Author's Note
Once again, hello! I hope you've all been as well as I have. Things on my end are going quite smoothly, and I even managed to finish writing 'Trial by Tri-Armed Triathlon' a few hours earlier than I expected! And thus, as you can no doubt tell, I am ready to present 'After the Dock of Shame' for your enjoyment.
But before that, the reviewers:
Sleep Arypsure: So many questions that are about to be answered! I hope your excitement is maintained throughout the episode.
Jinxup116: Yeah, I did consider putting one of them in the bottom two given by deliberate mirroring of the canon Izzy/Heather situation, but I decided that since more votes would have gone to Alejandro it should be him in the bottom two with B.
Impoik: Perhaps you learned the original plot on the Total Drama wiki? That's where I learned it at least. And yeah, it wouldn't be this episode without an elimination 'twist' at the end!
acosta perez jose ramiro: Thank you, as always!
Madison Wooten: Well then, I hope my rendition of this episode lives up to your expectations!
Knifez: Wow, I'm glad you liked that ending scene so much! It seemed like such an obvious development to write, and I'm glad it went over well.
ultrablud2: I'm glad you liked it, and that I managed to surprise you! For the Gidgette question, I will say that I won't be handling their relationship quite the same way as in canon. For the question pertaining to this episode...well, you'll just have to read on and find out what I did!
80jj: Yeah, I've certainly enjoyed figuring out stuff for B to do, and I'm glad I was able to write him further into the game than in canon.
Meeeee: You know, I really haven't noticed before but you might be right about Alejandro not being quite as formal as I've been portraying him. I'll keep it in mind for the future, and I'm glad you like the series despite it!
Star Saber21: Yes, on all counts! The villainous rivalry between Alejandro and Scarlett in particular has been interesting to write. They have a similar strategy in some respects, but they're very different in terms of personality and it's been fun 'watching' them learn more about each other.
FOWLKON: Sorry to say it, but your requests came too late. You see, I always make sure to keep a chapter ahead of what I post, and I only make minor edits to what I've already completed. In other words, by the time you posted your review I had already completed this chapter to the point where I wasn't going to edit anything. Likewise, I have already completed 'Trial by Tri-Armed Triathlon', so making request for what you'd like to see won't work. I will, however, be starting Camp Castaways in the next couple days, so feel free to tell me what you'd like to see (though of course I make no promises that I'll actually do what you ask of me). Other than that, I hope you still enjoy this chapter!
Call Me Ishmael: Don't worry about the double review, you aren't the first to do it, and likewise for the length. I enjoyed reading your predictions, although as with all of them you aren't quite correct. As for your requests...well, like I tell most people, no promises on what I will or will not do in future episodes and seasons. Thanks for the review and input though!
TheCashewChef Hatchet: Thank you! And yeah, Beardo's gay. He specifically said so in Chapter 12, when he was talking to Jo during the garbage meal, but I suppose you either missed it or forgot it. No worries either way!
Guest: Thanks for telling me what you think of the many villains of this season! I will let you know that I've been thinking about how I want to develop the relationship between Lightning and Amy, since the ship is surprisingly amusing to write and such. Other than that, you're right about some things, and wrong about others, but like with everyone who's told me their predictions you'll just have to wait and see how things turn out!
Cole D. soul: Well, I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks Jo has the potential to be more than just a tough girl! And, of course, I liked reading your thoughts on the other three girls as well, so thanks for telling them!
And finally, as requested, here are the remaining contestants as of the beginning of the chapter:
Girls - Bridgette, Jo, Sammy, Scarlett
Boys - Alejandro, Lightning, Shawn
But they aren't the focus of today's episode, so get ready for a trip down memory lane!
- Fangren
Episode 21 – After the Dock of Shame
Although the opening shot for the episode was superficially similar to the one used for nearly all episodes prior, Chris was conspicuously absent from his normal spot on the docks. "In today's special episode of Total Drama Island!" the host began to narrate, the scene flashing from the empty pier to close-ups of each remaining contestant as they were named. "You've been watching Jo, Scarlett, Lightning, Alejandro, Bridgette, Samey, and Shawn make their way to the Final Seven." The campers were shown sitting together from the end of the previous episode's elimination ceremony, then the scene cut to outside the mess hall, the communal bathrooms visible in the background.
Alejandro burst out of the mess hall door, leaning over the railing near the entrance and vomiting into a bush; at the same time, Lightning ran screaming from the washrooms, Sasquatchanakwa hot on his tail. "It's been a long six weeks," the host continued as the camera panned left to show him on the pier. "So! We decided to give our weary finalists the day off to contemplate how far they've gotten, and enjoy all the camp grounds have to offer." The camera moved further to the left, revealing Shawn and Sammy in the branches of a tree as a grizzly bear roared at them from below, and moments later Alejandro, Lightning, and now Scarlett ran past as they were chased by the sasquatch. Even further along, Jo and Bridgette were swimming in the lake; the jock-ette managed to pull ahead as they went off-camera, but the two girls quickly reappeared, backpedaling away from a shark fin.
"But what happens to the campers after they walk the Dock of Shame, board the Boat of Losers, and leave the camp?" Chris asked in a close-up. The scene flashed to a totem pole, the host leaning out from behind it to add"Where are these rejects living?" Another flash showed him at the summit of the thousand-foot-high cliff. "How are they spending their time?"
