SPOILER WARNING: Due to the nature of this chapter's subject matter, I'll be referencing various things about the most recent reboot season of Total Drama. This includes placements, finalists, relationships, and whatnot. As of writing this the season has yet to air officially in America, first being "leaked" in Italy earlier this year. If you've been avoiding spoilers until the season's official Cartoon Network/Max release, skip this chapter until you've seen it. This will also utilize leaked info for episode one of the season for things involving that episode as Chris' Spanish VA released info he wasn't supposed to. It'd be a bit redundant to not use info we have confirmed. You've been warned.
"Last season on Total Drama!"
Chris narrated in his totally iconic and not at all Don-like voice while many clips from the reboot season played.
"We were finally back! And joining us were 16 new teens, all thirsty for their shot at money, glory, and that all so important clout. Some campers flopped early." Caleb being blindsided, Axel raging, and Nichelle struggling in the obstacle course all flashed by. "Others got knocked out the hard way." Next we saw Wayne and Raj tumbling down the cliff and being medically evacuated. "And some rose to the occasion to go far." Finally were clips of Julia being a challenge beast, highlighting her many immunity wins.
"Some found love on the island." Cue footage of Raj and Bowie kissing. "One even entered as a bitter ex, took their man back, dumped him again, only to THEN still take him back!" Various clips of Emma and Chase's complicated relationship, ending with everyone glaring in disappointment when she chose to kiss him before his elimination. "Meanwhile other contestants chose to terrorize the others." First we saw Scary Girl chasing Damien with a jackhammer, then Ripper calling everyone a nerd. "Some were even just pretty chill the whole time." And of course we had to see the boi, based king himself Zee being the iconic comedic chad that he was.
"In the end, our finalists were strategic mastermind Bowie, spawn of TD superfans Priya, and her new judgmental bestie Millie." Highlights played of the three's biggest moments, from Bowie blindsiding Caleb and Julia, to Priya winning the coin challenge. "Thanks to Bowie causing a rift between friends, Millie got stuck with third place, though not before making amends with Priya. In the end our million dollar winner was Bowie, adding yet another crown to his collection." It's MY chapter and I get to choose my preferred winner. Bowie clears, sorry not sorry Priya fans.
"But now everyone's back for round 2! With the cast all returning for another go, how will things shape up this time? Can the likes of Bowie, Priya, and Julia avoid being seen as threats? Will our early boot losers redeem themselves or stay wallowing in mediocrity? How many times will Emma and Chase's relationship change this season? And will we see any new romances form? Tune in right here to find out, this season on TOTAL... DRAMA... ISLAND!"
*** Opening Credits ***
"Hey what's up I'm here to slay-"
Actually, you know what? We can skip the intro.
*** On the docks ***
Chris and Chef awaited the gang on the dock. Camp MayormaynotbeWawanakwa was as crappy as ever, but at least he resisted the urge to dump toxic waste on the island between seasons this time. Soon a yacht approached them, hauling their 16 victims. One by one everyone quickly reintroduced themselves for the viewers just tuning in. Most were more or less in the same place we'd left them in the previous season. Zee was chill as ever, Julia catty as ever, Wayne and Raj were just as excited. Changes of note were Damien now being optimistic about being here, Nichelle radiating a new level of confidence following her previous performance, and Emma announcing that her and Chase were broken up yet again once she got home and realized he cared about pizza more than her upon watching the season.
Perhaps the most strange was Scary Girl. Or rather as she now insisted on being called, Lauren. While she still had the purple hair and makeup, she'd traded out the black gothic dress for a more casual orange attire. Cargo shorts, a button up shirt, and plain brown shoes. In the confessional she admits that it's all a ruse to make the others trust her, but promises revenge for being wronged last season. Despite trying her best to appear more normal and friendly, it's clear the cast is just as unnerved by her like this, if not more so. With everyone here, Chris gathered the cast for get their team situation sorted.
"You're probably wondering if you dudes are competing on the same teams as last time. Well, it's not up to me!" Chris motioned for Chef to push Bowie and Priya forward. "This season we're doing something a bit different. Since this could be considered a rematch for last time, we'll allow our outgoing final two to draft their teams themselves!" He allowed a quick moment for everyone to gasp. "Fun, eh? We did a coin toss to decide who goes first and the winner was... Priya! So start us off."
No use dragging it out. They all knew who she'd want first. "No shocker here. I'll take Millie!"
Her best friend rushed over for a hug, both sharing a squee in delight.
"And I'll be equally predictable." Bowie smirked towards his boyfriend. "Give me Raj."
Wayne cheered on his blushing best bro, the boyfriends bracing for battle. Bodacious.
"Hmm." Now that she had her bestie covered, Priya actually had to think about who'd be smart to draft. She hadn't really bonded too deeply with anyone else last season. Well... there was at least one choice she definitely had her eye on. "Damien!"
Genuinely not expecting to get drafted so early, the science nerd pointed at himself to confirm she was serious and joined the team with a smile.
Meanwhile, before Bowie could make a choice, Raj did his best puppy dog eyes and pout combo. He even cupped his hands in a begging motion.
"No need to be adorable, like I wasn't going to draft him anyway. We're taking Wayne."
"Woo!" Wayne ran into a chest bump with his hockey bro and both did their team owl hoot.
Her only two personal choices taken care of, Priya turned to her teammates. "You guys have suggestions?"
"You're team captain, I'll trust whatever you think is best," Millie replied. "Is there anyone left that you know we cant trust?"
The three looked to the crowd, zeroing in on Lauren and her haunting wide smile.
"Preferably someone we don't have to worry about killing us in our sleep," Damien added.
Well in that case, may as well go for the chillest person of the lot. "How about Zee?"
"Sweeeet, it's like a Ferocious Trout reunion up in here!" Zooted out as ever, he took a swig from his soda before joining his squad.
Over with the boys, Bowie raised an eyebrow at the hockey bros. "I've got a bit of a crazy idea. You guys trust me?"
Raj nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! You've already made it to the end once, you know what you're doing."
"For sure," Wayne agreed. "From one captain to another, we'll follow your lead."
"Good. In that case... I'll pick Julia."
Many in the crowd gasped, Julia included.
*** Confessional: Bowie ***
"I know, I know. After all the cattiness last season why in the world would I want that witch on my team? Simple, keep your friends close and your enemies closer." He sighed. "Plus as much as I hate to admit it, the girl's a challenge beast so that can only help us get wins. And if she doesn't? Guess who'll make an easy boot to keep me safe?"
*** Confessional: Emma ***
"Seriously? Ok, I know our friendship didn't end on the best terms last season, but Bowie would really rather put someone who hates his guts on the team before me? Did taking Chase back really hurt my reputation THAT badly?"
*** Back at camp ***
Raj and Wayne were only a little bit unnerved as Julia joined their group, unbothered at the strange looks. Spiteful at her continued snubbing, Emma scooted her way towards the front of the pack and smiled towards Priya's group. If her former friend didn't want to take her, she'd just have to get on the enemy team and beat him out of spite!
