Drama Queens - Secrets Revealed • EP 821

Episode Date: July 7, 2025

So many secrets, so little time! Allison Munn made her mark as ‘Lauren’ on One Tree Hill, but who knew she was keeping some big news to herself during filming! Sophia and Allison look back on filming in Puerto Rico and share some hilarious behind-the-scenes cast shenanigans. Meanwhile, other MAJOR revelations include the real reason Season 9 was cut short, why pilot season was frustrating for Joy, and what Sophia dreaded doing on the set! See 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, cheering for the right team. Drama queens, drama queens, smart girl, rough girl, fashion but you're tough girl, you could sit with us, girl. Drama queen, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens, drama queens. friends we are so excited season eight has almost come to a close and we have everybody's favorite teacher miss lauren alison munn is here on the podcast today hi you guys i your faces oh my gosh i'm good how are you so good it's great to see you

guys it's so good to see you i have been like ridiculously excited to see you guys yay you You look amazing, Allison. Incredible. Thank you. So do you guys. I can't even take it. You guys, I actually just got teary. I'm so happy. Hi, honey.

It's really good to see you. Hi. Okay, so tell us what we're doing here. What are we doing here, guest? Okay, we are doing. This episode is season eight, episode 21, flightless bird American mouth, air date May 10th, 2011. Wow.

Synopsis is Nathan, Jamie, Clay, Julie, and Chase, and Chuck have a camp out on the River Court. Meanwhile, Brooke, Quinn, Alex, and Lauren take a trip to Puerto Rico. Hey. Hey. I remember when we were casting you because I was directing that episode. I know. You're also the first time I'd ever been directed by a female. Can you believe that?

Yes. Yeah. And I remember being like so nervous to. come to do the show, but then saying that you were the director and be like, oh, I got this. Because Joy and I knew each other. So I don't know if you knew that like Joy and I had, we had worked together before. We had done a musical version of the outsiders. That's what it was.

I was like, was it a soap? I couldn't remember what the show was. Allison was Cherry Valance. She was the lead. And I was, um, Soda Pop's girlfriend, Sandy. Yeah. And it was fun. We had a cute little boy in the chorus one Mr. Adam Lambert.

He was just this cute little chorus kid. He was just like a little redheaded freckled redheaded sweetheart. He must have been what like 18, 20, something like that. Yeah, he was young. He was so young. Oh, Joy, I have to tell you, I loved your book. Thank you. I loved it so much.

I didn't know you read it. Thank you, Allison. I read it. And then I was like, I don't know, it was like a third of the book. the way in and I was like, I need to listen to this. So I started with the book and then I wanted to hear your voice. So then I downloaded the audio and like finished it on audio. And the coolest thing is that Joy, I feel like I've, there's so much I didn't know about you, but I've known you through every phase of this book I felt like for most phases of this book. Like I, I remember

you actually kicking around in New York. Like we would be on audition rooms together. And I mostly remember her because you were so beautiful, but I was obsessed with your hair. I didn't understand. It was always like the most perfect, but didn't look like you spent time on it because you probably didn't. It just like looked perfect. And I would just like sit in the audition room and just be like, what is how? In New York community.

Ask you. Yeah. Humid summers. And then when we worked together in the outsiders, I was like, oh my God, that's the girl with the hair. That's her. And I think I did ask you. I was like, Joy, help me out.

Like, what can I do with my hair? And you're like, I don't know. this is just what it does. Yeah, how do I make mine like yours? I can't contain this craziness. Yeah, and so I was really excited to see that you were directing and to get to come on. So that was, what was the title of that? That was season seven?

Yeah, it was the one where Jamie comes, he brings you over to meet Paul. And we shot in that house that felt like a lighthouse, but it wasn't. It was on the beach. I don't remember what episode that was. But yeah, it was the whole thing about Jamie's got a crush on his teacher. Yeah. And he's like, stop talking to Miss Moore. Yeah. That's right. That's right. You know, I thought they were originally setting me up with Paul. Like just the way that the scene was written, I was confused. Yeah. And then I was told from the direct, the producers later on that it, I think maybe that's what the network had thought. So when they, and maybe that was the way it was going. I'm not sure. But when they pitched me for this, the network was, they said, we just don't see Allison and Paul together. And they were like, oh, that's not what we're going to do. You know, who knows?

Who knows? I mean, yeah, there's always things going on behind the scenes. And I would imagine they probably were like, we really want her. And they had a whole idea for a storyline that, you know, like the writers talking to the network suits, they don't tend to understand like a lot of creative choices. So I would imagine there were some politics involved in just trying to like, oh, sure, you want the new teacher to get together with Paul? We're going to cast somebody that's right for the storyline. We actually want to write. so yeah right who knows much longer lasting totally i'm so glad like please it just it benefited me for sure

well when did you because when you first came in obviously you come in as his teacher as you're saying there's this will they or won't they almost misdirect for miss morin and dan scott so what did they tell you how long did you think you were coming to play did you have any idea where it was going to go it the audition was for a guest star and it wasn't one of the ones that qualifies with possible recur it was just guest star so i thought that it was a one and done and that was it wow i'm surprised you audition like you were you know that's amazing thank you for doing that because i feel like there's a lot of working actors who would be like i'm not going to go do a guest star i've got other things going on we had it was the strike it was the writer's strike so we had i had

just, I had been on a show that was canceled on ABC because of the strikes. And so then there was just this time. We were, there was, you know, so I was excited to go in and I, and I had known, I knew all of the producers because they had been the production team on what I like about you. Yeah. So Torlin Robbins produced what I like about you. So I, I kind of knew them all. So I knew it would be a friendly room. And Brett and Debbie are so amazing. So yeah. It's, really so interesting, isn't it? It's crazy to think about what the writer's strikes were like for all of us then. And then when you think about what the last two years have been like with the SAG strike and the WGA strike and how the business has not recovered. Yeah.

