Author's Note
Here we are at long last, the beginning of the fourth quarter of Total Shuffled Wolrd Tour! The episodes from here on out are, as previously stated, following the canon order - meaning Niagara Falls today, then China next week, and so on. The finale is quickly approaching, and I'm quite excited about it.
Because I was able to finish next week's episode last night, I have Saturday free meaning fans of Total Drama Rebirth should expect a new chapter Saturday or Sunday. If you haven't checked that fic out yet, then I encourage you to do so - it's a little different, but it's good.
And now for this week's batch of reviews.
Elizabeth Fire Ice Heart: Hahaha, thanks. I always like to see that level of excitement about my work.
acosta perez jose ramiro: Thanks! That's really the bets I could hope for; knowing that I still wanted Blaineley's Aftermath arc to end the same as canon meant I couldn't do much to alter the plot, so I'm glad the Shuffled cast made up for it.
P. T. Piranha: Hah, yeah, sorry about the fake-out. But I've had Blaineley in mind for this for a while now, and nobody else really compares. But this is because, unlike canon, I actually have more things for Blaineley to do other than the handful of things she accomplished in canon - a bit of comic relief, getting Chef in trouble, and her admittedly great last scene. I hope you enjoy what I do with her.
PizzaTheBomb: I'm glad you liked it, especially the Topher and Sierra moments as it's been a while since their rivalry has been in=focus. I know Blaineley isn't a lot of people's favorite characters, but I had her enter the competition for a reason and I hope you enjoy the next couple chapters.
bruno14: Haha, yeah, I think a lot of people were rooting for Topher to win a spot on the plane. Ultimately, though, I just wanted to give the spot to Blaineley. Glad you loved the song and the challenge, even though they were so similar to canon. Oh, and I wouldn't call Dakota an animal lover exactly, but she knows that helping an injured bear will help her image.
DSX62415: Yeah, pretty much! Humiliated on the Aftermath, and sent to a show where she's destined to be humiliated further. That's just the role Blaineley fills in the Total Drama universe.
Animation Adventures: Hah, I think most of us love it when Blaineley suffers - she's a character that's designed to be disliked. if not outright hated. Glad you enjoyed the Second Chance Challenge - Scarlett was an obvious pick, just for the pitfall gag alone; Scott gave it a bit of snark in Noah's place; Lightning seemed like he'd make for an entertaining loss; and of course the Sierra-Topher rivalry had to be included once I'd decided on Topher as the requisite 'wasn't on the plane in the first place' competitor. And honestly, the whole ending was the first time I really felt able to do something major with Topher's 'I want to be the host' thing, since I ignored it during the first two seasons and wasn't able to display it as much as I wanted this season. Oh, and thanks for reminding me that I didn't talk about the song in last week's Post Script; as you said it was a Shuffled mix, and I'm kinda proud of it. Fun fact: the line "She forced her way onto our stage, but not into our hearts" was the first original line I came up with for it.
I. M. Poik: Glad to hear all the canon mirrors and Shuffled callbacks went over so well! I mean, I wasn't really worried about them, but it's always nice to hear when people like the little details. Regarding the lack of a Fugitives segment, I decided that since the canon episode didn't have it, there wasn't enough 'time' for it, and it would be explained soon enough anyways, it wasn't worth including, so sorry to disappoint. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this week's episode!
RedHornedUnicowz: Thanks! And yeah, the Blaineley montage was meant to be disgusting; it was meant to humiliate her, after all.
StayOuttaMyShed: Yup, that's exactly why I left out any mention of Staci last week - there wasn't any Fugitives segment in canon, so I saw no reason (or opportunity) to include one in my version. Meaning, as you said, that the episode was very close to canon. Luckily, the characters made up for it I think - the Topher-Sierra rivalry will always be going strong, but at least Scarlett's been wrapped up for the time being. Nice predictions as always; and I'm interested to see how, if at all, they change with this and the next few chapters.
FOWLKON: True, Blaineley is a pretty flat character, but that doesn't mean flat character don't have their uses. And I am admittedly sad that I didn't get the opportunity to give the last few eliminated players more time to talk, but that's the price I have to pay for sticking to the canon episode format.
LadyEnigma888: Don't worry, I have a few plans in store for Blaineley - she won't be as disappointing as in canon, I think. Glad you loved Sam and especially Topher last week; the latter especially is someone I've wanted to give more Aftermath screentime to for a while. His decision to stall for time at Blaineley's expense was just too good to pass up, as was using Uncle Borys for the final question - it needed to be something related at least tangentially to London, and since that's when Staci returned I figured it would be nice to reference her relative. I'm glad you liked it!
Commander Meat: Awesome, always great to hear from long-time fans. I'm glad you loved the chapter, and the scenes with Scarlett and Amy!
CVluvFoxy: Hey, no problem about not having reviewed in a while, I know these things happen. I'm glad you've enjoyed the past two episodes, and don't worry - I have plans for her, as you'll soon find out.
The Prime Writer: Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking with Staci - she could be useful in other roles, but ultimately I just wanted to keep her more-or-less contained to a few short bursts. I'm glad you're liking Ella's development, and I hope you enjoy what's to come with her. And yeah, Blaineley's vindictiveness and ability to actually reveal important secrets was one of the main draws to including her in the competition. I'm glad you enjoyed all the little touches with the Aftermath last week, and I'll admit that figuring out how Dakota and Bruno would interact took a little thinking - but ultimately, I decided she would help him, just for different reasons that Bridgette did in canon. And as always, thank you so much for reviewing.
Star Saber21: Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the Aftermath and I hope you enjoy what happens with Blaineley. And yeah, I see what you mean now about your previous review, though it's not something I would've done.
ljninja: Always great to hear from long-time fans, and Ezekiel-lovers to boot! Interesting prediction, and I'm interested in seeing your reaction to how things play out.
Explorer of the Unknown: Yeah, she never really did very much in canon, but luckily I have plans to rectify that mistake - hopefully I've pulled them off well enough. Glad you enjoyed the scenes you mentioned; Lightning turning down Amy was just such an obvious parallel to do with the Gwen-Trent scene from canon, and I couldn't pass up giving Scarlett the Hannibal treatment. As for the clip of Blaineley revealing her true weight, I just honestly don't like those 'haha, look how fat she is' types of jokes. And with Sam being fat himself, I don't think he'd pick it for the 'Best Of' reel even knowing it would embarrass her.
And that's that for this week's reviews. As always, the TVTropes page for this series could always use more work, and I greatly appreciate the effort everyone has put into it so far and I look forward to what you all add next.
For those who have forgotten, the contestants as they are at the beginning of this week's episode are still as follows:
Team Victory - Ezekiel, Tyler, Ella, Sugar
Team Universe - Sammy, Alejandro, Dawn
But that's about to change, of course - Blaineley will enter, the teams will merge, and it'll be every player for themselves! ...and their spouses, because they're getting married this week. Enjoy!
- Fangren
Episode 19 – Niagara Brawls
"Last time, on Total Drama World Tour," Chris opened as the plane was shown spinning out on the Swedish ice, "the gang nearly turned into Swedish meatball pops!" he added over a shot of the cast shivering before the recap flashed ahead to Dawn and Sammy conversing in economy class, getting Alejandro involved as well. "But our competition heated way up when Dawn and Samey put the burn on Alejandro to try and break his hold over Ella." The two blondes were shown taunting their teammate from afar during the boat-building challenge, then conspiring together in the cargo hold.
"But Alejandro was holding on tight to Ella's heart," Chris added over a clip of Alejandro finally telling Ella that he loved her, "steamy! Meanwhile, Sugar was taking advantage of Ella and Alejandro's love-fest by convincing Tyler to give up on his crush." Sugar was shown talking to the jock at various point throughout the episode, Tyler's mood dropping more and more with each passing shot.
