Drama Queens - A Storm of Drama With Amanda Schull • EP 811

Episode Date: March 24, 2025

Amanda Schull is joining the Drama Queens to recap this very dramatic, stormy episode. She shares that she suffered an injury from one of the fighting scenes with Shantel and how she still feels the effects from it.  Rob recalls a horrific love scene with a stunt double and Sophia recounts the drowning scene and how it still haunts her to this day. Follow Drama Queens on Instagram and TikTok @dramaqueensothSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. It may look different, but native culture is alive. My name is Nicole Garcia, and on Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we aim to explore that culture. Somewhere along the way, it turned into this full-fledged award-winning comic shop. That's Dr. Lee Francis IV, who opened the first Native comic bookshop. Explore his story along with many other native stories on the show, Burn Sage, Burn Bridges. Listen to Burn Sage Burn Bridges. Listen to Burn Sage Burn Bridges on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

First of all, you don't know me. We're all about that high school, drama girl, drama girl, all about them high school queens. We'll take you for a ride and our comic girl. Drama girl. Cheering for the right team. Drama queens, drama queens, smart girl, rough girl, fashion but you'll tough girl. You could sit with us, girl. Drama queen, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens.

I respect the brevity of this week's synopsis. I like it. We're like, let's not even bother. Let's just say, it hits the fan. That is the perfect way to start this episode. Ladies and gentlemen, you're here with us. We are on season 8, episode 11, darkness on the edge of town, air date December 7th, 2010.

And the blessedly short synopsis, that Rob is talking about reads thus, a storm strikes tree hill, putting everyone's life in danger. The end. It's really just so short. It is.

I was so excited if you get to the synopsis, I just, I dissociated. I wonder if the person that had to write it was like, you kind of got to see it to believe it.

I give up. Yeah. Yes, because if you wrote it, you'd be like, and then this person has head trauma and this person also has head trauma and this person gets stabbed and this person it would just

be it would be a mess we are also joined by the lovely the psychotic massively talented Amanda Scholl hi hi pal

hi buddy you were great in this episode you were so great in this episode so many layers this episode this episode this episode was not my best work, but I got to say the three of you crushed it. I thought you were great. Thank you. I've been told my off-camera

presence is almost better than my on-camera presence. I just think it speaks to who you are as an actor that in every scene that Quinn called Clay, you were really on the phone for Chantelle. It's like, you really are a team player, Rob. You're a good dude. Thank you for seeing you. So true. That is something that you don't think about often when you're watching a TV show that that an actor may be talking to another character on the phone. And often they're just reading with somebody off camera, usually a script supervisor or an AD or something is reading the other person's lines. But on our show, our guys figured out how to get everybody on the phone. So even

if Rob was out grocery shopping, you know, you just step to the side and jump on the phone for the scene so that Chantelle could actually hear his voice. And a lot of us would do that for each other. It was a really nice little addition to our situation. I've only had that once that somebody was actually on the phone with me. And I am terrible with pretend phone calls. Absolutely terrible. Yeah. So well done your people for figuring that out. It's so awkward. At least if your script supervisor reads with you, like the off-camera person, at least you're having a conversation. But when you're just doing the dialogue and you're like, hey, honey, what time did you say? you'd be home and then you're like, beat, beat, beat. Oh, okay, so you might get there before me

and you just feel so stupid because you're like, am I waiting long enough for this person to actually say the thing that I know they're shooting next Wednesday? Is it even going to matter? And then you feel nuts and basically just, I don't know, at least for me, I'm like, I'm questioning every choice I've ever made in my life in this moment. It's so awkward. I also feel like it can be really awkward if the person reading like really wants to do a good job. And so then they start acting out the part for you off camera, not the other actor, just like a stand in or AD or whoever's been given the job of reading your sides. And they're really trying. But then I'm like, it's really throwing me off because I'm like, I don't, I really don't actually want you to act. I want you to just

say words. Please don't. Can I tell you guys the most awkward example I have of this that is truly one of my favorite days I've ever had on set. I was working on a show and also shooting a movie, which like, what a blessing, what a curse. And there was a week where the travel didn't line up, kind of at the end of the movie between me and this like actor I've looked up to my whole life, like arguably probably the most famous actor I've ever worked with. I'm like so excited to be on set with him. We've had the best time. And no one has told me, on this day that I'm on set and he's not. And I'm like, what?

But what do you? And they were like, yeah, we're going to shoot a bunch of your coverage because we got to get you out for your show and he's going to do this other thing. And so his double's going to work with you. And he's done, you know, he does this. They're very well practiced at this because, you know, he has this big career.

I'm like, okay, all right. The double's been great. He's really nice. You know, he's on set. They're doing all this stunt coordination, whatever. But nobody tells me that this lovely man's, lovely double doesn't act. He does the stunt stuff, but he doesn't do any dialogue. So we are rolling and this amazing, like most entertaining person on set, young script supervisor, we have this

chick from Argentina who makes everybody laugh every day. I look at this actor's double. I deliver my line. And from like 80 feet away, I hear, you got to call the DEA, we know where the drugs are coming from? And I was like, and I just had to like do a take with this woman from like way far away screaming and this lovely man like doing all the physical action but looking at the ground and not speaking to me. And they cut and the director was like honestly you guys are so amazing like the way you can just

do that together. No one would ever know. And I was like, bro, I didn't know. I didn't know. And like, honestly, I watched the movie and I was like, you'd never know. So maybe we shouldn't be self-conscious about anything ever. I just can't believe that Scott Beow did that to you. I know. In charge of what?

Rob, I wish that I could somehow be a fly on the wall inside your mind. Like, there are so many times when you, I feel like you're just sitting listening quietly. I've had conversations with you just across the table and you're so good at listening. You really check in. You're like right there along with. But I just want to hear the narration that's rolling behind. Behind the still dropped in this. There's definitely a script running.