Chris' next location was an unidentified spot of the forest, and he held up a chest of gleaming gold coins, jewels, and jewlry. "And who do they think deserves to win the hundred grand? The losers are about to let it all hang out," the shot moved again from the trailer Alejandro had won earlier in the season to the outhouse confessional, complete with the usual static, "and you won't wanna miss a word!"
The final transition sent the smiling host back to the docks, the camera pulling back to show him on a red jet ski. "Comin' up, on Total! Drama! Island!" The recap finished, and Chris sped off from the island.
xxx
(Fade to Opening Theme)
Dear Mom and Dad, I'm doin' fine;
You guys are on my mind!
Ya asked me what I wanted to be,
And now I think the answer is plain to see!
I wanna be...famous!
I wanna live close to the sun!
Well pack your bags, 'cause I've already won!
Everythin' to prove, nothin' in my way;
I'll get there one day.
'Cause I wanna be...famous!
(Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
I wanna be! I wanna be! I wanna be famous! (Na-na nanananaa, nanana-nanaa, na-nananananaa)
(Fade to Episode)
xxx
Tropical music began to play as the scene moved to a long pier leading up to a short cliff. A variety of deck chairs and umbrellas could be seen set up along both it and the beach, and a pair of small sailboats were docked to the left. At the top of a cliff was a mansion, painted beige with a grey roof and a number of palm trees dotted around the landscape. Against the background scenery of rolling hills and tall spruces, the palms stood out.
Chris entered the scene on the same jet ski he'd been riding, announcing 'Welcome to Playa Des Losers!" with a wave as he docked. "The all-inclusive luxury resort," he continued over close-ups of the building, the palms, and a buffet table with a variety of dishes, "where our campers are sent after being brutally voted out of the game, to lick their wounds," Sugar and Amy were shown sunbathing by a pool, with Scott sitting in a chair nearby, whittling a piece of wood, "and accept their fate, as reality show has-beens." Topher was shown at the top of a high-dive; he shot double finger pistols at the camera, then took a swan dive into the pool.
"When we are down to the two final competitors," the host-wannabe's splash was heard before he resurfaced and winked, "their fate will be in the hands of these fifteen losers!"
The scene moved over to Beth, Beardo, and Sierra in their bathing suits, sitting on stools around an island smoothie bar.
"Oh my gosh, he is super cute," Beth gushed with her usual lisp.
"Yeah," Beardo added as he took a sip of his drink, "too bad he's so full of himself."
"I dunno," the farm girl said in awe, "I think it might be worth it."
"Hmph," Sierra snorted, rotating in her seat fast enough that her long ponytail whipped around and smacked Beardo in the cheek; he rubbed it with one hand and glared at the fangirl. "He's not so hot," she said with crossed arms, "not as hot as Chris, anyway. Topher's just a poser, in every sense of the word."
As she spoke, the viewpoint shifted below the water, showing the three teens' legs as dangerous music began to build in tension. The camera cut back above just as the music reached its peak, and Staci popped up wearing a diving mask and snorkel. Her sudden surfacing had caused the trio seated at the bar to get splashed, and they shot the girl annoyed looks.
"Y'know, it was my great-great-great uncle's cousin Phil who invented snorkeling, yah," she rattled off. "Like, before him, people had to hold their breath when swimming just below the surface of the water. And my great-great grandma Gertie invented swimming pools," she continued, oblivious to the glares of her captive audience. "Before her, people had to travel long distances in order to find a body of water to swim in."
Beth groaned and covered her ears. "Uggh, no one cares!"
"Yeah," Sierra chimed in, "you're just lucky I don't have my computer with me or I'd totally look up everything you say on the internet just to prove how wrong you are."
"Well I just thought you'd like to know," Staci flushed snappily, "you don't have to, like, bite my head off! You guys are worse than my fourth cousin once removed, who-" She trailed off when she noticed Beardo's bare foot on her shoulder. The beatboxer made a noise like a gun cocking, then let off a cannon blast as he shoved the blabbermouth away with enough force to cause her to scream.
Beardo shook his head. "Y'know, at first I thought she was just sayin' all that stuff because she was shy, like how I was at the start of the competition..."
"But she just never stopped," Beth finished sadly.
/
The shot moved to Ezekiel, sitting in a hot tub wearing sunglasses and a golden 'Z' around his neck; a hiphop sort of tune began to play in the background as Chris continued his narration. "As you can see," he said, "our campers have made themselves comfortable here at our luxury resort."
Ezekiel frowned, and the camera pulled back to show the gamer and heiress kissing nearby. "Looks like Sam and Dakota are happy to be reunited," Chris said slyly as the unlikely couple broke their kiss and turned towards the camera.
"This place is way more my style," Dakota gushed.
"Sure beats living back at camp!" Sam added, and the two began to kiss again.
The camera moved over to Amy and Sugar lounging near the pool. "This place is so good," the mean twin said, "it almost makes up for the fact that Samey hasn't been kicked off yet. Hopefully she'll be injured so she doesn't get to come here."
"I sure could get used to this!" Sugar chuckled. "Next time I win a pageant, I'm usin' the prize money to come back here!" She rolled over onto her stomach and the cheerleader next to looked at the camera and mimed sticking a finger down her throat.