"Unfortunately, her and Alejandro's plans went down blazing when Samey and Dawn finally got Ella to see Al for who he really is," Chris finished over clips of Sammy leading Ella down the hall to first class, then both listening in as Dawn got Alejandro to reveal his plans, and lastly Ella confronting her former crush, slapping him and running away in tears.
"Will Alejandro be able to recover?" Chris asked from the cockpit as the recap montage ended. "We'll see, 'cause this time I'm adding someone's who gonna kick things up to thermonuclear!" he declared excitedly, Chef rolling his eyes from the pilot's seat. "This show is so hot, it'd take about a bazillion gallons of water to cool us off. And we got 'em!" he added slyly. "Comin' up, on Total! Drama! World Tour!"
A flock of geese flew under the plane as the intro sequence ended.
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
An ominous tune was playing as the episode faded into a shot of the Total Drama plane in flight; the shot cut from there to a close-up of Staci sound asleep, curled up on what appeared to be a bed made out of a parachute. The camera pulled back a ways to reveal the wolfish girl slumbering in some secluded cranny in the inner workings of the plane, and with a continuous snoring the shot quick-panned down to the cargo hold where, oddly enough, most of the rest of the cast were sleeping themselves. Sammy, Dawn, Tyler, Ezekiel, Ella, and Alejandro were spread out over the cargo bay door with a pair of swan-shaped paddle boats, and a pair of interns soon dragged Sugar over by the armpits to join them.
The camera zoomed in on her snoring face, and a ripple effect transitioned the scene to what could only have been her dream.
/
A crowd was already cheering as a spotlight switched on, illuminating only Sugar as an emotional but victorious song began to play. The pageant queen was dressed in a lovely pink pageant gown, and smiling to the point of tears at the flowers she was holding, the sash labeled 'WINNER' slung over her, and the tiara in her hair.
"Thank you!" she told the invisible crowd through her tears, waving pageant-style and blowing a few kisses. "I love you all!"
The music suddenly turned sour as the sound of a pathetic sob was heard, and another spotlight switched on next to Sugar. The pageant star gasped, then scowled as she looked over to see none other than Ella, kneeling down on the 'floor' in her usual clothes and sobbing into her hands.
"Hey!" Sugar shouted angrily. "What're you doin' here in my dream, huh?"
The only answer she got was a renewed sobbing from her hated teammate, until Chris suddenly walked on-stage under a spotlight of his own. He was wearing the same light blue suit and tie he'd worn for the Gilded Chris ceremonies in season two, and had a very business-like demeanor as he walked past Sugar and took away the flowers, the sash, and the tiara. "Sorry," he told Sugar in a clearly non-apologetic tone, "but we have to give all this stuff to the girl we feel sorry for."
"What? But, but you can't!" Sugar said in horror, trying and failing to reach out to Chris as he walked away. The 'camera' showed the dreamer's perspective as she watched the host deliver the various trophies to Ella, who stopped crying and stood up the moment she had them. The roar of the crowd increased as Ella wiped away her tears, then turned and gave Sugar a dark and devilish smile.
"No...," Sugar muttered as the view switched back to her anguished face. "NOOOOO!"
/
The scene rippled back to the real world, a dramatic score playing as the camera pulled back from Sugar's face. The pageant star had woken up mid-scream, realized she was falling through the air along with the rest of the cast, and screamed again.
"Ahhh! Nooo! Y'all better wake up or we're gonna die!" she yelled, finally rousing those closest to her – Sammy, Ella, and Ezekiel – out of their slumber.
"Wha...huh?" Ezekiel muttered as he came to his senses enough to look down, realize what was going on, and scream. The shot pulled out again to show all seven contestants awake and screaming and falling, along with the pair of swan boats.
"Hey kids!" Chris called out, the shot changing to show him looking down from the open cargo hold. "You better get into your paddle boats!"
"Huh?" Ezekiel repeated in confusion before looking around in a panic and noticing the swan-shaped vessel. He quickly grabbed onto its neck, and the camera zoomed out to show Tyler and Sammy grab onto its back. A pan to the right showed Sugar, Ella, Alejandro, and Dawn grabbing the other one, and moments later the boats splashed down into a river running through a hilly forest.
"Ooh," Chris winced from the plane.
The shot cut back down to the water, the boats now floating with the current to the right. The seven contestants, dazed and drenched, got back on their feet. "Oh em gee, I thought we were done with the surprise free-falling," Sammy told the boys she was sharing a boat with.
Ezekiel nodded, as did Tyler before he looked back and adopted a look of panic. "Oh man," he said, frantically tapping Ezekiel on the shoulder while still looking backward, "wa...wa...water...!"
"Err, yer not just sayin' where we are, are you?" Ezekiel asked in confusion and growing panic as he and Sammy saw what Tyler had seen and gasped.
The camera cut to the large, roaring, and familiar-looking waterfall they were headed towards.
"Oh no!" Dawn cried as she and the other people in the second boat saw it.
"Waterfall!" Alejandro exclaimed, a dramatic note playing as he turned around in his seat and started paddling. "Quick! Paddle!" he commanded, Sugar immediately complying in the seat next to him while Dawn and Ella gave panicked looks backward.
"Hurry!" Ezekiel chimed in from the back of the first boat, Tyler and Sammy currently at the paddles.
"Okay, if we survive this," Sammy prayed with a look above, "I will so try to be more forgiving towards Amy even though she so doesn't deserve it!"
"If we survive," Alejandro chimed in with a similar look, "I'll forgive her for setting me up!"
"Umm, I can't promise I'll forgive anyone if we survive," Ella added with a brief but pained glare at Alejandro before she looked skyward, "but if we do, I will repay all the love that Tyler has shown me these past few weeks that I ignored for him!"
Alejandro scowled at the remark but did not look at her, but the camera panned ahead to the other boat to show that Tyler had indeed been listening, and his brow had shot up in surprise. It quickly faded into steely determination, and he dramatically pushed up his sleeves while declaring "That's it! I am not gonna let anybody die, especially not Ella! You with me?"
The question was directed at Sammy, who was momentarily startled by it. "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah?"
"Cool," Tyler nodded before turning back to his friend in the back seat. "Sorry dude, but I'm gonna have to ask a favor."
"Err...," was all Ezekiel managed to say before Tyler tied a rope around his waist then threw him at the other boat. He managed to grab onto the swan's neck, then looked back and angrily shook his fist. "What do you think yer doin', ya knob?"
"Saving us!" Tyler replied, tying the other end of the rope around his own waist then resuming his paddling. Several people screamed as the camera zoomed out to show the boats drifting dangerously close to the falls, until Tyler's paddling suddenly took effect and the lead boat took off, towing the other boat behind it.
The shot cut to a close-up of the river bank, the two boats shooting across the screen and crashing to the left out of sight. The camera panned across the landing site, the swan boats undamaged but the contestants strewn about panting in relief – except for Tyler, who's legs were sticking out of the stand and flailing.
"Oh no, Tyler!" Ella gasped, dashing forward and grabbing him. With a few tugs and a grunt of effort she managed to pull him free, and they shared a smile once he was back on his feet. "Thank you for saving us Tyler, it was very brave."
"No problem," the jock replied with a goofy and lovesick smile. "I'd do anything for you," he added, grabbing her arms, leaning forward, and puckering up.
Surprisingly, Ella looked taken aback by the sudden gesture. "Thank you, that's very sweet," she told him, "but we should probably check on the others first," she said with a bashful smile and a short point off-screen. Tyler looked a little startled, but let her go.
xxx
"I know I promised to pay back all the love that Tyler has shown me," Ella confessed, "but with it still being so soon after my break-up with Alejandro, I don't think I'm ready to go very far with him or anything. Sorry," she finished sheepishly.
xxx
"So, Niagara Falls is pretty awesome, eh?" Chris asked as the footage skipped forward to the cast walking along the beach with Chris coming up from the opposite direction.