"Why's she staring at us like that?" Millie observed. "It's creepy."
"Maybe she wants to join us?" Priya suggested. "I guess she did make it pretty far last time..." She looked towards the others and none of them seemed to mind. "Alright, cool! We'll take Emma."
"Woohoo! Get ready to regret not wanting me on your team, Bowie!" She started styling on him by doing her cringy white woman dance.
"You do realize I was going to pick you next, right?" She either didn't hear him or didn't care, the dancing just continued. "Ugh, whatever." Even if she was making an ass out of herself, he still cared about her. And as he scanned the remaining contenders, seeing her ex made him think over what would happen if those two shared a team. Sure she had wizened up and dumped him now. But if he was on Priya's team who's to say he wouldn't find a way to get back together with her again? And then the cycle repeats. Over and over again.
"Ugh... for Emma's own good, I'll go ahead and take Chase." On the bright side, he wasn't a bad competitor or anything. Oblivious to the insulting reasoning for his pick, Chase merely cheered and offered high fives to Wayne and Raj as he joined them.
"We should probably get a bit of muscle on the team, yeah?" Damien whispered to the others. "They've got Julia and some serious athletes, so we probably gotta balance things out..."
"Good point." Priya considered her options. Other than MK and Nichelle pretty much everyone left could be considered a powerhouse in one way or another. At the very least, they'd either proven to be good in challenges, or had the potential for it. But Ripper and Lauren in particular had given her good reason last time to narrow the field a bit.
"How about... Axel."
The survivalist snorted and shuffled towards them. "Bout time."
In contrast, Bowie was thinking it was about time to add some more brainpower to his group. Much as he liked Raj, him, Wayne, and Chase weren't exactly going to be helping much in that department. "We'll take MK."
She took a look at Julia, then the dimwited hockey bros and sighed in annoyance before reluctantly joining her team. Only four remained, and the annoyance of still going undrafted was starting to get to Rippper, Nichelle, and Caleb. Lauren... well, she was continuing to grin and act like things were nice and normal.
"We could still probably use some more muscle," Priya reasoned, Emma flashing a thumbs up after whispering a suggestion of her own. "Come on down, Caleb!"
The former first boot sighed in relief and strutted up to his new team. Considering how things worked out for him last time, he was more than ok being away from the likes of Bowie and Julia.
"Tch, that was gonna be my next pick." Bowie surveyed the remaining bunch and wasn't feeling too drawn to anyone. Ripper and Lauren were good for challenges, but each their own brand of annoying. Nichelle would be nice to have from a social standpoint... but as far as they knew she was useless when it came to anything physical. Ultimately the desire for winning challenges would win out. "I guess we'll go with Ripper."
"Ha! Must suck being picked last," he taunted at Nichelle and Scary Girl, flossing on em for style points. Just ignore that fact that he had nearly been left for last himself. "Get dunked on, nerds."
With him gone things were finally down to the final decision. Useful but unnerving Lauren, or useless yet harmless Nichelle. Needless to say, a literal world famous movie star wasn't too thrilled at the lack of agency in drafting her. Getting picked last... that could do irreparable damage to her image!
"Listen, I know last season wasn't my best work. But I promise you guys that it's gonna be different this time. I've been learning to do stunts on my own, no Jerry required! I've got all sorts of skills just waiting to show off." She glanced over at her fellow contender. "Plus do you really wanna get stuck with THIS?"
Lauren giggled creepily. "Oh but I've changed too! After lots and lots of therapy I'm tooootally different. I don't even react when I see blood anymore, honest!"
Thoroughly unconvinced, Damien did a pleading potion towards Priya. "I think we got enough muscle. We should give her movie star skills a shot."
Despite the ambivalence from the likes of Axel or Zee, it was clear most of her team had similar fears of letting Scary Girl join them. That alone was enough to make up her mind. "That settles it then. We're rounding out the team with Nichelle!"
Scary Girl's grin turned into grit teeth as she tried to keep her composure, eye twitching ever so slightly. It didn't help matters when much of Bowie's team looked plenty unhappy about the result.
"Guess we'll take Scary Girl then," Bowie mumbled.
"Lauren! You can call me Lauren," she demanded.
Chris and Chef reentered the scene before things could escalate. And also because hot damn that took a while, they needed to get things moving! Chef tossed one of two banners towards Caleb. It unraveled to reveal a red team logo with the face of an ugly rodent. "Priya's team is from now on known as the Rat Faces."
Besides Zee, no one seemed particular excited.
"You're not seriously sticking us with that all season, right?" Emma asked. "That's got to be the worst team name ever!"
Chef tossed the other banner to Chase, revealing a green logo with the backside of a skunk, tail raised threateningly. "Bowie's team, y'all gonna be called the Skunk Butts."
"I stand corrected," Emma relented.
Clearly no one on the Skunks were happy with their new label, least of which was the captain himself. "You'll let us pick the teams but not the names?"
"It's a heads vs tails theme!" Chris was met with annoyed silence. "Well I thought it was clever. Let's go ahead and get you guys moved back in, we have a doozy of a challenge coming up!"
Moving in to the cabins were filled with a variety of interactions. On the Rats the men's side was pretty chill overall. Damien and Zee were already on friendly terms, and Caleb seemed to fit in with them seamlessly. He expressed his excitement over redeeming his early elimination from last season and teases Damien over Priya drafting him so early, though he assures him that they're simply friends. Priya however is not as convincing when Emma tries to pry her for information on the girl's side. Millie gets her friend out of the hotseat by grilling Emma on what happened between her and Chase after last season but she doesn't want to talk about it. Meanwhile Axel warns Nichelle to pull her weight or risk being their first boot, but she assures the survivalist that she's going to impress them this time.
Over with the Skunks things are a bit less cordial. Bowie and Raj share a good moment, but the former winner warns that they have to put things on pause again so they can focus on the competition. Wayne is supportive as always and suggests potentially forming an alliance to watch each other's back, which Bowie is receptive to. Though when Raj asks if they should add anyone else, they look on as Ripper lets out a disgusting fart while Chase cheers him on. Nah, just the three of em will do. Over on the girl's side Julia and MK have a tense reunion where the former reminds that she hasn't forgotten the attempt at character assassination, while the later fires back that she still remembers the elimination Julia caused. They are able to find common ground in one thing, though. Being unsettled having to share a room with this "reformed" Scary Girl, who's attempts at acting normal feel ten times as unsettling.
Finally the time came for their first challenge. They'd be playing a classic schoolyard game with some modern topical appeal: Red Light Green Light. An unassuming sweet old lady had been brought it to be the one to call when it was safe to move. If she noticed anyone moving while on red light, she'd call em out and Chef would shoot em down... with paintballs. Obviously. And when Millie is the first one out, she emphasizes just how high pressure and painful these projectiles are. One by one contestants start to drop. MK. Caleb. Ripper. Zee. Emma and Chase get each other knocked out. Even athletic powerhouses such as Bowie, Julia, Priya, and Axel fall under the crazy fast reflexes of the old lady. Ultimately it comes down to Wayne, Raj, and Scary Girl for the Skunks and of all people, Nichelle for the Rats. Despite the numbers disadvantage, in a shocking inverse of last season's obstacle course, Nichelle is the one who manages to just narrowly jump across the finish line while Lauren is pelted with paint. In the confessional she notes what a wakeup call last season was, having fired Jerry when she returned to Hollywood and doubled down on learning skills of her own. This was just a taste of things to come. Of course that meant the Skunks would be the first to send someone packing...