Yeah, well, coming at the end of COVID, I feel like it was like a double whammy. I remember during the strikes back then, the writer strike back then, that felt like stolen in time. It felt so... Yeah. Of course, this is coming from an actor who had just gotten off of a show. I had just gotten married. I had no responsibilities in the world. We were bowling during the day. We'd go see movies. I started doing... I started doing roller derby. Oh my gosh. That's right. Yeah. Wait, what was your roller derby name? Kiss McGritz. Yes. Kiss my grits. I remember it's all being so impressed with you when you told us you were in roller derby. Oh, my gosh. And you did some in

Wilmington, too. Didn't you get involved with like a league in Wilmington or something? I went to some, but I didn't get involved. At one point, Carol had to ask me, our wardrobe had to say, look, we are a teen soap. I'm having to dress you like with long sleeves and long pants every episode because to cover your bruises. So at some point, you have to stop like being doing roller derby. Oh, that's funny. So I did. I did. It was really only a stock gap because it was so bored. during the strikes. So, you know, once I was working again. You're so cool. You are so cool. I was. I was. I don't know what happened. Kids. Did you ever do ice skating or anything, too? Like, are you used to? That's not just not a thing people pick up. Like, well, you know what?

Let me try roller derby. We were so bored during the strike that Scott and I were going on dates where he would plan one and I would plan one. And so I was like, let's go look at this roller derby thing. This looks like so much fun. And there was an ad in the program. that was like if you want to learn to skate i was like i want to learn to skate sure and so i went so that's how it happened that's how bored i was wow they taught you how to do it i still can't go backwards on roller skates it's a whole i feel shame around it don't talk about it well that's also hard like that's i mean you're you're you have to do like a sweeping thing with one way it's hard i don't i have no absolutely not i don't think i'm coordinated enough for that i mean no more for me

that is that's a that should have a sale could you why don't you take your kids you don't go no i really want to take my kids to see it i i'm not gonna no that is because you know you're on a banked track and it goes so fast it's it's yeah do you just go to the regular roller rink it's yeah i do like to go to that like moonlight roller way that's moonlight that's that's one of those things like when joy and i talk about our really intense ADHD like being the person who goes to the roller rink on the weekend is one of those things I still think I'm going to do. And I still don't. Yeah. The only reason I do is because our kid's school has fundraisers there. So I end up there for that. And when I'm back on, I'm like, man, this could just be my new hobby. I could do this all

the time and I don't go. It's so fun. Okay. Well, maybe we can go. So when you're here with your movie, so you have to fly in and we're going to go to the roller ring. Let's go. I'm in. Let's go to the I'm so ready. Give me like a flared bell-bottom jean. Oh, my gosh. Let me lose. Can you go backwards, Sophia? Absolutely not.

No, no, no. You're like, no, no, no, no, no. I don't know if I can go forwards like. Right. We'll see. I'll push you. I'll get it just like push on your back. Yeah.

I'm going to hold the belt loops of your jeans and just trail. That's a great idea. Are you on blades or are you on like rollerblades or are you on the regular old fashion? Yeah, you're on good old fashion. I've got a good new pair of roller skates. Yeah. Oh, like that.

Yeah, we look so cute. Yeah. Okay. Well, I wish we had been able to write you in roller derbying in the show. That would have been so fun. I mean, how fun would that have been? I don't know why we, did we never do a roller derby episode of our show ever? I've done other shows where they've written it in and it was really fun.

What show did you do? It was on a show called Nikki, Ricky, Dickie, and Don. I played the mom on it who like, the whole one whole episode was just me. doing roller derby. It was really fun. That is amazing. I mean, you just, you have such an amazing sense for comedy and physical comedy. Oh, thanks. I can't imagine, well, now I'm going to have to look up that episode, obviously. I'm like, I can't imagine how funny that was. And I'm like, well, I'm going to watch it. What did you feel like when you got the script for this episode and read your whole storyline? I don't even know how to explain it to you.

because I already felt so fish out of water on your show. You did? I had come from not because of you guys. This is all just in my crazy brain. So I had come from like doing so many sitcoms. I was and mostly multi-camera. So in front of an audience. And so it was already like, oh, I need to relearn this sort of new way to tell a story.

And I promise you, and especially in this episode, this is not me fishing for any sort of compliment. But the only way that I can describe it in today's terms is that I felt like Kristen Wigg and I'm Judy. Like I felt like it was all of these incredibly beautiful actresses. And I'm Judy. Like I'm there just trying to fit in. Well, that's just where my head was. And so then, so that's number one.

Number two, I am like a committed never nude from like arrested development. Like I, you will not see me walking. around in a bikini ever. I'm not approved by any stretch of the imagination. You just got your cut off jean shorts that you sleep in. In the shower. Yeah, exactly. I'm not at all comfortable like in a bathing suit situation. I just, I've never have been since I was a teenager. It's just, so I'm reading the script and I'm like, oh no. Oh, yeah. I'm Judy. I'm in a bathing suit with these, you know, there's a certified model in this episode. And then I keep reading and then I'm locked out of my hotel room in my bra and underwear. I just, I kind of went into full spiral mode.

I was so excited. Like, first of all, I couldn't believe that I was able to go to Puerto Rico. So cool. Joy, I'm so sad you weren't there. I'd never even seen the episode. So I didn't know what happened to you when you got locked out of your hotel room. I genuinely gasped. I mean, I was loving that storyline. That was so fun. That's the thing. Your storyline was my favorite part of the whole episode. Yes. Like, it was so fun. And I remember, I remember that scene where we were all having breakfast the next day,

Yumi and Jana at the table. And just going, oh, my God, it was just the most fun to do that whole thing with you. But to Joy's point, getting to watch all of your scenes that, you know, we weren't in. I mean, the room service tray. and the hot top over your butt, I was shrieking. And then you get in the elevator with the model and the two of you standing next to each other, like a giraffe.