"Yo, it nearly killed us eh!" Ezekiel countered.
"Like I said, awesome!" Chris replied. The camera cut to a close-up of the misty and rocky bottom of the falls, and the host continued. "The Falls is the jewel in Canada's crown," he explained as the shot panned up, "and, one of the top ten natural wonders in the world. It's also know for its fabulous casino," he added as the camera cut back to the beach, "which is where we'll be heading for the first part of the challenge."
The contestants smiled excitedly. "Wow, are you being serious?" Sammy asked as an angelic note played in the background.
/
The a rotating wipe transitioned the footage ahead, the contestants in the same position but now frowning. "Are you being serious?" Sammy repeated uncomfortably.
"Since you're all underage," Chris explained as the shot pulled back to show the cast assembled in what appeared to be the open space between a stage and its seating area, "we had to move the challenge from the gambling floor to the far less exciting casino concert hall." As his arms spread wide the camera zipped backward, revealing the various levels of seating and of course the stage itself.
"Ooh, I wonder if anybody's performin' today?" Sugar wondered excitedly.
"Well you're in luck, Sugar," Chris answered. "Last time on the Aftermath show, they had a 'Second Chance' challenge where one of the losers could score a spot back in the game. And we're about to enjoy a little number from the winner."
"Ooh, I hope it's DJ," Sammy said with an eager nod at Dawn who responded in kind.
"Well, as long as it isn't Scarlett again," Alejandro said to the general agreement of all.
"She's 200 pounds of sassy in a 90 pound package," Chris announced dramatically, the camera panning across the confused faces of the contestants as they tried to figure out who would be joining them, "and she's wearing 12 pounds of mascara. Iiiiit's, Blaineley!" He finished his announcement with a dramatic motion up towards the stage.
"Qué?" Alejandro asked in shock.
"What?" Ezekiel added.
"Who?" Sugar finished, joining the other in looking up at the stage above.
~/~
[A trendy electronic theme began to play as the camera panned upwards, the stage lights flashing on and off as a gigantic cake rose out layer by layer from the stage floor with a familiar blonde-haired, red-dressed woman standing proudly on a barrel at the very top.]
"Blain-Blain-Blain-Blain-Blainerific is my name, dishing dirt is my game! Invading your TV with my Blainelicious frame!"
[Blaineley sung into her microphone, the area behind her rapidly sliding away to be replaced by a red carpet scene for the second phrase. She shook her booty for the camera a few times, then the shot pulled back to show the red carpet scene through a television on a cart that Ezekiel was standing in front of with a wide grin.]
"Bla-Blainerific! S-s-so terrific!"
[Ezekiel sang, moving his hands in the shape of Blaineley's curves which hung on-screen as a dotted line. As he sang, Blaienely could be seen turning around on the television screen, then darting off. She reappeared at the end of Ezekiel's line, and shoved him away.]
"I'm fa-fa-famous! Famous!"
[She sang, striking a pose then turning to the side to allow the camera c lose-up of her in profile.]
"Isn't this against the rules? Does Chris think we're a buncha tools?"
[Tyler sang as an aside to Sugar, the scene moving back to the casino concert hall.]
"Rules? This ain't no Sunday school, Miss Thang up there's a ratings jewel!"
[Chris answered, abruptly leaning towards the jock and startling him]
"Bla-Blainerific!"
[Ezekiel added in front of a shot of Blaineley confidently walking across the stage, dropping down when the woman came upon a thoughtful-looking Ella.]
"I-It's not a tri-ick!"
[The princess added cheerily as Blaineley walked by and promptly pulled a cord of rope hanging at the edge of the stage, causing Ella to drop through a trap door.]
"I'm fa-fa-famous. Famous!"
[Blaineley repeated as she walked off stage and into what looked like some sort of coffee shop, where Alejandro and Ezekiel were seated in the background.]
"Get me a half-fat no-foam latte steamed to a hundred-two heat!"
[She demanded as she reached the counter, the music screeching to a halt as a pale-skinned arm reached out to hand her her drink. "I'm quite specific," she told the camera before taking the cup and walking back through the shop, the music returning as she went.]
"She's Blainerific!"
[Ezekiel sang eagerly as he watched the older woman walk by.]
"Oh so horrific..."
[Alejandro added skeptically, also watching the woman walk out of the 'shop'. A star-wipe out from the center of the screen took the scene back to what looked like the casino concert hall where Blaineley was standing with her microphone in hand.]
"I'm fa-fa-fam-"
[She began to sing before she was interrupted by the confused tones of Sugar.
"Hold on, who is she again?" the pageant queen asked as an aside to Tyler.
"WHAT?!" Blaineley yelled, the music screeching to a halt again as she leaned angrily towards an unimpressed Sugar. "Who am I? Who am I?" she asked the pageant queen. "Who are you?!"
"I'm the host of the 'Puppy Bachelorette'," she explained, a smooth and patient elevator music type of tune playing as the scene wiped from the concert hall to some sort of fancy room set with various books and vases on a bookcase against the rear wall. More importantly, an adorable corgi puppy with a light blue bow on its forehead sat happily atop a small Greek-styled column in the foreground next to where Blaineley was standing.
"I was nominated for a Gemmie Award!" Blaineley added, walking away from the puppy-centric scene, causally taking out a golden award and tossing it over her shoulder as she walked onto what looked like the interview set from her previous hosting job. "I interviewed you for 'Celebrity Manhunt'!' she sharply told Sugar, who was now seated in the interview chair and rolling her eyes.
Blaineley snapped her fingers, and a star-wipe transitioned the scene to her standing at a chemist's workbench, orange safety goggles on her head and glassware in her hands. The trendy electronic music started up again as the song resumed.]
"It's a fact and scientific, that I'm still Blainerific!"
[She sang as she emptied the contents of a test tube into an Erlenmeyer flask containing some grayish liquid; the two chemicals immediately reacted by bubbling ominously then exploding in a cloud of yellow-green gas. The cloud quickly cleared, however, to show Dawn and Sammy back-to-back spraying the area with fire extinguishers.]
"She's not so famous, I guess she's not so famous!"
[They sung to each other, smiling broadly as the song ended.]
~/~
Blaineley scowled for a moment, then huffed and rolled her eyes. "Ufff, whatevers! So which one of these loser teams am I on anyway?" she asked, the camera pulling back from the stage to show the host and other contestants still standing below.
"You're on your own," Chris replied. "Because as of right now, there are no more teams!"
A drumroll led up to an angelic chorus and Tyler and Ezekiel sharing an excited cry of "Yeah!" and high-fiving.
"Ladies, it's been an honor," Alejandro told his former teammates, shaking their hands. "Though I do hope the bonds we've forged can continue on in some fashion."
Sammy and Dawn shared an uncomfortable look. "We'll...get back to you on that," Sammy said.
"You probably shouldn't get your hopes up though," Dawn added bluntly, causing Alejandro to frown and walk away.
A sudden shoving sound got Sammy and Dawn's attention, the girls gasping as they saw what was being pushed out on-stage – a giant slot machine bearing the faces of Tyler, Alejandro, and Ezekiel on its reels. It was being pushed by Chef, who was wearing his usual glittery pink evening gown.
"Since we are in the honeymoon capital of the world," Chris explained as the camera pulled back, showing the full cast and emphasizing just how big the slot machines was compared to Blaineley who was still on stage, "I thought it'd be cool to drop some arranged marriages on you!" he said, rubbing his hands together and laughing with glee.
Ella and Alejandro were briefly shown glancing each other's way before determinedly huffing and looking aside.
