With Cameron on our team, the newbie target's off my back! Next time we lose, four-eyes goes home, unless he can't fix his glasses — then he'll be two-eyes. Still, he's out.
”
Gwen approaches Cameron with a twist tie and her friendship, which Cameron is grateful for. He successfully puts his glasses back together with it, and thanks Gwen. Alejandro and Heather mock how "nerdy" he looks as he goes off with Gwen. Seeing how quickly they bonded, Heather strikes a deal with Alejandro to avoid elimination. He seals the deal by kissing her hand, which disgusts her; however, neither intends to exercise their loyalty to the alliance.
She trusts me. Ha! Soon I will have my revenge for the dishonor she brought upon my family name. Once this gorgeous face is rid of that gorgeous face, I will win it all!
He thinks I trust him. Ha! That's his one-way ticket to Flushtown!
”
With the Heroic Hamsters, Zoey is elated when Duncan, appearing to be getting more trusting, accepts an apple from her. Duncan immediately regrets his actions.
I'm surrounded by so much heroic kindness. Agh! I think it's starting to rub off! (gasps) Is that why Gwen dumped me? Whatever! I'm still bad! Just watch. (tries to stab wall with knife but breaks) Aw, come on!
Oh, dear, what happened to Duncan's knife? […] Tough break! (evil snicker)
”
A flashback shows that "Mike" himself stole the knife in the middle of the night, and crushed it with a rock. After her conversation with Duncan, Zoey goes back into the girls' side of the cabin to comfort a sobbingSierra, only to unintentionally make it worse. Zoey jumps at the entrance of Mike while following Sierra out the door. His suspicious activity in the previous episode has her withdrawn as she questions his mental well-being. Mike tries to offer her a piece of sliced apple, but the appearance of it impaled on a knife further frightens her.
Oh, I can't believe it! I'm scared of Mike, after what he did to Cam, but he's not himself. The Mike I like is still in there, isn't he? I can't just abandon him, can I? Oh, what I wouldn't give for a deck of tarot cards right now!
Zoey's pulling away. Maybe it's for the best. If I can't control who's in charge of me, then she might be safer to stay away, but I really don't want her to.
”
Chris gathers the contestants at the dock to explain the challenge, and waits for Scott's Boney Island return, so they can make use of his boat. Scott claims he searched all night and that there is no idol at all. Chis tells everyone that they will be traveling to the "Fun Zone." Sierra is overjoyed while Heather, all too familiar to the host's nature, automatically suspects something dangerous like "a building that's on fire." Chris goes on to say that the producers thought they’d "had it rough," and "deserved a treat." As the contestants light up at the thought of the challenge indeed being pleasant, they are tricked into insisting they go through with the plan. Duncan, in particular, is shocked when they discover the so-called "Fun Zone" is on Boney Island. Heather complains about its condition, while Chris teases Scott's failure to find the McLean-Brand Chris Head. A frustrated Scott insists there is no Chris Head present, and demands Chris admit this. However, Chris persists that it is there, revealing that it was located in the Fun Zone all along.
Chris takes everyone to a sealed, jungle-like section of the island, where he locks them in, and presents the challenge from a TV running just outside. The contestants must collect eggs from the season four mutants inhabiting the area, and place them in their team’s designated basket; anything that may hatch counts as long as the animal stays in in the basket. Scott falls asleep, exhausted from his night on the island, and Chris yells at him through a megaphone. Duncan laughs to convince Sierra he isn't a nice person. However, he walks over and helps Scott up, quickly realizing his mistake.
Agh! Goshy-gosh, poopy face, fuzzy slipper! (sighs) What is wrong with me? Even my swears are lame!
”
Sierra tries pairing with Cameron, who reminds her they can’t due to being on separate teams now. She becomes distressed, and starts yelling and panting like a dog. Cameron is alarmed until Gwen takes action by pulling him away. Sierra, saddened, screams to the sky while Chris comments that she needs a psychiatrist, and that next time they should only bring back the "sane" contestants.