/
A flash took the scene over to a grill, where B was cooking a number of sausages. He smirked at the camera, and opened his mouth as if to talk.
"I really think people are starting to respect me," Staci interrupted, climbing out of the pool and wringing out her hair, not noticing B's frown. "Like, it's been almost two weeks since I last had duct tape over my mouth! Although that might just be because Lightning left..."
"No," Scott told her with a dark grin as he approached the grill, "we just ran out of tape." He leaned over the grill cover and speared a sausage with a fork, taking a bite immediately. "Nice work with the meat," he told B in an oddly disingenuous tone, "it's almost a shame it took you so long to be eliminated!" He began to laugh as he walked away, and B threw an uncooked sausage at the back of his head.
/
Dawn and DJ were the next to be shown, the latter wearing a life jacket in addition to his swim trunks and both sitting cross-legged at the edge of the pool. "I gotta say," the gentle giant remarked, "I never woulda guessed I'd end up in a place like this after gettin' kicked off."
"Oh yes," the mystic added, "even I was surprised! The tea leaves never predicted that I would end up in a place like this, only that I wouldn't be separated from my friends for long!"
"Yeah," DJ began to say before blinking and raising an eyebrow at the petite girl. "Wait, what?"
/
A different hiphop sound began to play as the camera cut back to Ezekiel, still in the hot tub. "Yo, yo, dawg!" he said, flashing an attempted gang sign. "Check it out! Bein' famous has totally changed my life! I'm just kickin' it, yo! Got me some fly bling, too!" He held out his 'Z' necklace, and it shimmered in the light. "You like?" He looked over at Sam and Dakota, who merely gave him awkward looks.
The three had their attention diverted by a sudden whoop and holler. "Cannonball!" Sugar exclaimed, launching herself into the pool from ground level. Beth, Beardo, and Sierra were drenched by the subsequent wave, and the pageant queen resurfaced with a grin on her face and both hair and make-up thoroughly out of place.
"That was fun," she remarked before spotting something pink floating next to her. She held them up, revealing them as a pair of bikini bottoms identical to the ones she herself had been wearing. "Huh, wonder where these came from?"
The three at the island bar shot nervous looks at each other, but said nothing.
/
The footage flashed forward; Ezekiel was now lounging by the pool with Amy and a sobbing Geoff.
"Oh Bridge," he moaned in an overly dramatic and sing-song fashion, "I miss you so much! I wish you were here with me, but I also really want you to win!" He sniffed, then gave the camera a sad look. "Babe, I hope you're thinkin' of me back at camp! Oh why did you let me get voted off like that?" he finished in his out-of-tune sing-song voice.
The clip of Jo suggesting the girls' alliance vote for him was shown through a grey flashback filter, and when it ended the party boy sobbed again.
"Uggh," Amy told him in disgust, "it's been like a week and a half, get over it already! I mean, she's not even that good-looking! It's like she's never even heard of make-up, and have you seen her clothes? Oh my gag they're almost as bad as my sister's!"
"I don't know eh," Ezekiel piped up, "I think she's pretty great. Goin' without all that fancy make-up an' stuff really suits her, plus she's really nice."
Amy rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, it's not like you have any experience with girls. You're just some prairie loser, I doubt you ever saw a girl you weren't related to before you came here."
"Hey, just because I was homeschooled doesn't mean I don't know stuff about girls!" Ezekiel defended himself before becoming sheepish and scratching his head. "Although I guess I was wrong about a buncha stuff, so maybe you're right." Amy smiled smugly, and turned her nose up and away from him. "So which girl do you like best?" Ezekiel asked her in an innocent tone.
The cheerleader's eyes popped open into a glare, which she directed immediately and ferociously at the boy next to her. "What's that supposed to mean?" she hissed.
"It's just that since your sister likes both guys an' girls," the homeschooler said growing more and more nervous by the second, "I just figured you'd be the same way on account o' you two bein' twins."
"Excuse me?" Amy said, leaning closer to the prairie boy. "Don't you dare compare me to my pervert of a sister!" She lunged at him, but he managed to yelp and dart away just quick enough so she landed on his chair instead. "Get back here you little freak!" she shrieked, giving chase.
Geoff was shown again, eyes wide as he watched in a brief silence that was broken when he sniffed again. "Oh Bridgette, I wish you were here!" he sang as tears began to form. "I know you'd be able to calm everyone down, you were so good at that kinda thing!" He started to cry, but stopped moments in as his nose caught a whiff of something. "Wait, do I smell burgers?" he perked up, grinning when he saw B approaching him with a hamburger on a plate. "Dude, nice!" Geoff exclaimed, sadness forgotten as he eagerly chowed down.
/
The focus moved to Topher, who was sitting at the edge of the pool with his legs dangling in the water. "You know, I learned a lot on Total Drama Island," he told the camera. "Mostly that watching Chris is way better in person than on TV. Also," he added, "hosts can get away with way more stuff than contestants, which I should probably keep in mind when I get my own show."
/
"I still firmly believe that I did not deserve to be the fourth person voted out," Sugar declared as she hung on to the side of the pool. "Why should I be punished for havin' more singin' talent than the rest of 'em put together? Ain't my fault if the judges don't appreciate it!" A flashback showed the final high note of her disastrous performance, and both Chris and Chef rejecting it, thus costing her team the challenge.