"Check it!" Chris continued, the shot cutting back to the machine as Chef walked over to its lever. "Slots o' fun for me, not so fun for you." Chef grinned at the camera, then pulled the lever and causing the reels to spin – surprisingly, Dawn and even a bear were represented on them. "Each girl pulls the lever to win a husband who she'll team up with for today's challenge," the host explained as his assistant motioned to the reels, the camera zooming in as one-by-one they landed on Alejandro and the lights around the display started dinging and flashing.
Sammy immediately raised a hand. "Umm, there's only three guys, but five girls, so..."
"Glad you brought that up, Samey," Chris grinned. "The genders are uneven. But since two of the girls are dating each other," Sammy and Dawn were shown again watching blankly, "we figured it would be okay to stick one of 'em in there with the husbands. And Dawn, it's your lucky day!" Chris grinned again, pointing at the moonchild who looked slightly taken aback.
"Oh...," she said plainly.
/
The footage skipped ahead to a close-up of a trapdoor on top of the giant slot machine as Chef tried to force the lid down on Alejandro, Tyler, Ezekiel, and Dawn who were stuck in there together and quite vocal about their discomfort. Chef managed to stuff them down soon enough, only to let the door swing open again. The camera pulled back as he motioned to something above him; moments later, a brown bear was lowered from the ceiling in a cage.
"Umm...what's with the bear?" Sammy asked nervously, all four sidelined girls surprised and shocked at the roaring bruin.
"Casinos are all about excitement," Chris explained. "And what's more exciting than a big, angry bear?" he added, walking over to the machine and motioning upwards as Chef guided the cage above the trapdoor, then gave a thumbs-up. That turned out to be a signal to cause the bottom of the cage to drop out, dropping the bear into the slot machine with the other contestants. Roars and screams and sounds of violence ensued as the trapdoor swung close again, and Dawn could be heard saying "Please, none of us want this!" to it.
"Trust me," Chris told the future 'wives' with a smile, "you don't wanna land on that guy. Let the games begin!" he announced with a faint drumroll, the shot cutting to the end of the line where the pageant queen stood. "Sugar, you're up," Chris said, earning a dark grin from the young woman.
"Well then," she said, cracking her knuckles as she stepped forward to the arm of the machine, "time to win me a hubby!" She spit on her hands, rubbed them together, and pulled.
The reels started spinning, and with plenty of dings one by one they landed on...Dawn.
"Shoot," Sugar grumbled, snapping her fingers in annoyance, "I got a girl. This ain't gonna do at all!" She walked forward to the open chute at the bottom of the machine, and slammed its door shut just as Dawn could be seen and heard sliding down.
Naturally, the moonchild slammed right into the tightly-closed door with a metallic clang. "Ow! Who would do such a thing?" Dawn asked from within the machine.
"Sugar!" Chris announced happily. "You've won-"
"I demand another go!" Sugar told him, walking over with her hands on her hips. "Gettin' hitched to another girl might be nice fer some people, but I ain't one of 'em."
"Oh, that's fine," Sammy said quickly, the shot cutting to show her already at the reopened shoot with a dazed Dawn in her arms. "I'll just take her, if that's okay with everyone. I mean, she's my girlfriend after all, so it would just be awkward to pair her up with anyone else. This way, everyone wins right?" She spoke quickly, already leading Dawn away before the others could respond.
"Fine with me," Sugar shrugged as Chris just stared blankly.
"Same here!" Ella chimed in, leaving Blaineley to shrug as Sammy and Dawn walked by happily.
xxx
"So, it looks like the girly power couple might be the ones to beat," Blaineley told the restroom camera with a thoughtful look that quickly morphed into a confident smile. "You know, I've barely been here five minutes but I already have a great handle on this whole 'strategy' business."
xxx
Sugar had just spat on her hands and was preparing to pull the arm again when Chef suddenly grabbed her from behind.
"Whoa whoa there, Sugar," Chris told her sternly, "back of the line for you." Chef was shown dragging the unwilling pageant star back across the stage past Blaineley and Ella. "Blaineley, you're next."
The oldest woman stepped forward, noticed the slight path of Sugar's spit still on the knob of the arm, and made a noise of disgust. She pulled out a handkerchief, laid it on the knob, then pulled.
With plenty of dings, the reels spun and landed one by one on...Ezekiel.
"Whoa-oa!" the homeschooler hollered as he tumbled out of the chute and landed on his chin.
Blaineley sighed in annoyance as she walked over. "Well, at least it's not the bear," she said. "Plus it's not like he's as unlikeable as he was in season one," she added, "so marrying him shouldn't hurt my image too much."
"Wow, thanks eh," Ezekiel grumbled, picking himself up off the floor. "And after I was so enthusiastic aboot yer song, too."
"Songs are sweet and all," Blaineley replied simply, "but nothing's as important on TV as your likability index. I've studied everyone's," she explained before giving her new 'husband' a quick look over. "Now, what's going on with your face?"
"Err, I washed it this morning, eh," Ezekiel said, rubbing his cheek in confusion. "Did I get another zit or something?"
Blaineley pinched his cheek then tsked. "We need some make-up on those cheeks," she told him. "Contour them correctly, and you lose five pounds." Ezekiel raised an eyebrow and rubbed his cheek in even deeper confusion. "Make-up! Pronto!" Blaineley clapped with a happy smile that quickly faded when she realized her command had had no effect. "Stat? 911?" she amended, looking around in rising dread.
xxx
"What kind of TV show doesn't have a make-up department?" she asked the restroom camera in an irritable tone. "This cast needs to get some gumption. And some agents," she finished as a sly aside.
xxx
"Okay, I know I must've been saved for a reason," Ella said with her hands clasped and her eyes turned upward as she walked forward to take her turn, "so please let me get Tyler. Or at the very least not Alejandro." She finished her prayer on a bittersweet note, then pulled the lever.
The reels spun and dinged and landed one by one on...the bear.
"Oh...well, at least it wasn't Alejandro," Ella said, wincing at the sound of the bear sliding down the chute.
It landed on its rear, took one look at Ella, and roared. "Nice Mr. Bear," Ella said, feigning cuteness as she backed away. The bear was having none of it, however, and quickly started chasing her as a hectic tune began to play.
"Has Ella finally found the man of her dreams?" Chris asked the camera as it cut to show him standing at the far end of the slot machine, the bear still chasing a screaming Ella around the room. "Will she get mauled at the falls? Find out, after this!"
(Fade to Commercial and Back)
The episode faded back in to a shot of a slightly ragged Ella standing next to Sugar, who could barely maintain her joy. The bear swiped at the princess from just off-screen, causing her to squeal and duck behind the larger girl, and the camera zoomed out to show that the bear had been chained and collared and was now in Chef's hands.
"Looks like Ella's broken up with yet another boy!" Chris laughed. "Ella, now that you're on the rebound, let's pull the lever again for lucky husband number two!"
Ella approached the machine while Chris was talking, and with a nervous look she pulled its arm again. Its reels span, its lights flashed and dinged, and one by one the reels stopped on...Tyler.
"Yes!" she said, pumping a fist. "I'm not stuck with Alejandro!"
Tyler slid out of the chute moments later, took one look at Ella, and pumped his fist as well. "Awesome! This is like the best day ever!" He quickly leapt to his feet, then dashed over and hugged Ella closely. "I promise you I'll be the best husband ever!"
"Th-thank you, I'll do my best as well," Ella replied with a blush.
The camera panned away from them as Sugar sighed theatrically. "Well, I guess that leaves me and Al then, huh?" she said as she walked over with her arms crossed and a frown on her face. "At least he's pretty."
Alejandro was shown poking his head up out of the slot machine's trapdoor, groaning, and sinking back down into the machine.