"Skunk Butts, welcome to the first ceremony of the season." Chris surveyed the 8 present, chuckling in amusement. "You'd think a physically stacked team like this would have crushed the Rats, but I guess I expected too much from you."
Next it was Chef's turn to highlight a few people in danger for the vote. "Bowie, it was up to you to build a winning team. But you chose people like Julia and Chase despite them not being too popular when you coulda chose friendlier faces."
He rolled his eyes.
"MK, you were the first person on your team eliminated. You weren't pulling your weight! And Julia, lotta people still hate you after last season and don't think you can be trusted. Even if you did good out there today, it might be too little too late."
Both girls shrugged in unison, annoying each other.
"And Scary Girl-"
"Lauren," she snapped back, quickly composing herself and standing to face her team. "And I'd just like to say how delightful it's been getting to know all of you again! As the person who lasted longest, I hope today proved what a useful team player I am! So I hope tonight you cast your vote keeping in mind that I'm someone who will aaaaalways watch your back. ALL. WAYS."
Ripper gulped.
"I'll crush those no good rats beneath my heel, absolutely demolish them into a fine paste... all in the name of our team of course!"
Raj and Wayne exchanged a concerned look.
"So tonight just remember, I-"
"Yeah yeah, we get it ya little psychopath," Chef cut off, motioning for her to return to her seat. "Get to voting!"
Soon enough the votes were tallied and it was time for marshmallows.
"If I call your name, you get a marshmallow and are safe. First up... Wayne and Raj!"
Both bros cheered and tinked their marshmallows together like they were proposing a toast.
"Chase... and Ripper."
They similarly also whooped and celebrated, though notably more obnoxious and in your face that the previous duo.
"Bowie."
He accepted a high five from his boyfriend and cast a smug look towards Julia.
"Aaaaaand... MK!"
She let out a sigh of relief, adding on to the smugness brigade. Between those two and Lauren's continued smile, Julia was finally starting to feel the sweat.
"One marshmallow left. Which top preforming unlikable chick is gonna take it? Queen of Mean Julia, or Head Honcho of Homicide Scary Girl?"
"Lauren!"
Chris narrowed his eyes in annoyance before getting back his trademark grin. "You know what? Call yourself whatever you like. Me personally, I'd like to call you... eliminated!"
He tossed Julia the final gooey treat, earning a few gasps.
"Wh-what? But that doesn't make any sense!" Scary Girl stamped her foot and turned with a glare that terrified most of her team. "I even wore this stupid outfit for you people!"
"Well, you're still creepy as heck," Chase pointed out. "You can change your clothes all you want, you're still gonna be Scary Girl to us."
"Yeeeeah, you may have skills but we kinda want to sleep peacefully tonight, ya know?" Wayne added.
"Which means you and the Drone of Despair have a reunion to get to." Chris pressed a button and the drone came swinging down to grab hold of Lauren just as she was about to pounce on Ripper for a throttling.
"You haven't seen the last of me," she yelled out ominously. "I'll be back! And you'll all be sorry!"
An uneasy silence filled the bonfire area, everyone letting Lauren's words send a shiver down their spine. Chris merely chuckled in amusement.
"Welp, good luck sleeping tonight!"
Votes:
Scary Girl: 4 (Raj, Wayne, Chase, Ripper)
Julia: 3 (Bowie, MK, Scary Girl)
Bowie: 1 (Julia)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Millie, Damien, Zee, Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Raj, Wayne, Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl
Reasoning: Elimination already leaked courtesy of Chris' Spanish VA, oops. Sorry to the Scary Girl fans, as you'll soon see I'm of the impression she'll make appearances later in the season to make up for the early boot, but with 16 people across 13 episodes I don't think she'll actually return as a competitor. That being said, I'm curious to see how close or far off I am for other stuff with what little info we know. For example, we know the teams and that they're drafted by Priya and Bowie, but I wonder if the draft order is similar to how I did it. And the challenge concept isn't confirmed, but from what little we see of it in the leak red light green light seems likely. Especially considering the recent relevance thanks to Squid Games.
Episode 2 opens on Julia and MK, now alone in a room to themselves following Lauren's departure. Put off by being in the bottom two, the clout chaser suggests they bury the hatchet and work together, but her rival is still bitter and is enjoying seeing her squirm. Over with the guys, Ripper is cocky over having beat Scary Girl a second season in a row despite him having zero impact on the vote. Bowie actually thinks she might have been worth keeping around since she performed well in the challenge, but the hockey bros also voice the mindeset that she was too creepy for it to be worth it. Meanwhile with the Skunks, Nichelle is being praised for her surprising clutch win. Axel in particular wants to know how she managed to become so much more skilled in so little time. She admits that with her money and Hollywood connections, Nichelle was able to find the best trainers money could buy and got on that grind. Also of note is Priya and Damein growing closer during the celebrations, and while Millie simply teases her over it, Zee rather bluntly points out that the two of them seem like a couple. They deny it.
For the second challenge the team have a simple task, prepare a meal to be judged by Chef. The catch is that to retrieve ingredients they must navigate a dangerous maze to his kitchen which proves difficult for the likes of Millie and MK. This seems like a slam dunk for the Rats, with Priya, Emma, and Caleb taking charge on preparing their meal. All the arguing between Bowie and Julia certainly doesn't help. But in a shocking turn of events, Ripper slides in while no one is looking and whips up something that sends Chef to flavortown. The skunks win, and Ripper tries to dismiss the display of his hidden skill when Chase tries to compliment him. Can't have people thinking he enjoys nerd hobbies, he just knew the right ingredients to use is all.
With elimination looming, Axel and Nichelle decide to make an agreement. They're not about to let themselves be early out victims yet again. And when they go to get Caleb on board, an eavesdropping Emma also stumbles her way into the alliance despite not fitting the early boot bill. With their votes combined, they hit their target with ease. Millie, the physically weakest of the team and someone who would be protected by the team leader if allowed to go farther in the game again. Priya is distraught to see her friend go, but Millie tries to keep her head held high and promises they'll hang out after Priya wins again.
Votes:
Millie: 4 (Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle)
Emma: 2 (Priya, Millie)
Axel: 2 (Damien, Zee)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Zee, Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Raj, Wayne, Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie
Reasoning: Despite being a contentious character due to making it to the final 3 over bigger personalities like Julia and Zee, I'd consider myself a Millie defender and think she has a well defined solid arc to justify making it so far. That being said, her story wrapped up pretty cleanly in season 1, there isn't a whole lot else I could see them doing for her. Thus I'd be surprised to see her make it far once again. Being targeted by the early out gang seems logical to me.