/
The shot cut back to Beth and Beardo at the island bar. "Man, even after all that's happened," Beardo explained, "I'm still pretty glad I got on Total Drama. When I came here," he said as flashback footage began to play of his screentime in the early episodes, "I was so shy I could barely talk!"
"Oh, I remember that!" his friend said as the flashback ended. "You mostly just made sounds for the first few days! I didn't mind, though, since you're so good at them." Beardo smiled, nodded, and began to produce a medley of sounds – wild animals, vehicles, and tools in between more traditional beatboxing.
"I thought they were just gonna annoy everybody," the hair boy admitted, "but they managed to save our butts a couple times!" More footage was shown, this time highlighting the end of the dodgeball and talent contest challenges. "Not to mention helping me make friends with Beth." He smiled at the short girl, and they bumped fists.
/
A flash took the scene over to Amy, who was trying to tear up an electric lamppost when she noticed the camera. "I am so gonna have Daddy's lawyer buddies look into my eliminations when I get home," she said brattily. "I mean, losing to Samey once was bad enough, but twice?!" She growled and stamped a foot. "There's no way she managed to beat me without cheating. It's just a matter of time before I find out how!"
"Girl," DJ called over to her with a scowl, "you're trippin' somethin' fierce. We voted you out 'cause all you did was torture your sister!" As he spoke, scenes played of Amy shoving her sister off the cliff then landing on top of her in the water, of Sammy failing to hold Amy up during their cheer, and of Amy pushing her sister towards a sheep. The flashbacks ended, and Dawn nodded sagely from her spot next to the gentle giant.
"Shyeah," Geoff added as he finished off his hamburger, "you were harsh towards her, like, all the time. It really killed the mood at camp."
"Plus," Dakota chimed in as the camera quickly panned to the hot tub, "as soon as you got back in the game, you tried to kiss DJ when you were already dating Lightning! It's no wonder you got kicked off again." The scene of the mean twin's failed trickery was replayed, followed by a few brief clips of her second elimination.
The camera cut back to Amy, who rolled her eyes and snorted. "Yeah, well, maybe if you people would have just gotten rid of her like I wanted, none of that would've happened and I'd still be in the game like I deserve." She grit her teeth and channeled her anger, finally managing to tear out the lamppost.
"At least you made it further than I did, yah," Staci said as she walked past. "I was the first to be eliminated, so I'm-" She was cut off when Amy smacked her in the back of the head with the lamppost, knocking her off-camera.
/
"How would I characterize my experience?" Sam repeated as he sat with an arm around his girlfriend. "Uh, well...," he scratched the back of his head and looked up as clips began to play of his time on the island. Set to an 8-bit track reminiscent of a few popular video games, the flashback showed his dive off the cliff in the first challenge, getting hit by dodgeballs, getting stung by bees and jellyfish, and finally his disastrous 'battle' with Chef.
"Yeah, it was kinda painful...," the gamer admitted. "But hey, at least I have an amazing girlfriend now!" He kissed Dakota on the cheek, causing her to giggle and blush.
/
"Did I get anything out of this experience?" Scott repeated in disbelief, now leaning against one of the palm trees on the edge of the area, and still whittling. "Of course not! Nothing eventful even happened, this whole thing was just a waste of time!"
"Didn't you keep sabotaging the team, then get cursed and have all your schemes blow up in your face?" Sierra asked as she walked by with a plate of food. "Because watching Scarlett yell at you was pretty fun, I think I'll post about it on my blog." Naturally, the sudden revelation of Scott's treachery was replayed in full, complete with sound.
"Feh," the farmer snorted, "I woulda gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for-" A coconut dropped on his head, interrupting his rant and causing him to drop his knife and carving. "Ow! What the heck is with this anyway," he remarked bitterly, rubbing where he'd been hit and glaring at the coconut, "this ain't exactly the tropics! Or couldn't you come up with anything better?"
A pile of snow suddenly fell, knocking him to the ground and burying him beneath it. "Me and my big mouth...," he groaned as a small toboggan fell next, followed by a very small Inuit in a parka, who promptly slid off without acknowledgment.
/
"So DJ," Chris said from off-camera, "if you could say something to one of the seven remaining campers, what would it be?"
"Well, I guess I'd tell Sammy that I hope she's gettin' on okay with Bunny. I miss 'em both, but I really hope she wins," the gentle giant said. A light but triumphant tune began to play under another series of clips: first was DJ and Sammy's parting on the Dock of Shame, followed by a shot of them on the dock together after their friend was eliminated, and his not-quite-private confession during the horror movie challenge. "She's pretty important to me, y'know?"
"Yeah, dude," Geoff said, drawing the camera over to him as he backstroked through the pool. "The two of you should totally hang out with Bridge an' me once this is over," he suggested as he righted himself in the water. "It could be, like, a double date!"
DJ blushed and waved his hands in front of himself. "Nah, man, we ain't like that. That kiss was just like a spur of the moment thing."
"Really?" the party-lover said with a confused look. "Because you two seemed pretty into each other all season."
"Dude, it ain't that simple!" the gentle giant said sternly. "I can't just ask a girl out without gettin' my Momma's approval first! What if they don't get along?"
