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SideshowJazz1: Thanks for liking! Your Dear Fanfiction Writers are one of the most funny fics I've ever read! And you even updated with the thoughts of the new cast!

Guest: I'll diversify the casts so it doesn't get too boring. I intend to do these three, but all in your time! Gwen alone must have four parts.

The Feline Overlord: Thanks for the warning. When I wrote the synopsis, I hadn't even noticed the spoiler. I left it corrected to avoid any kind of misunderstanding. About the script format, I'm completely aware, but for this type of fic, I think it's better than the narrative method. If they take it down I can still continue via AO3.


Summary: Our co-hosts interview one of Total Drama's most controversial contestants: Sierra! In today's episode, she talks about her family origins, the beginning of her obsession with Cody and her memories of the World Tour to London.

Warning: Discussion of drug use.


Priya: Hi! My name is Priya.

Bowie: And mine is Bowie.

Priya: We were the finalists of the new season of Total Drama Island, available worldwide on HBO. The producers asked us to promote the rebooted series in some exciting way, so we decided to do a podcast with some of the former contestants!

Bowie: In each episode, we will interview a contestant who has left their mark on the show. Can you imagine how much backstage gossip there is? Me neither.

Priya: Today will be a special episode for us on the Drama Podcast. As you know, my parents are such Total Drama fans that they raised me hoping they would reboot the show. I grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor and participating in this program. Today, we will talk to someone who put their blood and soul into being on the show. You may know her for her temper and for being known as Total Drama's #1 fan at the time. I welcome you, Sierra!

Sierra: Hi, guys! It's great to be here!

Sierra was in business attire, and her hair wasn't dyed purple, showing off her natural brown hair. In her lapel was a pen next to a business card.


Opening

A screen is filled with photos of Sierra's iconic moments on the show, like her dancing in Sweden, her close moments with Cody, and her balloon ride to Mexico.

The camera zooms out, showing that the thousands of photos make the words The Drama Podcast.


Bowie: Thank you so much for making a space in your schedule for us. I can imagine how excited you are to tell all Total Drama fans about your participation.

Sierra: It's nothing! When I saw the interview with Owen, I contacted production to be here. Total Drama is a fundamental part of who I am, I can say that if it weren't for this program, I would never be as important as I am today.

Priya: Let's start at the beginning: who is Sierra?

Sierra leaned back in her chair, thinking for a while before answering.

Sierra: Simple things first: My name is Sierra Carretelo Fiore Zagarella-Gross. Unlike most cast members, I was born and raised in Sicily, Italy.

Bowie: So you're European?

Sierra: Not only me but my entire family. I only speak English because of the show and my work; otherwise, I communicate in Italian and, in some cases, in German.

Priya: During the show, you pointed out that you were the third generation McLean fan. Could you explain this to us in more detail?

Sierra: I think the show cut that confessional... well, this story is a little long, but whatever. My family on my grandfather's side came from Pomerania, now part of Poland. His name was Friedrich Heinrich Gross von Danzig. Along with the Red Baron, they were the most experienced and dangerous airmen in the entire German army. His nickname was Winged Thunder, earned because of the noise his plane made to announce his presence.

Bowie was skeptical of the story, while Priya listened as if it were a bedtime tale.

Bowie: I had no idea your family was so interesting.

Sierra: Yeah, I know! I only found out after DNA tests and conversations with distant relatives who stayed in Germany. Back to the story: he was enlisted to fight in the first war, leading a squadron of 40 airmen. Under his command, the French forces could not advance or have any superiority. At that rate, Germany could tame the air and establish an air blockade across continental Europe. That is if he hadn't shown up.

Priya: He?

Sierra: Antonie McLean. The fourth officer of the then-created Canadian Air Division was a nobody, but he was a shrewd guy. His peers described him as someone with a vision who needed an opportunity to prove himself.

Bowie: And how do you know all this about him?

Sierra: Oral tradition. Also, I wrote his biography.

Sierra pulls a book from her bag titled "The Canadian Tipping Point: Antonie McLean and the Air Division of WWI." She hands it to the two, who quickly leaf through the 250-page book.