Episode 3 sees Priya pretty upset over her friend's blindside. And she can tell her roommates have something to do with it, so she calls them all out. Axel gives zero fucks and ignores her. Nichelle tries to flex her social game by expressing her sympathy and assuring her that it wasn't personal and she merely didn't want to be eliminated early again. But on the flip side, Emma is abrasive and accidently rubs salt into the wound by pointing out how useless Millie was as a teammate, just further getting her on Priya's bad side. Damien likewise tries to see if Caleb had anything to do with this for his friend's sake, but Caleb is able to weasel his way out of the hot seat by instead suggesting Damien should take this opportunity to give her a shoulder to cry on. Zee actually agrees, despite not being aware of what was going on.
Bowie and the hockey bros enjoy a morning workout session that doesn't go unnoticed by Julia. Despite putting their relationship on hold for the sake of the game, Bowie and Raj continue to be very affectionate with Wayne cheering them on all the while. It was clear their bond was going to be unbreakable. And more relevent, soon to be a very big problem for her. She tries to scoop up Ripper and Chase as potential allies, even pretending to compliment Ripper's cooking skills from last episode. This only flusters him and Ripper hazes the nerdy MK in a bid to still seem like an Alfalfa Male. Unfortunately for him, she takes any of his insults and fires them back twice as hard.
Like last season's episode 3, this is the customary obstacle course challenge of the season. This time with inspiration taken from Ninja Warrior. Despite Chef trying to make things interesting by hurling projectiles at the contestants, it's a slam dunk for the Rats. Nichelle beasts the course to redeem her previous performance, while the likes of Axel, Priya, and Caleb also do really well. Despite doing great herself, Julia knows her number is up, so she tracks MK down and lays it all out. She points out the unbreakable bond between Bowie and the bros, not to mention that they'd be making up half of the team if left unchecked tonight. She also points out how easily Wayne and Raj bond with Ripper and Chase. If Julia gets eliminated tonight, who'd be the obvious next boot? Reluctantly MK realizes that she's right and finally agrees to bury the hatchet so they can team up. And putting their brains together, they split up to stroke Chase's ego and trick Ripper into how he can prove his edge isn't gone, securing their votes.
At the ceremony it's revealed that leaving is... Raj? While Julia was keen to vote out Bowie, MK pointed out that Raj was the glue holding the trio together. Vote out Bowie and you still have the hockey bros as a solid duo. Same thing if Wayne leaves, you'd still have the loyal boyfriends. But cutting Raj would leave no common ground for Bowie and Wayne to stick together for, leaving them in the best possible position. Raj is shocked, leaving behind a sad best friend and a vengeful boyfriend.
Votes:
Raj: 4 (Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper)
Julia: 3 (Bowie, Raj, Wayne)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Zee, Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Wayne, Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj
Reasoning: This might be a hot take since I see Raj go far in most people's season 2 predictions. Hell, he's probably one of the most common characters I see put in people's finalist picks. Unfortunately, he's my prediction for "character people think will go far but instead is out early." Basically, while I think his and Bowie's relationship is cute and would like to see it more fleshed out, because Bowie is so all in on putting the game first I'm not sure we'd really see much new from them. And I don't want the bros to be eliminated together again, so one of them has to go earlier. But at the end of the day, the main thing convincing me is the logic I gave Julia. Realistically, Bowie, Wayne, and Raj are never going to turn on each other and if left unchecked they become like half the team. Seems to me like the perfect incentive to force her and MK to work together. If they weren't all three on the same team I could definitely see him going farther, but we know that these are the teams we're getting. I may wind up wrong, but I stick by this prediction.
Episode 4 opens on Wayne awkwardly trying to console Bowie, but unable to get past his furious exterior. Having little in common with his bro's boyfriend, for now it seems like Wayne will have to actually go it alone. Bowie angrily warns Ripper and Chase that they'll regret making an enemy out of him. Chase genuinely doesn't understand why he's making such a big deal out of it. Ripper puts on a macho façade but secretly kinda admired the bond Bowie and Raj had and feels slightly guilty. Meanwhile Julia is on cloud 9 over her successful plan and actually expresses interest in continuing to work with MK. The kleptomaniac still doesn't trust her, but will play nice so long as they share common interests. Over with the Skunks, Nichelle's continued challenge beasting is really impressing Axel and she finds herself wanting to spend more and more time with her despite their differences. Something Emma finds very interesting. Not Priya tho, she's still mad at them. Caleb meanwhile tries to get in good with the guys to better position himself in them team, but Damien is too nerdy and Zee too weird for them to find common ground. In face, Zee's airheadedness manages to get on the hunk's nerves after spilling a copius amount of his signature soda all over Caleb.
Whatever Chris had planned for the challenge is quickly thwarted by the sudden appearance of Scary Girl. Angry about her elimination, she demands a second chance since technically they eliminated "Lauren" and not "Scary Girl." Chris ain't buying it, but does offer a compromise. The challenge is a game of hide and seek. If Scary Girl can capture every contestant, she's back in the game. If one of them can subdue her, they win their team immunity. As expected, Lauren is a menace. Damien is especially freaked out after getting PTSD of the jackhammer incident, but Priya is able to calm his nerves and the two work together to try and win. They fail. Shockingly so too does the duo of Axel and Nichelle after the former finds herself flustered and distracted just as they were close to the win. When questioned on what happened, she genuinely doesn't know. Emma and Chase also run into each other during the challenge and bicker. After some advice from Ripper, Chase has finally decided to mature and move on from his ex, something that flabbergasts her after all this time. They're captured soon after. All seems lost and it feels inevitable that Scary Girl will return... that is until Wayne of all people manages to outsmart her and ties her up with hockey tape. He's treated as a hero while Chris gladly has Lauren evacuated once again.
Faced with elimination, the early out losers plus Emma must once again act. Priya and Damien seem on the verge of smooching any day now, so Emma suggests one of them, perhaps spiteful seeing an actually healthy couple on their team. But it's Caleb who throws on the rizz to try and convince the group who they should vote off. His charm's work on Emma and Nichelle so it's decided, though Axel isn't pleased. Though is it because of their target choice, or because Nichelle was showing interesting in someone else... well anyway, that's all she wrote for best boi Zee. As to be expected, he's super chill about being eliminated, sipping one last soda for the road.
Votes:
Zee: 4 (Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle)
Axel: 2 (Priya, Damien)
Emma: 1 (Zee)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Emma, Axel, Caleb, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Wayne, Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee
Reasoning: Zee is my favorite character of the reboot cast. I would very much love to be proven wrong and see him go farther than last season, maybe even be a finalist. But unfortunately, I fear he may be too chill for his own good. Without any obvious plot for him and being on a different team from his biggest dynamics from last season (Ripper and Chase), I fear he's being positioned as one of season 2's early outs. Sometimes it be like that on this bitch of an earth.
