"Rock on, sister! I live for the headrush. And it feels... so... good."
Geoff reached his limit and slipped off the tree, leaving Gwen as the last one standing. Duncan and Courtney winced nearby, with Harold walking in to catch the results.
"Oooh, that's going to leave a mark." The CIT looked to her new crush for a reaction, but he merely shrugged. He gave a subtle head motion towards the nearby geek which said all they needed to know. At least it wasn't going to be their butts on the line.
Harold didn't see this, but he still sighed. Another loss, another elimination ceremony. And here he was the lone wolf on the opposite side of a bonafide cool kids clique. He stomped off bitterly, mulling over his next move. Ordinarily Courtney would have been too focused on Duncan to notice, but this time she watched the geek walk away. Her inner politician was tingling. As far as they knew, the winner in the end would be decided by a jury vote. Maybe this was an opportunity to secure another supporter?
Later in day, Harold was sitting against a tree, watching the confessional. He knew what needed to be done, there was no guarantee that it'd work but it was better than just rolling over and accepting defeat. Now he just needed to wait for the rest of the Bass to vote so he could go last. All that remained was Courtney. What was taking her so long anyway?
"There you are, Harold! I've been looking all over for you."
The nerd tensed up, nearly getting jumpscared by Courtney sneaking up on him. "Oh yeah? What for?"
"I'd like to apologize. We've all seen how much Duncan picks on you and just let it happen. As team captain I should have taken an initiative to make him stop. Rest assured, I'll be trying to whip him into shape going forward."
Team captain? According to who? Harold shrugged uncaringly. "I doubt he'll listen. Guy's just a huge jerkface, it's probably impossible to make him clean up his act."
Courtney bit her lip, almost wanting to mention the bunny incident as a rebuttal but knowing it'd be against Duncan's wishes. "You're probably the last person that wants to hear this, but he's not all bad. Sure he's abrasive, and undeniably a rude ogre, but trust me when I say there's more there than meets the eye."
Yeah, he wasn't convinced. The geek just scoffed. "Easy for you to say, he actually likes you. He sure as heck hasn't shown any goodness to ME all season."
Well she couldn't deny that. She sighed and patted her teammate's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sorry that he's been a jerk, you didn't deserve being treated that way. I do mean it when I say I'll try to make him chill out. At least when it comes to things like picking on people."
Harold was silent. The last thing he expected before the ceremony was someone actually reaching out to him and being apologetic. Immediately he recalled the scheme he'd been planning and felt a wave of guilt. "Er, thanks. I appreciate it."
A job well done, Courtney offered one last smile and left to go cast her vote. She was still voting for him, obviously, but he didn't need to know that! Another vote secured. Harold meanwhile grunted and shook his head. "Maybe I should just let it happen..."
He got up to go face the music... only to immediately trip over an outstretched leg. Who else but Duncan started to laugh at the fallen geek. "Smooth moves, dorkus. Maybe watch where you step next time."
"Gosh! You're the one that did it, idiot!"
"Yeah well, gotta get what little bit in that I can while you're still here." He chuckled to himself and left Harold in the dirt. "It's been fun."
"Fun," Harold grumbled to himself, glaring at the departing delinquent. "I'll show you fun..."
The remaining Bass sat near the bonfire, Chef still in his drill sergeant gear behind them.
"I only have 5 marshmallows on my plate," Chris narrated, gesturing at the gooey immunity symbols with a serious expression. "And these marshmallows represent the campers that will continue to be... campers... here."
Courtney rolled her eyes, gazing flirtatiously at Duncan next to her.
"You've all cast your ballots in the confession cam. If I do not call your name, you must immediately go down the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers, and go home. And you can't come back. EVer." Despite being told this multiple times already, many of the Bass winced nervously. "Courtney!"
She grinned confidently and stood to accept her marshmallow.
"DJ! Bridgette. Geoff!" Each of the Bass let out a little cheer, pumped their fist, maybe even both. Once they joined their teammate, that just left the nerd and bully. "Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the night."
Duncan flashed a cocky smile his opponent's way, though Harold just let his arms dangle and had a relatively neutral expression. The usual dramatic pause followed, though Chris didn't hang on it for too long. "Harold."
"Yes!" The nerd strolled up to the rest of his team, not reacting to Duncan's shocked gasp or the bewildered stares from Courtney, Geoff, and DJ.
"You've gotta be kidding me! You guys voted for this twerp over me?" Duncan stomped forward, glaring daggers at his bros. Neither of them knew what was going on either, but their friend's rage didn't help. "Are you stupid?"
"Yes yes, it's always a shock." Chris patted him on the shoulder and pointed towards the boat. "Dock of Shame awaits, dude."
"Oh I ain't going anywhere! Not until I get to the bottom of this certified bullcrap." Duncan stood his ground... but that didn't mean much when a hulking Chef surprised him from behind and dragged him down the Dock by force. "Let go of me! I need answers!"
