Author's Note
And here we are, folks, at the much-awaited finale to Total Shuffled Revenge of the Island! The first thirteen-episode season concludes today, and it's been quite a journey for the second generation of Shuffled campers. But it's about to come to an end, as Harold and Noah duke it out to decide the fourth winner of the series.
First, though, it's time to take care of the last round of publicly-answered reviews of this season.
Gage the Hedgehog: Thanks! I hope you like it.
Tokusatsu-31st Century: Haha, good to hear. Enjoy the season four finale, I've done my best to make Harold vs Noah as amazing as I can.
Guest #1: Ehh, no, he was never planned to actually be booted early on - just switched to the Rats. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed last week's episode, and I hope the finale today is a high note to start off your summer vacation.
DSX62415: Well, even with no Jasmine in the picture, I hope you enjoy how the finale plays out. Oh, and next season is gonna be All-Stars, simply because having Pahkitew first to include its cast in All-Stars would be...more work than I'd like to do to change the plots of the seasons to fit. Plus, it would break the 'alternate canon' thing I have going on a little bit more than I'd like.
Sarcasm Is A Habit: Ah, well, sorry to disappoint you in that way then. And yeah, Harold is definitely someone who can easily get on people's nerves, but I think that's part of what makes him a great character. I hope you enjoy this final battle between him and Noah!
bruno14: I'm glad you enjoyed last week's episode, and that I finally made Noah into a believable antagonist for you. And yeah, it certainly seems like Noah getting Harold to confess his love for Jasmine did more than just lead to Jasmine's elimination... Anyway, good to hear you're looking forward to Pahkitew Island and the romances it may bring.
PizzaTheBomb: Haha, but yeah, in this series you can't always count on things following canon. To be honest, from the start of the series I knew Jasmine was always gonna be considered a finalist season simply for being the mostly obviously brawny member of the cast, which was exactly why I knew I couldn't have her as a finalist - it would be too obvious. Good to hear you're rooting fr Harold, and that you find him so amusing. Sorry to disappoint with the lack of reciprocal HaroldxJasmine, but it may very well be for the better...
Animation Adventures: Yeah, Jasmine had a pretty awful time last week. And the garbage bag was definitely deliberate on my part, simply to mirror how Chris put Fang with Scott as revenge for the events of episode 11. I'm happy the conflict between her and Harold went down so well, at least from a writer's standpoint - obviously it made things worse for those two personally, and it's something both with have to deal with. And Noah, on the other hand, did quite well for himself, as you said. Sure, he does owe Jasmine a bit after she saved him from mutation, but all the same he managed to take advantage when he could and got to the end under his own power. And even though you already know some of the cast for next season, I'm still looking forward to your reaction at who else I've decided to include.
acosta perez jose ramiro: Thanks for the review as always! And regardless of what happens, I hope you enjoy the season finale.
ashDanLand: Thank you very much for praising my writing! I hope I'll be able to keep up its quality. And...yeah, the Noah-Harold finale was probably easier to predict than I'd like, but I think they're a great Final Two regardless. I can see what you mean about other canon Final Twos being better than Cameron-Lightning; especially Cameron-Jo considering their season-long conflict. And as for All-Stars, it will be Heroes vs Villains like in canon with seven of each, as well as seven boy and seven girls, seven 'classic' contestants and seven players from this season. It's a lot of nice, even splits.
moka evans: Glad to hear you're excited about Noah being in the finale. And I'm probably even more glad to hear the you enjoyed the Jasmine-Harold drama so much; you're exactly right that things like that just don't happen too often in stories. Not only does Harold need to learn to deal with his unrequited crush and get over Jasmine, but he also needs to learn what will and won't be appreciated. Despite being a finalist, he's certainly made his share of questionable moves, even if they did seem justified to him. And, of course, Noah is in much the same situation so I think it'll be an interesting finale.
Alice Queen of Madness: Yup, that's what sucks about this series - only two people each season get to have endings, and only one of them can canonically win. Each elimination tugs at heartstrings and disappoints viewers who have to see their favorite's downfall, but such is a necessary consequence of the story. And hey, Noah and Harold are a great Final Two in their own right, and I think people are going to enjoy this finale.
graveexcitement: Oh yeah, you didn't. Well, no big deal. I'm glad you enjoyed both Jasmine's chance to really shine in a challenge, as well as her elimination last week and how it came about. Honestly, Noah being considerably less malevolent than the other main antagonists has been something I've really wanted to show as it seems like the most natural way to go about him - he was never exactly an antagonist in canon, after all. But nevertheless he has both brains and a bit of underhandedness to him, which is I think a big part of what makes him and Harold great foils to one another going in to this finale. I think people are really gonna love it. Regarding next season's cats, I will confirm it again as following the Heroes vs Villains theme, though not everyone I've chosen for the cast will be so, ah, straightforward I guess? Most will, but some won't. Other than that, the only other thing I can really say at this time is that holy crap were the Heroes hard to choose. There's just so many great choices! But I'm confident that the cast I've put together is great, though probably one of many excellent combinations.
I. M. Poik: Ahaha, glad to see you so happy about a Final Two for once. I figured I had to get a combination you'd like sooner or later... But yeah, regardless of how this goes down I hope you enjoy it regardless. Though admittedly the title I chose doesn't have the same 'zing' as the canon one did (it was surprisingly difficult to come up with something to replace the 'Brains vs Brawn' part). Oh, and to actually answer some of your ending questions for once: you'll get to see Izzy and Fang interact, and the garbage bag tied to Jasmine last episode was empty, serving only to trigger her claustrophobia.
Star Saber21: Yeah, I think a lot of people were. But ultimately, it just wasn't her time to shine - it was Noah's, with Harold messing up big time to round things out. Harold and Noah will indeed be interesting, at least in my opinion, and they will indeed receive messages from home. I hope you enjoy all that is to come...
VIPGuest: Ah, a big Marvel fan are you? Well...I won't say I'm the same, superhero movies and comics just don't really do it for me. Though even without that influence, I hope you enjoy Harold vs Noah.
Guest #2: That so? I honestly have no idea if you've reviewed before, since you're an anon Guest lol. But still, I'm glad you reviewed. I'm glad you're looking forward to some relationship drama next season, although with Duncan not slated to appear until the season after you won't be getting any Courtney-Gwen-Duncan action like in canon.
Derick Lindsey: Hey there! Always nice to hear from long-time readers, I'm glad I've been able to give you some enjoyment and happiness with my writing. Interesting predictions regarding next season's cast; not much I can really comment on though, mind. But hey, I hope you let me know what you think of my choices for next season's cast when it debuts next week, and of course your thoughts on this week's finale if you so choose. And as for you suggestions for Pahkitew Island, I'll keep them in mind though no promises that I'll use them.
Guest #3: Yup, no Brains vs Brawn - I figured that with Jasmine as the only really, truly brawny person this season it would be a good idea to change things up and do away with the canon billing. Interesting cast predictions, of course, though I think more of the old generation of campers have plot left than you realize. I've got a lot of interesting ideas lined up for next season. And as for other Dawn ships I like besides DJawn...well, there's Dawmmy, obviously, as well as the polyamorous DJawmmy featured in the Shuffled series.
Joel Connell: Good to hear from you again, then. Glad to see you're still interested in the series, and I hope both this week's finale and next week's All-Stars premiere live up to your expectations.
Jaspher 4 Me: Yeah, Jasmine really ended up the victim last week - she was doing so well, but then her well-meaning ally messed it up for her. Now, let's see, you wanted the Shuffled ROTI promo picture, eh? Hmm, let's see...the lack of a husky centerpiece makes this a tad difficult, but I'll give it a rough shot. Background is the same as canon, of course, and Jasmine is standing tall and proud in the the right of her is Trent, his guitar case on his back and his arm around Gwen's waist; then Courtney crossing her arms and glaring at the couple out of the corner of her eye; and Izzy on the end in cheering mid-jump. To the left of Jasmine is Harold, a finger raised as though about to spout off some 'fascinating' fact; then Zoey, waving with a bit of anxiousness; then Noah, smirking calmly; then Leonard, his arms and wand raised to cast a spell. In front of Jasmine are Cameron on the right, a hand on his glasses, and Cody on the left, down on one knee and doing the same cheesy double peace signs as in the canon TDI promo pic. And in the very front are Lindsay and Justin lounging on the ground, Lindsay waving happily at the camera and Justin admiring his own reflection in a hand mirror. I think that's everyone?
CVluvFoxy: Thanks! I'm really getting the feeling that this season's Final Two is a lot more popular than the somewhat controversial (at least as I recall?) Final Two last season. I hope you enjoy how the final episode of the season goes down!
StayOuttaMyShed: Haha, yeah. Like I said, I was super surprised that you gotta it right just as basically a shot in the dark. Admittedly, I probably should have made Jasmine less under-the-radar in terms of plot, as you said. And yeah, Harold was definitely meant to be annoying last week - but it's a lesson that I think is worth telling. But at least he was entertaining. And as for the weapons and armor that our two nerds will be crafting for themselves...well, I think the ideas I've given them are both quite suitable. And...I can tell you're certainly still annoyed at Ella winning last season and the role my preference for good people winning in the end played in that, but there's not a whole lot I can say to you without spoiling which ending this season ends up being canon.
And yeah, it's super hard to believe that I've nearly finished writing the first chapter of TSAS (I'm up to around the point in the episode that Alejandro was freed in canon). Interesting and very well thought-out predictions for next season's cast, and a lot of it did end up mirroring some of my own thought processes (though I will admit that I haven't yet seen a completely accurate cast list prediction for next season). As you can see, creating an All-Stars cast out of so many possibilities is difficult, especially when you consider that the cast needs to feel like All-Stars and that I have so many different readers to try and please. But regardless, I hope you enjoy what I've chosen and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on them after the premiere next week.
crossoversfanTJ: Well, it would be antic-climactic at least in terms of last week's episode...I'd still find a way to make the actual finale be exciting no matter who the finalists were. Interesting predictions for next season's cast, as well as some fairly safe assumptions behind them - though the only one I'll outright confirm as having been followed is the 14-person cast. As for the WT newbies and gender ratios compared to canon...well, you'll just have to wait until next week to see if those assumptions were truly safe.
link9753: Well, you'll just have to read on and find out what happens, won't you? And don't worry about repeating yourself, it's always nice to be reminded of people's predictions. Enjoy the finale!
