"Last time on Total Drama Action! Violet and Drew sent the final eleven on a bank heist which left many confused and distrustful of everyone around them! During the challenge Justin found a much needed idol after catching some heat at the Final Twelve Ceremony, and finding out, or at least thinking he found out that Carson was behind it all. As the challenge came down to the wire, Hilde, Sky and Raj were the last three campers standing, but in the end, some quick backstabbing from Sky and Hilde allowed for them to be immune, and for Raj to be saddled with two votes at the elimination ceremony. Ultimately that didn't matter as the campers felt it would be a cheap shot to take out Raj in that way, figuratively granting himself an immunity as well. However despite Carson and Carrie's best efforts they were not able to save Beardo, as he went home six to five. Now with Courtney on high alert and with two of the most powerful players holding idols, is anyone really safe anymore? Find out on this episode of Total Drama Action!"
Pre challenge
"Well that was close," Justin remarked, as he and Courtney exited the the Ceremony bleachers,
"A little too close," Courtney responded, as she shot a glance over at Tem and Sky.
"I think we know who voted for you, it seems like Hilde voted with us here," Justin added, as he surveyed the cast.
"Yeah, but she won't be loyal. She's still a free agent."
"Agreed. And my charm doesn't seem to work on her that well. At least not like it does for Emma and Raj."
"I don't think that will matter," Courtney whispered. "I've already been mentioning how Sky is a massive threat. So either she loses and goes out, or she wins and we knock out one of the other three."
"I wouldn't mind taking a shot at Carson," Justin ruminated. "He is incredibly sneaky, and I don't think anyone really sees it."
"Carson is a wild card to be sure. I do think Sky, and even Tem are bigger problems in the long run. But Carson is a dangerous one," Courtney hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
"At least you agree with me. I don't think many of our allies really see him as much more than a decent player. I think this round shows that he has some sway within the game."
"You think this was Carson's doing?"
"Well it surely wasn't any of the girls. They'd all go for Emma or Carmen first before you. Carson is the only one that'd gun for you first."
"That would make sense. He was pulling the same stunts on Revenge."
"A zebra can't change its stripes, no matter how hard he tries,"
Confessional, Courtney
Sky is dangerous… but Carson? Yeah he went after me, but Tem and Sky I feel like are way more dangerous players, especially since they're directly against me! Carson will flip if someone gives him a reason at least.
Confessional, Justin
I want to try and subtly push Carson under the bus. Issue is the little weasel has done a good job of making himself seem harmless. And if I start saying I want him out because he's targeting me, it makes people like Hilde and Courtney want to keep him even more.
The camera shifted its way through the film lot to the Craft Services Tent where Tem could be seen seated by herself eating some eggs and toast, the camera panned upwards to show Hilde taking a seat next to her.
"I know you guys said the food this season is better, but I can only eat so many eggs and PB and J sandwiches," Hilde joked, causing Tem to crack a small smile. Hilde let out a long sigh as she set her tray down. "I know you're probably not the happiest right now…"
"I'm not. But I've come to accept this game for what it is," Tem replied, letting out a long sigh of defeat as she continued to munch on her food.
"Look, I voted for Beardo because I had already voted for him before, I just couldn't trust him… that's not to say I'm aligning myself with Justin, Courtney, and Carmen. Rather I just didn't trust Beardo."
"Okay… but now they have the power and momentum. They could easily just pick us off."
"They're a ticking time bomb, we've all seen how Emma reacts to things day to day. And Carmen is an obvious snake in the grass. It's a matter of time," Hilde replied, an almost sinister gaze appeared on her face.
"You do have a point. If we can just get enough information to get them to fall apart it'd be perfect."
"Why not just lie?" Hilde replied. "It'd be easy to tell Emma that Justin wants to drop her at like final five."
"Lies are easily found out. Something that has some truth to it, both makes me feel better, and is harder to disprove."
"I get your point, so what's your plan?"
"We know Emma is probably number four in that alliance. Even if she thinks she has Carrie and maybe you, she can't think she's that safe unless she thinks she's higher up… so if we can just convince her she isn't where she thinks she is… then boom, Emma hates Justin."
"So basically, we just have to make Emma realize she's at the bottom of the alliance, not the top," Hilde deadpanned.
"Yeah that!" Tem eagerly replied.
Confessional, Tem
As long as they aren't after me I'm fine. I learned from my last season that survival is more important than being right. But they need to be broken up in the next few rounds, or else it's curtains for me.
Confessional, Hilde
I usually don't care to explain myself, but I don't exactly want to stick to Justin and co long term either… so I kinda need to make sure Tem and her allies aren't mad at me. I normally don't care for feelings much, but in this game I've come to find out that they matter.
"Hey…" Carrie said hesitantly to Emma, as she walked up to her table, breakfast tray in hand. "Can I sit here with you?"
"Oh yeah sure Carrie, of course!" Emma replied, scooting over to make a seat for Carrie, who excitedly sat down next to her blonde castmate.
"I know we've been drifting apart lately… and I was hoping we could maybe try and be close again?" Carrie awkwardly asked, as she seemed to shrink into her green sweater as she watched Emma continue to eat her food.
"Yeah that's cool with me. Like I know I one upped you last time, but like I still like you, and would love to still be friends!" Emma exclaimed, in an almost stereotypical sorority girl voice.
"Oh… well… I guess that's cool. I was just missing what we had on the swap team together, you know," Carrie added, staring down at her now less than appetizing meal.
"I know, I do too. It was nice. But the game has moved forward, and I think we should do that too! Except maybe together instead of one of us beating the other!"
'Right…"
Confessional, Carrie
That could have gone much better (she facepalms)
Confessional, Emma
I have been a fairly bad friend to Carrie. I've been so wrapped up in this game that I left her behind. But I've been succeeding so far in this game, so I don't see why I should really change.
"Sucks that Jaidens' gone," Carson spoke up, as the camera shifted to him and Carmen sitting together in the Craft Services Tent. Both slowly chewed their eggs, as very few people were ever eating there at one time given how few there were left.
"I do miss her, but I fear if she was here, we'd have all been targets. Sugar was the lone Pahkitew, and there are far too many Island people to really consider them all together," Carmen mused as she continued to eat her eggs.
"I know that. I just mean like I think she would've connected us better you know?" Carson replied, glancing over at the blonde. "Like we didn't really talk at all during season two, and here we've just been kind of friendly at that's it."
"Yeah… I mean I guess for being on two seasons, and lasting so many episodes together, you'd think we'd talk more…" Carmen wandered off.
"Yeah. I never did ask, what did you do after our season? You kinda just dipped off the reality T.V. radar for a while," Carson wondered nonchalantly.
"Well after my father's… dealings… I didn't want him touching any of many possible paychecks from the show. So I just kept a low profile and made sure any sort of events I did end up doing, that he had no part in. What about you?"
"Uh well… I tried to keep to myself. I've never exactly been mister popular at my school, but the show brought me both some nice, but also unwanted attention. After the whole Sierra fiasco, some girls were not so kind…"
"In a good… or stalkerish kind of way?" Carmen hesitantly asked.
"Weirdly both," Carson replied, thinking for a moment. "Ryan helped me navigate it a bit, since he already had some experience, but I feel like I got a bit rawer of a deal than he did."
"Well think of it like this amigo, we've made it further than last time, and you returned before Ryan did!"
"Haha, he's happy for me, I told him to run my social media while I was away. He's probably poking fun at any of the dumb things I've done that made the air."
"Aw yes, I turned my socials to my sister, I trust her with my life."
Confessional, Carmen
Carson has a certain charm to him, I can see why Sierra fell for him. But he is far from my type, way too scrawny and nerdy for my liking. Anime is fun and all, but it doesn't make you a millionaire.
Confessional, Carson
I feel like this season I've been a much calmer and chiller player, and I think that's partly because I've tried to take more time to have more down to earth conversations rather than be paranoid all the time.
"Hey Raj," Sky exclaimed to the hockey bro, walking up to him, sheepishly grabbing her arm. "I just wanted to apologize for the challenge yesterday."
"Oh don't worry about it at all eh!" Raj smiled, waving aside Sky's concern.
"I thought you'd be at least annoyed about it," Sky said, loosening up a bit.
"No, not at all. I get it, you wanted to win. If saddling me with the vote made sure you won, then I get it," Raj added, again brushing aside Sky's concern.
"That means a lot, really. I was really worried that you would be mad at me. I was burping all morning!" Sky exclaimed, letting out a small chuckle.
"I always respect a competitor. Especially one who is a good person." Sky blinked away small tears as she let her lips curl into a slight smile.
"That really means a lot Raj. Genuinely you are one of the nicest people here, I hope you know that," Sky smiled.
"Aw, it's not a big deal Sky. I'm just being myself all the time! It's better to be yourself than to be someone you're not!"
"Wise words to live by!"
Confessional, Raj
I get it, as a competitor you go into fight or flight mode when the adrenaline kicks in and you don't always make the most rational decisions. Or at least that's what my coach says.