Sierra: The opportunity came when, due to a lack of reinforcements, he was sent on a suicide mission to shoot down the then-powerful German fleet. We are talking about 1915, when the war was not resolved for either side, and the fight in the air seemed easier than in the trenches. On a reconnaissance flight across the English Channel, he heard a noise like thunder in bright sunlight. It was von Danzig.

Sierra: Once at sea, he only had two options: flee and risk being shot down or engage in a dogfight. He chose the second option, but knowing the superiority of the Winged Thunder, he devised a plan to tire the aviator down to the coast. Every time von Danzig approached to shoot, he would barrel roll, which was considered dangerous due to the fragile support of the planes. Von Danzig followed like a wolf until they were on shore. Hence, Mclean's real revolution: instead of attacking directly, he shot while doing the pirouette, causing the German aviator to run out of reaction time.

Even now, Bowie was listening attentively.

Sierra: In an attempt to divert, the bullets hit the left fuselage and compromised part of the engine. But Von Danzig did not give up. Using the still undamaged side, he flew over McLean to intercept using the same trick. He would have done it if air reinforcements from the coast hadn't been there simultaneously with anti-aircraft artillery. To finish, McLean lifted the plane seeking physical contact with the aircraft, scaring the other. Realizing the madness, Von Danzig decided to flee, but the reaction time was too slow: the two aircraft hit the air, throwing both to the coast.

Sierra clapped her hands together, emphasizing the resolution of the confrontation as Bowie and Priya gaped.

Priya: Did they survive?

Sierra nodded, smiling.

Sierra: If they hadn't, I wouldn't be here with you guys! British forces quickly arrived at the crash site and extracted the two alive. It was a miracle considering they had landed on a rocky beach. Antonie, although injured, told them to treat Von Danzig with absolute respect as he was the second-best German aviator, only before Richthofen. So my grandfather became a prisoner of war until 1918, in British custody. McLean, on the other hand, was decorated for shooting him down and continued to fly and collect laurels, especially in the famous Battle of the Somme. He would live to fight in World War II when he was killed not by gunfire but by a car accident on his way to an RAF base.

Bowie: And how exactly are you Italian and not German?

Sierra: Because he's my grandfather on my father's side, duh! After the war, he returned to his homeland, now part of Poland. As he was a Jew, he was soon expelled from the German Air Force. Seeing himself betrayed by the nation he so defended, he decided to move south in 1936-1938. At the beginning of WWII, he was in Sardinia, Italy. There, he met my grandmother, Rosamaria Zagarella. They had five children, including my father. Then my father met my mother during a business trip to Sicily, and I was born!

Priya: What a wonderful story! That would make a book!

Sierra: I intend to release my family memoirs someday, but I need to be more famous for that.

Sierra was pretty smug, looking at her nails.

Bowie: So your family's obsession came from your grandfather? And how is his mother also a fan if he was from his father's side?

Sierra: Bizarre coincidences. My grandfather spread his admiration for McLean to everyone, and my father grew up with it. My mom, on the other hand, got to know the McLean from a tour Chris did in Rome when he was in a boyband in the 80s. She was crazy about him, and I don't blame her. Look at pictures of teenage Chris, and you'll prove me right.

Priya and Bowie shivered in fear as they imagined Chris at their age.

Priya and Bowie: No, thanks!

Sierra: My mom has been a fan of Chris since she was a teenager. They are practically the same age, just 3 years apart. That show in Rome made her devoted to him. Everything he appeared she bought, consumed and kept. As she never understood English very well, she never knew what the songs or the programs he did meant. Can you imagine how difficult my parents' relationship was because of that, right?

Though neither of them wanted to agree with her, it was good for her to admit it.

Sierra: Shortly after my mother became pregnant, my father filed for divorce because he considered her disillusioned and ill. My mother didn't make much of an issue either and cut ties with him. I didn't find out who my father was until much later, right after All-Stars. Fun Fact: I grew up thinking that Chris was my biological father, I even collected his DNA and sent it to the laboratory to prove some connection. Obviously, it was negative...

