Which song on the soundtrack plays in the beginning of Lee's Palace in the game? Like when the limo is driving in? It's my favorite on the sound track lol

Back in around 2010-2012 I had this gta like game that I cannot for the life of me remember the name to.
The game was on the PlayStation 2, it was a third person shooter type. I’m fairly certain that it was based in newyork since I remember the main menu being filled with buses and taxis, at a three way city intersection. The release date is likely before 2010-2012 as I didn’t get it brand new, I only had the PlayStation because it was my moms, the same with all the games we had for it. The main character wears a black leather jacket, and the game starts at some kind of courthouse I think, all there is, is the building you came out of, a black limo, and the city in the distance. I remember all I did was walk in circles around a construction site before turning a corner and getting jumped by a baseball team. If you have even the slightest idea, please let me know lol. This has been eating at me for years.

LONG POST WARNING
Hello everyone,
My partner (24F) and I (25M) returned home from our 3-week Japan trip last week and due to us using this sub a lot during our planning I thought it would be helpful for other current planners to upload a trip report.
Our main interests are Japanese traditions and history, street style/culture, and food so keep reading if these interests are mutual. Read to the bottom to see how much we spent plus some tips and disappointments.
Prelude
We were caught up in the madness at Dubai airport during our layover. Long story short; Airport (and the rest of Dubai) flooded and caused all the flights to be cancelled. What was meant to be a 5-hour layover turned into a torturous 36 hour wait. No staff to be seen, crowds of people arguing, fighting, and crying. We queued for 12 hours to get a new boarding pass for the next flight to Japan. We were meant to fly to Haneda but settled for Narita as we needed to get out of that place as soon as possible but still ended up missing our first day in Tokyo (should have had 5 days). We can’t complain too much as some of the people I spoke to on emirates were in the airport for up to 5 days before getting a flight back to their departure destination. Oh, and our baggage was missing with us only receiving our checked in bags on day 19. Cheers Emirates.
Day 1
Arrived in Shinjuku around midnight. We went straight to Don Quiojte to buy some replacement cosmetics and clothes. The combination of no good-quality sleep for 48 hours and the stimulating nature of the store was very intense! We then started to walk back towards the hostel and passed a Ichiran, so dropped in for some 2am ramen. Not the best ramen I’ve ever had but was still very good for the price.
Steps: 21,643 (includes some airport steps)
Day 2
Woke up and ate the free breakfast at the hostel (this turned out to be a really good money saver for the whole trip as we are not huge eaters in the morning anyway, but it was good to get something light in us before a long day walking). We then walked through the Shinjuku Gyoen Garden – saw some late blooming cheery blossoms and overall, it was a really beautiful botanical garden.
The next stop was Meji Shrine and a walk through Yoyogi park. The shrine was cool to see, especially as it was our first one in Japan. Saw a middle-aged man wearing denim hotpants so short that his balls were hanging out?!?!
Walked to Shibuya to see the scramble. This was cool but also felt it was a bit underwhelming at ground level but the view from Shibuya station walkway was wicked. Lunch was at a conveyor belt sushi place on the top floor of this department store right next to the scramble. This would be higher than average quality sushi in Europe, so it blew our minds that it was available on the top floor of a department store and for so cheap.
Shimokitazawa – We picked up some bargains at 2^nd street and I treated myself some Japanese jeans from a small Demin shop called Bears. The guy in the shop was super helpful and friendly and even tailored the trousers to exactly my size.
In the evening, we first had a poke around Golden Gai and then headed towards Shibuya and stopped in a cool bar where the owner was mixing vinyl while he mixed your drinks (think it was called Q Bar).
We had previously bought tickets to a gig at Circus for one of my fav rappers who I’d been wanting to see for a while. Also really enjoyed seeing the local Japanese warm up acts. Stayed until 5am and then go the train straight to the Tsukiji outer fish market. Was there way too early and had to wait roughly an hour for thing to open. Went to chill by a bench for a bit and by the time we went back to the market it was rammed! Went to bed around 8:30am.
Steps: 32,159
Day 3
We woke up at 2:30pm, got ready, and headed to the Bunkyo civic centre for the free observation deck. We heard it wasn’t meant to be the best Tokyo skyline view but for a free attraction we thought it was very good! Jimbocho book town was also very cool to see. We had a peak into a couple adult movie/magazine stores where I don’t think the owner appreciated our presence as western tourists.
In the evening, we first went for Ramen at Motenashi Kuraki in Asakusa Bashi. Honestly probably the best Ramen I’ve had to date. I ordered the Black Pepper Shio special, and it blew my mind. Even though the staff didn’t speak English they were very accommodating for my partner who doesn’t eat meat (pescetarian but will brave a meaty broth).
We then had a stroll around Akihabara and played some dance mat games in the arcades before heading back for an earlyish night.
Steps: 28,680
Day 4
I couldn’t sleep so got up around 3am and did some admin stuff to try and get our bags back to us ASAP. Chatted to people in the hostel for a few hours.
We arrived at Senso-ji for around 8am. Wasn’t too busy at this time and the temple was impressive. Went for a coffee down the road and had a chill for about an hour before heading into Asakusa. Got admission to the Drum museum which was wicked. Only 400 yen each and had the whole place to ourselves to smack some big fucking drums and make as much noise as we wanted.
We then started to head towards Ueno but made a slight detour to Kappabashi Dougu street to peruse the Japanese chef knives and other cookware. Grabbed lunch from a 7/11 and went and sat in Ueno park which was super busy. There was some food market event on which loads of food stalls had set up. There was also a stage with some J-pop performers and people dressed as ninjas dancing in the crowd. Weird to say the least. By mid-afternoon we were pretty tired so headed back to the hostel for a nap.
In the evening, we headed down to Harajuku and stopped by Big Love records. My partner is really into vinyl, so this was definitely a highlight for her. She picked up Wu Tang 36 chambers in case you were wondering. We then went for food at Afuri as my partner wanted to try the Vegan ramen to which she said it was ok but nothing special. My cold dipping noodle dish was very tasty, however. We then stumbled across this vinyl listening bar called Bar Music on the 5^th floor of this pokey building on the outskirts of Shibuya for a few drinks before bed. There was such a good vibe in there and the cocktails were super good for the price. If you’re looking for a romantic spot, then this is the place to go.
Steps: 31,818
Day 5
Today we headed to Kyoto on the shinkansen around midday after a slow morning chilling in and around the hostel and catching up on some sleep. Checked in to the hostel and had a walk around downtown Kyoto, stopping at 2^nd Street to buy some more clothes.
In the evening, we headed to Kodai-Ji to see the shrine lit up at night. We couldn’t believe how few people were there as it was stunning and truly magical place to be at night. It also has a bamboo grove (much better than Arashiyama, see below). The bar for Kyoto shrines/temples had been set very high.
Walked down Pontocho alley and stopped at a yakitori restaurant which was just ok. We knew it was going to be average when we looked around the restaurant and it was just western tourists dining.
Steps: 25,255
Day 6
First thing in the morning we rented bikes and cycled across the city to Arashiyama. Parked the bikes at the train station and walked up through Arashiyama. We were expecting it to be busy but there were so many people it was almost impossible to move. Had a look around the bamboo grove and was slightly underwhelmed after our visit to Kodai-Ji so we took the tram and then bus up to Kosan-Ji. This was very much worth the 45-minute journey as there was only one other group there and the temple nestled between the trees overlooking the river was breath-taking. On the whole, Arashiyama was way too packed during peak times to enjoy and with everything else Kyoto has to offer we wouldn’t say it was a must see.
We then picked up the bikes from the train station and cycled back across Kyoto taking the long route to explore and get lost. Once we dropped off the bikes, we went for another explore and this time went into WeGo for more clothes shopping. At this point we’d pretty much matched the amount of clothing that we had packed in our checked-in luggage that was still stuck in Dubai.
After a nap we walked towards the metro and stopped at a Katsu restaurant as we wanted to try something different, and it was pretty good. For the price of 1300 yen each we got so much food/sake and left stuffed.
Fushimi Inari in the evening. Like Kodai-Ji, we would recommend visiting Fushimi Inari at night. Firstly, to help avoid the crowds (we got there around 9pm and there was hardly anybody there) and secondly as seeing it lit up at night is a nice change. It was however slightly creepy at night, especially as it was lightly raining. My partner started to get a bit scared once we saw the signs to be careful of the wild boar and monkeys haha. We didn’t make it to the top of Mt Inari as the rain started to get heavy but still very much enjoyed walking through the hundreds of tori gates, stopping off at the shrines and soaking up the history.
Steps: 23,686
Day 7
Today was a late start as even after 8 hours sleep the 25k plus steps a day was starting to catch up with us.
We took the metro to Shimogamo Shrine in north Kyoto. It was very peaceful and quiet however temple fatigue had definitely set in at this point. We then walked through Kyoto to the beginning of Philosophers path. We had seen on this sub that people recommend skipping it unless its Sakura season however we disagree. The path along the river is so pretty and atmospheric, along with the fish gently swimming along in the river.
Kyoto Hand Crafts Centre – if you have the money then this is a great place to pick up souvenirs.
Pre-booked Sushi Iwa for a 15 course Omakase. The food was amazing, but it came to an eye watering 28k yen each. The difference for our western palettes between mid-range sushi and exceptional sushi is negligible. Nonetheless it was a good experience and I’m glad that we did it.
Steps: 23,751
Day 8
Today was an empty day in terms of things we wanted to do, so used it to walk the city and explore.
We checked out the Nishiki market and ate various fried foods on sticks which were all pretty tasty. We then walked northwards, stopping for coffee before reaching the imperial palace. By this point we were very much bored of temples and structures of similar architecture, but we actually ended up enjoying walking the palace grounds and seeing the buildings more than we thought and would recommend it to those who find themselves in north Kyoto.
A leisurely walk back down towards downtown Kyoto, stopping off at a wicked standing soba joint. Forgotten the name but their curry soba was delicious.
Chao Chao gyozas (only veggie gyoza place we could find) for our evening meal before a night cap at the bar across the road before bed.
Steps: 23,304
Day 9
Shinkansen to Hiroshima arriving around 11am.
Checked into hostel and then went straight to the A-dome, peace memorial and museum. We thought the museum was very moving and captured the horror of the events that unfolded very well. A must see for sure.
Okonomiyaki at Okonomimura and then some vintage clothes shopping in Hondori.
Went back out for food in the evening and ended up getting Okonomiyaki again. This time it we enjoyed it a lot more than we did at lunch (probably because we got it covered in cheese). There are a few streets by Hiroshima station with lots of bars and restaurants on top of each other, much like Golden Gai in Shinjuku, however they are not super touristy and has a more laid-back feel to them.
We then went to some bars in the city centre. The best one we stumbled across was called Tropical Bar Revolucion. It was on the 8^th floor and the smoking balcony overlooked the city. Plus, the beers in there tasted so good and I’m not sure why.
Steps: 23,299
Day 10
A hungover morning. Headed to the Hiroshima National Gardens. Going to some gardens is my go-to hangover activity as its low effort, relaxing, and feels productive. These gardens in particular were great and we really appreciated the signs explaining the history behind the space. Overall, we enjoyed this more than the national gardens in Shinjuku.
Public baths near Dobashi in the afternoon. If you’re feeling brave enough to get your kit off in front of 10s of strangers, then this is a good experience. Male and female baths are separate. Can’t go wrong for 400 yen.
Went for a drink at Bar Pretty and then realised the effect of golden week on trying to get a table walking into a restaurant. Walked around for about an hour with no success so settled for food from a department store food court. Sounds miserable but the food was pretty good for the price, and it was busy in there, so it still had an atmosphere.
Steps: 29,487
Day 11
Miyajima Day. Took the ferry to the island arriving at 10:30am. The Ryokan staff met us at the port and collected our bags to take back to the hotel.
Had a mooch around the port area before doing the hike up Mt Misen. The climb to the top on a hot day is not to be underestimated. Sweating buckets, but the route and the view from the top was amazing and one of the standout highlights of the whole trip.
After descending Mt Misen, we bought some beers, oysters and, ice cream and sat along the beach wall and chilled in the sun for a couple hours. The hotel staff then picked us up from the ferry terminal, we checked in and went straight to the Onsen for a couple hours before dinner. Dinner was a traditional kaiseki meal (with more courses than I can remember) served in the banquet hall with the other guests.
While the staff converted our retro ryokan room and set up the futons we had a few more beers before bed.
Steps: 20,803
Day 12
Today we had a chilled morning on the island, having a stroll and stopping for some coffees. We then took the ferry back to Hiroshima, stopping for Okonomiyaki one more time, before taking the shinkansen to Osaka.
Checked into our hostel near Namba and went out for a walk around 8pm. When looking for somewhere to eat we walked past a sign for a vegetarian Indian restaurant called Shama. After nearly two weeks of pure Japanese food we were craving some variety so decided to head in. Located on the basement floor of a particularly run down looking building the restaurant was not the most glamorous. Barely enough space for 10 people, it was hot in there. A constant stream of people was coming in and out of the restaurant and we were lucky enough to walk in when there were two spaces available. From sitting down at the table to receiving our food we waited just under an hour. This would be enough to put most people off but fuck me the food was good when it did finally arrive. We got a selection of 4 different curries, naan breads and samosa. We left stuffed. If you’re in the area this is definitely a place worth checking out.
Steps: 25,502
Day 13
Our first stop of the day was the Umeda Sky Building. Not suitable if you are scared of heights as the glass elevator made our stomachs drop slightly. The views were impressive but we thought the price was a bit steep at 1500 yen each.
We then spent the afternoon wondering about near Namba and Shinsujibashi dropping into shops and picking up some food.
For dinner we made a reservation for a Mexican restaurant near Dotonbori. Massive margheritas, nachos and enchiladas. The food was great, and it shows by how busy the place was still at 10pm. It had been open since the late 70’s with the décor to match and it had a great atmosphere.
Steps: 27,290
Day 14
Checked out Tsuruhashi and Korea Town. Loved the market – dimly lit maze of numerous food and clothing vendors. Stopped to have some Korean stew and pancakes and it was delicious. One of the best meals of the trip.
Shinsekai in the evening. What I can describe as the armpit of Osaka. We loved it. Dirty? Yes. Rowdy? Yes. Rough around the edges with a red light district to top it all off. We had Kushikatsu to finish the evening off. Fried stuff on a stick – of course it going to be tasty but it wasn’t exactly flavour town.
Steps: 23,777
Day 15
Took the train to Minoh and hiked up the trail to see the waterfall. Hike was easy in comparison to Mt Misen and the waterfall was very cool to see. Had a wonder around Minoh stopping for some lunch at a Ramen bar.
We went to the Team lab botanical gardens in the evening. It was very awe inspiring seeing all the installations lit up.
After sampling Japanese McDonalds (I had a burger where the buns were made out of rice) we went for some drinks at Zerro. We liked this bar a lot, the guys working there were very friendly and it had a good vibe.
We then sat and watched the skaters at triangle park with some beers from the konbini before going to see Dj Masda at Circus until around 4am. This area of Osaka was such a vibe and came back here a few times over our 6 days here. Overall, a very fun evening.
Steps: 26,130
Day 16
Woke up chronically hungover but powered on and went to see a baseball game. You’re allowed to bring food and drink into the stadium (as long as alcohol is in plastic/paper cups) so we grabbed some beers and snacks from family mart. We had no idea what was happening but the atmosphere was electric and we enjoyed getting pissed and cheering.
Had a nap and then went to Hafez for middle eastern food. The food was good but not amazing, nothing in comparison to my local middle eastern restaurant back home. Chilled around the Namba park/Big step area. Loved this area so much, we are big into street fashion and culture so this place really ticked some boxes. Lots of skaters and street wear stores concentrated around here. Got an early night watching Battle Royale back at the hostel.
Steps: 22,065
Day 17
Today we went to the Umeda area. Popped into some shopping centres and had Omurice for lunch. It was tasty but not something I will crave when back home. Good experience trying it though. We then walked through Yodoyobashi along the rivers and got gelato and sat in the rose garden. The sun was beating down and we enjoyed just chilling in the sun eating our ice cream.
Compufunk Records were holding a party in their store. Decent gaff with some very welcoming and kind people to party with until the early hours.
Steps: 21,267
Day 18
We reluctantly left Osaka for Hakone today. Very sad to go but onwards to the next adventure. Took the shinkansen to Odawara and then the Hakone Tozan Train to Gora. Checked into our Ryokan and relaxed in the Onsen for a few hours.
Went for a walk around Gora and had dinner at the Ryokan before watching Predator in bed.
Steps: 16,926
Day 19
Today we did the Hakone Loop, starting early in Gora.
Started with the Open-air museum and it was great. We loved the installation and ended up spending 3 hours slowly making our way round. Got some cool photos as well for the gram.
Ropeway to Lake Ashi. This was absolutely terrifying. You have to swap cable cars 3 times on the way over and the warnings of the service being suspended due to the wind was announced at each stop. I’m not going to ruin the surprise, but one section made me literally freeze in terror due to the winds outside so try to do it on a calm weather day.
We then took the pirate boat (bit underwhelming) across the Lake and stopped for some soba noodles and a wander around. Unfortunately it was way too cloudy to even get a chance at seeing Mt Fuji.
Train to Kamakura and checked into our super cute traditional hostel near the beach.
Dinner at an Izakaya from the hostel owners recommendation. Food great and beers slipped down a treat. First time I tried Yuzu Kosho as well – I’m now addicted to the stuff and literally cover all my food with it.
Steps: 19,512
Day 20
A slow start to the morning. Weather was pretty bad but we still managed to hit all the main sights in Kamakura. Big Buddha was a refreshing sight from the temples. Did some shopping up Komachi Dori. Highlight of the day was Hukokaji temple. It was so peaceful and zen in the rain with its very own matcha tea ceremony backdropped by bamboo forest. This turned out to be our second favourite temple/shrine we visited, just being beaten by Kodaji.
In the evening we went for Sushi at a conveyor belt place. Figured this would probably be my last Japanese sushi of the trip so devoured 7000 yen worth of sushi and beer. Went back to the hostel and invited some of the other guests to drink with us. The owner of the hostel had some bayberry homebrew, so we got stuck into that.
Steps: 20,494
Day 21
Enoshima Island is just a 25 min train from Kamakura. Started off the day by walking to the top of the island to get French toast and a beer with a lovely view across the bay. We then headed up the Sea candle to check out the observation deck, still the illusive Mt Fuji hides behind the clouds.
We then bought admission to the caves beneath the island which was pretty cool. I won’t ruin the surprise but there’s something waiting for you at the end of one of the caves.
Had an explore around the rockpools near the caves and took some cool photos. We then had a pizza with fish on which was pretty crazy. Walked around the island a little bit more and I picked up some more Japanese denim which wasn’t the cheapest but the quality of the trousers are great and will last me a lifetime.
Back to Tokyo in the evening.
Went for Izakaya around Asakusa and popped into a couple bars. One was called Not Suspicious and the whole bar was covered in handwritten notes by patrons. Very touristy but quite cool at the same time. Our favourite was a drawing of Mario saying It’s a Me Muthafucka.
Steps: 25,903
Day 22
First stop was Don Quiojte to pick up some Yuzu Kosho (if you know you know) and weird flavoured KitKats.
Kappabashi Dougu street to purchase a fine Japanese carbon stell Santoku. Honestly in love with this knife so much. The people at the store were very happy to hear exactly what I was looking for and even let me try before you buy on some daikon radish.
While in Asakusa I had to return to the place where I put the best thing in my mouth in Japan. Motenashi Kuroki. Switched it up this time and had their classic Shio ramen plus the duck rice as a side. Honestly this place is amazing, and you have to go there if you have time. They aren’t veggie/pescy friendly so my partner went for one last round of sushi round the corner. We met up at a massage chair parlour and spent 30 mins relaxing in the chairs.
We had a bright idea to watch the sunset one last time so headed over to the rooftop park on a department store in Shibuya. Sipping on an ice cold Kirin, the sun slowly dropped behind the distant mountains and we knew our trip had come to an end. How symbolic.
Flight at 11pm from Haneda.
Steps: 23,187
On reflection:
I honestly think this trip was almost perfect in terms of hitting our interests and travel style. There was a good balance of doing the typical first time visit to Japan sights and activities while still exploring and seeing what we came across in the moment.
It hard to pinpoint exact highlights of the trip as everywhere we visited had so much going for it in different ways. We loved the rugged and trendy vibe to Osaka, and I think this would be the city I would most want to live in for a considerable amount of time (If I had to choose). Miyajima was also stunning and a great overnight trip with the Ryokan experience. We also underestimated how much we would enjoy Kamakura with its laid-back surfer vibe and access to Enoshima Island.
One random memorable moment that has stuck with me was when we landed at Narita airport, we took the limo bus to Shinjuku. As the driver pulled away, all the staff at the station turned and bowed in unison. It felt so special to first observe a culture totally opposite to the one I grew up with and was at this point I knew I had embarked on the trip of a lifetime.
If I could go back and change something I would probably miss out Hakone and do an extra day in one of the major cities. This isn’t because we didn’t enjoy Hakone, but we feel like it’s a place that needs more time to soak in what’s going on around you (plus the weather was bad when we were there). This being said the Open-Air Museum was amazing and we enjoyed it more than the Teamlab botanical gardens so the trip up the mountains was worth it just for that.
So, how much did we spend per person (not inc flights)?
Accommodation - £765pp
Given that we spent a couple nights in Ryokans raising the average price slightly, we were pretty happy with the accommodation costs. We stayed in a mix of private room and shared dorm hostels and pretty much all of them were spot on. Travelling as a couple meant that anywhere with a private room split the price between 2. The only hostel we didn’t like was the one in Hiroshima, there wasn’t anything in particularly wrong with it, there was just a really bad vibe from the owner and other guests.
Transport - £344pp
This includes shinkansen to and from all the major cities as well as our suica top ups for metros and buses. Unless your itinerary is something like 3 days Tokyo, 2 days Osaka 2 days Kyoto then there really isn’t any point getting the JR pass now that the price has increased.
Activities – £280pp
It is hard to give an exact amount for activities and food as 1) I didn’t track what we spent our cash on and 2) my partner and I would take in turns paying for things like temple admission. That being said I’ve allocated 25% of the cash we spent to activities such as temple admission. Activities includes our baseball tickets plus club entries as well as temple and museum admissions etc.
Food – £962pp
As above, its hard to give an exact amount for food. On the whole we tried to eat cheap with possible, especially at the start of our trip. There were a few expensive meals peppered in plus we ate out twice a day towards the end of our trip as we realised we were under budget.
The total is a bit skewed as this includes all the alcohol we bought in bars as well as the konbini trips for beers and cigarettes. I estimate that booze accounts for around a third of the total per person. If you would like to do Japan on a budget, reducing the booze will make a big difference.
Shopping/Souvenirs/Gifts – £607 (just me)
We went hard with the shopping. We didn’t actually receive our checked in luggage until day 19 so we had to buy all new clothes and cosmetics. If this wasn’t the case, then I don’t think I would have spent so much (airline is comping us for the additional clothing bought anyway). I also bought a fairly expensive chef knife and Japanese denim pieces, plus lots of gifts for friends and family. Obviously, this number could theoretically 0 if you are on a serious budget and did no shopping but I really underestimated Japanese shopping, especially thrifting. Also, given our cheap choices when it came to accommodation we could afford to splurge. However just to note my partner spent less than half than I did on shopping.
Total: £2958 (582,628 yen at time of writing)
I kept within my budget of £3000. I definitely got a bit frivolous with the cash in the last few days or so, if being as careful as I was towards the start of the trip, I think the total would be closer to £2500.
Disappointments
Takoyaki. We thought it was going to be all about the octopus but were disappointed with our balls of sloppy goo surrounding tiny chewy pieces of octopus. We tried it twice and couldn’t get behind it. Sorry Takoyaki fans.
Arashiyama. Way too busy, especially around the main station and bamboo grove. If it’s the bamboo you are going to see, then Kodaji is a much better spot.
Dotonburi. Albeit we were there in golden week, and it was pretty busy. However, I get the feeling this area has fallen to the past its golden days title and has become a bit of a cash cow for places selling spiralised potatoes on a stick. The area around Namba park was a better option for us.
Tips
Konbini. Absolute life saver for snacks and drinks on the go. The food quality for a convenience store is higher than most other countries so we had no problem with grabbing a meal from one to help keep within our budget.
Don’t over pack – even though we didn’t get our checked in bags, I still packed light so had plenty of space to bring stuff back. Emirates give you your allowance by weight rather than number of baggage so we could check in additional bags on the way back.
Don’t be scared of hostels. If you don’t want to brave the shared dorms, then most hostels offer private rooms with just the shower and toilet shared. Obviously, it’s cheaper if there are two people sharing a room.
Don’t stress about cash. Most places take debit/credit card and if they don’t, you’re never more than 5 minutes from a konbini ATM.
For us, golden week didn’t seem that big of an issue. No problems booking shinkansen around GW. We spent most of GW in Osaka, as such it was going to be busy anyway so maybe we didn’t see much of a difference from normal numbers in the spring.