Courtney's icy stare was even more intense that her love interest's. She looked DJ and Geoff both over, trying to get a read on their reactions. Both seemed genuinely surprised, totally out of the loop on what just happened. They couldn't have done it. One was too stupid to fake a reaction like that, and the other too nice. But it'd have to wait, she pushed past the crowd and ran after Duncan just as he was tossed into the boat.
"Duncan wait!"
Despite everything, seeing Courtney run after him was enough to make Duncan forget about the anger. The last thing he needed was to let her see him going out on a negative note. He thought fast and dug into his pocket. "I made you something!"
He tossed the keepsake at her. A hand carved wooden skull. She cradled the gift, briefly frowning in confusion before regaining her smile. Weird as it may be, it was a genuine present from the boy she liked. Something made just for her. As he faded into the night, she waved and called out to him. "This is really gross, but I love it! I'll never forget you!"
Harold stood next to the bonfire, watching the embers crackle as he roasted his immunity marshmallow. His gaze was cold and spiteful and he let the gooey treat turn a crisp black. Something wasn't right. He knew it too, but he remained silent through the ceremony. But now that everyone was gone, he could let his mind wander to reminisce about what happened earlier.
First was a montage of all the times he'd been hazed and bullied throughout the season. Wedgies aplenty, tricked into eating underwear, or drinking kitchen grease. A hazy flashback then showed him in the confessional with the voting box on his lap. He whipped out a screwdriver and twirled it around for flourish before going to town on the screws. Little twist here, another turn there and the box swung open. Harold grabbed the votes and stuffed them into his shirt before pulling out a fresh stack to replace them.
"You must think you're so funny," he spat, shutting the box and screwing it back into place. "I was thinking of messing with your love life, but you're too much of a jerk to let it be anyone else. Let's see who's laughing once the night's over."
The flashback ended and we returned to Harold at the bonfire, his marshmallow now incinerating while he grinned wickedly for the camera. "Yes!"
And with that the episode slowly faded to black... or at least it would have, until another figure suddenly marched up behind the nerd without him noticing.
"HAROLD! Explain yourself!"
He yelped and took a defensive stance, finding Courtney glaring at him.
"E-explain what? I didn't do anything."
Courtney rolled her eyes and got in his face. "I'm not stupid, Harold. Duncan shouldn't have been eliminated. He didn't vote for himself, I know for a fact I didn't, Geoff isn't smart enough to fake that shocked reactions of his. The only way it's possible is if there's foul play. So spill it!"
Harold gulped but stood his ground. "I have no idea what you're talking about. For all we know, maybe Bridgette and DJ got tired of his attitude and voted against him too!"
She narrowed her eyes and jabbed a finger into his chest. "You should know that I have some VERY tight connections with some of Canada's best lawyers. If you did something to cheat the game-"
"If I did," he suddenly cut off, clearing his throat. "Which I didn't! But hypothetically, if I did, is it really my fault? The show has cameras everywhere, they would have seen whatever foul play go down and they could have stopped it. So if anything, it'd be their fault for allowing it to happen!"
"Hmm." She took a step back and leered at the nearby camera. "Good point. Maybe I should have my attorney chat up the producers to make sure something like this can never happen again... Still, there's no point acting like you didn't have a hand in it. I can read it on you as clear as day."
He could tell there was no use in putting on the act. She was too sharp, any lie was just going to be dismissed. "What was I supposed to do, just roll over and let it happen when I didn't do anything wrong? It's not my fault I didn't get invited to the cool kids table."
"Maybe you should have thought about that earlier and been more proactive. I'm sure Tyler, Katie, or Sadie would have been more than willing to help had you thought ahead." She rolled her eyes and walked away. "Whatever. Just never let it happen again or you're dead!"
Harold watched her leave, mouth agape and the satisfied high from his scheme all but gone. The flaming marshmallow unceremoniously flopped to the dirt and he signed off the episode with a single annoyed word. "Gosh..."
Votes:
Harold: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Duncan, Geoff
Duncan: Harold
Votes switched for 6 Duncan votes
Contestants Standing:
Screaming Gophers: Gwen, Heather, Leshawna, Lindsay, Owen, Trent
Killer Bass: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Geoff, Harold
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva, Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy, Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan
X-Treme Torture: Harold would sleep with one eye open after seeing Courtney's scary side. He had only barely managed to get some shuteye before Chris forcefully woke everyone up for the next challenge. It was to be a series of extreme sports trials where the winning team would be whichever performed best in the most rounds. And it wasn't just safety on the line, the winning team would also get a chance to enjoy a hot clean spa-grade shower. The boys weren't too impressed, but each of the girls were determined to win. First up would be DJ and Trent facing off in extreme skydiving, with the goal of landing on a tiny sofa bed hauled by their team.
Before the challenge could get underway, the campers would at least enjoy breakfast. In the Mess Hall Gwen and Bridgette discover an anonymous love letter with some spicy poetry. Both would assume the letter was for themselves, written by their respective love interests. A bet was formed and they'd get to the bottom of figuring out who the culprit was.