/
The footage skipped ahead to a shot of four wedding dresses lined up on stands at one end of a lavender carpet. The one closest to the camera was the largest and more of a halter top and wide pleated skirt combo; the second dress was strapless, sleeveless, and its sides curved out into a long tail; the third also had a long tail, but the sides were straighter and the top had straps and a v-shaped neckline; the furthest back was the second biggest, with short poofy sleeves and an almost royal design.
"Because a good marriage is based on trust," Chris said as the camera began to rapidly pan leftwards across an obstacle course including sand boxes, machines with long nozzles, large wedding cakes, and turtle-shaped kiddy pools filled with either water or something brown, "and the ability to argue louder than your spouse," the host continued as the shot reached him and the four 'wives' who were now standing blindfolded at the base of some Greek columns – Sugar, then Blaineley, then Sammy, then Ella – with their matching 'husbands' standing on top under heart-shaped brass sculptures, "each groom will use a megaphone to guide his or her blindfolded bride safely to her gown." The camera focused on Ella as she smiled and clapped eagerly.
"Only couples with a dress can continue," he added. "Go!"
"Okay Tyler, where should I go?" Ella asked enthusiastically, already taking her first few tentative steps out into the course.
"Right, just keep heading in that direction," Tyler told her confidently, "but make sure to go around the thingy."
"The...thingy?" Ella repeated uncertainly, her arms outstretched as she tried to feel her way forward. The camera quickly and briefly panned down to the turtle pool full of water a few inches in front of her.
"Yeah, the one right in front of you," Tyler nodded, right before his 'wife' tripped on the pool and fell in face-first. Tyler winced, then said "Sorry! That's what you were supposed to go around."
Ella spat out a mouthful of water, then told him "It's okay, just try to maybe be a little clearer next time." Tyler hung his head in embarrassment.
xxx
"Man, I can't believe I already blew it," the jock confessed. "I gotta work on my leading skills so this doesn't happen again or I'm just gonna get dumped like with my last few girlfriends."
xxx
"Okay, another five paces forward then turn just a bit to your left," Dawn called out to her girlfriend.
"Like this?" Sammy replied as she moved forward, sidestepping one of the machines with the long nozzles.
"Yes!" Dawn said happily. "Seven more paces, then turn just a bit more back to the right!"
"Okay!" Sammy replied, continuing on along the course for a little while longer before the dresses turned up at the right side of the screen.
"Stop!" Dawn commanded quickly, her girlfriend complying without hesitation. "Now hard turn to your left and you're there!"
Sammy did as she was told, and managed to reach out and grab onto the v-necked dress. "Oh em gee, we did it Dawn!" she said, taking off her blindfold in excitement and hugging the dress.
/
"Okay Sugar," Alejandro called out as the scene cut to him giving directions with a tense look on his face, "head right!"
"Yeah, I heard ya!" Sugar replied gruffly, currently walking through the sand boxes. She veered to her left, however, and promptly tripped and fell into the sand with a startled yelp. "Hey, what's the deal?!" she cried out in outrage.
"That's why I told you to go right, not left!" Alejandro answered from off-screen, earning an annoyed huff from his fallen 'wife'.
/
"You're doing great," Tyler called out to his 'wife'. "Just, uh, stand still for a second so I can work this out, okay?"
"Okay, if you say so," Ella replied hesitantly, freezing in her tracks in front of one of the machines nonetheless.
"Got it," the jock said a second later, causing the princes to perk up and the camera to cut to him. "Just, uhh, turn a little bit in that direction," he pointed off to his right, "circle around for a little bit, then go straight again."
He grinned cheesily, and the camera cut back to Ella. "...sorry, which direction?" she asked in confusion.
"Hah, looks like somebody needs a new husband," Blaineley taunted as she walked by. "Okay Zeke, lay it on me!"
"Err...sorry, but I don't really get what you mean, eh," Ezekiel replied.
"I mean give me the next direction!" Blaineley replied irritably right before she plowed headfirst into a wedding cake.
"Sorry!" Ezekiel called out to her as she flailed her legs around. "But you coulda just waited, y'know."
"Nooo!" Blaineley cried in anguish as she finally extracted herself.
"Err, yeeeesss?" Ezekiel countered, scratching his head in confusion. "Or wait, do you mean the cake? I don't really-"
"Of course I mean the cake!" Blaineley snapped. "I just gained five pounds by touching this thing!"
"Really?" Ezekiel replied, still confused. "Well, you can just wipe it off, can't you? Hate to waste it though, it looks pretty good."
Blaineley silently flung some cake from her forehead, but on a whim decided to taste the little bit that was left on her finger. As she did so a joyous melody rose up in the background, and she moaned in delight. "Oh sugar, it's been years! Where have you been?" she whispered to herself. "It's like...mmm...vanilla-flavored paradise!" she reverently exclaimed after another taste. "With a hint of lemon."
xxx
The confessional consisted of nothing more than Blaineley shoveling wedding cake into her mouth off a plate.
xxx
"Okay, Blaineley's good lookin' and all," Ezekiel admitted in the next confessional, "but I gotta say, she's more confusing than anybody, eh."
xxx
"Sugar, would you turn around already?" Alejandro pleaded with his 'wife', who was now heading backwards through the obstacle.
"Hold on, I just wanna get some of that cake!" Sugar replied. "It's been years since I went to a weddin'!"
Alejandro groaned and palmed his face. "We're in the middle of a challenge, you can have your cake later! Or don't you care about continuing on to the next part?"
Sugar stopped in her tracks, scowled, then huffed. "Ugh, fine, have it your way." She spun around on her heel, then determinedly walked back the way she came. "But you better get me some cake after this is over!"
The charmer sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose before looking back at the obstacle course. "Yes, fine, just...keep going forward ten more paces, then right two more and you'll be there."
The camera cut straight ahead to Sugar bumping into her dress, then smiling and removing her blindfold. "Well whaddaya know, I'm here!" she said excitedly. "Maybe you are a good husband after all, Al!" she said with a cheeky grin back at the charmer, who slumped and groaned.
xxx
"I was just messin' with him with the cake thing," Sugar told the confessional camera, leaning forward conspiratorially and putting a hand to her mouth as if sharing a great big secret, "though we wouldn't've come first either way." She leaned back, then chuckled to herself. "I figure the longer he thinks I'm stupid, the easier it'll be to sucker him into votin' how I want."
xxx
The footage cut back to Blaineley, Sugar, and Ella all happily lined up in front of Chris with their dresses. "Time to move on to the next challenge," the host announced as the camera cut to Ella still trying to navigate the course. "Too bad Ella, but-"
"Ella, hurry!" Tyler called out to his 'wife'. "You'll get there if you just go straight!"
"On it!" Ella nodded to herself before letting loose a sort of wordless battlesong as she charged forward. She tromped through pools and nicked the edge of the second cake with her outstretched arms, but was soon able to tackle her dress. "Got it!" she declared happily, rolling into a sitting position and holding up her dress.
"Uhh, okay, nevermind then," Chris told her. "Looks like everyone's moving on to the next part."
xxx
"I really wanted to see what it's like to be a bride," Ella explained bashfully, flicking a bit of cake off her clothes.
xxx
A dramatic tune played as the scene cut to a shot of the edge of the Falls. "I like to call this next challenge," Chris explained as the camera zoomed out to reveal a pair of wooden platforms and bridges built across the waterfall, linked to each other by nothing but a tightrope; on the right were Chris, the four couples, and a Canadian flag, while on the left was a small shack and an American flag; "'Till Death do you Part'!"
The shot cut in to a close-up of the cast, showing all four 'wives' in their dresses with Sammy and Dawn closest to the tightrope, then Alejandro and Sugar, Blaineley and Ezekiel, and Tyler and Ella in back with Chris.
