"Previously on Total Drama: Express Tour! Our 21 contestants made a stop in Seoul, South Korea. There, they faced a bunch of bizarre games worthy of the quirkiest Asian game shows. AJ demonstrated why he holds the title of ghostbuster, and Lucy dealt a good punch to Charlie to end her winning streak. However, in the end it was Gretchen who luckily secured the victory for Team Friendship. Despite Kira being the most valuable member of her team, she ended up being thrown off the train after they mutinied against her. Now, Team Amazons is under Kevin's leadership. Can they stay afloat now that they have one less member? Who will be the next to fall? To find out, watch today's episode of Total Drama... Express Tour!"
We find ourselves the morning after Kira's elimination and, consequently, the party.
"Yo! Liam, are you coming for the stupid training or what? You're thirty minutes late." Sam abruptly opens the door to the boys' compartment of Team Alpha, only to find the place completely empty, except for a small lump under the sheets on Liam's bed. "What's wrong?"
"Oh, I'b pedfecty fide, dank you. B-b-but I dink I'm skibbing daining tobay," says Liam. His voice sounded like it came straight from the underworld, a deep and raspy tone that made Sam grimace in disgust. This coupled with the fact that he sounded completely congested.
"You sure? You sound like your nose has been working overtime."
"Y-yes, yes, just led me sleeb a liddle donger," he says just before letting out a sneeze.
Confessional
Sam — I hate depending on other people, but unfortunately Liam is the only possible brawling partner. Ryuuko is an idiot, and I'm sure that if I touch Mac or Spencer, I'll accidentally murder them.
Liam — Maybe... The padty last night god a bid oud of contol, and I ended up sleebing on the doof ob the duxudy wagob. But bedieve me, I'b totaddy fi- AH AH ACHOO!
Harlan – That Liam guy is CRAZY, I challenged him to sleep on the roof and he did it! That was awesome. If we weren't on different teams, I'd invite him to the compartment often, you know? That said, I've never seen anyone do as many crazy things as Kevin. The guy stole Chris's hairdryer. How long do you think it'll take for Chris to notice?
In the common room of Team Alpha's wagon, Jennifer is seated reading. The girl has noticeable dark circles under her eyes from studying all night, a task she has yet to complete. Mackenzie enters the room with a book in hand. Initially, there's an awkward silence until Mac decides to break it.
"So... W-What are you reading?"
"Excuse me?" Jennifer says, not lifting her gaze from the book.
"Hmm eh, I'm sorry, I was just..." Mackenzie gets scared immediately and starts stumbling over his words.
"What were you saying? Sorry, I couldn't hear you," Jennifer asks.
"Ehh... I-I was just s-saying that... What are you reading?" Mac is completely nervous and starts biting his thumbnail.
"Sigmund Freud's 'Psychology of Masses.' Just trying to figure out some things," Jennifer says, flipping through the pages quickly.
"Oh, that's cool. I d-don't read non-fiction. Right now, I'm reading 'Murder on the Orient Express.' M-Maybe I could... Like... You know... Lend it to you if you want."
"I don't read fiction. I can't learn much from it," Jennifer replies, her gaze fixed on the book.
"Well, I think the opposite, but, um, well, you know, things, I... Well, if you ever want to read it, you know where to find me," Mackenzie says, letting out a nervous laugh. "I'm Mackenzie, by the way."
"I'm Jennifer."
"Yeah, I-I know... I'm really sorry. It's just that I couldn't sleep well with all the smoke coming out of Spencer's bed. Hey, aren't you going to have breakfast?"
"Oh, is it already morning?"
And with that, Mackenzie freezes with a terrified expression and hides behind his book again.
Confessional
Mac — I didn't go to the party yesterday, not because I didn't want to; it's just that... A party involves dancing and talking to girls, both of which terrify me. I thought Jennifer would be an interesting girl to talk to, and start overcoming my fear, but I think she's a bit... C-Cold.
Jennifer — That Mac guy is kind of strange, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. I guess he got a bit scared, but it's not my fault; I just don't know what to talk about in such situations. I need to keep studying.
In the dinning wagon, Ryuuko and Spencer are eating a bitter bowl of cereal with milk prepared by Chris Jr. Spencer is quite excited, talking to the Asian guy about a horror movie, while Ryuuko does his best to ignore him.
Then, Lucy enters the room, and with her hand, she signals Ryuuko to come closer.
"Hey Bro! I haven't finished!" Spencer complains, seeing Ryuuko get up without notifying him.
"What do you want?" Ryuuko asks, crossing his arms in front of Lucy.
"Is the deal we made yesterday still on?" Lucy asks.
"I guess so. Just don't go making a scene out there."
"I was going to tell you exactly the same thing." And with that, they say their goodbyes, and Ryuuko goes back to eating with Spencer.
"Do you already have a girl behind you? Lucy's pretty hot, ain't she? That's it, champ! Not to brag, but I already have two girls after me. Maybe we can go on a double date one of these days, or would it be a triple date?" Spencer says.
"Ugh, I'm not hungry anymore," Ryuuko says, getting up from the chair and leaving the place.
Confessional
Lucy — Yesterday during the party Ryuuko and I decided to form an alliance. He seems like a serious guy, but I know the chances of him betraying me are low.
Ryuuko — Although I haven't watched the show, I'm sure an alliance with Lucy will benefit me. She gives me good vibes, kind of remind me of someone...
Spencer — Ryuuko isn't the chillest guy on our team, it's so hard to vibe with him! Well, I've got places to be!
Spencer walks from the dining wagon to the luxury wagon, where he finds himself at the foodbar with Ashley, Charlie, and Gretchen.
"I'm so glad you actually came, Spencer! Thank you!" greets Charlie, patting an empty seat for Spencer to sit in.
"Wassup Spence!" cheers Ashley, fist-bumping the guy.
"Yo! Is that Ash Jacometti, the rockstar?"
"Yes, I am!" screams Ashley with a proud smile.
"Howdy, Gretchen! Enjoying the Luxury Wagon?" says Spencer, friendly greeting the girl.
"Hi Spencer! Sure! I didn't know chairs could give you massages! I've been there all night."
"Enjoy it while you can because Team Alpha will be back in this place very soon!"
"I'm glad we're all getting along well because I must say I was really looking forward to meeting with you all! You know, having a meal as friends and talking a bit about the game," says Gretchen, putting on a plastic smile.
"Sure!" Spencer takes the opportunity to grab as much food as he can from the luxury buffet while listening to Charlie.
"So, Spencer, I organized this meal because I wanted to talk to you: I'm going to need you to give me all the information you get. The key to this friendship will be transparency; we have to tell each other everything! Of course, don't tell anyone else. You know people can get jealous and want to join our group," explains Charlie.
"Sure, I'll tell you," says Spencer, nodding.
"So, are we voting together like an alliance too?" asks Gretchen.
"Yes, we vote together, but we're not an alliance; we're just a group of friends," explains Charlie.