"Wait, who're we talkin' about again?" Sugar asked as she, too, floated past the edge of the pool where DJ and Dawn sat. "'Cause didn't you say you loved both the loser cheerleader and the creepy girl?" She looked at the latter, eyes getting wider. "Oops! Sorry!" She flashed the two a toothy and thoroughly unapologetic grin, then swam off.
Meanwhile, both DJ and Dawn had started to blush again, and were nervously scooting away from each other. "I-is that what I said?" the gentle giant squeaked, not meeting the eyes of anyone around him or even the camera. "I don't remember!"
"U-umm," Dawn added while twiddling her fingers, "me neither! I wasn't there of course, and it's not like they let us watch the episodes here or anything... And besides, I think you and Sammy make a wonderful couple, and it's not like there's any way someone as wonderful as you two would ever be in love with me..."
"Hey, that's not true!" DJ told her, his voice still uncharacteristically high-pitched and unsteady. "You're amazing, and I...I mean, who wouldn't want you to be their girlfriend?" The pair smiled and hesitantly turned back to each other, but the moment they made eye contact they blushed and turned apart again.
The camera quick-panned over to Sugar, who was now clinging to the side of the pool close to where Amy was standing. The cheerleader mimed gagging again, earning a chuckle from the pageant star.
/
The tropical music started up again as the scene flashed to Chris. "And there you have it!" he said with a smile. "Stay tuned to here the answer to the question everyone wants to know: what do the losers think of the final seven? And who will they vote to win?" The camera pulled back, to show the host still standing at the dock leading up to the playa. "These answers, and more, comin' up!"
(Fade to Commercial Break and Back)
Fading back in from black, the playa was shown at a distance before the shot cut to Chris walking past the buffet table. "Okay," he told the camera, "you've seen how the losers are spending their time. Now it's time to find out what they think of the final seven!"
"Alejandro is, like, a total slimeball," Dakota said immediately, literally pulling the camera to her. "Not only did he lie about wanting to take me to the final two, but he also tried to flirt with me. Uggh, that is so not cool."
"Thanks for the input, Dakota," the host told her with a twinge of annoyance as he moved back into the shot.
/
"Come out, little freak!" Amy sung darkly as she scoured the bushes, resting the lamppost against her shoulder. "Alejandro?" she said as she noticed the camera. "Even though he turned me down, he is still the hottest guy on the island. Who cares if he's lied to people, it's just a game." As she spoke, a few brief clips were played of the charmer rebuffing the mean twin's flirtation, removing his shirt, and waving sinisterly at the end of an elimination.
The flashback ended and Ezekiel was shown hiding in the shrubs. "I think Al's pretty untrustworthy, eh," the homeschooler commented. "He gave me some pretty bad advice about how to treat girls, and I think that's why I got voted out so early."
"Gotcha!" Amy cheered viciously, poking her head through the leaves Ezekiel had been lurking behind and smacking him with the lamppost. "Serves you right, you little dweeb."
/
"Man, Al acts like he's this incredibly gorgeous and helpful guy," Beardo said, still at the bar with Beth, "but the truth is that all he cares about is getting what he wants outta people. I learned that the hard way. I almost can't decide who I hate more, him or Jo!"
"Oh, but Jo was definitely meaner," Beth said with a knowing nod. "She bossed everyone around, even her own alliance!" A montage of the demanding jock-ette, alternating focus between her original alliance, her rivalry with Alejandro, and bossing around the other former members of the Screaming Gophers. "I wonder why nobody has voted her out yet?" Beth pondered as the footage cut back to her.
/
"So, Topher, Geoff," Chris said as he approached the two boys as they lounged. "Give us your take on Jo!"
"Thanks for asking, Chris," Topher said first, sitting up and taking off sunglasses he'd been wearing. "You see, Jo's has deluded herself into thinking she's better than the rest of us, which clearly isn't true. I mean, come on," he motioned to his own shirtless body, "have you seen me? My looks, style, grace, and charisma are miles above hers!"
"Yeah," Geoff added, "she was major harshness from day one. Never saw her happy unless someone else was being hurt, plus she made the other girls form an alliance to vote me off! Not my girl Bridgette though," he said with a sappy look, "I can always count on her."
He sighed, and a flashback began of the various moments between the two blondes over the course of the series. It started with their first meeting on the Dock of Shame, progressing quickly through the two working together for the cooking challenge, and their confrontation with Sasquatchanakwa for the party boy's key and spare hat.
"She was a menace," Scott said, his nasally voice snapping Geoff out of his reverie and causing the shot to zoom out so he was included, sitting under an umbrella nearby. "Couldn't take two steps without some kind of accident!" As he voiced his complaints, another pair of clips were played – the first was from the first episode, when Bridgette nearly knocked several campers off the dock with her surfboard, and then from the talent competition episode when her handstand attempt almost crushed Scott under a stage light.
/
"Bridgette is a wonderful person," Dawn spoke up. "Though she may not be sure-footed on land, she has proven herself a true friend of nature, conquering her fear of being alone in the forest and staying steadfast in her refusal to eat meat." As before, relevant clips of the blonde were played under the losers' comments – in this case, the surfer was first shown walking through the woods on her own, then refusing to eat the dolphin wiener from the eating challenge.