A concerned Courtney wakes up Scott, who has again fallen asleep. Startled by the sudden disturbance, he flails his arms until she hugs him to make him stop. Courtney then volunteers herself to be Scott’s partner in searching for eggs. The scene cuts to the lone Zoey, who screams at the sight of a threatening shadow of Mike. He apologizes for scaring her, as well as his strange behavior as of late. The two exchange feelings of security when around one another, confirming they want to continue their relationship. They also agree to hunt for eggs together. Alejandro has, meanwhile, located the first egg of the episode sitting on a high rock. Careful not to break his act of being paralyzed from the waist down, he uses a smaller rock to knock over the egg and send it falling towards him. As he prepares to claim it, Heather does so herself and places it in the Vultures' basket. Alejandro realizes there is nothing preventing either team from stealing from the other, so Heather assigns him the job of guarding it. He agrees "for now."
Mike and Zoey find Larry in possession of an egg, and she immediately comes up with a plan to collect it. Initially having the mutant plant after her for stealing its flower, Zoey tosses it to a mutated moose while Mike successfully gets the egg. Duncan is working by himself when Sierra comes across him. She asks if they can search together while calling himCody, but he declines, insisting he's a "lone wolf" who's "true evil." Duncan is ambushed by a creature with an octopus tentacle. After slamming into a nearby tree, an egg falls into his hand, much to his pleasure. Back at the Hamsters' basket, Larry's egg explodes all over Mike and the babies run away before they can be placed inside. When Duncan arrives, Zoey requests he stay behind to watch the basket, motioning to devious-looking Alejandro. He complies and the couple leaves. Duncan then walks over to the latter commenting how they’re two "real villains" watching the eggs. Alejandro simply aggravates him by declaring themselves "mother hens."
Heather gladly finds Courtney and Scott, who appear to not have gathered anything since starting. Heather untruthfully informs them that Alejandro is forming an alliance to eliminate Scott, which panics Courtney. Heather then runs off, saying she is voting for Alejandro. The couple exchange looks as the scene shifts back to the Hamster basket. Sierra has found an egg and placed it inside, but it hatches two conjoined mutant rats. Duncan is disturbed by this while she, playing "mommy" again, affectionately cuddles it. She is okay with remaining there to guard the basket while Duncan resumes his search. The score is currently one for the villains and two for the heroes. After reading from a script, Chris transitions to a commercial break irritably saying he’s going to fire whoever wrote it.
Back with Courtney and Scott, she is amazed that he put up with a whole season of mutant "monsters." He proudly responds that the experience only made him stronger. He also advises her to stay close to him and that he will protect her, accidentally grasping her hand, which makes them both blush. A mutant gopher suddenly rises from the dirt and attacks Scott. Screaming, Courtney rips a stick from the jungle and frantically aims to hit the gopher. She ends up smacking Scott a few times before hitting her target. The gopher retreats and an egg flies from its hole, landing in her hands. She runs off happily with Scott still trying to recover from his ordeal. Mike and Zoey attempt to extract an egg from a mutant chicken, but it becomes aware and chases them off. Cameron, Gwen, and Heather have returned to the Vultures' basket, which now has four eggs to the Hamsters' two. Heather volunteers to watch the basket and Alejandro continues looking. Pulling the same trick on the new friends, she warns them that Alejandro is convincing everyone to vote off Cameron. He questions why they should trust her, to which Heather replies by yelling back that it’s "your funeral." She walks away while Gwen reminds her she is supposed to guard the eggs.
Heather and Alejandro each end up in the same spot. After stealing an egg from a mutant goat, she falls and it shatters on the ground. However, what’s inside is not a baby, but the McLean-Brand Chris Head. Alejandro is initially worried, but obtains the perfect opportunity when she hides it. Alejandro checks on her progress and Heather confirms that she found it, but doesn't tell him where it is. They walk off while Alejandro teases her about a comment she makes about his "pretty head."
Meanwhile, Mike and Zoey have escaped the chicken. Noting that a hit on the head is what made him lose contact with his alternate personalities, she wonders if a second one would bring them back. Mike praises it and asks her to hit him with a rock, but she refuses and suggests Cameron would have a better idea. It is then that the two come across an entire nest of eggs.