Confessional
Gretchen — I'm so happy to be in a group of friends! Should I make friendship bracelets?
Spencer — I'm still not sure if Charlie really likes me or if she just wants my vote. Maybe both? Should I ask someone?
Charlie — Ashley, Gretchen, and Spencer, they're all super friendly and good at following orders. That makes them the perfect 'chosen ones.' Of course, our relationship is mutually supportive. I'll protect them until the merge, and they help me win the loot!
Ashley — It's clear that Charlie just wants our votes, but I go along with everything she says because maybe she has a good side. As long as she doesn't betray me or Gretchen, I have no problem working with her! Plus, I like Spencer; he's like if Shaggy from Scooby-Doo were real. Maybe he also has a talking dog?
Harlan — After seeing Kira's elimination, it became clear that I needed a bit of protection, and luckily, Levi seems like a trustworthy guy. That said, I also told Harvey because three is the magic number! Well, to be completely honest... I might be a little afraid he'll end up using me, but just a little.
Harvey — I don't care about alliances. It's not like I'm trying to win the program like a tryhard, but Harlan and Levi are excellent people! The farther I go, the more likely I am to find that muse that inspires my show.
Levi — Even though I didn't plan on having an alliance so early, I chose to work with Harlan because, despite being a playboy, he's the captain and can choose the nominations. That's quite a useful power in the game. And well, because I liked him quite a bit, and he dances great. You definitely should've seen him yesterday. Sorry, I'm rambling.
AJ — Yesterday's party was pretty fun. I've never been invited to one, but I was able to relax, so much that I didn't have to scan anything with my D.O.T.S projector!
Kevin is coming out of the showers in the Amazons team's wagon, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. He's about to enter the guys' cabin to change when he's intercepted by Celia, who approaches him with a notebook in hand.
"Hey, how are things going, Kevin?"
"Hm... I'm fine, why?"
"Well, I was just doing some interviews, you know, investigating some things!"
"Is it about Kira? Look, I don't know if her elimination affected you much, but what happened happened, and be thankful it wasn't me who left. If they had kicked me out now, you wouldn't have the best captain on the show."
"It's not personal; I'm just afraid there might be a case of betrayal in the team, you know?" Celia enters the guys' compartment, signaling Kevin to follow her. "Look, a few days ago, I found a letter talking about a secret alliance of three people. I think it has something to do with Kira's elimination, don't you think?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about. Look, I'll be honest with you. I talked to Sophia to vote for Kira that day, yes? But I'm not part of any secret cult or anything like that. Now get out of the cabin, unless you want to see me naked."
Kevin winks, and Celia has no choice but to leave looking disgusted, and head to the common room. On the way, she runs into Pedro, who is sipping tea in a chair.
"Hello, Pedrito!"
"Good morning, Miss Celia. Magnificent job redecorating the girls' wagon, by the way," says Pedro. "But please, adress me as Pedro."
"Thanks. Speaking of that, I have to graffiti your room too!"
"I'd prefer if you didn't. I like the more natural and elegant state of the train."
"Well, you're missing out! Anyway, I just wanted to ask you who did you vote yesterday"
"To be honest, I voted for Mr. Kevin," explains Pedro, taking a sip of his tea.
"Oh, that was much easier than with Kevin. Thanks!"
"Well, clearly, Mr. Kevin can be a rather complicated individual."
Confessional
Kevin – I have a bunch of new ideas now that I'm the captain! First, everyone has to tell me their votes if we happen to lose, and second, no one can listen to Sophia during the challenge! Once a guy tried to take away my captain position on the football team, and I had to give him a good tackle. Sophia reminds me a lot of that guy, and believe me, she's earning her tackle!
Pedro – Unlike Miss Kira, Mr. Kevin is not someone I feel comfortable following. I am a team player, but I have my limits.
Celia – I know Kevin tells the truth because he's probably not that smart to create that lie but the counts still don't add up! To have gotten her out, they needed three votes, so either Pedro, Corey or Barbara are lying to me, i don't trust what Pedro said to me by the way! Maybe he's a member of the... (dramatic pause) Bermuda Triangle! That's what I called the mysterious alliance, pretty cool, right? I love solving this case; it makes me feel like a friggin detective! Although I must admit I'm only doing it because I'm a bit bored.
"Good morning, Sophie" Corey says upon seeing the Latina girl entering the common room of the Amazons team's wagon. Barbara is casually chatting at the table next to Corey.
"Good morning, Corey, but my name is Sophia, not 'Sophie,' not 'Sofia' with an F. Anyway, how are you doing today?" asks Sophia, sitting down. "I suppose not very happy with the new captain."
"I want to give Kevin the time to demonstrate he can be a good captain, or I just think that," Corey says.
"Anyways, we were talking about how yesterday at Ash's concert Spencer started hitting on Corey. I mean, can you believe that?" Barbara interrupts with an excited smile.
"I mean, Spencer is not a bad guy, but I don't see him as dating material," says Corey.
"Not a bad guy? He's definitely a stoner!" Barbara exclaims. "I didn't see you at the party yesterday, Sophia, what happened?"
"Me? Well, you know, I'm not much of a party person," says Sophia, letting out a little laugh. "And I guess things got pretty wild last night, huh?"
"It didn't! I just danced a bit, that's all. You know, I have a boyfriend back home, and I'm a faithful girl!" Barbara retorts, to which Corey nods. "You have a boyfriend, right, Sophia? You're too pretty not to have one."
"Oh? Me?" The question makes Sophia let out a nervous laugh and look away. "I haven't had the time, you know, lots of class president duties."
"I understand, you must be quite dedicated to that, then?" Corey asks.
"Yup, it consumes a big part of my day," concludes Sophia, excusing herself from the wagon.
Confessional
Sophia – Okay, so what if I've never had a boyfriend? Or if I've never been on a date? I have my priorities straight and something they don't have, a Swell Mart manager membership, and nothing can take that away from me.
Corey – Sophie is a pretty difficult book to read. She doesn't seem to have a normal teenage life. What makes a girl obsess over a political career at such an early age?
Barbara – While Sophia seems like a lost cause, I'm so happy to have become such good friends with Corey! She's so sweet and outgoing... And I also think her parents are loaaaaaaaaded.
"Ooooh contestants! We're going to make a stop very soon, so get ready because for today's challenge I'm going to need you all to look very handsome! Chris out." The announcement echoes through the train's speakers.
"Does he need us to look handsome? What are they going to do to us?" Mackenzie wonders as he finishes fixing his hair. Upon leaving the boys' compartment, he runs into Liam. "Good morning, captain."
"G-G-Good modning, Mac..." Liam says, weakly raising his arm to shake hands with Mac.
"Are you okay?" Mac asks. Liam looks pale and weak, with teary and red eyes.
"I'm bedder dan eved, I jus dink I might hafe caught a cod."
"You think so?" Mac inquires, accompanying his captain to the luxury wagon where all the contestants are already gathered. Apparently, a large number of people are crowded in front of the window, trying to see outside.