Bowie: So you just grew up with her and her obsession with Chris.

Sierra: In simple terms, it was. I grew up listening to Chris' music, the crappy shows he put on and everything in between. But what made an impact was when they announced Total Drama Island. My mom tried to sign me up, but I got cut off for not being old enough, not having a valid passport, and not being Canadian. I've always been tall, and my body is more developed, but when the first season started, I was 15 years old.

Priya: I wonder what it would have been like if they'd let you in. Does any writer want to make a fanfic about that?

She raised her eyebrows as if cueing someone specific.

Sierra: At the time, I didn't know English either, and I saw the first season dubbed in Italian. I can say that I fell in love with Cody because of his voice actor!

Bowie: Wow.

He wasn't that surprised.

Sierra: You are not used to seeing dubbed programs, but in Europe, this is quite common. And the dubbing of A Tutto Reality L'isola was fantastic. You can see it on YouTube, it has all the episodes. At first, I watched it because my mom forced me to, but the bigger screentime Cody had, the more I wanted to watch it myself.

Bowie: Stopping to think, let's come to the first big question: why Cody? The Island had men more talented, hotter or funnier than him. He's just a scrawny geek kid.

Sierra: The strangest thing about crushes is that there comes a time when you forget why you started liking them. Today I don't remember why I was so attracted to Cody, I just know I was. I suspect it was because of the dubbed voice.

Sierra: As soon as the first season ended, I was happy about the outcome but sad to know I might not have another opportunity to see them again. And then Action was announced.

Bowie: Was that when you went craz-OUCH!

Priya stomped on the boy's foot, making him not complete the sentence.

Sierra: At that time, if you wanted to follow it on the internet, you had two options: know English or wait for someone to make a copy, subtitle it and put it on a website with porn advertisements and 600 viruses. That's how I started to study English, not only to understand the show but also to dialogue with other fans. The Italian fandom was not as big and vivid as the Anglophone one.

Bowie: And when did you start digging into the participants' lives?

Sierra: This only happened after the end of TDA. Before that, I reserved myself to watch and comment on the existing blogs. Each episode had a specific thread with subtopics. There were also blogs devoted to theories, guessing upcoming plots, and fan fiction. You can already imagine, but I was never a popular girl in school, so the internet was my refuge. I spent hours learning HTML just to make my blog. I don't regret it, because it was one of the best layouts that existed, and soon people came to comment on my posts.

Once again, Sierra smiled proudly.

Sierra: There was one user in particular who was like my archrival. We would debate each other about almost everything: when I would say that Heather's elimination was fair because it tied up her story arc, he would say how rude it was to let Leshawna get away with lying to everyone. I would post about how Cody could win Season 2 if he competed, and that user would talk about why Cody was the first to be eliminated after Geoff and Bridgette. For some reason, I never heard of him after TDA. I wonder if he got tired of the show...

Priya: And how did you get such sensitive information for Celebrity Manhunt?

Sierra: In that time, from the TDA final to the Emmy ceremony, I got a passport and was proficient enough to communicate in English. The rest was simple, I just had to pretend to be a friend or family member. The highlight was really the concerts that the Drama Brothers played and the after-parties. At one of these parties, there was a famous photo of them jumping naked into the pool.

Sierra now looked dreamy, happy to reminisce about her pre-World Tour moments.

Priya: Izzy helped you too, right?

The guest nodded in agreement.

Sierra: Our cooperation began when I tried to break into her room. After a short struggle, we got to know each other better and agreed to help each other. She gave me information, and I shared recipes from Italy with her.

Bowie: Recipes?

Sierra: Sharing culinary recipes is one of the proofs of the greatest respect and sincerity that an Italian can offer you. There are family secrets that pass down through generations in a jam made of tomato sauce and peppers. Izzy and I worked on this deal for about 6 months.

Priya: And what was it like seeing everyone on the Reunion Special?

Sierra: Exciting! In my head, it was like I was meeting old friends again. Now, older, I can understand how crazy that sounded to all of them. I can't believe I ever kept their dental records.

Sierra then cringes at herself.

