ground to try to stay out of sight. However, she quickly let out a shriek of pain and recoiled, pulling her arm in close to her. "What foul beast is this that dares to strike me hand?" she questioned before swaying unsteadily and collapsing blearily to the ground.
Cody then entered the stage, noticed her on the ground, and ran over to her crying, "What has happened to you, Lady Belide?" Noticing the fake snake prop behind her, Cody angrily grabbed it and hurled it off the stage to where Gwen was waiting to catch it. "Stay strong, my dear and fight through the poison!"
Clutching feebly at Cody's hand, Courtney whispered, "Sir Claude, thou were my first and only love, and yet, how soon we are parted! Oh cruel fate!" before collapsing in his arms.
Gently cradling Courtney against him, Cody vowed, "I shall eradicate that foul beast from the Earth for you my dear!" Kissing Courtney on the forehead, Cody then plucked a flower off the tree and clasped it within her arms as he darted offstage and the blackout hit.
During the blackout, Courtney slipped offstage and her voice echoed solemnly from behind the curtain concluding the play as she assumed the role of narrator. "And thus, the poor Princess Belide lay dead beneath the tree, a victim of the rift of self-importance between her family and their villagers. Her death, however, did not go in vain as the tragedy spurred her parents to see the error of their ways as they finally embraced the commoners as near equals, providing for the needs of the sick and the orphans and occasionally venturing down into the town themselves. Claude, however, overcome with grief at the death of his beloved roamed the land forever more, never able to rest or love again, until ultimately he slayed the vile snake that had stolen his love from him and passed away himself, reuniting the two evermore in death."
Finished, the two returned to the stage and bowed while the audience applauded except for Heather who refused to acknowledge the other team. As the applause died away, Chris began his critique, "That was a very impressive first play with gorgeous sets! Major props to your Stage Crew. And Courtney, your costume was simply breathtaking. But, Cody, dude that is seriously lame. Yeah, your character is poor and all, but what you're wearing," Chris paused and shuddered, unable to finish the thought. "As for your acting, it was pretty good you two, but I felt the plot was a little rushed and clichéd, and that Courtney had a few too many monologues. Overall though, nice job. I give it an 8."
Although Cody beamed excitedly at the news, Courtney scowled, disappointed to have not received a perfect 10.
Chef cleared his throat to draw the attention to him and cut straight to his review, "Well, I do agree that the production was well done, but Bossy Girl talked way too much. Maybe if scrawny had talked more it wouldn't have been such a bore. No one cares about your emotional rambling Bossy! And could you have been more melodramatic and had more forced dialogue? Still, the talent was there, and that outfit is just so beautiful, that I give it a 7."
Courtney's scowl deepened at their final score as she and Cody exited the stage and the curtain closed behind them.
Chris, eager to turn the camera back to him, announced, "Well, Courtney and Cody set the bar at a respectable 15 for the performance. Will Duncan and Izzy be able to top that with their tragedy entitled, 'Love Never Surrenders'? Stay tuned and find out when Total Drama Redux returns!"
The curtain opened immediately when the commercial break during which Geoff and Beth had set the scene for the next play ended. On the stage was a cutout of a plane in the center of the stage with a set of stairs leading up to it and onto a platform out of sight. Duncan stood in front of the steps with Izzy, who was sobbing hysterically, clasping tightly onto him. Duncan was wearing a soldier's uniform and had a duffle bag on the ground next to him. "Amy, calm down. I'll be back before you know it. The war can't last too long, and with our love we'll never truly be apart," Duncan consoled her as he patted her on the back.
"But, every day I'll be filled with worry for your safety," Izzy stammered through her sobs as she sank to her knees. Izzy was wearing a plain, faded orange dress, a pair of thin glasses, and had her hair pulled back in a bun and added through her tears, "Brad, please don't go!"
"It's my duty," Duncan answered solemnly as he scooped up his duffle bag. "Don't you want me to come back a hero?" Duncan added with a teasing smile.
"Yes, but I'd rather you didn't leave at all!" Izzy protested as she buried her face in Duncan's chest.
"Aww, don't worry, I'll be fine," Duncan reassured her as he stroked Izzy's hair. "Besides, I'll write to you often, I promise!"