Confessional, Sky
I feel like he took that fairly well. Raj is such a sweetheart. I know after three immunities, eyes are on me now, so if I can maybe just win one more I think I could be in the clear for a vote or two with or without immunity.
The campers proceeded through their morning routine and grabbed breakfast. The meal, largely uneventful, ended when Dakota fired an arrow into the mess tent. From the shaft a scroll unfurled, directing the campers to the Arts and Crafts tent. "Have you ever been there?" Tem asked a confused Carson.
"I think?" Carson raised an eyebrow. "This film lot is huge."
"Welcome campers to the Arts and Crafts tent, I know some of you have been here before," Chris mentioned. "Maybe some of you split off to do some canoodling, or maybe even some chilling out, or even more."
"Gross," Emma said bluntly. "This is Reality T.V. Chris, and we're still kids."
"Well in previous seasons we had a fair bit of kissers, not a lot this time which… to be blunt surprises me," Chris looked over at Justin and Carmen in particular.
"Why'd you look at Justin, I don't think he kissed anyone on Island," Raj quickly asked.
"And what's with the mentions of canucking?" Carrie asked.
"Canucking?" Sky raised an eyebrow.
"She means Canoodling," Courtney clarified.
"Why are you so focused on us being together romantically?" Hilde asked. "Some of us have more important things to focus on despite the cute girls here."
"A good question Hilde, but you should know by now that this banter leads into the next challenge," Chris mentioned. "Today we're going to tickle the heartstrings as we go into one of the most marketable industries. The Romance Genre! Who doesn't love seeing the leading duo kiss in the rain after declaring their love? Who doesn't love seeing the two go through a misunderstanding and come out of it stronger? The only thing that could be better than love would be RATINGS AND THE MONEY!"
The campers looked at each other awkwardly.
"Chris?" Carrie raised her hand. "Some of us are dating already."
"Yes, and you're actors in this film lot," Dakota suddenly walked in in a beautiful pink dress. She twirled around and the frills underneath revealed a bit of blue. "My daddy's going to turn this place into an acting camp and resort."
Sam walked in wheeling a giant lottery machine with ten balls popping around. There were two spouts out the glass box and the balls seemed to tease every bit there. "Well, this was heavy," Sam complained.
"Aww, but you were so strong about it," Dakota walked up to Sam. She gave a little kiss to Sam and the nerd smiled appreciatively.
Confessional, Sam and Dakota
Sam: YES! We're dating.
Dakota: And I'm very happy to be with Sam, but legally we can't show much of our PDA here.
Sam: Legal issues since technically she's my boss.
Dakota: But my Daddy is my boss and he says it's okay.
Sam: After he did the usual spiel when every man's daughter starts dating.
Dakota: Aww, you didn't sweat that much, and you were so cute explaining yourself.
Sam: Thanks Dakota.
"You'll meet our cameos throughout the challenge," Dakota explained. "But today Sam and I are taking charge!"
"Today's challenge will start like every romance does. A random event that pairs two people together, in this case, the lottery," Sam tapped the lottery machine. "We'll run this machine four times to pair you up together."
"Why do you need to run it four times? I thought ten divided by two was five," Raj spoke up.
"Yes, ten divided by two is five," Sam patiently replied. "But once you pair all but two the remaining two will be put together by default. You'll be put through several challenges and in the end, the couple who wins the most points will both be eligible to win immunity."
"Multiple immunities again?" Hilde smiled.
"Yes," Dakota said. "Not quite sure how long this will last so take advantage of it while you can."
"Wait, there's more females than males here," Carson pointed out.
"Yes, and?" Dakota started.
"We're not being paired off by gender?" Carson asked.
"In this day and age? I didn't think you'd care so much," Chris chortled. "Anyways I'll be here taunting you but Sam and Dakota mainly have this handled."
Confessional, Carrie
There's only one guy for me, and he was eliminated a long time ago. But I wouldn't mind being paired with Sky if she's that determined to win.
Confessional, Hilde
Well, the odds are in my favor that I'll be with a cute girl. All the girls here are cute, being real here, but Courtney, Sky, and Carrie are taken and I don't think I'm Emma nor Tem's type… so COME ON CARMEN! MAMA NEEDS A MAMACITA!
Confessional, Raj
JUSTIN! JUSTIN! JUSTIN! Even if it's just for this challenge I'd be SO excited just to pretend… he's so dreamy!
Confessional, Justin
I wouldn't mind showing any one of these people a bit of Hawaiian charm, just not too much if I happen to be with one of the taken girls. And before you ask, I haven't really tried with guys before so I might be off there.
Confessional, Courtney
Not into girls, and all the guys here…they're far from my type. I guess Justin would be the closest but he doesn't compare to Duncan at all…. Love you honey!
The lottery machine whirred to life as the camera feed focused on one of the spouts. The first face to appear in the spout was Carrie's smiling face. The next ball that popped up in the other spout was a cockily grinning Raj. "Carrie and Raj are our first pair!"
Carrie and Raj exchanged hesitant smiles before they stood next to each other.
The lottery machine again turned on once Carrie and Raj's balls were removed from the machine. The remaining eight bounced around before Emma's neutral face appeared on one of the spouts. Again the balls bounced before another spout revealed that her suitor and partner for the challenge was Carson.
"Well at least you're cute," Emma said as she walked up to Carson. "Not quite my type."
"Likewise. No offense."
"None taken," Emma and Carson exchanged polite smiles.
The six balls started to bounce once more when Sam turned on the machine.. The first one that popped in almost shot up. Carmen clapped her hands excitedly as she waited for the next ball. Justin looked at the excited Spaniard and the two of them immediately shared a flirty wave as they stood next to each other.
"One more time turning this on!" Dakota announced as Sam turned on the machine.
Courtney, Sky, Tem, and Hilde looked at each other, all unsure as to who their partners would be. "Oh that's me!" Sky shouted once she realized her face was on the first ball.
"And that's me," Tem pointed out once her face appeared in the second spout.
"So that means," Courtney looked at Hilde. "Respectfully I'm taken."
"Not my intention," Hilde obliged politely.
Confessional, Tem
Not trying to steal your girl away from you Dave, but I just need her to help me win immunity!
Confessional, Emma
If only Roman was on this season, that'd be so hot.
Confessional, Sky
Don't worry Dave, Tem's just a friend. And I'm just doing this to win immunity…
Confessional, Courtney
I'm not homophobic! I'm not! I just like bad boys… I mean, respectable mechanics.
Confessional, Carmen
I'm going to show Justin the time of his life and don't worry, you'll all get to see what'll happen too.
"This challenge was supposed to be a double date between us and Fang and his partner… who we still don't have a translatable name for," Dakota led the campers out of the arts and craft tent waving a small heart shaped flag. "Unfortunately both of them got sick thanks to some bad bacon."
"I always knew bacon was bad for you," Justin commented, holding Carmen's hand. "That and the grease isn't a good aroma."
"Aroma therapy," Carmen smiled. "Something innately beautiful about getting to know the scents."
Dakota led the campers to one of the smaller soundstages. Sam opened the door to the soundstage and the campers were greeted with a small carnival. Carson covered his eyes, Tem pinched her nose, and Courtney covered her ears as their senses seemed to overload every surrounding. "We're right on schedule and that schedule means twenty minutes of going on these rides while we get the other interns, Fang, and his partner to prepare for the first part."
"So what do we get to do?" Sky and Tem glanced at each other.
"You have twenty minutes, each ride has a minute long cycle, so… just go on them and pretend to be cute couples? It's just trailer footage," Sam shrugged. "If you wanna get steamy we have a tunnel of love."
The paired off campers looked at each other and burst into laughter. "Just have fun," Dakota said as they split off.
In a brief montage Carmen, Justin, Raj, and Carrie chased each other on bumper cards, each pairing in a cart. Carson and Emma sat in a tandem bench on one of the swing rides that soared rather high above the set pieces. Justin and Carmen ran into a fun house to check each other out and adopted rather fun poses. Tem and Sky sat together on a small ferris wheel and pointed out some of the directions in the small carnival set. Raj and Carrie slid down a small pair of slides like a sled with their hands in the air. Emma and Carson tumbled over each other in a small rotating tunnel. Courtney and Hilde screamed as their small dropper bobbed up and down. In a final shot, all five couples went down a small roller coaster with their hands all in the air.
Confessional, Justin
Not many carnivals where I'm usually located, but it's nice to indulge in a little.
Confessional, Tem
That was so FUN! Too bad most carnivals are out in the boonies and are usually like an hour drive.
Confessional, Hilde
Fun, yeah, but it'd be better if I was with someone I could enjoy it with. Courtney was talking about how "Carnival rides are unsafe and not welcome in an entertainment environment"
Confessional, Carson
Emma… screams… loudly… and when she tumbled on me in that tunnel… that kind of hurt
Confessional, Courtney
I don't get how some of these carnival rides are legal, They are unsafe and not welcome in an entertainment environment!
"Okay everyone! Report to Sam and Dakota!" Chris said at the exit of the ride. He looked at a small photo of the five campers going down the coaster and smiled. "This one's going to make a good social media post."