Episode 5 continues the celebration for Wayne besting Scary Girl. Ripper especially is in awe and begins bonding a bit with Wayne who's supportive attitude is rubbing off on him. Bowie is still fairly salty over Raj's elimination and he warns Chase that they should make a move against Julia before she betrays the two of them as well, but he dismisses it as sour grapes. Speaking of, MK and Julia come to an agreement that Wayne should actually be next to go since he stands a better chance of swaying Ripper or Chase away from them. Over with the Rats, a major development emerges after Damien gets some last minute pointers from Caleb. He shoots his shot and finally asks out Priya, which she gladly says yes to. But all isn't sunshine and rainbows for the team. Nichelle tries to figure out why Axel is suddenly being so cold, but she reguses to talk. And Emma decides to show up her ex by asking out Caleb in the mess hall... only to get shot down. Awkward.
With the teams even, Chris declares that this challenge will consist of six battles. Someone from each team is armed with a padded jousting stick and must try to knock their opponent off a platform suspended in midair. Whichever team wins the most battles avoids elimination. Bowie vs Priya is the first matchup and she's a bit too distracted considering her new relationship, giving Bowie the opening he needs. Ripper vs Caleb is next and the former confidently declares that he'll come out as the alpha... only to be easily bested. Damien vs MK is done as a battle of the nerds, and some sideline cheering from Priya motivates the science geek to a win. Wayne is matched up with a very aggressive Axel, but he keeps a cool head and is able to outmaneuver her. Julia vs Nichelle is probably the closest match with both giving their all and fighting hard, but Julia fights dirty and barely clutches it. Last is, of course, Emma vs Chase. He once again smugly decides to take the high road and allows her to win, but she isn't happy about him making it so easy. This calls for a tie breaker and the teams nominate their warrior. Wayne for the Skunks and Caleb for the Rats. While Caleb has the size advantage, Wayne weilds his weapon like a hockey stick and uses his experience to clutch out a surprise win.
Nichelle and Caleb agree that their alliance's next target should be Priya. Her head wasn't in the game and she already had her chance in a finale anyway. However... Axel is still spiteful at Caleb for getting Nichelle's attention. And Emma isn't taking rejection too kindly. The two approach Priya and Damien with a secret offer and since the alternative is one of them being eliminated they have no choice but to accept. Caleb is blindsided once again and declares that this is still garbage before being hauled off.
Votes:
Caleb: 4 (Priya, Damein, Emma, Axel)
Priya: 2 (Caleb, Nichelle)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Emma, Axel, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Wayne, Julia, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb
Reasoning: For many people's season 2 predictions it's very common to see all six of the first season's pre-mergers make it far. Even after the leak, a lot of people are on the copium that Scary Girl will pull an Izzy to return then make it to late game. Personally, I think it's unrealistic to expect ALL of them to merge this time. And outside of Scary Girl, Caleb is by far the most likely to be a two time pre-merger in my eyes. Granted a big reason is because he's given us the least to work with as what he'll bring to the table to justify staying longer (kinda inevitable for a first boot). But even then, with his archetype being so similar to Justin and Alejandro, I'm not particularly confident that he's going to break new ground. Thus, I feel comfortable predicting him going farther, but not much farther.
Episode 6 sees Nichelle confronting her allies on going behind her back to oust Caleb for seemingly no reason. Emma doesn't even bother hiding that it was for making her look like a fool in front of everyone, while Axel tries to play it off as a strategic move because he'd be a threat down the line. Nichelle isn't buying it. Priya and Damien can't complain about the strife, hoping they can use this to their advantage to avoid elimination if their team loses again. As for the Skunks, Chase is cocky over how much his actions are getting under Emma's skin and reveals this is all an elaborate ruse to try and get her to take him back. Bowie is furious to hear this and tries drilling it into his thick skull that they need to stay apart permanently. Meanwhile Wayne consoles a conflicted Ripper who's really going through it now that he's questioning his status as an alfalfa male. He worries that maybe HE is becoming the nerd. Wayne tries to reason that maybe being a nerd isn't so bad, but Ripper thinks this is blasphemy. Meanwhile for the girls, MK is actually growing on Julia. In fact, she even expresses her plans to take her to the finale. Though she admits via confessional that it's mostly because she knows MK would be easy to beat.
Their challenge takes place during the night and is horror movie themed. Various classic movie monsters have infested the island and they must hunt them. Silver bullets for the werewolves, garlic for the vampires, etc. The team to eliminate the most monsters wins. Once again Chase and Emma confront each other during their hunt, and their bickering attract a horde of zombies that overwhelms them. Bowie reluctantly decides to work together with Julia since their skills compliment each other. And Damien is kinda freaking out but tries to use his smarts to help Priya however he can. Wayne and Ripper buddy up and do some serious work. The hockey bro praises the fart monster's teamwork, but Ripper denies being a team player. But in the end, despite things being awkward between the two it's Axel and Nichelle who stand out the most. Between one's doomsday prepping and the other's vast movie knowledge, the two are an absolute menace to these wimpy monsters. They rack up enough points alone to beat the Skunks, with Nichelle asking if they're cool and Axel gruffly confirming that they are.
According to Julia's plan it should be Wayne leaving next and she's able to get Chase on board with ease. But MK decides that now's the time to act. It doesn't help that she was given basically no help during the challenge and left to fend for herself. She approaches Bowie with an offer to betray the mastermind and naturally Bowie ain't gonna be complaining. They scoop up Wayne's support and with Ripper as the deciding factor he ultimately sides with his new friend over Julia. The influencer is blindsided and cusses out MK while being dragged away kicking and screaming.
Votes:
Julia: 4 (Bowie, Wayne, MK, Ripper)
Wayne: 2 (Julia, Chase)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Emma, Axel, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Wayne, Chase, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia
Reasoning: Julia was by far one of the hardest to place for the second season. As the former main antagonist it's easy to imagine her team wanting her gone immediately once they're rid of the murderous Lauren. But it's also clear that she's an iconic personality that the writers enjoy so it's also easy to imagine them making up reasons for her to survive a while. Heck I've even seen people predict her as a potential finalist and maybe getting a love interest ala World Tour Heather (Wayne typically being the most popular ship suggestion). I could see them going just about any route with her honestly. In the end, I went with the idea of her being cut just shy of the merge, acting as a surprising boot so that MK can betray her and take her place as the antagonist going forward. Some revenge for the previous season and continuing her streak of being betrayed by an antagonist rivals of hers.
Episode 7 means it's time for the merge... is what I WOULD say if it was happening now. But Chris pranks the contestants by revealing they're still in teams. Looks like Damien and MK will continue to have rooms to themselves for the time being. Having noticed all the weirdness going on with her teammate, Emma confronts Axel and gets her to spill the beans. She has a crush on Nichelle. While Emma thinks she should see if the feeling is mutual, Axel refuses. It's annoying enough having to deal with these feelings as is. As far as she knows, it's possible Nichelle wasn't even into girls. And even if she was, what would a super successful movie star want to do with someone like her? Speaking from experience, Emma assures her that it's not fun having regrets when it comes to romance. Speaking of, Damien is making plans to try and prepare for the merge by getting friendly with some of the Skunk guys, while Priya approaches MK. Ripper initially tries to roast this nerd, but upon hanging out he finds that they have more in common than he thinks. Meanwhile Bowie and Wayne agree that Chase is next to go, dude's a major tool.