Duncan brings an egg back to the Hamsters' basket which is much smaller than all the others seen in the episode. He boasts that he had to fight a "gigantic monster" to obtain it. Chris plays along before showing the clip of his catch, not from a monster, but a mother bird. To add insult to injury, he exposes Duncan crying at the heartbroken mother. As the delinquent angrily walks off, the host makes fun of him, saying he'll bring him back for the next all-star season: "Total Sweethearts vs. Total Bigger Sweethearts."
Mike and Zoey are approaching with the nest, as Courtney adds her egg to the Vultures' collection of four. Sierra's mutant rat forcefully bites her finger while she is trying to play with it. Courtney panics and Sierra is ecstatic as Mike and Zoey get closer to the nest. Heather has located another egg and tries throwing it to beat them. She is unsuccessful as it hatches and the baby attacks Cameron and flies away. Heather collapses as the Hamsters officially end the challenge, and the final score is declared as 17 to 5.
Chris instructs the contestants to collect anything they may have left behind before going back to Camp Wawanakwa. Heather leaves to retrieve the idol, but ends up devastated as she discovers it is no longer where she hid it. She immediately confronts Chris, who denies any knowledge to what she is referring to, but she does not believe him.
Of course Chris took my invincibility statue. Who else? You with your see-all cameras everywhere! Well, whatever! I am not the one going home tonight, that I promise you!
I have to protect Zoey at all costs. (drops boulder onto his head; switches to Mal) Bravo, Mike. That should keep him quiet for a while. (picks up a nearby can of hairspray and uses it to make himself look like Mike; in Mike's voice) Derr! I'm Mike! (laughs evilly in normal voice)
”
Mike, desperate to "protect Zoey at all costs," drops a boulder onto his head in an effort to fix what has been broken. On the contrary, the situation takes a dire turn with the evil personality officially claiming full control over Mike’s body. He sarcastically congratulates him for his move, fixing his hair and taking on his Mike impression again. The camera reveals the real Mike chained to a boulder inside his own head.
At the elimination ceremony, Gwen pulls Courtney into the privacy of a bush. She tells her that she broke up with Duncan and has learned her lesson in choosing boys over friends. She also offers her vote at no cost to Courtney. The latter is hesitant, but accepts and whispers her instructions. Chris appoints Zoey with a special prize in the next challenge prior to the vote. Alejandro is revealed to have garnered the most and is, therefore, required to take the Flush of Shame. Heather cheers that her strategy worked, but is not celebrating for long. Alejandro reveals that he can walk, stands up, and extracts the McLean-Brand Chris Head. He reveals that he has "diplomatic immunity," and Chris corrects him, saying that it is just immunity. Heather is furious seeing her immunity idol in his hand. According to the rules, although she only received one vote, she still has the second highest amount. Thus, Heather is officially eliminated.
Chris asks which Hamster is volunteering for exile. "Mike" raises his hand and walks to the boat, whistling "In the Hall of the Mountain King." Duncan, who had been suspicious that the two had met before for twoepisodes, is flabbergasted when he finally figures out that his hunch was correct.
Oh, man, I knew Mike seemed familiar! When I was a lowly punk in juvie, he was running the place, but back then, his name was Mal… And he is bad news.
”
The shot cuts to Alejandro and Heather at the Flush of Shame. Having avenged his season threehumiliation, he is satisfied and wants them to be together. She simply pushes him off the toilet and demands to get her flushing over with. Chris complies and signs off the episode.
Heather finds herself in the Yukon, after coming out through an ice hole that a local is ice fishing in. As she complains about her current situation, she fails to notice a pole in front of her and gets her tongue stuck to it. She asks the local ice fisher for help, but to no avail. Suddenly, a polar bear approaches her from behind. The camera zooms out as the polar bear begins to brutally attack her.
Heather finds the McLean-Brand Chris Head in this episode, although Alejandro steals it from her and uses it against her. This makes her the second person to find the Mclean-Brand Chris Head, with Scott being the first.