Guest #4: ...there's nothing I can really say to answer this without spoiling next season's cast, so forgive me.
And that's it for this season's reviews! As always for finales, I won't be answering the reviews posted for them - not publicly at least. I will try and at least answer them over PM, but if I don't answer yours you shouldn't take it personally - either I haven't found the time to answer it yet, or I just can't think of anything to say of any substance.
And for the last time this season,the poll in my profile will remain up until the start of next season, despite me admittedly forgetting that it exists a few times by now, and a TVTropes page for this series exists, and as per usual with such things, could always use more work. I thoroughly appreciate those who've already been working on it, and look forward to seeing what you all add next. Seriously, thank you so much to everyone who's put in work to keep the page updated! By which I mean mostly TVTropes user TotallyRidonculous who I...am pretty sure is Animation Adventures? But yeah, thanks so much!
Moving on, this week is gonna pit Harold vs Noah in what I hope will be a jaw-dropping fourth season finale. Read on, and enjoy!
- Fangren
Episode 13 – The Ultimate Showdown
"Last time, on Total Drama Revenge of the Island!" Chris opened, the scene moving from the typical long-distance stock shot of sunny Wawanakwa to the finale trio of contestants standing together in the Mutant Forest of Death, Noah cracking a joke but not getting a reaction from Harold or Jasmine. "The Final Three went hunting for my old pal Larry, the human flytrap." Jasmine was shown getting trapped by the massive plant's jaw-like leaves the moment she touched its central flower, and Chris laughed. "Awww, adorable," he said as the two nerds watched with horror from the sidelines, the next clip showing Larry rising up out of the ground, roaring, and running off.
"Jasmine and Harold vowed to take each other to the finale," the two friends were shown slapping five and clasping hands in mutual confidence over breakfast, "but the reveal of Harold's unrequited crush pulled them apart." Noah was shown casually revealing Harold's feelings as he walked by; Harold was shown running off dramatically with his and Jasmine's map fragments in hand; and Jasmine was shown getting snapped up by Larry again after avoiding a sinkhole.
"In the end, Noah won immunity," the schemer's desperate dive and scramble past the finish line was the next clip played, and was followed by Jasmine's departure while tied and bagged in revenge for a previous slight towards the host, "and gave Jasmine the old heave-hurl!"
"Only two competitors remain," Chris said over shots of Harold acting dramatic and Noah's irritable reply, then both of them talking with the unimpressed host, "Noah and Harold in the ultimate Total Drama showdown!" The montage ended there, the scene cutting to the Dock of Shame where Chris and Chef stood in their formal attire – the host in his baby blue tuxedo, the assistant in his dark pink evening gown holding the prized suitcase. "It's Nerd versus Nerd in a tooth-rattling, ego-bashing, life-threatening battle for a cash prize of," he motioned to Chef and the shot cut to a close-up of the suitcase, which was opened to reveal the money inside, "One! Million! Dol-lars!"
Chef wiggled his fingers eagerly and reached for the cash, but the quickly cut to his face as something snapped and he yelped in pain. He raised his hand to reveal that he gotten his fingers caught in a mouse trap, and glared at the laughing host. "Right here, right now," Chris told the camera as it cut back to him, "on the epic finale of, Total! Drama! Rrrevenge, of 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
It was night as the episode proper opened, zooming in from a long-distance shot of the island to Noah and Harold walking together. "Gosh, I still can't believe Jasmine's gone," Harold said, his head hung sadly. "She deserved to be in the finale more than anyone."
"Yeah, too bad you messed it up for her," Noah told him in a disinterested voice. "Not that I'm complaining, though. With her out of the picture I have a pretty good chance at winning this stupid game."
Harold stopped in his tracks. "As if," he said, prompting Noah to stop as well and look back. "What can you possibly do to match up to my mad skills? I'm the clear favorite to win if you ask me." He started walking again, and smiled confidently as he passed Noah by.
Noah snorted. "Yeah, and Chef's the favorite to win the Great Canadian Cook-Off," he said as he resumed walking as well. "Like, you know you're a joke, right? Your 'mad skills' don't exist."
"They do too exist!" Harold retorted with a hint of anger. "I mean, I've won, like, four challenges thanks to them, which is more than you can say."
"Wow, yeah, it's almost like I never claimed to be some kind of challenge prodigy in the first place," Noah answered mockingly. "Although even with your so-called skills I'm still the only one of us who's won immunity alone," he said. Harold stopped in his tracks, and the camera zoomed in on his worried frown as Noah walked off laughing.
His frown became a scowl, and he angrily called out "Oh yeah? Well at least I didn't have to trick any one to get this far!"
He smirked when Noah immediately stopped laughing.
xxx
"Actually, although I radiate confidence on the outside," Harold motioned to himself in front of the confessional camera, the light coming in through the upper windows suggesting that it was now the next day, "on the inside I'm fairly worried," he said with a short, matter-of-fact nod. "See, even though my skills are both more potent and varied than Noah realizes, that might not be enough fro me to claim victory. Between writing those notes and finding the invincibility statue, Noah's proven that he's both crafty and resourceful. Add to that his surprising ruthlessness, and you have a recipe for a worthy contender. I can't afford to let him get in my head, otherwise it's goodbye million dollars, hello eternity of shame."
xxx
"Yeah, I hate to say it," Noah told the outhouse camera, averting his gaze as he began the confessional, "but this is gonna be more of an uphill battle than I'd ever admit to Wonder Boy's face. Total Drama finales tend to be more physical than mental, and Harold actually has an edge there, even if it is paper-thin. Plus, his 'mad skills' make him a bit more unpredictable than I'd like. Who knows what kind of obscure near-talents he could have been hiding all season."
He had been shrugging all through his final sentence, and as he moved to lower his arms a sudden loud fanfare outside startled him into flailing his arms and falling off his seat.
xxx
The fanfare continued as the scene cut to a pair of long, straight, Roman tubas adorned with flags bearing the face of Chris McLean. They were pointed towards the sunny sky and played by the pony-tailed female and long-banged male interns, a stereo at their feet as they stood with a wary-looking Harold and Noah by the communal washroom. The display served to herald the arrival of Chef, wearing a stereotypical Roman legion helmet, pulling a red-and-gold chariot ridden by Chris, who was naturally dressed as a stereotypical Roman emperor.
"All hail mighty McLean!" the host declared in a dramatic voice as his chariot came to a stop in front of the Final Two.
Noah and Harold shared an odd look. "Yeah, I'll pass," Noah said dryly.
"What's with the Ancient Roman garb?" Harold asked.
"You'll see," Chris said impishly before looking to the side and calling out "Slave! Bring me my mystic seeing glass," in the same dramatic voice as his previous declaration.
Moments later the camera zoomed out to show the arrival of a widescreen television on a cart pushed by the fat male intern, who blew his boss a raspberry as he passed. "Hey!" Chris said in outrage before shrugging and smiling. "You know what? In Ancient Rome blowing a raspberry was a show of respect!"
"No it wasn't," Harold corrected, the television cart now set up next to him and the interns out-of-sight.
"Anywho," Chris said with an annoyed shrug, "as a reward for making it all the way to the finale, you each get thirty seconds to speak to a loved one back home."
Both boys perked up in excitement. "Whoa, awesome!" Harold said before the television switched on to show a live feed of a burly white man with short dark red hair and a bristly mustache. He wore a dark red polo shirt, and was sitting on a faded green couch in front of a pale wall decorated with numerous pictures. "Dad?!" Harold gasped in shock, but quickly smiled. "I wasn't expecting to see you!"
The man laughed, deeply and heartily. "Well, I'm on leave this month so your mother decided I should give the next generation of Harold McGradys a pep talk. I gotta say, I was a little surprised to hear that you'd made it all the way to the finale, son," the younger Harold's smile faltered a little, "but I'm glad to see all those expensive, uh, camps and programs we enrolled you in are finally paying off. Can't say I understand half of you've decided to do with your life, but it looks like you're finally gonna become a man. Just remember," he barked with a sudden sternness that made his son nervous, "your name is the name of winners!" The younger Harold puffed out his chest in pride. "So don't back down, don't give up, and for once in your life keep going until you're number one!" The dweeb deflated slightly. "Do me proud, son," Harold McGrady IV finished with a nod of action.
"I will, dad," Harold McGrady V replied with a nod of his own before the feed cut to static and then cut out entirely. He let out a breath shortly after, and sagged slightly.
"Wow, that's your dad, huh?" Noah asked. "Seems like a real tough guy."
"He is," Harold replied. "The resemblance between us goes without saying, but I've never really felt like he totally respects my accomplishments. Hopefully I'll finally be able to prove how skilled I am, not only to him but to all the other people who've ever laughed at me."
"Good luck with that," Noah said, stepping forward as Harold stepped back. "Just don't expect any sympathy from me."
It was then that the widescreen cut to static, and then to a brief glimpse of a pale blue room before a large Labrador retriever rose up close to the camera, licked the lens, and barked eagerly. "Heheh, down boy," Noah said, cracking a warm smile.
The dog withdrew from the camera obediently, and an Indian woman with shoulder-length hair in a red blouse, brown vest, and capris crouched down next down it. "Sorry, Noah," she greeted with a warm smile of her own, "Charlie was just so excited to see you again."
"What else is new, mom?" Noah quipped shrugged. "I take it Charlie's operation went okay?"
The dog in question barked happily. "Yup," Noah's mother said, rubbing the dog affectionately. "Charlie's the picture of health now."
