Forum:Total Drama Wiki Newsletter/August 2013

Welcome to this month's issue of the Total Drama Wiki Newsletter. This issue features information on a wiki activity, administrator notices with one sub-heading, an advice column with five sub-headings, one comic, an editor's note, an episode review, and a short story.

Activity information
TDIFan13

Caption Crunch has returned from its summer break! Every week in this hilarious blogged activity, a new blog post is created featuring an image relating to Total Drama. In the comment section, you guys are encouraged to make their own funny caption relating to the image. You can also vote on which caption they think is the best; the winning caption is featured in the next blog. This month's image is drop-dead funny, so check it out and submit a caption if you're interested.

Bigez620
Bigez620

If you love roleplaying, and can't get enough Total Drama, then Roleplay Reborn is the series for you. It's an awesome experience watching twenty-two campers get whittled down to one, as secret alliances, heartbreak, and death-defying challenges threaten the safety of the teens along the way. So far, twelve players have been kicked off the show, and we're left with our final ten. This week, it's merging day, which means the teams are dissolved, and someone special returns to stir up trouble once again. And by trouble, I mean even more trouble... the roleplay's already crazy enough with Beth, Izzy, and Leshawna ' s new rivalry, Duncan and Harold ' s heated feud, Geoff and Lindsay ' s rocky relationship, Gwen and Trent ' s possible attraction, and Heather ' s wicked scheming. In our next three episodes, the ten finalists will have to endure a brutal boot camp challenge, an eat-'til-you-puke-a-thon, and worst of all, each other. Watch the drama unfold this Saturday at seven o'clock - who will be voted off next?

Advice column
TDIFan13

All-Star
"Dear TDIFan13, I'm really confused. I really didn't like the fourth season, so when this new season was announced, I was totally hyped. Another season with the original cast? Score! But the cast list on the season's page keeps changing... how do we know for sure who's confirmed and who isn't?"

- All-Star Dear All-Star,
 * We don't. Until the season officially airs, nothing is set in stone. However, the information on the page should be accurate, since it's locked for admins-only, and we make sure that everything we're adding is backed up. Regardless, don't believe everything you hear; users sometimes get so excited over a new season that they start false rumors and create images that appear to be legitimate. The first episode premieres in September, so be patient until then to find out who makes the cut!

Creative Cat
"Dear TDIFan13, Not trying to brag or anything, but I'd say I'm pretty inventive, and I'd really like to create a new activity. I asked a few users in the wiki's chat, and they told me to make a proposal, but I'm scared that everyone's going to reject it. What do I do?"

- Creative Cat Dear Creative Cat,
 * It's good that you didn't already create a proposal. That is not the way to start an activity on this site. Even though the wiki's staff love to get the community's input on ideas, we're also trying to limit the number of games we have. If you have a new activity idea, contact an administrator and pitch it. The idea will then be discussed by members of the council, who will inform you later whether or not your game has been approved. Make sure to not take it personally if your idea is rejected... we have dozens of suggestions per week, and we can't accept all of them!

Opinionated
"Dear TDIFan13, Okay, so, I'll admit it. I like Zoey. And I actually prefer the new guys over the old ones. But every time I'm in the wiki's chat, someone will go off on huge rant about how bad a guy like Mike is, even though I like him... will I get banned if I speak my mind?"

- Opinionated Dear Opinionated,
 * Of course not! Personally, I can't stand Zoey, but that's my opinion, and I'm entitled to it, just like you're entitled to yours. Feel free to make conversation with whatever user is bashing your favorite contestant... maybe you can recognize their point of view, and start understanding why they hate Mike so much. Just make sure that your discussion is civil and doesn't lead to an argument, because fighting over a cartoon character is ridiculous. And don't feel like you have to change your opinion just because others think differently. Believe what you want to believe and be yourself.

Proposal Pariah
"Dear TDIFan13, I'm a perfectionist, and in my opinion, this wiki needs a lot of work. Ever since I learned how to make proposals, I've made a few that I thought would better the wiki, but my ideas keep getting shot down. Why is this?"

- Proposal Pariah Dear Proposal Pariah,
 * It's great that you want to help out the wiki, but if your ideas are being turned down by fifteen or more people, they're probably not needed. Like I said before, it's great to have your own opinion, but you also need to respect the opinions of others. And, on this wiki, it's the community that makes big decisions. Read over some of the comments on your proposal and maybe you'll understand why it didn't pass.

Surveyor
"Dear TDIFan13, I love making Total Drama surveys about the characters, episodes... basically anything related to the show! But no one pays attention to them. I've asked a few people, but they say they can't find it. I don't know where else to put the survey. Right now, it's on my Message Wall. What do I do?"