DJ accidently nudged Trent out of the plane early, the guitarist just missing the sofa below. Nothing a day in the infirmary wouldn't fix. Meanwhile the brickhouse nailed the landing, even if he did get dragged into the sofa itself. Gwen and Bridgette tried to subtly get a confession out of their boys, but it was clear neither had wrote the letter. They'd argue over it during the next challenge, a moose rodeo. Geoff could barely hold on to the beast, getting quickly flung into a pile of smelly socks. Leshawna meanwhile excelled and took much longer to get bucked off. The game was now tied. As for the sideplot, the girls resigned to figuring out who else could have sent the letter if not Trent or Geoff. After Harold embarrassed himself in front of them, the geek was ruled out and they decided to sus out Owen and DJ.
For a tiebreaker the final round would be seadoo water skiing... in the mud. The goal was to collect as many flags as possible while the driver tried to prevent you from scoring. Heather and Courtney would drive for their respective runs, while Harold and Lindsay got flag collecting duty. As this went on, Bridgette and Gwen both made their moves but results were inconclusive. DJ and Owen also didn't seem to be their culprit, but if not them then who else?
Harold proved efficient, managing to collect every flag despite Heather's best efforts. She attempted to cut Harold's rope in a last ditch attempt to win, only for a branch to snag her top and expose her boobs for him and the viewing audience. She crashed the seadoo into a rock and went flying, but it did make Harold wipeout as well. He didn't seem to mind. Lindsay was deadset on winning those showers... but so was Courtney. And she was willing to play a little dirty to make it happen. After letting her opponent drop her guard by allowing her to catch every flag, Courtney violently steered the seadoo in such a way that it flung Lindsay into one of the rocks. It wasn't pretty, but it allowed the CIT to cross and win the Bass the challenge. Geoff was especially pumped to wash off the dirty sock stench.
While lamenting over their lack of results, Leshawna revealed to Gwen and Bridgette that the letter was for her. In fact, she'd received many poems throughout the season. But who could have possibly wrote them? A freshly showered Harold watched the interaction from a distance but said nothing. At the ceremony, Heather is the clear loser for both being unlikable but also crashing the seadoo for seemingly no reason. Without much else as an option, she uses a last ditch strategy to trick Lindsay into quitting in her place, promising that it'll give her a reward. Despite the others pleas to not, she's successful and Lindsay unknowingly eliminates herself. Heather lives to see another day, but now she has no true ally left.
Votes:
Heather: Gwen, Leshawna, Owen, Trent
Leshawna: Heather, Lindsay
Votes void, Lindsay quits
Contestants Standing:
Screaming Gophers: Gwen, Heather, Leshawna, Owen, Trent
Killer Bass: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Geoff, Harold
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva, Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy, Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay
Brunch of Disgustingness: When the campers arrived for breakfast, they'd get no food for reasons they'd soon find out. Chris congratulates them on making it to the halfway point and disbands the Bass and Gophers. Before they merge, it would now be a battle of the sexes, with all boys moving to one cabin and all girls to the other. It would be a non-elimination challenge with a luxury stay at a nearby resort on the line instead of safety.
Courtney and Bridgette enter the girl's cabin to find Heather locked in an argument with Gwen and Leshawna. In desperate need of allies, Heather tries to butter up the new arrivals, only for the others to warn them of her underhanded intentions. Bridgette just wants everyone to get along while Courtney tries to gauge who would be more useful to her game. For now, the two Bass girls would just stick together. Meanwhile with the guys, Harold is optimistic to have some new faces but soon enough a party breaks out. Geoff impressed Trent and Owen with his burping skills and is declared the team leader. Seems Harold was still doomed to be the outcast.
At the Mess Hall, the challenge is revealed to be a 9 course meal of gross or hard to eat dishes. If a team can all finish a round before the other, they earn a point. The girls take an early lead when tasked with eating bull testicles, but the boys make a comeback in the following two rounds involving grasshoppers and worms. Both teams trade wins until it's tied up for the final round. Dolphin meat hotdogs. Everyone except Bridgette and DJ are able to eat the meal, but they refuse. When neither is able to be convinced by their team to budge, Chris declares that there will be a new tie breaker. Shots of blended cockroaches in a 1vs1 showdown.
Owen was the chosen participant and usually would have won in a landslide. But the adamant volunteer for the girls was Courtney, and to the surprise of everyone she had an iron stomach. She just barely finished her shots before the lovable giant, earning victory for the girls.
No Pain, No Game: The boys party on the beach, making the most of their isolation without much to do. While the other four enjoy themselves, Harold tries to participate but it's clear that he feels like he doesn't belong among the rest. Eventually the girls return, all feeling rested and rejuvenated. Chris announces that the teams are now officially merged, it's everyone for themselves. But it doesn't stop there, Eva and Izzy are shockingly brought back despite the others pointing out that they were told no one could ever return once eliminated. Chris lied.
Still bitter over her elimination, Eva berates Bridgette in particular despite there being 4 other former Bass that also voted for her. Courtney quickly comes to her friend's defense and doesn't back down to the buffer girl's intimidation. Izzy's just happy to be here. The challenge tasks the campers with various painful or difficult tasks. If they fail a challenge or don't finish in time, they're out. They can also fail if they pick someone to do the next dare and they complete it successfully. Furthermore, the winner will not only get immunity but also a personal trailer to sleep in.