"Cool," Noah smiled. "Feel free to send me the bill once I win."
His mother laughed and shook her head. "You know you don't have to do that, it wasn't that expensive," she told him before suddenly frowning. "Of course...we still don't have the money set aside to help you out once you go off to college," she said in a worried, almost apologetic tone.
Noah sighed. "I know, mom, don't worry. That's why I came on this show, remember?"
"I know, sweetie," his mother smiled. "We're all rooting for you to win. I love you," she quickly waved, "goodbye!" The feed ended there, and the shot focused back on Noah as he ended his own waved, then looked down and let out his breath.
He looked up to see Harold, Chris, and Chef staring at him. "What?" he asked in irritation. "I'm the youngest of nine, money's been tight my whole life. This stupid competition is my best shot at affording the future I want without working some dead-end job for a twenty years."
"Hey, if today doesn't work out for you," Chris told him with an almost mocking smile, "there's a position open as my personal assistant."
Noah glared at him.
xxx
"Yeah, like I'd ever stoop that low," Noah confessed irritably, crossing his arms and glancing towards the door before relaxing slightly. "Although, I am kind of surprised how great it was to see my mom and dog again after however many weeks I've been out here. I guess there's no bigger motivation than being reminded of who and what you're fighting for," he smirked confidently.
xxx
The static cut away to show that Noah and Harold had gotten on the chariot behind Chris, which was being pulled once more by Chef. "So where are we off to today?" Harold asked eagerly. "Mount Looming Tragedy? The Bay of Dismay? Oh, or how about the Pet Cemetery again?"
"Nah, somewhere waaaay more dangerous," the host replied, spreading his arms excitedly and earning a wary look from the finalists. "For the most painful Total Drama finale competition ev-er! Gentleman," he said in his dramatic 'imperial' voice, "behold, the Chrisiseum!"
A grandiose fanfare began to play as he pointed ahead, and the two boys gasped before the perspective shifted to show their destination: a massive coliseum with wooden walls and high flat arches; the central entryway incorporated magenta curtains, tall stacks of toxic waste barrels as supports, and the tail fin of the former Total Drama Jumbo Jet with the Chris McLean insignia intact and prominent.
/
The fanfare continued as the scene cut inside to a high covered box seating area, where Chris was flanked by the same two interns playing Roman tubas as before. He smiled for a few seconds, then glance to the side and pressed a button on a nearby stereo, shutting off the fanfare and leaving the interns sputtering pathetically into their instruments. They lowered them in shame, and Chris stood up.
"Finalists, say what's up to your cheering section," he opened, the camera following his point downward to reveal a three-tiered section of seats where the season's former contestants were already seated. "From the Mutant Maggots," the camera zoomed in on the left side of the top row, "Zoey! Jasmine!" The indie girl smiled and waved to the finalists below, then looked expectantly at the survivalist who just frowned levelly, then looked to the side. "Trent! Lindsay!" The musician smiled sheepishly under Jasmine's glare, then gulped and looked away as the camera panned onto the blonde, who smiled and waved at the camera. "Aaand, Justin," the host finished, the pan across the row ending on the male model, who was busy looking at his own reflection in a hand mirror.
"And the Toxic Rats," Chris continued, the shot briefly cutting back to him before following his motion back down to the second row. "Leonard! Izzy!" The LARPer merely smiled, while the wild child grinned widely and excitedly waved a pair of right arms. "Gwen! Cody!" The goth smirked, but it faded into annoyance as the flirt shot a finger pistol her way. "Cameron! Aaand, Courtney!" The bubble-boy was another who simply smiled for the camera, but the former CIT crossed her arms and huffed in righteous indignation.
The shot cut outward to show the two finalists standing on the bare dirt of the Chrisiseum floor while the losers began to cheer – Zoey and Lindsay and Leonard for Harold; Gwen and Cody and Cameron for Noah; and Izzy just in general. Courtney, Justin, and even Trent and Jasmine remained silent.
"Wow," Noah said with a pleased smirk, "wasn't expecting so many people to actually side with me." He looked Harold and noticed him silently staring at the crowd, then looked at them again to see Jasmine meeting his gaze...and then closing her eyes and looking away.
Zoey looked from her to the arena and back again. "You're...really still mad at him, aren't you?" she asked her friend, putting a hand on Jasmine's shoulder as she slumped down in her seat.
"If I had lost due to my own decision I'd be able to accept not being down there with him," Jasmine said, "but instead it was his fault that I lost. I just don't know if I'll ever be able to forgive him for it."
"Well," Gwen said as the camera panned down and over to her, "I hope you'll at least be able to forgive someone else." She looked up expectantly at Trent, who was twiddling his fingers nervously under the gazes of both his girlfriend and Jasmine.
Gwen cleared her throat sternly, prompting the musician to sigh, rub the back of his head in embarrassment, and turn to Jasmine. "Look, I'm really sorry about what I did during the air challenge," he said. "I went totally overboard with the revenge thing, and I ended up going way far out of line. I could've gotten both of us seriously hurt in my sheer stupidity. I just..," he looked down briefly before giving Jasmine a pleading look, "I just hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Jasmine looked at him for a moment, then let out her breath and turned to face out into the arena again, slumping back into her seat. "Fine...I guess...," she said dully, nevertheless earning smiles from both Zoey and Trent, the latter getting pulled down by the collar by Gwen so she could kiss him on the cheek, which in turn earned a cheesy grin from Izzy and a strangely approving nod from Cody.
"So, who are you rooting for?" Zoey leaned over to ask Trent as the camera panned back up to the top row.
"Good question," Trent answered, looking forward thoughtfully. "A big part of me wants to cheer for Harold so he knows I'm not mad at him anymore for voting me out, but even with all the stuff Noah's done I still gotta appreciate how he stood by me all the way to the end."
Courtney sniffed haughtily, drawing the camera's attention to the end of the second row. "Well I don't intend on cheering for either of those traitors," she said, leveling a glare down at the arena that was met in turn by dull, annoyed looks from both finalists.
"Same here," Justin chimed in, the shot panning up to show him still admiring himself. "I don't wanna cheer for anyone."
"Oh, I think you will cheer," Chris corrected, the music turning slightly tense as the focus panned up to him – and the remote control he was now holding. "Otherwise, I'll be forced to unleash...him!" He pressed the button on his remote, and with a mechanical whir Fang rose up into the third row of the seating area, a metal collar and leash around his neck. He barred a toothy grin, and the former contestants gasped – except for Izzy, who grinned and giggled.
"Hi, Fang! Long time no see!" she said with a happy wave that was met by an angry growl from the mutant shark, who absentmindedly felt the gap still present in his front row of teeth.
"Any questions?" Chris asked smugly.
"...go Noah," Courtney cheered bitterly.
"Go...Harold, I guess?" Justin added uncertainly.
The two finalists smirked.
"On with the main event," Chris announced, drawing the camera's attention back to him. "The final challenge of the season is," he stood up and folded his hands behind his back, "a one-on-one Gladiator Battle Royale!" The shot pulled back to show the cheering section below him and the two finalists looking upward. "But first, you'll need to use your imaginations to make armor and weapons, in a challenge I like to call 'Make It, or Break It'!" A flatter version of the usual grandiose theme played as the task was named.
"You'll need tools and materials to build your armor and weapons," the host continued. "And we've got 'em, rrrright here!" He motioned towards the arena floor, the camera cutting to several objects lying on the ground together – a blow torch, a magnifying glass, various hammers and wrenches, tacks, a roll of duct tape, a dead fish, and a bowling ball.
"I call the blow torch!" Harold called out, the shot panning up and right to him and Noah. "A heat source like that should proof useful," he told his unimpressed opponent.
"That's not all!" Chris added impishly. "Oh, Cheee~ef!" he called out, the cheering section gasping in shock as they noticed a helicopter approaching. Chef lowered it over the arena, and the camera zoomed in on the massive dumpster hanging upside down below it. The lid opened suddenly, dumping the assorted garbage inside onto the useful items below causing Harold and Noah to groan in annoyance. "THANK YOU, CHEF!" the host called and waved out to his assistant, who nodded slightly and flew away.
"You have fifteen minutes to collect useful bits of crud from Mount Junkmore," Chris explained over a shot of the two finalists looking at the trash heap they'd been given then turning back towards the stands, "and assemble your arsenal. But watch your step," he warned with a smile, sitting back onto his throne. "I may have loaded the dumpster with a ton of booby-traps." He laughed with anticipatory glee, causing Harold and Noah to flinch and exchange a wary look.
"Aaand," Chris finished, snapping his fingers. The shot panned over to the ponytailed female intern who eagerly pressed play on the stereo...only to frown as it played a jaunty sea shanty, then press rewind and play again so that a loud gong rung out from it. She smiled sheepishly at her boss, who glared at her briefly before turning his smile towards the arena. "Go!" he declared.
The music immediately became tense as the two boys made a dash for the junk pile, slapping at each other while the losers cheered on their preferred nerd. Harold reached the pile first, however, with Noah running past while he lifted a large metal car spoiler off the pile with a grunt of effort. He was rewarded by a sudden blast of disgusting-looking gas from the pile that left him coughing and hacking. "Aaagh, gross! Stink bomb!" Harold said as he stumbled backward out of the cloud, nearly dropping the piece of scavenged metal in the process. With a startled near-yelp as the gas cloud dissipated he regained his hold just before it fell to the ground, and he drug the piece of metal off to the side.
The gallery continued to cheer as he ran back towards the pile. "You can do it, Harold!" Zoey called out, rising from her seat and cupping her hands around her mouth.
"Yeah...," Jasmine added halfheartedly.
"C'mon, Noah!" Cameron cheered next, the camera focusing in on the other end of the stands. "Grab that computer!" The shot briefly cut to a laptop sitting open near a speedboat Noah was searching on the other side of the pile.