Well, it feels like you have a whole team of S&L like joke writers just up there all of the time being like, ooh, if she pauses here, I got it. Nope, she's pausing there. I got it now. Like, it's so good. The script is usually like, what's, what's first? lunch. What snacks do we have? And then occasionally it's like Scott Bayo would be funny here. Say Scott Bayo. Yeah. In the same vein as you. So I have an incredibly awkward story from one. It's like my first

big show and it doesn't. Yeah. And lipstick jungle, I had sex like every episode of lipstick jungle, right? And I'm like, I came in late in the pilot. It got picked up. So then we go to New York, right? And one of the scenes we have to reshoot is, uh, a bedroom lovemaking scene. They didn't have the room for it. So they built three quarters of a bedroom in the middle of a high school gymnasium. Oh, my God. And my love interest on the show, Kim Raver had just had her child.

So they had a double for her. And they had also told me like two days prior, like, hey, you're going to have to wear a modesty triangle. Oh, my God. Actually, they just sent a writer to my, like to my contract, to my agents. and I just saw modesty triangle and something deep in my core was like, this is not good. It's not good, gang.

For those of you who don't know, I'll show the YouTube audience. It's like this tiny triangle of fabric with a second piece sewn on the bottom and you basically just like put yourself in this triangle and there's topstick tape on the top of it

and it essentially turns you into a Kendall. Like easily I would rather be naked than wear this thing. Oh my God. I would rather be dead. Like I wish that were the most embarrassing part But no So I show up

High School Gymnasium This ain't closed right There's people everywhere Wait wait wait wait what Well I should I mean it's it's big So it's closed but like But people are walking around Well there's no wall

Exactly like it was hard to create privacy Wait they didn't make a wall Like they didn't hang a curtain of some sort No they had a couple of the walls Right this was the early odds Exactly. And they put Video Village like on the other side of the set, obviously. So they were completely out of the eyeline.

Oh my God. They trod in a gal and they go like, hi, this is Carly. She's going to be Kim's double. I'm like, okay, hey, it's nice to meet you. I'm Rob. They're like, great. D-Robb. I have to.

So then she literally lays down and I'm like, it's nice to meet you. As she's in just pasties. So you did love actually the real, the real scene. Oh, my God. So she's in just pasties. I'm in a modesty triangle and I'm like literally like how do I make what is this appropriate small talk in this situation like hi is your day going well and then they give me an eye line that's the headboard and then they're like action and as we're doing it our producing director is shouting from across a gymnasium all right Robbie all right now you're just your love making it's a sport it's a sport now you love her now you love her now you're climaxing now you're climaxing it was like having your creepy uncle in the closet while you're your virginity. It also happened in that moment was I realized I've actually never paid attention to the face I

make in some of those moments. And I certainly, my brain was as quickly as it could going, holy shit, what is the face we make? What is an appropriate face to make? Oh my God, this is a nightmare. And I think I just blacked out for the rest. I feel so sick right now. I feel physically thick.

Yeah, that is, that is unique. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. Did I just bring the podcast to a screeching halt? So by the way, I'm so glad you've told this story because the number of people over, you know, all the years of all of our careers who've done this to me and no doubt to you, there's always someone you know who pulls you aside and goes like, okay, but what's it really like to shoot a love scene? Like, is it ever kind of sexy? Is it at, and you're like, no, no, flat out, no. Never, not ever. It's awkward. It's, it's, I hope this gives people the people, the people. behind the curtain that they maybe never wanted. The non-curtain that didn't exist for Rob.

Oh, my God. I had to make bedroom eyes at a piece of green tape laying on top of a poor, strange gal. You're a really good sport, and she's a good sport. I hope someone sent that woman flowers. Carly, if you're out there. I know that's not your real name, whoever that's stand in. You know, it's okay.

If she hears this, she's going to know we're talking about her. But her code name shall forevermore be Carly. You're a real one, Carly. Well, a stunt doubles is a good way to get into this episode. It is. Because there were so many people that had to jump in. We had a big stunt team on this episode, I think. So, yeah, let's get started.

Okay, I have a question to dive in because we get this cryptic, you know, musical end to the episode leading us here with you, Amanda. and A, I was like, great singing voice. I never knew. B, the drive into town and the weatherman and the storm, it almost felt like an old radio play setting up this, you know, big terrible thing that was going to happen. What was it like when you got this script and read that this was going to be the culmination of the Katie storyline?

Or had they told you, you know, in X amount of episodes, you're going to come back? Like, did you know, or was it a complete surprise that you were going, you know, American Psycho almost? I don't remember knowing. Okay. Obviously, we had hints that she wasn't firing with all cylinders, I guess. She was unwell.

Diplomatic, yeah. So obviously, we knew that. I don't remember getting any hints about that. Joy's episode was the first the one you directed was the first time I came back as the other person and I think I knew I had a set amount of episodes but I didn't know exactly what her journey was going to be.

Well, you had a lot to do. You really got to show up and I loved all the different, just all the different layers of the cat and mouse and you having fun being so insane. And I could see all of the feelings that she was experiencing, all of the trouble, all of the hatred and anger and yet the desperation. And that's a lot to keep track of while you're running through, well, you're soaking wet, running through a house and running through rain.

And it's a lot. All of you get a gold star. Well, I sat in a car, but you too for sure. You got out of the car. You got out of the car. Yeah. But let's stick with the Quinn and the Katie of it for a moment. Because I will say the, in an episode of just highest stakes, high jinks, the one thing I turned my head out and went, really?

Was at the beginning when Katie's hair is dripping. And so water is dripping on the floor. Quinn just grabs a bowl and puts it on the floor and doesn't even bother to see where the leak is coming from. Wait, she didn't look up? I thought she looked up. No, she looked up for a second, but she doesn't investigate the source. That's what I'm saying, in the middle of a monsoon, your roof starts leaking. It's not her house.

You're not going to investigate? It is not her responsibility. This observation is actually what proves to our listeners that we are adults now, whereas when we made this show, we were basically still college students. Because now we're all homeowners. And it's like the minute there's water and it's raining, you're in a full panic, running around, figuring out where it's coming from, you're in the attic. And, yeah, she just looks up and goes, a leak and gets a bowl.