The logo's 'D' transitioned the scene back to the studio, the shot showing all the former cast members on stage – the six losers on the right, the three guests on the left, and the two hosts in the center.
"Welcome back to the Aftermath show!" Damien said happily to the audience as they gave their applause. "We're currently talking with Izzy about herself and her time on the show!" The crowd cheered.
"Now it's time for Izzy to play Truth or Hammer!" Priya announced and turned to the quirky guest. "Season two started off so well for you. Where did things go wrong?"
“I think it was when I turned down that secret alliance with Chef,” Izzy dropped, causing everyone to gasp.
Damien looked up at the hammer and saw that it didn't lower down at all. “Chef actually tried to form a secret alliance with you?”
“Uh-huh. He said he'd help me win this thing if I shared the money with him,” Izzy answered.
“Whoa,” Geoff spoke out in surprise.
“Totally did not expect that,” Eva added.
Damien then heard something in his earpiece. “Hey, I think we've got a never-before-seen clip!” he mentioned as the camera panned up to the television.
After the static played out, the footage featured Chef and Izzy standing next to a trailer on the film lot. “I'll help you man up and win this thing. We split the prize money fifty-fifty,” Chef negotiated.
Chef held out his hand for a handshake, prompting Izzy to karate kick him out of view as an intern holding a clipboard watched from the background.
“Oh, I don't think so!” Izzy declined the offer, the intern becoming scared as the clip ended.
The shot focused on the hosts shocked by what they saw. “Wow!” Priya said.
“I can't believe Chef did that!” Damien commented.
“The impact was big though!” Priya mentioned as the part of Izzy kicking Chef in the chest was zoomed in and a circle was drawn around Izzy's foot. “Check that out!”
The clip now moved in slow motion as Chef flew away while Izzy bounced away from her impact, causing the camera to focus on the scared-looking intern.
“I'd advise that intern to run away!” Damien said while the intern's head was circled on, earning laughter from the audience.
“I would never hurt that intern,” Izzy claimed, and she back flipped in order to avoid the swinging hammer. “Whoa! Nearly got me that time.” The next shot showed the same intern watching from afar dropping his clipboard and running away due to what Izzy said.
“So then what happened after?” Priya asked Izzy.
“My guess is Chef went and made a demon deal with Brick,” Izzy theorized. “Yeah, I think Chef threw the acting challenge with Justin so Brick's team won and I lost. But, hey, what do I know?”
"Apparently, a lot," Priya remarked.
"How about we hear from another viewer now?" Damien looked down at the display in front of him. "Gluepunks350 asks, "Do you think Brick will get busted?"”
“Well, I don't know about Brick, but I busted my arm once. Yeah, look, now I'm double jointed.” Izzy bent her left arm backwards. “I'm doing it! Backwards!”
Damien felt weirded out. "I think we should move on to our next guest."
"Correct," Priya nodded as the camera panned back up to the hanging television. "Trent being here is quite surprising," she said as footage began to play of Trent talking to Geoff about the latter's tooth and him talking about the sleeping arrangements. "He is a Season 1 fan favorite after all."
"I agree with that," Damien said as the footage moved on to the guitarist offering Sky his toast. "Although he did start to slip up around episode two after seeing Sky and Chase become friends," he continued over Sky picking Chase for her team and Trent looking shocked.
"Not wanting to lose his girlfriend and the game, Trent tried depending on luck, and when that didn't work, he opted to throw the challenges in order to let Sky win thanks to Justin's advice on making her happy," Priya said over Trent attempting to put nine flags on his team's sandcastle, and then purposely tripping over a stick and being talked to by Justin.
“Luckily, Sky was not blind to Trent's subtle attempts to lose deliberately,” Damien spoke as the footage showed Sky getting annoyed over Trent's compliments and him throwing the rope to the ground and then the two of them talking to each other after bathing in a barrel, “and after a much needed talk, the two were able to resolve their problems.”
"Despite all this, Justin was able to gather enough votes to target Trent, and in the end, Trent's time on the show was over!" Priya finished, the clips of Justin talking to the girls about Trent's actions and the guitarist walking into the limo being played.
"Our next guest took down a serial killer and once got poisoned by a blowfish,” Damien recapped. “Please welcome Trent!"
The Aftermath theme played and applause issued from the audience as Trent walked onstage with a smile and his guitar in hand.
“We're live on the TDA Aftermath with Trent, everyone!” Priya announced while Trent waved for the camera and sat down next to Izzy.
“So what happened, Trent?” Damien got the interview started.
“At the start of the season, things were going great until Sky and I were split on different teams,” Trent delved in. “Then she and Chase started hanging out.”
“Jealousy can be quite common,” Topher muttered.
“True,” Sam agreed.
“Then the competition set in,” Trent resumed.
“We know there's something else,” Damien reminded.
“You mean, how stressful things got?” Trent answered.
“Yeah, and no. It mostly applies to you,” Priya stated. “Be careful how you answer this, because a humongous hammer can come down and knock you out of that couch!”
The musician was intrigued by this news before continuing. “Uh, I guess somewhere I decided Sky was more important than the money,” Trent said, and the hammer not coming down proved his honesty.
“I'm surprised you're being really cool with losing out on a million dollars,” Priya said.
“It's Trent. What else did you expect?” Damien told his girlfriend.
“I guess I just lost my game,” Trent sighed. “Really let my team down. Sorry, Grips,” he apologized to the camera, making the audience aww.
“I have to ask you about the number nine thing. Check it out,” Damien pointed up at the television, which was in static before fading to the clips.
“That's right. Nine turrets, nine doors,” Trent instructed as Brick and Jasmine poured more sand.
“Remember, nine of everything!” Trent added in, much to his teammates’ bother.
Sky's attention was caught by the number of sticks he carried. "Not to interrupt," she started to say, "but you're carrying nine sticks."
The focus was now back on Trent. “Dudes, there's a lot more to my number than it being luck!” he protested.
“You did depend on it for challenges because you wanted to win,” Gwen brought up.
“The number nine thing has nothing to do with Sky or the competition,” Trent debunked. “I had this toy train my granddad gave me as a kid. Right before he died. One of the wheels fell off, so there were only nine. I was devastated. So my mom told me nine was now my lucky number.”
After Trent finished his story, the camera showed shots of the hosts, the other guests, and the Peanut Gallery all reacting with sadness.
“Have you ever told Sky about this?” Katie asked.
“She is still your girlfriend,” Sadie pointed out.
“I haven't had time to, but I'll make good on my word,” Trent promised, and the audience applauded for him.
“We've got a lot of emails here,” Priya checked the display. “Snowgirl writes, "Trent, what kind of girl are you not into?"”
“Simple. They'd either have to be stalkers or the kind of girls that'd do anything to humiliate people for no reason,” Trent claimed.
"How about we check in on our web cams?" Damien suggested, leaning over to check the display in front of him. "We've got Ginger from Sudbury," he said before the camera pulled out enough to show the monitor, which flashed from static to a feed of a geeky young white girl with large glasses and her red hair in pigtails. "Hey Ginger!" Damien greeted as the young girl waved.
"Trent, I'd love it if you went psycho crazy over me!" the girl squealed.
“Side note, you've been getting a lot of admirers ever since you got eliminated,” Damien told Trent.
"Uh, yeah," Trent said uneasily.
"Thanks, Ginger," Priya said as Ginger waved once more and her feed cut to static. "We also have Steve," she looked at her display, "the...Yeti? From Vancouver!"
The static on the monitor cut away to show none other than Sasquatchanakwa, or at least something that looked very much like it. "Uh, how's it going?" Priya asked awkwardly.
"Chris McLean," the yeti began to say in a deep and growling voice before it faded into something much more familiar, "is the best host ever! How'd you get your own show?" He leaned towards the camera angrily, his long white teeth bared. "You stink!"
"Yo Chris," Chef's voice said from the yeti's end. "If I wanted to take a hot tub by myself, I-" The yeti smiled sheepishly. "Oh! You on the webcam?"
"Chris?" the two hosts asked in bewilderment as the audience roared in laughter.
Chef then got next to Chris. “Don't believe a word Izzy says,” he advised. “Girl's crazy.”
Priya and Damien looked at each other before the former spoke. "Now it's time for a segment that we like to call, 'That's Gonna Leave a Mark!'"
The crowd cheered as a short introduction was played with clips of various contestants getting hurt throughout the seasons scrolling across a sunburst pattern in a manner similar to part of the Gilded Chris ceremony introduction, albeit with a different theme tune.
Damien sighed happily as the shot cut back to him and Priya. "I do not miss getting humiliated."
"Here's what all of you didn't get to see on the show!" Priya looked back up as the television descended, and cut to the first in a series of clips set to a campy tune comprised primarily of a tuba, drums, and whistling.
The first clip showed Justin and Izzy walking backstage in their costumes during the acting challenge. Just then, a headlight fell and clubbed Justin on the head. "Looks like it's lights out for Justin," Damien said as the crowd laughed and a circle was drawn around the impact.
A bout of static heralded the second clip, in which Eva and Geoff were running through the beach set during the monster movie challenge. "This is a good one," Priya said as the monster stomped across the screen and left Eva and Geoff shaped holes on the ground, earning more laughter.
The third clip focused on Millie patting the sand castle for support until something bit her. She pulled her hand out and saw a crab pinched to her finger. "Ooh!" the hosts winced as a circle was drawn around the crab.
Next was a shot of Anne Maria twirling her lasso around. She threw it forward, but it got wrapped around her legs and pulled her down. "I don't even know what to draw for this," Priya laughed.
The next clip began to play. It consisted of nothing more than Mama Alien Chef walking forward with determination only to slip and fall on a pile of his own slime, his gun flying off-screen before a few shots rained back down on the fallen cook.
"Now that's gonna leave a mark," Damien said as Chef was circled and the scene cut back to the set. "With what's been happening," he said after a bit more laughing, "I am so glad I'm not competing."
“Do you guys think I could sing a song?” Trent asked Damien and Priya and held his guitar. “It's something I wrote after I left the show.”
“I'm not going to stop you,” Priya shrugged.
Trent strummed a beat to start his song, and the Peanut Gallery, Damien, Priya, Izzy, Geoff, and Eva listened attentively.
“We'll be separated for a couple of days,
And I know inside our heads our love stays.
I know I'll be okay, but I also know I'll be in a bad mood…
If I didn't show how much I love you…
And you love me too.”
When the song ended, the audience applauded and cheered heavily for Trent. “Sky, I want you to know that I'll be watching and rooting for you here,” he gave a shout out to his girlfriend, earning an 'Aww' from the audience.
"Now that is true love if I do say so myself," Priya gushed heavily with her arm on Damien's shoulder.
"Don't forget that ours is just as strong, if not more," Damien teased before he leaned in and kissed Priya, the audience oohing as the beginnings of a familiar tune began to play in the background.
“Could we get that hammer out here?” Izzy asked playfully and spoke to the camera. “I guess that's a wrap. Priya and Damien will see you next time!”
"You've got that right," Damien said as the kiss was broken and the Aftermath theme began to play.
"We've got a huge season coming up!" Priya added.
"And we'll be joining you again for another Aftermath!" Damien continued.
"Don't forget to follow Chris next time," Priya said with a smile, "for the next dramatically thrilling episode of Total! Drama! Action!" The audience cheered wildly, and another quick jingle played as the scene cut to the show's title card, the block letters gleaming one last time before fading to black.
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
The scene showed Izzy and Trent inside of the green room. Trent was in the middle of playing on his guitar and Izzy was helping herself to more food.
“So I gotta ask,” Trent said suddenly. “How come you didn't mind being called by your real name instead of “E-Scope”?”
Izzy stopped stuffing herself with crackers as soon as the question was asked. “Say what?”
“I'm talking about how the whole time you were competing, you'd act bratty because you weren't called by the name you wanted to be referred to as,” Trent pointed out.
“Well, I was repeatedly told that it was getting old and grating,” Izzy explained. “That kinda bummed me out cause I just wanted everyone to find it funny.”
“And they didn't,” Trent responded. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Izzy shrugged. “I'm not going to change my personality entirely, but the alter-egos should be taken down a notch. So about those secret admirers...”
“I don't even want to delve into those when I already have a loving girlfriend thank you very much,” Trent finished their conversation.
“Right,” Izzy nodded and returned back to her binge eating.
Eva - 14th
Geoff - 14th
Izzy - 12th
Trent - 11th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Brick, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, MK, Ripper, Scott, Sky

Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Brick, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, MK, Ripper, Scott, Sky
Episode 6: The Aftermath I: Trent's Descent
A riff from an electric guitar opened the episode as a pair of purple concentric circles flew across and back in the screen towards the upper-left corner, a group of smaller, bluer circles flying through them in the same direction but at a higher speed. As it neared the top of the screen a large and blocky red 'T' flashed into existence and descended back down, and the background music continued into a theme fit for an evening talk show. A similarly-styled 'D' and 'A' appeared next as a few more purple or blue rings crossed the screen, then the three letters slid in from the left to spell out 'TDA'. The word 'AFTERMATH' popped up from the bottom of the screen, temporarily bumping up the first three letters before they slammed back down and centered the text in the middle of the screen.
A gleam swept across the text from upper-left to lower-right, and the 'D' briefly popped forwards with the faint sound of a camera, turning a little bit counterclockwise before reversing into its former position.
Clip 1
"Any final words?" Chris asked the eliminated contestants.
“Yeah. You guys actually voted me off. I respect that,” Eva nodded with a smirk.
“Good luck dudes. Wicked play,” Geoff smiled as he and Eva got off the bleachers and went to the red carpet.
The 'D' popped out briefly again and another bout of recap footage began.
Clip 2
"Here's the deal," Chef stated, pacing about slowly in front of the teen. "I'll help you man up and win this thing. You don't ask any stupid questions and you split the prize with me.” He leaned in closer towards Brick's face. “Like they say, it's an offer you can't refuse. I won't let you," he finished with a deadly scowl, much to Brick's discomfort.
The 'D' popped out a third time, signaling the start of another set of recap footage.
Clip 3
“Trent, it's time to go!” Chris informed the eliminated contestant.
Trent got off the stands. “Before I do, can I at least say goodbye to Sky?”
“You could, but it'd be pointless since Chef will just carry you to the limo,” Chris smiled.
“Alright,” Trent sighed and faced his former teammates. “I'm really sorry about my actions, guys. I'll see you later.” With nothing left to say, he turned and walked down the red carpet.
A fourth time the 'D' popped out, and the last set of recap footage played.
Clip 4
"Izzy!" Izzy was left gaping. "Time to go!" Chris announced.
“I'm not going anywhere,” Izzy objected. “That's not my name.”
“Can I get a pen over here?” Chris raised his hand in annoyance. A pen was given to him, and he started to write on the paper. “It says "E-Scope" now, okay?!” This made Izzy finally stand up.
"And remember," Chris told her as she started to walk past the stage, "you can never come back, ev-er!" The host pressed an orange button next to his microphone, and two identical guards came over and grabbed Izzy by her arms.
(Theme Song)
The same sequence used to open the recap was replayed, an unseen audience cheering wildly after the 'TDA AFTERMATH' logo shined. The camera faded into a shot of a stage from the shadowed audience; it was set up like a talk show with one couch and table in the middle, and two tiers of couches on either side. A variety of lights both stage and decorative were scattered around, and to the left was a passage backstage half-hidden by dividing walls and the dark red curtains that framed the set.
And most importantly, sitting on that central couch, were two figures. Damien on the left and Priya on the right.
The camera zoomed in on them as the applause died down, a pair of computer displays visible on the table turned towards the hosts as Priya waved. "Hey there everyone!" she greeted with a smile. "Welcome to the brand-new Total Drama Action Aftermath Show!"
She paused as the audience cheered and applauded again, and once they'd died down, Damien spoke up. "We're coming to you live," he said, "to dish everything Total Drama Action!"
"This is where the real action is!" Priya said to another bout of cheering. "I'm Priya!" she added in with a smile.
"And I'm Damien!" Damien beamed.
"You may remember us from the hit series Total Drama Island," Priya continued.
"And it's thrilling sequel, Total Drama Action," Damien said, “even if we're not on it.”
"I hate that we missed out on the season and a chance to get the money,” Priya grumbled but regained her positivity, “but we have our own show, so I think it compensates."
"Being in the sequel could've given me the possibility of being rich, but when I'm with you, money doesn't matter," Damien smiled happily at Priya, and the crowd awwed.
"Aww, that's so sweet!” Priya gushed and turned to the audience. “And with no competitions here, we get to talk to all of you."
“So about that new season. Pretty cool, right?" Damien asked, looking out at the camera.
"Of course," Priya nodded. "They get to be on a film lot and do different kinds of movie challenges. How spectacular is that?" The crowd cheered in agreement.
"Super spectacular," a voice said from off-camera, the shot zooming out to show that the couches on the right had been occupied by the other non-competing contestants. On the top row were Rodney, Sam, and Gwen, while the bottom row had Topher, Katie, and Sadie.
“We were being rhetorical," Damien pointed out, "but hey, thanks for reminding everyone that you're not invisible! Topher, everyone!" The camera focused on the dirty blonde, who took stride in the applause from the audience.
"We also brought along all the others from the first season," Priya said.
"They may be considered losers," Damien said, "but not to us."
“Aww,” Katie gushed.
“That is so sweet, you guys,” Sadie added.
"The pleasure's all ours," Damien replied. "Give it up for Topher!" he said, and the crowd cheered as the camera cut back to the fanboy. He shot a wink as the screen was split and a clip played of him smacking a fly onto his eye and getting it swollen.
"And Rodney!" Priya added, the camera cutting to the country boy waving at the camera. The screen also split to play a clip of him, showing him returning back to the game on boat.
"Katie and Sadie!" Damien introduced the two girls.
“Oh my gosh!” Katie cheered.
“We are so super excited to be here!” Sadie expressed her happiness.
"Next we have Sam!" Priya said as the camera moved to the gamer smiling at the camera as a clip played in the split screen showing him hanging from a tree by his knees before falling down.
"And how about a shout out to Gwen!" Damien said. Gwen smiled at the camera while the split screen showed a clip of the goth eating blueberries from a bush.
The camera cut over to Topher, who was engrossed in a phone call. "How long are the papers going to take?" he asked before noticing the audience. "Sorry mom, but I'll have to call you back later!"
Priya and Damien shared a glance before Damien smiled at the camera. "We've also got a lot of texts and emails from all of you!" he said excitedly.
"Plus," Priya said, "we'll have a couple of you on webcam!"
"Eva and Geoff will be here," Damien announced, and the crowd went wild.
"And let's not forget our favorite nutcase, Izzy!" Priya added with a smile, earning another roaring cheer from the crowd.
"Plus the guy with the soul of music, Trent!" Damien finished to another round of applause.
"You know what's strange? The four that you two mentioned were part of the final six in Island along with Scott and you, Priya," Topher said.
"That is pretty shocking," Priya added. "Eva and Geoff especially."
"Eva could have won the season again, but I guess no one wants a repeat," Sam laughed a bit.
"We've got a lot to talk about," Damien told the audience. "It's almost time to welcome our first guests," he announced, "but first, take a look at this!" The nervous wreck looked up to the wide and flat television hanging above the central couch.
The television's static cut to a clip of Geoff and Eva running together to escape the monster. "Geoff and Eva's time on Total Drama Action may have been short," Damien said.
"But it sure was packed with the action that we grew to love," Priya continued as Eva and Geoff stuck their heads out from behind a cardboard cutout of a small red car.
"Eva managed to recover from her broken ankle from last season," Damien continued as the muscle woman was shown running through the sidewalk.
"And Geoff proved that losing a tooth doesn't mean losing your positivity," Priya said as footage of Geoff showing off his golden tooth replacement was shown.
"And they both did well for themselves, even if they didn't win the second challenge!" Damien followed up as clips of Geoff and Eva being shown on the ground along with being shot with paintballs courtesy of Chef played.
"But unfortunately, they weren't able to play for another day!" Priya continued.
"I don't even blame the contestants since Eva and Geoff were last season's Final Two," Damien spoke as a clip played of the two going into the limousine. "At least they still have their friendship!"
"One has eaten dog food," Priya said, "and the other has taken control of a forest fire. Our first two guests are Geoff and Eva!"
The Aftermath theme tune played and the crowd went wild as Eva and Geoff pushed open the backstage doors and walked out, smiling at both the audience and the hosts as they took their seats on the lower couch on the left.
"Hey guys!" Priya greeted with a smile as Damien waved.
"Damien! Priya! Glad to see you two again!" Eva said happily.
"Yeah!" Geoff added. "You two getting the hosting gig is impressive!"
"Great to have you guys!" Damien told them. "Sorry you two got eliminated first."
"No need to apologize," Geoff said. "We didn't leave completely empty-handed!"
"Wait, how so?" Damien asked in confusion. "You didn't win the money."
"Not like that," Eva answered. "Geoff managed to take pictures of everybody and everything from the first two seasons to put onto his scrapbook."
"And Eva managed to use part of her money to get construction to build her dream gym," Geoff added. "It's still in construction by the way."
“So how did you two manage to become the Aftermath hosts?” Eva asked them.
"The producers took note of me and Damien's relationship and decided on us being the hosts," Priya answered. "I couldn't pass up this opportunity."
"And plus, the other non-competitors either refused or were turned down," Damien added.
“They especially turned me down,” Topher grumbled. “I would've made a great host.”
"That's pretty understandable," Eva said. "I sure as heck don't want to run my mouth longer than I need to."
"Yeah, hosting a show is something I won't be able to perform well in," Geoff added.
"Moving on," Damien said, "how does it feel being the first two voted off the show?"
"Honestly, I gotta say it was kinda like a punch to the gut," Eva admitted. "I know I'm strong, but I didn't think the contestants would team up to vote us out in just the first episodes."
"I didn't mind as much," Geoff interjected. "I mean, I did want to win the million dollars, but given how we competed in every episode of the first season, it seems fair for us to go home early this time around and give the others a shot. And besides, money isn't everything."
"Thanks for your inputs," Priya said as the camera cut over to her and Damien, "I think it's time for a game called 'Truth or Hammer'!" The crowd started to go wild.
A grand tune played as a shot of a golden statue of Lady Justice was shown. The camera slowly pulled back from it, and as the music ended a large wooden mallet swung down from the left and smashed it to pieces.
Damien stood up as the scene cut back to the hosts and guests. "Here's how this works: we ask you a question, and if you give the wrong answer, a huge hammer will swing down on you."
"Uh, what?" Geoff said as he and Eva looked at each other nervously.
"Eva, Geoff, move out of the way as we do a test run!" Priya announced, and a giant wooden hammer immediately swung down at Eva and Geoff, the two barely avoiding the hit.
"Looks like the hammer is working well. How about we get to the questions?" Damien turned his head to the reality TV fan.
"Absolutely," Priya agreed. "So Eva, after winning last season, why do you think things didn't go well for you this time?"
"Like we both said, we were big time threats. If we didn't get voted off in the second episode, one of us likely would've been in the final two again," Eva answered and looked above her, the hammer still remaining in its position.
"I'm a strategic player, and if I wasn't the first season's winner, I obviously would've voted out the strongest player just so I could get closer to winning," Eva continued.
"Good answer!" Damien said. "So Geoff, are you even remotely mad at not winning the first season and getting kicked off in the second?"
Geoff looked up. "I'm not going to lie at all, especially when there's a hammer that can crush me," the party guy said. "I'm kind of upset."
Everyone was silent for a moment before it became clear the hammer wasn't going to swing down. "I mean... it's like you got dreams for this money and to see them flushed down the drain is disappointing," Geoff explained. "But it is what it is. I had a good time competing, and I got news from one of my brothers that my golden tooth can be sold for money, so at least I got some compensation."
"I'd suggest cleaning the tooth before you sell it," Damien advised before looking at the camera and smiling. "So how about we hear from one of the viewers!"
"Let's see," Priya said, looking down at the computer display on the table in front of her. "CunningLinguist316 asks: Who are you rooting for now that you've been eliminated?"
"Well, I'm rooting for Sky," Eva answered. "I can see some parts of myself in her, and she's one of the more worthy players in the game."
"I'm hoping my man Chase wins," Geoff answered. "He's super athletic and fast, and we're sorta like each other in many ways."
"Good to hear your thoughts," Damien told them.
"Exactly!" Priya added. "But I think it's time we bring out our next guest."
The camera panned up to the wide-screen television as footage of the wild child began to play. "Izzy's time on Total Drama Action may have been short," Damien said over a clip of Izzy pushing Ripper out of the way and getting captured by the animatronic monster.
"But it was a thrill ride," Priya added.
“Seriously, Izzy can make a bowl of paste tasty by adding herself to it,” Damien quipped over Izzy getting dropped into the bouncy castle.
"Later on, she suffered a serious blow at the hands of Chef," Priya added over the footage of Izzy falling onto the ground after getting shot in the chest with a paintball and Chef looking over her in worry.
“Chef thinks he's killed her. Look how scared he is!” Damien chimed in as the recap footage paused on Chef; a red circle was drawn around Chef's face.
“Never thought he'd have a sense of humanity. Check this part out! Super hilarious!” Priya giggled over Izzy standing up and laughing about her fake death. “Unfortunately, it was Justin that ruined Izzy's chances when the two took to the stage.” The clips of Justin performing his role and Izzy grumbling over her loss played.
"Dramatic and devious, Izzy will be back for more," Damien continued as the footage showed Izzy getting up from her seat and blowing kisses as the limousine took her away.
The scene returned to the hosts. "Our first guest has impersonated a grizzly and was caught peeing in a pool. Currently number eight on the RCMP's most wanted... Izzy, A.K.A Kaleidoscope!!"
The crowd went wild as the Aftermath theme played, but it suddenly stopped as the hosts looked up at the television. It was now showing footage of a room backstage where Izzy was currently sitting on a couch and eating crackers. The crazy girl had a snack tray-laden table in front of her, and to the left was a television showing the same feed as the one on-stage.
Izzy took notice of the television set. "I'm on TV!" she exclaimed before accidentally spitting out her chewed-up crackers, making the audience laugh quietly. “Oh, oops. Cracker crumbs, you get back here!” She grabbed the crumbs, along with a few grapes and a cracker sandwich with cheese in the middle, and put them all in her cleavage, prompting more laughter.
Izzy stood up and walked out to the stage, the Aftermath theme playing again as she opened the backstage doors and walked out. The audience cheered, and Damien and Priya, along with Eva and Geoff - who were now on the top row of the couches - waved at her, causing her to return the gesture.
“Hello E-Scope!” Priya eagerly greeted her friend.
"Hi, Priya. Hi, Damien," Izzy greeted back as she sat on the couch. "So glad to be here."
“Awesome to have you, but it must be hard losing out on a million bucks,” Damien talked to her.
“Yeah, well... you would know,” Izzy responded, unamusing Damien and Priya while the audience gasped. “Hi, you guys!” she focused on the Peanut Gallery.”
“Hi, Izzy!” Rodney waved.
“Hi, everyone out there in TV land!” Izzy turned to the camera and noticed someone in the audience. “Graham Cracker! That's my old boyfriend Graham! He got a restraining order against me last year. Remember that, Graham?” The audience started mumbling. “So funny. Okay. We were in the courtroom and the judge was all like, "You cannot come within two hundred meters of the plaintiff or you shall suffer the consequences of this courtroom."
After taking a moment to laugh, Izzy continued her story. “The long distance was hard, but we made it work. By the way, Graham, you should get new blinds for your room. What are they made of, lead? I couldn't see a thing with my binoculars! Miss you, Graham Cracker!” She took a cracker out of her cleavage. “I am totally into crackers right now. They're just so flaky!” She giggled and put the cracker into her mouth.
“Kind of like someone we already know,” Damien muttered quietly.
“So Izzy, how did it feel to be the third one voted off the show?” Priya asked.
“My life is an open book. Well, not yet, but it will be once I write it. And you open the book!” Izzy guffawed.
“What was going through your head after being voted off?” Damien questioned.
The music turned sad. “When you realize you're not getting a Gilded Chris Award, well, I can't lie to you,” Izzy sniffed in a rare moment of sadness.
“Oh, it was that painful?” Priya expressed her sympathy.
“No, I just can't lie to you,” Izzy returned to her normal state. “I was outfitted with a lie deterrent microchip that sends shock waves at the first hint of dishonesty. Those are really nice pants, Damien.”
Izzy then got shocked in her neck, demonstrating the microchip inside the body part, but the wild child laughed it off.
“Carrying on,” Damien said uncomfortably. “So what exactly did losing out on the Gilded Chris mean to you?”
“It means I missed out on that buttery chocolate statuette. Ooh, I once took an art class sculpting chocolate nudes, my instructor said I had a real flair for cocoa,” Izzy brought up and earned another electrocution. “Okay, okay, okay. He said I was totally loco. That's what he's actually said.”
"Let's see if you can be honest while answering our questions,” Priya said sneakily, “and the giant hammer will come down if you don't tell the truth!"
“If my implant doesn't get me, the hammer will!” Izzy said, earning laughs from the audience.
Priya and Damien shared a look of bewilderment before facing the camera happily. “Want to know which questions we'll be asking Izzy?" Priya asked the camera.
"Be sure to stay tuned," Damien said. "Right now, we have to take a quick break! We'll be right back!"
The show's logo was shown again, and the 'D' popped out and transitioned the scene to a close-up of a plate of brown mush sitting on a tan-and-goldenrod striped table. Flies were buzzing around it, and part of a familiar torso could be seen standing behind it.
"This episode of the TDA Aftershow," Chef Hatchet said to a catchy elevator music-like jingle as one of the flies buzzing around died and the camera began to zoom out, "was brought to you by Chef's Roadkill Cafe, where Sundays are Bring Your Own Meat!" The camera stopped moving to show the hulking man in full, standing between the table with the plate of mush and a large stone fireplace in the background. In his left hand he held a skewer of a reddish and steaming hunk of meat resting on a plate-like guard piece. The tail of a skunk extended from the top of the meat hunk.
"You hit it, we spit it," Chef said with a motion to the steaming dish in his hand.
(Commercial Break)

Just came back a few days ago from a 3 week trip to Japan. Here was my experience:
To preface:

• I'm Canadian, Vietnamese, gay man, solo traveller
• I like new experiences and eating food, but I am not one to seek out the best or hottest place to go or obsessively look for tips on social media
• I like shopping and fashion and love discovering brands I am unable to get in North America
• I've been to Vietnam and I understand the very complex socioeconomical discrimination between Asians and Southeast Asians, colorism and what is considered a "rich" Asian country and a "poor" or "jungle" Asian country. I will have a hot take on this later in my breakdown.

General overview:
Day 1-3: Tokyo - I landed right on Pride weekend! It was fantastic. I knew only 1 person in Tokyo and I had some friends randomly also in Tokyo the same time I was. We went out for a drag brunch, one of the first of its kind in Japan as it's still a very new concept for the country. Performers were great though. Went to the Shinjuku gay district and had a blast discovering all these cool bars all with different vibes. It's also a great place to meet locals, tourists and immigrants (not just immigrants from Western countries, but from other Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Korea etc. who now live in Japan). There was also a festival for Pride in Yoyogi park and it was crowded and fun. Great to see Tokyo really embracing Pride.
Day 4-10: Based myself in Osaka but went exploring with my Setouchi JR West Pass throughout the week I was in Osaka. Went to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, Nagoya so I can make my way to Ghibli Park (not a part of JR West so I paid out of pocket for that), and went to Kyoto twice. Overall, I really liked Osaka. I love big cities that are lively and noisy. I don't mind the crowds when I am also shopping in the Dotonbori area. The best part was cutting my day short in Kyoto because I was feeling sick, and then discovering that there was an exclusive Sailor Moon Museum happening in Namba and deciding to get tickets for that. Best unplanned experience that was actually better than Ghibli Park. Also, shopped on Orange Street, one of the best places for fashion lovers. Osaka castle was great but the line up to get in the castle was way too long and the day was super hot. Got to a see a high school Kendo tournament going on though so that was a neat experience!
Day 11-12: Flew to Sapporo from Osaka. It was cold. Windy on the first day. Rainy on the second day. Overall, just cold. Not Canadian Winter cold, but I wish I had a warmer jacket cold. It was the few places that had cherry blossoms left. The Sapporo Beer Museum was really neat and I liked learning about the history of such an iconic brand.
Day 13-21: Back to Tokyo. I am a remote worker and my job doesn't care where I work so I took the opportunity to save some vacation days for a future trip, and just work remotely while exploring Tokyo and surrounding areas. Went to Mt. Fuji for a day and back, did not get to see the mountain as it was really rainy and foggy that day. Wento the lucky cat shrine and it was cute but also busy for such a small shrine thanks to TikTok. Went out to the gay bars two more times and had a blast and met some new people (locals and tourists) who I still keep in contact with on social media. Got a tattoo at one point - LOVE IT. The artist was amazing and so gentle, I hardly felt anything. Did some more shopping in Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku and my favourite place - Harajuku! Overall, I really enjoyed Tokyo and my Japan trip as this was my first time.
Time and weather:

• rainy for half of it, warm for the other half. Chilly in Sapporo.
• was in Sapporo and Tokyo for Golden Week. Not as crazy as everyone says it would be. It was much crazier leading up to Golden Week. Was still able to get reserved seats tickets at the station itself easily and no need to book in advanced online. Honestly, didn't even bother booking online as the website isn't very clear especially when you have a JR West pass already.