"Truly," Dawn said as the flashback ended, "it is a shame that she has spent so long aligned with the lurking evil that is Scarlett."
"Uhh, don't you think you're bein' a little harsh on her?" Geoff asked, the camera moving over towards him and B, once again by the grill. "I mean, she mighta been kinda mean sometimes, and she totally let me an' B down by voting for us, but I wouldn't call her evil." As he spoke, footage of the redhead being irritated with Scott, Bridgette, and Geoff during the camping challenge was shown, followed by additional clips of her scolding Sierra during the cooking challenge and Scarlett agreeing to eliminate both the party lover and the silent genius.
The flashback ended, showing B and Geoff standing together, shaking their heads sadly. "I thought we were cool since she was so tight with Bridge," the party boy said. "I guess she just didn't like us as much as we liked her." B nodded, and they went back towards the pool with more food on their plates.
/
"Scarlett thought she was sooo smart," Sierra commented, now sunbathing near Scott. "But does she know all the lyrics to every song Chris has ever sung? No. Does she know where Chris buys his pants? No! She might know some stuff, but she'll never beat me when it comes to Chris McLean!"
"I bet she's so disappointed that you're a bigger stalker than her," Scott told the tall girl in a snide tone. "But then again, Scarlett's such a know-it-all she probably doesn't like people knowing more than her. She sure loves to throw out those big, fancy words all the time." A montage played, showcasing several instances of the brainiac's verbosity, particularly in the early stages of the game.
"Hard to tell who was worse on the Killer Bass," Scott said with a sly smirk as he thought, "the bookworm who thought she was better than everyone, or the musclehead who thought he was better than everyone."
Yet more footage was recycled, this time a review of Lightning's boasting, bragging, and bicep-kissing ways. "Getting him voted off was one of the best decisions I ever made," Scott snickered.
/
"Lightning was a great boyfriend," Amy said with a peculiar smile, "everything a girl could ask for!" The couple was shown making out in the woods and on the Boat of Losers as they returned after the merge as oddly upbeat and romantic music began to play. It scratched to a sudden stop, however, when the flashback ended and Amy angrily said "Oh wait! No he wasn't! Good boyfriends don't just sit there when their girlfriends get eliminated!"
"What was he supposed to do, eh?" Ezekiel said, nervously sticking his head out of a tree behind where the girl was sitting. "It's not his fault nobody liked you."
"Nobody asked you," Amy sneered, throwing a glass at the boy and knocking him out of the palm.
The camera cut to where the homeschooler had fallen in a heap. "Yeah, Lightning was pretty big-headed," he admitted as he picked himself up off the ground, "but at least he was fast and strong like he said he was. I wouldn't mind votin' for him, eh, at least if Bridgette don't make it to the finale an' he does."
/
"Shawn?" Dakota asked, still in the hot tub with her boyfriend. "What about him? He slept in a tree, he never showered, and don't get me started on the zombie obsession. I mean, hello? He nearly hit my adorable face!" As she framed her face for the camera, the relevant scene was played from the phobia challenge. Shawn, walking alone through a desolate part of the woods, found himself face-to-face with a horde of what he had thought were undead. When escape proved fruitless, he began to fight, only stopping when one of them ducked and revealed itself to be Dakota in disguise.
"Aww, don't say that!" Sam told her as the footage cut back to the present. "I mean, the dude may have gone a little overboard with the zombie thing, but he had some incredible moves. I've never seen someone so stealthy outside a video game!" More footage began to play, showing the survivalist hiding as a deer, pilfering a key from a sleeping bear, and finally dropping down from the trees at the end of the hide and seek challenge. "Heck, he even beat Chef! Now that's what I call impressive!" the gamer chuckled.
/
"Shawn might have skills," Topher conceded as he lounged in the pool, "but he won't make it much further unless he starts working more with the others. I mean sure, he's always helped the team out, but every time someone has come to him for an alliance, he's turned them down! With only seven campers left, the audience is really gonna expect some good drama from the remaining cast. As long as Shawn keeps trying to play the lone wolf, I'm afraid he just isn't gonna cut it!"
/
"Whatever else happens," Amy said, "I just hope that my stupid sister Samey doesn't win. She should have been the first one voted off, she doesn't deserve to be in the final seven, and-"
"We get it!" Sugar shouted from the pool, startling the cheerleader. "You don't like your sister, so just shut up about it already!"
"Yah," Staci added, popping up besides the pageant queen with her snorkel on, "you're such a broken record. Reminds me of my cousin Sally, who once-" Sugar glared and shoved the motormouth back beneath the water.
/
"She was nice," Beth said at the island bar, "but I'm not sure she's really done anything to earn the win, y'know?"
"You kiddin' me?" DJ said, the camera quick-panning over to him and Dawn. "Sammy's done loads of stuff! She faced her fear of goats on international TV," he listed as the relevant clips began to play, "and she kept a cool head when I was throwin' apples at her blindfolded! Heck, she even managed to catch a family of beavers and bring 'em back to camp!"
"Although I disapprove of trapping innocent animals," Dawn added, "I do appreciate her efforts to keep the beavers from being harmed. She's also very good with Bunny."
"Totally," the gentle giant added, "I really hope she wins."