"Let me see you, moron!" Sam yells.
"I can't see anything, Kevin!" Ashley complains.
"Where are we?" Corey asks.
"Guys! I think we're in New York City!" Spencer shouts, being the closest person to the window.
"Which neighborhood? Maybe I can go out and say hi to my dad," Celia says, releasing an excited laugh.
"You're from NYC, Celia? So am I!" Ashley screams.
"Hell yeah I am! I was born in the heart of the city, in Queens," Celia shouts, going to fist bump Ashley.
"Like Spider-Man," Mackenzie mutters under his breath.
"You have to visit Mama's restaurant; it's not far from here. You just have to head northwest from Times Square down the 45th, and you'll find the best Italian restaurant in the whole country!" Ashley yells.
"Oh, that's in Hell's Kitchen, right? I've eaten there; it's only a few blocks away from here," Harvey says, pointing his finger toward the sky.
"Are you from here too, Harvey?" Celia asks, to which the otaku nods happily.
"That's so awesome!" Celia responds, increasing the volume of her voice. "We should escape from the train and go running like... tonight!"
"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ashley shouts.
Confessional
Ashley – (Celia and Ashley are seen in the confessional together, with Celia putting her arm around Ashley) "She's my friend now! And as soon as we get out of this crappy program, we are going to go to a rave together!"
Harlan – I'm from Buffalo, which isn't too far from here. Maybe I should escape too for a while and say hi to my family.
Corey – I thought this show was Canadian; I didn't expect to find so many people from the United States... Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we have people to guide us.
Jennifer – Ashley and Celia are really getting on my nerves. Don't they realize the auditory pollution they create? Especially Ashley with that... incomprehensible noise she calls music.
Celia – I know every street in New York like the back of my hand; this is my challenge!
"Guys, I think we're on Broadway!" Barbara shouts. This instantly changes Celia's expression from excitement to total fear.
Celia – Forget it; this is not my challenge.
"You're totally right, Barbara; we're on Broadway!" Chris's voice can be heard from outside the luxury wagon. Harlan opens the door, and the host can be seen dressed in a top hat and a tuxedo. On his sides are Emma and Chris Jr., throwing confetti to make his entrance more dramatic. "Today, we have a very, very special challenge. They even lent me the Winter Garden Theatre to do it. Today, you will be the stars of the world's most famous plays."
"And was that a good enough excuse to wear that suit?" Charlie asks, with a disgusted look.
"YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" The scream that Barbara let out was so high-pitched that some had to cover their ears to endure it.
"Are we going to act?" Mackenzie asks, although not as excitedly as Barbara.
"Exactly, act, choreograph, set up scenery, everything. Come with me inside while I elaborate, okay?" Chris gestures for them to follow him into the grand theater. The contestants even had some time to wander through the streets of New York City.
Confessional
Mackenzie – I'm kind of ashamed to say this, but... I'm a big theater kid. One day my family flew to New York and I went to see Beetlejuice; since then, it's been going downhill... I'm very excited for this challenge. Which should be a bad thing since Chris will find a way to make this torture.
Barbara – This is my dream come true! I've always dreamed of being a movie star, and theater is like movies but... a little bit less exciting. As long as I can act, I'm in!
Kevin – The only thing gayer than being in a play is... I don't know, being gay?
Chris led the contestants around the Winter Garden Theatre, showcasing its wonderful facilities until they reached the main stage, where he climbed up to explain the challenge.
"All right, today I bring you three different productions to perform. I'll give you the script, and the rest is up to you. We have a Drama, a Fantasy, and a Musical. Team Friendship, you won the previous challenge, so you have the privilege of choosing your play first. Harlan?"
"Oh, oh, pick fantasy!" Harvey shouts, jumping excitedly.
"What do you guys think?" Harlan asks.
"I guess fantasy is fine," says Levi, shrugging.
"As long as it's not anything horror-related," adds AJ.
Confessional
AJ – I really love horror movies, but... I can't watch them! They leave me sleepless at night and with bad vibes for the rest of the week. S-So, I guess acting in a horror play must be even worse, like in The Phantom of the Opera.
"We choose Fantasy," Harlan concludes.
"All right, Team Friendship will present 'The Princess and the Frog,' the original one. You can't make any reference to the Disney version for... legal reasons," Chris says, the last part under his breath. The host throws a piece of paper at AJ's face, and the guy barely catches it.
"These are the roles the play should have: The princess, the frog prince, the king, the evil stepmother, the princess's silly friend, the evil sorcerer, and a royal guard. That's it. You can go to room number 22 to rehearse and get the props you need."
Confessional
Harvey – When you say fantasy, you'd expect something like Lord of the rings, no?
Charlie – Ok, first, this challenge is stupid, but if we have to do an stupid play you know… I would definitely have to be the princess.
"Liam, your team finished second yesterday, it's your turn to choose."
"Uh! Dama fod sude!" Liam shouts, though Chris can't understand anything.
"Dude, what is wrong with your voice?" Chris asks.
"I'b catched a colb I dink," responds Liam, sniffing.
"Can someone translate for me?"
"He said he thinks he caught a cold. And he chose Drama," says Lucy.
"All right, good luck, because you will be presenting a theatrical adaptation of the new hit soap opera: 'What We Latina Women Keep Silent.'"
"Yes! Soap operas! "Mackenzie shouts, earning judgmental looks from his entire team." I mean... No, soap operas."
"The roles to distribute are: The protagonist, Camila. Carlos Charleton, the romantic interest. Florinda, Camila's best friend. Divina, the antagonist. Esteban Quito, the Defense Attorney, Tomás Turbado, the judge, and the prosecuting attorney Susana Horia."
Harvey, Celia, and Spencer can't stop laughing when they hear the names, while Sophia, Jennifer, and Pedro freeze with expressions of disgust.
"What's so funny, I want to laugh too!" Gretchen says.
"Do you know Spanish?" Celia asks, trying to hold her laughter.
"Of course," she says.
"Then why aren't you laughin' at the names?" Spencer asks.
"I don't get it, they sound like normal names to me," Gretchen says, oblivious to the joke.
"Gretchen, you must be protected at all costs," Ashley says, hugging her teammate.
Confessional
Ryuuko – I have no words to describe how horrible that play sounds.
Liam – I'b expecteb Dama to be somedig dike… Wod Wad two od… Y-You know.
Mac – I… Actually wanted to do the musical, but I love soap operas. When my grandpa was alive, we used to watch them all the time for lunch!
Harvey - A little bit of trivia for you guys, i actually learned spanish only to criticize properly the horrible spanish dub of Gakkō no Kaidan... Ah, i have a good amount of free time.
"Well, I guess that leaves the Amazons to play the musical," Chris says, while giving Kevin the sheet with the roles.
"Oh, it's Hamilton? Because I will proudly play George Washington and represent the flag with pride!" Sophia says, with a genuinely enthusiastic smile.