The groups the contestants search for eggs in are:
This is the first episode since "Heroes vs. Villains" in which Courtney's team loses the challenge, as well as the first in which Duncan's team wins.
This is also the second time since that episode that a member of the original cast is eliminated, the first being Lindsay.
Duncan reveals that he knows Mike from juvenile hall, whom he knew back then by the name Mal, the most dangerous inmate, and that Duncan always steered clear of him.
There is an alternate scene in the European Cartoon Network when Chris pauses while Cody 1 and 2 vomit. The scene has been altered in such a way that Chris pauses before Cody 1 and 2 vomit. This scene only appears in Poland and Russia.
With Heather's elimination, Gwen is currently the last member of the Screaming Gophers left in the competition.
The rock that Mike is chained to in his mind bears a striking resemblance to Mal's face.
Mike's idea of a second hit on the head acting "like a reset button" foreshadows the reset button that ultimately eliminates Mal and his other personalities in "The Final Wreck-ening."
One of the episode's most renowned scenes is when it's revealed that one of Larry's children looks just like Chris, implying that Chris may have sired that plant with Larry. According to Terry McGurrin, this scene wasn't included in his script for the episode, assuming that it was included at Alex Ganetakos' behest or most likely by the animation team, as otherwise Cartoon Network would have called him out upon seeing the script, feeling that it was a joke included after the script stage.
The maggot that the Mutant Maggots use as their model in "Runaway Model" appears in the background during one of Courtney and Scott's scenes.
Larry returns for the first time since Total Drama: Revenge of the Island, where Zoey uses her knowledge of her past encounter to distract Larry by stealing his flower.
This is the second time Sierra adopts an animal hatched during the challenge, as well as the second time she names it after Cody.
When Courtney and Scott get attacked by the giant hamster, Courtney repeatedly tries to hit it with a stick, only to accidentally keep hitting Scott, while screaming "Let go of my teammate!", before finally getting a hit on the hamster and scaring it off. The exact same thing happened to Jo and Lightning with a mutant octopus during "The Treasure Island of Doctor McClean", although in that episode, the octopus only left them when Dakota punched Fang into its eye.
References
This episode's title references the principal catchphrase "Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!" ("The Spanish Inquisition" by Monty Python).
Coincidentally, this music was played in "The Big Sleep," when Chef Hatchet tried to bore the campers to sleep by dancing in a pink tutu.
Scott says "what doesn't horribly maim and devour you only makes you stronger," likely referencing the song, "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" by Kelly Clarkson.
It also references Friedrich Nietzsche's quote that inspired said song, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
Goofs
In the recap, when Chris announces that Cameron is switching to the Villainous Vultures, Zoey's hairstyle is reversed and the size Cameron's open mouth is wider.
When the egg Mike tries to put into the bowl explodes, he is covered with slime. When Duncan comes back with another egg, the slime on Mike is gone.
When Duncan pulls out his knife, his wristband is missing.
When the contestants are standing on the dock, Courtney is with the Heroic Hamsters while Duncan is with the Villainous Vultures, despite the two of them switching teams.
The ring on Heather's shirt is higher than normal when she yells "Ha!"
When Heather tries to make an alliance with Alejandro her belly button appears to be missing, after she pulls away in disgust it then reappears.
When Heather is first seen with Alejandro before being flushed, half of her body is seen, but in the next scene, she only has her head visible.
When Alejandro is pushed off the toilet by Heather, the fire from a torch can be shown overlapping his head for a bit.
When Duncan gets angry at Chris, his eyebrow piercing disappears.
When Cameron gets hit by the egg, his glasses no longer have the twist tie that he used to fix them earlier.
When Chris announces the Heroic Hamsters as the winners of the challenge, Mike appears to be significantly shorter.
Gallery
Cameron is unsettled with being on the new team.
Cameron's glasses get fixed.
As most of his teammates make fun of him.
Alejandro in the Spa Hotel.
Heather and Alejandro form an alliance.
Alejandro is going to betray Heather and he calls her beautiful.
Heather is also going to betray the alliance.
Zoey is happy that Duncan is starting to trust people.