Priya: And how was your World Tour application?

Sierra: Well, for the World Tour, international selections were opened to choose a new participant. The only requirements were to be fluent in English and to have a valid passport. I had both, so I signed up. The interesting thing is that all entries were made anonymously, so no one knew who the other competitors were.

Priya: I think with your knowledge and love for Chris, you were the first place, right?

Sierra: Actually, no! I know this because when they released the top 10 list, my participation ID was in second place. Someone surpassed me, but I never knew who. I suspect it was Alejandro, but I never had any real evidence that he participated in that contest.

Bowie: I think our board got your application video, Sierra. Let's take a look.


Video: Sierra's application to Total Drama World Tour

Sierra is in her room, decorated with photos from the first two seasons and a framed photo of Cody on the wall. On the bed, there is a kind of love pillow with the geek image.

Sierra: OMG! It's on? Okay! My name is Sierra, and I'm the biggest Total Drama fan in the entire world! For example, I know all of Cody's allergies, his favorite shampoo brand, and his body measurements...

In the last sentence, Sierra hugged herself, imagining impure scenarios.

Sierra: I guarantee I will deliver all the drama the show needs if you choose me. I can manipulate Heather! I can make Owen cry! I can kiss as good as Gigette!

A moment of silence emerges as the girl stares at the camera for a few seconds.

Sierra: Did I mention how I love Chris McLean? I mean, I am his #1 fan too! He was robbed at the last Emmy and will win the next one for sure!

The camera cuts.


Bowie: Let's skip over to the episodes, then. Egypt. You were originally on Team Chris and even named them when you switched to Team Amazon.

Sierra: I was still under my mother's influence when I named the team. To be aware, I just went to distrust Chris and seek my rights after being hospitalized after All-Stars.

Priya widened her eyes.

Priya: Hospitalized?

Bowie: Priya, this story can wait for another episode. His talents were one of the reasons Team Amazon made it to Australia safely.

Sierra: Come to think of it, I acted a little like Mary Sue. Sure, my faults were gigantic, but so was my determination to win. And since I knew everyone except Alejandro, I had the upper hand if I needed to do something against someone.

Bowie: Did you ever use such knowledge? Because on television, it seemed more like a hoax than reality.

Priya again stepped on Bowie's foot for the mean comment.

Sierra: I could have used it, but I didn't because I figured if I only took care of Cody, everything else would be irrelevant. When people say that I carried Cody to the semifinals, that's a fact. I did it knowing that I could hand the season over to him. Remember: that Sierra didn't care about the prize; she cared about Cody and only Cody. If it was today? I would play the same mind games as Alejandro. Watching it today, I am impressed with how he had the ability to play with people's behavior. The only one he couldn't handle in the end was Noah. Noah!

Bowie: It was funny to see him using you to undermine Chris's esteem for you back in New York.

Sierra: It was easy for him to do that when all I could think about was praising Chris and snogging Cody. It's okay that sometimes it was justified, like in the Yukon, however...

Priya: Did something happen between New York and Germany because of Aftermatch?

Sierra decided to unbutton her jacket a little and let her hair down.

Sierra: Phew! Much better!

Sierra: Now, about this break. The Jumbo Jet had a chronic fuel problem. In New York, we had to wait a long time before flying again, which made Chris give us free days to do whatever we wanted as long as we didn't cause any problems. It's important to note that most of the cast were already of age under Canadian law, so some decided to celebrate by buying drinks and other things.

Bowie: If I recall, there are recordings of Leshawna in the Bronx and Gwen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Sierra: Heather, Cody and I stayed in Manhattan and visited Little Italy. I think she only accompanied us to get away from Alejandro. So there were the three of us, and we decided to eat in an Italian cantina. At first, they charged us an extremely high amount for three courses, but they lowered it when I argued with the waiter in Italian.

Priya: Can they do that with tourists?

Sierra: Every place does this to tourists. It's the easiest way to earn money; tourists have been willing to buy, so why would you make the same price? Worse, they were right because the food there was really good; it reminded me of my mother's. I still smile when I remember Cody and Heather dumbstruck by me speaking another language in front of them.