The campers made their way to the couple where Sam and Dakota were standing in front of a pink and mint colored tent that seemed just as large as one of the small rides. "Okay did you enjoy the carnival?" Sam said, remarkably cheerful.
"It was good," Raj shrugged. "I've been to bigger."
"Nah this is usually the size I'm familiar with," Carrie sighed. "Devn and I would spend a good afternoon here on our failed double dates."
"Why'd it fail?" Emma inquired.
"Because Devin was with Shelly and I was with someone else," Carrie bluntly replied.
"It was okay," Carson said neutrally. Emma and Carson shared an awkward smile.
"Okay well we hope you got to bond together as a couple because the first part of your date starts now!" Dakota flourished and opened the canvas to the tent. "Welcome to the Midway! Demonstrating this part of the challenge will be Fang and his partner!"
Fang and his partner, both clad in white t-shirts with a giant pink heart on them, waved to the campers. Fang bent over and gave his dolphin partner on the cheek. "Cute," Sky smiled.
"This gauntlet will be a relay race. Remember those cute scenes in every coming of age sitcom where one partner wins a part for their beloved? Today you get the opportunity to do so, playing beloved carnival games!"
"First you'll have to fire enough water into the Chris and Chef heads to pop a balloon," Sam gestured behind him as the dolphin fired one of the guns with stunning accuracy. "You move on when you pop the balloon against an opposing member of an opposing couple." The balloon popped and the aqua couple moved to the next game. An intern handed the dolphin a plush clown face.
"Then you'll have to move onto the ring toss, where you have six chances to land a ring on a bottle neck, if you fail then you have to go back in the line," Dakota pointed out as Fang nailed the ring toss on the first shot. An intern gave the shark a bottle of colored sand. The two sped to the next carnival booth.
"The next person in the order will have to make their way up that wiggly ladder and hit the button in any way possible. You have to be on the ladder when the button is hit." Fang helped his partner out of the wheelchair and balanced them on the ladder momentarily. The dolphin balanced itself and spewed water out its blowhole with enough force to hit the button at the edge of the ladder. An intern helped the dolphin go down and gave the dolphin a tiny monkey.
"Then you'll have to toss a ball into the milk jug." Fang and his partner waited at the edge of the booth where an intern handed them three softballs. Fang made a precise arc and one ball was all it took. In return he got a small lion.
"Once that's done you move to the penultimate game, the bowler roller," Sam gestured as the dolphin parked their wheelchair in front of one of the stations. "There's only two here so you have to line up if it comes down to that." The dolphin pushed the bowling ball up the hill before it ran back down. With another attempt the dolphin managed to push the ball precisely where it needed to be. In return they got a small pillow.
"Finally, you'll make it to the high striker. Let's see how Fang does with this." Fang grabbed the hammer eagerly and raised it high above his head. In a fluid motion he slammed it down onto the strikepoint, causing the striker to rise high and high, before hitting the bell at the top. The LED display on top registered one hundred and twenty. "You get two tries to hit eighty. If not then you have to try again."
"Whoever finishes first gets five points, then four points whoever was closest to first, and so on and so forth and what have you" Sam clarified.
"So it's a race to the end," Courtney started to strategize with Hilde. "Do you want to go first? Or second? That way we can maximize our strengths."
"I'll go second, that means I have that hammer. It's just swinging a golf club over your head isn't it?"
"Not exactly but I don't know enough to refute that," Courtney quietly agreed.
Next to them Carrie and Raj played rock paper scissors. "Rock cuts paper, that means you get to choose," Raj obliged.
"Well that means that I can- Raj, you won," Carrie stammered. "Paper covers rock."
"Oh right!" Raj clapped his hands together.
"Common chivalry suggests that the lady goes first," Justin wiggled his eyebrows. "Unless you'd rather your partner handle the harsh weaponry."
"I appreciate the choice, pero I'd like to see these guns handle those guns," Carmen tingled her fingers over Justin's biceps. "I can handle a little hammer."
"Do you have any idea what you want to do first? I think we can make time if you go up on the ladder," Tem suggested.
"Yeah I can go first, just give me enough time to shake it out," Sky nodded.
"I am not touching that water pistol," Emma vehemently shook her head. "You'll do it, besides, it's just a hammer."
"I've had to go into the field portion and do the hammer throw every so often, I can do the hammer if-"
"You. on. Gun," Emma said as she pushed Carson in front of her.
"By the way everyone," Sam said once the campers lined up at the start. "The prizes you win CANNOT touch the ground. When they touch the ground you have to redo the game you won the prize in for a new one.."
"Why?" Courtney asked.
"Have you tried cuddling with a dirty plush toy? That's an easy way to get dirty," Dakota said. Sam awkwardly scratched his head. "READY, SET, GO!"
The teams surged to the front as quickly as possible. After the initial rumble the first two to be seated were Carmen and Courtney. "Buena Suerte," Courtney told Carmen.
"A ti tambien," Carmen held the gun tightly.
Courtney aimed at a Chris head while Carmen did the same with a Chef head. The balloons above their head slowly increased in volume before a sudden pop meant that Carmen had won. "VAMANOS JUSTIN!" Carmen quickly grabbed the prize as her spot was replaced with Sky.
Courtney and Sky looked at each other as they started firing their guns. They gave each other a slight nod as their pistols started to fire. The balloons expanded once again and-"SKY WINS!"
The gymnast grabbed the small plush snake placed in front of her as Tem dragged them to the next station. "I'm starting to think that this Chef balloon is rigged," Courtney griped. "Or this pistol…"
"Do you want to switch?" Carrie spoke up next to Courtney. "That way we can see if it's fixed or something like that, though I doubt that-"
"Let's do it!" Courtney shoved Carrie into her seat in front of the Chef head. Carrie and Courtney tightly held their guns and fired the water. It came out in dual streams towards Chris and Chef's face. The balloons again expanded before one of them popped and-
"CONGRATULATIONS CARRIE!" a prize plopped in front of Carrie and she grabbed it, beckoning Raj to run with her.
"OH COME ON!" Courtney slammed the water pistol on the counter. It shattered into pieces as Carson took a seat next to her.
"Umm… it's just a game…" Carson hesitantly said. He awkwardly fired his water pistol towards the Chef head and watched as the balloon slowly rose. "Why is this so-"
"It looks like Courtney breaking the pistol broke the pipe and there's a leak…. So… Carson can't move on until he pops the head and Courtney can't move on until she gets to pop the balloon… so… we'll be here awhile," the intern explained just off camera.
Confessional, Courtney
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
At the next booth, Justin whiffed another throw onto a bottle neck. It bounced wildly before landing back in his hands. "Is this another chance?" Justin asked the intern attending the booth. He shrugged. Justin threw the ring and whiffed. Justin and Carmen walked to the back of the line.
Next up was Tem. She held the ring tightly in her hand before throwing it rather haphazardly. It bounced off of three bottle necks before falling into the pit below. "Oh… that's not good," Tem sighed. She composed herself and stretched her arms again. She threw all five of her remaining rings at the same time. Four of them whiffed. Only one of them landed on the neck. "I guess that works."
"No time for reflection, let's go," Sky said as she yanked Tem before she could get a good grip on her prize. The small seal tumbled to the ground.
Confessional, Sky and Tem
Tem: I know reflection might take awhile, but surely we can spend some time on making sure I can actually hold onto something properly.
Sky: You did it once, you can do it again, and you can get a better grip.
Tem: I'm starting to see why Gymnastics is a solo sport.
The silent montage started as Tem threw another ring towards the cluster of rings. Carson's balloon finally popped just as Raj threw his third ring onto a bottleneck. Carson grabbed his small plush cake. Raj grabbed a small plush shark and continued to the next station. Carrie struggled to move onto the first two rungs and spread her limbs in order to remain stable. Courtney waited at the Chris balloon as the balloon slowly inflated. Carrie slowly made her way up the unsteady ladder before she suddenly lost her balance and tumbled with a particularly brutal spin.
Tem's hands twitched as she missed four rings in a row. She threw her fifth and it landed on one of the bottlenecks. Sky hesitated a moment as Tem secured her grip on the new prize. Hilde tapped her feet impatiently as Courtney's balloon struggled to gain volume. Carmen steadied herself on the ladder as she took a graceful step forward. Then another. Then another. Then she suddenly fell through the gaps of the ladder and had to retreat, cursing in Spanish all the while.
Carrie took off her shoe and bit it in her mouth as she struggled with getting onto the first two rungs. Once stable she grabbed her shoe and threw it at the button. It lightly grazed the button and triggered the alarm. Carmen took her spot once Carrie grabbed her prize. Courtney's balloon finally popped, triggering the end of the montage.
Confessional, Justin and Carmen
Justin: Maybe we should have gone with me going on the ladder
Carmen: But then your big biceps wouldn't be slamming that hammer down.
Justin: At least you got to strut your stuff.
Carmen: En esa catwalk? I'll take it.