"You better," Izzy responded as the two exchanged a quick kiss and Duncan boarded the plane by climbing the steps. As the lights dimmed, Izzy gazed forlornly at the plane as a recording of a plane taking off played from offstage.
During the blackout, Geoff and Beth quickly shoved the plane offstage and brought on a split scene. On the right, was Izzy's set, the interior of a quaint home. Izzy was seated at the kitchen table with a pile of mail in front of her. Along the back of the stage, were cutouts of a stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator. On the left of the stage, were a few sandbags and some barbed wire behind which Duncan was crouching to simulate a bunker. Almost at the curtain was the inside of a barrack which contained a cot and writing desk. After Izzy opened the letter with a cry of joy, she began to read it aloud. After the first sentence, however, Duncan began saying the lines on the other side of the stage while Izzy continued to mime reading the letter.
"My dear Amy, without you, the days seem long, and the cooking here is of no compare to yours. The flow of battle, however, seems to be favoring us, and I'm confident that I'll be home by Christmas. Spirits are high, but nothing is really able to make me smile the way you could. The picture of you I keep with me is all that keeps me going some days, but a picture could never do you justice. I hope this letter finds you in good health and good humor. Your dearest, Brad," Duncan concluded as he ducked back beneath the bunker and scooped up a gun placed nearby.
With a longing expression on her face, Izzy sighed and continued, "Oh Brad, always trying to make me feel better and not worry, but I can tell he's not truly happy. His words belie his intent, and without him, this home seems so stifling. But I suppose there's little I can do other than write to him. Hopefully, my words can inspire him to greater heights." Finished talking, Izzy walked over to the counter, grabbed a sheet of paper and pen, and returned to the table. Izzy began scribbling fiercely as the lights went down on the stage.
(Confession Cam – Am I Dreaming?)
Duncan – "I don't believe this. Izzy is actually saying her lines and not going off about how she created paper or some random relative of hers! This is possibly the best day ever!"
(The door to the confessional suddenly flies open and Izzy barges in and Duncan screams)
Izzy – "Did you say best day ever? Izzy baked a cake for the occasion!" (Izzy quickly whips a cake with lit candles out from behind her back, causing it to fly out of her hands and onto Duncan, setting his shirt on fire.) "Ooooh, pretty! Well, flames are good for the taste anyways! Ok, bye Duncan." (Izzy then darts out of the confessional leaving Duncan to frantically put out the flames by patting them out with anything he can grab.)
Duncan – (Now completely charred) "Owww. This is definitely not the best day ever." (The door starts to open) "No! I don't want a cake for that Izzy!" (Duncan runs out of the confessional as Heather shrugs and enters)
Heather – "Well, I don't know what's wrong with Duncan, but I'm amazed that the Psycho Hose Beast is actually doing something right. Well, not entirely surprised. I am an exceptional director after all and furthermore…" (Heather pauses and sniffs the air) "Ugh, it stinks in here. Was someone setting things on fire? Probably that Pyrofreak Duncan."
When the lights came up, Duncan was seated in the bunker reading his letter from Izzy. Izzy intoned, "Dear Brad, I'm beside myself with worry for you every day, but I soldier on through my daily routine. I've purchased us a new stove with the money you've been sending home, and it's been working splendidly. But, the warmth of a stove is nothing compared to the warmth you could provide. Oh Brad, I wish this whole war was over already, but from what the papers say, it seems it will just stretch on and on. I long to feel your touch again and would give anything just to feel it once more. Visiting my friends has become almost completely unbearable. It is so hard to see them and their husbands together, knowing how we're separated. Brad, stay safe for me and know that you're in my thoughts and prayers. With love, Amy."
"That's my girl!" chuckled to himself as he carefully folded the letter and tucked it into his pocket. "Still, I wish there was some way to reassure her of my safety and comfort her! Well, perhaps another letter would be best." Duncan begins another letter as the lights dim again.
When the lights come back up, Izzy is gazing out the window as fake snow drops from the ceiling. With a dismayed sigh, Izzy turns and begins digging through the cabinets, ultimately pulling out her growing stack of letters. She rummages through them before selecting one and remarking, "Here it is! The latest letter!" Izzy kisses it tenderly and then gingerly opens it to reread it.