"I'm sorry, Sophia, but you'll be presenting Heathers. Good luck. The roles here are Heather Chandler, Heather Duke, Heather McNamara, JD, Veronica, and Ram Sweeney," says Chris. "You have four hours to prepare your play: Don't disappoint us!"
Confessional
Kevin – I stand corrected, the only thing gayer than being in a play is being in a musical.
"Wait, Chris, what's the catch? there's always a catch," Levi says.
"Fine, you busted me. During the play you'll have to improvise despite any mishaps. My team of interns and my two children will be causing problems constantly, so you'll have to get rid of them. Also, it would be quite unfair if the Amazons were the only ones who have to sing, so every time you hear the tinkling of a little bell, you must break into song, understood?"
"I would have preferred another one of your physical torture challenges, I swear," says Sam.
"Now go, you're wasting time."
The first team to arrive at their set and start organizing was Team Friendship.
"Well, I will be the prince. Anyone wants to be my princess?" Harlan asks with a teasing smile.
"I could be the princess!" says Gretchen.
"NO!- I mean, I'm sorry, Gretchen, but you will definitely do better as the best friend since you're my best friend, and I could be the princess!"
"We are best friends?" Gretchen asks.
"Sure!" Charlotte replies.
Confessional
Harlan - The idea of being Charlotte's prince couldn't be less appealing, but I really want to be the prince. I mean, three-quarters of the play I'm going to be a frog; how cool is being a frickin' frog?
"Ashley can be the step-mother, and Levi can be the wizard." Both nod in agreement with Harlan's orders. "So... Harvey and AJ, figure out how you want to organize yourselves."
"You be the king, Harvey. B-Being king is a lot of work," AJ says at lightning speed.
"Awesome!"
"I'm going to look for the frog for the play. I saw there's a park nearby; maybe I'll get lucky," Levi says, leaving the room.
Things were going even better on Team Alpha, as Liam didn't take long to assign the roles, although due to his illness, his teammates had to exert twice the effort to understand him.
"Ok, I wand do play Cadlos becaude he's one of de main ones, Dyuuko can be the judge, Spence cab be de defensod and Mac widd be de posecuding."
"But the prosecuting attorney is a woman, Susana Horia." Mac points out.
"Just give him a wig; there are more girls than guys in the characters anyway," Sam suggests.
"We don't have to cross-dress him against his will," Lucy says, immediately jumping to his defense. "We can just change the character's gender."
"Don't worry, I'll wear the wig," Mac says. "The most important thing is to stick to the script, right?"
"If you say so..." Lucy says.
"Wedd, Jebbifed, can you play Divina?" Liam asks.
"I'm going to put my soul into that role," Jen responds.
"Then, Sam, you could play Camila."
"No way am I taking a lead role in this garbage," Sam objects.
"Fine, I'll play Camila," Lucy says, visibly upset. "I can also take care of the costumes. Unfortunately, I'm a good designer."
"Danks, Ducy! I dove youf team spibid!"
"But you can't perform with that voice. Spencer, go buy him something for his cold; there must be a pharmacy nearby," Lucy orders, and Spencer nods, leaving the room.
"Hear me out, team! I'm not assigning shit since I haven't seen that stupid movie; just pick any character you want," Kevin says, throwing the character sheets to the floor. Barbara rushes to pick them up. "I will work on the playlist."
"Okay, then... Clearly, I'm going to be Heather Chandler because she's so iconic, and Corey and Sophia will be Duke and McNamara since green looks so good on you, Corey," Barbara says, winking at her friend. "And finally, Celia will be Veronica."
"Is Veronica... You know, an important role?" Celia asks, visibly nervous.
"Not so much; don't worry," Barbara says, downplaying its significance.
Barbara ends up working on everyone's makeup while Sophia and Pedro design the costumes, leaving Corey and Celia to deal with the set design.
"Celia, are you okay?" Corey asks while watching Celia spray-paint a cardboard wall.
"I'm perfect, why?" Her body language said otherwise, as her hands trembled while painting.
"Sure?"
"Ugh, it's just that I don't like acting, that's all. I haven't acted since... t-the tree incident." She says the last part in a sigh, almost to herself.
"What is the tree incident?" Corey asks, tilting his head slightly.
"Well, it was when... I... You know, forget it; it was nothing," she says, putting on a confident smile again.
"I understand if you don't want to tell me; don't worry. I'll be helping you, it must be very difficult knowing you're going to be the lead in the play, right?"
"What do you mean?" Celia's smile fades.
"You are playing Veronica, the main character," Corey says, totally innocent, just to see Celia freeze in terror again.
Spencer is returning from the pharmacy after buying ibuprofen for Liam, carrying a bunch of cardboard boxes they asked him to get for the play. It's then he passes by a small pond near the park and finds Levi searching for something with his gaze.
"Hi dude! You're from the other team, right? What are you doing?"
"Looking for a frog; what else could I be doing?" Levi says sarcastically.
"Dude, let me help you, but in return, I need you to give me a little advice, okay?"
"Um... Yeah, sure."
Spencer enters the lake with total normality and starts searching everywhere. In the end, he finds a little brown frog, picks it up, and hands it to Levi, who, with some disgust, puts it in a box.
"Aren't you disgusted or cold?" Levi asks, looking confused at the Alpha team member.
"Why?" Spencer asks totally innocently.
"Because... forget it. What advice do you need?"
"Well, I wanted to ask you, I'm not very good at all that strategy stuff; I just came to the show to make friends... And I wanted to know how to differentiate when someone wants to be my friend or just wants my vote."
"Is there someone on your team making you doubt? Well, for example in the alliance I have everything was pretty straightforward. When someone asks you to vote with them it's because, besides friendship, they want to benefit in the game. The key is to see if that person treats you well in general or only when they need your vote," Levi explains while trying to have minimal contact with the frog.
"Thanks a lot, bro; well, I'm going back to my team." Still soaking wet, Spencer walks back to the theater.
Confessional
Levi - (With the frog in his hand) What can I say? I like helping, and that Spencer guy doesn't seem so bad. (Suddenly, the frog jumps from Levi's hand to his shoulder, making him fall off the chair in fright) Where did it go? Damn it.
Spencer - Levi helped me a lot! Now I know that Charlotte likes me and wants my vote at the same time! Because she treated me well at the party yesterday too, right? Hmm... Levi mentioned something about an alliance; should I tell Charlie?
Three hours of preparation had already passed, so Chris had called all the contestants to gather on the main stage. The host was sitting at a table that had two empty seats.
"Hm... Now what?" Sam asks.
"Well, now that we're all here, I can explain more about the challenge. Today, we will have two special judges who will help me impartially judge your plays. The first of them is a mid-fame celebrity with a declining career, and I have to have her here by contract. Give a warm welcome to the creator of 'What We Latina Women Keep Silent,' Blaineley Andrews O'Halloran!"
A blonde woman in her forties, dressed in a bright red dress, walks elegantly to Chris's side and sits in the chair to his left. All contestants react indifferently to this; the only ones who seem genuinely excited are Barbara and Mackenzie.