Raj grabbed the basket of three softballs as he tried holding his prize under his arm. He held the basket and grabbed one of the balls out. He threw it in a soft arc towards the milk jug and it bound off the rim. Raj groaned and reflexively threw his hand up in despair, causing his prize to fall on the ground. "Oh man… wait can I just try again since no one is here?"
The intern shrugged as they swapped the partially empty basket with a fully restocked straw basket. Raj hesitated before throwing his next ball in a similarly high arc. The camera tracked the ball as it bounced off the opening. Raj threw his next ball and whiffed harder. Raj groaned as he threw his next two balls. They collided in mid air and fell to the ground. "Can I try again?"
The intern pointed behind him where Justin and Carmen were waiting. Raj sighed as he joined Carrie in line.
Behind Carson, Hilde and Courtney were talking strategy. "These games are usually luck based but if you aim high then it'll bounce to the lower ones," Courtney mentioned.
"Just aim it flat and high, it should be a good one," Hilde suggested.
"But that's Duncan's strategy and he's never won this."
"Have you ever won?" Hilde asked.
"No but he didn't implement my strategy," Courtney retorted.
Hilde rolled her eyes as she grabbed all six of the rings. Anticlimactically she threw all six of the rings at once. Three of them landed on bottlenecks. "You were saying?" Hilde asked.
Further ahead down the row Justin blew into his fingernails before throwing his last ball. "Nice," Carmen said as the ball landed cleanly into the milk jug. Justin grabbed his prize and joined Raj and Carrie at the next station. "You'd make someone very happy," Carmen winked as Justin caressed her face with the prize.
"If any guy goes to a carnival with you then they're obviously unaware of the prize right next to them," Justin winked.
In front of them, Raj, who was focused on how Carrie attempted the bowler roller, shuddered as he heard Justin and Carmen's flirting. Carrie pushed the ball over the hump but it rolled back. "That's your second try, back of the line."
"Sorry Raj," Carrie said sadly.
"We're still pretty far ahead, besides, we can see Carmen and Justin's strategy," Carrie pointed out.
Confessional, Carrie
I bet Devin would be a lot better at this. I bet Shelly is really regretting it now!
Confessional, Raj
Me and Wayne, on a double date to a carnival, maybe with Justin, maybe with someone else… That'll be the goal, and the dream.
Sky effortlessly balanced on the ladder. "You got this sky!" Tem cheered from the sidelines. Sky took a deep breath and walked straight up along the ladder. She looked at Tem with a thumbs up and slammed the button. Sky walked down the ladder before it suddenly flipped and sent her on the rubber. One of her prizes flew up into the air and she made a hasty dive to catch it.
With a sigh of relief she grabbed the prize just before it touched the ground. The two girls sighed in relief as Sky was handed her prize.
Closer to the start, Emma was struggling with the milk jug toss. "Come on…" she groaned.
"Focus Emma, imagine you're throwing Chase's picture in a very small trash can," Carson offered.
Emma started to breathe heavily as she grabbed her ball and threw it at the milk jug. The milk jug suddenly grew a crack.
Confessional, Emma and Carson
Emma: Never, ever, ever, ever, EVER be a Chase.
Carson: I wasn't planning to!
Emma: Good, but I know you.
Carson: No you don't!
Carmen daintily pushed the bowling ball towards the hill. It paused at the hump before rolling down. She waited with bated breath as the ball rolled into the valley behind the hump, and stayed there. "POR FIN!" she shouted, scaring Carrie behind her.
Justin and Carmen rushed to the final game, the high striker. Carrie pushed her bowling ball with both hands and the bowling ball lightly rested in the valley. Carrie grabbed her prize as she and Raj rushed to the final game. "Come on Raj, you got this," Carrie reassured.
Down the line, Tem's ball flew high in an arc and landed in the open hole of the milk jug. "Good," Tem said as she grabbed her prize tightly.
Emma's hands flexed as she gripped a ball tightly. There was a ding just off screen as Emma's head whipped around. Justin's second strike measured at seventy five. "Oh that sucks," Emma said as she dropped the ball anticlimactically against the ground, sending her and Carson back in the line.
Raj took Justin's place at the high striker. He picked a similarly sized mallet and held it high over his head. Carrie held their prizes tightly as Raj glanced to his left, seeing Carmen and Justin talking with each other as Justin flexed slightly. Raj hit the strikepoint and the striker hit the bell, registering a seventy six. "You got this Raj!" Carrie called out.
Raj shifted his stance and held the mallet higher. With the help of gravity the strikepoint flew high and high to the top, hitting at a total of eighty three. "AND RAJ AND CARRIE WIN THE FIRST PART OF TODAY'S CHALLENGE!" Chris announced. "I'll let Samkota take care of the other statistics."
"Thank you Chris," Sam started to corral the contestants towards the high striker. "Since Cartin were the closest to Carraj, they get four points. Skem were behind them and had just finished the milk jugs. Emson were on the milk jugs and Courtde just joined them. The points go from five down. Now we have to move to the food court for the next part of the date."
Confessional, Cartin
Justin: The unfortunate thing is that most ship names… suck.
Carmen: Pienso que 'Orhale' sea mejor. No es como un Carton.
Justin: Orally?
Carmen: Nevermind.
Confessional, Emson
Carson: I think I knew a kid named Emson, or Emerson.
Emma: Oh? How was he?
Carson: Kind of weird, he picked his nose and ate it.
Emma: Sounds like a certain ex of mine.
Carson: Chase?
Emma: I've had other exes.
Confessional, Courtde
Courtney: Now would Hildney or Courtde work better?
Hilde: They both suck. Does Damonte and Parker combine well?
Courtney: Not particularly, but why not Parkney?
Hilde: Not too bad actually.
Confessional, Carraj
Raj: Good job over there.
Carrie: Thanks, you too. You know I wouldn't mind doing a double date with me and Devin and you and whoever you end up with.
Raj: That's nice, I'd probably just wind up going with Wayner as usual. Bros before… beaus? Is that the word for boyfriends?
Carrie: I think it works.
Confessional, Skem
Sky: Not great…
Tem: Not bad though
Sky: We still need to get immunity.
Tem: We still have two parts to get through, this isn't one of those challenges where we're all whittled down.
The coupled campers were sitting at as many tables in the food hall as the sounds of utensils flying surrounded them. "After a couple of carnival games, what better way to treat your partner than taking them to a lovely, multi course dinner?" Sam started.
"But due to time constraints we'll put all the courses together, and there's nothing more romantic than feeding each other during a meal," Dakota said wistfully, winking at Sam. "Also enjoying today's meal will be Fang and his partner.. Whose name can't be translated out of the dolphin language either…"
The campers looked towards a raised portion of the food court where Fang and his partner sat across from each other at a small table, little bibs tied around them, both holding what looked to be very long utensils and pincers. "They will get the meal first to demonstrate how best to feed your partner in this kind of environment," Dakota finished the explanation.
A small dinner bell rang from behind Fang and his partner as one of the cameos of the episode came forward, pushing a small dinner cart. "Let dinner be served," a gentle voice rang out similar to the voice. "Courtesy of Chef Hatchet and myself."
The camera focused on the cameo pushing the cart. He was a tall and muscular contestant with black beady eyes and dark skin. He was still clad in his usual white skull cap, this time accompanied with a white Chef's jacket similar to that of fancy restaurants. "Ladies and Gentlemen welcome back DJ!" Dakota announced as the campers politely applauded.
"Today's a bit of a rush course so you only have fifteen minutes to eat our lovely three course spread. Starting off we have a breakfast salad of sauteed greens, roasted veggies, and fried eggs, adorned with my special 'mama spice' and a side of avocado toast," DJ placed both plates in front of Fang and his partner. "A lovely deconstructed hamburger with a side of steak fries greets you for the second plate. And finally we shall end this night with a lovely aromatic tomato chowder in a bread bowl all sprinkled with mama spice."
"Did you cook all of this?" Sam asked out of complete curiosity.
"Chef had a hand in doing so, but I had to add my own touch. My mom always said the best way to a man's heart was through his stomach, that's how she met my dad. Don't ask my Jamaican relatives about this show though, they're probably blessing the screen as we speak," DJ sighed.
DJ cleared his throat and addressed Fang, his partner, and the campers. "For today's meal you must use these long utensils to feed the others their meal. You are allowed to have one of five carbonated drinks, ginger ale, cola, root beer, diet root beer, and diet cola. The cup of your carbonated drink will be the only one that can touch your hands."
"Thank you DJ, always a pleasure seeing you, please stand out here for some commentary as we watch them eat," Dakota said formally. "And I must say you have adopted the formal tone of speaking well."
"Momma always said that it's best to meet people where they are… even if they are a mutated shark and his dolphin partner," DJ said. They watched as Fang and the dolphin finished their meal with relative ease and chugged their carbonated soda. "The interns will deliver your meals later. This meal will only last for fifteen minutes. Bon Appétit."
Confessional, Parkney
Courtney: Fang and his partner have a lot of manners between them. Good for them.
Hilde: Is that not something you usually practice?
Courtney: Duncan and his 'friends' definitely don't.
Confessional, Skem
Tem: Good thing we don't have to finish the drink.