Trent spends the challenge trying to get back on Gwen's good side following the buried alive incident. It's clear that nearly everyone wants Eva out of the challenge but she's hard to eliminate. She tries to gun for Bridgette but Geoff takes the challenge for her and is the first out. When Bridgette eventually gets a chance for revenge, Eva shrugs off dealing with Sasquatchanakwa to eliminate her as well. Izzy gets herself knocked out when she challenges herself to a poison Ivy facial wrap, which she completes.
Due to challenges being done in a new order, the final two comes down to Courtney and Eva after Leshawna is bested by the electric eel shock treatment. Courtney sends Eva to do the log rolling contest, but to everyone's dismay the weightlifter succeeds and scores immunity. Things seem like they should be cut and dry, Heather goes home. But suddenly she's approached by Harold of all people, offering to team up since they both find themselves alone in the game. Though not without an awkward scene acknowledging what he saw in the seadoo challenge. He apologizes despite not being able to control what the tree branch did.
Heather wants to target Leshawna, but Harold refuses. He plays it off like it's just because they don't have the votes. Instead he suggests a plan that they think can work if they sway enough votes and rope in a few others. She's able to once again bribe Owen with food, he convinces Eva that the move would serve as "retribution" against Bridgette. As for Izzy, Heather notes this would establish her as the biggest party animal on the island... When it comes elimination time, Geoff is blindsided. Chris even shows the vote confessionals for added spice. Still, he retains his high spirits and shares a kiss with his girlfriend before leaving.
Votes:
Geoff: Eva, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Owen
Heather: Gwen, Leshawna, Trent
Trent: Bridgette, Courtney
Izzy: DJ, Geoff
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Eva, Gwen, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen, Trent
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff
Search and Do Not Destroy: Eva enjoys a good night's sleep in her trailer while Gwen and Trent continue to flirt and move past their awkward phase, closer towards becoming official. A cannon ball is fired and destroys Eva's trailer. Chris in a pirate outfit confirms that the next challenge involves searching for keys to treasure chests. The campers each draw locations where their key will be hidden and have to return within a time limit or lose their chance for a prize. Due to how quick most of the hurdles are, it gives a good opportunity to focus more on interactions and where each remaining contestant stands.
Courtney and Bridgette deepen their friendship and bond over their similar losses. While Bridgette doesn't hold Harold's actions against him since the reasoning he gave in the vote confessional was Geoff participating in much of the bullying against him, Courtney continues to hold a grudge and is eager to get payback. Harold himself tries to establish himself as equal to Heather in their own alliance. She finds him harder to manipulate and turn obedient than Lindsay so she reluctantly goes along with it. Owen feels guilty since he had liked Geoff, but Izzy keeps him distracted and they begin to flirt. Leshawna receives another anonymous poem, when Trent and Gwen tease her over it she responds by calling out that they should just kiss already. DJ starts to feel a bit lost with his bros gone and Eva... is still angry and being a general menace. Amusingly she's given the most dangerous key task, getting it from a bear cave, but the bear winds up battered and bruised when it's all over.
Also of note during the challenge is Trent helping Gwen get her key, which earns him a kiss. Incensed, Heather brings up a plan to Harold to sabotage Trent, but he shoots it down since it's too risky, it'll just put her in danger too. Of course Heather goes on to win immunity by sheer luck regardless, though a furious Eva accuses Chris of rigging it, especially after her own key is a dud. Everyone else who got their key gets random food, knick knacks, or junk. Heather tried to suggest targeting Leshawna again, but Harold quickly insists it's impossible for now and they'll find something else.
Eva continues to taunt Bridgette over her boyfriend's elimination and in a big moment, Bridgette snaps and stands up for herself. She calls out Eva's petty grudge and tells her to get over it. Because Eva has been mad at Heather as well due to the MP3 shenanigans, the queen bee seizes the opportunity and offers to help the surfer girl out as an 'apology' for Geoff's elimination. Eva has to be taken down the dock in a straightjacket.
Votes:
Eva: Bridgette, DJ, Gwen, Harold, Heather, Leshawna, Owen, Trent
Bridgette: Eva
Harold: Courtney
DJ: Izzy
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Gwen, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen, Trent
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2)
Hide and Be Sneaky: Because Harold isn't as obedient as Lindsay was, Heather tries to make friendly with Izzy to get herself a bit more comfortable with her position in the game. But getting on the wild child's good side proves more dangerous than expected. And yet it may be worth it since she's growing closer and closer to Owen, maybe making this a two for one special. DJ tries opening up to Harold in a bid to feel less isolated but progress is tough since he sometimes took part in Duncan's hazing, making Harold wary of him. Bridgette and Gwen touch base on the love poem situation. With Geoff gone and Trent's attraction vocalized with no notes required, they try to grill Leshawna about who she thinks the sender is. She has no clue, but is a fan of how spicy they get. Courtney is able to pick up on the girl's cabin being divided up into 3 pairs and weighs the benefits to helping one or the other.