Getting around:

• Digital Suica card on my iPhone. Worked for everything. So easy to use and got me around everywhere including the Kansai region and Sapporo.
• Right when I got off the plane, I got on a Airport Limo bus which was so much easier. No need to know which station to get off from and they had space for all my luggage. Took me to a hotel stop that was 2 blocks away from my hotel. Honestly, after a 9 hour flight, a limo bus is worth the $25 instead of the train and subway.
• Subways became easy to use and once you get to used to them, Osaka and Sapporo was easy to navigate as it was similar to Tokyo's subway.
• If you have a JR pass, pay attention to if you can use it on the local JR lines. Typically, you can. I forgot, and I tapped my Suica to enter a JR local line in Hiroshima, then I realized I could use my JR pass, so I stuck my pass in the machine and it let me through. But because I never tapped my Suica to leave the JR line in Hiroshima, my Suica card stopped working for train stations because it thinks I'm still on a trip in Hiroshima. Had to go to a subway guard (the ones in the booth next to the station gates where you tap your Suica), told them what happend using Google Translate and showed them my JR pass and they understood right away. They took my phone and put it on this scanner and it reset my Suica card. Very easy as if they've done this a million times before (they have).
• Used the convenience store and hotels to send my big luggage to my next hotel so I wouldn't have to deal with it on the train or train stations or flying with it when I flew from Osaka to Sapporo. Such a great service. Just bring your luggage to your hotel reception and tell them your next stop and when you want the luggage by. They will try to get it there the day you requested or the day after. Just be prepared to live out of your carry on for 1 or 2 days. If your hotel doesn't offer it, any 7-11, Family Mart or Lawson offers it. Lawson uses Japan Postal, 7-11 and Family Mart uses Yamato. I also sent my luggage to the airport before I had to leave Japan and it was a breeze. But be warned, for any transfer to an airport, it has to be 2 days before your departure flight or it won't make it on time.

Eating:
As much as I loved having a list of some places to eat at, I abandoned it and didn't really care anymore. From high-end restaurants, cafes, local places and even fast-food, everything was delicious. I stopped caring about where I ate, and just took a walk down any street and when I saw a menu I liked, I just went in. Honestly, even Denny's in Japan was amazing (it's a different menu and not like Denny's in Canada).
Shopping experience:
Loved shopping in Japan. I brought one large suitcase that was empty, put a smaller suitcase inside of it and then had my backpack and carry on suitcase. The yen was weaker than CAD, plus if you spend over 5,500 yen, and show them your passport, you'll get the tax off and some stores offer additional discounts for foreign passport holders.
Brands I bought:

• Onitsuka Tiger - best shoes ever. So stylish, comfy and very popular in Asia.
• Beams - they carry a variety of brands and their own brands.
• FR2 - great streetwear brand. They have different stores in different cities and exclusive pieces for that city.
• In Osaka, look for The Goodland Market on Orange Street. They carry brands that emphasize sustainability. Very laid-back and casual.
• Master-piece - great brand for bags.
• Saturdays NYC - this is an American brand but has a store in Tokyo. Loved the vibes. Very laid back.
• Rage Blue - easy styles with nice colours and cuts. Often had sales going on. Has a variety of brands.
• United Arrows - great styles here too. You'll be coming back to your country so fashionable.

A personal view:
I really like Japan and I would go again, but now that I've experienced it, I now know what I like and don't like. As much as everyone raves about Kyoto, I honestly didn't care for it. Inari shrine was great, the climb to the top was great exercise and most people give up not even halfway up so it gets less and less busy. I also like Nishiki market as I love street food in Vietnam so that type of vibe of just trying everything was a great experience. But honestly, Kyoto was a tourist trap (as with most places). Gion district was cute but you definitely won't find locals hanging there unless they work there. The street will be quiet for 10 minutes, then the next set of tour buses will come, 8 taxis will come and the whole experience walking through the street is kind of ruined. Also, it just felt a bit like...Disneyland. Everything was catered to tourists. I'm not someone who even seeks out places where locals are so you can meet locals as I don't really care that much if I meet a tourist or a local, if it happens it happens, but I'm not obsessed with it. But I somehow just got this feeling that Gion has been warped into a thing for tourists who are sold an "authentic, cultural experience". It reminds me of tourist traps in Vietnam, and maybe I only have this view because I've experienced Vietnam too. Perhaps a non-Asian tourist won't see this and to each their own of course. It didn't really help that there were signs saying don't take photos on private streets, and tourists would stand in front of those signs and start taking photos...
Another take is that the Japan that's shown to you on TV shows, dramas and the news is not the Japan you'll experience (unless you're always a part of a tour group). The media portrays Japan as a nation that is ONLY Japanese people, and that you will only meet Japanese people serving you and that despite a low birth rate, immigration is just not a thing in Japan. This is false. I can't count the number of times where I'll order food, have the cashier speak to me in English and Japanese (because I don't know Japanese), sit down and then hear the cashier and other staff speak Vietnamese. It dawned on me that pretty much all the food service staff were Vietnamese in Osaka and Tokyo. Probably more in other areas if I paid attention more. I started speaking Vietnamese back to them and they were surprised that I knew they were Viet. We made some pleasant conversation and for the most part they liked that someone acknowledged that they were Vietnamese. However, one time, one girl told me not to speak Viet to her or she'll get in trouble. The staff are allowed to speak Vietnamese to each other but not to the customer because the boss didn't want people to know that they weren't being served by Japanese people. Some places were more obvious such as people from Nepal, India or Pakistan working there but spoke perfect Japanese. Some places clearly only hired Vietnamese people because they can pass as Japanese. This was more shocking to me than any culture shock I could have experienced as a Canadian.
I think there's a sense of Japan being a rich nation, aligned with the US, that it's better than places like Vietnam. But after spending some time in both countries, I saw that even buildings were built in a similar way. Narrow staircases, no baseboards, sometimes low ceilings, and businesses stacked on top of each. I loved Japan and like I said, I would go again. But I think I would stick to just to Tokyo and Osaka next time. Both are also very touristy but not in a way that it's disguised as anything else. Osaka Dotonbori is a place to shop. People know that. It's extremely crowded, but you're there to shop, not for a cultural experience. If I were to go elsewhere, I would try Okinawa and maybe a rural experience too. But other than that, I'm someone who goes for the shopping and eating experience and the nightlife. I know some people might not agree with my take, as most subs about traveling to Japan always seem to be finding an authentic Japanese experience. But being able to realize that some people serving you aren't Japanese and that most experiences are waterdown and overpriced tourist experiences, you quickly realize that authentic Japanese experiences (as with any country popular with tourists) are hard to come by.
Edit: I replaced the term expat with immigrant for sensitivity.
Edit 2:
Just to provide more details on my experience that contrasts a lot of what you may find on Reddit.
Cleanliness:
Yes, parts of Tokyo and Japan itself is clean. But I have seen some parts of Toyko with garbage on the ground. Osaka is more obviously dirty if you want to put it that way. More garbage on the street, especially at night. My local friend told me that Japanese people are just good at hiding their litter and when they think no one is watching, they do litter.
Homelessness:
I saw homelessness. In Asakusa where my hotel was, there was one homeless lady on the main street near Don Quitos. I also some when you are walking to Shibuya Scramble Square. It's a big city, I'm sure homelessness is an issue there. I saw a TikTok while I was there about homeless runway children in the Shibuya and Shinjuku area.
Shyness/Attitude:
I was always told that many Japanese wouldn't really want to make small talk with you. But honestly it really depends. I had pink hair and had my nails done with a cute fun design on them. So many cashiers, retail people etc. wanted to compliment my nails and tell me how cute they were. Even leaving Japan, as I was going through security, the security lady complimented my nails as I was placing my liquids and computers in a bin. I also carried around a Sailor Moon tote bag I got from the museum and strangers on the street were stopping me to compliment it. I'm a man and I have my nails done, pink hair and a Sailor Moon tote bag. If you give them a reason to talk to you, they will.
Weak yen:
The best part about clubbing is going to the 7-11 near the gay district alleys, buying cheap alcohol, drinking it with your newly made friends, and then going back into the club to dance some more before doing it again 20 minutes later. Alcohol is so cheap there! 450 yen for a can of Jack Daniels and Coke...that's like $2-3 Canadian. We Canadians usually pay $6 or $8 for a can!
More on fashion:
I tried my best to avoid buying brands I could get in North America but sometimes the exchange rate and no tax was too good. Commes Des Garcon Play sneakers in Canada are $200 before tax. Found a design that isn't available in Canada, no tax and the conversion made them $160. Had to get them. Bought a Dior cardholder that's $480 before tax in Canada. No tax and converted price in Japan turned out to be $390. I say definitely look for the Japanese brands you can't get back home because you'll come back with more unique pieces (even if it's a popular, mass product in Japan) but also if you have your eye on designer pieces, chances are the piece is cheaper in Japan. The only thing I found that Hermes and Chanel were the same price or more expensive in Japan. But other brands like Gucci, Dior, Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton were cheaper.
Even Uniqlo is cheaper. The viral bag that people like is $25 in Canada. In Japan it's $13. There was a Golden Week sale that made the bags $8 each.
I did avoid some brands like A.P.C or Diesel (which is everywhere in Japan) because despite it being cheaper, I know when there's a sale on SSENSE it's even cheaper than what you could get in Japan.

The Toymaker's Legions are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Maestro being the show's parallel to Famine, the Third Horseman. Rather than plunging the world into a hunger for food, it was a hunger for music that ended the Human race. Next episode we will see a planet at war, possibly meeting the Pantheon's version of War, the Second Horseman. In the penultimate episode, the Legend of Ruby Sunday, we will learn that Ruby is the Pantheon's First Horseman, Conquest. The figure that we see in the Church on Ruby Road is Death, the fourth Horseman, following the Doctor while she disguises herself as a Human woman, Susan Triad.
Despite how in your face it is, I am genuinely really interested in whoever "The one who waits" is. We can only assume that Maestro did all this to get back at the Doctor, or at the very least Earth, for what happened to the Toymaker. This makes their mention of "the one who waits" at the end all the more confusing. In "The Giggle", the Toymaker explicitly mentions this secret villain as something already in the universe, someone playing a separate "game" from the Toymaker. He was our introduction to the character but his exact words made it sound like they were disconnected. Now we have Maestro drawing a direct connection between the two, making it seem like "the one who waits" is a member of this new "Pantheon".
I have a theory that "The One who Waits" is Death itself, but I should start with the Horseman I feel most confident about, Maestro as Famine. Maestro fits much of the profile of the version of Famine in the Greek version of the story. In that version, Famine is the Greek god Limos, the gender-less god of Famine that could curse individuals with never ending hunger. Maestro also having a child named "Harbinger" would make more sense given the Horsemen act as "harbingers" of the divine apocalypse. While I think we will likely see the Russell T Davies version of War soon, this still leaves Conquest/Pestilence and Death. Conquest has sometimes been portrayed as the "antichrist", and Death is basically the Grim Reaper.
I will mention that its possible the Toymaker is the show’s version of War, given that he puts the Human race at war with itself using the Giggle. What is war if not a game? His red suit and red petals very much match with War's Red Horse - the Toymaker's portal "Door" is red, just as Maestro's portal "Piano" was black matching Famine’s black horse.
The other line that stands out from Maestro is "could he have been there?" referring to a mysterious individual being present on the Christmas night where Ruby was left at the church. Coupled with the recovered memory of the cloaked figure from that night pointing at the Doctor, it makes me wonder if Ruby's "birth mother" is who Maestro was talking about. I had noticed on my first rewatch of Church that the 'flash-forward' at the beginning of the episode shows a different version of events than what we see at the end of the episode, when the Doctor saves Ruby from the Goblins. Its only a minor thing, but in the flash-forward we see a priest(?) come out of the Church and pick up Ruby before the Doctor arrives. In the later versions of events, the priest does not come out and instead the Goblins grab Ruby !after! the Doctor arrives. We see the cloaked figure walking away but the Doctor runs to the Church to save Ruby rather than pursue the supposed "mother". After saving the day and crashing an entire Goblin ship, the Doctor runs back to the TARDIS and suddenly the version of events from the beginning of the story begin, and magically the "mother" is walking away again, in the exact same place she was in minutes before when the Doctor arrived.
So far, we have seen the Doctor be aware of "Mavity" and "Rubathon Blue", but both companions were oblivious to the sudden changing of history. Is it possible this same thing has happened to the Doctor, but in reverse for once? Time was changed and he missed it, now completely oblivious to the change? The strange repeat of events in TCORR was the Doctor settling back into the timeline, fixing the Goblin's intervention but at the expense of pursuing Ruby's "mother". Is it possible that everything we see in the episode is a 'second go', the version of the new history after the Doctor initially travels to that Christmas? It was never fully established why the Doctor was following Ruby - was the Doctor feeling pulled to her because he sensed he knew her, and the Goblins just happened to be there? The Goblins did keep him from going after the cloaked figure, a distraction to prevent the confrontation that led to time being reset. The confrontation we see in Space Babies, which came with magical snow as a warning to remind him not to get curious. This season does end with "The Empire of Death", and this may be far more literal than anyone anticipated if the cloaked figure truly represents "Death".
Susan Twist's character, Susan Triad, is the most interesting mystery this season. It appears that she will appear in every episode this season, appearing in the last three episodes and is on the cast list for Boom. It's generally known now that she is 'Susan Triad', founder of 'Triad Technologies'. It is very unclear what role she plays in the over arching narrative, but many have assumed she is a villain. I admit I think she is going to be an antagonist as well, but nothing I've seen justifies, specifically, why she was with Sir Isaac Newton. Her first appearance is the craziest of them all, appearing BEFORE the Doctor drew the line of sand, and Ruby Sunday was not present (every appearance since this one has Ruby within the scene). It would almost seem like Susan has been present every time the Doctor changes history, with Space Babies being the only arguable exception. Its not lost on me that the Devil's chord was a Tri-tone, and the series big bad(?) is a Tri-ad. Her request for Ruby to play Gaudete is once again another biblical reference, this time it being a song about rejoicing at the coming of Christ. It seems she is tied to Ruby in some way, and everything in my eyes points to being a part of the Pantheon, whether she really is>! Sutekh (Susan Triad Technologies, Sue-tech) , or possibly Sutekh's child ala Harbinger!< , or some other god entirely. I think that Russell is really dangling all the "Susan" he can in front of the audience, and if he really is bringing Granddaughter Susan back then she's far more likely to be Mrs. Flood rather than the obvious "Susan Twist". Twist did say "that's me, Margaret Lockwood in The Wicked Lady" during her appearance in the Devil's Chord, referring to Margaret Lockwood’s character “Barbara Skelton”who donned a cloak and mask to conceal her identity, much like Ruby's "mother" does.
As I mentioned before, the first Horseman, Conquest, is often identified with the Holy Spirit or the Antichrist. If all of this connects to Ruby somehow (as the show continues to remind us), it makes sense to me that she may be taking on that role of the Toymaker's Antichrist, her foundling nature being without mortal parents is itself very Christ-like. It has been theorized that the Doctor would revert from Timelord to whatever his original species was if he were to open the chameleon arch fob watch containing all the Timeless Child stuff. If Russell is indeed putting the Doctor and Ruby in the same position to explore the foundling revelation, its possible Ruby was "chameleon arched" into a Human baby and dropped off at the Church, and her story arc becomes deciding between returning to what she was, or continuing as who she is. The snow in the TARIDS at the end of Space Babies suggested that her biology was triggering time's alarm, requiring an immersive warning to be sent to the Doctor.
This is all just based on vibes I got while watching the latest two episodes, but it feels like it could be too much like "Good Omens". If anything, I imagine the horsemen story realistically could have been a minor source of inspiration, but the story will deviate heavily as we see things play out.

I was going to the big time.
Imagine me, a hick from Nowhere, Ohio, getting a role in one of the biggest movies of the summer. For 12 years, I had been out in LA and all I had on my resume was a background role in a fast food commercial. They didn't even let me eat the burger. My persistence had paid off. Folks back home were about to see me as a (super)hero.
The studio arranged an elite regimen for me to get in shape for my breakout. Totally understandable. I was kinda doughy and if I was going to vie for People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive, I needed to trim the midsection. They wanted all of their actors to rival Adonis. When I stepped on set, my body fat percentage had to be in the single digits.
As a massive fan of the factory's output, I was well aware of the program that awaited me. I liked my grease and butter but it would be some time before I tasted something good again. Grilled chicken and rice. That was the designated bland flavoring all the hunks and starlets bemoaned in press junkets. I was no fan of the combo but a few weeks of a repetitious palette would be parlayed into years of windfall.
For the first time in my life, a limo picked me up and ushered me to the infamous complex. In addition to horking down a pound of boring bites, I would be undergoing Olympic echelon training. They assured me I probably wouldn't fatally overexert myself and had me sign an NDA stating I was to reveal nothing about pre-production to any outlet, not even mom and dad. Some might find that shady. I thought it was an induction into a cool club.
"You ready to hit the gym?" the hired beefcake asked me after I battled through the first batch of my foreseeable menu.
Nodding my head, he led me to the other side of the complex. It was like no YMCA I'd ever been to. Even if you weren't big on pumping iron, you had to appreciate the beauty. Exhausting myself with curls, burpees and sprints, my trainer fetched an IV. It wasn't water that pumped into my veins. My 12 inch biceps doubled in size, my adipose melted in the blink of an eye and my neck grew tight. I looked like a Crash Bandicoot boss. I was fuckin' yoked. Nothing was gonna stand in my way.
"Sorry, we cut your line," an intern called me while I was recuperating in the hospital after the shoot.
Turns out toting around 100 pounds of muscle you grew in 10 seconds screws with your insides. Disappointed, I allowed my pleading organs to tap out. I played that aggrieved bystander with the collateral damaged car with aplomb. Maybe someone would release the rough cut someday, earning me posthumous acclaim.