"Why?" Courtney asked in confusion as the shot cut back to her and Cameron. "How could that possibly help him?"
"He could build a suit of computerized power armor," Cameron explained, earning an odd and disbelieving look from his former teammate. "It's what I would do," he said before looking back at the action.
The shot cut back to Noah as he stood up in the speedboat with a fire extinguisher in one hand and the blow torch in the other. "Perfect," he smiled.
"Hey!" Harold objected, drawing the attention of Noah and the camera to the other side of the junk heap where the dweeb stood . "I called dibs on that blow torch!"
"Too bad, Dorkenheimer," Noah replied. "I got to it first, so it's mine." He laughed a little as he jumped off the boat, landing on a pile of trash bags and a discarded hazmat suit...and getting blown off the pile by a sudden explosion.
Those who had been cheering for him winced in sympathy, and as he stood groaning and blackened a few bits of debris rained down around him, including a tennis racket that hit him on the head and knocked him backward.
"Hah! Serves you right, blow torch-stealer!" Harold taunted, the camera panning back to the right to show him using a section of pipe like a crowbar to pry apart the boat's engine. As he laughed at his foe's misfortune he managed to wedge the pipe into the outboard motor...only to get electrocuted for his trouble. He fell over groaning in pain, landing in front of a cannon that promptly went off. Harold yelped and flattened himself to the ground and closed his eyes in fear, just fast enough for the cannonball to go over him entirely and crash into the far wall of the Chrisiseum.
Chris laughed as Harold tentatively opened his eyes and looked up. "Alright!" the host said. "Those booby traps were such a good idea!"
"Goooo, Harold!" Lindsay cheered excitedly. "You can do it!"
"Try not to embarrass us, Harold!" Justin added.
The shot cut to Harold as he got to his feet and grabbed a trashcan lid, then panned back across the pile to Noah as he pulled at a length of chain that seemed to be stuck in the rubble. When the mounds of trash bags and sheet metal finally shifted enough to free its end, he toppled backwards off the pile with a startled yelp. Several more clips followed as the focus switched from one competitor to the other, showing Harold as he hammered what looked like a large soup pot into the shape of a kabuto-like helmet, and put it on with pride. "Awesome," he grinned as the camera pulled back to show that he was already wearing several other pieces of Japanese-like armor made from large plays of riveted metal and trashcan lids. Noah was next as he donned the helmet of the hazmat suit, then used the blowtorch to weld the end of the chain he'd looped through a tire back on to itself.
Harold hammered down on another piece of sheet metal, then Noah slid the fire extinguisher he'd found into what appeared to be a tattered old golf bag, then tapped his chin and slid in the tennis racket that had hit him as well. Next, Harold finished carving a wooden plank into what appeared to be a crude wooden katana using a small piece of metal. He raised it high above him with pride, the camera showing it against the sunny sky as a traditional-Japanese-sounding jingle played in the background. It gave way for a fast-paced drumming, however, as Harold swiftly lowered it into a dramatic fighting stance and smirked darkly, the shot cutting over to a one-legged mannequin standing nearby. The nerdy samurai charged forward with an odd battle cry, and the scene changed to black silhouettes of him and his target against a brilliant white background as he made a leaping slash, and landed behind it.
The lighting returned to normal as the perspective moved to Harold's front, as he stood up from a crouched position and looked to the side at the mannequin standing behind him. It fell over. "Boo-yah," Harold grinned.
Noah was next, tying a piece of cloth that looked to have been torn from the hazmat suit into a small pouch, then tucking it next to several similar pouches in a makeshift belt that appeared to have been made from the torn-off sleeves of the same suit.
A gong played on the stereo, which was quickly shut off by the female intern. "Aaaand, time is up!" Chris announced, a grand tune playing as he stood from his throne. "Finalists, take your positions for the ultimate Total Drama showdown! Last man standing wins, One! Million! Dol-lars!"
Harold stepped forward first, the camera panning up from his sneakers to his helmet, showing his nearly full suit of armor and his wooden sword. "You're looking great, Harold!" Zoey called out from off-screen.
"Give him heck, dude!" Trent added.
"Smite him, o mighty warrior!" Leonard finished.
Harold crouched solemnly, then rose his sword up and declared "For honor!"
The shot cut to the stands as Jasmine let out a breath and nodded, earning a glance from Zoey and Trent. "Alright Harold, time to prove you made it this far for more than just being the smaller threat," she muttered, causing those on either side of her to look forward again with a hint of concern on their faces.
A pan down to the former Rats showed Izzy grinning, while Leonard and Gwen smiled expectantly. "Okay, is this gonna be awesome or what?" she asked excitedly, looking from one one side to the other.
"Certainly," Leonard declared in affirmation. "But surely mighty Harold has this won?"
"I wouldn't be so sure," Gwen smirked as the perspective moved behind Harold, sliding to the side to show him facing a rather bored-looking Noah. The slacker was wearing nothing unusual aside from his new belt and golf bag, though he had stowed what looked like a few short pipes in the latter and attached a few cords to it as well. "Noah looks like he has a plan."
"Nice armor," the schemer quipped. "What kid's show did you get it from?"
"None," Harold answered proudly, "it's my own personal design. I learned all about blacksmithing at Medieval Steve's Medieval Camp."
"It really shows," Noah said, still with his usual dryness.
Harold puffed up haughtily. "I know you're being sarcastic, but it won't work on me. My armor is both sturdy enough to take a hit, and flexible so I can retain my mobility. Plus, check out my sweet replica samurai sword," he said, snorting and laughing as he motioned at his weapon. "I was gonna make it out of metal, but I didn't wanna hurt you too bad."
"Wow, how thoughtful," Noah replied, still looking bored. "I'm quivering in my boots."
"You should be," Harold nodded cockily. "Especially considering you barely have anything to protect yourself with. I mean, how do you expect to defend against a samurai?" he asked, motioning over his armor again.
"Meh," the slacker shrugged, "I'm not that scared of a stick and some metal plates. You look like you're walking around in the locker some meathead shoved you in to."
"Hey!" the armored dork cried in offense.
Noah finally cracked a smirk. "Feel free to prove otherwise," he taunted. "That is, if you can." He reached into his golf bag and pulled out a length of pipe, then smacked it lightly against his open hand. His supporters cheered.
"This is gonna be good," Chris laughed as the camera panned around Noah's back, showing Harold glaring him down as a radical techno tune played. "The ultimate battle brutale!" he declared as the shot cut back up to him. "Find out what happens when we return, on Total! Drama! Rrrrevenge of the Island!" An ominous chant punctuated each successive outward cut, going from his top box, to the entire stands, to the entire arena, and lastly to the entire island.
(Fade to Commercial and Back)
Rumbling were filling the sky as the episode resumed, a dramatic score rising up under the cheers of the former players as the shot cut to the Chrisiseum, and then to the stands.
"It's the final challenge of the season," Chris announced, "a gladiator battle to end all gladiator battles!"
"Prepare to lose," Harold told his opponent, the camera panning behind his to show Noah looking unimpressed. "For I fight to reclaim the honor of my friends, and myself," the dweeb added, making a dramatic fist as the camera showed him through Noah's legs.
"Don't act all high-and-mighty, Haroldmoto," Noah replied as the shot showed him from over Harold's shoulder. "I've got people I'm fighting for too, and I'm not backing down." Harold was shown from over Noah's shoulder, frowning as the schemer finished speaking.
"I believe I was speaking?" Chris interrupted in annoyance. "Save the trash talk for the battle. Oh, and in the grand Total Drama tradition, there are gonna be a few obstacles to deal with, including a whole lot more junk that I decided to have dumped around the place to spice things up. Everything else I will release into the ring...whenever I feel like it."
"Hey, no complaints here," Noah smirked, causing Harold to raise a brow in confusion.
He shrugged. "I vow to defeat all challengers!" he declared to the host.
"The match ends when one gladiator pins the other for three seconds," Chris continued without acknowledging the outburst.
"Heh," the junkyard samurai said confidently, "that's all? Three seconds is easy."
"Once again, no complaints," Noah added. "Looks like I was worried about a tough win condition for nothing!"
"Yeah, probably 'cause you would never win if it were a second more," Harold taunted, causing Noah to scowl.
"Aaaand, go!" Chris announced, the music quickly rising up to an appropriate level of danger and intensity as the two nerds locked narrow eyes and gripped their weapons.
The shot cut to Harold's sneakers as he charged forward, uttering his gravelly, warbling battle cry to the cheers of his supporters. "Face my blade, villain!" he declared, raising his sword and slashing down at Noah.
"No thanks, I'm good," Noah replied, using both hands to block the wooden sword with his metal pipe. Harold retaliated with a sudden step forward and thrust, hitting Noah in the chest and forcing him back a step. The nerdy samurai followed up with an upward slash that his foe managed to block again, this time taking a step back preemptively.
"You know it's only a matter of time before I strike you down, right?" Harold asked as the perspective cut to the view from the host's box, the man himself stepping in front of the camera as he watched the two young men struggle.
"Time for a close encounter of the mutant kind!" Chris declared, smugly pressing the button on his remote. "Finalists," he called out, catching the attention of Harold long enough for Noah to shove him away with his pipe, "get ready for your next opponent! It's an old friend I'm sure you're both well acquainted with." The camera panned from Noah, down to Harold, and then over to a gate in the far wall which slid up to reveal the giant mutant beetle mother, standing on its hind legs and wearing a single boxing glove. It quickly breathed a jet of fire, and scuttled forward with a menacing hiss.
The shot cut back to the two boys, both looking wary and Harold still on the ground. "Yeah, how 'bout you take this one," Noah told him. "Put that armor to the test while I just go away from the fire-breathing bug monster." He darted off without another word.
"Huh?" Harold asked, looking back up at him only to see that Noah had already disappeared. "Hey!" he said in outrage before a sudden jet of fire forced him to jump to the side.