Sky: And we probably shouldn't, that gas is empty bloat.
Tem: You know an awful lot about this.
Sky: I exaggerate it a lot but I do deal with acid reflux.
"Is there a plan?" Tem glanced at Sky as they started experimenting with their long utensils. Each of them had four utensils. One spoon, one fork, one knife, and one circular grabber and they were all about five feet long, just about the length of the table.
"Start with the hamburger, that's the easiest," the camera swiveled to Sky as she clapped her grabber.
At another table Raj fiddled with his spoon. "We have to feed each other with these, we can't move from the end."
"There's no rule against that," Carrie suddenly realized as she ran her finger along the prongs of her fork.
DJ started to walk in the center of the tables as a cinematic, busby berkeley style shot revealed the six interns, each carrying two plates, walking to the tables the fake couples were in. "Dinner…. Is served," DJ said with a bow. At his declaration the interns placed their plates on the tables and revealed their plates full of the meals Fang and his partner were now treating themselves to.
Courtney stabbed Hilde's avocado toast with enough ferocity to split it in two. Hilde quickly grabbed one of her long utensils and laid it atop the avocado toast as Courtney tried to pick up the piece. The camera zoomed in on the crumbs as Hilde's plate containing the avocado toast shook.
Emma used the utensil with the grabber at the end to maneuver a salad leaf into Carson's mouth. "Emma you have this! Come on, come on!" Carson encouraged his partner.
With her hands shaking, Emma dropped the salad leaf. She quickly slapped the gripped tight and found something. "MEH LEHHHPP!" Carson shouted, hitting Emma with his spoon utensil.
"MY WRIST!" Emma countered.
Raj opened his mouth with a dopey expression as Carrie tried to maneuver a forkful of steak fries into his mouth. All but one of them fell off the fork and onto his lap. "Sorry…" Carrie sighed as she opened her mouth.
"What do you want to eat?" Raj asked.
"Just whatever," Carrie put her hand on one of the plates accidentally, recoiling as she looked at her meal. "Eww.."
At one of the other tables, Justin wiped away at his mouth. "Carmen, dear," he started. "Please wait until my mouth happens to be facing you."
"Perdon," Carmen tittered. "I'm just muy excited at feeding you." The two shared a light chuckle, being all too willing to play into the role of a long established couple.
"What was your plan going for the steak fries?" Dakota asked DJ as she and Sam split a small basket of fries.
"Everyone likes potatoes, but french fries from potatoes are usually well liked more than mash, or boiled potatoes," DJ explained. "It's also a solid staple food for any meal. If you don't have a potato in one meal of your day you're probably doing something wrong."
"Is that how you got so strong?" Sam raised an eyebrow.
"One potato a day scattered through the meals. Momma had a lot to stretch at times, especially with her growing boys and herself," DJ explained tenderly.
Confessional, Carraj
Carrie: Those steak fries were amazing! I didn't get too many of them though.
Raj: I'm not a fan of avocado but DJ can make anything taste good!
Carrie: I think Chef might have said that.
Raj: But sandwiches from DJ seemed so good on his season ,that has to be DJ's work.
Confessional, Emson
Carson: You could have waited!
Emma: You could have eaten faster!
Carson: You could have aimed better!
Emma: You could have held your mouth open longer!
Confessional, Chef
DJ's a good kid but he runs the kitchen way too smoothly for my liking. Don't think he has what it takes to reach the boiling point.
Hilde leaned forward with her mouth agape as much as possible. Courtney tried leaning forward with her long utensil before she slipped on the table cloth. Another camera pan showed Carson opening his mouth as Emma shoved the long utensil full of fried egg into his mouth and choked. Carrie tried stabbing an egg on Raj's plate before it flew off with surprising intensity.
"The key to making an egg that'll rest well with good pressure is a gradual rise in temperature, it'll take longer than downright frying an egg but it'll be an elevated and tastier experience."
"NO!" Sky screamed as an egg flew off of their plates and their utensils. Tem made a grab for it but missed and hit Sky in the wrist. "Eww…"
Carrie opened her mouth as Raj tried to maneuver a spoonful of the tomato chowder into her mouth. Raj leaned forward and slipped, accidentally pushing the entirety of the curved portion of the spoon in her mouth. "HOT!"
"A warm bit of soup helps break down the tougher food," DJ commented. The camera showed Fang and his partner grabbing the utensils with the tongs and grabbing the bread bowls gingerly. The camera focused on the two of them just as they started slurping the soup.
Gingerly, Justin held up a piece of the bread bowl containing soup to Carmen's lips. "It's impolite to slurp," Carmen said. "But since we're on TV…" Carmen hesitated as she put her entire face into the bit of the bowl.
Fang and his partner finished off the rest of the meal. They both flashed each other a cute smile and put their utensils crossed over their plates. DJ walked over with the interns as the interns started to separate the portions of the table as DJ handed a hot towel to Fang and a hot towel to his partner. "Enjoy the meal?"
Fang nodded earnestly as the dolphin did the same. "Okay, I guess it's fair to say…" DJ pulled up a small tablet and hit a button on it.
"DINNER'S UP, UTENSILS DOWN!" Chef shouted.
At that declaration the campers stopped to stare at each other. Their tables were in varying states of neatness while Fang and his partner were relatively clean. Carson and Emma, in the middle of their argument, spared a glance at each other, before suddenly bursting in laughter. Emma had egg in her hair and Carson had a bit of avocado in his nose.
Sky and Tem, similarly arguing, also had to break into laughter as they lamented their state. On Sky's cheek was a remarkably red spot and on Tem's chin was a similar red spot. Sky let out a burp and fell to the ground, the force of which also knocked Tem to the ground, taking the tablecloth with her.
Courtney and Hilde both cracked a smile as they offered to help clean each other, since it was the least they could do. Justin and Carmen tenderly cleaned each other's hair. With soft touches and warm smiles. Carrie and Raj picked out their teeth with the long utensils.
Pairs of interns came out of the woodwork and took the tablecloths and handed the campers wet hot towels to clean themselves up..
"Did you enjoy the food?" DJ asked the campers.
There was a round of satisfied discussion. "If you need someone to cater you can always call me. Or Chef for that matter, he knows a lot. I gave Chef enough Mama Spice for a reward of a meal for the winning pair in the end."
"Too bad he normally doesn't care here," sighed Carrie.
"But he helped make the dinner for you all today," Dakota pointed out.
"We've weighed the food left over. DJ has an uncanny skill with dividing out identical servings so it helped out matters. The initial measurements were only ten grams off of each other, or 0.35 ounces give or take," Sam clarified. "The duo who ate the greatest percentage of their food were…. Carmen and Justin!"
Carmen and Justin high-fived each other with a satisfying slap. "That was still only 71.9% of the initial food. Then we had Skem with 69.69% of their food.-"
Raj guffawed.
"Parkney got third with 44.09% of their food, Carraj got fourth with 41.1% of their food, and Emson got 26.00% of their food. Points go from five to one just like last time."
Confessional, Carrie
(She digs in her mouth with her fingers) Ohhh…. That hurt so good.
Confessional, Tem
If the way to love is through the stomach, then the way to hate is not treating that stomach well
Confessional, Justin
Very good, but I have to limit myself, so that means most likely no more DJ food until I get on a diet that allows it.
Confessional, Emma
At least the food was good. My date… not so much…
Confessional, Hilde
You'd think that a girl like Courtney would be more refined dating wise, somewhat good to see that she's just as piggish as the rest of us.
"Now," Dakota said as the camera zoomed in on her before pulling back out to show that all of them were clean and in a new venue. A multicolored dance floor was in the center and there were speakers surrounding them. "In today's modern life a lot of date nights safely end at the club. This time around you're going to show how well you can move with your partner!"
"Beardo would have been a perfect cameo for this," Carson observed.
"And get the innate advantage and ruin our game because of his skills with sound?!" Emma fired back
The sounds of a theremin started to resonate through the club setting. The lighting surrounding them turned into a harsh neon as they started to flash and flash. "G-g-g-give it up!" the campers heard a vaguely familiar voice. "Give it up! For your c-c-c-cameo!"
The campers turned to the source of a fog machine. Varying looks of confusion appeared on their face as the person playing the theremin suddenly turned. He was dressed differently to his normal outfit in that he was now in a red cap with the bill facing backwards. He seemed to be wearing an ensemble with a turquoise undershirt, brown shirt, dark blue jeans, and dark sunglasses as he manipulated the theremin. "You know-know-know! It's CEJ THE DJ!"
"Cody?" Sky said after a moment of thought.
The fog machine slowed down its output as small pyrotechnic effects started around Cody. "It's so good to be back, and today I'll be providing the soundtrack to this hella romantic night! Get grooving but every minute you dance on a red square or are hit by a blue laser that'll be a point against you. Every second your hand is off the other is a point lost. You're all starting with One HUNDRO MONGO EPIC POINTS! DON'T LOSE THEM!"
"Wait, that just nullifies the previous challenges!" Courtney shouted.