However, Chris reveals that things are gonna be different this time. Tonight was going to be a double elimination with each team losing someone. But rather than each team voting off one of their own... they'd be voting off someone from the other team! So instead the goal of the challenge was to locate an immunity idol in the woods that would keep someone safe from each team. With all her tracking skills in hand, Axel rather effortlessly finds the idol for the Rats. However, she offers it up to Nichelle as an apology for the Caleb blindside and acting cold lately. She's shocked, but thankful and accepts the immunity. The search is a lot more heated for the Skunks, but in the end MK is able to employ some old tricks and hack into the cameras to find where it was hidden. She retrieves it just before Bowie would have found it naturally.
Emma leads a campaign for them to vote off her ex, despite Axel suggesting that Bowie would be the smarter move or Priya still being bitter at Ripper for his behavior last season. Damien actually defends him a bit. Meanwhile Chase thinks Axel should go since he doesn't really like her following some insults she's slung his way. During her hacking excursion MK was able to find out a bit of inside info. Namely that the merge is going to follow this ceremony. Letting that info leak to Bowie, they agree on what to do. Chase and Emma can't be allows to freely interact again and potentially hook back up for everybody's own sanity. So when the ceremony rolls around, it is indeed Chase and Emma being eliminated together. They're naturally upset, but she takes the time to finally shoot him down once and for all and he realizes the severity of his actions. He offers to at least remain friends. She says no.
Votes:
Chase: 3 (Priya, Damien, Emma)
Bowie: 2 (Axel, Nichelle)
Emma: 3 (Bowie, Wayne, MK)
Axel: 2 (Chase, Ripper)
Contestants Standing:
Rat Faces: Priya, Damien, Axel, Nichelle
Skunk Butts: Bowie, Wayne, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma
Reasoning: Before the leaks, by far the most popular prediction for season 2's first boot was Emma and Chase being eliminated together ala Geoff and Bridgette in TDA. Chase was probably the most contentious character of the cast, with only maybe Ripper giving him a run for that title. And consensus seemed to be that Emma herself was fun but her entertainment factor is brought down when around him. I think them being on different teams is a good sign and I wouldn't be surprised to see one or both of them get more development than I gave them here. But the season DOES still need a double elimination somewhere, and despite where they stand this time around they still remain the most thematically fitting pair to eliminate together after Wayne and Raj. Had I decided not to do that, I probably would have predicted Bowie and Priya getting eliminated together.
Episode 8 is here and so is the merge! That sure would be exciting if MK hadn't already leaked the info. Nonetheless, with the teams disbanded everyone moves in to one cabin. Things are pretty friendly with the dudes. Bowie feels a little bad over eliminating Emma but figures it was for her own good. Per Wayne's insistence Ripper continues to talk with Damien and finds that some of the nerd stuff he brings up is actually pretty cool. He can even explain the science behind farting! Supportive bro Wayne is pleased. Over with the girls, MK's sass gets on Axel's nerves, so MK claps back by whispering that she knows Axel's secret and can leak it to Nichelle if she doesn't chill. Speaking of, Nichelle checks in with Priya on how things are with Damien. She seems smitten.
Their challenge is about tackling drag racing. Which kind? Yes. First the contestants must assemble the most girlbossy outfit they can think of. Axel and MK flop, Priya and Damien's are mid, Wayne and Ripper have solid getups and the later's eye for fashion gets some genuine shocked reactions. But it comes down to Bowie vs Nichelle with the former finalist ultimately winning part 1. Part 2 sees the contestants now hopping into race cars to be the first to the finish line. Bowie gets a head start, but the course has plenty of obstacles. In the end, Axel is able to crash her car into Bowie's, opening a window for Nichelle to take immunity. At the ceremony, some are shocked when the target turns out to be... Priya? With her former finalist status looming over her head and the relationship with Damien out in the open and a clear threat, some banded together to oust her. She gives Damien a parting kiss and urges him to win it all.
Votes:
Priya: 4 (Axel, Nichelle, Bowie, MK)
Bowie: 2 (Priya, Damien)
Axel: 2 (Wayne, Ripper)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Damien, Axel, Nichelle, Bowie, Wayne, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma, Priya
Reasoning: Despite being former finalists, I just don't buy the possibility of Priya and Bowie being early boots in season 2. The writers like them too much to let it be so. Priya had multiple seeds planted of having a crush on Damien so that alone gives her an easy storyline for season 2. However, once they're official and make it around this point, I do think that's when she's doomed. Not a whole lot left for her to do at that point, and placement-wise there's nowhere to go but down.
Episode 9? The merge just happened and we're already approaching the endgame. By now MK and Bowie have worked together to make some good moves. Next on the itinerary was doing something about Axel and Nichelle. They weren't an item like Damien/Priya, but they were still a formidable duo. Speaking of, Axel reluctantly tries to confide in Damien for advice since he seems trustworthy enough not to spill the beans. Seeing as how she probably helped eliminate his girlfriend he's a bit annoyed, but ultimately decides to help how he can to keep himself safe. Between stuff like the baking and now the fashion, Ripper is feeling embarrassed over his soft side being exposed, but supportive bro Wayne assures him that it's cool and he should be proud of it. As for Nichelle, she's taken notice of MK being slimy and tries to see if she can get in good with the underdog unaware that she's a potential next target for her.
The next challenge is a Tiktok parody reference, with the contestants having to recreate various popular dances and trends and whatnot from the app. While everyone gives it a solid try, it once again comes down to Bowie vs Nichelle. And just like last time the movie star is able to slay with her performance and clutches the win. Somewhere Julia's eye twitch as her biggest challenge beast status becomes threatened. This seems like an open and shut elimination to finally get rid of Axel. But Nichelle puts in some work to convince MK that betraying Bowie is smarter. He double crossed Julia last season, who's to say he won't do it again with her? If they don't act now, he'd sail under the radar all the way to the finale yet again. MK agrees, and is able to blackmail Ripper with some embarrassing non manly antics she saw him getting up to on the cameras to also sway his vote. Bowie is so flabbergasted he doesn't even respond when eliminated.
Votes:
Bowie: 4 (Axel, Nichelle, MK, Ripper)
Axel: 3 (Damien, Bowie, Wayne)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Damien, Axel, Nichelle, Wayne, MK, Ripper
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma, Priya, Bowie
Reasoning: Perhaps even more so than Priya, I think the writers love Bowie waaaaay too much for him to potentially be out early in season 2. Just look up the confessional count and see how much he gets compared to everyone else, it's hilarious. That being said, I think it's only a matter of time that he should logically go. Because I predict Raj and Julia as pre-mergers that removes two of his biggest dynamics. Add in Emma and it's potentially a done deal. But I do think he'll merge again at the very least.