The shot cut to the former Maggots shouting their encouragement, with Cody of all people joining in. "C'mon, Harold! Kick that mutant's butt!" he stood up and called out.
"Uhh, shouldn't you be rooting for Noah?" Gwen asked him.
"Heheh," Cody shrugged and chuckled sheepishly. "What can I say? I kinda dig the samurai thing."
The music picked up slightly as the scene returned to Harold and the beetle, the latter punching over and over while the former kept blocking with his sword and backing up. In moments he found himself up against the wall of the arena, and when he looked to the side to confirm the beetle finally landed a blow on his chestplate. Despite the armor it was strong enough to earn a grunt from Harold, but the junkyard samurai was able to duck under the next blow and strike back with a diagonal slash from his wooden blade. This was enough to knock the beetle back, which in turn gave Harold the opportunity to strike back with several more slashes that managed to knock the mutant over.
"Yes," he said, pumping his fist confidently. "How do you like that?" He was answered by a furious jet of fire-breath, but with the beetle on its back it was unable to actually hit him – though Harold ducked nervously all the same, he quickly stood up smiling and unscathed. He tore a the flattened trashcan lids from its place as a shoulder plate and tossed it like a disc at the supine mutant; it hissed and squealed upon getting hit in the head, but soon fell unconscious with its head and legs flopping down.
Harold let out a breath of relief as the crowd cheered. "Alright, that's taken care of. But where's Noah?" he asked, looking up. The camera followed his gaze as it panned across the arena, taking in the several scattered piles of junk that had been left as booby-trapped obstacles.
"Come on Noah, get out here and fight like a man!" Courtney yelled angrily from the stands.
"That doesn't seem every supportive," Cameron told her.
"Well how else is he gonna win this?" Courtney replied.
The music became louder as the scene moved back to Harold walking warily through the junk-filled coliseum, his weaponized shoulder plate back in place. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called out, getting a quick reply in the form of a small yellow bag hitting him in an exposed patch of arm, breaking open on impact and dousing the arm with a foul green liquid. "Ahh! Ahh! Gross, what is this stuff?!" Harold said, flailing his arm in panic.
"Garbage drippings," Noah called out, the camera cutting over to show him standing near the top of one of the piles with his tennis racket resting on his shoulder, another of his bags being tossed in the other hand. "And there's plenty more where that came from!" he said, tossing the bag into the air and smacking it with the racket. The camera followed it through the air, and this one managed to hit Harold in the face while he was too shocked to dodge.
"Aagh! Aagh!" he spluttered, quickly trying to wipe the fluid away. "This is disgusting! Wait til I get my hands on you, Noah!"
"I'd like to see you try, shogun boy!" Noah replied mockingly, jumping down behind the junk heap with a laugh.
Harold scowled and scrambled up after him, but halfway up he was blown away by a hidden explosive. He landed on his back in the dirt, and quickly earned both the attention and the mocking laughter of Noah, the camera sliding ninety degrees to the right to show him on the ground on the other side of the pile. "Hey, you should totally keep trying to climb the piles," he taunted. "Maybe the next one won't be booby-trapped!"
He ran off again, and the shot cut up to the host's box as Chris sighed in boredom. "Yawn. I wanted a gladiator match, not this." He pressed the button on his remote control, and a circular hole opened up in the ground, the two dirt-covered doors that had been covering it sliding aside with a mechanical whir.
Noah's eyebrows shot up as he realized he was running right towards it, and he gaped in terror as a massive mutant alligator with tentacles for arms rose up out of it and roared at him. He screamed and turned to flee, but the beast reached out and grabbed him. Then, as Harold ran up and gasped in horror, the alligator chomped down on the screaming rogue just off-camera.
"Oh, I can't watch," Zoey cringed, covering her eyes.
"You really should," Chris leaned down to tell her. "The ratings on this are gonna be crrraaaaazy!"
The shot cut back to the alligator's head as Noah let out a muffled cry of "Let go of me you overgrown pair of shoes!"
"Yeah!" Harold chimed in, the camera panning down to show him striking at the alligator's belly with his sword to no effect. It just kept on chewing, until something inside its mouth seemed to break and give it pause. It grimaced in disgust, then opened its mouth dropping Noah onto Harold. It frantically tried to wipe the foul green liquid off its tongue, and the camera panned down to the two boys.
"Well, there goes the rest of those," Noah said in annoyance, getting back to his feet.
"Good riddance," Harold replied, standing up as well.
They spent a moment brushing themselves off, but a tentacle tapping on Harold's shoulder got both their attention, and they looked up right into the mutant alligator's roar. "RUN!" Noah yelled as he dashed back out of the way, but Harold was too slow and got grabbed by the mutant.
It raised the dweeby samurai up to eye level and growled, prompting Harold to grin sheepishly. "Uh, hey, you know those sword slashes were friendly, right? Heheh..."
The alligator replied with a point-blank roar.
"Drop the nerd, scaley!" Noah called out suddenly, earning the attention of the other two 'fighters'. The shot cut to him standing nearby with the end of a chain in hand, breathing heavily. He huffed, then began to spin around over his head, revealing the tire tied to the end in the process. The alligator squinted in suspicion as its former prey built up more and more speed with his new weapon, finally throwing it forward and letting it carry a large amount of slack with it. It quickly coiled around the massive mutant, pinning its tentacles to its side even as the tire swung around and hooked onto its jaws, forcing them shut. It promptly dropped Harold, who managed to land on his feet and thrust his sword into the mutant's foot. The beast raised the foot in pain, and a surprisingly strong pull from Noah managed to bring it crashing down to the ground. It growled and struggled against its bonds, but a strange cry from Harold and a sharp strike over the eyes managed to knock it out.
The two boys regrouped, panting heavily. "Well, there goes my first choice of finishing moves," Noah said in annoyance.
"Do you even have any tricks left?" Harold asked.
Noah replied by pulling a cord and spraying him in the face with the fire extinguisher he'd been carrying in his golf bag, the resulting cloud taking over the scene as he ran off cackling to himself. The powder dispersed in seconds to show Harold waving his hand and coughing. "I guess so," he said before taking a step and immediately freezing with a wide-eyed grimace on his face. A dramatic riff played as he hollered in pain, revealing the tacks on the ground around him. The camera zoomed in as he lifted his foot and removed a tack from it, then zoomed back out as he scowled. "Is this all you have?" he called out angrily. "Just a bunch of stuff to try and wear me down?"
"Well, that and distract you while I ready my big guns," Noah replied cockily, Harold gasping as the camera quick-panned over to his nemesis...leaning against the cannon that had nearly shot the dweeb earlier. "Give up and let me pin you," Noah said, suddenly serious, "or we'll have to test how strong that armor of yours really is!"
"No way!" Harold replied, raising his sword defiantly as the background music picked up in intensity. Noah replied in turn with a cannon blast, which forced the nerdy samurai to yelp and pirouette to the side – causing the cannonball to fly past him into the stands to the shock of those sitting there. It hit the chain that Fang was tied to, breaking it and continuing on the punch a hole in the back wall of the lowest seating section.
A second shot went low, Harold gracefully leaping over it with a cocky smile. "Just stay still!" Noah said, aiming the cannon higher before the third shot went off. This one flew towards the top box, forcing Chris and his two interns to dive away in panic – but the host happened to toss his remote control into the ball's flight path as he made his escape, and the device was shattered on impact along with his throne.
"Uh-oh," Chris said, standing back up and giving the sparking and smoking remains of his remote a fearful look.
The circular door in the ground opened back up even wider, and the camera backed away from a shot of the two boys and the cannon as they saw a veritable horde of mutants rise up out of the ground all at once: multiple mutant gophers, a mutant turtle, a spiny mutant beaver, the squid-tree, a laser squirrel, and Larry all glaring down at the two humans. Larry roared, and the perspective inverted to show the two boys screaming, and the stands in the background filled with shocked and worried faces.
xxx
"Larry...," Jasmine told the outhouse camera, narrowing her eyes darkly.
xxx
"Aww, I wonder if my gopher buddies missed me?" Izzy asked excitedly.
xxx
"I'm...kinda glad I never had to meet those things face-to-face before now, heheh," Cody admitted nervously.
xxx
The music quickly became dramatic again as the laser squirrel shot at the stands, forcing those in them to scream and scatter before the blast blew up a good chunk of the seats. The shot cut to the arena floor as Trent and Gwen fled in the foreground while Izzy fled in the background, before skidding to a stop at the sound of Cameron and Cody's screams. She looked back over to see the two boys with their backs against the wall being menaced by Fang, who grinned his toothy grin as he slowly walked towards them.
"Hey!" Izzy yelled sharply, getting the mutant shark's attention. "Remember this?" she said, the camera rotating behind Fang to show Izzy standing several yards away, the shot focusing in to show her holding the shark's tooth she'd accidentally taken in the season's second episode in her upper-right hand while upper-left and lower-right got into a martial arts stance and lower-left waved Fang forward. "Come and get it, big boy," Izzy said.
Fang snarled and charged towards her as the background music was taken over by a low drumming. The mutant shark pounced, but Izzy jumped over him and landed on his back, forcing him into the dirt as she jumped off. He growled and stood back up and looked around for her, only for his eyes to go wide as she launched into a strange, frantic, ululating battle cry and landed a flying kick to his belly that knocked him back several yards.
She landed on her feet and laughed proudly, only to gasp when Fang pounced back onto her from off-screen.
The drumming music faded back into the usual fast-paced challenge theme as the shot cut to Harold and Noah, who were now clashing sword-on-racket at the base of a junk pile. "Dude, shouldn't we, I don't know, deal with the mutants first or something?" Noah asked as his adversary pushed him into higher ground with repeated sword blows.
"And let you get away again?" Harold replied. "Get real!" He swiped Noah's legs out from under him, causing the boy to slide back down the pile next to him. But before he could capitalize a laser blast grazed the side of his arm, cutting the straps holding the armor plates in place. He looked back over his shoulder in anger to see the squirrel laughing at him, then scurrying off. Harold turned back around towards his opponent, but was quickly met by a blow to the chest as Noah threw himself at the armored dork, sending knocking both to the ground.