Yeah, and some sort of little ferret. I don't know what I was. But like, you're right. A baby gazelle and a giraffe. It was so funny. It was so funny. It may look different, but native cultures.

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.

well i also just need you to know because look it's vulnerable to talk about how these sorts of things make you feel behind the scenes no matter how hilarious you are on camera i ironically because you know i played brook davis i never wanted to be in a bathing suit either um and i remember when we got to the moment where we were all laying on the chairs. Like, I remember how stressed I felt that they were going to pull across all of you guys and then land on me in the foreground. I was like, why do I have to be in the foreground? I don't want to be in the foreground.

Put me in the background. Block me with Chantel's six-foot-long supermodel body. Like, do anything but this. And it's so weird because also now I realize I'm doing the thing my mom always said I would do, is be nicer to yourself because in 10 years you're going to look back and I look at us and I'm like everyone is so hot what's going on we all looked amazing and I remember feeling like just a garbage person and and I need you to know that as I'm like writing my notes for the episode in all caps I have holy shabbs Allison oh yeah incredible incredible and I just but we all do it to ourselves I mean

I'll do it to ourselves. I did it on a daily basis. And I look back now and I'm like, why did I spend so much time back then worrying about my arms or like my, my waist or what? Like all the little things that you're just, oh, I'm stressed so much about. I'm like, could I not have just expended that energy in better ways being happy? I'm just so dumb. I'm 100% agree.

I'm so mad at myself and my, but no, I mean, it's how we're like socialized. It's not our fear that we feel this way. And it really does stink because I was, I was actually scared to, look back at it. And as I was watching, I was like, oh, we're also like, it's great. It's perfect. Yeah. So beautiful. So I do have to, so, you know, I had my one, I felt like a little, you know, like Judy. Number two, I have the never nude. Number three, number three, I had just found out I was pregnant. Like a week prior. So Sophia, I was due, I was living your story. Oh my God. When we were there. So you were tossing drinks over your shoulder. I was passing them to

Scott. Scott got hammered. My husband Scott here. Oh, yeah. Yes. Okay, for the viewers, just let's really hit that nail on the head. Quinn's ex-husband, David, was played by your actual husband Scott on our show. Yes. Yes. And so the one of the things that was so fun is he came with us to Puerto Rico. But now in my brain, I'm like, oh my God, when we were sitting having like margaritas by the pool. Yeah. Yes. And when we actually had sushi and like all of that, I was just passing things to him. I was so nervous. I, when I had to fall off of the bed, which I just my favorite. It's like two legs are just like brilliant. It's like comedy Barbie.

It was so, so good. That's really funny. It was like you cartwheeled off that bed. I did. I did. There was a crash pad on the other side of the bed, but I ended up bruising my butt because I just kept landing so hard because I just trying to be funnier and funnier. I was like, I don't know.

Maybe I'll flip a little harder this time. Yeah. And I remember thinking like, oh my gosh, did I like hurt the baby? I didn't know. You're so superstitious scared of everything at like the, you know, who's my first kid? So I was really nervous and scared on top of, whoa, the other things. But this adds a whole other layer because to be able to be doing physical comedy when you're pregnant for the first time and that kind of fear and still be so committed to the work

and pull it off in a way that was, I mean, no one ever would have known. But that's a lot of stress. That is really intense. I think I just dissociated. and it was like, oh, well, I'm here. Let's do it. I guess it'll be fine. Yeah.

And it was. Whoa. Yeah, so funny. But it was crazy that that was your whole storyline in this episode. Yes. Yeah. This was fun, too. I didn't know when they were going to do, like start with that storyline of Brooke being

pregnant. So that was really exciting. Right. To watch. Yeah. I loved it. And I loved the way it was really sweet, you know, after all the tumult of when, they first brought Alex's character in to kind of be the foil for Brooke and Julian and maybe

screw up their relationship. I love that Alex is the one that got to help. And I said in the episode prior where we do the whole reveal and she's like, well, you know, I needed to take a drug test for Chase and then I wanted to help. And then so I had to have Julian do it, but he wasn't home. So then Brooke did it. It's, you know, this whole thing. I had said when we had Jana on, I was like, I wish we'd seen Brooke and Alex have this moment because it's so cool that they have this friendship now. Yeah. And so I honestly forgot that this was our secret through the whole Puerto Rico episode.

And I was like, look, we have our moment. You have it. And it was so sweet. And I mean, she just has, she has such great comedy, you know, walking in going to say the thing. And I look at her and she's like, I forgot what I was going to say. And nobody thinks anything about it. And then it actually winds up that you run away with the comedy train. And I just thought it was a really fun storyline for all of us.

Yeah, I loved it. I loved it. And I have that same memory soap of like that shooting the morning after scene, all of us. Yeah. We were like in front of the ocean. It was just the most idyllic, beautiful, fun scene. It just felt like we were actually at lunch or something. I love a location shoot, man.

Those location shoots are so fun. Did we find out in the episode who she sent those texts, those selfies in her underwear to? Chuck, Skolnick. Oh, no. Who's next to skills in your phone? Which I had forgotten. Me too.

That was a reveal. When I was watching it, I was like, oh. I don't know why I missed that. Okay. Yeah. Crazy. Yeah, when Chase brings Chuck the bike, he goes, this is even cooler than those pictures of Miss Lauren sent me.

Okay, okay. That's why I missed it because it was a comment. That's funny. Yeah. It's a good thing his mom doesn't seem to be on top of things because I could have been fired for that. 100%. Yeah. Maybe criminal charges possibly.