And it's like, oh, wow, that really, it does show our youth sometimes the things we just didn't know yet. Yeah. And then, and I may just, I'm not sure, to me, this did not seem like a normal thing to do. But would you just not cut the apple in the kitchen and then bring the sliced apple into the bedroom? I was really upset that the apple was going to be cut on a plate because that dulls your knives. And so I was frustrated that she wasn't going to use a cutting board. But she knew she was going to use the knife because she knew as soon as she left the room that you were there and that she was going upstairs. But she had gotten the knife, placed it on the plate, and then went off and did a couple of things, checked on the car, came back, did the tea and blah, blah, blah.

And it was like, there was no cutting board out at any point. and it was stressing me out and then I realized that she was going to take it into the kitchen after that but I didn't see a cutting board on the horizon you know yeah yeah it was interesting because you know there's so much that's fantastical about an episode like this and I thought everybody really grounded into it and and even I don't know even some of those details while they certainly bumped me. What was fun for me as an audience member was when I realize when you go in the bedroom and pull the covers back and the pillows are there, I'm like, oh, she's in on it. She's in on it. Okay. And then suddenly some of what bumped me

felt more like her playing along. So I don't know. Maybe she was never going to dull the knife. Maybe she was. Who knows? She was going to dull the knife. But I know, I think for, yes, there were all of these stories, a lot, not all, most of these storylines were fantastical. This was sort of just, this was the horror movie element storyline, right? And we hadn't done something like that in a very long time on our show. Like we, we've, over the seasons had spots where it's like the horror movie element of it, you know, with the Psycho Derek and Annie Carey. There's always like a little something every once in a while just to keep the audience

on their toes and feeling like things are super dramatic. So we were due for this. But you know what was interesting about it, though? So this is the horror story. Brooks' storyline could have been a horror story also. But somehow this being heightened made this seem much more grounded

and therefore made me more anxious watching you, Sophia. You know, it was like I played watching one and then I tensed watching the other in a sense. And the fact that you didn't lean into the horror of it all with the live wire bouncing around, you just kind of looked at it, clocked it, yep. Hey, so how do you spell? You know, it was much, it didn't feel as heightened.

It just felt like a ticking clock. And that live wire was a great device because I kept looking at that going, oh, no, oh, no. And then that wasn't even the threat. That wasn't the threat. I know. Yeah. It's a really, really smart way that in the writer's room, they chose to misdirect,

especially because, and you know, we've all seen it even with last year's incredible, incredibly large hurricane that hit North Carolina and, you know, devastated Asheville. We went through so many hurricanes when we were there. Downed power lines are so common because of how many trees fall. And even having the tree fall at the beach and block Quinn from being able to escape with Katie, it tracked, even though we were watching two separate incidents, it tracked what was happening across the city in a really smart way. And to your point, yeah, I kept thinking, oh, my God, what if these people get electrocuted in the middle of this?

And there really is something, I think, about grounding. the the brook julian and jamie of it all with jamie as a kid you have to you got to keep calm when kids are scared because if they see how scared you are they get even more scared and so there was this really interesting it was in a really terrifying scenario but watching it back some of the stuff with me and jackson the brook and jamie of it all felt almost like a buddy comedy in a in a you know environmental disaster. And I was like, oh, this is a smart way to toggle back and forth between exactly what you're saying, this heightened terror and then this other energy. It was cool. It may look different, but native culture is very alive. My name is Nicole Garcia,

and on Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we aim to explore that culture. It was a huge honor to be become a television writer because it does feel oddly, like, very traditional. It feels like Bob Dylan going electric, that this is something we've been doing for a kind of two years. You carry with you a sense of purpose and confidence. That's Sierra Taylor Ornellis, who with Rutherford Falls became the first native showrunner in television history. On the podcast, Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we explore her story, along with other native stories, such as the creation of the first native Comic-Con or the importance of reservation basketball. Every day, native people are striving to keep traditions alive while

navigating the modern world, influencing and bringing our culture into the mainstream. Listen to Burn Sageburn Bridges on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Have we done a storm episode before? Like, did it really take us eight seasons? to do a big storm episode? Oh, we've done big ones. We did? Yeah, we did a really big one in season three.

We did the big hurricane. We had a stormy night when you guys do the pot brownies. Yep. Oh, yeah, that's a stormy night. That's right. Yeah. And then even in season one, when Haley and Nathan have that big, like, iconic first kiss, it's in the rain.

It's in the rain. We did a lot of rain, but like a proper hurricane, I don't remember us doing, which surprised it. It surprised me on the opening because I was like, Wait, of course. This happens so often. This was a part of our daily, I mean, our, you know, yearly life out there. I'm surprised. We haven't done more of this. But maybe I just forgot. I can't remember what the season three episode is, but I remember because the big industrial fans that made the wind and water whip sideways. There's a big scene where Brooke and Lucas get in a fight like out on some road. And we had to loop the whole scene because they couldn't hear us. It was just fan noise. And I remember being like, oh, this is. is insane. They don't even have a guide track because nobody knows what anybody's saying because there's no sound. So we kind of had to like guess as to where the dialogue would fit and try. The very first shot, it's of the center kind of console or dash of the car with the clock

and the time. But it's tilted vertically. And at first I couldn't tell it because I was watching it on my phone if that was a formatting thing. And I thought like what happened here? But then when the car crashes, the clock. So that was just foreshadowing, right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I didn't know that that's what it was at the time. I just thought it was a choice, you know, being a little avant-garde. I got to say, I had a moment in watching that whole sequence of Brooke saving the day where I actually went, holy shit, Sof's a star. Oh, yeah. I was so on board and invested and in

enjoying it. I was like, I could watch this for 90 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. So obviously, we already know that you're pretty darn good at this craft, my friend. But I actually had a moment of even knowing you and knowing your work. I was like, she's a star. I had that too. It was kind of a benign moment. You were just running from one car to another, but it was the first time, because you did several times going back and forth, the first time you ran to the car and you were checking on the kids. And I was just like, yeah, she is so in her element.