"Aren't you even gonna save your friends?!" Noah asked before Harold rolled him off. "Isn't that what you decided to do last time?"
"Yeah, and look how that turned out," Harold said as both boys got to their feet, a few more plates of armor falling from the junkyard samurai's right arm. "So this time I've decided to trust them to take care of themselves!"
He swung at Noah with his sword again, but the rogue managed to sidestep the slash. "Gee, I'm sure they'll love hearing that!" he said scathingly, blasting the warrior with the fire extinguisher again and running off.
The shot cut to the top box, where Chris was now being cornered by several mutant gophers. "The biohazardous waste was Chef's idea!" the host cried out defensively as the giant rodents closed around him, squealing angrily. "If you gotta chew someone's face off, chew his!" They moved in even further, forcing him to scream "HEEEEELP!" as he sank below their bodies.
A massive root-limb suddenly swept the gophers away, revealing the host crouched down with his hands on his head. He opened his eyes at the sound of a crash, and the shot cut backward to show Larry standing on the bottom wall of the empty seating area. He roared in triumph, prompting Chris to stand and smile in the direction his assailants had been thrown. "That's extra fertilizer for you tonight," he told his monstrous pet, the massive flytrap rubbing the host with its head as a touching tune played. "Awww, now go out there and terrorize some loser contestants," he told it with a rub and a pat.
He lifted his head and roared again, only to cut it short into a sort of startled gurgle as he was suddenly pulled downward. "Yeah, how about not," Jasmine said, the shot cutting outward to show her pulling the giant mutant down off the stands by one of its smaller root-limbs. Chris gasped in shock as Larry slammed down to the ground, and Jasmine gave him a strong kick in his central mass of dirt and roots. "You aren't gonna be terrorizing anyone," she said confidently as the music became strangely triumphant.
"That's right, fella," Justin said as the scene moved to him, now shirtless as he led the mutant beaver around. "You don't wanna hurt this, do you?" he asked, motioning to his glistening chest causing the beaver, hearts in its eyes, to nod dreamily. "Didn't think so," Justin said smoothly. "But I heard that guy does," he said, motioning over to the squid-tree which seemed to be preoccupied by a tug-of-war with Zoey over a screaming Lindsay. The mutant beaver snarled and charged at it, knocking it to the ground and allowing Zoey to pull her friend to safety.
The shot cut to Courtney, who was running away from the mutant squirrel as it happily shot its lasers at her. Until, that is, she narrowed her eyes and stopped in her tracks. "Okay, I've had about enough of you," she said sharply, turning around and kicking the hairless thing away. It bounced off the head of the mutant turtle, which had been looming over Leonard, Gwen, and Trent, but now turned and growled angrily at the young woman who had unintentionally assaulted it.
Courtney trembled in fear as it stomped towards her, but just as she started to scream the turtle was knocked to the side as Fang flew into it. Courtney, Leonard, Gwen, and Trent turned shocked looks to the side, the camera panning to see Izzy brushing two sets of hands off. "Don't you dare mess with us!" she yelled, repeating her strange battle cry as she jumped and flipped forward, landing on the fallen turtle's dazed head. She grinned as she sprouted a third pair of arms, and began to pummel the creature to the cheers of those she'd saved.
A pan put the camera back on Noah, watching the scene unfold with shock from nearby another junk pile. "Geez, maybe Harold was on to something...," he said before a shadow fell on him, the oddly triumphant music fading out as the tense challenge music resumed once more.
He gasped in shock and looked up at the pile behind him, the perspective moving behind him to show the silhouette of his opponent standing high above him. "You know it!" he said with a grin before jumping down and slashing towards Noah. The rogue grunted in irritation and scrambled out of the way, just before Harold landed with a metallic clatter and a pained groan.
He fumbled for the nozzle of his extinguisher as his foe lay stunned, but was unable to get it to work. "Come on you stupid thing, you can't be empty already!" he said frantically, squeezing the trigger again and again to no effect.
Harold pushed himself up by his hands and shook the stars out of his head, then got back to his feet with the rest of his armor save his helmet sliding off as he did so. "A-ha! I've finally got you!" he declared, swiping at Noah with his wooden sword. The schemer was struck in the left arm and fell to the ground with a pained shout, but quickly pulled the tennis racket from the bag on his back and used it to intercept the next slash and get back to his feet as the two weapons pressed against one another.
The scene cut to Gwen as she backed away warily to the left away from an advancing mutant gopher, then over to Courtney backing away similarly to the right from another gopher. The two girls bumped into each other, looked over their shoulders to briefly lock eyes, then looked away with a sniff and a huff and a scowl apiece. The shot zoomed out to show that the two gophers had cornered them, but their shock quickly faded as they both yelled out and kicked the rodent they were facing – Gwen's in the chin, Courtney's in the nose. Another few kicks got the gophers to turn and flee, squealing in fear, with the two young women now giving chase.
A further zoom caught another pair of rather terrified mutant gophers being chased through the arena by Cameron of all people, who was holding on tight to the dazed squirrel forcing it to use its lasers on its mutant brethren. The bubble-boy was followed closely by Trent, Cody, and Leonard, the three boys brandishing their arms and yelling as they helped chase the mutants around. They passed Justin and the feuding beaver and squid-tree, who had their attention drawn just in time to see the mutant turtle slamming into them. "Take that, you overgrown bottom-dweller!" Izzy yelled out after it, shaking a fist menacingly while another pair of hands brushed themselves off.
"Whoa," Justin said, looking from her to the three unconscious mutants in shock. "Great work, Izzy. Guess these mutants aren't so tough after all."
To his shock, Larry's head slammed down next to him as if in reply, his flower-tipped 'tongue' lolling out of his leafy maw. "Once you stand up to 'em, anyway," Jasmine said, the camera panning over to show her holding the monster plant's stem-neck tight under her arm. A pair of cheers caused the shot to zoom out, revealing Zoey and Lindsay sitting on top the fallen plant's main mass, high-fiving as its two largest root-limbs, which had been tied together, twitched pathetically.
The rumble of thunder echoed through the air, taking over for the background music entirely as the blanket of dark clouds filling the sky finally broke into a light rain. The camera panned down past what looked to be the tallest pile of junk, some sort of metal bed frame sticking out of the top, to Noah and Harold. The two boys were now breathing heavily, but continuing to clash their weapons despite their exhaustion and to little avail.
"Why won't you just fall already?" Noah said in growing frustration, the shot moving in for a close-up as the rain ran down his massive forehead. "How do you still have any energy? I mean come on, you were running around in heavy armor for most of this!"
"I could say the same for you," Harold replied, the shot moving to his close-up as the rain pattered on his makeshift kabuto helmet. "Err, the energy part, not the armor part," he quickly clarified before hastily blocking a strike from the side that Noah launched during his brief moment of distraction. "The point is, after all the running around you've been doing you should be tired too."
"What, are you going blind now?" Noah asked irritably as the two clashed weapons again. "I am tired, genius! I've done everything I can to wear you out, but nothing's worked so far!" With a burst of frustration he grabbed his racket with both hands and shoved Harold back a few inches across what was quickly becoming muddy ground, only for the warrior to keep his balance and block the blow Noah had intended to sweep the legs out from under him. "Just like everything else in my life, I've waited patiently and bided my time, scraping together every last little thing that could be to my advantage only to have it fall out under me at the last moment. But you know what? I am NOT letting it go to waste this time!" He pushed forward again with enough viciousness to knock Harold back and break his guard and balance as the push ended, allowing Noah to follow up with a racket-push across his chest, sending the unarmored samurai falling back into the mud.
Noah quickly moved to pin his opponent, but with a wheeze Harold managed to throw him off with his wooden sword. Noah growled with frustration and pounded the mud, and both boys got back to their feet. "What, do you think this is easy for me?" Harold asked in disbelief as the two stood face to face a few feet away from each other, panting heavily in the steadily increasing rain with their weapons not quite raised. "Do you even know how much I have to live up to? How much I'm fighting for? I have four generations of Harold McGradys whose honor I must uphold. I have to avenge Zoey, my dear friend who was eliminated by your actions." The shot briefly cut to the girl in question, who blushed faintly and smiled at Jasmine as Harold continued off-screen with "And I have to make up for the mistake that allowed you to be here instead of Jasmine." Although the survivalist drew herself up to her full height her stoic expression didn't change, and Zoey soon turned to watch the challenge again.
Another rumble of thunder filled the air as the shot cut back to Noah and Harold staring each other down. "It's time to show I have what it takes to win!" Harold declared.
Another pause, another rumble of thunder, and the screen split to show each boy tightening their grip on their weapon. The two cameras panned up to their rain-drenched faces, and at the same time they shouted "I'm not backing down!"
They charged forward with screams of frustration and ambition and desire, and the two halves of the split-screen slid away to reveal a distance shot of them running towards each other in front of the tallest junk pile.
Just as they reached one another and swung their racket and wooden sword, lightning struck the metal frame sticking out of the top of the pile and the scene was engulfed in light...
The light slowly faded to reveal the two finalists with their back to each other, weapons held out in front of them, on the opposite sides they'd started from – Harold now facing the left, Noah now facing the right. The only sound present was the pouring rain and their heavy breaths.
The shot cut from a close-up of Harold to a close-up of Noah, and then to a series of shots of the losers as they watched with baited breath. First Jasmine and Zoey, then Gwen and Trent, then Cameron and Courtney, then Justin and Lindsay, and lastly Cody and Leonard and Izzy.
With a strangled groan, Noah fell backward into the mud.
Harold's supporters perked up. "Harold, you can win!" Zoey called out first.
"Dude, pin him!" Trent added seconds later.