Duncan, huddled under a blanket in the bunker states, "My beloved Amy, I cannot believe it has only been six months since we parted. It feels as though I've been years without your gentle company, and the war seems to stretch on without end. Life here has reached its low as we are short on supplies, fuel for heat, and blankets. I'd kill at this point for a cigarette, but even that seems beyond our reach now. Our allies should be arriving with more supplies in the next few days, but this constant snowfall seems sure to delay their arrival. Illness too has taken its toll on me as I have contracted pneumonia and am currently pulled away from combat for medical attention. But, there's no need for worry as I've been assured of making a full recovery. Always yours, Brad," Duncan concluded with a feeble cough as he pulled the blanket over his head to lie down.
Refolding the letter, Izzy resolved, "The more I read these words, the more I realize that I can't just remain here, idly waiting for Brad to return. No, I must go to him and nurse him back to health!"
Suspenseful music swells from offstage during this blackout as Izzy darts offstage to perform a quick costume change. At the same time, Geoff rushed on stage to push off the set of the home as Beth quickly grabbed all the letters and other kitchen utensils.
The lights came back up on Duncan who was now returned to full health. "Today seems like it's going to be special, and I don't know why!" he remarked to himself as he whistled merrily. A sudden gunshot sound from offstage caused him to quickly drop to his knees however and crawl over to his gun behind the bunker. "One day off from fighting, that's all I'd ask," he complained as he took aim and fired a shot. Another shot quickly resounded and Duncan ducked again, only to cry out, "No Jack!" and scurry over to an invisible character nearby. "Come on man, you can pull through this! Medic! I need a medic!"
Izzy immediately came dashing onto the stage wearing a long white dress with a grey, long-sleeved shirt underneath it. Atop her head was a pale white hat with a red cross on it. Arriving on the stage, she immediately ducked down beside where Jack would be and began tending to him while Duncan stared at her in shock before stammering out, "Amy? Amy! What are you doing here?"
Without looking up from where she was tending to Jack, Izzy replied, "I couldn't stand our separation anymore, and had to come to you!"
"But, I did this to keep you safe," Duncan protested as he moved over by Izzy. "I wanted you away from all this trouble."
"I'm sorry, Brad, but I couldn't just do nothing for another day," Izzy responded as she finished wrapping bandages around Jack and Duncan embraced her and gave her a kiss.
"It's not that I'm not happy to see you, but it's so dangerous here," Duncan complained as he pulled Izzy into him protectively.
"Well, if that's how you really feel, fine! I'll just be going!" Izzy retorted as she stood up quickly and carelessly.
Duncan, noticing her mistake, immediately stood up to push her out of the way as a shot rang out. Immediately, Duncan slumped to the floor as Izzy gazed at him with horror and regret in her eyes. Crouching beside him, Izzy gasped, "Oh Brad, I didn't mean for this to happen! I should have been more careful! I shouldn't have gotten so angry and-"
Putting his fingers to her lips, Duncan silence Izzy saying, "It's okay Amy, I forgive you, and I love you."
"I love you too Brad, and after this, we can rebuild our lives!" Izzy cried as she tried to pretend Duncan's wound gushing blood from a blood packet in his chest was nothing. "Just the two of us! Forever."
"Yeah Amy, forever," Duncan answered remorsefully with a feeble smile as his eyes started to close and his body began to droop. "I can see it now."
Sniffing, Izzy pulled Duncan in tight and kissed Duncan once more before he went limp. In the audience, Sadie was bawling hysterically while Lindsay had her eyes covered in shock and horror while Heather nodded approvingly at the action on stage. At the judges' table, Chef and Chris were also in tears, sharing a box of tissues.
Izzy, deciding the situation had become too heavy, quickly blurted, "Oh, but Izzy, oh I mean Amy, totally has mad healing powers. Uh huh! And a fatal wound like this is nothing for her! See all better!" Izzy then held Duncan up to the audience who tried his best to remain immobile and avoid scowling at Izzy. "Oh, guess it didn't work, so show's over everybody!" Izzy called out as she dragged Duncan offstage and the lights came back up.