Possibly. Yeah, it would definitely be on the news. Yeah. And the irony is, as the viewers of the show, it's so funny to us because we know Ms. Lauren's a good person. Yeah. But could you imagine in reverse being like, I meant to send them to skills and I accidentally went to the wrong S.K. name like oh yeah i'd be on the news for 100% yeah on the news yeah on the news yeah okay this other storyline with the boys out by the river court i loved this this was so fun to see them all together

i love rob's annoyance with the lazy bird his delivery he's so funny so good i love that they're just letting him, letting him be, uh, letting him be himself on camera and not forcing all of these super, super dramatic storylines on him, which he handled so well. But we've been saying it recently that it's so nice to watch him be able to just do some comedy and, and be comfortable in his skin. And he's so funny. Yeah. It's fun to watch Clay in the space. He's like, you lazy bird. Lay your eggs in a nest. I also love how. committed to the bit he is. And that's really true for both of you. I mean, you went so hard in the paint in this episode for us. And then it's a really interesting counterpoint to all of your

comedy that the minute his like gorgeous girlfriend leaves, he puts on this ridiculous figure skater shirt and he loves this disgusting old red recliner. And he's just like, leave me be. I want to have a cold beer and just read and sit in my chair. with my feet up. And Rob really committed to the bit, and he underplayed some of it in a way that does feel very arrested development. Yes. You're right. Yeah. I really wish he would have been able to be on that show. I was just watching it recently. It's so good. Like, yep, I could totally see Rob on this show. Yeah. You know what's funny? We got asked in a Q&A about Gray's Anatomy, and someone was like, what doctor would you cast Rob as? And I'm like,

No, I want to put, that's it. I want to put Rob on a rest of development. Yeah. So bad. Yeah. Or just think of whatever role you would cast Jason Bateman as on Grey's Anatomy and then put Rob in that role. Yes. Yes.

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. Speaking of the figure skating shirt, why are we making fun of Brian Boitano so much in this episode? It was really confusing. Was he like in the news at that time? Was there some sort of

cultural? Yeah. I don't know what, but it wasn't even like it was nice and just kind of funny. It was like me. I don't know. It was me. I didn't like it. I didn't like it either. And I didn't understand why we went so far with it. Like why was Rob so obsessed with this shirt? because Clay doesn't dress in much color. He's not like a guy with flair. Yeah. And then there's a guy in Puerto Rico in the same shirt, and we make the same joke.

And Quinn's aware of it, but why? Because he's never worn it before. It feels like one of those jokes that our showrunner, like he had some beef with Brian Boitano for some reason and was like intentionally writing it into the show because it just didn't make sense anywhere. There was no reason for it whatsoever. Right.

Right. It's one of those things that you're like, this is funny to no one but you. Do you want to write a better joke or no, you just want to do this? Okay. All right. That's fine. Your little puppet show, whatever. That was so strange.

But I also have in my notes here, Alison, when was the last time you got that plastered? Like, like, Miss Lauren actually did. Wait, never in your whole life. Never in my whole way. Really? No, I mean, I've never found myself basically naked out, locked out of my house. So thank God. No.

I was also surprised Lauren. We never saw the sight of Lauren before. Yeah. It was really fun to like. That's what made it so funny. Right. Yes. Right.

I was happy to see her sort of jumping out of her like little box and having a blast. I also loved that you referenced it, that they wrote in the bit for you to be like, I'm a teacher. You know, because in a way, it's like, you know, you've literally gone to an island with your friends. You get to let loose. And maybe the reason you go so hard is because you never do this at home. Probably. It was really, really fun.

Yeah. Yeah. I was so excited to do it. And I mean, it's so long ago maybe you don't remember. But I'm just wondering knowing what a great comedian you are, what you have. what you added? Like, were there things you really rift on in terms of the physicality and stuff?

Do you remember? I don't. I don't remember. It was so long ago. I do remember having, because, you know, when you're so out of the box, like, you know, I remember, like, having to add, like, I can't remember if I touched her boobs.

Or if that was written, the script right so good i think the line was written but i'm not sure if it was you know and then i i can't i can't quite remember but that feels like something that we would have discussed on the day maybe that wasn't written in the script i'm not sure she was so game she was so she did a great job i thought jellie was great jellie yeah she was so good in the episode just the sweetest but also something i didn't track until we watched it because obviously there's the whole joke that Clay's upset that his beautiful girlfriend and all these beautiful women are like off on this trip but the next morning stuff when Quinn says to you know the model like oh do you want to come drive around town with me I was like do they

actually kiss like there is chemistry but there is yes like a lot and I didn't yes remember that and I was like, wait, is something, like, is the Miss Lauren thing touching her misdirect? Like, is something going to happen with these two and they leave this hotel? Yes, they had insane chemistry. I had the same thought. I was like, kiss, kiss, kiss. I have to say, those scenes when they went out into, and they took the, you know, the on-the-fly photographs, it was shot so beautifully. The light was so pretty. Yeah. That golden hour.

Oh my gosh. It was so beautiful. It really added a nice element to the episode. It was great. I loved that. It was very cool. I felt like I could feel Pete Kowalski all over that. Like I could picture him going, oh my God, and look at the sun is setting.

Turn, just turn, get it. Because so much of it was handheld and I could just picture him and Matt, like, doing the thing. And it gave this. kind of energy to it. And I will say, I thought it was really nice that back in 2011, we touched on the fact that it is weird, you know, to be a tourist. And sometimes you are in this really idyllic place. And right outside, it's not shared. Like, not all these resort towns are actually supported very well by these places that get built. And I was like, damn, look at us talking about a social issue in

2011. Okay. Quinn had that beautiful line. I wish you could remember. It was about privilege. Yes. And I had that same thought. I was like, oh, this is ahead of our time for this show. This was, yeah, really lovely point to make. Yeah. It was cool to, you know, to hear some things being acknowledged.