Confessional
Mac - I'm in front of an OG Total Drama contestant; I-I just can't believe it!
Barbara - You know what I see there? My ticket to Hollywood!
"Excuse me, McLean? I'm pretty sure my career is much more alive than yours," Blaineley retorts.
"Whatever. She'll be part of the judges."
"I'm very excited to see how you kids portray my masterpiece, and I warn you, I'm very demanding with adaptations of my productions." Liam swallows hard, looking at his team.
"Wait, did she basically pay for us to do her play?" Lucy asks.
"Not at all. It's just that when you have so much f-"
"Yep, that was clearly what happened," McLean interrupts.
"And the third judge... Well, there's no third judge." Chris kicks the third chair directly to the floor. "The third judge will be X users who will give their live opinions on the plays. The average will be your score. Understood?"
All contestants nod.
"Well, let's start with the best: Team Amazons and Team Friendship, take your seats. We will have 3 scenes from the telenovela 'What We Latina Women Keep Silent,' performed by members of Team Alpha! Let's begin!"
The lights in the venue go out, and the curtain rises. There is no stage setup. Lucy, dressed in a poorly made blonde wig, blue pants, and a white blouse, is walking with shopping bags beside Sam, who wears jeans and a black leather jacket.
"I remember that in the original they wore dresses. What a lack of glamour..." Blaineley remarks from the audience.
"Shhh! They're about to start." Ashley hushes Blaineley.
"Amiguis, how beautiful is the BJ clothing. Everyone should shop at BJ," says Sam, with terribly feigned enthusiasm. The room falls silent, and the only person who laughs is Blaineley.
"I love the subtle advertising."
"Yes, friend! Their clothes are of quality... Wait a second, isn't that... CARLOS CHARLESTON?" Lucy points, and Liam enters the scene wearing a Spanish seducer costume, with a fake mustache drawn with a marker.
"I'm bored! Give me a good song!" Chris shouts, making his bell ring. Lucy and Sam look at each other in panic. Lucy pushes Sam forward, hoping she will be the one to sing.
"Huh... Listen up, Camila, it's time to make a move. There's a Spanish seducer, and his name is Carlos Charleton. He's got the charm, I got a plan, gonna do no harm. You're gonna woo him with a salsa beat. Carlos won't know what hit him... Y-Yes," Sam manages to improvise a small verse out of nowhere, giving an unexpectedly amazing vocal performance. All this is done with a face of disgust and total embarrassment. After her song, most contestants in the audience start applauding.
"Splendid!" Ashley cheers.
Confessional
Sam - What? Sometimes I sing in the shower; that's all.
"Oh, I will, you'll see." Once the song is over, Lucy walks toward Liam, who puts on a charming smile and takes her hand.
"Oh! My bedofed Camida, dong tibe no see!" says Liam, making his cold worsened voice strip any possible charm from the scene.
"Yes... I missed you too." Lucy tries her best to contain her laughter "We should go out sometime."
"Do it, my dady."
"What happened to your voice? Did you swallow a kazoo?" Kevin shouts from the audience, with a mocking smile.
"Could you stop being such a dick?!" Sam shouts from the stage, breaking character. Kevin goes from smiling to frowning and shrinks in his seat.
Confessional
Kevin - Who does that girl think she is? If there's anything more ridiculous than a woman giving me orders, it's a jock-wannabe girl trying to give me orders!
The curtain closes for a second. When it opens again, Jennifer, dressed in a red dress, is holding Lucy by the neck, shaking her with anger.
"Divina! Calm down, please!" Lucy shouts.
"Never! Carlos will be mine! And a peasant like you won't take him away from me!" Jennifer is perfectly portraying Divina, and the scene progresses naturally. Liam can spot a smile on Blaineley's face. "And I will make it happen, as sure as my name is Divi—"
Jennifer is interrupted by a loud thud. A lighting fixture had been thrown at her, knocking her out instantly. Lucy had to improvise quickly.
"Oh no! THEY'VE MURDERED DIVINA!" The scene cuts again, and when the lights come back, a courtroom made of cardboard boxes is revealed. In it, Ryuuko, dressed in a judge wig, Spencer, in a completely disheveled suit, Liam, with the mustache half faded, Lucy, with smudged makeup, and Mac, with a perfectly combed blonde wig and an impeccably arranged suit, are seen.
"The trial for the murder of Divina Florez begins," says Ryuuko, totally expressionless.
"Well, YOUR HONOOOOOR! I comeeeee to tell you THAT the accused... CAMILA!" Mackenzie screams, totally overdramatic. "IS GUILTYYYY!"
"Objection, um..." Spencer exclaims, hitting the table. "The prosecutor is using her... um... sexiness to try to convince the jury of my client's guilt!"
Spencer had obviously forgotten the script.
"Uh... Ah, yes," says Ryuuko, absentmindedly looking towards the ceiling. "Uh, Overruled, or whatever."
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" yells Mac. "That's not... TRUEEEEE! Holy crap! SOMEBODY HELP MEEEEEE! Camila is INNOCENTTTTTT and I don't know how to prove ITTTTT!"
""Uh... Ah, let's see, I'm going to grab the evidence," says Spencer, breaking character, "Um, um... I have the proof of Camila's guilt! Or well, innocence! Dammit, how does it go?"
But when Spencer goes to collect the evidence, he only sees a stack of burned papers and manages to hear Chris laughing quietly.
"Now what do I do?" he whispers to Sam, who is taking care of Jennifer backstage.
"improvise!"
"Um... We don't need evidence to defend Camila!"
"What do you mean NOOOOO!" Mac shouts, too immersed in the role.
"Because... If you believe that Camila is innocent... No, if you KNOW! You'll know it in your heart. I'm sure. Look at your heart. Or listen to it, I don't know, but do something with it," Spencer concludes, bowing.
Ryuuko wakes up quickly and hits the box with the judge's gavel.
"Yes, it's accepted. The jury declares Camila innocent." he exclaims with yawns.
"Heavens! Thank goodness!" Lucy cheers, hugging Liam.
"I'b so glad, Camida! Led's kidd to cedebate youd victody!"
"It's better if we don't," says Lucy, with a nervous smile.
Just then, Jennifer appears, who regained consciousness thanks to a bucket of water that Sam threw at her. Still confused and immersed in the character, Jennifer pounces on Lucy and starts attacking her.
"LEAVE CARLOS ALONE!"
"Uh... Divina has resurrected! It's a miracle!" Spencer improvises while Jennifer and Lucy pull each other's hair.
"HEAVENSSSS! This trial has been IN VAINNNNN!" Mac screams with all his might.
The scene closes slowly while Spencer improvises a monologue about everything that happened after the trial, recounting how Divina was taken to prison for drug trafficking, and Camila and Carlos lived a happy married life in Trinidad and Tobago.
Chris lets out a horrified look, while all the members of Team Alpha gather and take their final bow.