Build an exact copy of Disneyland except everything is designed to look unkempt and decrepit.
Dirty streets bathed in flickering neon signs advertising scandalous things, people dressed in iconic Disney characters who'd normally put on a cheerful act would be anything but.
Tinker Bell would be the local dealer selling "Pixie dust" in a sodden alleyway.
Goofy would be pimping out some of the Disney princesses, if the guests get too close to them, Goofy would come up to you and tell you to piss off(in character voice)
The Seven Dwarves would be the local street gangbangers, their sworn enemy being the higher level Toy Story mafia who are a little more organized and sophisticated.
Mickey Mouse would be an extremely corrupt politician dressed in a black suit, his campaigns and rallies of false promises playing on billboards and torn posters plastered on the vandalized walls.
"President Mickey" would also be driven around the theme park as the protestor actors boo and throw shit at his limo.
I would totally do this if it weren't for copyright infringement by the way.

Tommy Tutone is a part of Monterey, California music folklore as the band played often here. There was a "Jenny" working for Monterey Peninsula Artists doing everything from working sound, singing backup, to driving a limo as the company was still small. There was an article in the local weekly about her being the muse for the 867-5309 song. It makes sense as she worked sound around Carmel at the time, and so it was likely her who gave the # at the club they played there. She had a great deal of contact with musicians during that time and became a backing vocalist and dancer with The Tubes back when I photographed their halloweeen party for the Bay Area radio station .. I forget if it was KOME or KSJO but I worked with both in the 80's and 90's.
I'm kicking myself for not remembering her last name or the article about her .. but of the Tommy Tutone band, I understand that two guys are saying there was "no particular Jenny" in mind when writing that song, but the other two bandmates claim that there was .. and that it is "Jenny, from Monterey Peninsula Artists" .. since it was mentioned that a young blonde lady doing sound in a Carmel Club handed her number on a piece if paper .. I tend to believe that it was she who is the muse the song is loosely based on. I'd scan a picture of her wearing a nurses costume on stage with The Tubes if there is somewhere I can send it to. I've danced to that song hundreds of times! "Jenny, Jenny! Who can I turn to?"

I haven't dug into any theories aside from a few LB reviews on the film. I believe I have a good approximation about the events of the movie but want to hear opinions on if I'm completely off the mark. I'll start with a literal interpretation then mention some of the symbolism afterwards. Also, I'm aware about the official "clues" but completely disregard it as unnecessary.
What literally happened?
Mulholland Drive is basically about Betty who wants to make it big as a Hollywood actress. She lands an audition for a leading role in Adam's new movie but loses it to Camilla. Evidently, she becomes depressed, envious, and ashamed, feeling like she's disappointed her parents. Desperate, she hires a local pimp named Joe to murder Camilla and force Adam to cast her, Betty, as the lead. The plan works out but soon the police start coming around her place asking questions. Because of the conspiracy and growing fear of getting caught, she begins to experience intense guilt-ridden dreams. The psychological distress, however, is so intolerable that she ends her life in bed.
To expand on the symbolism:
The Dream
Everything leading up till Camilla's opening of the blue box is a dream happening entirely in Betty's head. This is the guilt-ridden dream I was referring to above. Because it's a dream, the characters Betty saw or met in real life are scrambled and reincorporated as different characters just like in dream logic. For example, how you might see a random man crossing the street then dream about him later that night. Betty's dream does this with people as well, such as with the two random men in the Diner scene, the Cowboy (likely a cast member in Adam's film), and the female landlord. So when you ask yourself: "who is that random guy in this movie?" It's because Betty met or saw them in real life in some way.
Camilla
Camilla is dead the entire movie. The Camilla we see is just a dream interpretation conjured up by Betty's interactions with her when she was still alive. Every time you see Camilla on-screen, you 100% know Betty is dreaming or experiencing some kind of flashback. But it is never the present moment. Camilla was the one who impressed Adam and won the lead role much to the chagrin of Betty. Camilla's "amnesia" is actually Betty's desire to forget about the guilt she feels in hiring Joe to get rid of her.
Camilla x Betty relationship
The lesbian angle is two things: (1) Betty lost the role to Camilla and is deeply envious meaning she "wishes to be her" or "exchange places with her" and (2) Betty had Camilla killed and is deeply guilty meaning she "wishes to trade her life to make up for it." In both senses, Betty basically wants to trade places with her in some way. At first it was envy but then, once Joe did his job, it became morbid. Hence, we see duality between the two in multiple ways, such as kissing, shots in bed with their faces overlayed on the side, and the wig Camilla wears to look like Betty, so on.
The Scary Bum...*
...is Camilla. Or Betty's imagining of Camilla's dead corpse buried in the woods beneath the soil. Joe disposed of Camilla's corpse around the woods where the opening car crash happens. How exactly it played out is up to interpretation. For instance, you know how Joe is a pimp? Well it could be that the joy riding girls in the opening crash scene were with Joe that night. Maybe Joe intercepted Camilla's limo by crashing into it then shooting her as she got out? Maybe the limo drivers were paid conspirators and delivered Camilla to Joe, no questions asked? Whatever the case is, the point is that Joe killed Camilla in some way and Betty is merely recreating the details in her dream.
The Old Couple
The old couple are Betty's parents before she left for LA. In the film, they arrive with her but it makes more realistic sense that it was actually her memory/dream of her parents sending her off before she boarded the plane. The old couple are seen riding the same limo Camilla was seen which can be explained as another "dream logic" scenario where things in real life get mixed together. I believe the old couple being in the limo serves no symbolic purpose besides emphasizing the surreal quality of the film and referencing Camilla.
The Blue Key, The Box, and The 2nd Blue Key
The two blue keys are easy. The 2nd one is simply Joe's sign to Betty that he was able to get rid of Camilla. Notice how we first see the 2nd key only AFTER Betty wakes up from her dream. By this point, she is in the present moment where Camilla is dead, she is depressed, and the police are looking to speak to her. On the other hand, the 1st Blue Key is merely the dream version of the real life one but serves a different purpose for unlocking the box instead.
When it comes to the actual box, however, I have to say I'm not quite sure what it's supposed to mean. I believe there are 2 important scenes to suggest what the box represents but I've yet to gain a confident interpretation of my own. First is the opening of the box. If you remember, just when the blue box is about to be unlocked, Betty disappears leaving Camilla to open it by herself. Once unlocked, she too disappears, leading Betty to wake up in real life. The second important scene is the Bum (who I believe to be Camilla) dropping the box on the ground (just like how Camilla dropped the box on the ground before she disappeared) which then leads to the escape of Betty's miniature parents.
Because of these two scenes, I suspect the blue box might be Betty's sadness at disappointing both her parents. Not only did she fail her parents by failing to become a Hollywood star, but they will also soon discover that she is an accomplice to murder, which only adds further injury. Note how Betty is chased by the old couple as she screams and reaches for the gun. It's most likely that the blue box is connected to Betty's parents but I just fail to find the right words or angle to explain it in a succinct way. I do believe the box is meant to represent Betty's secret or something she wants to avoid even if it costs her her life. Hence, silencio (silent.)

Let's change it up a bit. Flip the script.
Momo parents' have very high morals and refuses to use their daughter for monetary gain, no matter how much they struggle. They work decent jobs (I imagine a limo driver father and craftsman mother who designs and creates her own clothes with her quirk) but they never let Momo feel like she was lower class. She was and will always be their little princess. She was driven to priavte school every day in a limo. She was the one who wore clothes so dazzling that people believe that she gets first pick on clothes before they are released to the public. In short, everyone thought she was rich, including herself.
That's why she was so adamant in becoming a hero: to give back.
Ochaco's parents are incredibly wealthy. They ran the largest construction company in the country, in a world where Avengers levels of property damage is the norm. (Mt. Lady is their biggest benefactor). Her family just never flexed their wealth. Like, at all. They like the quiet, low profile life that their money could afford them.
But since they run the largest construction company, they are always busy - working late nights and early mornings balancing the books and making sure projects are getting finished. Ochaco assumed that their long hours of work and small home meant that they were low on money. It was cute when she was six and proposed that she helped them with construction with her quirk (they dont do much field work, just some meetings and inspections. They have top floor offices).
When they turned down her offer in a playful manner, she swore that she would do whatever it takes to get money so her parents could have an easy life.

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Platform(s): PC
Genre: FPS
Estimated year of release: Could have been released earlier than title, I played it as a kid at around that time, and it was quite popular.
Graphics/art style: 3d, realistic for its time
Notable gameplay mechanics: Can pick up guns where some special ones spawn.-
Other details: It's an FPS TDM game, I can only really remember two maps vaguely. One was two rooftop spawns facing each other with a 2/3 story parking garage on one end of the roofs with a weapon spawn in it. Possibly a skybridge in between them down below to flank.
Another one was an embassy I believe, In the middle was a parking lot. North of parking lot was a 2 story building and a team spawn, West was a building with a few foot road that had a limo, South was a wall, behind the wall was barracks/buildings you can run in between but not in, there was a weapon spawn hidden in an alley, and also the other teams spawn. East was another concrete fence/wall, beyond that was a tall building you could take one of two elevators up and it had a sniper spawn on the roof, but could not go inside of it. Only building you could go in was the one near north spawn. (Besides getting in the elevators and pressing elevator button)
I wish I had more info, but all i can remember is that and how much fun I had on it with a friend. It might have been source engine but im not 100% sure
I wonder if it was cs source community map when they were fresh?

So theres this girl at my school who I have always liked since I saw her, and for the past 3 years I have been chasing girls not because I liked them but because they were simply easy to talk to and easy to possibly date. Anyways I come to realise this, midway through the year, and decide to slide into this girls dm's and try to ask her out to prom for the point purely of going to prom with a "higher class girl" (she knows who I am already (have talked at parties etc) we just weren't all that close outside of that stuff).
Anyways, The conversation develops, then we start saying hi at school, and then I ask her out to Prom to which she says yeah and that she would like to go as **friends, which at the time I think is fine since at the time I was purely just looking for somebody to go to prom with.
I text her great, and it eventually comes to me proposing we hang out to get to know each other better before prom night. So, we have to reschedule a couple of times to get it to work, but we find a time, where she comes over late on a sunday night (keep in mind we have school tommorow.), and she says that she'll only be able to stay for 20 minutes as her parents want her to be home for a certain time. Anyways I'm like fine, I just want to see you before we run out of time. So she comes over, and immediately I hit it off and we have a good conversation, and she ends up staying at my house for 3 hours, and its ME who is like hey listen I have to some rest for school tommorow, you have got to get out of here, and so it finally ends there.
Later that week, I invite her over to my house for lunch, with the promise of cooking lunch together, this also goes well too and we are hitting it off with the conversation once again, and again its me who is like shit, we have got to get back to school or we are going to be late!! It seems like she was ready to skip the next period to keep hanging out.
Anyways, her friend adds me on snap and tells me that she would love it if I promposed to her, so I made her a sign and everything went over to her house and promposed to her, and she said yes and we took the picture she was stroking my back in a way that did not seem like we were friends. After this, I ask her if shes down to hangout later that night to watch a movie at my place, she says yeah again. We go and watch a movie in my basement, the mood feels right and I put my arm over her shoulder, and then she keeps on readjusting her body to a point where she is more and more on top of me and her face gets closer to my face shes squeezing and stroking parts my leg, and it ends up coming to a point where we have been at this for like a full hour and a bit (the TV is off now) and her face is lying on my chest and we are cuddling together (she has been blowing off all the texts on her phone not letting them wreck the mood, we are holding hands) and she lifts her head up to look at me a couple times *possibly* wanting to kiss but I don't make any moves causing her to put her face down and giggle. I didn't kiss her cause at this point I had realized that I actually really liked this girl from the time we spent together over the week, and was wanting to be more than friends, and wanted her to think that I cared about HER more than just kissing a girl. But anyways she gets up at like 2am and wants to go home so I drive her home, say goodbye and then text her saying that we should do another movie night soon.
I get a text back in the morning saying that she doesn't want to lead me on and that she likes me as a friend, and wants to go the prom as friends, to witch I was devastated for the whole night, and playing it cool I decided to send back I text with something along the lines of sounds good with me! I'll see you at prom. Then she sends a message back saying I hope theres no hard feelings, I was super comfortable lying with you, but AT LEAST FOR NOW I want to be friends. This is what caught my eye, the "at least for now." But then I began spiraling thinking all the What ifs... Mainly here I was worried she thought I didn't like her cause I didn't end up kissing her.
I was so confused, cause a girl who you go from never talking to apart from parties, agrees to see you 3 times a week, and cuddles with, seems like someone who is interested in being more than friends with you.
Prom is coming and I figure that I will find out the final answer on that night at the post party. So it happens, and everything is going great on the limo ride there, and at the dance, and then we make it to the post party, and she takes off. She doesn't make any effort to talk to me all night, and is walking around clinging to her friend. I approach her and try to start a conversation, but she gives me signs indicating she doesn't want me around. Then later into the party she comes over to me and my buddies budging into our circle and is giving me looks not saying anything, to which I move with my friends away from her (pissed about what has been happening, and not wanting girl drama to ruin my prom night) . I also see her walking with another guy somewhere with linked arms (idk if they hooked up, theres reason to say they didn't but thats what it looked like from my drunk perspective) But then it comes to the end of the party, and I go up to her and say hey thanks for being my prom date, I'm so happy we went together and give her a hug, she doesn't even hug me back!??? wtf is going on. She still snaps me, and even talks a little bit.
Can anyone help me figure out what is going on? i have gotten over the whole situation but would rlly like to know if a relationship is possible as I found from that 1 week that I rlly liked this girl.