Episode 10, things are getting spicy now. The fact that, of all people, the person left standing that did the best last time is Ripper truly proves that this is a new era. Speaking of, he's pretty annoyed at letting MK manipulate him and declares that once and for all he'll own everything about himself with no care what anyone else thinks. He goes to Wayne and Damien and rallies the troops to fight back against the girls once and for all. Axel meanwhile considers finally coming clean about her crush, but is dissuaded by MK who feeds into her fears that it's likely a lost cause. Only for MK to reveal in confessional that Nichelle has actually expressed interest towards the survivalist and just also assumed the feeling wouldn't be mutual. She plans to continue withholding the info since she doesn't need them becoming an official couple and too strong to break up.
Calling back to a fan favorite challenge from long ago, Chris handcuffs the contestants into pairs with promise that the winning duo will both get immunity. Brainy Damien is with brawny Axel. Friendly Wayne is with abrasive MK. And queen of cool Nichelle is with king of the uncool, Ripper. They compete in three challenges which take places across varying biomes. First is the lava river from last season, which Damien and Axel win. Next is a swim through an icy snowy tundra. Wayne is able to carry MK to a win with his homefield advantage. Last is a jungle sorta setting where they come face to face with the raptors from last season. Damien is already experienced on how to deal with them and together with Axel's brawn they manage to snag immunity. While Wayne and MK didn't get along, Nichelle and Ripper butted heads the entire time and failed to win a single round. Their target is squarely on each other. Unfortunately, this means that when the two tie Chris has to whip out the ol' individual immunities rule. And since Ripper has 0 to Nichelle's 2, he's gone. But not before thanking Wayne and Damien for helping him become even MORE of an alfalfa male by learning to embrace his true self. But to not leave on such a sappy note, he also reveals MK's blackmail, effectively revealing to everyone that she's been spying on their private moments to manipulate them and that she must be stopped.
Votes:
Ripper: 3 (Axel, Nichelle, MK)
Nichelle: 3 (Damien, Wayne, Ripper)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Damien, Axel, Nichelle, Wayne, MK
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma, Priya, Bowie, Ripper
Reasoning: Between comments from both Ripper's VA and Terry McGurrin, the prevailing theory is that we're likely going to get a storyline of Ripper's softer side being revealed in season 2. There's potential that Terry could mean a different "macho" character, perhaps Axel, but Ripper fits the bill the most. Similar to the finalists, it's clear the writers really like Ripper, so I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him get a big arc in the next season. Some of his fans don't want to see it and hope he just kinda stays an asshole, but I'm for it if it's done in an entertaining way. I kinda had Wayne and Damien be the ones to help him embrace it here, but I'm fully prepared for the canon implementation to be something totally out of left field that I couldn't predict.
Episode 11, and finally MK is starting to feel some pressure as everyone is spiteful to her slimy methods of getting through the game. She claims that she was merely using the skills she could work with since she was up against people stronger, smarter, and more successful than her. So she refuses to apologize. Wayne and Damien are firmly against her and offer a truce with Axel and Nichelle to get rid of the schemer next. Right now Nichelle doesn't trust anyone other than Axel, so she leaves what they'll do up to her friend. Right, friend. Axel grumbles as MK continues to threaten exposing her crush if they vote against her. Torn on what to do, for now the priority is win immunity so her options are open.
So what will they be competing in? With Ripper gone, it's finally time for a grossout eating challenge! With a twist. First they eat disgusting dishes served by Chef, then have to complete disorienting tasks without barfing. If you hurl, start over with a fresh plate. First to complete everything wins. Thankfully for Axel this isn't exactly MK's forte and while she's used some insider info to know how to finish tasks quick, the barf problem is hard to overcome. Meanwhile Nichelle and Damien struggle hard. It's close, but Wayne actually manages to just barely surpass Axel and get himself immunity, proudly claiming that he's ate worse at post-game parties before. MK and Damien are the obvious choices. It's up to Axel to decide what she and Nichelle will do. In the end, as badly as she wants to stick it to the underhanded jerk, she just can't deal with her dirty laundry being aired. So she reluctantly votes with her, and a sighing Damien resigns himself to his fate.
Votes:
Damien: 3 (Axel, Nichelle, MK)
MK: 2 (Damien, Wayne)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Axel, Nichelle, Wayne, MK
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma, Priya, Bowie, Ripper, Damien
Reasoning: I went back and forth on who I'd eliminate here between Damien or Wayne. Both are incredibly popular finalist predictions for season 2 (hell, Damien is probably THE most popular pick) and I think both had the potential to make it happen. In the end, the deciding factor was the fact that choosing Wayne to boot would mean three whole underdogs from the Rats making it to final four. This isn't necessarily unheard of, TDI's final four was 3 Gophers to 1 Bass, and World Tour's was 3 Amazons to 1 Alejandro. But in the end this just kinda came down to a gut feeling thing. I won't exactly be shocked if Damien does wind up doing better than I've predicted. But I also kinda wouldn't be surprised if he even did WORSE.
Episode 12, the penultimate challenge before we'd have our finalists. He may not be sharpest tool in the shed, but Wayne was well aware that he was probably next if something didn't change soon. He goes to Nichelle and Axel, hopeful to possibly change their minds and get them to get rid of MK so the three of them could be finalists instead. Nichelle bluntly admits that working with Axel hasn't steered her wrong yet, so she'll just support whatever she wants to do. Nichelle thinks she can beat MK OR Wayne, so she doesn't really mind either way. In a more private setting Wayne is able to connect the dots and realizes that Axel is down bad. Ally that he is, he tries to encourage her it's time to admit the crush before it's too late. But for the first time she can remember, Axel is scared and doesn't want to face the potential rejection. Meanwhile MK schemes what to do in the event that Wayne wins immunity. The plan is to record some out of context Axel quotes to make Nichelle think she's been trashing her behind her back. A shoddy plan, but it was the best bet she had with how loyal the duo had been up to now.
The plan for their challenge was to build their way up to the top of a mountain and claim a flag all while Chef hits them with obstacles. But things are derailed when Scary Girl once again emerges to hijack the game. Way she sees it, if she maims a few a of the contestants Chris will have no choice but to replace them with an able bodied competitor such as herself. It's foolproof! Once again Wayne is ultimately able to subdue her, but MK hits a clutch hit with a spaghetti cannon before he can get to the flag. This opens the path for Axel to finally win immunity instead, while Scary Girl is hauled off while cursing Wayne's name. Pissed off at MK's smug attitude, Axel has finally had enough. At the ceremony it's revealed that MK is leaving, not Wayne. Axel claims that she doesn't care what MK does... until she actually does it. True to her word, MK tells all. Nichelle is shell-shocked, but before she can say anything Axel panics. Terrified of rejection, she hastily claims that she no longer has any feelings and finds Nichelle fake and vain. The movie star switches to angry and the two begin to argue. Wayne tries to intervene and claim that Axel is lying, but he's told to shut up and he can only watch on awkwardly.