- Surveyor Dear Surveyor,
 * I see your problem. I gotta say, it's awesome that you're getting feedback from the users. Unfortunately, your Message Wall is not a smart place to put a survey. Make a blog, instead. When you create a Message Wall post, it can easily get lost when your friends start making threads on there, too. The reason users couldn't find it is probably because it was very far back... so, yeah, a blog would likely be a better spot for it.

Chatterbox
Samtastic450

Editor's note
TDIFan13

I'd like to thank everyone that worked on this edition of the Newsletter. It's been a lot of fun, and the fun will continue next month. We've also been getting a lot of attention from the community, and I'd like to also give a shout out to all of our readers, even though most of you probably just skip to the comics. Haha, just kidding... anyway, this month, Bigez620, Jaxswim, Neko-naito, and Samtastic450 submitted awesome columns. You guys are the best.

Episode review
Neko-naito

It's no secret that my absolute favorite character in the history of Total Drama is Noah. I was thrilled to see him return for Total Drama World Tour, and he certainly did not disappoint, becoming an immediate audience favorite through his amazing development, hilarious one-liners, and buddy-buddy friendship with Owen. This odd couple carried the episode I See London..., which, combined with the subplot of Courtney and Gwen's newfound friendship, is one of my personal favorites in the series. Unfortunately, it's the ending that really keeps it from being number one. The focus of the episode is mainly about the friendship between Noah and Owen, the last people ever I'd ever expect to be friends... yet, somehow, it works. It's a very nice main focus with not only your classic Noah snark, but with a few funny lines from Owen as well. After Alejandro is kidnapped by Jack the Ripper, the two make Tyler strip the guard and then force him onto the stretching rack, before quickly forgetting about him and leaving him for dead.

When Noah is kidnapped on the bus, Owen is able to capture Jack the Ripper, which really should've won them the challenge. Courtney and Gwen's friendship is also one of my favorites - stupid, stupid, stupid love triangle! I liked that, despite their differences, they started to find things in common and, had it not been for Duncan's return, they could have really been a force to be reckoned with. Despite two really strong plots, both based on odd friendships, this episode's ending is terrible. Even though Noah and Owen capture Jack the Ripper, the goal of the challenge, Gwen and Courtney find Duncan and bring him back. So, Duncan, despite basically being eliminated for refusing to sing, which was in everyone's contract, apparently broke some legal agreement by quitting. Because Chris McLean does whatever he pleases, Team Amazon wins the challenge and Duncan returns to the competition, joining Team Chris Is Really Really Really Really Hot.

Noah, having doubted Alejandro's authenticity earlier, gets eliminated because Alejandro apparently heard him through the cameras. Then, to top it all off, Duncan is greeted by Courtney, acting nicer than she's ever been in ages, then he kisses Gwen in the confessional. The only thing saving the ending from being a complete disaster is the way Tyler catches them in the act. In just a matter of moments, a fan favorite is eliminated, an interesting friendship is destroyed for the sake of a love triangle, and the complete derailment of everyone except Heather begins. Thanks a lot, writers. I really enjoy this episode, but as I mentioned before, the ending keeps it from being my favorite. Definitely a solid nine out of ten.

Short story
Jaxswim

Lindsay sat alone in her bedroom.

The lights were all off - not just in this room, but all over the house, the block, the neighborhood.

No sensible person would still be up this late at night, yet there Lindsay was, perched on the edge of her bed.

She stared blankly at the television as its light flickered across her face, images dancing across her cheeks. The laugh track from the show she was watching played, echoing off the empty walls. It felt so much louder when there was only silence to cover it.

It was hard to believe that, a few short hours ago, she had been with him. There was no way to describe what she would do to go back to that.

It hadn't been her fault, anyway... had it?

She wiped her eye, feeling mascara bleed onto her fingers. Ignoring it and deciding she had gone through too much today to put it off any longer, she turned the television off and lay down on her bed. She kept her eyes wide open, staring at the blank ceiling and the turning fan.

Spinning. Round and round and round and round.

She knew there was only one place for her now. But she couldn't go there... not anymore. Not after what happened. But she didn't have any other choice.

Lindsay was wide awake now. She jumped out of bed.

Re-applying her mascara and lipstick in the mirror, she knew what consequences could come of this in the back of her mind. Regardless, she grabbed her coat and ran through the front door, panting.

Running against the cold, harsh breeze that you could only feel in the dead of winter at night, Lindsay hopped into her car. She started driving.

There was nobody else on the road this late. The traffic signals stayed green and it wasn't much of a drive.

Lindsay arrived a few minutes later... five, maybe four? She stepped out of the car, pushing her hair behind her ear. She hadn't been to this place in forever. Her hair whipping in the wind, Lindsay took a deep breath and a big chance. After all, she didn't have any other choice.

She stepped inside.