While they bowed, Heather glared at Izzy and Chris remarked, "Well, that ending was, unexpected, or possibly completely predictable with Izzy depending on how you look at it."
Lindsay took the opportunity to interject, "Wait, so is Brad dead or did he come back to life? I'm so confused."
Turning attention back to him, Chris added, "Yes, I also felt the ending was confusing and ruined what otherwise could have been perfect play. And really, all I remember now is the ending, so I give it a 5."
"Now wait just a gosh darn minute!" Chef barked at Chris. "Sure Crazy Girl ruined the ending, but up to that point it was worthy of a 10 and incredibly tear-jerking. Manly tears only of course, but still tear-jerking. Plus, it reminds me of my own experiences in the war. Polly? Why couldn't I have done that for you?" Chef immediately began sobbing before holding up a sign with an 8 written on it.
"I don't see how Chef could possibly have given that more points than the last one," Chris began before being interrupted by Courtney who called, "Thank you!", but that puts the Killer Bees behind by 2 points with a total score of 13. It's still a close race though, so please remain on the edge of your seats as Leshawna and Justin present, 'Stabbings, Silence, and a Shot.'"
When the curtain opened, the stage had a desk sitting in the middle of it with a stack of books, lamp, and phone on it. Leshawna was standing behind it and talking into a phone although the audience couldn't hear what she was saying. A cluttered bookshelf was behind her, overflowing with books, papers, and assorted items. Justin stood off to the right side of the stage and was rummaging through a filing cabinet, occasionally pausing to pull out and examine some of its contents.
Leshawna hung up the phone she had been holding and walked over to the other side of the desk, making her costume visible to the audience. She was wearing a short, red dress, high heels, and had a string of pearls around her neck.
Justin, who had been adjusting his hat in the mirror asked, "What's the case?" before patting his trenchcoat into place.
"Well, it seems that there's been a murder of another detective," Leshawna answered, as she skimmed her notepad. "Our job is to find out who did it of course." Justin merely nodded in thought, sat down, and began shuffling through some files on the desk. "It took place at the old port. Seems like a strange place to be to me, so I think someone must have tricked him there."
As Justin continued to feign deep thought, Leshawna added, "Silent as usual. Well, I guess I'll just go ready the car and get all the supplies packed for the investigation." Leshawna walked partially through where the doorway would be before turning back and adding flirtatiously, "Don't be too long now Detective, you hear?" Justin responded with a nod while pretending to read his notes. Eventually, Justin shook his head in frustration, slammed the folder shut, and left the room to join Leshawna.
During the blackout, Beth ran onstage to push off all the props while Geoff switched the backdrop to that of a port. Offstage, Eva wheeled a cutout of a car over to Justin and then turned and stomped wordlessly back to the dressing room.
As Justin pretended to drive a car along the stage, Leshawna ran her fingers up his arm and cooed, "So Detective, do you have any leads?" When Justin merely shrugged in response, Leshawna huffed, "Well, I think it must be some ruthless criminal who's escaped. Why else would this murderer just be targeting detectives?"
Justin acted like he was applying the brakes and the two stopped walking the fake car across the stage. "Lots of reasons," Justin answered coolly without bothering to explain himself further as he climbed out of the car.
Leshawna crossed her arms and complained with a scowl, "Oh, sometimes I don't know why I bother working for you." However, a quick smile from Justin caused her to quickly add, "But then sometimes it all comes rushing back!" as she fainted rather exaggeratedly on the stage.
(Confession Cam – Don't Spill the Beans)
Leshawna – "Don't y'all just hate those shows where the murderer is a character they never introduced? I mean, how tacky is that? I made sure the killer of our play was at least someone people had seen. (She pauses for a moment) You know, I may have said a teensy bit too much there."
With a chuckle, Justin helped revive her, accepting a quick peck on the cheek of gratitude from her. Noticing his impatience, Leshawna observed, "Well, I suppose you're just bursting at the seams to begin searching for clues!" The backdrop now depicted a rather rundown port with only a few scattered ships in the background. On stage, was the outline of the murdered detective's body as well as a bucket on stage right. The two quickly walked over to the outline and Justin crouched down to look at it more closely. "Do you see anything?" Leshawna burst out as she joined Justin.