A hide and seek challenge is called, where immunity goes to anyone who can reach a safe zone without being tagged by Chef, or if they lead him to someone hidden after being out. When it's all said and done, Harold allows Heather to get himself out so she can have immunity, seeing as she'd be in danger otherwise. Leshawna and Courtney also manage to secure safety by reaching the safe zone, but everyone else is fair game. With herself now safe for the night, Heather once again proposes the Trent idea. Harold reluctantly agrees, and plants a letter so that Gwen will arrive just in time to see Heather kissing her love interest. She vents about it to Leshawna, who spreads the word.
Trent leaves to clear his mind after Heather's trickery, which is why he's totally blindsided upon hearing that he's going home. Him and Gwen clear the air and call out Heather for her underhanded actions. Harold feels squeamish for being part of this.
Votes:
Trent: Bridgette, DJ, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen
Izzy: Gwen, Trent
Harold: Courtney
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Gwen, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent
That's Off the Chain!: Heather's Public Enemy Number 1 after what she pulled in the previous episode. At least nothing weird is gonna happen like there being two episodes in a row with weird rules and without a vote... right? RIGHT? Anyway, Heather grills Harold and makes sure he isn't going soft over guilt. He pretends to be fine, but the death glares he gets from hanging around her is secretly giving him second thoughts. Heather's also trying to slow down Izzy and Owen's flirting. She'd love to have both of them as pawns, but the moment they get TOO close it means they're not the most loyal to her. Gwen is consoled by Leshawna and the pair promise to get revenge for Trent. Bridgette wants to help, but Courtney points out that they need to play smart and can't let emotions get in the way. For now they remain a neutral party.
A bike race is announced and the campers must build their own rides using junk from the Arts and Crafts building. Izzy quickly writes herself and Owen out of the episode when she takes him for a joyride on her own hotrod. Harold engineers a sleek efficient bike and is then reluctantly roped in to helping Heather build a similar one. Courtney similarly builds a high quality ride, though everyone else varies from solid yet unimpressive (DJ, Bridgette) or flashy but not practical (Gwen, Leshawna). In his first convoluted twist, Chris has everyone draw a name out of a hat to see who's bike they'll be driving, not their own. If a bike crosses the finish line, they're in the second round. Heather, Harold, Gwen, Bridgette, and Courtney advance.
In an even worse twist, Chris declares that besides the first place racer winning immunity, whoever crosses the finish line last will be auto eliminated. What the point of immunity is when there's no vote I couldn't tell you. Various booby traps line the racetrack, which wipeout Bridgette and Harold along the way. Gwen and Heather are in a deadlock, trying to trip the other up. This allows Courtney to cross first with relative ease. Near the finish line, Gwen is able to get the upper hand and knock Heather into the piranha pit before crossing. Her celebration is short lived since Chris declares her eliminated. Heather, Bridgette, and Harold technically didn't finish, meaning she's the one who crossed the finish line last. She cusses out a gloating Heather, berating her for all her negative traits. As the sun sets, she shares goodbyes with the others, taking extra time to hug it out with Leshawna.
Votes:
N/A
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, DJ, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen
Hook, Line, and Screamer: For some reason the final eight are treated to a movie night. They watch a horror movie staring a psycho killer with a chainsaw and a hook, which unsurprisingly freaks DJ out. Izzy and Owen are into it, treating it like a movie date night. Harold praises the practical effects used, while Heather criticizes the movie as lame. All the gore is threatening to make Bridgette hurl, so Courtney changes the subject by asking where the hosts are. The campers find a panicking Chris and Chef fleeing the island, leaving behind some of their belongings and a newspaper that claims a real psycho killer is on the list.
Heather and Courtney believe this to merely be the backdrop for a challenge, though the likes of DJ and Owen don't know for sure. Without a horror movie expert around, the cast fractures off into small groups to be picked off one by one. Chef, as the psycho killer, captures Owen and Izzy making out in the woods, Heather in the bathroom, Leshawna in the kitchen, and DJ just flat out gets himself eliminated. Bridgette has Courtney stay close due to her crippling fear of being isolated in the woods. They try to return to the cabins but wind up separated. Bridgette is eventually captured, though her fight or flight reaction nearly gets Chef knocked out.
Harold tries to square off with Chef in a climactic battle on the dock. He flexes his mad skills, using his yo-yos expertly. But Chef is too tough and brings the chainsaw next to his neck. The nerd accepts defeat but earns respect. However, as this goes on Courtney finally finds her way back to the cabins where a REAL psycho killer with a chainsaw and hook meets her. The others rush to her aid, warning her just in time that she's with the real deal. Immediately she jumps into action and starts pelting the killer with furniture. Chairs, lamps, and whatever else she can get her hands on. The squeaky voiced psycho runs off in annoyance and DJ faints. Once again there's no vote, Chris says Bridgette almost lost but earned some points when she went on the defensive against Chef. Meanwhile DJ screamed the most without even encountering the psycho. He's out, but he'll be missed, and the others embrace the fallen giant.