Because you're so naturally athletic. And I think you just really, you know, physical, tangible, like getting into things with your hands. And I could feel like how right it felt for your whole body to be engaged in something rather than the talking heads that we often have to do is sitting still and emoting everything through our face. It was like, wow, this is it. She's in her element. It was great. It was really the perfect amount of action. And I don't want to say acting, but you weren't acting the scene. You know, you were living within it and making realistic choices rather than being like,

I see somebody climbing through the window and hoisting open the windshield. It wasn't overly dramatic. It was exactly how you took us with you as opposed to us being much more peripheral and not buying into it. And that made the moments with Jamie so much sweeter also, you know, when you realize that why he threw the spelling bee and you, and rather than, you know, making a little, not a dig, but a little tease, you said you had a little smile on your face, that sweet little smile. And then you said, why? You know, it was, it was just, it was, it was adorable in a, in a really horrible situation. I really was on board with you. Yeah, it's interesting because the,

well, first I'm going to say next time I'm in like a self-doubt spiral. I'm calling the three of you, so thank you. But there was so much that was so physically taxing. about that whole sequence, and I remember so much of that because it was February. It was freezing. How many nights did you shoot that in? Oh, my God. I don't even know. It was days. And you were shooting splits, right? Yeah. So splits are night shoots. For those of you don't know, you show up to work at about four. They do your makeup. As soon as the sun goes down, although with being soaking wet, you probably didn't have too much hair and makeup. But you had to keep showing up to set and getting soaked before you even walked into anything.

And it was about 40 degrees out in February. And those, the wind, the rain machines are not warm water. No, they're freezing cold water. And so it's just tricky. And, you know, obviously, Amanda, you and Chantal had to do so much of it as well. And like, I remember how hard it felt. And so it was really sweet to watch it back. And to be like, aw, watching the Brooke and Jamie dynamic in the car, you know, him talking about his crush, her being with this little boy in having this experience of telling him about this fight.

And they're kind of reflecting on their versions of family together. And it's such a sweet dynamic. And yeah, to your point, it was a really interesting thing to feel. emotional warmth in a dangerous scenario. And it was fun to be reminded of that. Because all I remember is like, oh God, that hurricane episode, we were all so fucking cold. I forgot how sweet it was. It was nice to see it. Also, waterwork? I don't know whether you did the car stuff. Was that in a tank? Oh, the underneath the water stuff. Yeah, that's awful and scary. And so hard to be in that position without letting any bubbles out like there are things that people don't understand how

actually difficult it is to hold that physically oh my god it's horrible and i was really knowing how hard it was for us watching you girls go into the pool i was like oh my god i can't even imagine it because for me we had to do all the stuff on the bridge which was really long and hard and um i remember how how important it was to be you know the most dead weight and you and it works when when julian's pulling brook out of the water like i do look like a corpse what got hard was on the bridge you know he's supposed to be pumping my chest doing CPR and pumping hard enough to make it look real and you know most most of the time when people get CPR their ribs break and that's hard he had to do it hard enough that it looked like he was

exerting physical pressure, it couldn't be so hard that it was slamming my head into the ground, which is what happened in the beginning. And then I remember the director walking over and being like, your face is scrunched up. And I was like, I'm getting hit in the face with frozen rain that's falling from 60 feet in the air. Like it hurt. So I was trying to not react to the water. And that was the thing that I, that I was like, oh, that actually looks the hardest. But it was three stages. It was the bridge. Then it was a tank on stage where the car was in the river and they could flood it with these huge, they basically had these trap doors and they'd come down and water would flood in. And then we had to do the full underwater closeups when the car is

flooded and those we did on stage in Nathan and Haley's pool. They took a car seat. They took a seat out of a car, sunk it in the pool, put black duveteen fabric around the pool so you couldn't see what it was. And then I had to put scuba weight belts in my lap and sink to the bottom of the pool on stage so they could film us. And then was someone next to you doing the and then taking it away? Yeah, they had a regulator for me. And this is why I can't scuba dive. I've tried and I've had two panic attacks underwater and I'm like I'm good it's a no for me I have a science question if the way Julian was was breathing into your mouth I mean that's carbon dioxide though so does that work I was thinking the same thing does that actually work I mean I think to sustain life a little

longer yes because what you're trying to do is stop your brain from dying from a lack of oxygen and so, you know, carbon dioxide is CO2. I don't know how quickly that would fail, but you're getting something. You're getting some oxygen back. I did, honestly, though, watching it, I was like, this, I caught myself holding my breath. Like, Amanda, you were talking about how stressed you felt watching the episode.

I was holding my breath, and I was like, why am I doing this? I know I live. I know you guys live. Like, what am I so stressed about? Yes. What a monster episode? I'm just so impressed.

It's just so much work. And shooting those are, it's hard. You get the script and the closer you get to the day, you're like, oh, man, this is going to be a beast. And you just go in and then you'd shoot the first time and you're like, thank God it's over, except I have to go back and do it again tomorrow. And then I have to go back and do it again tomorrow. and then I have to go back and do it again the next day. And it's just a lot, especially when you're cold. It's a lot of stress to put your body through.

And psychological stress, even just the pool stuff you're talking about. I don't know the first time I saw Nathan and Haley's pool and we had to shoot in it. And I don't remember if it was us as the sisters or if Nathan and Haley were in the pool. I don't know what it was, but it was a nighttime, so there were lights in the pool. And I had never shot anything in water with electricity before. You're like, isn't this how people get electrocuted in their bathtubs? Yeah, is this safe? Like, it is.

There is some real psychological wall you have to break through to get into a pool where there are multiple lights with cords in the water. And you just step into the pool and trust that you're not going to die. They're using a toaster as a bounce card. You're like, that just doesn't seem safe, guys. I think that's a no. But just to Joy's point, like, I don't think. people realize that how much faith we put in our departments that they know what they're doing

and that all of the safeguards have been put in place and that we're going to be okay and we can do our jobs because everyone's done their job really well. And if you don't trust the people to do their jobs really well, when you need to be in what appears to be a life-threatening situation, it often can be a life-threatening situation. I've been on set for things. when I've felt really unsafe and questioned departments, and then afterward come to realize I had good reason to question departments. Yeah. Yeah, thank God we were in such great hands on our show.