"Oh don't worry-y-y-y-y," Cody said into a mic. "These points only apply to this. If you get the most points in the end then you'll get the most points for immunity, no worries. And if you hit the super secret DANCE MOVE! YOU'LL GET A BONUS POINT FOR IMMUNITY! BUT IF YOU RUN, BOP, OR DAB YOUR WAY INTO OUR DANCING COUPLE THEN YOU'RE GONNA LOSE ALL YOUR POINTS!" The theremin spiked the speakers and seemed to blow them out as one of them started smoking.
Confessional, Tem
(She picks out her ears) Why didn't I buy earplugs?
Confessional, Justin
(he rubs the spot over his eyes) Why do people find clubs fun?
Confessional, Emma
(She's dancing and mouthing along to the sounds Cody made during the rules exposition)
Confessional, Hilde
All things considered, Cody was… only mildly annoying…. If whatever girl I'm with takes me to a club where Cody's hosting, that's instant dumping grounds. Cody's good for some people, just not for me
There was a sudden shift in the music, changing from a techno electro funk vibe to a slow ballroom dance type of music, which made Courtney and Tem unplug their ears, while the rest looked around in confusion.
"We can't have a good couples dance without you guys getting up close and personal!" Cody exclaimed, as many of the taken individuals growned.
The five pairs all stepped onto the dance floor, and all got into what they thought were the right stances. DJ Codemeister slammed a button on his station as the station started to vibrate. The campers started bobbing their heads as the music started with a little bit of classical instruments.
Hilde and Courtney danced with ease, floating around as if they had been dancing together for years. Both were focused and intentional with each and every step they took.
"I never took you to be formally trained in dancing," Courtney remarked, as she led the duo. She spun Hilde around as Hilde, significantly taller, ducked down.
"I'm multi-talented," Hilde replied. "When my band started, I took some dancing classes, just to help with stage presence and stuff, and we had a two week session on ballroom dancing." Hilde helped lead Courtney away from Fang and his partner as they danced close to them.
"Why didn't you skip?" Courtney jumped as a red spot appeared beneath her.
"Thought it might be useful to know. What about you?"
"When I was a kid I thought I would go to all of these fancy ballroom parties, so I learned how to do a bunch of dances. It's nice to have someone who actually knows how to dance, Duncan still steps on my feet sometimes."
"I think Duncan would prefer smashing a guitar then a slow dance," Hilde joked as she dipped Courtney.
"Depends on the day with him," Courtney dipped Hilde in turn.
"Let's do the tango!" Carmen exclaimed, as she and Justin were slow to start on the dance floor, making a handful of missteps along the way, narrowly missing some blue lasers.
"But the theme is ballroom dancing, won't we lose points?" Justin nervously asked. Unknown to him a small blue laser shone on his shirt as he led Carmen away from Fang and his partner.
"It was just a suggestion, we don't actually have to do that. Besides you and I both know we're better at moving our hips anyways."
"You're right," Justin conceded. The pair got into position, and took a deep breath. With Justin as the lead, they immediately started smashing the dance out of the park, with perfect steps and movements they were quickly catching up to the leaders.
"Told you," Carmen smirked, as Justin rolled his eyes.
Confessional, Carmen
Call me ELECTRA because I got the sparks carrying through the essence of Hawaii
"LET'S SWITCH IT UP!" Cody said as he changed the genre to something faster paced. He bobbed his head to the music and started throwing his hands up in the air, cheering into a mic.
The camera panned over to Carrie and Raj, the pair was doing okay, with Carrie leading them, they had managed to find a decent rhythm.
"You're learning pretty fast for someone who's never done this before," Carrie complimented the hockey bro.
"My hockey footwork is helping me out a lot here, it's not the exact same thing, but it helps," Raj explained, as he kept an eye on his feet as the pair made their moves.
"Don't watch your feet the whole time, we might lose points for that, we have to make it look like those movie scenes," Carrie said, causing Raj to look up and towards the point above Carrie's head.
"Why are you looking above me now?"
"I want to be respectful of Devin!" Carrie just rolled her eyes and sighed.
Confessional, Carrie
While I appreciate Raj's sentiment… I don't think Devin would be jealous of Raj looking into my eyes… I mean he's quite literally gay.
"Tem why are you so good at this?" Sky exclaimed, as she continued to fumble around her dancing partner. They seemed to be rather out of step as they tried to catch up and line up with each other.
"I wanted to be a great dancer for my future guy," Tem replied, turning a bright shade of red. "So I practiced a lot when I was younger. I'm glad I get to use my skills for something now."
"You need to teach me at some point. I am such a bad dancer, and I know Dave and I will want to go dancing at some point," Sky exclaimed, almost begging Tem to help her.
"Of course Sky, any time. Just follow what I do, and let's focus on getting some points so we can win this challenge." Sky nodded, as she kept her eyes looking between Tem and her feet, jumping high as she realized the tile beneath her turned red. Tem lost her balance as Sky led her to a different portion of the dance floor, one a little more green.
"HERE WE GO!" Cody said as his music started to get louder and louder
Meanwhile, Carson and Emma were bumbling all over the place, Emma couldn't stop stepping on Carson's feet, while Carson couldn't stop shaking his head to try and shift his ponytail to where he wanted it.
"Stop moving your head! It's distracting me!" Emma exclaimed, as she squeezed on Carson's hand in frustration.
"Then stop stepping on my feet, it keeps tripping me up!" Carson exclaimed. As he said this, Emma once again stepped on his foot, causing Carson to almost fall to the ground, but he managed to steady himself.
"Well then move your feet!"
"I'm trying!"
The pair continued to bicker back and forth as the dance continued, earning a few odd looks from the other campers, while the hosts and cameos looked on in confusion at the pair as they continued to struggle to look at all graceful while dancing.
Confessional, Carson
I've run a mile on gravel before on a dare. And that hurt less than Emma's foot!
The camera zoomed in on one of the mechanisms as they changed from green lasers to blue lasers. The laser mechanism pivoted around the campers before focusing on Fang and his partner as their dance finally ended with Fang hoisting his partner high above his head. The campers cheered as the camera seemed to rotate around the couple of the evening before Fang let his partner down.
"Tonight was major LIT HOMESLICES!" Cody echoed as he got the music to die down. "Now we can see which teams had the most time together and the most chemistry together! You made your moves now let the judges m-m-m-ake t-t-t-heir…. CLAIMS!"
Hilde and Courtney covered their ears as obnoxious airhorn sound effects started to blare from the speakers. Carson and Emma, both rather roughed up, couldn't quite look each other in the eyes. Tem and Sky gave each other a reassuring but sad smile as they still stood on one of the red tiles. Carrie and Raj stood next to each other with small smiles on their faces. Carmen and Justin were the only couple still holding hands after the dances.
"And it's been determined!" Cody said as he ceded the stage to Sam, Dakota, and Chris.
"Ranking last for the dancing, and the challenge in general, we have Emson!" Sam announced into the mic. "Bad meal, bad carnival, bad dance. That doesn't really help things out."
"These next two couples were dead even. They had relative highs but couldn't quite overcome their absolute lows. So that means… Parkney couldn't recover from their cringey carnival date and Skem was okay, but not perfect."
Sky and Tem gave each other consoling hugs while Hilde and Courtney gave each other a rather forced handshake.
Confessional, Parkney
Hilde: If it's any consolation you know what not to do with Duncan.
Courtney: It's a small one. But it's there. Gotta admit you weren't exactly the easiest girlfriend.
Hilde: You really want to start saying something?
Courtney: You started it first. I'm just talking in kind.
Confessional, Emma
When you don't have chemistry with someone… you just don't have anything to say.
Confessional, Skem
Tem: Sorry I couldn't do better with the dancing.
Sky: I pushed you too hard. And I should have told you about the dips and spins quicker.
Tem: And I could have reacted better.
Sky: Yeah you could have.
Confessional, Carson
This is why you don't mix work and love. You get stomped on so many times and the image of red is burned in your eyes.
"And that leaves our two frontrunners in the challenge, the two who have coincidentally pulled out in the best way possible!" Chris started.
"Chris… change the phrasing, that just sounds creepy," Dakota said.
"What did I say?" Chris tilted his head. "Anyways…. Second place…. They were good at the carnival…. But not so with dinner…. It's gotta go to Carraj!"
Carrie and Raj gave each other a side hug.
Confessional, Carraj
Carrie: You're going to make a guy really happy.
Raj: And you're going to make Devin really happy.
Carrie: Want to double date when you eventually find someone?
Raj: It's on sister! (The two high five)
"Congratulations to Carmen and Justin, you've proven yourselves to be the most charming, most romantic, most reactive couple this time around!" Dakota said as spotlights shone over the two of them. Sam handed the two of them roses with a card each on them. The two read the cards before tucking them into their pockets, satisfied.
The other reluctantly cheered as Carmen and Justin both retrieved golden roses each with an immunity tag on them. "Now, remember how in the beginning we said you could win immunity?" Chris chimed in.
"Ay ay ay…" Carmen rubbed her temples, brushing the golden rose on her head as she did so.