Votes:
N/A
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Heather, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ
Wawanakwa Gone Wild: As the final seven stroll to the Mess Hall, Owen tries to win Izzy over after pushing her into the arms of psycho killer Chef last episode. Before he makes any progress he and the others are ensnared in some traps. As Chris confirms, it's all part of the challenge theme. Everyone randomly draws an animal and has to capture one. The last person to do so gets stuck on toilet cleaning duty, while the winner gets a gourmet feast of whatever food they desire. Notably, there is no immunity on the line this time. This actually suits Heather just fine, she already has Harold and with the Owen/Izzy pair looking rocky at the moment, she could have them as allies without worrying about them getting too close. A nice cozy majority.
Throughout the challenge Owen tries to bond with Harold as the only guys left, which the nerd is receptive to. Courtney is tasked with the near impossible task of trapping a bear, which leads to many shenanigans. Bridgette comforts an increasingly irritable Leshawna, who's so antsy after Trent and Gwen's eliminations that even a new love letter won't lift her spirits. And then there's Izzy, raising mayhem with a tranq gun. This time around none of the contestants get knocked out by her, but Chef? Not so lucky. Bridgette is able to secure the win and her all vegan requests for the feast get some groans from the others. Meanwhile Courtney loses since... yeah, she drew the bear.
With everything seemingly all clear, Heather demands to Harold that they need to eliminate Leshawna. As always he denies her and tries to play it off as Courtney being the bigger threat. However, she sees through him and quickly deduces what's really going on, especially since the love letter mystery has spread to become common knowledge among everyone. She ridicules his taste in women and taunts that he'll never woo her, so he should just suck it up and vote her off. Harold, though, won't take it. Unknown to her, he approaches some of the girls to extend an olive branch and while Courtney is weary, he's true to his word. In the biggest shock of the season, Heather is backstabbed. She tries to expose Harold's crush as retribution but that backfires when Leshawna responds by pulling him in for a kiss. Chef drags the queen bee down the dock kicking and screaming.
Votes:
Heather: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Leshawna
Leshawna: Heather, Izzy, Owen
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Izzy, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather
Trial by Tri-Armed Triathlon: Despite last episode's ceremony, Leshawna lets Harold know that the kiss was a heat of the moment thing and she'll still need time to decide if they become serious or not. Owen is also still struggling to get through to Izzy, anytime they share a laugh she remembers his cowardly betrayal and goes cold. The boys console each other over their now complicated love life. Bridgette urges Courtney to ease up on Harold now that he's sort of redeemed himself by playing a part in Heather's downfall. She admits that it was a good step for him, but warns that she still needs to keep an eye on him.
Chris announces that this next challenge will be done in pairs, with the campers literally being handcuffed to their partner with threat of elimination if they try to unlock it. Calm pacifist Bridgette is cuffed to unhinged wildcard Izzy, happy-go-lucky Owen gets chained to sassy Leshawna, and of course lastly is Harold paired with Courtney. Neither are thrilled to be forced to work with someone they don't trust. There's three rounds to the challenge with the first being an eating contest. Despite Izzy's ravenous attempt or Courtney's stern bossing, Owen and Leshawna rather effortlessly win thanks to the former's endless appetite.
For the second challenge the teams must return a piece of Beth's cursed tiki idol to Boney Island. First they paddle to the island, then one must piggyback the other while they find the cave the idol belongs in. Bridgette and Izzy gain an early lead due to their rowing prowess, but the surfer has a hard time keeping her partner focused and they essentially go on a wild goose chase throughout the dangerous island. Owen and Leshawna take turns doing the piggyback, but they struggle supporting the other. Meanwhile with Harold and Courtney, despite constant bickering and attempts to one up the other, their combined skills prove to be no joke and they wind up returning their piece first.
The final challenge provides the pairs with wooden heads of the eliminated contestants (two of them in Eva's case) and tasks them with stacking them in elimination order from Ezekiel to Heather. Harold and Courtney bicker on the best method for stacking, while Bridgette struggles to keep Izzy under control, she'd rather just juggle or throw around the heads. It seems like a slam dunk for Leshawna and Owen, who progress slow but steady. But seeing themselves slip behind and knowing they'll be in danger for the vote, the rivals put their differences aside and combine their brainpower. Harold and Courtney just barely cinch the win and immunity. At the bonfire ceremony, Chris reveals that there's a tie, Bridgette and Izzy both received 3 votes. A tiebreaker follows, pitting the girls against each other to make the wooden head stacks solo. Izzy's the clear favorite to win due to her wildcard skills, but Bridgette digs deep with Courtney's support and just barely squeezes out an underdog win. Izzy takes elimination well since she had fun and disappears into a puff of smoke before Owen can try for a goodbye kiss.