A hollow whistle opened into a short Western tune as the scene faded into a shot of the two teams, the camera placed on the ground and at an angle. A tumbleweed rolled past and Chris stepped in front of the camera, only his legs visible until it panned up and around to his face. "The hallmark of any good Western is the quick-draw cowboy showdown!" he said after adjusting his hat. The shot cut to the unimpressed castmates, and Chris started walking past while continuing his talk. "Captains will pick their strongest cowpoke to compete in what will likely be," a few deep drum notes were played as he stepped between Scott and Trent and put his hands on their shoulders, "a FIGHT to the DEATH!" He laughed, the two on either side of him looked briefly surprised, then frowned and walked away, and a cellphone began to ring.
"Yello?" the host answered immediately upon taking his phone out; a faint voice was heard on the other end, but it was impossible to tell exactly what it was saying. "Uh-huh. I see. Fine." He ended the call with a beep.
"Our lawyers have informed me that you may shoot until someone is mildly injured," he announced, "or cries like a little baby. But a fight to the death is strictly prohibited. Time to pick your cowboys!"
Confessional: Trent
“If I'm gonna have any chance with Sky, I've gotta find some way to help her out,” Trent declared.
Confessional Ends
"The Grips pick Jasmine," Trent announced.
“What?!” Justin protested heavily. “You want to use Jasmine for target practice? She's a guaranteed hit.”
“My height is over six foot, Trent,” Jasmine pointed out.
"You guys better decide soon cause I'm getting thirsty," Ripper barked out as he held up two water guns meant for the challenge and started drinking all the water from them.
Confessional: Sky
“I can't believe this. He's throwing challenges just to impress me!” Sky exclaimed. “That's as bad as cheating!”
Confessional: Trent
“Finally, I think I did good,” Trent said. “Man, relationships are complicated.”
Confessionals End
"Ripper!" Chris whined childishly and walked over to him. "We needed that water for the quick-draw cowboy showdown!"
"Don't look at me!" Chef joined them. "I ain't lugging anymore water in this heat."
"If you want to blame someone, blame the heat," Ripper said. "It's making my mouth dry."
"Okay, new challenge!" Chris said in a frustrated manner and marched off.
The scene flashed to Chris standing in front of everybody. "Since Ripper ruined the last competition, your final challenge of the day will be calf roping."
"Where are the cows at?" Jasmine wondered.
"There aren't any. Grips are the cowboys, Gaffers are the cattle. The cowboys rope the cattle, they win. The cattle dodge the cowboys, they win," Chris explained the rules.
"How do we know who's who?" Trent asked.
"Grips get to wear these stylin' cowboy hats." Chris pulled out a cowboy hat. "Gaffers get to wear... udders!" Chris pulled out a hat shaped like cow udders.
"You just had to ask," Scott grumbled.
"Sorry," Trent said.
Confessional: Jasmine
Jasmine had a cowboy hat on. "This hat looks great on me, but I wouldn't trade my original for the world," she stated.
Confessional: Chase
"Pretending this never happened," Chase said to himself as he put on the udder hat. “For life!”
Confessional: Sky
“And all this for a million dollars,” Sky muttered, an udder hat already on her head.
Confessionals End
Chris was now standing on a green stack of hay. "Would the cattle care for some hay?" Chris asked after the contestants had put on their hats.
"Would the host care for an udder sandwich?" Ripper replied with fury.
“I'm good," Chris carried on. "Chef will now judge the competition. Yo, Chef!"
Chef walked into the scene from the right. He was wearing an old-fashioned pink whalebone dress with matching bonnet and fan; the material was translucent, and he was noticeably wearing nothing but a pair of white briefs under it. He scowled at the host, then began to gently fan himself. "Love the dress, Cheffette," Chris teased.
Chef scowled and growled, and the footage flashed forward to show him tightening the final knot in a rope that had thoroughly tied the host to a support post of one of the buildings. "Maybe when I change, I'll come back and untie you," Chef said angrily before picking up the bottom of his dress and walking away.
"I can't feel my arms," Chris whined as he struggled against his bonds. The camera zoomed out to show the teams ready. "Let the calf roping begin."
The Gaffers sprinted away from the Grip cowboys and cowgirls wielding rope before the Grips chased them.
Justin tried to lasso Scott, but ended up overshooting and missed him. Fortunately, Jasmine threw her lasso and successfully captured Scott, pulling him down to the ground.
"What were you even taught in Australia?" Scott questioned in shock.
"Cow roping is one of my skills," Jasmine answered as she tightened the rope around Scott. "Along with juggling, animal handling, and much more."
Chris finally untied himself from the post. "And that's one cow down. Four more to go!"
Anne Maria was chasing MK. She threw her lasso at the shorter girl multiple times, but MK managed to dodge being captured due to her height.
“Being short does have its advantages!” MK laughed.
“Hold still, you pesky girl!” Anne Maria growled in irritation.
Sky and Trent were walking backwards until they bumped into each other, causing them to turn around and face each other. Trent twirled his lasso for a bit and pretended to have missed Sky.
“Aw shoot! So close!” Trent acted disappointed, much to Sky's dismay.
Confessional: Sky
“That's it. I'm going to have a talk with Trent after this challenge ends!” Sky firmly said. “He needs to play fair!”
Confessional: Trent
“What girl doesn't love it when a dude helps her out?” Trent asked. “Holds a door, opens a pickle jar, helps her win a million dollar competition?”
Confessionals End
Chase was running away from Brick. “Track practice is something I never take for granted!" Chase bragged as he was a few feet away from Brick.
"Don't expect me to give up!" Brick panted.
Trent was sitting on a rock when Millie walked up to him. "Why are you sitting down when we're supposed to be roping the Gaffers?" Millie asked.
"I'm… just waiting for one to come by so I could rope them?" Trent answered slowly.
“Hiya losers!” Ripper mocked and waved as he ran past the two.
“You just let him pass you right now,” Millie deadpanned and started to chase after Ripper.
The scene cut to the six Grips still continuing to chase the four remaining Gaffers. The Gaffers ran into the pile of rope that was used to tie Chris down to the post. They picked them up, and after seeing what was about to transpire, the Grips ran the opposite direction.
Millie got captured by Sky, and Ripper and Chase worked together to tie up Trent and Anne Maria respectively.
MK was now in the process of chasing Justin.
Confessional: Justin
"I just found out I have a new neck modeling contract,” Justin said calmly. “Apparently, I have excellent tendons." He stretches his neck out for the camera to see. "See? See? Check it out. You like that?"
Confessional Ends
Justin turned around and stopped MK. "Not the face!" the model cried. "Or the neck, hands, feet, legs, knees, or anything in the chestal region!" He dropped down into a fetal position. MK smiled and gently tossed the lasso around him.
"Got you!" MK cheered. "That was too easy."
"Well, what do we have here?" Chris arrived on the scene. "The cattle have roped the cowboys.” The Gaffers arrived with the Grips all tied up. “A bit unexpected, but what the heck. The Gaffers win!" The Gaffers cheered at their victory.
Confessional: MK
“Justin basically handed us the win!” MK laughed to the camera. “That guy is such an egomaniac!”
Confessional Ends
"You Grips are losers," Chris continued next to a small fire. "And you know what happens to losers." He pulled something out of the fire, which turned out to be a branding iron with an L. "Which Grip wants to take the heat?"
The Grip members all proceeded to run away from the scene at the sight of the iron.
“Nice torture method, McLean!” Scott sneered, though he frowned in fear afterward.
Confessional: Scott
"I don't blame the Grips for not wanting to get themselves branded," Scott shrugged. "They'd likely have to get their bellies or arms covered with bandages since a bandana won't be enough to conceal it." He tightened his own bandana.
Confessional: Trent
“I would’ve asked if they had a branding iron with an S for Sky, but that would be taking things too far,” Trent said.
Confessionals End
Chris plunged the branding iron into a barrel of water with a hiss. "Legal says branding's out," he announced. "Guess I have to settle for booting one of the Grips off in the most exciting Gilded Chris ceremony ev-er!" He danced as he made the announcement. "Now, go shower. You stink!" The castmates began to walk off. "Peee-yyyyewwww!"
A shot of Ripper washing his hair was shown, the camera pulling back to show him in a barrel, then panning right to show MK, Brick, Millie, Jasmine, Chase, Justin, Scott, Anne Maria, Sky, and Trent waiting in line wearing nothing but bath towels.
“Hurry up, Ripper!” Millie begged.
“And don't pee in the barrel,” Chase added. “You drank all the water from those pistols.”
“Alright, you've been in the barrel for too long and I'm taking you out,” MK reprimanded her teammate and grabbed the barrel.
“Hold on a minute-” Ripper tried to stop MK but she pushed the barrel forward, causing Ripper to slide out naked.
Confessional: MK
“If you can't tell by now, Ripper's starting to bug me, especially on purpose,” MK said, “but luckily, I'm able to get even with him by messing with him. And since he's not Mr. Popular around here, I won't be targeted for elimination for being rude to him.”
Confessional Ends
The scene cut over to Trent sitting outside the boys’ trailer until he spotted Sky coming over to sit next to him.
“Hey Trent. Can we talk?” Sky asked.
“Sure,” Trent accepted. “What's up?”
“What’s going on with you?! You’ve been throwing the challenges lately,” Sky said incredulously.
"Uh, what do you mean?" Trent tried to be subtle.
"You know what I mean," Sky said seriously. "You didn't even try to rope me, and I can tell you deliberately tripped in the dancing challenge just so my team would win."
“Sky, I-” Trent attempted to explain himself.
“Why are you doing all this?” Sky asked. “This is not the Trent I know from the first season.”
“Fine. I’m worried Chase is gonna try and steal you away from me,” Trent sighed miserably.
"Where did you even get that idea from?" Sky got flabbergasted.
"You two have a lot of shared abilities and interests, and with you two being on the same team, I figured you'd forget about me," Trent explained. “I just wanted to make you happy by letting you win.”
“I understand how you're feeling, but me and Chase are ONLY friends,” Sky enforced. “Besides, he's dating Millie, and I don't think he's the type to cheat on her.”
“I didn't think about that at all since I don't know Chase that well,” Trent sighed.
“And also, please stop throwing challenges. Not only is it hurting you and your team, but it's also hurting me as well,” Sky advised. “A win isn't a win if the opposing side doesn't give it their all.”
“You’re right,” Trent nodded. “I’m sorry I got so jealous and did all that. It was really stupid of me.”
“I forgive you, and I promise I will never leave you for anyone,” Sky said with a warm smile. “We can be friends with other people and still maintain a relationship.”
“I hear you loud and clear,” Trent smiled back.
As the couple hugged each other, the camera panned to the right to reveal Justin glaring at them from behind the trailer. “So do I.”
The next scene focused on Millie, Jasmine, and Anne Maria relaxing by the girls’ trailer until Justin marched towards them.
“Hey Justin. What's going on?” Jasmine asked her teammate.
“Listen girls, we have to vote off Trent tonight,” Justin discussed.
“And why him?” Anne Maria interrupted.
“This is the reason,” Justin said. “He's been throwing challenges just so he could impress Sky because she's on the other team.”
The girls all proceeded to gasp at the news. “You gotta be kiddin’ me!” Anne Maria said in disbelief.
“I overheard him talking to Sky. I'm not lying about this,” Justin confirmed.
“Trent obviously shouldn't have put us up for elimination, but he did do so with good intentions,” Millie said.
“He may continue to do so over and over again, and did his number nine schtick not bother any of you?” Justin asked.
“It sure did complicate things in the sand castle challenge,” Jasmine remembered.
“Brick won't be on board with us since he's friends with Trent, but we need to vote Trent off tonight if we want to keep winning,” Justin reasoned. “Think heavily about this.”
As Justin made his way back to his trailer, the three girls all shared looks of uncertainty.
The standard introduction for the Gilded Chris ceremony was played, with all the accompanying fanfare. When it ended, the scene cut to the six Killer Grips as they voted from the stands – Anne Maria, Justin, and Trent in the front row; Jasmine, Millie, and Brick behind them.
"The votes have been cast!" Chris announced, the electronic beeps of the voting devices stopping as the camera switched to his close-up as a quiet but deep note was struck in the background music. "If you get a Gilded Chris, it means you're safe, for now." Another deep yet soft beat played as the host looked to the side and Chef walked up, wearing a black suit coat over his usual clothes and carrying five awards. "What happened to your dress?" Chris asked mockingly, earning an 'I'm watching you' gesture from his hulking assistant.
He frowned and turned his attention back to the castmates. "And the Gilded Chris goes to...," the shot moved to the mostly-anxious campers, "Jasmine, Millie, and Brick!" The three smiled and caught their awards.
"Justin," Chris called out, and the model was shown catching the thrown prize with a wince. "And last but not least..." A single high note hung in the air as Anne Maria and Trent were shown watching the stage nervously. "Anne Maria!"
Anne Maria stood up to catch her award, a grin forming on her face. "Yeah baby!"
“Trent, it's time to go!” Chris informed the eliminated contestant.
Trent got off the stands. “Before I do, can I at least say goodbye to Sky?”
“You could, but it'd be pointless since Chef will just carry you to the limo,” Chris smiled.
“Alright,” Trent sighed and faced his former teammates. “I'm really sorry about my actions, guys. I'll see you later.” With nothing left to say, he turned and walked down the red carpet.
The scene cut to the end of the red carpet where Trent entered the limo, Chris and Chef approaching him. "3:10 to Wildtown!" Chris announced as he closed the door, the limo driving off afterward. “Trent is now aboard!”
The scene zoomed out to show Chris and Sky in the control room watching the footage through one of the screens. "Did you call me in here just to let me know that Trent is gone?" Sky asked.
"Yes. Yes we did," Chris admitted shamelessly.
“I am going to miss him deeply,” Sky sighed and left the room.
“My work here is done,” Chris said and looked at the camera. “See all you groovy cats next time on Total! Drama! Action!”
(Roll the Credits)
(Bonus Clip)
“So it really stinks that I've gotta go,” Trent confessed to the camera inside the limo. “I thought this season, I'd go all the way with Sky as a couple. You know that sweet spot in the sofa? The one you spend years carving? That's how Sky feels to me. The Grips made the right choice voting for me after the fiasco I put myself into. I'll definitely need some time to heal.”
Eva - 14th
Geoff - 14th
Izzy - 12th
Trent - 11th
Killer Grips: Anne Maria, Brick, Jasmine, Justin, Millie
Screaming Gaffers: Chase, MK, Ripper, Scott, Sky

I was in HS when the trial occurred and I was the only one in the auditorium who expressed relief when the verdict was read aloud. At the time, I had serious concerns about the blood evidence and the timeline, and grave concerns about Jason.
Since then, really within the last month or so as I’ve revisited the case, following OJs sickness and death, I’ve rewatched some documentaries, listened to Kim’s podcast, and read the transcripts. What I’ve come away with is the closest I’ve ever been to feeling OJ is guilty of the crime. But there are gaps that I cannot recall if they were proven or not.
I’m hoping that you all can help with the issues I have had and it might finally solidify it one way or the other.
Issue 1: The Blood; where it was, and where it wasn’t.
This is a big problem. Each side seems to be trying to minimize their side to bolster their theory. The State argues it was a horrifyingly bloody scene, enough to cover the assailants socks, shoes and gloves, and presumably their pants and shirt as it stands logically that blood that would soak one would not skip the other. But for someone covered in it, enough to smear inside the Bronco, there wasn’t enough to make more than the smears and despite there being deeply soaked footprints, no blood was found on the floorboards or pedals needed to drive the Bronco. Why no blood from a dripping finger cut on the steering wheel?
It seems to me that if you’re covered in the blood, you’d leave, not glancing smears, but standing small pools. Assuming he was wearing enough blood so as to leave smears only inside the bronco. Why once Simpson got to Rockingham, and hopped the 8’ fence, there was no blood or fibers on that fence? It would be impossible for a man if his age and condition to overtake that fence without sliding across it. That would smear it with his DNA, and definitely leave blood transfers.
The only thing that seems to explain this is that Simpson changed his clothes prior to getting in the bronco. The problem with that is the at would assume the crime was premeditated, which seems unlikely as it gave a very small window of time to commit the crime and get back to Rockingham unseen. Also choosing a pair of shoes that only 230 people had in the world isn’t something you logically would do if you’re planning it out.
Jason Simpson remains a very hard fact to overlook for me. To date I’ve heard the State dismiss him outright, but never specifically refute the evidence against him. Again, I don’t have a problem laying blame at OJ; I personally think he was a horrible person, but I can’t get past this.
Jason had a history of violence, mental illness and stopped taking his medications. He had access to the murder weapon type and a criminal history using a knife to assault someone. His journals showed a rage centered on others and a fear he had he’d hurt someone. He had motive, given Nicole’s dismissal of his achievements. He had opportunity and no alibi as his time card was the only one that was hand written when others were electronic punched. And he drove a jeep that could have had much more blood in it.
One curious note for me was that the first person to confront OJ after the chase was Jason, who approached the Bronco and was seen yelling into it before being ushered away by the LAPD. I’ve never heard what was said by the two, and while I don’t think it would have been an admission had Jason played a larger role in the murders, it does make me wonder if in his excited state at the visual of his father about to die by suicide, if he would have uttered something telling. Does anyone have a source for what was said?
OJ hired a defense attorney for Jason the next morning, before he hired on for himself. That has always looked really bad. And lastly, cell phone records not disclosed until after the trial, because they were so new at the time, show Jason called OJ the night of the murders, before OJ talked to his girlfriend, and before his limo to the airport.
What I’ve centered on for years is one of two scenarios:
1:) Jason was angry for Nicole standing him up. He called his father to vent and said he was going over there. OJ tried to talk him out of it, but couldn’t and decided to run over to stop Jason from doing anything stupid.
He got to Nicole’s condo and parked in the back. By then the murders were done. He saw Jason and ushered into the Bronco where Jason admitted he hurt them. The neighbor in a sworn statement saw the bronco with two men sitting inside. OJ, in disbelief, got out and went down the steps of the condo coming upon the bodies and leaving the footprints.
He went back to the Bronco, had Jason give him his clothes and told Jason to get rid of the knife and Jason got in his keep and took off.
OJ drove fast back to Rockingham, saw the limo was early, and looked for a way back inside. He hopped the fence, but first, tossed the bundle of bloody clothes over first. Once over, he banged into the wall alerting Kato, he then grabbed the clothes and ran back into the house, leaving the glove in his haste.
The limo driver saw OJ in dark clothing. If he had the same clothing as he had when the murders were committed, the aforementioned blood transfers would have happened.
OJ ran upstairs leaving drops from the bundle. But nothing significant from his shoes or anything else indicating he was wearing soaked clothes. No blood was found in the drain, indicating a shower didn’t rinse off blood.
Finally, OJ got rid of the clothes on the way to the airport.
What’s required for this is a coverup by the police to plant evidence, primarily the glove and socks which is supported by the animosity in Furman and the sudden appearance of the socks that weren’t there in earlier photographs.
2:) OJ went to Nicole’s after Jason called and told him something that upset him. He parked in the back, went to confront her. She answered the door with a knife and that enraged him. (Supported by OJs agent) He hit her. And then he heard Ron approach, and ducked into the bushes. Ron ran to Nicole’s side, who would have only had minor wounds. This transferred head hair from Nicole to Ron which was found.
OJ came from behind grabbed Ron and stabbed him, Ron spun around taking a glove off. And OJ slashed and stabbed him, punching an artery and causing him to collapse within a minute. OJ then went back to Nicole who was coming back to consciousness and killed her, and then went back to finish Ron.
He opened a wound on his finger he received earlier and dropped small droplets at the scene. And then he left back to bronco.
Jason was there waiting for him, having left the restaurant to stop an angry OJ, and saw what his father did, and Jason and OJ switched clothing. Giving OJ a fresh outfit and shoes so not to transfer large amounts of blood in the bronco. Jason took the clothes and the knife and disposed of it. OJ ran back to Rockingham. And from there cleaned up and flew to Chicago.
This would explain very little blood inside the bronco or house. As OJ likely wouldn’t have thought to take off his socks in the driveway with Jason. It would also explain how shoes covered in blood were never seen again and didn’t leave transfer dna on the carpet in OJs house, as the limo driver would have noticed OJ not wearing shoes.
Jason then disposed of the evidence and was visibly upset with his dad on video after the chase.
This still requires the glove and possibly the socks to be planted, which I do believe happened with at least the glove.
For me, Jason played a role. I can see both easily, and lean toward the second scenario, if for no other reason than it’s hard to see OJ risking life in prison for his son. But I can see Jason keeping quiet since he didn’t play an active role.
Thoughts?