Sierra gigged.

Sierra: When the time came, we returned to the Jumbo Jet and left for Germany. I confess that that song for Cody was not my best moment in the episode.

Bowie: That "tenth generation slap dancer" was truth?

Sierra: My mother had told me that I was part German but that I made up. I thought, "If I say I can dance, Cody must start liking me."

Priya: Can you sing that in German? Please?

Priya makes irresistible puppy eyes, and Sierra obliges.

Sierra: I think I can...but I warn that my German is a little rusty.

Bowie: No probs, do your best, Sierra!


Music - Sierra's love song in German

The music song begins.

Sierra: Eins, zwei, drei, klatsch mir aufs Knie! (One, two, three, slap my knee!)

Mein zukünftiger Mann heißt Cody! (My husband-to-be, his name is Cody!)

Vier, fünf, sechs, Stöcke einsammeln! (Four, five, six, pick up sticks!)

Ohne meinen Cody-Fix schlägt mein Herz nicht mehr! (My heart won't tick without my Cody fix!)

Sieben, acht, neun, richten Sie Ihre Wirbelsäule auf! (Seven, eight, nine, straighten your spine!)

Drehen Sie sich um und sehen Sie, wie gut Cody aussieht! (Spin to see Cody looking so fine!)

Zehn, elf, zwölf – auf zwölf reimt sich nichts! (Ten, eleven, twelve, nothing rhymes with twelve!)

Mädels wollen Cody, aber sein Hintern gehört mir! (Chicks want Cody but his butt's mine!)


Bowie and Priya applaud Sierra.

Priya: I don't know what you said, but it sounded good!

Sierra: Danke!

Bowie: We move to the Amazon now. You were the only one who knew about Cody's allergies and tried to take care of his Epi-pen.

Sierra: That episode was disastrous for us at Team Amazon. Gwen kept jinxing us, Courtney was useless, and Heather would have let us all die if the Zing-Zings were real. One thing the television didn't show was Gwen convulsing from the adrenaline shock. I only realized this when she threw up on me in the middle of the night.

Priya: And how did no one help?

Sierra: We were all sleeping. It was a miracle that she was on her feet because if we had slept lying down, she would probably have suffocated. We could only clean the smell after the challenge but before the elimination ceremony.

Priya: Speaking of which, I have a question: How did the bath work that season? The plane didn't seem to have showers, and I highly doubt Chris would have you stinking all season long.

Sierra: The plane had no shower, only toilets. We had to resort to nearby hotels or nature for that. I remember that in this specific challenge, we had to bathe in the Amazon River. We do the laundry and pack more in the bags. During the race, we had about 5 pairs of clothes and 7 pairs of underwear.

Bowie: Did you try something on Cody when you found out he wasn't wearing his underwear?

Priya glared at her partner angrily. Bowie arched an eyebrow.

Priya: BOWIE!

Bowie: What? We are conducting an interview, not a beauty show. If you don't want to answer, you don't have to, dear.

Sierra swallowed hard before answering.

Sierra: I...I invited him to skinny dipping alone. I was only in my bra and panties when I invited him and as you can imagine he was only in shorts...

Bowie: Wow.

Sierra: Maybe it was the effect of the EpiPen or my body, but let's just say Gwen was right about Cody's trouble being big, hehe.

The hosts exchanged glances, understanding what the Italian was referring to.

Sierra: It was in this episode that he voted against me the first time, right? I was quite upset and really sad for the rest of the day. In one of the confessionals I made to vent my feelings, I devised a plan to make Cody feel guilty. So I decided to put it into practice.

Priya: Damn.

Sierra: Another fun fact: the lyrics to "Paris in the Springtime" were composed in that confessional. When I got really sentimental, I started thinking only in Italian, so the first version I made was in my mother tongue.

Bowie: What, how did you write the lyrics if you didn't know you were going to be in Paris?

Sierra: The only thing I needed to change was the references to the city. The rest was what I had planned, except for the part where Owen and Noah sang.

Priya: If it's not too much trouble, can you sing that too? The audience liked the first song.

