The cast of the story.note
Total Drama Lakeside is a Total Drama fanfic written by Toadgamer80. It is a distinct entry from his previous five-story canon, taking place five years after Total Drama: Superstar Showdown and involving a cast of 16 new college-aged contestants competing at a ritzy, suburban lakeside setting. Chris McLean returns as host, now trying desperately to stay in the public eye as he grows older and his hosting gig is jeopardized.You can read the story here
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This story provides examples of:
- A Death in the Limelight: Secondary characters' arcs will often climax right before their elimination, the main examples being Miles, Artemis, and Kaitlin.
- Aerith and Bob: As per tradition. This story has names like Christian, Rachel, and Isabella mixed with Boris, Suvir, and Artemis.
- Ambiguously Bi: Christian is obsessed with women, but constantly mentions "male-on-male bonding" and begrudgingly admits other men (such as the actually gay Kingsley) are attractive. His behavior only gets more homoerotic when one of his fraternity brothers comes to visit.
- Anti-Hero: Frances: she's reclusive, vindictive, passive-aggressive, and most of her attempts to befriend the others fail miserably... but compared to Erica, she's unmistakably a protagonist.
- Attention Whore: Kaitlin and Erica are both very aware they're on TV and frequently play up their interactions to get screen time or positive attention.
- Big Bad: This time around, it's Erica. Chris returns as the series' overarching antagonist, but he gets plenty of Alas, Poor Villain moments toward the end of the story.
- The Bus Came Back:
- First and foremost, Chris McLean himself returns to host once again after Roz's TDSS stint.
- Multiple past contestants also return for cameo appearances, such as Wolfgang, Puck, and Chelsey, as do bit characters like Big Johnson and Smoothie Guy.
- Chekhov's Gunman:
- Daniel, the mysterious bearded man who heckles Miles during the shack challenge, comes back a day or two later and is revealed to be the new boyfriend of Miles's ex, Jackie.
- Don, former host of Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race, is mentioned by Chris in a throwaway line early on. He eventually shows up physically as a guest host for multiple chapters, trying to take the gig away from Chris.
- Continuity Nod: In the second chapter, Chef is reading a mystery novel written by Helga.
- Deadpan Snarker: There are a few, as usual. Whitney, Frances, and Kelsey are the main ones.
- Dumb Blonde: For once in the series, all three blonde contestants (Christian, Isabella, and Kaitlin) are morons.
- Fake High: Zig-zagged. For the first challenge, the return of the "Awake-a-Thon," Chris tells Chef to get a keg of non-alcoholic beer so the contestants experience the placebo effect. He does, and they do, but it's later revealed that Chef goofed and actually got real beer.
- Five-Token Band: Four racial minorities all arrive at once in the intro chapter, causing the ever-subtle Chris to make an offhand remark about a "diversity quota."
- Go Out with a Smile: A couple characters are happy even after they're voted out - namely Roald and Graham, thanks to their respective new relationships.
- Guest Host: Don, former host of The Ridonculous Race, makes a special appearance to host a challenge while Chris is bailing Kaitlin out of jail.
- Imaginary Love Triangle: Graham creates one of these between himself, Roald, and Whitney - what's really the case is that Roald and Whitney just like each other and don't care about Graham at all.
- In Vino Veritas: Graham and Kelsey's feelings for each other are finally revealed after a night of heavy drinking. Graham references the saying "drunk words are sober thoughts" in a confessional.
- I Resemble That Remark!: Used as a malapropism by Roald, while perfectly exhibiting the trope's description, after Graham assigns him to play the role of an insulting meathead-jock character who leaves to go "itch [his] butt for five hours.""Was Mold supposed to be me? If he is, man, I resemble that remark! I’ve never itched my butt for more than four hours!”
- I Take Offense to That Last One: When Kingsley is voted out:"I want you ALL to get on your phones right now and tweet like crazy at that old, washed-up loser Chris McLean—”“Hey!” shouts Chris. “I’m not old!”
- It Runs in the Family: This season introduces Wolfgang and Puck's sister and cousin, respectively, and it is clear that all of Wolfgang's relatives are grouchy, sarcastic, and standoffish, and all of Puck's are rotund, overly enthusiastic, and pun-obsessed.
- Jerkass: Many, many contestants, such as Boris, Erica, and Kaitlin, although most of them have some depth. Also, Chris McLean, who doesn't.
- Kissing Under the Influence: Graham and Kelsey kiss in the tenth chapter after consuming large amounts of wine at a fancy restaurant.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Conflict ensues toward the end when Erica tells Frances that the two have played very similar games, something Frances is appalled by but knows is true.
- Pun-Based Title: Most of the chapter titles are puns, usually music-related (i.e. "Canoe Pornographers" and "Lay All Your Loved Ones On Me").
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: After Kaitlin is released from prison, she spends her last day in the competition attempting one of these (key word: attempting). Her targets include Chris, Chef, a barista, an elementary school teacher, a group of 12-year-olds, and a random biker.
- Seinfeldian Conversation: As usual for the author's works, these are frequent, especially in the scenes that take place at the beginning of each chapter before the challenge.
- Shout-Out:
- In what seems to be a new tradition, there are two contestants based on two NPCs from Animal Crossing, and a third whose design was inspired by one.
- Two other contestants, Kaitlin and Artemis, are affectionately based on two characters from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
- Villains Out Shopping: Many of Chris's chapter intros are done while he's mindlessly running an errand, having dinner with Chef, getting a massage, etc.
- Will They or Won't They?: Graham and Kelsey's budding relationship takes many, many chapters to establish, with plenty of ambiguity to go around.