Our teams were just amazing. Because otherwise they're not going to get your work from you. Yeah, that's right, because you're all kind of frozen and unsure. It may look different, but native culture is very alive. My name is Nicole Garcia, and on Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, we aim to explore that culture. It was a huge honor to become a television writer because it does feel oddly, like, very traditional. It feels like Bob Dylan going electric, that this is something we've been doing for a hundred of years. You carry with you a sense of purpose and confidence.

That's Sierra Taylor Ornellis, who with Rutherford Falls became the first native showrunner in television history. On the podcast, Burn Sage Burn Bridges, we explore her story, along with other Native stories, such as the creation of the first Native Comic-Con or the importance of reservation basketball. Every day, Native people are striving to keep traditions alive while navigating the modern world, influencing and bringing our culture into the mainstream. Listen to Burn Sage, Burn Bridges, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I thought it was a great counterbalance throughout the episode, the whole Nathan and Haley dynamic.

There were just so many great moments. There was one that really, so one of my biggest pet peeves as an actor is when I'm driving the car. And I will invariably, every single time, I will get the note, yeah, can you just move your hand around a little more so that the audience believes you're driving?

watching. Watch the first shot of Haley and Nathan driving on that road. James clearly got the note, and for those on YouTube, he's doing this on a straightaway wet road. And you're even like, be careful. It's raining outside. And he's like, it's cool. I got it covered. Like, is your alignment that far off? It was funny. But I mean, there were so many good parts. There was a line that Haley had that was so savage and out of pocket. It's when at the spelling v. Jamie wants to go with Chuck and Madison and Miss Lauren. And he's like, oh, come on. Chuck, Chuck's getting to go.

And without skipping a beat, you just go, Chuck's mom's an alcoholic. Mm-hmm. There's a lot of different reasons you could have explained that without having to just assassinate the character of that poor woman. We needed to understand why Chuck's mom wasn't driving her home, driving them home. Yeah. I think that's it.

That's the only reason that existed. But yeah, there was no other way to play it as far as I could see. It just sort of had to get spat out. You were just trying to move on from the line. But I agree, Rob. It's so, one of the things that was so great is, you know, Quinn and Katie are in a horror movie. Brooke and Julian and Jamie are essentially in a natural disaster movie. They're in the day after tomorrow.

it was nice to see a family doing what most families you hope do in a storm just driving and talking and figuring it out yeah the audience needed to breathe well the audience needed to breathe and it also speaks to the fact that you really never know you could have a normal night and you could have the worst night of your life you know in these sorts of scenarios and especially you know again, we just made reference of it earlier, the like superstorm that hit from Florida to North Carolina last year. Hurricane Helene was insane. Like, I don't know what it is about being in this time period where sadly we're experiencing more of these things in the world that made this episode feel more relevant to me than ever. But, you know, there's plenty of

people who unexpectedly get hit hard and something like that. And there's plenty of people who have a mostly normal but slightly inconvenient night and you really never know what your role of the dice is going to be and it was kind of cool to have you guys serve as comic relief but also in a way fill out the whole spectrum of experience in the episode because you're pregnant and you know you really were so they didn't want to put you in the cold for any longer than they needed to and it makes sense that Nathan's going to get out and tell his pregnant wife to stay in the car and he's being sweet and it's like

it's inconvenient but it's no big deal and the humor when Haley kicks the can over with all the lug nuts you're just like oh my God and it's perfect and it's sweet and it's you know

like an average rough night in a storm and it I don't know it was it was a cool juxtaposition to be entertained by and to understand what the device was too, you know? And what's so great about it was that I could see the fact that Nathan and Haley were still friends.

Yeah, I love that. They weren't just husband and wife. Like, they enjoyed each, they are enjoying each other's company. They are having fun together. And I love to see that, right? Where it's like, oh, yeah, they married, they married their best friend. Yes. You had that funny comment where you're like, he's working and you're just like, hey, if I

wasn't pregnant, we could have sex in the back seat. I was like, I love, I love that. That is such like, I still, like, I still dig my partner banter. You know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Well, and to see their sense of humor and, and you're like, well, this kind of sucks. Wouldn't this be fun?

And he's like, yeah, that makes it suck more. He's like, now I'm really down on the rain. Thanks, man. And you're like, got it, got it, got it. And the, yeah, you're throwing it back at each other and to be that many years into a relationship and still love to crack jokes. is fun to see. I just even loved watching him go, well, guess I got a tire to change.

There was no, like, ho-humness about it. There was no complaining. It was just like, all right, life, here we go. Yeah. Let's get after it. Like, what a relief. Just even in the context of a relationship, there's no drama around it.

It's just like, yeah, this is just what we do. Mm-hmm. I appreciated seeing that. And for Nathan, like, his character just keeps showing up as the great, this great sort of redemption story out of a really tempestuous household that he grew up in and so much struggle that he worked through as a teenager. And I just really love watching his character development.

And he's so self-aware. Like when, first of all, the whole bit with him not knowing how to spell entrepreneur at the start was funny. He gets all cocky because he thinks Jamie's won it And it's because he doesn't know how to spell the word. And then he's like, yes. I love that he sits down and he does a Dan Scott. And Jamie goes, yeah.

You doing Grandpa Dan? And he goes, yeah. And then he gives like the awesome dad response. You know, it was like, oh, man, he's growing so much. Yeah. Yeah. So fun. It's really sweet. Okay.

Let's rewind a little bit more. The first scene with Brooke and Julian felt real hot to me. Yeah. It was just odd because it had. I've seen the previous episode. I know how it ends. And it's like the scene opens with both of you at an 11. Yeah.

And Brooke being like, you always wanted me to sell the company so you could get me back to L.A. And I just found myself going like, what do I miss to get us to this spot? Because it was kind of, it was very unlike Brooke to be saying these things. Yeah.