"You two can still both receive immunity, you just need to kiss the other!" Chris cackled.
Carmen and Justin spared a glance at each other. "That's it?" Justin raised his eyebrow.
"Oh but you have to kiss! How scandalous!" Chris taunted. "Are you going to risk your reputation for kissing one of your opponents? Just so you can stay another day?"
Justin tapped Carmen on the shoulder. "Your hand please?" Justin started with a smooth voice.
Carmen daintily placed her finger tips into his open palm. In a dramatic gesture Justin placed his lips on Carmen's hand. "I figure that a beautiful woman like you deserves something classy," Justin winked.
"Oh Justin," Carmen flustered, fanning herself. "Que bonita y que romantico eres tu!" Carmen grabbed Justin by the chin and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "There," she said, her voice dropping. "We kissed."
"...that's it?!" Chris shouted.
"You didn't specify how we should kiss," Justin shrugged.
With a melodramatic sigh, Chris turned on his megaphone. "JUSTIN AND CARMEN ARE IMMUNE! GET VOTING!"
Confessional, Carstin
Carmen: I could have kissed you so hard that you wouldn't have been breathing.
Justin: I don't doubt it, but I would have kissed you so hard you fell off of your feet. But did we really need to do something that dramatic?
Carmen: After that challenge, I'm glad you didn't go dramatic. Hay un futuro cuando besamos realmente?
Justin: Possibly, but it'll have to come after I see you in that limousine.
Carmen: Or after I see you home in that limousine.
Post Challenge
"Can we all just agree that Sky has to go," Courtney exclaimed to Justin and Hilde, as the trio made their way back to the trailers to freshen up. "Like she almost won today, not to mention she's likable too."
"You don't have to tell me twice," Hilde gruffly replied. "Whether she's with or against you, if she sticks around she'll be near impossible to beat."
"One hundred percent, I know Raj and Tem really like her, so they might waver. But even they can't deny that she would be one of the toughest people to go against in the end game," Justin added, putting his hands into his jean pockets.
"I could see Raj voting with her out of pity," Hilde shrugged. "But Tem is smart enough to know that Sky needs to go, or at least just let her go."
"Yeah, Tem is no slouch," Courtney added. "Someone we should keep an eye on, she's been pretty under the radar." Hilde seemed to nod in agreement with the former CIT.
"Her and Carson both, they're very sneaky," Justin mused.
"I don't know about sneaky. They're both decent players, but I think Tem is more dangerous than Carson," Hilde argued.
"I guess. I don't know, Carson gives me bad vibes is all."
"Sure…"
Confessional, Courtney
And the plan is in motion.
Confessional, Hilde
I'm glad that Courtney is following through with her Sky plan from last round. I was the swing vote last time, I didn't need to be in the spotlight again.
"If we just win over Hilde and Courtney, we have enough to make a move on one of those four, I'm telling you," Carson exclaimed to Tem and Carrie, as the three had been discussing what to do for the last few minutes at the picnic benches outside the trailers. The girls sat across from Carson looking fairly defeated.
"Courtney is pissed with us right now, and even if we did get Hilde, we just send ourselves into a tie," Carrie exclaimed, as her head fell into her arms, which rested on the table.
"Well if they go for Sky, she could probably beat Emma," Carson reasoned.
"It's not a bad idea. But if we don't have either Hilde or Courtney, we just piss off Emma, and we saw how she went after Beardo. We can't exactly risk her staying if we vote for her," Tem argued, as Carson seemed to let out a sigh of agreement.
"Then what do we do?" Carson frustratedly replied.
"They're probably going to go for Sky, so if she can maybe find an idol," Tem suggested, shrugging as Carrie raised her head from the table.
"Are there any left?" Carrie asked.
"Well, we know Shawn and Angelo both had one. There are I think two still out there if they haven't been found yet. And I think Shawn's might still be in circulation then since it wasn't played successfully," Carson mused.
"Well couldn't Shawn's have been found too?" Carrie asked.
"It'd only be back in hiding for maybe a week to a week and a half. So it could very well still be out there," Tem declared, reinvigorated with some hope.
"Should we look for it?" Carrie asked.
"No, whoever the target is should. At this point if we want any chance of survival we have to try and not look close, or else there's no chance Courtney or Hilde will work with us in the long run," Carson replied, as the other two nodded in agreement
Confessional, Carrie
The fan in me would love to scramble and save Sky, but I don't know what I could possibly do. She was just too good too early. I guess the idol is our only hope.
Confessional, Carson
I don't know what's worse. Having your plans work but actively sabotage yourself, or your plans don't work at all, and your position slowly declines into nothingness.
"Raj I'm really scared, like absolutely no one has talked to me yet, and I'm just worried that it's me," Sky complained to the hockey bro, as they sat in the Craft Services Tent. Sky had her head in the palms of her hands as she was bordering on tears.
Raj looked as though he was so incredibly confused and unsure of what to do. He took a long breath, putting his hand on Sky's shoulder. "Sky, I think they're going to vote for you tonight."
Sky let out a long sigh. "I should've seen it coming. Three immunity wins in a row, ugh what was I thinking," Sky face palmed, before returning to her head to staring at the table.
"Don't be mad at yourself, you did what any athlete would do, try their best one hundred percent all the time!"
"Yeah… you're right. Raj, if I get enough votes to tie, would you vote to save me?"
"It depends who you were voting for… I'd be okay with it being Emma," Raj tentatively said.
"Okay, I'll go for Emma, and I won't say anything about our conversation."
"Thanks Sky, that means a lot."
"No thank you Raj."
Confessional, Raj
I hope I did the right thing
As Sky left Raj behind, she ran straight to the girls trailer hoping to find her ally. Opening the door she saw Tem, touching up on her makeup. The city girl, seeing the gymnast in a panic, quickly set her supplies down and went to check on Sky.
"Tem, it's me, I know it's me!" Sky exclaimed, in a panic. "And I don't think the votes are there, we'd need Carson, you, Carrie, me, Raj, and Hilde or Courtney. And after the last ceremony I don't think either Courtney or Hilde want anything to do with me right now."
"Calm down Sky, we can find a way out of this," Tem replied, calmly patting Sky's shoulders, making sure she's okay.
"I just don't know what to do. I can't go home now, it's too soon!"
"Look, if you're certain it's you, you can look for an idol. There's two we don't know the whereabouts of, and it's possible Shawn's idol got rehidden too," Tem mused, as Sky's breathing began to regulate again.
"Does it matter if I'm obvious about it?" Sky asked.
"If you think everyone is targeting you already, then what do you have to lose?
"I guess you're right.."
"I'll see what I can do to help you in the meantime, but I think an idol is our best bet to do some damage now. Now get going!" Tem exclaimed, lightly pushing Sky out the door.
Confessional, Tem
She better find that thing, Emma or Courtney have got to go.
Confessional, Sky
This is ridiculous! I'm flattered I'm viewed as a threat! But I'd like to keep my record of not receiving any votes thank you!
"I know you like her and think she's a solid ally, but you can't sit here and tell me that it is necessary for your game to have someone as threatening as her still around," Carmen explained to the anime nerd, as they walked around the film lot.
"I know, I hear you. But I just feel bad, like it just feels like I'm betraying an ally again," Carson replied, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets.
"You can't betray someone who everyone else is voting for. It wouldn't be your fault that she's going home amigo," Carmen responded, placing a comforting hand on Carson's shoulder.
Shrugging off the hand Carson replied, "I get that, but there's still that twinge of guilt of flipping against someone I consider an ally and a friend."
Carmen let out a small sigh of exhaustion. "Carson, you can't let the fans get to you like that. I know they were harsh on you, as they were to me and others. That's just how fandoms are, you know that."
"I know you're right… I hate this, but I do agree that Sky going is probably for the best."
"It'll be alright Carson."
Confessional, Carmen
Just like mi padre burning through our money! Mind you I do feel bad. But still, that was easier than it should've been. Not that I'm complaining haha!
Confessional, Carson
Better her than me I guess…
"This vote seems rather easy this time," Emma exclaimed, as she, Raj and Justin sat together in the Craft Services Tent. Raj appeared rather fidgety, glancing at Justin every so often, while Justin pretended not to notice.
"It is. It's a nice change of pace compared to the last few scrambles," Justin replied, running his hand through his perfect hair.
"You could say that again," Raj nervously added. "You don't think Sky has an idol do you?" Raj asked Justin, as Emma's ears also seemed to perk up at the question.
"It's unlikely, she is searching around for one right now," Justin pointed out. "Either way, I wanted to make a final three alliance with the two of you."
"You know I'm down!" Raj exclaimed.
"I'd be down to, but what about Carmen?" Emma asked the two boys.
"Carmen has other alliances going, I think it's best that we work together as there's no guarantee she stays loyal," Justin explained.
"I guess that makes sense," Emma replied with a shrug.
"She is a scary lady," Raj added.
Confessional, Emma
Yes an alliance with the hot guy and Raj
Confessional, Raj
Yes an alliance with the hot guy and Emma
Confessional, Justin
I value Carmen more than I do the likes of Courtney and Emma. But Carmen is a sneaky one, so I may as well have a little insurance.