Sierra: Of course, let me just remember the lyrics... do you want me to sing in Italian anyway?

Bowie and Priya thumbs up the idea.

Sierra: Grazzie.


Music - Original Paris in the Springtime "Oui, Amiche"

Sierra: Amo Parigi in primavera...! (I love Paris in the springtime!)

J'ai t'aime Parigi in autunno...! (Je t'aime Paris in the fall!)

Priya: That's great, Sierra! Keep going!

Sierra: La città dell'amore in estate (It's the city of love in the summer)

Ma adesso fa schifo, perché...(But now it sucks, 'cause...)

Lui mi ha preso il cuore, l'ha spezzato, l'ha sputato e poi calpestato come fanno sempre tutti i tori coi cowboy! (He took my heart, broke it, spat it out and then stomped like all the bulls always do with the cowboys!)

Oui, ragazze, non giocate con il fuoco (Oui, girls, don't play with fire)

Lui, sapete, vi considera come un gioco (He, you know, treats you as a game)

Sì, mie care, vedrete, oh...(Yes, my darlings, you'll see, oh...)

Prende il cuore, ve lo spezza, ve lo sputa e poi lo calpesta come fanno sempre i tori coi cowboy (He takes your heart, breaks it, spits it out and then tramples it like bulls always do with cowboys)

Priya: Oui, my friend! You are going to make it through!

Bowie: Um, non, my friend. That thing just burned off my shoe.

Sierra begins to drum on the table before continuing to sing.

Oui, amiche, io lo amo sempre più... (Oui, friends, I love him more and more...)

Oui, amiche, vi devo raccontare tutto (Oui, friends, I have to tell you everything)

Se l'amore vostro, lavora in tv, e volete entrare nel suo show e quando vi prendono non fate che volergli bene, ma purtroppo alla fine finirete a Parigi! (If your love works in TV, and you want to get on his show and when they take you, you only love him, but unfortunately you'll end up in Paris in the end!)

Che disperazione! (What despair!)

Quale umiliazione! (What humiliation!)

Non vi inviterà ad uscire con lui, maiii! (He won't invite you out on a date, never!)


Priya: I'm amazed you managed to sing this in English without prior preparation!

Bowie: Really impressive.

Sierra: You all are welcome! Now, back to Paris. I was very lucky that Chris never showed Cody the guilt trip I made. Watching it again, I'm sure he could have attacked me or asked me to leave the show. Again, this is not one of my highlights in this program.

Priya: Any Newfoundland stories?

Sierra: Nothing very interesting, except that the DJ really French-kissed that fish. It was disgusting!

The memory made Sierra gag.

Bowie: Then we arrived in Jamaica. We are already halfway through the season.

Sierra: Can I tell you how scary it is to be in a free-falling plane? It's frightening! The section we were in quickly depressurized due to the open door. I swear to God, the feeling of running out of air is the worst thing I've felt at this show. We had to pretend we were fine to record, but I was dizzy for a few minutes myself. Not to mention the near-death of Owen and Izzy. Really, we were made of steel when we were younger.

Priya: And how was the rest of your stay? The challenges seemed to be fearsome...

Sierra: And they were. That slide was horrible, I don't know how anyone broke their bones in that empty pool. I remember volunteering to stand behind Cody just so he could feel my breasts, but in the end, it didn't help at all because it was much more painful than I imagined.

Bowie: That episode ended with everyone stranded on the beach. How long did it take for them to be able to fly again?

Sierra: Almost two weeks. We were lucky that DJ's family lived close by, so we spent some time in a kind of summer house they had. Most days, we behaved like young adults on vacation, drinking, partying, and going to the beach. No one had a...hot moment because, by that time, all the couples had already been eliminated.

Priya: Ironically, Duncan didn't appear until the later episode. Maybe Courtney would have loved his company in Jamaica.

Sierra: Cody and I were the youngest in the group, so we could only drink soda and juice. But the rest of the cast? They got drunk and did everything you could imagine.

Bowie: I like where this conversation is going! Tell more!