I don't think Julian's done anything to make it seem like that's the case. So I was a little confused. Yeah, why didn't we get like little drop, drops of that in the past like two or three episodes like little tense moments leading up to this would have been that would have been helpful and I do remember sitting and really wanting to understand why it was written this way why they wanted it to be that way the the sort of I remember it really clearly weirdly the feedback was sometimes when you're really angry you say a bunch of shit you

don't mean which like okay fair people do that um Also, they wanted the fight. When we first started trying to play it a little more normal, I would say. The response was we don't think she'd storm out of the house to go for a drive to cool down unless it was really, really hot. And so then what it had to be was, okay, well, we're not going to get more of the fight. We're not going to see the inciting incident because they want to get to the action. They want to get to Quinn and Katie. They want to get to the bridge.

They want to do all this. So if we're coming in in the middle of it, if it's so hot that you're like, whoa, what happened here? Maybe we can kind of sell it. But what bugs me about it, and we've talked about this before, is when you have to justify it to be like, well, all this stuff happened off camera to get us here so we can get to the next thing, I always look back and I'm like, I got talked into it, and I don't think I agree. I didn't agree, and I still am annoyed about it. but you know what i do right like you just kind of have to do the thing but i do remember having that feeling and you brought you bring up the line rob of when she says now it makes sense you wanted me to lose the company so you could move us back to l.a it's so

ridiculous but it also kind of it became the thing where i was like if i can be so upset about my partner wanting me to leave my home, feeling like I've already lost enough and now I'm going to lose this. And maybe this was your grand plan all along. Like if I can make Brooke spiral that way, I can buy like, I'm being insane and I need to just get out of the house and go for a drive. I need to cool down. Yeah. So I had to lean into it, but I did have to talk myself into it also. Yeah, you guys sold it. It was just clunky because there were no seeds planted. Yeah, there was no sprinkle of this issue in episode 810. They were just huge accusations that came out of left field.

There was no foundation for him, so it just kind of left me going like, wait, what? Yeah, even if there was something about him saying, like, moving back to L.A. Or Sylvia's saying, like, well, you know, he still got a life back in L.A. You guys could, oh, even if there was just a little something in the previous episode, that would have been helpful. Yeah. Also, Brooke decided to sell all of her assets. Like she made an integrity move. She wasn't coerced into that.

Yeah. Exactly. And that was part of it for me where I was like, I chose my choice. Yeah. Why am I accusing him of choosing my choice for me? He wasn't even in the room. Exactly. The guy with the pen was in the room, not Julian.

The guy with the pen who took the pen back. The guy who took the fucking pen. Okay. I have a little pivot. I do want to ask, Amanda, when you guys were filming this stuff, first of all, when you went into the pool, this is you two or stunts? Falling in with stunts Okay, and then once you

And then you both had to get in where there I feel like I can't The episode's a little bit of a jumble Because I saw it yesterday Were there shots of the two of you struggling In that pool cover in the water Or was it just shot you getting out And Chantelle laying in the water?

I don't think you There is a fight that happens In the water No No, there's a scramble, right? Like a struggle in the pool cover, but I don't think we see your faces. I don't think they would, right?

I don't think they would let you do that. Yeah. Okay. Are you sure there's a struggle? Because I'm pretty sure it's that you guys just go in and you just see her lifeless, seemingly lifeless, because she's not moving. Do we not struggle? No, you didn't. You both, you struggled to get there. She runs back, tackles

you over, you fall in the pool, but then when you see Katie kind of, you kind of come too, you turn around and look back and her legs are just not moving. And then you get out of the pool. There is a kicking around when they hit the water, when the doubles hit the water and, like, arms and legs are going. Yes. But then it cuts away.

Yeah. I don't think there's a full-on knockdown dragout. No. I think they were very smart with stunts with you guys, knowing, you know, liability, safety, et cetera. They were going to let them fall in and kick around for a second to look like they were fighting. Yeah, no, we just climbed out. It was that stop, like, stop, stop, stop, are you okay? We did do, that was probably until that point, the most interior, the fight stuff that we did.

That was most actual action I've done. Stunts did, you know, most of it, obviously, but I do have a shoulder injury. From that? Wait, what happened? I'm holding the knife in my hand, and she hits my hand like this. And I didn't know any better to, like, brace my. my shoulder against the wall, you know? And so Chantelle, we're not, no one was like,

and I didn't raise any alarms about it either. My shoulder was getting like yanked back like that. So I do have still. Like a rotator cuff thing. Yeah. Lid a gate. Let's get litigitia. Let's get you some shoulder money.

Oh, wow. So how much of that was on the beach property? Like you guys were out at the beach The whole thing The whole thing You didn't shoot it Didn't they create Quinn and Clay's Beach house

On stage? I never did anything on stage No No, we'd have to go out The top sale Yeah All of that And watching that fight stuff

Like that was a sloppy messy fight They did a good I mean that looked like two people But you know When you watch A fight sequence And you're like

Oh punch right Dodge And it's like a full on choreograph That's really sloppy, you know, like two people really were kicking and scrambling and scratching. And I think they did a really good job with the choreography and then the stunt performers as well. Yeah. I love that you even feel that because you acted it.

As if you were watching it, I was like, oh, they look like real people. It doesn't look like stunt doubles who know how to fight. You guys look like two terrified, enraged women scrambling. And I love that because it made me believe that it was you and it was her. I'm kind of shocked to hear that stunts did so much of it. I really thought you guys did it. I saw one section because they did let us do a lot. And I think at one point, Chantelle might have even worn a brace and I kicked her.

That's so great. Yeah, and the ribs when you're standing over her and you kick her. That's you guys for sure. No, that's definitely not us. A lot of it was us. There's one part where one of us is up against the wall and the other one comes around and there's an interaction and a throwdown. And that was definitely stunts because I remember watching that off camera and trying to get the physicality of it and being really impressed by the two women that came in. Yeah, it was pretty seamless.