"Okay, so there's no make-up people," Blaineley said with a nervous look downward at the roaring pool of water below, "but you have to have stunt doubles sometimes, right?" she asked Sugar and Ezekiel.
The former only raised an eyebrow, but Ezekiel at least shrugged and admitted "Nope, not that I can think of eh."
"So wait," Tyler asked Chris, "did I seriously save our butts from Niagara Falls only for you to make us walk across 'em on a tightrope? Weak."
"Even better," the host told him. "Each groom has to carry his or her bride across the gorge," he explained. "And then, you've gotta successfully clear Customs!" he added as the shot cut to Chef in the shack on the far side of the rope, dressed in a blue security guard's uniform. "First pair to do so wins invincibility, and a pimped out wedding reception in first class. Samey and Dawn won the challenge, so," the shot cut to the two girls, "I'm giving them a head start."
"Oh, uh, are you gonna be okay carrying me, honey?" Sammy asked her shorter girlfriend, blushing and giggling at 'honey'.
Dawn blushed as well. "Well, I'll just have to do my best," she answered.
"I nearly forgot!" Chris interjected as a faint dramatic tune began to build. "Because the falls weren't quite unpleasant enough, "we stocked 'em with hungry, hungry, sharks," he revealed as the music peaked.
The shot cut down to a small fishing boat sailing at the bottom of the falls. It was crewed by three sharks – one at the bow with a bib and a smaller fish on a harpoon gun, one on top of the cabin with a chef's hat and frying pan, and the third at the stern with a black bow tie and a large fish scoop skimming the water.
Sammy gulped nervously and shared a look with Dawn as the other campers just looked generally panicked.
"I hope my best is will be good enough...," Dawn said with a look of dread.
The close-up panned over to Alejandro as he narrowed his eyes and leaned to the side to whisper at Sugar. "Listen, I know you have some fondness for Sammy, but I think we need to vote her out. The others like her too much, and since she already has Dawn by her side it won't take many more to control the vote."
"Yeah? So what's in it fer me if I take your side over hers?" Sugar replied under her breath.
"I'll make up for not noticing the dire situation you were forced into earlier this season by voting however you like from here on out," Alejandro replied. He noticed the skeptical look she was giving him, then added "I'm not lying, I need an ally right now and the only person I can count on is you!"
xxx
"As much as it pains me to admit it," Alejandro confessed, "I was being honest with Sugar...up to a point, of course. A simpleton like her is exactly what I need to get further in the game right now."
xxx
"I'll think about it," Sugar hissed to her 'husband' before turning her attention back to the tightrope where Dawn had knelt down to carry her girlfriend piggyback style.
"Here goes nothing," she said as she edged out onto the rope. "Oh, I hope the Earth Mother is smiling on us right now."
"Me too," Sammy added. "Those sharks sure are." She pointed down to the fishing boat, which blew its horn as it passed by, the three sharks waving up at the 'newlyweds'.
xxx
"Okay, when I get married for real," Sammy confessed, "I really hope there aren't any sharks involved."
xxx
"And remember," Chris told the couple as they started their walk, "violence is never the answer. Except on this show," he corrected as the camera cut in for a close-up. "Go!"
At his excited exclamation, Alejandro stepped forward onto the rope with Sugar in his arms bridal style. He seemed to be straining slightly under her weight, and groaned in discomfort. "Are you sure this is how you'd like to be carried?" he asked his 'wife'.
"Well what do you want me to do, climb onto yer back while we're crossin' a tiny rope a thousand feet in the air?" Sugar replied. "Because if you ask me that sounds like surefire way fer us to lose."
Alejandro sighed and continued to walk along the tightrope. "Yes, I suppose it is."
xxx
"Luckily for us, I possess an impeccable sense of balance," the charmer confessed. "And as strange as it is to say it, I could use some alone time with Sugar." He ended his confessional with a blank look and a shudder.
xxx
The footage skipped ahead to show Alejandro and Sugar a fair way across the rope. "So, have you given my offer any more thought?" the charmer asked as the camera zoomed in closer to the pair.
"Yeah," Sugar grunted in annoyance. "And I'm gonna level with ya: I've never really liked Ella, so I'd rather get her gone before anyone else."
"Well after what's happened I'd like her gone as well," Alejandro replied, "but she's in too good of a position, we'd never get the votes."
"Don't I know it," the pageant queen grumbled. "I guess Sammy's a good choice too, but I'm not sure how to get enough votes fer her either."
"We can ask Blaineley, for one," Alejandro said. "She'll no doubt be looking for an ally of her own since she's only just joined the game. As for the fourth...Ezekiel, perhaps? You are close with him, correct? And if he bonds with Blaineley during the challenge, perhaps he'll be willing to join us for the vote."
"Hmm," Sugar murmured thoughtfully before shrugging and grinning. "I guess that could work! We just gotta make sure the girls don't get invincibility though."
"Simple enough," Alejandro replied. "We just have to win it ourselves."
/
The scene flashed to Ezekiel and Blaineley, who had also started their precarious walk. Ezekiel had also opted to carry his 'wife' bridal style, and like Alejandro he was struggling.
"Do I have to get spurs or what?" Blaineley complained as Ezekiel inched along. "Hurry, they're getting away!"
"I'm doing my best, eh!" Ezekiel countered. "It's not my fault you wanted to be carried like this. An' besides, if I go much faster we might fall off."
"Well excuse me for wanting to do this right," Blaineley snipped. "What's the point of our fake marriage if we don't act like it's real? It's just bad TV."
"I'd rather have bad TV then get eaten by sharks, eh," Ezekiel told her. "Y'know, if you keep actin' like this, yer gonna get voted out pretty soon, eh."
"As if," Blaienely scoffed before turning a smile towards her 'husband'. "Although I was meaning to talk to you about the vote. I think we should get rid of Sammy or Dawn next, loyal couples always dominate reality competitions if left in the game too long."
"Err, I guess," Ezekiel said uncertainly. "But I figured we'd vote fer Alejandro next, on account of him bein' a total slimeball, eh."
"And get rid of the hottest guy out here?" Blaineley replied in disbelief. "No way, he can wait for later. The lovebirds are where it's at."
"Hrmm," Ezekiel said neutrally.
/
Ella sighed wistfully as the scene cut to her being carried in Tyler's arms, the pair also making their way across the tightrope.
"What's wrong?" Tyler asked in concern.
"I don't know," Ella said with a sad look. "Despite the incredible danger we're in, this whole challenge has been quite romantic. It's just," she sighed again, "as much as I've tried, it seems like I just can't get over what Alejandro did to me."
"Oh...," Tyler frowned.
xxx
"How could I be so stupid!" Tyler berated himself in the restroom confessional, smacking himself in the face. "Here I am acting all happy because Ella finally dumped Al, and I never even stopped to think how she feels! Uggh, no wonder things aren't going so well right now..."
xxx
"Well...maybe you'll feel better once Alejandro gets voted out," Tyler told her. "And so long as he doesn't win immunity, that's gotta happen, right? I mean, everyone hates him for what he did to you."
"You really think that?" Ella asked hopefully.
"Totally!" Tyler grinned. "We just gotta make sure he doesn't win and Alejandro will be gone for good!"
"Yes, I think I like that plan," Ella said with a smile.
/
A few light notes heralded a tenser tune as Dawn and Sammy finally reached the guard station at the other end of the tightrope.
"Business or pleasure?" Chef asked the girls.
"Uhh, pleasure, I guess?" Sammy answered.
"We are supposed to be on our honeymoon," Dawn said.
"'Kay then, a few questions first," Chef continued, adjusting his glasses as he held up a notecard. "What is Canada's capital?"
"Ottawa," Sammy answered quickly.