Votes:
Izzy: Bridgette, Courtney, Leshawna (Lost tiebreaker)
Bridgette: Harold, Izzy, Owen (Won tiebreaker)
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather, Izzy (2)
After the Dock of Shame: No it isn't the other title, that was an error from back when this episode was a fashion challenge thing instead of what we got, shh. Anyway, for a very special episode Chris decides to give the final five a break and check in on how the eliminated 17 campers are doing. His destination? The lavish spa of loserdom, Playa Des Losers. Katie and Sadie relax by the pool, often times admiring Justin's breathtaking radiance. In the hot tub Ezekiel takes on a new gangster persona and shows off his bling. He even tries turning up the swagger to flirt with Heather, but winds up with a kick to the balls for his efforts. The queen bee is unsurprisingly pissed to be here and doesn't feel like talking. Lindsay switches between making out with Tyler and squeeing about her magazine opportunities, but Noah is quick to heckle from the sidelines and tell her that she's peaked.
Duncan, DJ, Geoff, and Eva enjoy a beach volleyball game, taunting each other and shooting the shit. Eva's mildly annoyed that Bridgette is still in the game, while Duncan is VERY annoyed that Harold is still in. His bros just wanna chill and enjoy the Playa's good vibes, especially when they still have Bridgette and Courtney to root for, but it's clear the delinquent isn't letting this grudge go. Trent and Gwen sunbathe, enjoying a relatively low on PDA cuddle session and talking up how much they want Leshawna to win. Izzy meanwhile is rooting for Owen, even if there was that one time with the psycho killer challenge. She's just generally a menace throughout the day, acting like a shark in the pool or grilling coconuts. A sunburnt Cody tries to solicit relationship advice from Justin to no avail, while Beth... is just kinda vibing I guess.
At the end of the episode Chris reveals that the losers get to vote off one member of the final five to join them. Duncan votes for Harold, which no one objects too much to. But then Heather votes for Leshawna, setting off a chain reaction of people coming to her defense. Unfortunately through various blunders they keep saying her name during. Add in a random parrot also casting a vote for her and a robbed queen stays robbed even in this timeline.
Votes:
Leshawna: Heather, Katie, Sadie, Lindsay, Lindsay again, Izzy, Heather again, a random parrot, Geoff
Harold: Duncan
Bridgette: Eva
A majority 9 votes reached on Leshawna before the others have a chance to vote
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather, Izzy (2), Leshawna
Camp Castaways: Owen and Harold lament over their fallen sorta kinda prospective girlfriends and form a brotherly pact to make it to the final two together in their honor. Meanwhile Courtney and Bridgette celebrate their good luck. As much as they liked Leshawna, she likely would have sided with Harold (and by extension Owen,) meaning they were dead meat prior to her sudden departure. Now the playing field was even. Owen and Bridgette were friendly with everyone and wished for peace. But Courtney and Harold still had a rivalry going on, even if they had developed some begrudging respect for one another. Still, barring any immunities it was likely the next vote would result in Harold vs Courtney.
After a night of hard rain, the campers find themselves washed away to an unknown island. Harold, Bridgette, and Courtney are relatively nearby, but Owen had locked himself in the confessional and now found himself isolated. Harold goes off to search for civilization while the girls stick close. Everyone encounters bizarre artifacts, creatures, even straight up dinosaurs. Of course it's all controlled by Chris and Chef, but they don't need to know that. Eventually the group finally finds each other, with Owen now deranged and carrying around his new fruity friend Mr. Coconut. They take refuge in a treehouse and per Owen's suggestion, begin to confess their deepest dark secrets.
After getting too antsy, the four decide to band together and track down who's messing with them. They discover the camp Chris and Chef had been hiding out in, barging in with war paint and weapons. The host finally reveals that this was all a challenge, and that they were even still in Wawanakwa. And yet, no vote is held. At the elimination ceremony, Chris selects Mr. Coconut for auto elimination despite Owen's protests. The certified Total Drama icon is bounced down the dock, with Owen calling out to his beloved friend one last time.
Votes:
Mr. Coconut: Chris
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold, Leshawna, Owen
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather, Izzy (2), Leshawna, Mr. Coconut
Are We There Yeti?: Why not a second wilderness survival challenge in a row? The final four awaken in the middle of the forest and are horrified to realize that Chef is hosting yet another challenge. But this one is simple, make your way back to camp. And for added stakes, the challenge would be in pairs. Boys vs girls. Between Harold's various camping skills and Owen considering himself a woodsman, they're ecstatic. Bridgette meanwhile worries that her phobia will cost her, though Courtney reassures her that as a CIT she'll be able to secure their victory. She's even willing to play a bit dirty and sabotage the boys along the way.
What follows is a long back and forth between the boys and girls, trying to one up each other with different traps and tricks. Also Sasquatachanakwa pops up at some point to be a hurdle. All the while, Chef is relaxing back at camp while going through their belongings. The next day things are neck and neck, with Owen taking a slight lead in front of the girls as he's urged on by the smell of Chef's sticky buns. However, he's so distracted by the food that he forgets to tag the safety pole, so Courtney does it instead. At the ceremony Chef notes that both boys displayed some skills, but since Owen's screwup ultimately got them the loss, it's only fitting that he go. He shares an emotional goodbye with the former Bass and leaves, knocking out the entirety of the Screaming Gophers.