I mean, those women looked really. did a really great job. The editing was great, wasn't it? I could only tell from one angle, it's a, it's a lower angle, and I could see that it wasn't my hair. Yeah, I would not have noticed. I didn't pick it up. I was so impressed. The thing that gave me chills and made me, like, feel delicious as, you know, part of the fam that made this show was you in the kitchen going, boo. I was like, I was like, she did it so perfectly. It's like, it's like, it's like, Oh my God. It was like spicy and naughty and scary. And I was like, oh. And it made me want to ask you, like, how you'd obviously had to do a lot of wild shit as Katie, but how did you prepare for this? How did you figure out your way into the cat and mouse? Like, I'm going to enjoy this. Were there movies you were watching? Or was it a conversation you had? Or did you just get inspired when you read it? I truly don't remember details of it.

I just remember, unlike maybe Brooke going out in a category four, I do, I don't, my storyline was breadcrumbed, is where I'm going with that. She was getting increasingly more unhinged. Yeah. And I, at that point in my career, I, for the most part, really was cast as being the cuckoo. I often was the murderer or like, like, but that was probably the most unhinged I had ever played. And like how often do we get something that imbalance? It's, like, that's fun.

That's really fun. And if you're not going to have fun doing it, then what's the point? I totally agree. Like, why are we doing this for a living if we don't get to step into the skin of people will never know? And so, and, you know, the truth is, like, I do do a whole, like, meditation, and I do before I walk out on set always. But I also do a lot of work as the character and try to live.

like through pivotal moments and why that person is that way. And it's really fun to get to figure out why somebody is that way. And then for 20-minute blocks live as that person and then take that skin off and become a little bit hopefully more hinged. And then so I do like the opportunity. I don't remember details. I definitely didn't watch any movies. But it was sort of just like she's here for payback and it's going to be sweet.

Wow. That's so inspiring. I also love hearing you say, become more hinged. I'm going to keep that lightly. The moment when Quinn is about to leave the house, like on foot, it's when I think you say, I'm your storm. Initially, I was like, what's happening? Because as Quinn starts to go to the front door, Katie starts walking in the opposite direction. I'm like, why in the hell? And then I realized, oh, because she's so confident that she can find Quinn again

and that she has control over this game that she doesn't even need to chase her which was such a boss move. So good. And also after, this is after Quinn, sorry I interrupt you, but this is after Quinn shoved a knife in your leg and then ran away from you and left you with the knife.

Yeah. Is this right after that moment? Good thing she missed my femoral, but yeah. Yeah. Because I guess there are more in the kitchen in that block. I don't know.

She wasn't going to like take the time to like remove it. Leave her with a weapon. I actually about I, when I got stabbed, when I watched that, I was like, oh, that's right. Because the morning after shooting that, I had to put myself on tape for something. And I had my sides on my lap and I hadn't been able to get all the blood off my leg. Oh my God. And so when I was holding my sides up, I remember there being like crusted fake blood all over my sides. And I think it was for, the audition was for Nikita, if I'm remembering correctly.

And I was like, oh, this is definitely going to get me the role. It didn't. But like, but it didn't hurt. No, I might have. I don't know. The question I have, though, is the last bit, which is it just, it's a lovely payoff for the audience. It's Quinn's like hurrah moment where she walks up to Katie on the stretcher and whispers in her ear, I'm your storm. And I just found myself going going, if I had a lethal killer of a stalker who is still alive, would I choose to taunt them as the last thing before they go away to prison? It just doesn't seem like it's the smartest move to, like, poke that bear.

That bear doesn't need poking. Yeah. Yeah, the bear will be poked regardless of whether you do it or not. I don't know, season 10, maybe Katie comes out. but that's really the that's like that's the action hero line that's i'm saying it's the payoff she deserved yeah she needs to have earned that like if quin had really kicked her ass then i feel like maybe she would have earned that line but she didn't i also love the woman who plays queen's sister saying that being like listen a little sis you're getting a little big for your britches sorry this was

not a fair fight katie won every fight every moment except for the last one when Quinn turned around and shoved her off the balcony and then she did shoot her. I mean, and then shot her. And then she came back and shot her at the very, very end. But like the whole rest of the episode was just Quinn getting her butt kicked. So I, you know, yeah, I agree with you. Yeah. Maybe it's like an affirmation. I don't know. I did like the way that Chantelle delivered it, though. Yeah, I did. Yeah. Because she looks as as beautiful as she is for somebody that beautiful, she looks wrecked, you know, in her.

the most stunning of ways and it's just it's not it's not intense it's just kind of like a guarantee yeah you know it's a whisper but it's not like i'm yours it's it's not trying too hard you know it's just it's matter of fact it's i'm your storm yeah there's a really interesting thing i think because you have to kind of play against the soapy nature of some of it and i think and i think her the way I took it was more you think this know it about me like this this is what you think of yourself but really it's me and it felt to me like she she felt ready to kind of flip the table and because of the way she delivered it the last action in the episode made sense to me everyone's recuperating we see the the family of three in bed together we see Brooke sleeping in

Julian's lap and he's up vigilant and we see her she wakes up not in her bed but on the couch and then like throws open the doors in the windows to let the day in and I was like oh yeah she's really taking her power back yeah I agree with that also I just want to defend Katie for a second because Katie she because um Quinn says only I'm not going to leave you here for 12 hours only a psycho would do that Katie thought that she killed them. So she wasn't leaving them for 12 hours. You know what? Totally fair point. Valid. Totally fair point. I'm just going to say like, you know what would be pretty great is like three seasons into the reboot. It would just be great if Katie showed up having totally worked on

herself. Yeah. Oh my God. It was like a guidance counselor? Yes. Yeah. No, you know how like people who have the most issues end up being therapist? Not even a therapist. She's a victim's advocate. And you're like, you? Yes. Yes. I help people work through their storms. Like her motto is storms be gone. The tagline on her website.

Stormbreaker. Stormbreaker. It's like a D&D character. Incredible. I loved it. I also want to shout out one of the things I, and we're talking about it in every way, right? How do you make things grounded in an episode that's so heightened? I loved.