"Oh, me too!" Dawn added with a happy nod.
/
The scene flashed to a screen full of light blue accompanied by a light and soothing beatboxed tune. The camera panned up and out to show the majority of the campers gathered at the pool's edge, listening to Beardo. It was night, and the lights were on in the main resort building behind them; there was a gap between then campers positioned in front of the door.
On the right half of the screen sat Beardo himself, along with a happy Beth, scowling Scott and bored Amy, Ezekiel still in his bling and watching with greater interest than those to his right, and Sierra who was bobbing her head in time with his beat.
The first to the left of the gap was DJ, sitting closely next to Dawn. Geoff was next to the mystic, and behind those three stood Sam with his arm around Dakota's waist. To the party boy's right (and the audience's left) sat Topher, and at the very end Staci. All of them seemed to be enjoying the show.
B strolled casually into the gap between Beardo and DJ, carefully removed his trenchcoat, and sat down. "Nice grill work today," the beatboxer said, pausing his work and exchanging a fist bump with the silent genius.
"So," the gentle giant spoke up as a light and slightly suspenseful tune began in the background, "who do you guys want to win if you could vote right now?"
"Me, o' course!" Sugar exclaimed, floating into view on an inflatable purple chair. "Who'd vote for anyone other than themselves to win? That's just stupid!"
"Probably because you can only vote for someone who's actually in the game," Scott told her. "Otherwise, I'd vote for myself too."
"Oh, that's what you meant!" Sugar said with a playful wave of her hand. "Why didn't you just say so? In that case...," she appeared thoughtful for a moment before shrugging, "I dunno! I don't really like any of 'em, so unless they promise to give me somethin' in return, who knows? Anything could happen!"
"Well I think Alejandro should win," Topher suggested. "He's proven that he has the physical, mental, and social skills needed to dominate this type of game. Of course he's gonna win!"
A snort from the other side of the pool took the camera's focus over to Sierra. "Oh please," she huffed, "you're only saying that because you've been crushing on him since the moment you saw him. It's so obvious."
"I...don't know what you're talking about!" the pretty boy said nervously, looking around at all the curious looks he was getting. "Sure, I think he's good-looking, but that doesn't mean I'm attracted to him! I just respect how he plays the game! And what about you, huh?" he quickly deflected. "Who do you want to win?"
Sierra took a moment to think before answering "Bridgette."
"Good choice," Geoff told her, tipping his hat and shooting the tall girl a finger pistol. "Bridge sure is amazing, isn't she?" The camera panned over to show B nodding in approval.
"Bridgette or Sammy, definitely," Dakota said. "Both of them were, like, super nice to me when I returned."
"You'd vote for my sister?!" Amy spat in disgust. "I mean, I expected it from those two," she motioned to Dawn and DJ, who glared back, "but I hoped that you had better taste. But then again, you are dating a gamer nerd."
"Hey!" the heiress shot back, pulling her boyfriend closer.
"I mean," Amy continued, "if you had any taste, then you'd dump his loser butt. And vote for someone like Alejandro, he deserves to win."
"Why would I vote for Alejandro?" Dakota asked, now confused. "He's a lying jerk, and he let me be eliminated!"
"Whatever," the mean twin said with a roll of her eyes, "that just proves he knows how to play the game, and you don't"
"Well I think Shawn should win!" Beth announced, smiling and looking at her friend.
"The guy does have some sick skills," the hairy boy said. A montage was played, showcasing some of the survivalist's more triumphant moments – several clips involved him leaping out of trees, but there were also shots of him going through Chef's boot camp obstacle course, decorating his team's dessert for the cooking challenge, and a few instances of his camouflage.
"Yeah, definitely Shawn," Sam added. "I mean, the guy stayed awake longer than anyone else! If anyone deserves to win the money, it's him." As the gamer spoke, the relevant footage was played, edited together from the several hours the challenge lasted.
"I don't think you guys are givin' Lightning enough credit, eh," Ezekiel piped up. "I mean yeah, he's got a big ego, but don't anyone else remember how quickly he got his crate back the first day? He really helped us win, eh." As with previous remarks, the relevant footage played showing the athletic overachiever easily carrying first his crate, and then Ezekiel's to the campgrounds.
"I guess that's impressive," Sam said uncertainly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"He may be physically dominant," Dawn said with a knowing nod, "but despite how much he desires winning, reaching the finale of Total Drama will not bring him the happiness he craves. Rather, Sammy should win, so that she might finally stand out of her sister's shadow."
"I hear that," DJ said as across the pool Amy folded her arms and looked away in annoyance.
"Well I think Jo should win," Staci began to say. Despite earning several odd looks, she was unable to further explain due to Chris appearing in a sudden flash and puff of pinkish smoke.
"Haha! Okay, losers," he told them, "it is time for the most unexpected twist of all time." As he spoke, the tense music normally reserved for elimination ceremonies began to play. "Tonight, you will be voting the next camper off Total Drama Island!"
"Whoa, dude!" Geoff exclaimed in wonder. "I don't know if that's totally awesome, or totally harsh."
"I'd like to think it's a little of both, my man," Chris told him. "Here's how it's gonna work! There are no marshmallows. I am gonna ask you, one by one, who you would like to join you here tonight, at Playa Des Losers. Sugar, you're up first. Who would you like to vote for?" The camera cut to the lounging pageant star, who immediately brought a finger to her chin and scrunched up her face in thought.