"Nothing of note, my dear," he responded dismissively as he began combing the surrounding area for anything more revealing. With a wave of his hand, he directed Leshawna over to the right side of the stage as he continued to the left.
Leshawna, noticing the bucket, bent over and scooped it up. "Look what I found!" she exclaimed triumphantly as she held up the bucket.
Justin looked strangely at her and commented, "What's so special about that?"
Tilting the bucket toward Justin, Leshawna explained, "Well, if you had waited to look inside the bucket, you'd have seen what seems to be a bloody knife, no doubt the murder weapon, and a ring of keys."
"Keys?" Justin remarked growing interested as he snatched the bucket from Leshawna and pulled them out. Turning them over in his hand, he attempted to identify their origin.
Nervously, Leshawna remarked, "Whatever they open, I don't think it's safe to go there. Why would the murderer leave such an obvious trail for us unless it was a trap?"
With a confident laugh, Justin answered, "Clearly, this assailant didn't expect someone of my caliber to be on his trail. After examining the keys, I think we can safely conclude that he is based in a factory, and no doubt one rather close to here."
"What do you mean?" Leshawna inquired as she examined the keys herself. "Nothing here seems to suggest that at all."
Justin merely sighed at her lack of observation, snatched the keys again, and returned to the car. In a short monologue, Leshawna turned to the audience before the lights went down and griped, "You'd think I'd get some credit for finding the clues, wouldn't you? But that's just the way it is when you're only an assistant." Leshawna then joined him in the car, and as it started offstage, the lights dimmed.
During the second blackout, Beth snatched the bucket so no one would trip over it later, but accidently dumped the contents once she got offstage, causing them to clatter on the floor. At the same time, Geoff was busy conducting one final scene change as he flipped the backdrops again. The two regrouped as they pushed on three cutouts of various broken-down machines for the interior of an abandoned factory.
The lights came back up, illuminating the rows of empty crates that continued off the stage as Leshawna and Justin came onstage. "Wow, you could hide so much here! I don't know how we'll ever manage to find anything of value." Justin, however, moved immediately to one of the crates and pried open the lid, only to discover nothing inside. Surveying the room, he tried to decide where to best search rather than trying to open the mountains of crates. Eventually, he resolved to check the machine on the right of the stage while Leshawna examined the one on the left. However, neither of them located anything after much fruitless searching and the two converged on the middle machine. Failing to locate anything there, Leshawna slumped down in annoyance and commented, "I don't think we're going to find anything here anytime soon."
Justin, pensively surveying the room again, noticed the corner of a sheet of paper protruding from the bottom of the machine Leshawna had searched earlier. He leapt to his feet and triumphantly grabbed the note. Immediately, he began reading the note as a voice over of someone in an unrecognizable voice read it to the audience.
"Well, it seems the great Silent Detective has managed to make it this far. I must say, I'm rather surprised you could even string together the clues at the port. And you're in luck, as you're reading this, I am in the building with you, preparing my next move. I'll give you one chance to live of course. Merely shred this note, give up the case, and exit now, and I'll let you live. If not, well, you'll just become my next victim," nervously, Justin glanced around the room as he contemplated the note's instructions.
Seeing his expression, Leshawna fretted, "What's wrong? What did it say?"
"It said, we're not alone here. The killer's here with us!" Justin announced dramatically as he began skimming the note again for any hint of a clue.
Leshawna shrieked in horror before asking in a rush, "Where? Where? What do we do?"
"Clearly, we just leave now, get some backup, and return to apprehend him, hopefully before he leaves," Justin responded without looking up. A sudden click jolted him from his thoughts, however, and he looked up from the page in fright, only to find himself facing the barrel of the gun Leshawna had pulled out of her purse. "What are you doing?"
Mockingly, Leshawna responded, "You mean to tell me the Great Silent Detective didn't figure it out yet? What a pity. Oh well, I always knew you were nothing without me." Running her hand along Justin's cheek, she added with a smirk, "It seems a shame to kill one so beautiful, but perhaps if you had paid more attention to me, we wouldn't be here. Well, what's done is done. Goodbye!" With a triumphant laugh, Leshawna fired the gun, and Justin collapsed on the stage, smashing a blood capsule he had palmed earlier on his face.