Votes:
Owen: Chef
Contestants Standing:
Merge: Bridgette, Courtney, Harold
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather, Izzy (2), Leshawna, Owen
I Triple Dog Dare You!: Here it is, the penultimate episode. Three former Bass pitted against each other. While enjoying all you can eat pancakes, the final three give various confessionals on their journey to this point. Bridgette talks up all the bonds she's made along the way, citing Geoff, Gwen, Leshawna and others. Harold claims he'd played strategically and overcome adversity, even if with maybe a bit of thinking outside the box. But Courtney was steadfast in claiming she was always destined to make it here, citing her intelligence, people skills, and various talents. All three felt pretty confident in their odds of winning.
For their challenge, it would be the ultimate hybrid game of spin the bottle and triple dog dare. Each eliminated contestant had prepared dares for the final three, if you complete a dare you land on you can earn a freebie to skip a dare later on. Or you can pass the dare on to someone else, and they can't refus. First person to decline a dare or not finish one will be eliminated. Immediately the dynamic was clear. Bridgette would struggle with the gross challenges, having the weakest stomach of the three. Courtney had an iron gut, but she was apprehensive towards humiliating dares that could harm her image. Harold had no shame and was decently good against the gross stuff, but his weak nerd physique meant actual dangerous or physically demanding challenges would be tough. It didn't help that Courtney and Bridgette clearly wanted him out more than each other, so it was casually a game of 2 vs 1.
The deciding dare comes from who else but Duncan. He specifically targets the ninja fear Harold couldn't complete tackling back in Phobia Factor and tasked him with fighting an entire horde of shinobis. The geek was eager to prove his worth, but the onslaught of the handicap match took its toll. He was unable to go the distance and finally accepted defeat. Bridgette and even Courtney offered their respects and he wished them luck in the finale.
Votes:
N/A
Contestants Standing:
Final Two: Bridgette, Courtney
Eliminated: Ezekiel, Eva (1), Noah, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Izzy (1), Cody, Beth, Sadie, Duncan, Lindsay, Geoff, Eva (2), Trent, Gwen, DJ, Heather, Izzy (2), Leshawna, Owen, Harold
The Very Last Episode, Really!: This is it, finale time. Against all odds, close friends Courtney and Bridgette managed to make it not only to the end, but together as a duo. Between the surfer chick's likable personality and level head combined with the CIT's analytical mind and natural toughness, the two had proven to be a formidable duo that could go the distance. Both girls gush over their excitement making it here and share a hug. Neither plans to hold anything back, but at the same time there will be no hard feelings from the loser. Chris brings back the 20 losers so they can sit in bleachers in support of the finalist they want to root for.
Bridgette's Supporters: Ezekiel, Justin, Katie, Tyler, Cody. Beth, Sadie, Lindsay, Geoff, Trent, Gwen, DJ, Owen, Harold
Courtney's Supporters: Eva, Noah, Izzy, Duncan, Heather, Leshawna
It's clear that Courtney is annoyed at having such a smaller support base but doesn't let it get to her. The two are asked what they'll do if they win the money. Bridgette intends to see the beaches of the world to surf wherever she wants, while her opponent predictably intends to put it towards a college education pursuing a law degree. Chris puts chicken hats on both of them and coins the final challenge as "The Reject Olympics." In other words, a few random challenges not long enough to fill their own episode, ending in a race through the forest. Geoff and DJ run alongside the surfer to help prevent her phobia from triggering, while Duncan hangs around Courtney to keep her motivated. Heather also decides to mess around with the competitors purely out of spite for not being a finalist herself, though Leshawna eventually locks her up in the confessional for trying.
The girls race their hearts out and give it everything they got. Just when one takes the lead, the other comes around for a comeback. They remain neck and neck until one eventually crosses the finish line. Who wins it all? I guess that's for you to decide.
Final Results:
22nd: Ezekiel Eliminated: Eva 21st: Noah 20th: Justin 19th: Katie 18th: Tyler Eliminated: Izzy 17th: Cody 16th: Beth 15th: Sadie 14th: Duncan 13th: Lindsay *Merge, Eva and Izzy return* 12th: Geoff 11th: Eva 10th: Trent 9th: Gwen 8th: DJ 7th: Heather 6th: Izzy 5th: Leshawna 4th: Owen 3rd: Harold Winners/Runner Ups: Courtney and Bridgette
Author's Note:
There we go, a proper butterfly effect scenario that these fics are primarily used for. This particular prompt has surely been thought out before since it's a pretty major moment from the original season, but I thought doing one of these moments dependent on my favorite character would be good for a first true "What If." Hopefully it was enjoyable. The biggest thing I struggled over was deciding on who the returnees should be since Eva and Izzy would be the safe route, but they were likely locked in to be the returnees for a while and I felt like bringing back Duncan or Lindsay would defeat the purpose of their boots, so I just kept them.
I may do another quickie What If before the next meaty chapter, but I may just dive right into that. It will indeed be me guessing personalities for everyone on the new cast and predicting an elimination order for them. And yes, in case anyone reading this somehow doesn't know yet, there are new seasons of Total Drama coming. The designs and names for the new cast is out, along with a few promo stills, but that's all we know, hence why I'll be doing that chapter. I look forward to seeing how wrong I get it!