Previously, on Hell’s Kitchen…
After a disastrous service, Melody’s life in Hell’s Kitchen seemed over, but Chef Ramsay gave her one more chance on the blue team. The next day, the final 12 participated in the revamped Cook For Your Life 2.0, with Melody, Grace, Shane and Ramona being nominated by their teams as the weakest chefs. In the end, Ramona recaptured the magic of her signature dish and won the challenge, and the coveted Immunity Pass, an all-important safety net that could be the difference between a second chance and going home. Grace, however, had the worst dish, and that meant she would lose her jacket, with only one service to earn it back.
After the challenge, the chefs tried to sort out their issues in the dorms, but there was little time for rest, as it was soon time to get back in the kitchen and start prepping for dinner service. In service, the blue team delivered their best performance yet, led by a trio of former red team chefs. It was a different story on the red team, as Shane singlehandedly sank the kitchen on appetizers, and in spite of the team’s efforts to recover, the blue team took home a second consecutive service victory. In the post-mortem, Grace got her jacket back, but after Shane refused to take responsibility for his mistakes, Ramsay finally had enough and sent him home on the spot.
Even with Shane’s elimination, the red team still had to come up with two nominees, and they ended up choosing
Deidra: “Everett.”
And…
Deidra: ”Faye.”
After hearing from each of them though, Ramsay decided to give them one more chance, feeling that Shane’s embarrassing exit was sufficient. Now, it’s time for the final 11 to prove that they have what it takes to become the executive chef of Gordon Ramsay Steak in Vancouver, British Columbia…
https://reddit.com/link/1ckk2z2/video/xbxcp9wnnjyc1/player
And now, the continuation of Hell’s Kitchen…
With Shane’s stunning downfall still on everyone’s mind, the chefs returned to the dorms with a very stark contrast in the mood between the two teams. The blue team was elated to have just completed a nearly perfect service, as Melody said in her confessional that she felt like she had earned her place on the team, especially after being nominated in Cook For Your Life. Meanwhile, Thomas said in his confessional that he had proven he could lead his team, and was looking forward to getting more opportunities to stand out as the crowd continued to thin. Back in the dorms, Lauren and Melody continued to be excited over their performance, but Thomas was ready to move on, saying they couldn’t afford to rest on this for too long. Carole jokingly told him to lighten up a bit, saying in her confessional that he always ended up being the wet blanket around here. Later that night, Travis ended up talking with Carole, and he admitted that he was still feeling the effects from his injury, and the pain was difficult to hide in service. Carole was surprised he would say anything, as someone might use that against him, but he said he trusted her. Carole said in her confessional that it would suck to lose Travis now, as he had been one of their strongest chefs, and tried to encourage him to fight through it.
On the red team’s side of the dorm, despite their initial delight at Shane’s elimination, Michael was frustrated that they had lost again in spite of the fact that he had another good night, as he said in his confessional that individually standing out on a bad team wasn’t much to brag about. Faye admitted that she was definitely missing Thomas, Lauren and Melody right now, to which Everett agreed, as he said that it was like Ramsay took the core of the red team and gave it to the blue team. Ramona said it was starting to feel lonely around here with only five chefs left on the team, and said in her confessional that she felt a lot safer now thanks to her immunity pass, but knew she would have to step it up in service to keep the team from turning on her. Deidra said that with Shane gone, there were no excuses for any of them to hide behind their teammates or an immunity pass. Ramona took offense and said Deidra had no room to talk either. Faye broke them up quickly and took Ramona to the bedrooms, where they had a private talk, with Faye saying she understood being upset at being called out, but that it was important to stay focused and fight back with cooking rather than words. Ramona said in her confessional that she needed that pep talk and was grateful to Faye for seeing her side of things.
The chefs eventually turned in for the night and tried to get some sleep to prepare for whatever awaited tomorrow.
Challenge
The next day, the teams came downstairs, and were greeted by Ramsay standing next to a large wheel which Everett said in his confessional looked like it came straight out of a game show. Ramsay told the chefs that creativity and the ability to build a dish from the ground up were critical skills for any chef, and that was why he was bringing back a challenge from season 23, Wheel of Fortune. Before they began, Ramsay explained the rules.The teams would take a total of 6 spins each to determine their ingredients, however, there would be further surprises lurking within. First, instead of getting an ingredient, they might get a Steal, which was self explanatory. Secondly, they might get an ingredient with a swap symbol over it, which gave the spinning team the option to exchange that ingredient with one from the opposing team.
Melody said in her confessional that she was a huge fan of game shows, and couldn’t wait to get started. With that, Ramsay asked for a volunteer from the blue team, and Melody eagerly stepped forward first. After spinning the wheel, it landed on miso. Deidra spun for the red team and got chives. Grace got fennel for the blue team. Ramona got potatoes for the red team. Thomas got carrots for the blue team. Faye got duck for the red team, which was the first protein earned in the challenge. Lauren said in her confessional that the blue team could really use a protein right about now, and with her spin, she landed on the Steal space. Without hesitation, she took the red team’s duck, which annoyed Faye in her confessional. Michael went next and got daikon for the red team. Carole got tomatoes for the blue team. Everett was nervous in his confessional, as he said luck had never exactly been kind to him in these kinds of games, but he damn sure needed a protein right now. Fortunately, he was able to get Grouper for the red team. On the final spin, Travis got couscous for the blue team. Deidra spun again for the red team, and landed on cherries, but since the space had a swap symbol, Ramsay told the red team to discuss amongst themselves whether or not they wanted to keep it. After a few moments of discussion, Michael announced that the red team was going to swap the cherries for the blue team’s miso.
With the ingredients decided, Ramsay told both teams that they had 45 minutes to turn their haul into a stunning dish, starting from right now. The teams rushed into the kitchen and began brainstorming ideas. In the blue kitchen, the team had duck, fennel, carrots, tomatoes, couscous and cherries. Melody wanted to make duck leg confit, whilst Thomas suggested seared duck breast and Grace wanted to make a roasted duck. The blue team also had trouble agreeing on how to use their sides, as Thomas and Grace each wanted to make a different type of sauce, while Lauren and Melody said they should have a vegetable medley in the couscous. Lauren said in her confessional that there were simply too many egos here, and everybody wanted to lead. Travis said in his confessional that he didn’t want any part of the bickering and was determined to serve Chef Ramsay a perfect plate, regardless of what was on it. Thomas kept pushing his ideas for the dish, asking the team to trust him on this, and finally, they seemed to come around to it, with Lauren saying in her confessional that she hoped Thomas knew what he was doing. With Thomas directing in the blue kitchen, the chefs got to work, though Grace was still resentful, and grumbled in her confessional that she felt like she was on the Thomas team rather than the blue team. Meanwhile, Melody was impressed by Thomas’ leadership in her confessional, and said the blue team was running like clockwork right now.
In the red kitchen, the chefs had grouper, miso, chives, potato and daikon. Despite having only five ingredients, Faye was still confident that they could win this challenge, as she and Michael had come up with a plan for their dish after swapping the cherries for miso. Michael explained that they should try an Asian-flavored dish, which the others got on board with quickly. Ramona said in her confessional that it was a great idea, and she was determined to play a role in helping her team win, especially with her nomination in Cook For Your Life still fresh on everyone’s minds. Faye tried to get the team organized, and assigned Deidra to cook the grouper after being assured by the latter that she had this. Deidra said confidently in her confessional that the red team had nothing to worry about, because the queen of the fish station was here. The red team continued to be in good spirits as Everett and Ramona exchanged enthusiastic words, though Michael told them both to hold off on the celebrations and stay focused.
With the 45 minutes nearing the end. Ramsay called out for the teams to start plating, and after counting down the final seconds, told both teams to stop and bring their plates to the pass to be judged. The blue team presented their fish first, which was introduced by Thomas as a pan-seared duck breast with a cherry sauce, along with fennel, grilled carrots and tomatoes over couscous. Ramsay noted that the presentation was stunning, and asked where the idea for the dish came from. Thomas claimed credit for the protein, saying Lauren and Melody helped out as well. Grace was annoyed in her confessional, as she had suggested the cherry sauce. Ramsay asked Travis and Carole what they contributed, to which Travis admitted it was hard to get a word in, and Carole agreed with him. That annoyed Thomas, as he said in his confessional that anyone here was free to speak up if they wanted to. Nonetheless, Ramsay began tasting the dish. After saying that the duck was beautifully cooked, he noted that the sauce seemed a bit watery, but still tasted nice. He also noted that the couscous seemed slightly undercooked, but the vegetables were delicious, and he said it was a well-made dish overall. Moving on to the red team, Ramsay asked Faye what they made, and she introduced their dish as miso-glazed grouper seasoned with chives, with a garnish of roasted potatoes and daikon. Presentation wise, Ramsay praised the vibrant colors of the dish and said he couldn’t wait to taste it, but first, wanted to know who did what. Deidra claimed the fish, saying in her confessional that it was time for her to step up and prove that she could lead her team to victory in a challenge. Upon tasting, Ramsay said the grouper…was cooked beautifully, which led to a celebration by Deidra in her confessional, as she said that of course, she knocked it out of the park. Overall, Ramsay said the flavors were spot on, despite having one less ingredient, and that this was going to be an extremely difficult decision. In the end though, he announced that one dish had a slight edge…
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The red team, as their dish felt more complete and put their protein front and center, whilst the blue team’s dish had seemed divided between the garnish and the protein. The red team celebrated their win, with Michael being absolutely fired up in his confessional, and he said that the red team had badly needed this win. Meanwhile, Deidra said in her confessional that she was just getting warmed up, and couldn’t wait to kick the blue team’s ass again in service. Grace blamed Thomas for the blue team’s loss in her confessional, and said the blue team needed to get its shit together, and quickly. Thomas said in his confessional that the blue team’s dish should have won hands down, and would have if not for Grace’s meddling.
Reward / Punishment
Ramsay had the teams line up and told the red team that they were in for a fun day of horseback riding in the scenic Santa Monica mountains, which would include a special picnic lunch prepared by Ramsay himself. The red team whooped and cheered, and Ramsay teased Everett by saying he looked way too excited about this. Everett said he was a cowboy at heart, and in his confessional, said the entire experience of Hell’s Kitchen was worth it for this. Turning to the blue team, Ramsay asked what went wrong, since they had an advantage by having an extra ingredient. Travis said their teamwork left a lot to be desired, which Ramsay said was a damn understatement. Then, he said they were in for a long day, as not only did both kitchens and the dining room need cleaning, but as he had decided to put the red team’s winning dish on the menu for tomorrow night’s service, the blue team would need to bring in and unpack the entire shipment of grouper. Ramsay then reminded Melody that she still had her punishment pass, and could use it now if she wanted to, but Melody said she couldn’t bring herself to replace anyone on her old team, and decided to keep the punishment.
With that settled, Ramsay told the red team to hurry up and get changed into the outfits, as the limo awaited them. When they got upstairs, they found cowboy and cowgirl outfits waiting for them, which Everett and Faye were the most excited about, and after Ramona and Michael said they had never been horseback riding before, Faye said they were about to learn how it was really done. The red team came back downstairs and exchanged banter with the blue team, who were already starting to clean the kitchens as part of their punishment, and Deidra promised to bring them back a souvenir. As they walked out the door, Lauren told Melody that she should’ve used her pass to replace Deidra, though Melody joked that she wasn’t sure if the blue team could handle that level of sass. Meanwhile, the red team’s spirits were as high as they had been in some time, with Michael saying he felt good, and looked good, while Ramona admitted she was nervous to go horseback riding for the first time, but Everett tried to reassure her. Soon, they had reached their destination, and, led by a guide, began their scenic trek through the mountains on horseback. The red team were in high spirits as they took in the beauty of nature, with Faye saying in her confessional that the red team really needed this win to give them a confidence boost going into tomorrow night’s service. After some time, the chefs were led to a location with a stunning view of the landscape, where their picnic supplies, and Chef Ramsay, were waiting for them. Ramsay asked them how their ride had been, to which Ramona said she couldn’t decide whether she was thrilled or terrified. The others laughed and everyone joined Ramsay for lunch, as they exchanged small talk and continued to bond as a team.
Back in Hell’s Kitchen, the blue team were trying to come to terms with their defeat in the challenge, as Thomas was still pissed off that they let it slip away, and was also upset with Travis and Carole for what they had said to Ramsay earlier, but Carole said it was true, and it felt like they hardly had a voice at all. Grace became annoyed as well though, and said if anyone was being shut down constantly, it was her. Travis said they were cooking like individuals right now, and that was why he had made his comment earlier. Lauren agreed and said that the blue team had the best chefs, but needed to check their egos at the door and work as a team. Carole was still feeling down and out, and Melody tried to comfort her, as she said she had felt similarly excluded on the red team and knew what she was going through. Travis also came over and said the blue team needed her. Carole said in her confessional that she couldn’t give up on herself now and was determined to make her voice heard. While the blue team tried to sort out their issues, they still had to finish cleaning up the kitchens and dining room, and, as they heard the dreaded sound of the delivery truck pulling in, Lauren said in her confessional that it was just getting worse and worse. The chefs all ran out and began to bring in the grouper, which wore them all out. However, as they finished, Melody noticed that they seemed to be overstocked, and Sous Chef Jon told them to check the invoice, upon which they realized that Grace hadn’t been keeping track of what they were bringing in, despite taking that role for herself. Lauren was pissed off and said in her confessional that Grace had one damn job and fucked it up. Due to her carelessness, the blue team was forced to return several boxes of grouper to the truck.
The red team returned to Hell’s Kitchen later that night, and joined the blue team in the dorms, where they annoyed them by talking about their day out in the mountains, with Grace saying in her confessional that she didn’t really need to hear about how much fun the red team had when she was still trying to get the stench of fish out of her system. Faye, though, said she wished Lauren and Melody could have been with them, and Lauren admitted in her confessional that it was impossible to stay mad at Faye. Michael said it felt great to go on a reward without Shane, and he was looking forward to service tomorrow, which the others on the red team agreed with. The teams returned to their respective sides of the dorms and continued to talk amongst themselves for a while before finally turning in for the night.
Pre-Service
The next day, the chefs were allowed to hang out in the dorms a bit later than usual, but were eventually brought downstairs to begin prepping the kitchens for tonight’s service. In the blue kitchen, Melody tried to lift her teammates’ spirits by saying they had this, and Lauren said in her confessional that it was much-needed encouragement after the debacle of yesterday’s challenge, and she was proud of Melody for stepping up as a leader. Thomas agreed and said that there were no excuses not to win this service going away, while Travis said in his confessional that he was determined to fight through the pain tonight and deliver his best performance yet.
While the blue team were fired up and ready to get back on track, the red team were hoping to build off their win in the latest challenge and notch up another win tonight. Michael said in his confessional that Faye was the only one he could fully trust here, and it would be up to the two of them to lead the red team to the promised land. Meanwhile, Everett was amped up and ready to go, saying he hoped Ramsay would put him on an important station, as he needed to bounce back after a few up and down services. Ramona felt similarly and said in her confessional that any slip ups would cause her team to nominate her, even if it was just to make her lose her immunity.
The teams wrapped up their prep, and Ramsay gathered them one more time to say that he was looking for leaders to start emerging from both teams, and with that, he sent them back to their sections and told Marino to open Hell’s Kitchen.
Service
The doors opened in Hell’s Kitchen once again, and the usual illustrious crowd of Hollywood elites and celebrities soon filled the seats and began to send in their orders.
For the blue team, Grace and Carole were on appetizers, Travis was on fish, Melody was on garnish, and Thomas and Lauren were on meat. Grace got off to a rough start though, as she asked Carole how long she needed for 3 capellini, only to be reminded that there were 2 capellini on the first table, and Ramsay told her to wake up. The two of them did manage to get the first few tables out alongside perfect scallops from Travis with no further incident, but Grace served mushy, overcooked risottos twice, which pissed Ramsay off, as he schooled her for making such a basic mistake at this stage. Carole, meanwhile, got lost on orders, and Grace did little to help by calling out inconsistent times, which caused the entire station to drag, and Carole said in her confessional that Grace needed to stop screwing the station over, while Grace said in her confessional that Carole was lost and doing nothing but making her life more difficult. Eventually, they were finally able to get some food out, with Carole doing her best to support Grace and impressing Ramsay with her leadership. Thanks to Carole and Travis continuing to have a strong night on fish, appetizers finally began to make their way out into the dining room, and eventually, they were ready to get started on entrees.
In the red kitchen, Michael was on appetizers, Deidra was on fish, Everett was on garnish, and the duo of Faye and Ramona were on meat. Michael said in his confessional that it was a big deal to be given the responsibility of running apps alone, and he was determined not to let his team down. For the first table, Michael was able to serve perfect risotto and capellini, but Deidra on fish served up raw scallops twice, and Ramsay schooled her for having a messy station with pans everywhere, asking her if she was cooking for a fast food joint. Deidra then unbelievably served rubbery scallops, and Ramsay said if she sent one more like that, she was gone. Diedra did manage to get it together and make acceptable scallops on her fourth attempt, but food continued to leave the kitchen slowly as she got lost on times and struggled to communicate effectively with Michael. With the station moving sluggishly, Michael became more frustrated, especially as he realized that his risottos were overcooked while waiting for Deidra, and he admitted to Ramsay that he was pissed off, to which Ramsay said that now Michael knew how he felt every night, and told apps and fish to get it together right now. Michael said in his confessional that as pissed as he was, he needed Deidra to work with him, and with his leadership, the red team did manage to wrap up appetizers and move on to entrees, though still behind the blue team.
While the red team tried to keep up, the focus in the blue kitchen now shifted to Thomas and Lauren on meat and Melody on garnish, who were hoping to give Travis more support on fish than he had gotten from apps. Thomas said in his confessional that it was nice to be paired with a competent chef who knew what the hell she was doing, and together, he and Lauren managed to serve up perfect Wellington and chicken for the first table. Meanwhile, Travis was busy dealing with orders for halibut and the grouper special, but he was able to get all of his orders accepted, and with Melody being active and vocal on garnish, the first table of entrees went out smoothly. Lauren had a brief stumble as she served rare Wellingtons instead of mid-rare and dragged on the refire. Thanks to good time management from Melody, though, they were able to get back on track. Travis had some struggles keeping up with the large amount of orders for the special, and served undercooked grouper for a table due to rushing the order, but Ramsay told him to take his time, and Travis said in his confessional that he was afraid of seeming lethargic given his injury, and may have been overcompensating. However, after he calmed down, he was able to bounce back with beautifully cooked grouper. Despite these issues, the blue team pushed through and delivered another strong service, finishing entrees on a high, and Ramsay said it was a job well done as he told them to clear down.
Back in the red kitchen, Faye and Ramona hoped to lead the red team to a strong finish after an uneven start. Faye managed to get her Wellingtons accepted, however, Ramona served raw chicken for the first table, and Deidra only made matters worse by serving raw grouper, which pissed Ramsay off, as he told her it was her own dish, on her supposed strongest station. Deidra said in her confessional that she needed to get her shit together, and quickly. Entrees continued to drag, however, as Everett and Deidra called out contradictory times and confused the entire kitchen. Ramona was able to bounce back with her second attempt at the chicken, however, and with Faye keeping up her solid performance, food did finally start to trickle out into the dining room. Ramsay continued to be frustrated, though, as he schooled Everett for sending up burnt potatoes, telling him there was a difference between roasted and fucking scorched. Faye also sent up overcooked Wellingtons, but was able to quickly bounce back on her next attempt, however the sauce from Everett was cold and bland, and he said in his confessional that he didn’t know what the hell it was about him and the garnish station that always seemed to end badly. Deidra continued to have a rough night despite being on her self-proclaimed strongest station, as she sent up overcooked and undercooked grouper, and got lost on how much salmon was needed for another table. Ramsay had enough and told Michael to get over there and show her how to make a fish, With Michael now helping out on fish, Faye and Ramona managing to get it together on meat, and Everett finally calming down on garnish, the red team managed to complete service several minutes behind the blue team.
Post-Mortem
Ramsay had the teams line up and said that before he went any further, it was clear that the blue team had won service, as he said they looked much more like a team tonight than they had during the challenge. Travis was pumped up to have won, saying in his confessional that the blue team needed this. With that out of the way, Ramsay turned his attention to the red team, saying that he had never seen a team fall so far after the blazing start they had to the season, and he wondered aloud if these chefs had just been hiding behind the chefs he put on the blue team. However, he did have high praise for one individual: Michael, as he had not only run his own station, but also saved the fish station, and that was why he was the Best of the Worst tonight. Ramsay then instructed Michael to think long and hard about the two chefs he thought would improve his team by going home tonight, and with that, he dismissed both teams back to the dorms.
In the dorms, the nervous energy in the red team was palpable, as each of the four remaining chefs knew they had a 50/50 chance of going on the chopping block and potentially going home. Michael said in his confessional that as much of an honor as it was, he hated to be directly responsible for sending anyone home, but knew there were still weak links here who were holding them back. He decided to talk to everyone individually, starting with Faye, as he assured her that she definitely wasn’t going up, and he needed her to help him get this team back to its winning ways. Next, he talked with Ramona, saying he respected her tenacity, but the raw chicken was simply not acceptable at this stage, but she defended herself by saying she had a solid service from that point. Michael told her she couldn’t take anything for granted, and he was worried that the longer she kept the immunity pass, the more it would go to her head. Ramona assured him it wouldn’t, and said in her confessional that she would be pissed to lose her immunity over one mistake in service. Next was Deidra, and Michael told her right away that she was at the top of his list simply for her poor performance on fish, considering it was supposed to be her strength, and her lack of a voice throughout the season. Deidra tried to defend herself by saying she had a lot more to offer the team than the other three. Finally, he talked with Everett, saying he was a great guy and someone he wanted to join him in the black jacket phase, but his issues on garnish were starting to become a problem, and it seemed like he couldn’t overcome even basic mistakes. Everett admitted he made his mistakes, but said Deidra was definitely the worst tonight, and should be the one going home.
On the blue team’s side of the dorm, Melody and Lauren celebrated their win and spent most of the night talking amongst themselves, which annoyed Grace, as she said in her confessional that it seemed like they were a team of two more than part of the blue team, and she was sure they would team up to vote her out if they had a chance. Carole asked Travis how he was feeling and he said that winning made everything better, though he admitted it still hurt like hell each time he took a step. Thomas said in his confessional that he was happy with the blue team’s performance, but they could always do better, and he went over to join Travis and Carole, sharing a rare smile with them.
Elimination Ceremony
The red team entered the dining room on the back of a fourth straight loss in service, with Ramsay asking what the hell had happened to the team he had seen at the start of the season, because right now, they seemed to be sleepwalking. He called on Michael, asking him for his first nominee and why. Michael announced that he had chosen Deidra, due to inconsistent performances and failing on her strongest station. Ramsay asked for the second nominee and why. Ramona and Everett both squirmed nervously, but finally, Michael announced that he was nominating…
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Everett, because he had a hard time communicating on garnish, and made several basic mistakes in his cooking. Ramsay accepted both nominees and told Deidra and Everett to step forward, first asking Deidra why should stay in Hell’s Kitchen.
deliberation music
Deidra: “I should stay here ‘cause I’ve never given up on anything I’ve done here, chef. I work hard on every station, I give 110% every service.”
Ramsay said that at her rate, she needed to be giving closer to 200%, because what she was giving him now wasn’t close to good enough.
Deidra: “Then I’ll give you that, chef. I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
Ramsay said she could start by learning to cook her own dish from the challenge, then moved on to Everett, asking him why he should stay in Hell’s Kitchen after he brought the kitchen to a standstill on garnish.
Everett: “Communication was a challenge tonight, chef, Deidra and I never really got on the same page-”
Ramsay stopped him and said he wasn’t looking for any sugarcoating. He wanted to know, right now, if Everett believed he was a better chef than Deidra, and why.
Everett: “Deidra is a good friend of mine, chef, but yes, I believe I’m stronger than her.”
Deidra was shocked at this, and started to cut in before Ramsay shut her down.
Everett: “I think I have the leadership, I have the cooking skill. Once I calm down and get out of my own head, I can damn sure do this, I know that.”
Ramsay then asked Deidra if she thought she was a stronger chef than Everett, and why.
Deidra: “I know I’m stronger. I have more experience, I know how to run a kitchen, and basically chef, I think Everett’s communication caused our problems tonight.”
Ramsay sighed, saying he faced a tough choice now, but there was one chef he felt could not get any more chances.
Ramsay: “The person leaving Hell’s Kitchen is…”
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Ramsay: “Deidra. Your time here, unfortunately, is over. Please, take off your jacket, and leave Hell’s Kitchen.”
Elimination music
Ramsay: “I love the dedication and the work ethic, but if you can’t run one station, and your preferred station at that, I just can’t see you running a brigade. Thank you for trying out.”
Deidra thanled Ramsay and they shook hands as Deidra walked out the door.
Deidra’s comment
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, leavin’ Hell’s Kitchen when I know I had so much more to show of myself as a leader. I know I can cook a damn fish, but tonight, for whatever reason, I just fucked it up. I’m gonna bounce back from this, it’s not gonna keep me down. So Chef Ramsay, thanks for the opportunity, but I hope that one day, I can prove you wrong.”
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After Deidra’s elimination, Ramsay said that given what he had witnessed tonight, and over the past several nights…
Ramsay: “I am not done.”
Dramatic music
Ramsay: “Thomas, Lauren, Melody…ever since I sent you three to the blue team, they’ve gone up, and the red team has nosedived. I want you three to talk amongst yourselves, and decide by tomorrow morning which one of you is going back to the red team.”
With his latest curveball still ringing in the air, Ramsay told the teams to go back to the dorms, as they had a lot of things to discuss. As they exited the dining room, several chefs had confessionals. Lauren said that just as the blue team seemed to have figured it out, Ramsay had thrown a wrench in the system again, and the question was, would she choose her friendship with Melody, or a chance to stand out as a leader on the red team? Thomas said that this was the opportunity he’d been waiting for, and while he had to share leadership with Lauren on the blue team, he knew this could be his chance to show Ramsay that he was the most qualified chef here to run Gordon Ramsay Steak. Melody said she didn’t want to be separated from Lauren again, but had to admit that it might be a chance to redeem herself after the way she left the red team. Michael said that this was great news, as he felt like he and Faye were doing all the heavy lifting around here, and they desperately needed one of their old teammates to help them regain their edge and start winning some damn services. Ramona said that she hoped Melody would come back, as they really needed some cheering up right now. Finally, Everett said he dodged a huge bullet just now, and it was time to unleash the beast, as there was nowhere to hide in the final 10.
Placement
https://preview.redd.it/86b13ie4ojyc1.png?width=2520&format=png&auto=webp&s=39f2a6486bedc5c7b54644bfece91652a1a6e46d