"Hmmm...I guess I'll go with Alejandro," she said, "I kinda wanna see the look on his face when he loses." A bell dinged.
"Uggh," Amy growled, "why would you vote for him when you could vote for Samey?" The bell dinged.
"Y'know," DJ told her, "even after everything you've done to her, it still gets me that you can't even call her by her real name! It's Sammy!" The bell dinged yet again, eliciting a gasp from most of the campers.
"That's one vote for Alejandro," Chris announced with a smile, "and two votes for Samey."
"Oh no!" Dawn exclaimed. "But you know DJ didn't mean to vote for Sammy!" Another ding caused the mystic to groan alongside the gentle giant.
"Don't care!" the host told her, still grinning. "On to the next voter!" He turned his head to the other side of the pool. "Scott, your turn!"
The farmboy eyed Dawn and DJ with a devious look. "I think I'll vote for Samey," he said slowly, savoring the pained reactions from the girl's friends.
"Dakota," Chris said after the bell had dinged, "you're up!"
"Oh don't worry," she said as the mystic and gentle giant looked at her, "I'm not gonna vote for S-" she was interrupted by an elbow to her hip courtesy of her boyfriend, who also gave her a serious look while slowly shaking his head. "Oh!" the heiress said in realization, "I mean, I'm voting for Alejandro." The bell dinged.
Amy pounded the side of the pool and grunted in frustration. "Come on people, vote for Samey already!" The bell dinged, and both her eyes and then her smile became wide. "Wait a minute," she said in hushed glee, "do you mean I can vote for Samey more than once?" The bell dinged in confirmation, and she laughed. "Samey Samey Samey Samey...," she began to repeat faster than the bell could keep up with.
Chris looked at her and shrugged, but before he could open his mouth Dawn and DJ countered with a chorus of "Alejandro." Soon others joined in as the campers divided themselves between those who wanted the charming and manipulative young man to lose; those who wanted the meek younger twin to lose; B, who was too flustered to speak up; and Sugar, who gleefully alternated between the two names.
The din of shouting and dinging grew and grew, much to the host's irritation. "SHUT UP!" Chris shouted when the noise became too much for the fingers in his ears and his clenched-shut eyes. The sound finally tapered off, and after a flash forward the vexed host began to mumble off numbers while reading a clipboard. "Okay," he announced, "looks like after all that, Alejandro and Samey are tied at forty-one votes each. Next vote decides it!"
Although tense music began to build up as Dawn and DJ glared at Amy and Scott, it quickly stopped with a record scratch as the camera over up to a blue parrot sitting on the back of one of the pool chairs.
"Rawk! Polly want a Samey!" it squawked, and the bell dinged a final time.
"And that makes forty-two!" Chris announced happily, causing more unhappy groans from Dawn and DJ.
/
The typical reverently ominous music started up as Sammy, with Bunny in her hands and a look of shock and horror on her face, was shown being pushed along the Dock of Shame to the Boat of Losers by Chef. She was shoved into the boat and the scene flashed forward to show her, her bags, and Bunny now on the dock of Playa Des Losers, still shocked and horrified.
"And with that," Chris told the camera as he walked up to her, "we are down to six. Tune in next week to see the next dramatic episode of Total! Drama! Island!" As he spoke, Sammy's wide eyes moved from him to the camera and back again.
"Rawk! Samey!" the parrot squawked off-screen.
Sammy whimpered.
(Fade to Credits)
Author's Note - Post Script
I doubt it was the most shocking choice for elimination, but I've had the idea of Amy just repeating her sister's name over and over stuck in my head for months. I hope the method I chose for the elimination was satisfying since I know a couple reviewers wanted me to avoid doing exactly what they did in canon. I think I managed to make it different enough with the purposeful voting, the abuse of Chris' unspoken rules regarding repeat votes, and the tie while still evoking how it went down in canon.
For those who are wondering, I haven't completely decided exactly who said what at the end, but I'm leaning towards Amy, Scott, Topher, and Staci being the ones who voted for Sammy, as well as Ezekiel once Amy twisted his arm or some such thing. The rest (save B and Sugar) presumably said Alejandro, but sadly his name has twice as many syllables. And some numbers-fudging may also have occurred, who knows?
Overall, this chapter was tricky to write and I ended up having to mirror some of the canon positions within the Playa, especially at the beginning. I think it worked out in the end, though, and I hope you all think so too. And hey, I did manage to give everyone time to say something except B, but he still did things and managed to make his will known to the others.
Until next time,
- Fangren
Appendix: TSI Eliminated Contestants
Staci - (22nd Place)
Dakota - (RETURNED)
Ezekiel - (21st Place)
Sugar - (20th Place)
Lightning - (RETURNED)
Amy - (RETURNED)
Scott - (19th Place)
Beth - (18th Place)
Sierra - (17th Place)
Topher - (16th Place)
Sam - (15th Place)
Beardo - (14th Place)
Dawn - (13th Place)
Amy - (12th Place)
Geoff - (11th Place)
Dakota - (10th Place)
DJ - (9th Place)
B - (8th Place)
Sammy - (7th Place)