Striding away from the scene, Leshawna gloated, "Hah, the fool never saw it coming, and how easy it was to plant those fake clues to lure him far enough away from town that he won't be found. All it took was getting him distracted enough to not notice me adding evidence to the scene and agreeing with any of his ridiculous interpretations of the clues to get him here and eliminate him." Leshawna then tousled her hair and attempted to make her appearance look more unkempt as if she had been in a great struggle with Justin's assailant. Making her eyes water, she prepared to explain to the police the tragic attack that had led to the death of her partner, a fate she herself had nearly escaped. As Leshawna exited the stage, a blackout occurred immediately to signify the end of their play.
(Confession Cam – Murder, She Wrote)
Justin – "Did you see how good I looked onstage as a corpse? Yeah, of course you did. I'm sure funeral homes will be lining up to get me to model for them."
Noah – (from outside the confessional) "Why would a funeral home want a model? Do you ever think about anything other than your own appearance?"
Justin – "Please you just don't understand how beauty works since you don't have any." (Musing to himself, Justin added) "If only I could make him the next eliminated."
Justin and Leshawna returned to the stage to bow and were greeted with a roar of applause from an impressed crowd. "You were so awesome, Leshawna!" Bridgette called excitedly.
Heather sneered, "I'm just impressed that the stage didn't collapse under you, but I guess your performance was acceptable."
Chris, finished applauding, stood up and began his critique, "Well, you two were excellent! Both of you did a great job portraying your characters. The plot, however, kind of jolted awkwardly along, was a little predictable, and didn't really flow for me. Also, someone making all that noise of stage detracted from the play as a whole, but I still thought it was very good. I give it an 8."
Chef let out a booming laugh after Chris finished and commented, "Well, Chris is clearly trying to be the hard judge since he has no taste in theater. You two were incredible. I loved it, especially the fake blood. The plot seemed good enough to me, and it had a good enough twist at the end. I give it 10 out of 10!"
"Yeah! That's what I'm talking bout!" Leshawna cried excitedly as she pulled Justin into a hug.
"I can live with that," Justin answered with a smile as the two headed offstage so Gwen and DJ could set up for Ezekiel and Owen.
"Nice job out there, Leshawna!" Gwen commented as the two walked by.
"Thanks girl! I hope your team has a good reaction like we did," Leshawna responded as she walked excitedly toward the dressing room.
"We'll need it," Gwen noted wryly as she pushed a counter onto the stage.
"Yo, Justin, dude! You were so good out there," DJ complimented him as he finished swapping the backdrops.
"You think so? Thanks dude," Justin answered modestly as he kept moving to put his normal outfit back on.
"Up next," Chris announced from the other side of the curtain, "we have our second mystery entitled," Chris paused for a moment and double checked the title before continuing, "Seriously? That's lame. 'The Mystery of the Stolen Jewels,' by Owen and Ezekiel. As the Killer Bees are up to 31, the Screaming Falcons need 16 points to close the gap back up, which shouldn't be too hard to manage."
When the lights came back on, Owen and Ezekiel were seated on stools on the stage behind a counter, facing the audience. Behind them, was a backdrop depicting a bustling city street through a glass window with a sign that said "Bob's Bagels" behind them. Owen was happily eating the bagel before him, oblivious to the lights coming up on them while Ezekiel gazed petrified at the audience, ignoring his food. The audience gazed back at them, baffled by the lack of action and growing annoyed with the scene.
(Confession Cam – I'm Winning This)
Heather – "That was too perfect! Owen didn't even notice the play started, and Ezekiel looks too scared to move. There's no way they'll do a good job, and then the Killer Bees will win for sure."
Bridgette – "I was watching the two of them locking up on stage, and I thought, I have to do something, but the question was what."
Ezekiel – "I have never been moore embarrassed than I was aftur completely blowing on stage. Now Bridgette will never like me, and Courtney will be so angry, eh?"
Owen – "Mmmmm! I love bagels. They're so yummy. I think if I win this season, I'll buy a whole mountain of them!"