Title: Secret Agent

Note: For information on monetization and all of that boring stuff, see: An Introduction To The Book That Is Me : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
And here's all of my stuff on Reddit so far: Masterlist for edgiscript : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
Note: This is the 2nd ASMR script I'd ever written. (1st was Superheroine Yandere.) In both of those, I originally included the voice of the victim as well. Some people commented that they appreciated that. Some people were distracted or confused by it. I ended up editing them all out, but I wonder now if I should have left them in. Oh well.
​
(Listener is unconscious. His hands are cuffed behind him and attached to the chair he’s sitting on. Erin sits on the bed in front of him. Her voice indicates a smiling confidence. She’s enjoying this.)
Erin: Wakey, wakey. Hey there, darling. Finally coming around are we?
(Agent moans a little as he comes to.)
Ok, there you go. Slowly now, open your eyes. Not too quickly, you’ve been out for a while. That’s right. Take your time. Get your bearings. There we go. Let the light come back into those beautiful eyes of yours. It’s been a long time since we’ve been this close, Darling.
(Pause.)
Where are we? Is that really the first question you want to ask, and not, “Why am I cuffed to this chair?”
(Pause.)
Well, aren’t we a cocky boy right now. Grinning in your situation? I like that. I’ve always liked that. I am genuinely happy to see that smile of yours again. It’s heartwarming to know that even in your current… predicament, that you still smile when you see me. However, I don’t know if I’d be smiling and acting so confidently if I was in your place.
(Pause.)
Ugh, yes, I know I’ve been your prisoner before. Don’t remind me.
(Pause.)
Yes, yes, twice. I told you, don’t remind me.
(Pause.)
Would you stop already? And no, I don’t count the time in Morocco. I was not your prisoner that time. Well, yes, I was… technically. But you were mine too, don’t forget. We traded being in charge several times if I recall, and the only time I…
No. I won’t go down that road right now. It was a wonderful couple of months, darling, being in your arms and you in mine, but I can’t let that distract me from my purposes now.
(Pause.)
Uh, uh, uhhhhh. No, no, darling. This time I’m the one in charge. This time I ask the questions and I control the situation, not you. For the first time you’re the one who is truly and utterly helpless before me.
Believe me, I’ve dreamed about this moment dozens of times. You’ve eluded me for years, but now… Well, now you finally slipped up, and you’re all mine.
(Pause.)
Yes, yes, I will take you in soon enough. My government can have you,… eventually, but first I get to play with you for a while.
And don’t worry. I’m not about to use any torture on you. I know I may be harming my own chances of getting what I want, or at least… delaying them, making me hold you here for longer than may have been necessary had I succumbed to harming you in any way, but turnabout is fair play. Whenever you had me… incapacitated shall we say, you never harmed me in any way. You never even threatened it, but always made sure that the experience was a… pleasurable one. I find it only fair that I should return the same treatment to you.
(Pause.)
Liked you? Don’t flatter yourself, darling. Don’t act like I’ve fallen for you.
(Pause.)
You can’t be serious. Why have I been chasing you? Isn’t it obvious? You’re an agent for your government and I am an agent for mine. You’ve been perpetrating acts of espionage and sabotage against my country and I’ve been doing the same to yours. It’s how the game is played. Really, I thought you were smarter than that.
(Pause.)
The lengths I’ve gone to TRY and catch you? Try? I’d say I’ve caught you, wouldn’t you?
But yes, I admit that I have gone to great lengths to clip your wings my darling little bird. After all, you’re not just an agent, you’re THE agent. You’re the best I’ve ever seen. You’re the best my government’s ever seen.
You have pulled some truly impressive stunts, darling. Like that factory explosion in Hong Kong. That one nearly created an international incident.
There was the theft of classified documents in Cairo, and in Peru. I almost had you in Peru, you know.
(Pause.)
Really? The waiter in Cairo with the phony lead was you? Damn it! You certainly led us on a wild goose chase. We spent hours searching the ventilation shafts while you simply walked out the front door.
(Impressed) Son of a bitch. And here I thought you were through impressing me.
(Pause.)
Ah, what can you say, you ask. What a marvelous segway to my next question, darling, and the reason why you’re here. I will tell you what you can say.
For starters, you can provide me with the access codes to this. I’d like to know what’s on this drive. More precisely, I’d like to know what it is that you stole from us. So that’s what we’re going to find out tonight… or the next night… or maybe, I’ll have to hold you here for several nights. We’ll see.
(Pause)
What? No words for me now? Cat got your tongue? Well, don’t worry, darling. You and I have plenty of time to discuss what I want and what you’re going to give to me.
(Pause.)
And you will tell me. Do you know why?
(Pause.)
(Laughs) Because I love you?
(Laughs again) Darling, please. I had no idea you were this full of yourself.
I mean, as I said, you truly are one of the best, and you have my sincere admiration for your skills, but you don’t actually believe I’ve fallen for you, do you?
(Pause.)
You know nothing of the sort. I was sent to Morocco to seduce you, possibly to turn you, nothing more. You were simply a target. I needed to know what you were doing and why you were there. You were the mission, nothing more.
(Pause.)
Yes, yes, Moscow, New York, (becoming wistful as she remembers) London, Tokyo… and Madrid.
(Pause.)
(A little irritated) Yes, those were all just missions.
(Now a little romantic) Don’t get me wrong. I won’t hide the fact that… well, that I enjoyed them very much.
(Back to a little irritated) But don’t you forget that you were the one who left me each one of those times. You left without warning, without letting me know where you were going.
(Pause.)
(A little more upset) What I was going to do to you, or rather, what my government wanted done to you is irrelevant. The fact is that… you left me. Each time. You weren’t running from them, you were running from me. ME.
Ok, yes, my government wanted you shut down, but I had convinced them that the best way to do that was for them to give you to me. You would have been in my custody. Do you understand? If you had let me, I could have kept you for myself. I could have protected you from them. I could have kept them or anybody else from hurting you. Each time you ran, you ran from me, not them
(Pause.)
(Upset) They WERE just missions. I don’t love you. I’m not going to…
(Calming down) Wow. Wow. You just… you just did that… to me. You are the best. You really are. Sitting here as my captive, you still managed to work me up.
(Pause.)
By telling me the truth? My God, you weren’t trying to play me, were you? You honestly believe that I love you. Well then, darling, let me ask you. Do you love me?
(Pause.)
(Laughs) I can’t believe you actually said it. You love me.
(To herself, seriously, wistfully) You mean it, don’t you? You actually love me.
(To agent, shaking herself out of her own thoughts.) Um… I have to admit to you that I am completely unprepared for how this conversation is going.
But enough of this foolishness. I honestly can’t tell right now if you’re trying to stall me, play me, or if you really are that delusional, but it’s irrelevant to the task at hand. Now, my darling, please give me the access codes.
(Pause.)
Ok? Ok? (Scoffs) Just like that? You’re going to just give me what I need?
(Pause.)
Just like that?
(Pause.)
Ok, fine. What are the access codes?
(Pause.)
Run away with you? Not this again. Why are you still holding to this charade that I love…
(Pause.)
The password? That’s what you’re telling me? The password is “runawaywithme” with no spaces.
(Pause.)
I don’t believe you. You would never give up your information that quickly, that easily. You must be lying.
(To herself) And… if you’re not, it would mean that you want this to end now. You really don’t want to spend any more time with me? It’s not true. It can’t be true.
(Pause.)
If I do try it, what sort of trap have you left? A beacon to call for help? A virus to infect my computer? Do you really believe that I would be naïve enough to trust the first thing you offered?
(Pause.)
Darling, don’t start with that love thing again. Look, I’ve already admitted that… that I enjoyed having you as my mission. And I’ll throw into the mix that you’re also… very… handsome.
(Pause.)
I… uh… thank you. I do appreciate it when you call me beautiful. (To herself, wistfully) Like you have a hundred times before.
(Pause.)
You love me? Ok, just… just stop. Darling, you have to understand that I can’t accept such a statement at face value, even if I truly, truly wanted to.
We’re agents in opposition to each other. We’re trained and practiced at manipulation and intrigue. How could I ever trust your profession of love.
(Pause.)
Two reasons, you say? Ok. I’m game. Convince me. What’s the first reason you have to prove that you actually mean it when you say that you love me.
(Agent suddenly rushes forward free from his cuffs, catching Erin by surprise and placing her in the cuffs.)
HEY! What are you… Get off of me! How did you get out? Get these cuffs off of me. Get these off right now or… or I’ll call in the others.
(Pause.)
We are not alone. There are other agents just outside…
(Pause.)
(Confused.) Yes, we are in one of my safehouses just outside of Boise, Idaho. How did you…
(Pause.)
I’m telling you, we are not alone. And if you don’t release me right now…
(Pause.)
No, I am not your prisoner. Not again. I will call the guards. They will be in here immediately if you don’t release me now.
(Pause.)
Ok, fine. We’re alone. There’s nobody else out there. Happy?
And no, it’s not because I love you. But… yes, I admit that the tables have turned. I am at your mercy.
I don’t know why you are so insistent that I admit it, but it’s pretty evident right now. To deny it would be pointless. I don’t know how you did it, or how you knew where we were, but I admit that you’ve got me. I’m now your prisoner.
(Sudden realization) Wait. Wait. Did you let yourself get caught in the first place? Did you know that the limo picking you up from the airport was me, and that you would be gassed? You did, didn’t you? You knew all along that you were walking into my trap and that I would bring you here. You planned all of this. You’ve been in control the whole time? Why?
(Pause.)
So, your first reason, your first proof, is that I acknowledge that you’re in control and that you’re just handing over the information that I need? You’re saying I’m supposed to believe everything you’re telling me because if you’re in control you don’t have to do anything and you’re giving it to me of your own free will? That without coercion, it means you can be trusted.
(Agent places the drive in Erin’s laptop and enters the password)
You’re using my laptop and entering the password.
What’s happening? What am I seeing? Dental records? ID’s? What did you steal? Who is this?
(Pause.)
It’s me? You stole… you stole me? Those are my records?
(Pause.)
What do you mean, you changed them? You changed my records? You broke into our headquarters just so you could change my records.
(Pause.)
You’ve changed yours as well? Why?
(Pause.)
Now you’re telling me that you went graverobbing for two corpses, the corpses with the records that you added to our IDs, and you’ve put those bodies in this building? You’ve rigged this building to blow, haven’t you? Or at least burn. You’re faking our deaths and you changed both of our records to ensure everyone believes those bodies belong to us. Again I’m going to ask you, why?
(Pause.)
What do you mean you quit, darling? You’re retiring?
(Pause.)
You’re just… tired of it all. And I can tell by your voice that you’re… you’re ashamed.
I… I do understand. Genuinely, I really do feel the same thing that you’re feeling now. The lies, not just to foreign countries, but to your own… OUR own agents. Yes, I hate that as well. Not being able to trust anything you’re told by anybody.
And I agree, the senseless deaths… How many innocent lives have been destroyed by what you… by what we’ve done. I admit that it haunts me as well. I do understand.
(Pause.)
(Shocked) You monitored me?
(Pause.)
(Wryly) Ok, ok. Don’t give me that look. It’s not right of me to appear shocked. I’ve monitored you too. Extensively.
I don’t just know your favorite choice of weapon and fighting style, your level of education and every school you’ve ever attended. I know your first dog’s name was Lady, and that it was actually short for My Fair Lady. She was a Lhasa Apso and had puppies when you were 3. You wanted to keep them, but your parents sold them all.
I know how much you cherished your grandparents when they were alive as selfless, loving people who always put others before themselves.
(Becoming more wistfully romantic in the remembrance.) I know how you go out of your way to help orphans because of your parents dying when you were five.
I know that you enjoy football and basketball, but you find baseball tedious and boring.
I know that you enjoy chess, but, as hard as it is for me to believe it, given your skill at being ahead of everyone else at spy-craft, you’re not very good at it. In fact, you enjoy losing to a master because it gives you a chance to appreciate their skill the way you appreciate a skilled musician.
I know that you enjoy latch-hook to calm down. (Snickers) I always hoped I’d have the chance to ask you about that.
(Pause.)
A zen thing, huh? Well, I admit I suspected that, but I’m glad I had the chance to clarify.
(Solemn) And, darling, I know you feel alone and trapped. And… and I know… that the time… all of the times we spent together in each other’s arms, you were always truthful with everything you told me about yourself. I’ve never once found anything you told me in those moments to be a lie.
(Pause.)
Yes. Yes, I was always completely honest with you as well when we held each other. I never lied to you. Not once.
(Agent moves towards Erin.)
Wait, why are you getting closer. Why….
(Agent embraces Erin lovingly.)
(Calmly enjoying it as if it was a feeling that she didn’t realize she missed as much as she did.) You’re… you’re holding me… like you used to.
(Pause.)
Your embrace. I… I missed it. As silly as it sounds, I know you’re telling me the truth now. You’ve never lied to me when you’ve held me like this.
(Pause.)
So, you planned for everything. You’ve got the money, the destination. You just need me to believe you. Reason one was you giving me everything you stole willingly, without coercion. What’s reason two?
(Pause.)
(Quietly, breathlessly.) The second reason is that you still think that I love you. Look, darling, I know that I just admitted that you were always truthful, no, WE were always truthful with each other in each other’s arms.
(Pause.)
And, yes, I know that we both said that we loved each other,… I said I loved you while I was holding you, but we were still just agents on assignment.
(Pause.)
You’re right. I may have been on assignment and it may have helped with my mission, but I did. I did mean it. Every single time that I told you that I loved you, I meant it. I meant it with all my heart.
I fell for you. I tried to deny it. Oh, how I tried. I knew it would never work. You were an enemy agent. How could it possibly work? But, yes, I loved you then… and I love you now.
I wished that there was a reality where we could be together freely. You were,… or rather, are, definitely handsome and charismatic, but you are also kind and warm, and unlike every other agent I’ve ever met, you aren’t full of yourself. And you were the one who should have been. The brief glimpses I got only made me want more. More of you. More of us.
(Pause.)
A tell? What do you mean I have a tell?
(Pause.)
(Giggles) That’s true. I never could stop calling you “darling.” Because you are my darling. You always have been. I can’t deny it any longer. I brought you here to be alone with you, possibly for the last time. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I never believed it was possible, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t always want it.
(Pause)
So, what now?
(Pause.)
The password? Run away with me? That password? It really was a message to me. You want me to run. With you.
(Pause.)
Why not? I’ll tell you why not. Because we’d have to constantly live on the run, in fear of being discovered. Because if they caught us we’d be…
(Kiss.)
I suppose it’s utterly pointless to deny that I missed your lips on mine.
(Kiss.)
(Pause.)
We really can be together, can’t we. Do I dare believe it’s possible? It would be nice to make decisions for ourselves. And… it would be nice… to make those decisions with you.
(sound of handcuffs coming undone)
You’re letting me go.
(Pause.)
Love forced isn’t truly love, is it? I can go with you and we can forge a new life for ourselves while the world believes we’ve died. Or I can take you in right now.
(Pause.)
Well, in that case, darling, I’m all yours.
(Embraces agent. Kiss.)
Now that I’ve got you in my arms and I’m not simply being held by you, you can trust me when I say that I’m going to trust you. I’m going to love you. I’m going to be with you until the end, whatever that end may be. Show me what you’ve planned for the both of us.
But bring the cuffs. We still might need them later. (Giggles)