You Regatta Be Kidding Me

'''The host merges the two teams, and pits the contestants in a boat race around Camp Wawankawa. An unlikely foursome is forced to work together, while newly-reformed friends team up. A prisoner frees himself and meets one of his 'allies,' only to be stopped by their enemy. A manipulative contestant wins immunity as a former villain goes to drastic measures to ensure that his reputation is restored. This results in his removal from the competition, allowing someone else to be spared from a suspicious elimination, due to someone tampering with the votes.'''

Plot
At the spa hotel, Courtney and Gwen are enjoying the beds, and each other's friendship. Gwen happily talks about how soft the bed is, saying that is is like sleeping on a fluffy unicorn. Gwen admits she was planning on quitting the competition before the two finally made amends. Courtney even declares she wants to go to the finale with her over Scott. They both agree they want the other to win the million dollars if they themselves do not, insisting in the confessional they are being authentic. Scott is meanwhile trying to the listen to the conversation from the guys’ bedroom. When Cameron wakes up, the latter scares him into believing Sierra’s absence doesn’t mean he is safe. In the confessional, Cameron expresses how "nerve wracking" it is to be on the Villainous Vultures. Scott says he did this to throw him off, as the heroes have a numbers advantage over the villains, and his team is lacking any real evil other than himself and Alejandro.

Duncan continues being desperate to regain his "bad boy" image. When he tries making graffiti on the cabin, Zoey mistakes his skull, and crossbones for a "cute bunny." He then aims to drive Chef Hatchet's jeep into Lake Wawanakwa. Realizing that it's deteriorating, he lifts the hood, and gets to work fixing it. Chris tells everyone to gather in front of the hotel, as Duncan's efforts are once again ill-fated. Appreciative, Chef drives off in his fully-repaired jeep calling frustrated Duncan a "good kid." Cameron compliments Alejandro on enduring Boney Island unscathed. The latter behaves as if it had been nothing, while a flashback reveals his secret. Using his famous manipulative charm, he was able to direct a bear's natural instincts away from himself, putting a gopher in his place.

Chris yells at him to stop talking before making an announcement: the Villainous Vultures and the Heroic Hamsters are officially disbanded. Cameron and Zoey agree to "stick together no matter what" for a "Friendship Finale 2.0." Mal, posing as Mike, requests to be part of it as well. Both are quick to comply. In the confessional, Cameron is shown to be nervous, and expectant of disaster. Zoey, on the other hand, trusts him completely. She is certain that Duncan is wrong about Mal being the original, and Mike a mere alternate personality. She pulls out a deck of tarot cards to confirm her point. While Zoey gets some rather strange results, she ultimately shakes them off. She had to improvise the images on the cards, and reasons they don't mean anything. Mal indicates how easy it is to impersonate Mike, stating he regrets not doing it a long time ago.

Inside his subconscious, Mike is dragging the boulder, when he notices a dark tower in the distance. He uses a flying question mark to break his chain, and sets of running. He passes the enslaved Chester, who is tasked by Mal to sell skateboards. Mike comes up with the idea to team up with him to take down the evil personality, and gain back control of his mind. In a rare, positive display of emotion, Chester declares he is with him. They both cheer as Mike smashes his chain with a skateboard and resumes traveling. However, Chester retracts his enthusiasm, theorizing that "this is going to probably to end badly."

Chris announces the challenge following a phone call with his stylist. Contestants must race one lap around Camp Wawanakwa via boat; some of the ones provided are in good condition while others are on the verge of sinking. Given that the teams are now merged, only one person is eligible to win by being the first across the finish line. Whoever does earns the usual prizes of immunity, and the night at the spa hotel. He also adds that Chef will be following their progress and providing complications on their way to the end. With the boats being first come, first serve, Chris orders everyone to get going. Courtney and Gwen immediately team up, while Duncan requests his two ex-girlfriends let him in on their unofficial alliance. He warns them about and offers to protect them from Mal, but Courtney and Gwen, knowing Mike as a nice guy, believe Duncan is being ridiculous and dismiss him.

Alejandro, and Courtney and Gwen hop in two of the best quality vehicles, and drive off. His façade dropped for the moment, Mal arrives, and sabotages each of the remaining boats. Zoey and Cameron are left behind as he claims the former Boat of Losers. They try a powerboat, but it ends up sinking before they can go anywhere. They are forced to settle for the raft, which Duncan and Scott hitch a ride on. Although Cameron tries to argue, Duncan points out that it is the only remaining thing that can float. Zoey ceases the disagreement from going further, and orders her new team members to start paddling. Alejandro's ride is going smoothly until his engine stalls. This gives "Mike" enough time to pass him, entering "Coconut Alley," where Chef is dropping coconuts from a hot air balloon. Courtney and Gwen are close behind. When Courtney gets hit, she nearly falls out of the boat until Gwen grabs her leg and pulls her back in. As they gush about each other's hair, Chef drops a stick of dynamite, nearly completely destroying their engine.