As the camera shifted away from the main campground, it focused in on Sky who was searching for an idol towards the outskirts of the film lot. Looking in every nook and cranny imaginable.
"Idol hunting?" Hilde gruffly asked, as she startled Sky as she hadn't even expected Hilde or anyone to show up.
"What're you doing out here?" Sky asked the musician, regaining her composure.
"Just trying to get away from all the crazies. I assume you know it's you tonight?" Hilde said, folding her arms.
"Trust me I'm well aware," Sky sarcastically replied. "Are you here to make sure I don't find an idol?"
"No, honestly, as long as it isn't me I'm fine if you stay. I'll leave you alone as long as you promise not to idol me out."
"Fine by me then," Sky replied, waving Hilde away. "Now if you excuse me, I have an idol I need to find." Hilde shrugged as she strolled away from the gymnast, a small smile appearing on her face.
Confessional, Sky
No real reason to go for her anyways. (She shrugs)
Confessional, Hilde
She's got bigger fish to fry, but better safe than sorry.
"Well, we only have a few minutes now," Carson started, as he, Carrie, and Tem made their way to the ceremony. "Are we going to vote somewhere else? Or are we sticking to Sky?"
"I mean unless we got Raj at the last second, I don't think we have the votes to keep Sky here," Carrie somberly replied.
"What about throwing a couple votes?" Carson suggested, to which Tem noticeably tensed.
"No!" Tem exclaimed. "Look, if Sky finds the idol, she won't vote for us. We're better off blending in and letting her take someone out."
"You don't know if she has it?" Carried asked the city girl.
"No. I told her that if she did find it, to not tell me, so I could actually give a genuine shocked reaction,"
"Why? Seems kind of pointless," Carrie confusedly responded.
"Probably so the other side doesn't immediately gun for Tem if Sky does idol, and becomes immune the next round," Carson mused.
"Pretty much. Sky is on her own here." The trio nodded, as the camera panned over to Justin hiding in the bushes.
Confessional, Tem
Justin is already eyeing me like a new modeling contract after the last few votes, I'd rather not have another confrontation on my hands.
Confessional, Carson
If Sky did idol one of us out, it'd be the equivalent of me voting out Sierra or Dawn… self sabotage.
Confessional, Justin
Interesting plan. But it makes for an almost perfect scenario for me. If Sky doesn't find that idol, theoretically I could play mine on her, or even give it to her so I can get that weasel Carson out. I know Courtney and Hilde are worried about Sky winning out. But please, Total Drama challenges are so random, she'll lose another one eventually. Besides I have to look out for my beautiful self, these manicured nails don't pay for themselves you know (He holds up his hands close to the camera to show off his perfect nails and hands)
Elimination Ceremony
"Welcome back campers, to yet another Elimination Ceremony, where one of you will become the fourth member of our jury. This time you cannot vote for Justin or Carmen as they are immune, for once Sky's picture will not be grayed out," Chris chuckled, as Sky looked at the ground in a sort of shameful manner. As the camera panned between the final ten campers. Chef handed each of them their voting devices, to which most of them wasted no time in getting their votes in.
"Alright then," Chris exclaimed, as Chef recollected each of the devices. "If anyone has a hidden immunity idol they would like to play, now would be the time to do so!" Every single camper stared at Sky looking to see if she had found the coveted idol. Sky made a grab for her pocket, and sub consciously Courtney and Justin both slid their own hands to their immunity idols, but when Sky made no move to stand, their paranoia eased.
"Alright, I'll read the votes" Chris said, as he pulled out ten slips of paper.
"FIRST VOTE… Emma." Emma rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at Sky.
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SECOND VOTE… Sky."
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"THIRD VOTE… Sky."
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"FOURTH VOTE…. Sky."
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"FIFTH VOTE… Sky."
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"SIXTH VOTE… Sky!"
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"SEVENTH VOTE… and the fifteenth person voted out and the fourth member of our jury… Sky!"
"Woohoo!" Emma cheered, as she let out a fistpump into the air, Justin pulled her down, as several other campers shot glares her way, as Sky rolled her eyes at the blonde.
"Well, I guess I survived one more elimination this time," Sky shrugged, as she stood up from her seat next to Tem who gave the gymnast a hug.
"You did great Sky! Three immunities in a row is like totally gnarly!" Raj exclaimed.
"It does tie the immunity streak record," Courtney added, causing Sky to let out a small smile.
"Thanks guys. I know I went too hard too fast for those immunities, so I don't blame any of you, but good luck to most of you, and have fun!" Sly said, before she made her way to the Lame-O-Sine and departed from the game.
"We've now hit the single digits!" Chris exclaimed to the camera. "Sky was our first unanimous vote since forever ago, so that can only mean one thing! Blindside! This group of campers has been some of our most cunning and manipulative yet, so I'm sure the game won't remain dull for long. With Courtney and Justin holding the last two idols in the game, what will become of them? Will Tem, Carson, and Carrie bounce back from this loss? And will Emma's social unawareness come back to bite her. Or will her revenge tour continue as Tem is the only one remaining from the original Emma votes. Only time will tell, find out next time on the next episode of Total Drama Action!"
Final Confessional, Sky
Well this stinks. The first unanimous vote out since like when Raihan or Devante went out. If only I had found that idol, I looked everywhere! So someone else has to have it. I think Carson, Tem, Carrie, or even Raj would have told me, so the remaining one or two are probably in the hands of Carmen, Courtney, Justin, Hilde, or Emma. Being voted out aside, I'm so proud of myself this time. I won three individual immunities and proved that I am truly a player that belongs. I got shafted so hard on the Island that I am so happy to have made it as far as I did and accomplished as much as I did. But part of me does still wish I made it to merge that season, just so I could know what could've been.
Votes
Carmen: We had a good run early on. Sadly, things have changed. Sky
Carrie: This stinks. Sky
Carson: It had to be you sooner or later, I would have just preferred later. Sky
Courtney: I could say this is revenge for voting for me. But I was plotting your downfall for days now, so as Duncan would say, this makes us even. Sky
Emma: Bye bye! See you never! Sky
Hilde: Another returnee gone, and the immunity streak gone with it. Sky
Justin: We didn't have much of a relationship. But considering you find Dave more attractive than me… I think it was for the best. Sky
Raj: Sorry Sky, I really enjoyed our chats and I'm glad I found another sports friend after Wayne left! Sky
Sky: Honestly… I'm happy that I can cast another vote to your name. What you did to Beardo was not cool! Emma
Tem: Please have found the idol and take out someone from Justin's alliance PLEASE. Sky
Reviews
SuperSonicHeroes: (Trygve) Well you were right, Sky's time was winding down. But it does seem like Justin and Courtney may be holding those idols for a bit. Beardo was an absolute pleasure to write again, and I feel like we did him justice here with his very strong performance in such a stacked cast and difficult premerge. And with the saddling votes and Raj, I feel like in this scenario it acted as almost a third immunity, as no one felt comfortable actually voting him out due to just feeling bad if they took advantage of that twist.
(Rj): It's unfortunate because I will say that Beardo was on my personal shortlist for a winner. We had a separate plan before the 2023 cast and he would have been a lot more prominent. I hope you enjoyed his pre merge and merge storyline because he had a lot of depth and functioned as a bit of a decoy winner. Hopefully you enjoyed Raj's 'brush' with death even if it did wind up turning into something of an extra immunity.
LordGemini (Trygve): Don't underestimate the social game my friend. As for Tem ratting on Carson, he did play a role in that and she was under pressure from Justin so just said it was Carson as it was a bit of a half truth. And I am glad we surprised you with that elimination, although this was a fairly "boring" elimination, as you know you sometimes need a simple vote to set up for a bigger move.
(Rj): Games are won and lost on the social aspect. Hope you enjoyed Courtney's own brush with elimination. I do think eliminating Beardo helps open up more characters to rise to the occasion even if it was 'boring'
24th: Lauren: 5-1
23rd: Anne Maria: 4-2
22nd: Chase: 4-1
21st: Zee: 4-2
20th: Devante: 4-1
19th: Raihan: 4-1
18th: Shawn: 3-2-1
17th: Wayne: 2-2 Lost Tiebreaker
16th: Ella: 5-3
15th: Jaiden: 5-2
14th: Devin: 4-4 Lost Tiebreaker
13th: Angelo: 7-4-2
12th: Sugar: 5-4-3
11th: Beardo: 6-5
10th: Sky: 9-1
Merge Team: Carmen, Carrie, Carson, Courtney, Emma, Hilde, Justin, Raj, Tem
Carmen: 3 team immunities, 1 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 3 votes against
Carrie: 4 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Carson: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Courtney: 5 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 0 votes against
Emma: 5 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 1 votes against
Hilde: 4 team immunities, 1 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 2 votes against
Justin: 3 team immunities, 1 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 8 votes against
Raj: 4 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 2 votes against
Tem: 3 team immunities, 0 individual immunities, 0 idols played, 2 votes against