And maybe it particularly hit me because, you know, there were certain powers that be that would be like, stop fucking talking about charity so much like can you can you tone it down like you know in my actual life and I was like oh maybe maybe being a little bit of a pain in the ass is more effective at the time than I realized right it might have worked it too in a little bit look at us talking about some stuff I also really thought it was great for Quinn's character the reminder to the audience that she has a job and she's really good at it yes because was She's been living in this zone of just being like hot girlfriend, sister space, but like

her actual brain being highlighted was something I really felt like we needed, particularly in an episode that was clearly so much about featuring everybody's bodies. Yes. And I do think it's cool, like that it brings us back to a connection, particularly for Brooke and for Quinn, like, that was kind of her introduction when the character first came in. You know, she shot the first ad campaign with Alex DuPray for closeover bros. And so it's nice, to your point, Joy, when we get reminded, I mean, even the whole she's going to shoot in South Africa thing was like, what?

And then obviously a little bit of a ruse for the Katie storyline. but it is nice when we get reminded that the women on our show are really talented artists too. Yeah. You know, and I loved the moment at the end

where she got to see the shot on the cover and that it was a thing that our characters got to collaborate on and it wasn't like the bed in the ocean shot that it was this real sort of moment in time captured.

I was like, oh, that's a nice, That's a nice little bow on that for us. Because she did what her job was. She did what she was supposed to do. She got the shot that they asked for. And then was like, you know what? Let me, this is more.

I know how to actually do this better. Yeah. Yeah, I loved watching her grow into that. So she like had the bed with the guy. Then she switches it out without a woman. And it's cool and edgier. And then she, then you see her going out into the city. And then that's what, and that's where you can see like she's truly like lit up by

that, you can see, like, her artistic juices are flowing and she's super excited. And that's what made a cover. Yeah. It was a really nice way to communicate that. Yeah. Yeah, I'm ready for Clay to step up a little bit. Come on, buddy. I know. It is pretty funny that she's out working her butt off and having all these creative ideas and amazing things in Clay's just like in his lounge chair and his barking lodger on the beach, just complaining about bird eggs. He's so pissed that he got hijacked for this camping trip. He just wanted to sit in his I love when we get to see the boys be great friends. Yes.

It's just so sweet. Especially back on the River Court. Yeah. And I think about, too, the whole storyline of broken Julian and the adoption that didn't work and all the things. I loved that scene a few episodes ago where all the boys are at the bar and Julian confides in them when they thought the adoption was going to work. And then it's this sweet moment where, you know, Nathan, is talking about how much they'll all miss them and Jamie's going to miss them. And then Julian gets to share this thing with him. And I was like, oh, look at the boys talking about their families

and their feelings. It's refreshing. Yeah. It's so good. I love that moment when everyone was texting each other too. I thought it was so sweet. It made me tear up a little. It was really, really sweet. That was an interesting comment on cell phone culture that had become a big deal at the time when they just did the montage of everybody on their cell phone, which is so funny that it was intentionally a comment at a little tongue-in-cheek, like, hey, we're all here now. Everybody's doing this. Yeah.

But things haven't changed much. I watched that. I was like, wow, we really crossed the threshold here. Like, this is a very clear moment in time of when culture has shifted from everybody reading books and sitting around talking to each other to now everyone is on their cell phone. It happened in 2010, 2011. It's wild. It's so surreal.

But also so sweet that, you know, it goes between all the women and everyone's in their own room. And then you see the boys and the pan around how they're all just sitting there talking to their, you know, to their people. Their loves. It's like it was very sweet to me. It made me feel like a real sense of nostalgia because in a way you see that all these characters. you've been rooting for for so long feel settled and you know we didn't know we were going to come back for a season nine at this point yeah the end of season eight really begins to feel like it could be a series finale and there was something about the image of all of our people like having

the right people that I thought was really touching settled in yeah except well miss lauren doesn't actually this is weird in our in our notes here it says that she ends up married to david fletcher in the show who is david fletcher scott oh oh right i know oh yeah yeah i did not know that happened yes it was a reveal it was like a really quick reveal i feel like yeah when they sort of did the where it where everyone is yeah and that was like a sweet little inside joke for you guys, which was so cute. But also, all we ever heard about this guy was that he was a jerk and just, like, wanted to stay in one place and didn't want to grow as a person. So hopefully they developed his character a little bit. So we feel like Ms. Lauren

ended up with somebody that, like, as a character, we wanted her to be with. Now that they have a kid, maybe that's like the right personality for a life. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's true. Oh, by the way, maybe, maybe an elementary school teacher is his dream girl. He's like, maybe you want to have a normal job you don't want to pick up and travel and like go do photo shoot yeah i don't know yeah no he's had plenty of time to learn and grow i just hope that we you know let the audience know that he did and so we don't feel like oh no well we'll see i mean it's not happening yet it's in the next season i think so i loved so much i loved the stuff with chuck um i felt he was so sad he looked so cute up and driving the driving the big whatever

that machine is called. Tractor? And then, yes. And then he and Chase had the really, the sweet, sweet little scene where, you know, Chuck got to be really vulnerable. I don't know. I just, that really touched me when I was watching it. This is something I missed, too.

Chase enlisting in the service. When did that happen? So that's what he decides to do because, you know, he's been getting his pilot's license. Yeah. That's the whole reason he had to take a drug test a few episodes ago when we find out Brooke is pregnant. Oh. Wait, we found out Brooke's pregnant a few. Did I miss? I wasn't

I was traveling, so I think I missed 19. Oh yeah. So the whole thing is Chase needs to take a drug test, but he was backstage at Kid Cuddy and they like told him to take a hit of a joint. So he can't. And then he asks Alex to do it for him, but Alex ate Quinn's pot brownies, not knowing they were pot brownies. So Alex goes to Brooke and

Julian's to ask Julian to pee in the cup, and Julian's not home, so Brooke does. So Chase gets the results of his drug test, and they said, hey, we obviously screwed up the samples because your drug test says you're pregnant. He thinks Alex is pregnant. He says, I was going to, I was enlisting, but I'm not going to if we're going to have a baby. Wait, why does he think Alex is pregnant if he knows that she didn't pee in the cup? Because she didn't tell him she didn't pee in the cup. Oh, she's the one that took the cup to Brooke's house. She was like, well, I want to help, but I don't. Oh, I got to watch this episode. These are fun shenanigans. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like a very, it's a very cute roundabout

storyline. But it did feel a little surprising. It was like, what do you mean he's, wait, he's going from like wanting to fly a four-seater plane on the weekends to being in the Air Force? Like, hello? Yeah. Yeah. But that was the whole thing. And so, yeah, that's how Brooke finds out she's pregnant. I did not realize that. Yeah. So that's why Alex knows in this episode. She's the only one that knows, which is why it's very sweet by the end when, you know, I'm ravenously eating someone's leftover food. Oh my God. Sophia, that was so funny.