Alejandro, meanwhile, is trying to get his going again, doing so just as Cameron, Duncan, Scott and Zoey approach. Dismayed at Alejandro speeding off again, Zoey wishes aloud that they had a motor. Cameron lights up with inspiration, grabs Scott, and tosses him into the water. The latter yells at him asking his purpose, and Cameron replies that he’s "attracting their motor" – Fang. He notes to Duncan the "obsession" the shark has with the contestant. Duncan is even more unsettled that Cameron of all people is developing more of an edge than him. The team proceeds to hang Scott from a pole like bait on a fishing rod. It doesn’t take long until Fang responds, giving them speed thanks to Zoey setting up the shark to attach to the raft. Duncan compliments the plan as being "very villainous," prompting Cameron to worry that he is becoming so. With Courtney and Gwen, the former is angrily hitting the destroyed engine. Both Alejandro and Scott’s team pass them in the race, leaving them in dead last. Courtney persists smashing the engine while Gwen grabs an ore, moves to the front, and starts to paddle.

Duncan catches another stick of dynamite dropped by Chef, putting it out before it can do any damage. When Zoey points out Playa Des Losers, converted into Chris's living accommodations, he smiles evilly and refers to the dynamite, hatching a scheme. He retreats from the raft and swims to the mansion. Scott warns of piranhas in their path, and Cameron observes that they're catching up to Mike. She is concerned of who exactly they're going to come to – her boyfriend or his "sneaky alternate persona." Cameron then recalls the most effective way to bring Mike back from a personality switch: jeopardize Zoey’s safety. She jams a stick into the lake floor while holding on towards the top. The piranhas begin eating away at the stick as she screams for Mike's help. From inside his subconscious, Mike is able to hear her and automatically takes back control. He vanishes and a confused Mal takes his place next to terrified Chester. Alejandro passes Mike, who is perplexed about where he is and what he’s doing. The latter quickly notices Zoey in peril, but Mal switches everything back, regaining control and sending Mike back into the subconscious. Chester expresses his horror at the situation. Mike is furious and vows to take revenge on Mal sooner or later.

Mal tries to stall from helping Zoey, but does so only for the purpose of not blowing his cover. She takes this as confirmation that Mike is in control again. Courtney and Gwen are still having trouble with their engine, and are thankful when it starts up again. Alejandro remains in the lead. He nearly claims victory, but his boat stops again just short of the mark. Meanwhile, Cameron is the left as the only person preventing Fang from reaching Scott. Mal fakes that he can’t hear Zoey's cries for him to turn back and help them. Cameron loses his ability to hold Scott up, but the latter ends up flying from his pole and face planting onto the raft. Upon recovery, Scott pushes Cameron into the water as payback. While Fang initially threatens him, he quickly loses interest and swims away. Scott is irritated, assuming that Fang "wanted a meal, not a snack." He then orders him to get back on the raft and start paddling.

Alejandro hasn't gone any farther since his engine stalled again. Chris and Chef are both laughing at him from the dock. Courtney and Gwen are fast approaching with Mal and Zoey close behind. Courtney increases speed when Gwen acknowledges them, and they effortlessly stay ahead. Alejandro, at the last second, hops from the driver's seat, moves to the front, and touches the buoy with his nose, officially winning the challenge. Courtney and Gwen are the runners up. "Mike" and Zoey are in third, and Chris is laughing hysterically at Cameron and Scott's activities, especially at Scott's comment about Fang wanting a meal instead of a snack. Chef shakes his head while Scott thinks Chris is overreacting, and that his joke isn't that funny.

Chris questions the contestants on where Duncan is just as a huge explosion goes off across the island. His binoculars reveal his mansion – "cottage," as he calls it – in total destruction. Duncan is dancing happily at his villainous accomplishment. Chris, on the other hand, is devastated and can barely make it through his hosting duties for the moment. He tells Alejandro that he is allowed to take one person along to the spa hotel with him. The others all crowd around him, wordlessly pleading. Alejandro "sadly" claims he can't single anyone out, so he will enjoy the hotel on his own. Disappointed, the contestants disperse to head to the voting booth. Mike/Mal, however, stays behind, offering to form an alliance with him. Alejandro labels it as being "unexpected" – and is highly in favor of it. They shake on it as Mal privately displays only the worst of intentions for this new alliance.