Confessional
Charlie - The only thing worse than their work was the performance of that weird gothic girl. (she says, disgusted).
Lucy - My head hurts... So much!
Jennifer - Maybe I got carried away in the end, but I said I would put my soul into that role.
Mac - I loved acting for the first time! Maybe some director will see this and hire me.
"That was a disaster! I'll give you a two... Solely because I enjoyed the final fight." says Chris, holding up a sign with the number 2. "Let's see what the internet says... One user comments: 'Despite the magnificent performances by Mac, Spence, and Liam, the play doesn't save itself.' Also, 'the only good part was Sam's song.' The general consensus for your play is a... 2."
Meanwhile, everyone on Team Alpha awaits Blaineley's reaction. She stands up from her seat, still in shock, and surprisingly starts applauding.
"That was marvelous! The other judges didn't get it, but it was a perfect display of deconstructing the soap opera genre, a series of social critique, and rawness in today's entertainment world! I never thought my story could be given such a creative twist. A 10! Who was in charge of creating this?" Liam quickly raises his hand. "Young man, you have a future in the industry. When you leave this reality show, expect a call from me. We're going to make even more millions!"
Confessional
Barbara - That should have been me! (Screaming in the highest voice she can). Why do they love Liam?! He's not as fetch as me!
"That leaves Team Alpha with a total of 14 points, not very difficult to surpass. The next play will be the Amazonians', ladies and gentlemen, get ready to see Heathers!"
There was a little time for preparation for the Amazonians while Team Alpha picked up everything and changed again. Finally, the curtain opens, showing the set designed by Celia, simulating a school hallway. The first person to enter the scene, though pushed from behind the stage, was Celia, who was dressed in the classic blue school uniform with a plaid skirt.
"September 1889.. Uh... Awesome! And, huh, I... Look at... You know. Yeah, School... Fuck," Celia is totally blank. She is pale and sweating profusely, not knowing what to do. When she turns around, she sees Corey behind the stage, holding small sheets of paper with the girl's lines. "A-And I look at this kids that I've known all my life and I ask m-myself, what happened?"
Confessional
Celia - I haven't acted since 'the tree incident'... I was terrified, luckily Corey was there to save me.
Corey - I can recognize that kind of trauma from miles away.
The play proceeds normally, despite Celia's terrible performance and her high level of nervousness.
"And that's Sam Rweeney, third year as linebacker and eight years of smacking lunch trays and being a Huge Dick!"
"What did you say to me, skank?" Kevin responds, confronting Celia.
"A-Ah... Nothing," the girl responds, surprised that Kevin memorized his lines.
Confessional
Barbara - Making Kevin play the Jock was a genius move! He didn't even read the script; his lines came out naturally!
Celia even managed to get through without any unforeseen incidents until the introduction of the Heathers.
"And there's the Heathers, they float above it all," says Celia, introducing Barbara, Sophia, and Corey. All three girls enter, each dressed in the iconic red, yellow, and green outfits, respectively, from besides the smoke made by a smoke machine.
"Honey, what you waitin' fo-" Barbara was about to make her magnificent entrance, but before she emerged completely from the smoke, a trapdoor opened beneath the stage, causing her to disappear.
"Oh no! Heather is dead!" Corey shouts, seeing Barbara fall.
"Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen until halfway?" Pedro asks, peeking his head from behind the stage.
"Barbara, are you okay?" Sophia asks, kneeling in front of the trapdoor.
"Get me out of here!" Barbara shouts from the bottom of the pit.
"I'm getting a rope, Barbara!" Sophia shouts, running at full speed toward the stage exit.
"Heather, she meant Heather!" Corey shouts, trying to keep the play afloat.
"That wasn't supposed to happen, uhm... Y-You wannna hear a joke? 'What did the janitor say when he jumped out of the closet?' 'Supplies!' " The crowd stays silent while Celia starts laughing awkwardly. She's so nervous she actually start looking sick "So... W-We follow with the play, and... And... I-I'm sorry," Celia runs at full speed, desperately looking for somewhere, until finally, she ends up throwing up into the trapdoor hole where Barbara had fallen.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! WHO DID THIS?" Barbara is heard shouting from the bottom of the hole.
"I'm Sorry Barbie! So, moving on..." says Celia, calming herself down.
Corey and Celia were able to keep the play going by improvising a short conversation, and then the curtain closed. The scene reopened with Celia and Pedro, dressed in a black trench coat and with a toy water gun, and in the corner was Kevin wearing a football jacket.
"Dude, please don't kill me!" Kevin shouts, overacting.
"We won't kill you, we will... educate and consentingly end your life." says Pedro, pointing the gun at Kevin.
"That's not how it says in the script..." Celia whispers.
"I know, but I don't want people to see me as a murderer." Pedro responds, shooting the contents of the gun, which turned out to be tomato sauce, at Kevin. After that he breaks into song. "I worship you, I'd trade my life for yo-"
He is interrupted when a loud dog barking audio is played at full volume through the speakers, interrupting the song.
"Uh-Uhm... We'll make them disappear." Despite Pedro's attempts, his voice fails to be heard over the dogs, in the end, he gets even more nervous and ends up exploding. "Three point one four one five nine..."
"What the hell are you doing?!" Kevin asks.
Confessional
Pedro - I don't know when I started doing it, but I begin to recite the pi number to calm myself when I'm very angry... or very sad... or very happy.
But other than that, the play ended without many more mishaps other than some disappearances or loose sounds, making the play end as it should, with Pedro dying. Finally, the Amazonians gathered for the final bow, with a disheveled and battered-haired Barbara.
"You ruined this musical for me..." Mackenzie says under her breath.
"It's okay, I guess. It reminds me of the plays Emma used to do in elementary school, a five," says Chris.
"You never went to see them!" his daughter shouts from the stage.
"Your mother sent me videos of them; of course I watched them. Anyway, let's see what the audience says... 'Barbara's talent is overshadowed by such a poor execution,' 'Corey is a queen,' and 'Pedro's performance is so underrated,' the general consensus is a six."
"That was beautiful! The level of acting is good, and the effects are dazzling, a ten!" Blaineley says, applauding uncontrollably. "Who was in charge of this?"
"Me! Me!" Barbara shouts.
"You're my second option if things with the big guy don't work out. Congratulations," says Blaineley, to which Barbara maintains a plastic smile.
Confessional
Harlan - I get it now; Blaineley is so used to trash TV that she'll give a 10 to everything she sees!
"Very well, that leaves the Amazons with a total of 21, very difficult to surpass! I wish good luck to our last team, Team Friendship! Here they come!"
In the backstage, seconds before starting the play, Charlie approaches Harlan to talk.
"Hello, captain."
"Hello, Charlie, what's going on?"
"Well, a little birdie told me you have an alliance, and well... I have an alliance," says the girl with a sly smile.
"Aha, so what?" Harlan asks, quite skeptical.
"Well, you know, I think there's a way that if we end up... you know, losing... none of us will come out badly."