Bowie was buoyed by the gossip, and Sierra smiled as she remembered those two heavenly weeks.

Sierra: Owen already told here, but his bisexuality was an open secret. Everyone knew, but no one could touch that subject in front of the cameras. That changed when we got stuck there. There was a dare or dare night where, of all possible people, DJ dared Owen to kiss a guy who worked at the resort. He was a cute black guy, a little lean if you ask me.

Bowie was smiling at every word. Priya too.

Sierra: Everyone was shocked when he called the guy and asked for a kiss. I think it was the sweetest kiss I've ever seen in my life. We were speechless watching that, and that kiss lasted about 3 minutes. It wasn't something fast. If I'm not mistaken, the guy even gave his number to Owen.

Bowie: Wow! How sweet!

Sierra: I had to come to Heather for a few days because of her hangover. Audiences may not know this, but she's pretty silly off-camera. She always cracked jokes while drinking or smoking.

Priya: Could you smoke too?

Sierra: Like I said, almost everyone in the show had 18. While we were minors by American standards, it was a different story in the rest of the world. Heather and Gwen were casually smoking. The only ones not drinking other than the two of us were Alejandro and Noah. The manipulator said "alcohol is poison," and the know-it-all said he didn't want to embarrass himself.

Bowie: Any more history from Jamaica before we move on?

Sierra scratched her chin thoughtfully.

Sierra: Hm...oh yes! We smoke weed there.

The hosts were silent, trying to process the information.

Bowie and Priya: WHAT!?

Sierra: I can explain, okay? Like, we were at a luau, and the DJ's father showed up saying that he had something in store for his son's friends. He came with a big bag and took out a huge pipe! You know those things you only see in National Geographic? He got one.

Sierra: He took some marijuana leaves and other local herbs, crushed them and put them in that pipe. He lit it and offered it to everyone. At first, most didn't want to accept it, but when DJ said it was a very special gift from his family, we kind of agreed.

Priya: Peer pressure...

Sierra: Right in the bull's-eye. To my surprise, even Alejandro, Noah and Courtney smoked that special weed. You can't imagine how much I coughed smoking that! The most bizarre thing was afterwards, I felt like my body was melting. Not that nightmare feeling you get when you dream, but like you're in a very, very comfortable chair.

Bowie: I wonder if that's what Zee feels every day...

Sierra: When I looked around, everyone had changed radically. Heather hugged Alejandro and tried to speak Spanish with him; Noah tried unsuccessfully to lift Owen with just his arms while Tyler cheered; Courtney was lying on Gwen's lap with the goth petting her...My head was quite fuzzy, I remember DJ offering me a glass of water as I carried Cody to bed. He fell asleep as soon as he smoked.

Priya: Did Chris know about this?

Sierra: He and the Chef were one of those who smoked with us! They only realized that they let minors smoke marijuana when we were on flight, hahaha. I remember Chris panicking, begging me and Cody not to say anything in exchange for immunity in the next challenge.

Bowie: That goes a long way towards explaining the result of the London challenge...

Sierra: Anyway...The next day, we woke up hungover and very hungry. Owen even bit Noah's arm because of the munchies. Those who saw us thought we had starved and were seeing food for the first time in 1 month. It was crazy! DJ had prepared a stew enough to feed 20 people. We devoured that in 9. Surprisingly, it wasn't Owen who ate the most, but me.

Bowie: Priya, if we ever make it to Jamaica courtesy of Chris, remind me to warn all of our showmates.

Priya nodded, chuckling at the scene.

Sierra: On the last day, Chris announced we were leaving and let us take something as a souvenir. I chose a lucky charm that DJ's cousin had carved for me. I still keep it at home today.

Priya: Pretty impressive how many things happened in those two weeks! It will be cool to get this feedback from the upcoming contestants about their take on your stories, Sierra.

Sierra: I bet they will love to tell. Everyone had so much fun on that little vacation; that get-together would never improve more than in Jamaica. Especially after Greece.

Bowie: I'm being told by production that our episode is ending, but we still have time to cover one more chapter: London. The calm before the storm.

Remembering London, Sierra's face darkens.