At the elimination ceremony, Duncan doesn't show the slightest regret for destroying Chris’s cottage. Before it is revealed who received the most votes, Chris ensures Duncan he has a "special surprise" for him. Duncan seems happy until two police officers come up from behind, declaring he is under arrest. In addition, he is not being sent to back to juvie, but a "big boy jail." When the votes are counted, Cameron has been chosen "unanimously." He and Zoey immediately dispute the results. However, the two have nothing to worry about as Cameron is being spared thanks to Duncan's recklessness. Cameron becomes paranoid that somebody is out to get him. In his last confessional of the episode, Mal is seen whistling his signature tune and showing the camera several photos of Cameron with "X's" on them. Chris signs off the episode shortly afterwards.

Exclusive clip
In prison, Duncan writes a letter to his mother detailing the outcome of his elimination as well as life in prison. Duncan also wishes her happy birthday and demands she send him some cake. After ending his letter, Duncan's cellmate grins menacingly at him, leading Duncan to add a PS to his letter, telling his mother to send a lawyer as fast as she can.

Cast

 * One of the two police officers that come to arrest Duncan speaks; however, it's unknown who voiced him.
 * The question marks in Mike's mind talk, while Fang is heard making going "hmm," but it is also unknown who voiced them.

General

 * This marks the first time that Duncan is not the final former Killer Bass member. This time, the role is filled by Courtney.
 * The Tarot cards foreshadow the future scenes in Mike's mind.
 * The Lonely Prisoner could be symbolism of Mike's personalities as well as Mike himself being trapped by Mal.
 * The Creepy Tower represents The Tower of Mal.
 * The Evil Leprechaun could possibly be a reference to Mal's tricks and influences in the episodes.

Continuity

 * The bear whose hair was pulled off by Owen in The Sucky Outdoors appears. This can be noted by the spot on his head with extra hair, showing he is still simply wearing the hair he lost over a bald spot.
 * This is the first time since Total Drama Island that Gwen has made it to the merge.
 * As of this episode, everyone in the final five of Total Drama Island has made it to the merge more than once.
 * This is also the first time since Total Drama Island that Gwen has outranked Duncan, as well as being the first time overall that Courtney outranks him.
 * This is the earliest merge episode in the entire series, as it is the eighth episode of the season. The closest to this are Total Drama: Revenge of the Island and Total Drama: Pahkitew Island, which merge in their ninth episodes.
 * This episode marks the fourth time that Duncan has made it to the merge, the third time for Courtney, and the second time for Alejandro, Cameron, Gwen, Mike, Scott, and Zoey.
 * As of this episode, Courtney is the only female contestant to make it to the merge three times.
 * This makes Alejandro, Cameron, Mike, Scott, and Zoey the only contestants so far to make the merge in all their participating seasons, without having to return after their initial elimination as Owen and Duncan did.
 * This is the second time Sierra and Duncan have been eliminated back-to-back, which previously occurs in Total Drama World Tour.
 * This is the second time the votes have been tampered with. However, this time it was unsuccessful.
 * This is the third time where law enforcement has been involved with the elimination of a contestant.
 * This is the second time where a contestant is eliminated for destroying something that belongs to Chris. In this case, it's Chris's cottage.
 * Chris's "cottage" is Playa Des Losers from Total Drama Island.
 * The red boat that Mal uses in the challenge is the Boat of Losers that appears in Total Drama Island.
 * Chris's prediction that Cameron will be the next one to be eliminated foreshadows his elimination in the next episode.
 * This is the second time that Chris's statement foreshadowed someone's elimination.

Goofs

 * When Chris recaps what happened in Suckers Punched, Sierra, Gwen, and Cameron's black eyes are missing.
 * The first time Scott uses the confessional, the freckles on his right arm seem to disappear and reappear.
 * The second time Scott uses the confessional, he seems to have five fingers on his left hand.
 * While the contestants run to the boats, Duncan was just behind Gwen and Courtney, while he is in front of Cameron, Zoey, and Mike. However, Duncan ends up reaching the boats dead last with Scott.
 * When Chef drops a coconut on Mal's head, his hair falls down to resemble Mal's usual hairstyle, but in the next shot his hair is back to Mike's hairstyle.
 * When Cameron pushes Scott into the water to attract Fang, everyone's hair is still wet. When it cuts to Scott panicking as Fang approaches, everybody's hair is suddenly dry. Their hair is wet again in the next shot of the whole group on the raft.
 * Chester's ankle shackle is missing when Mike temporarily regains control.
 * When Mal is holding Zoey after rescuing her, her bracelets on both arms have disappeared.
 * When Zoey and Cameron are in the water, Zoey's head disappears for a split second before she and Cameron go for the raft.
 * When Mal reveals that he tampered with the votes, six votes are in his hand. However, there are seven remaining contestants that voted.
 * When Chris is signing off, he says that eight contestants have been eliminated. In actuality, only seven have been eliminated so far.
 * In the exclusive clip, Duncan's left sleeve is short while his right sleeve is long.