"Ugh, tell me..."
The play starts quickly, and on the stage is a background representing the gardens of a palace with a small pond made of cardboard. Levi, wearing a black hood and a top hat, has met with Harlan, who has a prince's crown, and AJ, wearing armor made of doodled-on boxes.
"Ah, welcome, my Lord Hottington! I am the wizard, uh... Iroh. So, you want not to be a prince?"
"Yes, it makes me feel lazy. Work your magic."
"Well, you see sir," Levi says, acting perfectly as an eccentric wizard until interrupted by the sound of Chris's bell. "Uhm... I'm a magic mage, and I will give you magic like... Uh... I'm on the minimum wage."
Levi sings terribly while doing awkward little jumps. AJ bursts into laughter.
Confessional
Levi - I'm a writer, wich means i write things, not improvise things.
After a scene with terrible special effects in which Harlan turns into a frog, Charlie, dressed in her princess outfit, and Harvey, in an elegant king's suit, enter the scene.
"Today is the dance for your proposal with Prince Lord Handsometon of Arabasta," says King Harvey, and Charlie makes a dramatic gesture, almost as if fainting.
"Father! I don't want to marry him—"
"And what do I care?" Harvey replies. "You're already 40 years old, so if you don't find someone to marry in 12 hours, you decide: either you remain a spinster, eating precooked soup and having 20 cats named Nyako, or you marry Lord Handsometon."
"Oh, Father! Why do you say that if it wasn't in the script?" Charlie says, gritting her teeth
"Uh... Sorry, daughter, but I don't like you being capricious!"
Charlotte acts enraged and exits the room, fake crying.
Charlie lies sobbing on the bed, while Ashley looks at her in an old woman's costume, and Gretchen, in a pink dress, plays with dolls in a corner.
"You will never be able to marry the man you desire!" says Ashley, overacting an evil laugh, and Charlie starts hysterically crying on the floor.
"IT'S NOT FAIR! I WANT TO DIE! I WANT TO—"
Coincidentally, a spotlight falls, hitting Charlotte and leaving her instantly knocked out. Harvey and AJ come out from behind the stage and rush to her aid.
"Oh, God!" says Ashley, though she can't help but smile at the scene.
"What are we going to do?" asks Harvey. "She won't wake up for a while, and we need a princess."
"Well," says AJ, thoughtfully, "the king doesn't appear again in the whole play..."
"Uh? Why are you looking at me like that?"
It's the final scene of the Friendship team's play. Harvey, dressed as a princess with the wig that Mac wore in the Alpha team's play, goes to the pond crying, where there was a discarded shoe.
Confessional
Harvey - That was very humiliating... But it was fun, that's objectively true!
"Eh? A shoe? What happened to the frog?" Harvey asks, confused.
"It got away! Improvise!" Levi shouts from backstage.
"Oh, sparks! A frog!" Harvey says, pointing at the shoe. "They say that if you kiss a frog on the day of the dance, it will turn into a Venezuelan prince, delicious and with hundreds of millions safely stored in a Swiss bank, and he'll take you to live in a tax haven. But... am I daring enough to try?"
Harvey's performance is not the best, but at least his high-pitched woman's voice is convincing.
To his horror, Harvey kisses the moldy shoe, and in a puff of smoke, turns into Ashley, who was wearing a suit several sizes too big.
"Eh? Ashley? Isn't Harlan the prince?" Harvey asks, surprised.
"They took him out," Ashley tells him with a sigh.
"Ok..." Harvey composes himself. "Oh, it turned into a prince!"
"Hello, little girl," Ashley says, winking and feigning a deep voice. "Let's see how you like this: you, me, and a latex bed."
"Oh, don't go so fast..." Harvey says, blushing.
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, a giant fan appears, sweeping away the stage, taking Harvey and Ashley with it. Gretchen ran onto the stage once the fan had disappeared.
"And they lived happily ever after, the end!" she says cheerfully, the curtain closes again, and the Friendship team goes to take their bow, except for Charlie, who remains unconscious backstage.
"Well... It was a disaster, but I liked the costumes; a three," Chris announces. "The general consensus says... 'More Gretchen, please,' 'Harlevi looks so cute together xoxo'—what does that even mean? Anyway, the average score is a five."
Harlan was already happy, blindly trusting that Blaineley would give a ten.
"I don't know, it lacked some... spice, you get me? I feel like the performances were somewhat simple; I'll only give it a five." Harlan almost dropped his jaw upon hearing Blaineley's review.
"Wow! With that, it would be 13 points, which means the losers today, and the ones sending someone home, will be the Team Frienship!" Chris announces, Harlan remains in a state of shock. "You know the drill, tonight at 7 in the Wagon of Shame, Harlan, could you give me your nominees?"
Confessional
Harlan - Ok, what the *ck is *ing wrong with that W*re? Agh... I know I shouldn't listen to someone like Charlie, but... What she says makes sense.
"Ok, i nominate Charlie and AJ" Harlan says.
"Well, you have twenty minutes to count the votes, good luck," says Chris, opening the theater doors.
"Another second place?" Says Sam, visibly angry.
"We ade nod facin elibinadion! I see dis as a wib!" Liam says, with a joyful smile. "Come on! Les do a team hug to celebade!" But in the end, only Spencer and Mac come for the hug.
"Excuse me, Ms. Blaineley, but can we talk about, you know... The show thing?" asks Barbara, who is running at full speed towards Blaineley.
"Ugh, first of all, finish the show, then we'll talk. And I have to talk to that Liam guy too," says Blaineley before leaving the theater. Barbara stayed with a sparkle in her eyes and a smile of excitement.
Confessional
Barbara - First, I will be in a Blaineley Andrews show and now I get to spend the night in the Luxury Wagon! Best. Day. Of. My. Life!
Kevin - And this is the first big victory of Team Kevin and his bitches, about to be the greatest in Total Drama!
The elimination ceremony finally begins. The Amazons and Team Alpha have taken their seats and are ready to observe the elimination. Even the Amazons have a few snacks to enjoy.
"All right, Team Friendship, it's time to begin the ceremony. You have five minutes to place your votes in the confessional's shoebox."
Confessional
Harlan - I'm sorry, Levi and Harlan, I know I told you that I'll be voting with you tonight but... This is what will help the team the most.
Levi - Charlie will be out, and then life is going to start sounding wonderful.
Harvey - Just following the plan!
AJ - I don't want to leave yet, so I guess voting for Charlie is the most logical thing.
Charlie - I'm sooo good at this game (She shows her vote for AJ).
Gretchen - I'm just so glad that I'm not nominated! Even though if it were up to me, I wouldn't vote anyone out.
Ashley - Another day on the train for me! Let's go!
"All right, the votes have been counted, and it's time to distribute the marshmallows. First, I'll give them to the non-nominated: Ashley, Levi, Gretchen, and Harvey, you're safe, congratulations." Junior was in charge of throwing the marshmallows. Ashley managed to catch hers with her mouth, while Gretchen got hit in the eye. "Sweetie, the nominations."