Duncan tries to convince the camera and himself that he is still bad, but his knife breaks.
Mal sarcastically wonders who broke Duncan's knife.
Mal is revealed breaking Duncan's knife.
Zoey comforts Sierra about Cameron on another team.
Zoey accidentally just makes Sierra more upset.
Mike stops by Zoey's cabin.
Mike offers Zoey an apple…
… and unintentionally scares her.
Zoey is conflicted since she both loves and is scared of Mike.
Mike is worried of Zoey being afraid of him.
Mal is happy with his plans.
The remaining contestants on the dock, while Chris introduces the challenge.
Chris announces that everyone is going to the "Fun Zone."
Sierra is excited to be going to the "Fun Zone."
Heather asks Chris if "The Fun Zone" is a building on fire.
Chris explains to the contestants that "The Fun Zone" is on Boney Island.
Scott believes there is no immunity idol.
The competitors awaiting the "Fun Zone."
This is what the "Fun Zone" looks like.
Chris smiles before locking them in this place.
He says each team needs to collect six eggs from the animals that live here.
Mike asks what is fun about possibly being eaten by mutated animals.
Scott fell asleep so Chris yells at him.
Scott falls in fear.
Duncan helps Scott up.
Duncan finds that the heroic influence is so strong, he cannot curse properly.
Gwen takes Cameron away from a delusional Sierra.
Sierra wants to work with Cameron despite being on different teams.
Scott tries to hit Courtney when she woke him up.
She gives him a hug to calm him down.
Zoey is looking for eggs.
Zoey is startled by Mike.
Zoey and Mike still want to be together.
Heather fighting a mutant fire-breathing goat.
The Villainous Vultures have the first egg.
Mike and Zoey find Larry and its egg.
Zoey steals Larry's flower.
Mike takes Larry's egg while Zoey is the diversion.
Zoey throws the flower onto a mutant moose.
Duncan looks for eggs.
Sierra offers to work with Duncan and if he lets her call him Cody.
Duncan finds an egg after he was attacked by an unknown creature.
Unfortunately for the Heroic Hamsters, their egg hatched and the offspring are not in the basket.
Zoey asks Duncan to watch the basket.
Duncan boasts how two villains like them are left to guard the nests, only for Alejandro to continue teasing Duncan's softness.
Sierra decides to take adopt the two-headed rat and watch the team's basket.
Courtney can not believe that Scott survived a season with mutated animals.
Scott talks to Courtney.
Courtney blushes…
…before Scott gets tripped by a giant gopher…
… causing Courtney to try and save him.
Courtney managed to scare the gopher and received its egg.
Zoey and Mike tried to take eggs while the chicken was asleep.
The Vultures score three eggs more.
Heather says Alejandro wants Cameron to go home so she wants him out.
After talking about the missing personalities, Mike wants Zoey to hit him in the head.
Mike and Zoey find an unguarded nest.
Duncan boasts about the fearsome animal he faced to get the egg…
… so Chris decides to show everyone the truth.
Courtney scores the fifth egg.
Heather throws her egg since the villains only need one more egg to win.
The egg hatches and the goat fly away.
The Hamsters win.
Heather believes that Chris took her idol.
Mike wants to set things right…
… but makes things much worse.
Mal sprays his hair to make it look like Mike's.
Mike finds himself trapped within his mind.
Gwen says she broke up with Duncan and will vote off anyone Courtney wants.
The Villainous Vultures at their third elimination ceremony.
Chris reveals Alejandro received the most votes.
Heather is satisfied with this result.
Alejandro stands up, shocking everyone.
He also reveals he was the one who stole her idol.
Heather's reaction to being eliminated only due to one vote after Alejandro used her idol.
Thanks to Alejandro's sole vote against her, Heather is now eliminated.
Alejandro reveals his vote.
"Mike" volunteers to go to Boney Island.
While "Mike" heads to exile, he whistles a little whistle tune.
Duncan remembers Mike as Mal.
Alejandro flirts with Heather.
Heather is in no mood to be romantic.
The polar bear prepares to attack Heather in the exclusive clip.