"This is your chance, mate, go for it!" Jasmine chimed in. The three kept sending their encouragement his way, with Leonard and Lindsay and even Justin joining in.
Harold looked at them, grinned weakly, and fell backward on top of Noah.
"ONE!" the former contestants all called out together, some more reluctantly than others.
"TWO!"
"THREE!"
"Boo-yah...," Harold finished with a look of pure satisfaction on his face, the rain finally letting up as a truly triumphant anthem rose gloriously up from the background.
"He's done it!" Chris announced excitedly, arriving on the scene in his Chef-pulled chariot. "Harold, has done it! Harold wins Total Drama Revenge of the Island, and the million dollar prize!"
"Yeah! I won!" Harold cheered in sheer excitement, lifted up by his supporters and shown against a radiant golden background.
xxx
"Even though I never doubted myself for a second," Harold told the confessional camera with a smug grin and nod, "actually winning this whole competition has gotta be like the greatest feeling ever." He nodded at the camera before his excitement seemed to bubble over, leading him to throw his arms up in the air and shout "THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!"
xxx
Noah seemed eerily devoid of emotion as he began his confessional. "Yup, I really should've known better than to expect anything else," he said. "I do everything I can think of to win and pull out all the stops, only to lose to the very dweeb I brought to the end with me. It's official, the universe hates me."
His eye twitched...and with a sudden scream of rage he punched the camera lens, forcing it to cut to static. The last thing it recorded was the sound of shattering of glass and a subsequent cry of pain.
xxx
The footage resumed on a shot of the season's twelve losers aboard a large speedboat with Chef at the wheel. A pan to the left along the Dock of Shame after the boat's engine started landed the focus on Chris and Harold, the host holding on to the prized briefcase. "Congratulations Harold, to the winner go the spoils," he said, the shot cutting in close to the case as its lid was flipped open. "One million dollars, in cold hard cash!" Chris announced, a radiant golden background appearing behind the money as a glorious tune played.
The case was closed and handed to the grinning Dweeb. "Sweet," he said, sagging slightly under his prize's weight when the host let go of it. Nevertheless, he managed to carry it all the way to the boat without further issue.
"Congratulations, man," Trent said. "You really earned it. And sorry for being such an idiot when I was voted off."
"Thanks, and consider yourself totally forgiven," Harold told him.
"So, what are you gonna spend your prize money on?" Cody asked excitedly. "World's largest fooz-ball table? Every video game ever made?"
"A book of mighty spells?" Leonard suggested.
"How about a makeover?" Lindsay said eagerly.
"Ooh, or a llama farm!" Izzy added, rubbing her hands in anticipatory glee.
"Please," Courtney scoffed, "obviously he should just invest it!"
"All excellent suggestions," Harold said with a knowing nod. "But before that, I have something else in mind. Jasmine," he told his former friend, who raised a brow in surprise, "I wanna offer you half the prize money. Not out of love or anything," he explained, "but to make up for the mistake I made that cost you your place in the finale."
Jasmine smiled, but shook her head. "Thanks but no thanks," she told him. "That money's all yours, mate, you earned it fair and square."
Harold nodded in acceptance. "So can you at least forgive me for what I did?"
"I think I can get around to it, yeah," Jasmine smirked.
"Yes!" Harold said, pumping his fist in victory and stepping on to the boat between Zoey and Jasmine.
Zoey hugged him from the side, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Congratulations, Harold," she told him. "I'm glad you were able to do so much. But what are you gonna spend the money on, anyway?" she asked.
"I think I'll use it to put out an album," Harold said. "You guys might not know it, but I'm totally a wicked awesome beatboxer. Not to mention all the other instruments I can play."
"Aww, dude, sweet!" Trent laughed, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "If you need someone to play guitar, just hit me up."
"Hey, I can play the keys if you want me to," Cody leaned over to offer.
"Sorry for giving you grief this season, man," Justin interrupted. "And if you want a really hot guy to join your band, just call my agent. He's been really pushing me to diversify, and I think a music gig might get him off my back." He handed the victorious Dweeb a business card, which was accepted with a smile.
Harold looked around in wonder. "Gee, guys, I don't know what to say. I guess we got ourselves a band!"
"Yeah!" Trent and Cody and Justin chorused, the four boys group-fiving as a short rock riff played in the background.
Trent was soon pulled aside by Gwen, however, who planted a deep kiss on his lips. "Looks like you've hit the big time," she said happily as she broke the kiss.
"Looks like it," Trent said, looking into her eyes and wrapping his arms around her waist
As they began to kiss again, the camera panned to the front of the boat where Cameron and Noah stood closest to Chef – Cameron watching Gwen and Trent and the others with a smile; Noah rubbing his bandaged right hand with his back towards the rest of the group. "Wow, looks like things are looking up for pretty much everybody!"
"That include you, Bubble Boy?" Noah asked dryly, still focused on his self-inflicted injury.
"I guess so," Cameron answered after a moment's thought. "I mean, since I never sustained ans serious injuries on the show I doubt I'll have to go back to my bubble. What about you?" he asked, looking at his former teammate with a hint of concern. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Noah said nothing for several seconds, and the camera cut outward as the boat finally started moving away from the dock. Only then did the runner-up answer "...meh, I'll deal."
"Well, that's it for another season," Chris said, the shot cutting to him as the music became solemn. He paused as the speedboat carrying the cast passed between him and the camera, then turned impishly towards them and said "Except for one last surprise I hid on their boat." He broke into a devilish grin, and the shot cut to the boat speeding across the lake. "First rule of showbiz," his hand rose up in front of the camera holding his remote control, "always go out with a bang." He pressed the button.
The perspective immediately inverted to show him getting caught up in an explosion that destroyed a good chunk of the dock. The former campers were shown cheering with glee, and the shot cut back just in time to catch Chris falling back down with a scream into the water. He quickly surfaced, spat out a mouthful of water, and sputtered around in confusion. "Huh?" he asked before the shot cut to Chef, the camera jumping in closer and closer to him in time with a high, sharp, and deadly tune, ending on his sly smirk. "CHEF!" the host yelled, shaking his fist in anger.
He quickly cleared his throat, though, and as he did the series' capstone theme began to play. "Until next time," he smiled at the camera, "I'm Chris McLean, and this has been Total!" The scene cut to the Mutant Forest of Death and its bizarre mushrooms. "Drama!" The shot cut to the bog, the small island where Larry had once taken root now empty. "Rrrevenge, of the Island!" The shot cut to the abandoned mine, its raised entrance still blocked by fallen rocks.
The shot cut to Chris, still floating by the Dock of Shame as the sound of a helicopter suddenly rose up along side a tense and dramatic tune. "You're busted, McLean!" an authoritarian voice said to the host's shock, prompting him to look up.
"For what?" he asked in outrage.
"Creating an environmental disaster, that's what!" the voice answered, the camera cutting outward to show not only the helicopters that were hovering over the beach but also the two groups of hazmat-suited people standing on the busted dock. "Residents of Wawanakwa," the voice announced, "your island is now under government protection! You're hereby quarantined!" The shot cut back in closer, showing the skinnier figures on the left holding water buckets and the muscular figures on the right holding mops. "Prepare for heavy scrub decontamination!"
The pained cries of Chris McLean filled the air as the camera cut out even further, showing the usual long-distance shot of the island as the boat carrying the rest of the cast passed by, the former contestants still laughing and cheering.
/
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[[DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT WAS IT? DID YOU REALLY THINK THAT WAS THE END?]]
[[SORRY, BUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IS...]]
/
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/
The light slowly faded to reveal the two finalists with their back to each other, weapons held out in front of them, on the opposite sides they'd started from – Harold now facing the left, Noah now facing the right. The only sound present was the pouring rain and their heavy breaths.
The shot cut from a close-up of Harold to a close-up of Noah, and then to a series of shots of the losers as they watched with baited breath. First Jasmine and Zoey, then Gwen and Trent, then Cameron and Courtney, then Justin and Lindsay, and lastly Cody and Leonard and Izzy.
With a dramatic cry, Harold fell backward into the mud.
Noah's supporters perked up. "Quick, Noah, pin him!" Gwen called out first.
"Hurry up!" Courtney commanded seconds later. "You can win this!"
"This is what you've been fighting for!" Cameron chimed in. The three kept sending their encouragement his way, with Cody and even Izzy joining in.
Noah looked at them, uttered a single weak chuckle, and fell backward on top of Harold.
"ONE!" the former contestants all called out together, some more reluctantly than others.
"TWO!"
"THREE!"
"Finally...!" Noah finished with a slight sob, covering his eyes as water streamed from their corners. The rain finally began to let up, and a truly triumphant anthem rose gloriously up from the background.
"He's done it!" Chris announced excitedly, arriving on the scene in his Chef-pulled chariot. "Noah, has done it! Noah wins Total Drama Revenge of the Island, and the million dollar prize!"
"I did it!" Noah repeated in sheer disbelieving excitement as he was lifted up by his supporters and shown against a radiant golden background.. "I really won!"
xxx
"I'm not crying, okay? It's just the rain!" Noah protested in the confessional, wiping away the obvious tears from his eyes. He stared at the camera for a second, then laughed and wiped away even more. "Okay, but can you really blame me? For the first time in my life, I feel like I've come out on top!"
xxx
Harold was openly bawling as his confessional began. "Oh, the shame!" he cried, holding his muddy helmet in one hand before him. "How can I face my father now? How can I face my friends? I entered this competition to become a man, but the only thing I've become is a failure..." He dramatically bowed his head, bringing the helmet he'd crafted close to his chest.
xxx
The footage resumed on a shot of the season's twelve losers aboard a large speedboat with Chef at the wheel. A pan to the left along the Dock of Shame after the boat's engine started landed the focus on Chris and Noah, the host holding on to the prized briefcase. "Congratulations Noah, to the winner go the spoils," he said, the shot cutting in close to the case as its lid was flipped open. "One million dollars, in cold hard cash!" Chris announced, a radiant golden background appearing behind the money as a glorious tune played.