Emma takes a step forward.
"Harlan, you're the captain, and somehow the play you prepared failed. AJ, you're a pretty weird guy and didn't contribute much to your team today, maybe you're a bit isolated. Lastly Charlie, like your brother, you're quite controversial among your peers."
"But is she cool like me?" Kevin Asks
"Shut up Kevin, don't talk to my daughter. The first marshmallow goes to..."
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"Harlan!"
"Yup." He says, catching his marshmallow.
"And the last Marshmallow goes to..."
AJ was trembling with nerves, while Charlie was simply lying in the hay, with an expression of total calm.
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"Charlie! I'm sorry, AJ. Grab all your ghost gear and get out," says Chris, tossing the marshmallow to Charlie. Levi quickly directs his gaze filled with confusion at Harlan, who simply shrugs.
"Okay guys, I get it..." AJ sighs. He's disappointed but not surprised.
"Cool, they kicked out the redhead!" Kevin shouts, raising his fist in the air.
"Shut up!" Sam yells.
"I'm sorry, AJ," Gretchen shouts, bidding him farewell.
"No problem, guys. I had a good time and I even caught a ghost!" AJ says with a proud smile.
"About that..." Levi begins, before being interrupted by Harlan.
"Let him be," says the captain, placing his hand on Levi's shoulder.
"All right, AJ, get ready for the drop." Chris offers AJ a helmet and finally pushes him off the train. As AJ's screams fade into the distance, the contestants retreat from the Shame Wagon. "And that's it for today! Now there are nineteen contestants. Who will be the next to fall? Will the undefeated Alpha Team crumble? Or perhaps Team Friendship won't hold up after losing AJ? Where will we go? Find out the answers to these questions and more in the next episode of Total Drama... Express Tour!"
CONTESTANTS
Team Amazon – Kevin (c), Corey, Sophia, Barbara, Celia, Pedro.
Team Friendship – Harlan (c), Levi, Harvey, Gretchen, Ashley, Charlie.
Team Alpha — Liam (C), Mac, Ryuuko, Spencer, Jennifer, Sam, Lucy.
Eliminated - Kira, the Flamenco dancer (Seoul), AJ, the cowardly ghost hunter (NYC)
McLEAN EXPRESS
Wagon 1 — Engine
Wagon 2 – Chris' Chambers
Wagon 3 — Luxury Wagon (Today: Team Amazons)
Wagon 4 – Amazon Team dorms
Wagon 5 – Friendship Team dorms
Wagon 6 – Alpha Team room
Wagon 7 – Common room confessional
Wagon 8 – Wagon of Shame
"And that's the end of chapter 3! This chapter was really for the funsies, especially the challenge, giving the characters some more moments of interaction and seeing them in a situation as fun as acting. Writing it was challenging and fun in equal parts, I want to highlight Liam, the wonderful idea of making him have a cold just so that the Alpha team's play would be more disastrous ended up backfiring for me since many times I myself got confused writing him, but seeing the final result I think it was worth it. I hope you didn't have too much trouble understanding it. I'm sad to have to say goodbye to AJ so soon, but I think the three chapters he had gave him some memorable moments. The most important thing about this chapter, we finally have a name for the mysterious alliance! I want to hear your predictions, both about eliminations and about the characters. I'm very grateful for the amount of reviews you're leaving; they're a great motivator and they're helping me to have these chapters so quickly. And for that reason, I'm going to respond to some of the ones you left in the previous chapter:
XrossMyHeart - I'm sorry you had to see Kira leave so soon, but as you said, it had to be a shocking elimination! Seeing Charlotte's relationship with Spencer right now, it seems to me that Corey will have to work a little if he wants to regain his attention. I hope you liked Corey in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!
thedragonrooster - I'm very happy that you're enjoying Barbara! She's one of the characters I enjoy writing the most, and this chapter had even more focus on her, I guess Broadway suits her well. Several reviews mentioned how the nomination system is also in your story The Peralta Challenges, so expect me to read it soon because I love the great amounts of drama that it brings. Thanks for reviewing!
The Feline Overlord - Thank you for such an amazing review! When choosing the name of Chris's children, I knew he's the type of person who would name his child after himself, and the name Emma comes because just as you said, it's the most common name among Total Drama characters. I'm glad you noticed that the train is following a route, but we'll see how much I can maintain that since even though this destination also makes sense (although the time it took them to get there doesn't, but I needed the chapter to start right after the previous one because of Liam's damn cold prank, damn that joke was counterproductive), eventually I'll mix the routes a bit, although nothing too drastic. I don't like hidden stereotypes either; you can't imagine how many times I confused Harlan and Harvey in the first episode, but seeing that several were big spoilers about the characters, I decided to leave them hidden and reveal them each one at once. I'm sorry that just when you mention that you're rooting for AJ, he's the one who leaves. At least you'll be able to see him constantly in the aftermath; I also feel bad for him because it's not even his fault to be kicked out, just like Kira. In this chapter, I have shown a little more of the Bermuda Triangle letter, I hope you are paying close attention because Celia is quite involved in that gossip. Lastly, be aware that because of you, now calling the Amazon team 'Amazon Prime' is going to be stuck in my head. I'm also glad you noticed the graffiti foreshadowing; nice one, huh?"
"Nobody245 - Yup, you guessed it! When I write, I always try to have the next chapter written by the time I publish the current one (meaning Chapter 4 is already written when I publish Chapter 3), so it always amuses me when someone guesses something that will happen in the next chapter, and it makes me think, 'am I that predictable?' Ryuuko and Lucy's alliance and friendship will definitely be a big part of this season, so stay tuned! Kira is a pretty friendly girl, so she doesn't mind if anyone who hasn't proven to be a loser/jerk writes to her, and I guess that punch to Charlie made Lucy gain some points. Thanks for the review!
Space Zodiac - You can't imagine the joy you gave me with the comment about the humor. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to adapt the jokes I have planned to the language, and my biggest fear was making a Total Drama fic without the soul of the show: humor. Yup, the nomination system comes from Big Brother, since it's quite popular where I come from, I decided to borrow it. I'm glad we agree: Gretchen is such an icon and she's always so fun to write, I hope she's as fun to read. Liam is a character who, as you mentioned, is responsible for lifting the spirits in a team full of bitter pessimists (perhaps the only one who's saved is Spencer). I'm sorry you didn't get to see much of Ryuuko in this episode, as she, like Celia, although not as extreme, gets downplayed by the challenge. Thank you for that wonderful review!
Tempokeep - I hope I didn't scare you too much when you saw that Team Friendship took the L, but luckily Gretchen is safe... for today. As you can see, Charlie is going to make sure that Team Friendship isn't so friendly; I hope you like her relationship with Ash and Spencer; they're a pretty funny trio to write! Thank you for reviewing!
Anyways, see you in the next chapter titled 'Murder in the McLean Express'