That was so funny. We can't skip over that. Oh, my gosh. It was so great. I really wondered what you were looking at when they did that shot and you turned and you looked and you were like, oh my gosh. And you walked towards something. And when you pulled the lid off an old burger and fries, I died.

I was laughing so hard. And there was no real shame. You just went for, like, you just were like, no, no, no, this is what my body needs in this moment. And I'm going to give it to it right now. Fully. Fully. Yeah.

It was perfect. You just went for it. I tried to, like, unhinge my jaw like a snake to get as many french fries in there for the, for the laugh as I could. It was so funny. It was worth it. Totally worth it. I mean, did you, how many takes did you do?

Please tell me they gave you a spit bucket for that. I don't remember. But I remember the turnaround. And realizing I was caught, and I thought they did such a good job, the camera motion in the way that they, you know, moved from me to Chantelle adds to the funny. And then her being like, I see you. Like, even throwing drinks over your shoulder all night. Like, come on, lady. It's so sweet.

Okay, actually, this makes me wonder, would you guys do this? If you had a girlfriend that you were suspecting was pregnant, would you approach her and say the thing that Quinn said? or would you leave it alone and let her tell you on her own time? I mean, I think that depends on how close you are to the person, right? I don't know. Well, yeah, but even so, even if it's like, even if you're really, really close, do you? There was a little part of me that was like, oh, like, she's robbing her of the experience of telling everybody on her own time.

Like, I don't like it. There's something about your face, Sophia. Every time you confirmed or you talked about it, or especially at the end with the two of it was so you seemed so I mean obviously you're genuinely you're so happy in this moment but it was it was so deep because you have struggled and you could just see it all in your face when you are telling each person that you are pregnant it's not just like oh I'm you could see everything you've been through up until this point in those little moments and it was so beautiful I loved those small moments they were great thank you it felt it felt so important

to me, you know, for Brooke and for, you know, everybody that goes through this stuff, and it's crazy to think of how much more I know and every woman in my life knows now than I did then. And even then, it felt like a, it felt like something, it's not just that it felt like a responsibility. It felt, it just felt important. And it was fun. And it was fun. to have the joy, I think it was important. Everybody's been walking through this with Brooke for so long. Yeah. Yeah, it was a big deal.

Joy, your face, like you took it with importance as well. So at the very end, when she told you and your reactions to that, there's such a deep history in those moments. And in that, it just gave me chills. I loved it. I loved that. It might be my favorite moment of the whole episode. Oh, I love that.

Loved it. Oh, I know. It was all very, very sweet to see you guys together. My goodness. And, you know, it was really nice, even looking back at it, getting to see the totality of the episode, sort of full circle moment to where we started, right? I remember, you know, I remember the stress of certain things

and the pressure we all felt and that, you know, the fact that we were going to spend a whole episode essentially in swimwear felt stressful. And the episode is so lovely. There was so much more about it that was so sweet and tender and important and yeah, that felt so good for all these characters than the anxiety of the sort of setting let me remember. And it was really nice to watch it and for an hour be like, oh, over and over and over and Yeah, it was.

There were a lot of awes in this episode. That's so good. Oh, I wanted to say, Millie, Lisa was so cute in her little, her little dog costume. Yes. Oh, so great. There's something about Lisa that is so, she's so honest. And she's so, her, her choices are never, I just feel like they're always so grounded. And she's sitting here in this ridiculous costume and being the sweetest, most grounded.

And what she's saying are all these, like, poop puns. But yeah, yeah. It's still so Millie. It's so Lisa. She was, she handled that so well. You know as a comedian, the only way that works is if she plays it really honestly. Because there are so many people that would get put in a costume and then be like, I'm in a costume and I'm going to really play it up.

And yeah, no, she knows how to just, she's like, I don't care that I'm wearing a costume. I'm going to be completely real. Yeah. And that's what makes it work. Yes. That's why. It's funny. Yeah.

Yeah, the commitment and Lisa and all of her dance training, you know, her ballerina posture in the dog costume adds this hilarious, because she's very regal. You know, she looks like she was 3D printed out of a Disney movie, you know, and then for her to, you know, shoulders back, elegant, you know, head up in the costume. Prideful. So much pride in her stance. Yes. It's so funny. It's so brilliant. It adds so many layers to who Millie is too. So good. And watching the partnership between Mouth and Millie grow, watching them become this duo, you know, her, the unlikely reporter and him serving as her partner in life, but also essentially her producer, the way they're growing together and the way that they have this rhythm. now when they're going over stories and working on ideas. It's so lovely. And I love that her work begins to serve as that narration for the show, reminds you of why this place is so meaningful to

people. The fact that they wind up once the guys have found the eggs at the river court and they're talking about what this place means to people. And when she turns it over to him and then you get pilot episode Marvin McFadden talking about the river court. I'm crying. Yeah, lost it. I lost it. I literally burst into tears and it's happening again. I just was like, God, this is so special. And Lee is so genuine and so good and so human. And oh, I just, it really made me nostalgic for what we all got to do together. Yeah, me too. It also made me really sad because they have destroyed the river court.