And I had forgotten about it. it because we did this so long ago. When we first are dealing with Brooke getting the kids out of Miss Lauren's car and Allison Munn finally wakes up that she wakes up and like has that moment of sheer panic. Oh, she's so great in this too. She's so good. And, you know, I get why Miss Lauren couldn't come back, you know, to help. That's the whole idea. But I loved her whole energy in it and the panic about like, where am I and oh my god and the kids and the whole thing it all felt so real to me and i don't know i really i feel very proud of all of us guys i think it was great you too and that's a good uh good good way to segue to tell you that uh we actually have alison mun coming up in an in an episode soon

i'm so excited that she's going to come talk with us so we'll get to hear all about being miss lauren from her and uh and how this episode went for her too because she had a lot of that stuff like being sideways laying in the rain with that stuff pelting on you it's one thing standing up but when you're laying down like so I was just talking about um yeah that's that's really intense yeah we're getting to hear from all our favorite blondes i know it may look different but native culture is very alive my name is nicole garcia and on burn sage burn bridges we aim to explore that culture it was a huge honor to become a television writer because it does feel oddly like very traditional. It feels like Bob Dylan going electric, that this is something we've been doing for

the hundreds of years. You carry with you a sense of purpose and confidence. That's Sierra Taylor Ornellis, who with Rutherford Falls became the first native showrunner in television history. On the podcast Burn Sage Burn Bridges, we explore her story, along with other native stories, such as the creation of the first Native Comic-Con or the importance of reservation basketball. Every day, Native people are striving to keep traditions alive while navigating the modern world, influencing and bringing our culture into the mainstream. Listen to Burn Sage Burn Bridges on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Literally the girl from the fast food chain asks,

how do you film scenes when someone is being revived from drowning and water comes out of their mouth while laying down? Do they not choke while holding water in their mouth and coughing it out? Great question. I can speak to that. Yes, you can. In this episode, so what we had to do is, you know, Julian Carey's broke out, laser down on the bridge. The whole time we're pumping CPR as an actor,

I don't have water in my mouth. It would be incredibly dangerous. What happens is then they'll usually set up a special or they'll call a pause and literally say, you know, pause, someone will run water into you. And I remember we had to do a couple of takes because it is really scary to get to hold that much water in your mouth and your throat and then have someone push on you one more time. And so I think like the third take, I was like, let me just do it again. and I was basically about to choke,

I got almost a whole bottle of water down because I was like, if I've been underwater and my lungs have filled with water, it can't be like a little bit of water that comes out of my mouth. You know, I'm not throwing up where like you can see food and then I can hide it with the back of my head.

A lot of water needs to come out. And so in the rain, everyone was really a good sport and Austin was a good sport and was like, I'll just like barely push on your chest this time. and we got that huge cost of water out. But it requires a reset. Yeah, that's a lot. It's heavy.

Ugh, it's disgusting and horrible. Honorable mentions? Well, yeah, my honorable mention goes to our entire special effects crew for this whole episode. Stunt special effects, electricians, everybody, our crew worked harder than we did because they were there on, you know, we only had to be there doing that stuff the days that we were shooting it. but they were out there every day, all day, or night. That's a lot of work. So those guys really blew our mind. Amanda, do you have an honorable mention?

Yes, the honorable mentions. First of all, I think that Austin carrying you out of the water, just like, holy, like, yeah. Hero moment. I'm not sure if it was there. There were a lot of good uses of slow-mo, so hats off to the slow-mo department. Well done. And the kids. I want to applaud the kids in this episode because they were all fantastic.

Children working in a disaster type thing, especially the water work. That's really scary. That's really, really scary. It's scary for adults. Hats off to those children. Yeah. I'm going to jump in because mine was going to be Chuck. when we first see Chuck on the highway

when Brooke sees him my first thought was like what what the hell does this kid had some head trauma or something and then I came to find out he was playing a severe concussion I was like well you freaking nailed it buddy

he was great he was always great yeah everyone was so wonderful I mean across the board like you know I think about it with all of you I think like what you

Amanda and Chantel had to do, I would give, you know, my personal ones for keeping me sane through it to Austin and to Jackson. And then honestly, like, our camera operators who were underwater with me, it was really scary to, you know, be sunk to the bottom of a swimming pool and trust that I wasn't going to die, even though I felt like I was dying. And there would be moments where, you know, one of our camera ops in a full wetsuit and fins would just reach out and grab my hand off camera and give me a squeeze. And I was like, we're all going to be okay, okay. And it's those things, you know, to Joy's point about the crew that people don't see, but it really is the make or break experience for us while we're shooting this stuff. So may I ask something, Sophia, about the crew?

Did you have your regular camera operators and crew, or did they bring in people who were scuba certified? If I remember correctly, I believe Matt Dahl was Scuba Certified, and I think they brought in one more person. Yeah, I think Matt was. Because that's a whole other thing, too. You have to have people who are Scuba certified and who can go under the water. So you might not be working with your regular crew in that instance. Yeah. I felt very lucky to have Maddie swimming around.

He's like the best dad and the best co-pilot on set. And so when one of your favorite working co-pilots also gives you dad energy in a moment like that, you're like, bless you. This was such a great episode. Thank you, Amanda, for joining us. Thanks for having me, everyone. This was so fun to be able to take a trip down memory lane. You rule, shul. Join us next episode, season eight, episode 12.

The drinks we drank last night. We drank a lot of water. So, um, thanks everybody. See you later. Bye. Hey, thanks for listening. Don't forget to leave us a review. You can also follow us on Instagram at Drama Queens, O-T-H.

Or email us at Drama Queens at IHeartRadio.com. See you next time. We're all about that high school drama girl, drama girl, all about them high school queens. We'll take you for a ride in our comic girl. Drama girl. Cheering for the rest. drama queens drama queens smart girl rough girl fashion but you'll tough girl you could sit with us girl drama queen drama queens drama queens drama queens drama queens drama queens

it may look different but native culture is alive my name is Nicole Garcia and on burn sage burn bridges we aim to explore that culture somewhere along the way it turned into this full-fledged award-winning comic shop that's dr lee francis the fourth who opened the first native comic bookshop Explore his story along with many other native stories on the show, Burn Sage Burn Bridges. Listen to Burn Sage Burn Bridges on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.