"What leaf is on Canada's flag?" Chef asked next.
"Easy, it's a beautiful maple leaf," Dawn answered.
Chef nodded, then looked back at his card. "What is the type and name of the ship on the Canadian dime?"
"Uhh, I know it's the Bluenose, but I can't remember what kind of ship it is," Sammy told Dawn.
"I'm afraid I don't know either," Dawn admitted, "I've always preferred nickels."
"Hmmph," Chef snorted. "Failure to answer a question correctly means you're deported. Go back," he told them, pointing back across the tightrope as a couple dramatic notes played.
The two girls looked down sadly, then turned and stepped back onto the rope. The camera zoomed in on Dawn's feet as she inched along for a few seconds, then stopped when Alejandro's boots stepped into view.
"Excuse us, please," Alejandro said as the camera zoomed back out, "we'd like to get past."
"So would we," Dawn told him.
"Yeah, Chef told us to go back," Sammy added.
"How tragic," Alejandro said dryly. "Unfortunately, I'm not going to back up all the way to the beginning just so you two can try again."
"Sorry, girls," Sugar chimed in. "I wish I could help ya, but I ain't the one doin' the carryin'. Maybe you two should just go back to the other platform so me an' Al can get outta yer way."
"Hey hey, what's with the traffic jam?" Blaineley complained suddenly, the camera zooming out even more to reveal that she and Ezekiel had come up behind Alejandro and Sugar. "This is a tightrope, not a highway!"
"My apologies," Alejandro told them, "but Dawn and Sammy failed to pass Customs and are now trying to force their way back across."
"Umm, maybe we should just back up and let them through," Sammy nervously told her girlfriend.
"Agreed," Dawn said, slowly trying to back up.
"Urggh just move it already!" Blaineley snapped impatiently. "Ezekiel, just get this over with and ram them."
"Err, what?" Ezekiel asked in shock.
"You heard me, I said ram them!" Blaineley repeated. "Do I seriously have to do everything myself?" She reached out and grabbed Sugar's leg, trying to throw her and Alejandro off the rope.
A sharp and tense tune began to play as Sugar tried to free herself, the rope wobbling as both Ezekiel and Alejandro struggled to keep their balance. With a panicked "Whoa!" Sugar grabbed hold of Sammy's arm in an attempt to steady herself, but with Blaineley still holding onto the pageant queen's leg it just meant that when Alejandro finally lost his balance and fell, the other teams were taken with them screaming all the way down.
Seconds later the music leveled off and Tyler and Ella walked into view looking rather cautious. "Well, I guess that was kinda lucky for us, huh?" the jock said as he continued to walk across the rope.
"I suppose," the princess-bride answered, looking down with worry, "but I do hope they're alright down there."
/
The scene flashed ahead to a montage of close-up shots of the couple answering Chef's questions.
"Ottawa," Tyler answered.
"The maple leaf," Ella said next.
"I'm pretty sure the Bluenose was a schooner," Tyler said.
"Ooh, butter tarts!" Ella answered happily.
"Beavers," the two answered together, earning a surprised look from Chef.
"Wow," he said, "you got 'em all right. Anything to declare?"
"Yeah, I declare that making us walk single file along a tightrope over a waterfall is a totally bogus way to enter the country," Tyler said. "And also that Ella looks really good as a bride."
"Thank you, Tyler," Ella said with a blush. "I'll declare that aside from his vague directions, Tyler has been the perfect vision of what I think a husband should be. I'm very happy I was partnered with him for this."
"'Kay," Chef said simply, motioning for them to proceed.
Tyler walked forward onto the platform and let Ella down, and the two shared a hug as Chris walked up clapping. "Congrats, you guys!" he said as triumph music began to play. "You'll be traveling together in first class, and, you've both won invincibility. Which means nobody can vote for either of you two lovebirds tonight."
"Awesome," Tyler grinned.
"Yes," Ella added with a bashful blush, "although we're not quite-"
An anguished cry of "Help us!" from Sammy cut the singer off, and a follow-up cry of "Swim for your lives!" from Alejandro took the attention of the host, winning pair, and cameras to the bottom of the waterfall. The six teens who had been knocked off were now swimming in one terrified pack from the fishing boat manned by the trio of sharks, but a sharply rising tense note as they moved off-screen signaled the transition to the next scene.
/
The plane was back in flight once more, and the shot quickly cut away again to the common area where Sugar was meeting with Ezekiel.
"All I'm sayin' is that we can vote out Al any ol' time," the pageant queen told the homeschooler. "I mean, so long as he doesn't win invincibility. But with Sammy, she might be able to get Ella on her side after what went down the other day. And if Ella's on her side, then I'm afraid Tyler might not wanna vote with us no more! We gotta get Sammy out while the gettin's good!"
Ezekiel sighed and hung his head. "Yeah, I think I got it, eh. Blaineley was saying the same thing during the challenge. I guess it really is the best way fer us to get to the end."
"Exactly!" Sugar grinned, slapping him on the shoulder from across the table. "Now you go on an' make sure not to tell Tyler or Ella about it, I still got some stuff I gotta do. Feminine stuff."
Ezekiel's eyebrow's shot up in wary surprise. "Right, eh," he said before scampering off.
Sugar let out her breath, and a tense tune played as the camera rotated around to the pageant queen's front, revealing Blaineley leaning against a wall with a smug smile on her face.
"Nice dealing there, Sugar," she said, causing the girl in question to turn around and face her with an annoyed look on her face. "But I guess that's to be expected from the season's number one at deception."
"What're you talkin' about? I ain't decepted nobody!" Sugar asked through narrowed eyes as she stood up.
"Oh, don't lie to me Sugar, I've watched every episode of this two-bit season!" Blaineley replied with an eyeroll. "I know how your alliances with Scott and Scarlett really went down, and I also know that you're the one who found Dawn's letter way back when. If you don't do what I tell you to, I'll-"
Blaineley smug attempt at extortion was cut off when her intended victim grabbed her by the top of her dress, pulled her in and spun her around then slammed her down on the table, one hand on Blaineley's head and the other pinning her right arm behind her back.
"Now you listen here, missy," Sugar hissed. "If you go on yappin' that big mouth of yers an' ruin my shot at the million, I'm gonna mess up way more than just yer career, got it?"
"Hey, no need to be hasty!" Blaineley answered nervously. "I wasn't going to say anything, I'm on your side! I wanna help you get rid of Sammy and Ella! Trust me, I won't say anything about what you've done."
Sugar frowned in thought, then let her back up. "Fine," she said gruffly, "but if you try any funny business then you're gonna be done like a dog's droppin's, got it?"
"Got it," Blaineley repeated with a nod. "With that out of the way, I guess I'll see you at the vote later!" the older woman said with a hint of nervousness, culminating in a wave of "Bye!" before quickly running off.
Sugar huffed, then shook her head.
/
The footage skipped ahead to her walking through the hall containing the restroom confessional, and putting on a smile when she saw Sammy and Dawn coming from the opposite direction. "Just who I wanted to see," she told them, quickly grabbing them by the arm and retreating into a corner. "Listen Sammy, you are in danger," she warned the cheerleader. "I overheard Zeke and Blaineley a few minutes ago talkin' about how they were gonna vote you out tonight!"
Sammy gasped, while Dawn was a silent mix of skepticism and concern. "Yeah, that's why we gotta vote him out first," Sugar explained.
"But Alejandro-" Sammy tried to protest before Sugar interrupted.
"We can vote him out some other time," she said with a dismissive wave. "I mean, it's not like anybody likes him. But Zeke's got friends, heck even I liked him before I heard who he wanted to vote for! We gotta vote him out now before it's too late!"
"I don't know," Sammy said, exchanging an uncertain look with her girlfriend.