The case was closed and handed to the grinning, starry-eyed Schemer. "Come to Papa you sweet, sweet million," he said, sagging slightly under his prize's weight when the host let go of it. Nevertheless, he managed to carry it all the way to the boat without further issue.
"Wow, Noah, congratulations," Gwen told him. "You really pulled through in the end. I'm happy for you."
"Thanks," Noah said. "And uh, sorry for all the questionable stuff I did these past few weeks," he added, rubbing the back of his head with a slight sheepishness. "I had to press every advantage I could get, y'know?"
"Hmmph," Courtney said, crossing her arms and smirking. "Well, I'll admit you did play a good game."
"Yeah, unlike other people I could mention," Gwen muttered under her breath, earning a surprised and hurt look from her former friend.
"So, what are you gonna spend your prize money on?" Cody asked excitedly. "World's largest fooz-ball table? Every video game ever made?"
"A book of mighty spells?" Leonard suggested.
"How about a makeover?" Lindsay said eagerly.
"Ooh, or a llama farm!" Izzy added, rubbing her hands in anticipatory glee.
"You guys are all wrong," Harold butted in. "He should totally take lessons in the ancient art of ninjitsu!"
"Uh...yeah...those are all great suggestions," Noah replied with light sarcasm, "but I've got a list of thing that I actually wanna spend money on, so I'll be going with those. Although," he said after a moment of thought, "every video game ever made is on that list," he told Cody.
"Sweet," the first-boot said. "I guess great minds think alike!"
"Yeah, sure," Noah told him with a hint of condescension before stepping on the boat next to Gwen and Cameron. "So, Bubble Boy, you gonna go back inside your plastic shell now or what?"
"Actually, since I didn't sustain any serious injury this season," Cameron explained happily, "I don't think I need to return to it at all!"
"Wow, Cameron, that's great!" Gwen told him with a smile. "Looks like coming out here really did you some good."
"Yeah, kid," Noah added, "now you can see all the fresh horrors the outside world has in store for you." He and Gwen and Cameron laughed, although Cameron's quickly turned nervous.
The camera moved over to Harold, standing between Trent and Zoey and sighing sadly. "Dude, sorry you lost," Trent told him, putting a hand on the loser's shoulder. "And for being a jerk to you when I got eliminated too."
"It's fine," Harold said depressedly, "I understand. I made my share of mistakes too this season. I just wish I could've made up for them," he said, sending a forelorn look over at Jasmine, who was standing in the back of the group next to Justin. The survivalist noticed her former friend's gaze, but hung her head and looked away immediately.
Zoey looked from Harold to her and back again. "Well...I'm sure she'll forgive you if you just give her time," she told him. "I mean, she can't stay mad at you forever, right?"
"I hope not," Harold said sadly.
The camera zoomed back to Jasmine and Justin as the male model looked from Harold's direction to the young woman beside him. "Wow, you're not even gonna console him after his loss?" he taunted. "That's cold."
"Save it," Jasmine shot back without looking at him.
"Hey, I'm just saying," Justin said, putting his hands up defensively. "Not that I blame you. The guy's a total loser, and to be honest I'm not sure why you were ever on his side to begin with. You should've known he was gonna let you down."
"I said, save it!" Jasmine growled, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him close to her with one hand.
"Right, right, forget I said anything," Justin said nervously as the camera cut outward to show the boat finally starting to move away from the dock.
"Well, that's it for another season," Chris said, the shot cutting to him as the music became solemn. He paused as the speedboat carrying the cast passed between him and the camera, then turned impishly towards them and said "Except for one last surprise I hid on their boat." He broke into a devilish grin, and the shot cut to the boat speeding across the lake. "First rule of showbiz," his hand rose up in front of the camera holding his remote control, "always go out with a bang." He pressed the button.
The perspective immediately inverted to show him getting caught up in an explosion that destroyed a good chunk of the dock. The former campers were shown cheering with glee, and the shot cut back just in time to catch Chris falling back down with a scream into the water. He quickly surfaced, spat out a mouthful of water, and sputtered around in confusion. "Huh?" he asked before the shot cut to Chef, the camera jumping in closer and closer to him in time with a high, sharp, and deadly tune, ending on his sly smirk. "CHEF!" the host yelled, shaking his fist in anger.
He quickly cleared his throat, though, and as he did the series' capstone theme began to play. "Until next time," he smiled at the camera, "I'm Chris McLean, and this has been Total!" The scene cut to the Mutant Forest of Death, and its bizarre mushrooms. "Drama!" The shot cut to the bog, the small island where Larry had once taken root now empty. "Rrrevenge, of the Island!" The shot cut to the abandoned mine, its raised entrance still blocked by fallen rocks.
The shot cut to Chris, still floating by the Dock of Shame as the sound of a helicopter suddenly rose up along side a tense and dramatic tune. "You're busted, McLean!" an authoritarian voice said to the host's shock, prompting him to look up.
"For what?" he asked in outrage.
"Creating an environmental disaster, that's what!" the voice answered, the camera cutting outward to show not only the helicopters that were hovering over the beach but also the two groups of hazmat-suited people standing on the busted dock. "Residents of Wawanakwa," the voice announced, "your island is now under government protection! You're hereby quarantined!" The shot cut back in closer, showing the skinnier figures on the left holding water buckets and the muscular figures on the right holding mops. "Prepare for heavy scrub decontamination!"
The pained cries of Chris McLean filled the air as the camera cut out even further, showing the usual long-distance shot of the island as the boat carrying the rest of the cast passed by, the former contestants still laughing and cheering.
(Fade to Credits)
Author's Note - Post Script
And thus, it ends. Both young nerd fought hard, but ultimately it was Noah who emerged the official victor of Total Shuffled Revenge of the Island.
This decision was not made without considerable thought, and for a long time I had intended Harold to be the ultimate victor - I do prefer the good guys to win, after all. But, of course, I ended up being swayed. In part, I will admit, it was because so many of you expressed a desire for Noah to win - normally I try not to be swayed like that, but after a lot of thought I saw the merits of it. I mean, I had intended all season that Noah, though nominally an antagonist, would be much less villainous than any of the others in his role. So why not highlight the difference by allowing him to finally claim victory? I was going to make him sympathetic either way, and he really isn't an especially bad person like Alejandro, or Scarlett, or Sugar. Noah was, I think, a villain because he needed to be, not because he wanted to be.
Of course, his ending is still in many ways 'worse' than the alternate one, particularly for Harold. Our annoying-yet-lovable dweeb missed out on the money, the band, and even Jasmine's forgiveness...but on the other hand, Harold's ending was worse for Noah, though perhaps not to the same degree.
The two messages from home still make me smile to think about. Showing off Harold McGrady IV quickly became the obvious choice for Harold's video chat, and I think it gives an interesting look into why our Harold is the way he is. Or at least why he thinks so highly of himself, and what motivates him. And for Noah, well, I obviously had to include his dog. And then his mother, to mirror Harold's dad. Noah, though certainly a private person with a prickly personality, does have a soft side and I wanted to show that here. Again, a lot of who he is was born of necessity.
I hope you all enjoyed the motifs I gave them this episode. The possibility of mimicking 'Iron Cam' with one of them was never really on the table in my mind; that was such a classic Cameron thing that it would feel wrong to give it to Noah or Harold. Especially because 'Iron Cam' was meant to highlight Cameron's brains versus Lightning's brawn, a dynamic which was completely absent in the Shuffled finale. So instead, I went with sort of a rogue versus warrior theme, which better mirrors their playstyles and personalities - underhanded and tricky Noah who wants to wear his opponent down before bringing out something big but risky, versus more straightforward and dramatic Harold who goes with the direct approach of hitting Noah with a sharpened stick. And as for the added junk piles...well, I figured Chris would want to make things a bit more interesting for a nerd-v-nerd fight, plus it allowed be to better facilitate Noah's strategy.
And then we have the mutants. Originally I hadn't given it much thought beyond having them basically repeat their canon performance (relatively speaking, as their was no good reason to have Staci take Zeke's role again). But at some point, I'm not sure exactly when, I realized...Jasmine's not gonna take it, especially after the way she got eliminated. And Izzy wouldn't take it either. And...it just kind of spiraled out from there until the entire cast was routing the entire attacking force of mutants. And I really liked it! Not just because of how awesome it was to imagine and write, but also because at the start of the season the mutants were made out to be this huge, terrifying group of relatively unknown threats. But just about every last one has been overcome by the cast, so it only felt right that the finale would showcase the mutant's complete defeat. And in hindsight, their reduced role in All-Stars makes it even more natural.
But...yeah, that's the end of Total Shuffled Revenge of the Island! The first thirteen-episode season was kind of a different experience that the original trilogy, mostly due to the pacing but the cast itself also made things interesting. Though I know that it has its flaws, like the previous entries of the Shuffled series, I sincerely enjoyed writing it and I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed reading it.
It feels strange to say this, but for six of these players their story is over - they won't be competing again any time in the foreseeable future. But the other seven of them will be moving on to Total Shuffled All-Stars, which will debut Friday, May 13th, 2016, aka next week. Look forward to it.
And until then, let me know what you thought of the finale, and of the season as a whole! I truly love to hear both your feedback and your thoughts. So until next week, enjoy yourselves and have fun!
- Fangren
Appendix: TSROTI Eliminated Contestants
Cody - (13th Place)
Izzy - (RETURNED | Formerly AWOL)
Leonard - (12th Place)
Justin - (11th Place)
Lindsay - (10th Place)
Cameron - (9th Place)
Izzy - (Tied for 7th Place | Mutated, but captured)
Gwen - (Tied for 7th Place)
Zoey - (6th Place)
Trent - (5th Place)
Courtney - (4th Place)
Jasmine - (3rd Place)
Harold - (RUNNER-UP | Alternate Winner)
Noah - (WINNER | Alternate Runner-Up)