And I was like, could nobody find an endangered bird on that river court in real life? I know. I hate that they knocked it down and they're making condominiums there now. I know. It's awful. I know. It really is. I'm so mad about it.

But life goes on. I guess that's the course. Well, that's kind of the thing, right? It's like, things can't stay the same. Yeah. But it is hard. It's hard to let your things go. Yeah. Yeah, you got to appreciate it while you have it.

It's so sad. 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 hundreds of years. You carry with you a sense of purpose and confidence. That's Sierra Taylor Ornales, 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. Alison, before we do a listener question, I just wanted to ask about life now for you. And if you're working on anything you're excited about or want to share or if you're just I mean, I don't, you and I haven't talked really in a while. We've exchanged a couple voice texts, but yeah, like, how are you? What's going on? Yeah. I'm great. Life is awesome.

My kids are incredible. We, I have a kid in middle school and a kid in elementary school. It's great. It's so slow here. And I've done some like guest stars here and there, but like, there aren't even auditions happening. Like, it's, it's wild. It's a ghost town here. So that part's a little frustrating. Are you inclined to create your own stuff or are you like, I mean, being a mom is also a full-time job. So I know it's really hard to try and find time to do those things too. Yeah, I would love to. I have some ideas. I have like irons in the fire. But I have to say nobody inspires me more than you joy with your creativity. The way you're like, I think I'll write a musical. And then the next thing you know, your walls are covered in index cards. You just do it. Oh,

you've written a musical before? No, but I'll figure it out. And then you write a damn musical. Like, it's honestly, it blows my mind and I don't understand that, that mechanism that's, that goes from idea to actually doing it, especially when I always feel like, well, first I have to go back to school. I have to get a degree that will somehow support this next end up my life. I'm so much like you, Allison. I'm like, I don't know how to do that. Yes. And Joy, you're like, so? And I'm like, wait, what? You can just do that? It's honestly, it's, it's so inspiring and also just I'm in awe of you with that because, yeah, so I would love to, I have a lot of creative ideas. It's just getting them to the fruition

part. So. Yeah. Oh, thank you. Well, you can do it. I, you just need just, you know, it is, it's just the taking the step of like, I don't know what this is, but give me a couple hours to just hyperfocus on it and see if anything comes to mind. And usually it will. It'll starts. No, but I think it, but it does. There's like, there's always that moment of a hurdle of like imagining whatever it is that you're thinking of doing is so enormous. You have to break it down into just like, I want to do this, but I'm literally just going to start. I'm going to write one song and see if I like it. And then if the song inspires something else, I'll write another thing. But you have to take creative projects just one small chunk at a time, I think. I don't, I don't know

anybody else who can look at a behemoth like a novel or a book or musical or some massive project or, you know, a really big script or something and just go, yeah, I have the whole thing in my brain and I know exactly how to do it. It just doesn't, I don't think it works that way. It's just one piece at a time. That's really smart. That's what I'm not able to do. I'm just like, there's no way I can, you know. Yeah. What do you do for yourself creatively then? What are the moments that, I mean, other than also being a mom, like there's so much creativity in motherhood as well. So maybe that's satisfying. Well, that's part of this whole, that's where I felt so stuck lately because I'm not having my creative, it is so stuck here in this town right now.

And there, I think it's a problem every, I mean, we have all of these creative people that just aren't having these outlets right now. So yeah, it's, it's frustrating. I can, I can tell you that much. I'm reading a lot, which is great. Maybe some stuff is sticking in there. Yeah. It's interesting. Do you feel, because one of the things I get in that way that you're discussing how you feel at the moment, when I have, to Joy's point, a big idea, what to do first is hard. And it's interesting, actually, I've never heard you talk about the musical in that way. Like, oh, just write the first song. And in my brain, I'm thinking, oh, well, that makes sense because musicals are filled with individual songs.

And I wonder, follow me while I'm like noodling on this in real time, so I apologize. We got you. We got to rambling. But it's like I almost wonder if for me or for you, Allison, that like we need to start to figure out like what the songs are, even though it's not a musical. Like how do you take the film or the world of the show? How do you create smaller pieces? Because if you're thinking about developing a series, it's a world.

and it's so hard to know what to focus on first. But I almost wonder if we could trick ourselves into thinking about it more like a musical, if it would make it less intimidating. That's a really, really good point. Good idea. Yeah. And then we could have a list, a list that we can check off, Sophia, because I know. You don't say, oh, you know, I love a list.

I know you love a list. Me and all my little Post-in notes and all the little notes. I'm still every year, I'm like, maybe this will be the year that one of the these ADHD planners actually changes my name. I just bought another one. So I bought one in January and then I just, I saw that now it's July and they're in the stores. I'm like, oh, this is the new one.

So January one didn't work very well. So I just bought a new July starting planner. So we'll see. We'll see if it's going to, I'll let you guys know. I'll give you updated. Great. Yes. Please do.

For all my plans, planning the planners. Can I tell you what I'm really excited about is. Yes. Cletti joining traders. I know. Wait, what, what? What? What? What? So Coletti's going to be in The Traders is in the next season. I don't know what you're saying. Okay. So The Traders is this amazing. It's a reality show. It's like a competition show. Kind of like Mafia. It's like the game Mafia. Traitor, like a traitor. Like a traitor.

Yeah. Yeah. Got it. Okay. It's hosted by Alan Cumming, who is incredible. He's incredible. They dress him so beautifully. Wait, I've never even heard of this show. Joy, you would love it. It's honestly so great. And he, as the host, he almost plays the character of a host. It's not Alan coming acting naturally. No, it's very camp. Yes, yes, yes. That's the word. It's great. And it's so fun. And so they have different celebrities on there that you then are in this game, this like mafia like game that are getting voted out and they're killing people. We're in, we're so deep in it. We've loved all three seasons that they've aired here. We've actually switched. to UK and Australia. Oh, my God. Amazing. And so when we found out that Coletti was going to be on, Scott's like, Scott lost his mind. So he and Colletti are still really close.