"Then just do it as a favor to me, okay?" Sugar pleaded with a hint of sadness in her voice. "I did get that letter to ya, didn't I?"
Sammy's face fell into something softer. "Yeah," she said, "you did." She took a breath, then added "If you really want us to, then we'll vote for Ezekiel."
"Thank you!" Sugar said, seemingly near tears as she suddenly hugged the other two blondes. Sammy smiled and patted her on the back, but Dawn looked considerably more suspicious. The camera quickly moved away, however, and back to Sugar as she repeated her half-sobbing "Thank you!"
xxx
"Man, all this strategery is hard work!" Sugar admitted, wiping away her fake tears in the confessional. "But it sure was worth it knowin' what's gonna happen at the ceremony tonight!" she finished with a chuckle as a few ominous chanted notes played.
xxx
"Tyler and Ella have immunity," Chris said as the scene moved to the elimination ceremony, the eight contestants already seated. "Everyone else, is fair game. What's it gonna be?" he said teasingly as the music became tense.
The footage flashed ahead, and the camera panned across the contestants as Chris started talking again – Alejandro in the top right separated from everyone else; Blaineley a ways to the left; Ezekiel, Sugar, Tyler, and Ella sitting in a cluster; and Sammy and Dawn sitting in the front row hand-in-hand.
"Interesting," Chris murmured. "Really! Huh, who'da thought. Wwwow, haha." The camera finally reached him, revealing that he was looking over the night's passport votes.
"Would you just hurry up an' read them already?" Sugar said impatiently.
"Okay, hold on to your blouse," he said, causing the pageant queen to huff. "One vote for Ezekiel," he read, the camera panning to the homeschooler's shocked face.
"What? Why me, eh?" he asked.
"Three votes for Alejandro," the host continued, holding up a trio of fingers.
"Meh," the charmer shrugged, "I saw it coming."
"And four votes...for...," Chris said slowly, the tension in the background music reaching it's peak. Sammy was shown biting her lip nervously, Ella and Tyler were looking concerned, Blaineley was smiling confidently, and Sugar was crossing her fingers. "Samey!"
"What?" Sammy said, standing up in shock. "Wh-why me?" She looked around at the others, and Sugar in particular was shown shrugging impishly.
"Samey, the gang has spoken," Chris said, tossing a parachute pack to the cheerleader as the usual sombre theme took over the music.
"I guess so," she said, still in shock as she started walking forward.
Dawn grabbed her hand to stop her, then pulled her back for a kiss and a hug. "I'm sorry for letting this happen," she said.
"Don't be," Sammy replied, breaking the hug. "I probably brought this on myself. And...I guess this is goodbye, for now. I'll miss you."
"I'll miss you too," Dawn said, hugging her again.
"We all will," Ella chimed in.
"Yeah!" Tyler added enthusiastically.
"Yeah...," Ezekiel also added, looking down and rubbing his arm anxiously.
"Sorry girl," Blaineley chimed in, "I wish I could've gotten to know you better."
"Yeah, okay, enough with the goodbyes," Chris interrupted. "Are you gonna jump, or is Chef gonna have to throw Samey off the planey?"
Sammy glared angrily at the host, then started walking straight towards him. "Okay, I've been ignoring it for awhile now, but not anymore. For the last time, my name is Sammy you-" Her final words were censored, and her final act towards Chris McLean was to smack him upside the head with the parachute pack he'd given her and knock him on the floor. The others laughed as she huffed in satisfaction and walked over to the open door, turned back to give one last wave, and with a happy "Bye everyone!" she jumped from the plane.
/
"If you think that was harsh," Chris said irritably as the scene cut to him in the cockpit holding an icepack to the side of his head, the usual capstone theme beginning, "just wait until you see what happens next time, right here on Total! Drama! World Tour!"
(Fade to Credits)
/
/
/
[Bonus Clip]
Sammy let out a breath of relief as she plummeted. "You know, even though I was eliminated it felt really good to finally tell Chris off,' she told the camera. "Maybe he'll even get the hint and actually use my actual name the next time I have to see him! Probably not, though," she admitted.
"Overall, I think this was a really fun season," she said after deploying her parachute. "I got to travel around the world without Amy, which was nice, and with DJ and Dawn, which was even nicer. Plus, you know, I got a girlfriend," she added with a blush and a sigh. "I hope she does okay. She's super smart, but if the others wanted to vote me out then she might be in trouble."
"Come to think of it," she said, suddenly looking troubled, "I was the only one who voted for Zeke tonight. I guess Dawn must've still voted for Alejandro, but what about Sugar? I don't think Ella and Tyler would've voted for anyone else besides Al after what happened, so that must mean..."
She paused, then gasped sharply. "Oh em gee, Sugar tricked me! She must've gotten me to vote for Ezekiel on purpose so the vote wouldn't be a tie! And she used the letter Dawn wrote to do it, too! That's...that's just evil! I can't believe it! That's-" She paused again, and settled into a blank calm. "Oh em gee, that's why Dawn didn't vote for Zeke...she must have gotten, like, a bad vibe or something about Sugar and didn't tell me because of the letter thing."
She looked down in disbelief, then turned a hopeless smile at the camera. "I guess I really did bring this on myself..."
Moments later the camera cut out to a long-distance shot of Niagara Falls as Sammy drifted down over them.
Author's Note - Post Script
And at long last, Sammy goes home. Like so many have said she's wrapped up her plots, and is pretty much expendable. I gave her a decent departure, though - she got to fake-marry her girlfriend, and even got to whack Chris on the head with a parachute. The letter subplot finally wrapped up as well, with our villainess Sugar using it to convince Sammy to vote for Ezekiel, thus allowing for Sammy herself to go home.
Also included in this was the first part of 'Operation: Make Blaineley Actually Matter to the Plot'; namely, Blaineley actually shows gets involved with the strategy and becomes a crucial vote to ensure Sammy gets eliminated - and to a lesser extent, she helped get Ezekiel on-board with the Sammy vote as well. In canon, she did very little of this - her vote in Niagara Brawls was, I think, for Sierra of all people - we know Alejandro/Heather/Duncan/Sierra voted for Owen' Courtney voted for Heather and Cody for Sierra, leaving Owen and Blaineley. Owen obviously would have voted for Heather as he knows she's bad news, meaning Blaineley had to vote for the superfan. No idea what she was thinking.
I hoped you enjoyed the Shuffled version of 'Blainerific', by the way. It wasn't too different, but I think it fits the cast.
The pairs I picked for the challenge were fairly obvious to me - Sammy and Dawn were a straightforward choice and having them paired was a big factor in why Sammy even made it this far in the game; Blaineley and Ezekiel both paralleled the Blaineley-Owen pair while also providing what I think is a distinctly different comedy; Tyler and Ella needed the chance to develop more than the drama from Ella-Alejandro was; leaving Alejandro and Sugar at the end to strategize and align. I hope you all enjoyed the challenge!
Oh, and one last thing - Staci has finally been sighted on the plane. Since she'd planned on getting off at Canada, though, I had to have her sleeping - and for the record, she ended up sleeping through the entire stop at Niagara Falls. She's not gonna get to leave just yet...
Anyway, let me know what you thought of this week's chapter, and what you're hoping for in the weeks to come! I look forward to it, as always.
- Fangren
Appendix: TSWT Eliminated Contestants
Staci - (RETURNED)
Beardo - (18th Place)
Lightning - (17th Place)
Dawn - (Quit Unofficially | RETURNED)
Bridgette - (16th Place)
Geoff - (15th Place)
Scott - (14th Place | Disqualified)
Scarlett - (13th Place)
Sierra - (12th Place)
DJ - (11th Place)
Shawn - (10th Place)
Staci - (9th Place)
Sammy - (8th Place)