Eventually, Ezekiel managed to sputter out, "S-s-so Detective Owen, don't you think we should be going? We need to catch that thief aftur all."
With a loud belch, Owen responded, "Sure thing buddy! Just need to get a few bagels for the road." As Owen stood up and walked to the other side of the counter, the audience got a good look at his white shirt with a navy vest over it as well as his boxers with pink hearts on them. Owen, however, merely continued grabbing bagels, oblivious to the audience's reaction: a mixture of horror and revulsion.
Ezekiel, noticing the problem, awkwardly walked over to Owen and tapped him on the shoulder. Ezekiel was wearing a trenchcoat similar to the one Justin had worn earlier, although Ezekiel's had bulging pockets due to the magnifying glass and notebook he had crammed into them. Recalling Bridgette's advice, he mumbled, "Uh Detective. You're not wearing any pants."
Owen paused from wolfing down bagels for a moment and spat out with a mouthful of bagels, "Of course I'm wearing pants. If I wasn't, they'd have been stolen." Looking down, Owen realized that he actually wasn't wearing pants and tossed the bagels into the air as he attempted to cover himself while Ezekiel flinched as a barrage of bagels rained down on him. "Great Golden Gate Bridge! The thief must have stolen my pants. How vile!"
Offstage, Gwen commented to DJ, "So much for needing a chest of jewels for the heist later on," as she pulled box off the wheeled platform.
"You know, that's going to change their plot a bit. Now that they're looking for pants, no need for stolen jewels in the detective's house," DJ pointed out as the two shared a quick laugh and DJ ran to grab a pair of pants from the guy's dressing room.
Onstage, the action slowed to a halt as the duo stared awkwardly at each other, not sure how to continue the plot. Eventually, Ezekiel proposed, "Maybe we should go and try to track down the robber?"
The two were eventually saved when Bridgette slipped onto the stage wearing a black skirt and top with a white apron over it. "Hon, it looks like that deplorable pants thief has struck you too. He is becoming such a nuisance. And your search sounds so interesting, mind if I close up shop and tag along with y'all?" Bridgette inquired as she attempted, not particularly successfully, to use a Southern accent.
"Ma'am, I'm afraid I must refuse your offer," Owen began until Ezekiel elbowed him in the ribs, realizing that Bridgette might be able to help the two of them turn the play around. "And by that I mean, it's so dangerous, but if you're interested, you can come with us."
"Great! That'll be $20.32 then and then we'll be off," Bridgette responded as she accepted some money from Owen as the lights dimmed.
Offstage, DJ asked, "So Bridge, what set should we bring on now? I mean, I don't really know where the play is going now."
Nervously, Bridgette answered, "Let's just stick with the original plan of the detective's office."
After a slightly longer than average scene change, the lights came back up on an office rather similar to the one from the previous play. Owen sat seated behind a desk as he, unsurprisingly, was snacking on a sub while Bridgette stood leaning over his shoulder, pretending to look at some papers on the desk. Ezekiel stood barely on the stage, clamping onto the folder he was holding in a death grip.
"Well, now that you've eaten Detective, don't you have any insights?" Bridgette wondered as she glanced anxiously about the room.
"Well, I think I'd need to eat some more to solve the whole mystery, but I have concluded neither the criminal nor the pants are in the refrigerator."
Pausing slightly, Bridgette answered, "That's… very brilliant of you, Detective. You've been awfully quiet over there Ezekiel. What are your thoughts?"
"P-per-perhaps there would be clues in Detective Owen's house?" he suggested as he dropped his folder, spilling papers everywhere.
"Great thinking!" Bridgette exclaimed as she walked over to help gather the papers. Pausing to look at a headline, Bridgette observed, "You know, this string of crimes seem to have a common connection to Bob's Bagels. Almost all the victims have been frequent customers there."
"What do you mean?" Owen asked as he glanced over his desk at the paper. "That's just a blank sheet of paper. It doesn't say anything."
Bridgette managed to resist the temptation to glare at Owen for impeding her improvisation, but ultimately prompted the two, "I'm sure you're just too far away to read it properly. Now let's go investigate Detective Owen's home!"
Ezekiel, remembering he was supposed to be Owen's partner, remarked, "I think that's a good idea, if it's okay with you, sir!"