Votes:
MK: 3 (Axel, Nichelle, Wayne)
Wayne: 1 (MK)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Axel, Nichelle, Wayne
Eliminated: Scary Girl, Millie, Raj, Zee, Caleb, Julia, Chase and Emma, Priya, Bowie, Ripper, Damien, MK
Reasoning: Julia was the first season's main antagonist and got 4th, thus I gave 4th to MK also. Pretty straightforward. As to why I chose to put MK in the main antagonist spot over other popular predictions like Nichelle, Ripper, even Caleb, it just felt the most likely. Some good groundwork was laid with her whole confessional spying plot, it was a unique antagonistic move that felt like it had potential for more. Only for her to be outshined by Bowie and Julia. I could absolutely see MK getting her chance to fully shine this time around.
Now on to why I chose these finalists. I kinda figured the finale would be a pair and a standalone character similar to season 1 having Millie/Priya and Bowie. Based on what little confirmed info we have/the leaks, I see Nichelle as the safest bet for characters that will be important next season if she single handedly wins Priya's team the first challenge. When trying to figure out what storyline she'd even have for that team with Priya/Millie/Damien a subgroup, Axel felt like the most interesting choice due to their contrasting personalities and both being early outs. Add in the fact that Caleb is also there rounding out the first three boots and I felt like that could wind up being important. Furthermore, after season 1 gave us a M/M pair for the LGBT rep, it made me wonder if we might get a F/F ship this time. Keeping the fact that "macho character with a hidden soft side" could also apply to Axel, I just sorta stumbled into enjoying the idea of their ship. But similar to Priya and Millie's friendship, I figured the storyline would need to be in the middle of some conflict for the finale, hence the strife I inserted here. As for Wayne, I was torn between him or Damien for this slot, but settled on him. I think having another member of that Hockey Bros/Bowie trio go the distance is realistic and it could be fun seeing Wayne have to stand on his own with his buddy eliminated. Is it unrealistic to expect so many earlier outs like this make up the endgame? Perhaps. But this is just how the chips fell.
Episode 13, the finale. Our finalists were set, Axel, Wayne, or Nichelle were about to be a million dollars richer. But things were awkward following that ceremony, Axel fumbling things royally from her panicked lies, while Nichelle feels bitter and toyed with. Despite it being best for his game to let them stay mad, good guy Wayne tries to talk some sense into Nichelle and explain that Axel DOES like her, but she's too mad to listen. Wayne pleads with Axel to not let things continue like this, but she coldly says it's for the best. The next morning, Chris once again brings back the losers to watch the finale. Raj is hyped to see his bro make it to the end. Julia is rooting for Nichelle since she's cool and famous. Caleb is still bitter and actively rooting against Axel. Emma and Chase are still broken up, thankfully. And Scary Girl... is MIA? Eh, it's probably fine.
Each finalist is randomly assigned a partner. Wayne miraculously gets Raj, Axel is left with Zee, while Nichelle rolls Priya. Part 1 is a sprint through a dangerous dark cave. Last one out is stuck with 3rd place. Wayne and Raj beast through it, Raj updating his buddy on how his friends have been doing since they've been gone. But Nichelle and Axel continue to butt heads, constantly trying to one up the other. Priya and Zee try to keep the peace and urge them to cut it out and make up already, but the girls are too bullheaded. The fighting eventually causes them to both tumble down deeper into the cave, forcing them into a tight cramped space. All the while Wayne crosses the finish line, unaware of how big his lead was. Trapped and frustrated at the situation, Axel finally comes clean and admits to Nichelle that her crush was genuine and she lied out of fear that she'd be shot down. Nichelle shoots back that she would have said yes to a date and can't fathom why she thought being a jerk was a good idea. Nonetheless, they can't stay mad at each other and team up to escape the chasm. With their powers combined they successfully pull themselves out and rush for the finish line. Just before they cross Nichelle comes to a stop, allowing Axel to qualify. When asked why, Nichelle reminds her that she's rich and doesn't need the money. Plus she'd like to root on her girlfriend from the sidelines. With this sudden confirmation a kiss is shared, while Wayne and Raj shed a tear.
For their final challenge, Wayne and Axel must once again face who else but Scary Girl. She's grabbed the million dollar briefcase and is trying to escape the island with a horde of creepy animals at her disposal. If they want to win, they'll have to take the briefcase from her by force. It's a long crazy battle with more than a few close calls against their lives. But eventually they all tumble into the water, with one of the finalists emerging with briefcase in hand. In most European and Asian countries it's Wayne, but in the likes of America, Canada, and Australia it's Axel that emerges victorious. Chris signs off, promising that Total Drama will return eventually.
Final Standings:
16th: Scary Girl, 15th: Millie, 14th: Raj, 13th: Zee, 12th: Caleb, 11th: Julia, 10th/9th: Chase and Emma, *MERGE* 8th: Priya, 7th: Bowie, 6th: Ripper, 5th: Damien, 4th: MK, 3rd: Nichelle, Winner/Runner Up: Axel and Wayne
Author's Note:
And there we have it. Axel and Wayne are my prediction for next season's finalists with Nichelle taking 3rd. I don't necessarily think a character being canonically rich is a deal breaker for the writers to make them win or not, but she just feels more likely as a 3rd placer than a winner to me, ya know? I know it might seem insane to say Axel feels highly possible as a winner in comparison when she has two episodes worth of content thus far, but call it a gut feeling. I'll admit that she was my favorite character back when designs were first revealed, leading to immense disappointment when she was a 2nd out flop. So feel free to call it copium, but I genuinely believe we'll get something better for her next time. We already know she isn't the first boot after all. As for Wayne, I think he's an even more questionable choice as others would guess Raj, Damien, or hell even Ripper as a potential male finalist instead. It did just sorta work out this way for my prediction, but again it's mostly a gut feeling thing. Feel free to come back here so you can point and laugh when I'm way off the mark and the finale is actually something like Chase vs MK while Axel, Nichelle, and MK all get eliminated around the midpoint. As of this writing, Priya's ending has aired in literally every country where the reboot HAS aired, leading many to worry that Bowie's ending doesn't even exist. I'm going to remain optimistic that this is just a Lightning's ending situation where it's there and he just isn't the one shown in most places because he's the antagonist finalist (and also because I vastly prefer him as a winner over Priya, lmao). But in the event that they are only doing one canon ending going forward, I'd predict Wayne over Axel here since that would mean the reboot has one girl winner and one male.
I've been waiting to finish and publish this chapter until I got out a Battle of the Generations update, but I've hit some serious writer's block with that story so I decided to complete it now to try and get my writing flow going. And also because season 2 of the reboot is due to air in Italy next month so if I want my predictions out there it's gotta be sooner rather than later, lol. I will (hopefully) be going back to writing BOTG after this, and next chapter will be a more traditional butterfly effect kinda thing since this has been two "speculating what Fresh will do/would have done" chapters in a row. Likely something based on ROTI or PI.