So he was texting with like, he won't text me back. And I'm like, I think they're there. They're there. Oh, no, they're there. They're shooting. So like they took their phones. Yes. One of my best friends, my friend Jordan, his husband, Colton, is on this season.

And they have, yes. So I just can't wait to talk to them both. But they have a young baby. And Jordan was like, well, I'm so happy for you. And we'll see you in five weeks. And my mom's coming and like, oh, my gosh. Wait, this is so exciting. Yeah.

Joy, you're going to have all the tea. You're going to get it from two separate people. Oh, yeah. Oh, I'm so excited. Yes, yes, yes. I've never been a fan of reality shows until recently in my life. I think I've started. They've gotten better.

And, you know, like, the first season of love is blind. I liked. I didn't like the rest. And then, like, now we've got love on the spectrum. And then there's that one about, I can never remember, like, secret millionaire or millionaire in the house or I can never remember the title of it. Who wants to be a million? It's something about millionaires in a house.

It's a number of the reality show on Netflix. It's great. But now this, I got to check this out. Oh, I got a call. Sorry, my ADHD. My brain. I got a, I got an email about, um, they invited me to be on special forces. Oh, my God.

Oh, my God. location was someplace I really wanted to go that I've never been, but the dates overlapped with my time in Africa just now. And so I couldn't. And I was, it was killing me because I totally, totally would do that. Hopefully it'll come back around for another iteration. I know, it's got to. I'm ready. I think I'm ready for my reality show era now. Okay. Give me dancing with the stars. Come on. Give me something. I need to like really push myself physically. By the way, I had the best time watching a lot. Mar do dancing with the stars. How fantastic is she? She's so wonderful. I just adore her. And

then it also hit me where I like, you know, I've been telling myself every year for my birthday for the last 10 years. Like, this is going to be the year. I get in the best shape of my life. I'm going to like really start to take care of myself. Finally. And I just don't. And then I was like, oh, maybe it would have to be my job. Yeah. Yeah. To do it. That's what I'm thinking. And, like, maybe that's how you suck yourself into it. Honestly, I really think about this sometimes. I'm friends with Phil Rosenthal, the guy on Everybody Feeds Phil, his show. You know, phenomenal TV writer, loves to eat, made it his job, turned it into a, it's eight seasons now on Netflix.

And I'm like, could my job be to go to eat with my friends? Yes. That would be my dream job. Figure it out. Okay, you've got to find, you've got to find the first thing you need to do. Let's do this. And do it. Great.

Let's make a list. Okay. I need a tripod, an iPhone, and a restaurant reservation. Let's go. Let's get to our listener question. Yes. Christina's asking, what's the story behind getting picked up for season nine? Why were you ending season eight?

Like, that was the end of the series? Hi, Christina. Well, we thought it was. Yeah. Simple as that. I mean, we always thought the show was about to end, but that was the, Yeah, we just thought we thought that was it. And it was great. I mean, we'll talk about it in our next episode, but even just the ending of Jamie walking across the bridge, bouncing the basketball like Lucas. I mean, it was very clearly the series finale. And I don't know, they just called us all and said, will you just come back for another 13? When we got our season seven pickup, it was season seven and eight. So everyone assumed at the end of season eight, it would be finished. We never had a two-year pickup before. It's a

very big deal to cross past six seasons anyway, let alone to make it to six seasons. And so we were ready to wrap it up. And I think the network was very pleased with how the show was doing, how the episodes were coming out. Our cast was in such a great spot. Like everybody's wonderful on the show. And it was doing really well for them. And they wanted more. And nobody saw that coming. But what I can tell you, which I thought was very smart, honestly, of all of us, was when they called us back about a season nine. Essentially, we all were open to it, but we wanted to be done by pilot season because none of us had an opportunity to have another job in, you know, 10 years. So that's why season nine was only 13 episodes. So we could shoot from July through the fall, wrap just ahead of

Thanksgiving, have that stretch off for the first time ever, and then we'd all be free agents by January and be able to go into pilot season. That's right. There's your answer, Christina. With your pickups, did you go into almost every hiatus not knowing if you were coming back, or when did they let you know? Every year. It's so frustrating. So seven to eight was the only time you could have a hiatus where you felt it was a true hiatus and you were coming. back so we could we could test for pilots but we always had to be in second position yeah like the pilot i did with i did this really fun show with mary steenbergen and don johnson and i was in second position and i remember just being like what is going to happen if both of these shows get

picked up like what are we going to do yeah i remember it being so crazy to even get seen in second position oh that's what i mean yeah they wouldn't even want to audition you because they didn't want to take the risk. Yeah. So you guys were at a distinct disadvantage for every. I mean, luckily you had a job to come back to, but you didn't know you did. They never knew. Right.

So such a strange place to be in. Oh, TV. Well, TV. It's changed a lot now. Who knows? The landscape is so different. There's just none. There just isn't any.

Weird. It's so crazy. Oh, man. Well, I'm so glad you came to join us. It was really nice talking. with you. I've missed you. I have missed you both. I'm so excited to get some face time with you. I wish I could just like reach through and give you guys hugs. It's so good to see you. You too. I'm in L.A. I'll give you a bus. Please do. I can't wait to go roller skating this summer. Yeah, we're going, we're going to go

roller skating. You're going to hold on. You're going to hold on to my belt loops. Yeah. By by the end of August, I'm going to be like. Yeah. You're going to be so good. Yeah. Great. Well, thanks for joining us, everybody next episode is season eight episode 22 this is my house this is my home and uh it's it's an emotional episode oh okay see you guys soon thanks allison love you love you guys love y'all see you see you hey thanks for listening don't forget to leave us a review you can also follow us on instagram at drama queens o t or email us at drama queens at iHeartRadio dot 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 and our comic 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 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 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 on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This is an IHeart podcast. Thank you.