"Sure, buddy! I bet there's lots of important clue-stuff there!" Owen agreed as the trio exited the stage.
Gwen and DJ quickly scrambled to wheel on the final set of Detective Owen's home. The set contained a cluttered bedroom with an unmade bed, closet with its door ajar, and food wrappers strewn about the floor.
"My! This place certainly could use a woman's touch," Bridgette remarked as she surveyed the scene.
"What do you mean? It looks awesome!" Owen exclaimed as he also looked about the room contentedly.
Eager to end the play, Ezekiel wondered, "Where might there be some clues? I mean, it looks pretty normal to me."
"I'm not quite sure," Bridgette answered as she tried to think where Gwen and DJ might have slipped the props for them. "Detective, you're the expert. Where would you look?" When she didn't hear a response, Bridgette turned to look at Owen and realized he had drifted to sleep on the bed. "Well, I guess you're calling the shots now, Ezekiel."
After hearing Bridgette, Ezekiel grew red in the face and walked stiffly over to the closet. He began rummaging around inside, occasionally tossing items over his shoulder before eventually triumphantly producing the pants.
"You did it! You solved the mystery except for how they got here," Bridgette remarked excitedly as she tried to wake Owen up.
Blearily, Owen sputtered, "Oh there they are! They weren't stolen after all. I just must have forgotten to put them on this morning!" The trio onstage shared a forced laugh as Owen patted Ezekiel warmly on the back. Offstage, DJ and Gwen were debating whether or not to close the curtain, but ultimately decided it was for the best to just end the disaster and pulled it swiftly shut. After a moment of silence, hesitant applause sounded from the audience and the curtains opened back up so the actors could bow.
When the applause quickly faded away, Chris addressed the cast, "Well, that didn't match your title at all, so I guess it was a little less predictable than I was expecting. Still, Bridgette was not approved to be in this production, so that will hurt your score. And your plot stunk too. I give it a 3, and that's only because I'm a nice guy despite what Chef says."
Chef immediately followed up with, "That play was a disgrace to the stage. You three should be ashamed of yourselves. Surfer girl redeemed it a little, but it was just awful. You get a 2, now leave!"
Ezekiel and Bridgette trudged dejectedly off the stage while Owen slipped his pants on before bounding excitedly after them.
Chris took the opportunity to provide an update on the score, "Well, after that subpar performance, the Screaming Falcons now trail the Killer Bees 20 to 31. It will be very tough for them to catch up, but let's hear a warm welcome for our next performers Katie and Noah!"
(Confession Cam – $10 Please)
Noah – "I think it's quite clear I was right about them inevitably losing part of their costumes, but that means we have to do better in our performance, I guess."
Katie – "As if I wasn't super nervous before about kissing Noah, now like, the whole challenge comes down to us. I hope we can do it!"
Trent – "Maybe things are actually looking up for us. I mean, Noah and Katie would need an almost perfect performance for the Screaming Falcons to win now!"
Eva – "Hmmm, if I beat up Katie now and she can't perform, then Trent and I wouldn't have to go onstage and do anything." *Eva pauses for a moment and sighs* "Ugh, but I couldn't do that. Katie didn't do anything to me, and that would be cheating. And really, then I'd be just as bad as Heather." *Eva rips the door of the confessional in anger before leaving.*
Chris winked at the camera before concluding, "Well, I think our campers should have lots of drama in store when Total Drama Redux returns!"
Chef swiftly interjected, "Yeah, if angry girl doesn't kill them all first. By the way, I am never facing her again, got it?"
Chris, too distracted by his anger at being interrupted by Chef during the conclusion merely pouted and crossed his arms.
[1] To clarify for those less acquainted with the stage, Lindsay combined the more traditional good luck wish of "Break a leg" with a lesser used "Drop a prop" which people sometimes tell the stage crew before a show as it is considered bad luck to wish a member of a production good luck.
AN: I don't know why I thought this would be a two part challenge with all the miniature plays (which I had even originally planned to be longer before condensing them). In the end, I decided to just make the chapter a little shorter rather than rushing the last two plays and the elimination which now get their own chapter. Also, please leave a review, and if you do, I'd love to know which play was your favorite!