Sierra: Would you think I was crazy if I said I felt something bad would happen in that city? Usually, the challenges we faced were during the day, but in this specific episode, it was at night. That already gave me a feeling...

Priya: But Paris was a night challenge too.

Sierra decides to ignore Priya's correction.

Sierra: We landed there at 8 p.m. I remember that because the plane did a close pass of Big Ben. Nothing much different from what appeared in the show happened, Gwen and Courtney captured Duncan and we won the challenge.

Bowie: Do you think Chris gave you guys the win because of that... incident in Jamaica?

Sierra: Absolutely. After the elimination ceremony, he talked to us and thanked us for our compassion for his career. In retrospect, once we left his suite, I tried to confess how happy I was to have Cody all to myself with Noah out of race, but the door was locked. Chris must have broken the lock after we made our way to first class.

Priya: Was Noah's elimination too late? In the kissing scene, she could see the windows with orange sunbeams.

Sierra: I remember we finished the challenge around 1 a.m. Usually, the staff would give us three to four hours to change clothes, rest and vote. I would guess that Noah was eliminated around 4 a.m., and the kiss happened around 6 a.m. That was certainly because Tyler was always the first to wake up. It makes sense that he was the first to see the kiss because of that.

Bowie: I didn't know they let you rest for so long.

Sierra: Only in some cases the elimination was together with the end of the challenge. If I remember correctly, this happened in Yukon, Paris and Jamaica. In other destinations, we had a break between the end of the challenge and the elimination ceremony.

Priya: I think we better stop here. Before going to the final thoughts, how do you evaluate your participation in this first half of the World Tour?

Sierra drank some water, her throat was already dry from talking so much.

Sierra: I only had eyes for Cody and the challenges. Our team was very lucky that the Team Victory was used as bait; otherwise, I'm sure we would have significant casualties. I can assure you that it was impossible for me not to get kicked out in Germany, Heather in Peru or Courtney in Newfoundland. My toxic crush on the boy would only get worse after Gwen's elimination, and a plane had to blow up in my face for me to redouble my awareness.

Priya: That's...really deep.

Sierra: I will speak as many times as necessary, I am proud to have participated in Total Drama, but I am not proud of my behavior. I could have been much better, which today would have avoided bad comments about me among the fandom. Do you know how many fanfics there are where Cody lashes out at me? Or hit me? People think that just because I've become a successful journalist I don't follow news about the show anymore, but they're completely wrong.

Bowie: Did you get to see our season on HBO Max already?

Sierra: I ended up binge-watching on my day off. I was very happy to see you two in the final, even more remembering how Owen had to stay in the closet until many years later.

The happy mood was soon interrupted by a buzzing in Priya's ear.

Priya: Looks like our time is over! I want to thank Sierra for being here with us today, reflecting on her participation in Season 3. I hope we can complete it the next time you're here!

Bowie: I was very curious about this interview because, from what I had researched, you were really creepy with Cody. I thought you were still like that, but I was surprised that that's not true.

Sierra rolled her eyes, a bit annoyed.

Sierra: I don't blame you Bowie, but people change. I'm turning 31 next month, and I still have to read that I still act like I'm still 17! It's tiring, you know? Cody might talk better when he gets here, but we've made up and he knows what I went through after All-Stars. We are good friends nowadays.

Priya: And with that, we conclude the first part of Sierra's interview on The Drama Podcast! As usual, this live will be recorded, and the cuts will be available on The Drama Bits.

Bowie: Don't forget to share with your friends on our social networks and comment on what you think of the episode and who you think will be our next guest. Think you can get it right?

Priya, Bowie and Sierra: Bye!


Thumbnails from THE DRAMA BITS:

1. SIERRA'S FAMILY AND THE MCLEANS | THE DRAMA BITS
2. SIERRA SINGS ON THE DRAMA PODCAST | THE DRAMA BITS
3. STORIES FROM JAMAICA | THE DRAMA BITS
4. LONDON AND THE LOCK | THE DRAMA BITS
5. EVERYBODY HATES SIERRA? | THE DRAMA BITS