Up the Creek

'''The two teams take canoes to a nearby island and build rescue fires on it. Two others also come closer together due the intervening of a friend but somebody picks up a cursed idol and curses their team. Another contestant's past catches up to them, causing a sudden elimination. Meanwhile, two couples are possibly formed.'''

Recap
The episode starts with Chris explaining the challenge to both teams, except Beth (who was in the bathroom just as the campers were leaving). The challenges are to paddle by canoe to Boney Island, potage their canoes through a two-hour venture in the deep forests of the island, reach the island's other side, where then they would build a bonfire (which Chris himself would judge), and race back to Camp Wawanakwa in order to win the challenge and invincibility for the winning team. Before Beth rejoins her group, Chris explains how Boney Island, their destination, has a legend in which anyone who removes an item from the island will be cursed forever, and dismisses the campers. Beth then returns and asks what she missed, to which Chris summarizes the challenge, minus the legend of the curse. As the campers pick partners to ride in the canoe with, Gwen and Trent look to each other with the intent of going across the lake together, but both are interrupted by Cody propositioning Gwen the same offer Trent was giving (to which Gwen injures him for). Meanwhile, Beth and Lindsay drag Trent off to paddle with them. Seeing this, Gwen reluctantly concedes to partner with Cody. Geoff is shown to be eager to have Bridgette as a partner, but he is ignored, as she is in favor of Courtney. DJ offers to be Geoff's partner in her place. Geoff admits in the confessional that he feels as if Bridgette is fading on him, but reassures himself that this cannot be the case. Duncan forces Harold and Sadie to be in his canoe group, Owen partners up with Heather while LeShawna is with Izzy.

Meanwhile, Geoff offers support to DJ saying that it will be fine unless the water is rough. In the confessional, DJ says that he is hydrophobic after a horrendous diving board accident in his childhood. Owen is then seen happily throwing Heather into the canoe and pushing it into the water. Cody also tries to help Gwen by pulling the canoe into the water, but fails at doing so. As all of the canoes are in the water, Chris fires a gun to signal the start of the challenge, but accidentally shoots an eagle in the process. Bridgette confides in Courtney that Geoff left her a present that morning in the form of a heart-shaped clay bowl (with a torn group photo glued together to make herself and Geoff appear next to each other) with an inscription on the back reading: "I hope you think of me whenever you drop loose change into this." Both girls find this gesture unbearably corny, as does DJ when Geoff tells him about it. Since Geoff was supportive for DJ's fear of water, DJ felt he owed it to Geoff to give him love advice so that he could more effectively woo Bridgette. This would continue to run along for future episodes.

Cody attempts several times to ask Gwen out on a date while they paddle across the lake, only to get a rejection each time. He only finally understands Gwen's rejection when she hits him in the groin with her paddle. Eventually, Cody realizes that Gwen is rejecting him because she prefers Trent. Gwen's attitude towards Cody greatly improves when he offers to put in a good word for her with Trent, with whom he is allegedly close to. Gwen admits she would owe Cody for doing this favor, Cody then mentions a bet he made with Owen, which he would win if Gwen would comply and give Cody one of her bras. This causes Gwen to ram her paddle into Cody's groin again, and he sees that his request was crossing the line.

The campers arrive at Boney Island, with all but Izzy spooked with the mysterious mist hovering over the water and the general morbid atmosphere of the island. Eager to get the challenge over with, the two teams hold their canoes over their heads as they race through the forest to the other side of the island. Along the way, they encounter carnivorous Woolly Beavers, which chase the campers to a swamp-like area before they finally leave the campers alone. Owen ruins his underwear, and in the midst of asking for a spare, he farts, awaking giant birds. The campers again run for their lives. Cody then has an idea, pulling a packaged loaf of bread from his pants (which was originally intended to be for a romantic picnic for himself and Gwen) and throwing it towards the birds. This distracts the birds long enough to allow everyone to flee to safety.

As the Bass take the lead, they come to a crossroads. Courtney suggests to take the left path, but Geoff says to go right, which Bridgette agrees with. Geoff looks back and smiles at her, provoking Bridgette to ask what he's looking at. The Gophers are not far behind as they see the Bass taking the right path, prompting them to take the left. Suddenly, Trent falls victim to a pit of quicksand (which was put up by Chris himself, much to his amusement). As he sinks, Lindsay resolves to save him, but only ends up getting stuck herself. Trent calls for help, to which Cody answers the call by swinging on a vine to grab Trent's hand. He fails to catch Trent and crashes into a tree instead, but the vine comes back to the quicksand area where Trent is able to grab it and pull himself and Lindsay out of the pit. Extremely grateful, Trent and Lindsay thank Cody for his efforts. Cody explains his rope-swinging abilities come from watching several movies.

Just as the Bass have the upper-hand, Geoff becomes injured and can no longer walk on his own. The "injury" turns out to be a mere splinter in his leg, but this incident is greatly exaggerated by all members of the Bass, even with Bridgette saying the sight of Geoff's injury was worse than seeing surfers getting eaten by sharks. Geoff's incident puts the Bass behind as he must now be carried on top of the canoe held by DJ and Harold. Eventually, both teams make it to the beach to start the second part of the challenge: building a bonfire. Though the Bass are behind, they quickly catch up thanks to Duncan owning a lighter, which Chris states there is no rule against carrying one (while the Gophers are forced to start a fire the old-fashioned way, with sticks and rocks).

During the fire-building competition, Trent and Cody have a brief talk about Gwen. Cody follows through on his promise to Gwen and informs Trent that she has a crush on him. Trent is reluctant to believe this at first, but seems relieved when Cody assures him that he is telling the truth. Before Cody can give Trent advice on how to handle the situation, Heather interrupts the two, reminding them that they are in the middle of a challenge. While looking for wood, Beth stumbles upon a Tiki Idol. Since she was in the bathroom while Chris warned the campers to not take anything from the island, Beth was unaware of the potential curse she would bring about to herself and her team, and she secretly takes it as a souvenir. Meanwhile, Geoff is dragging himself with all of his strength to contribute to the Bass' fire. Following through on his promise, DJ encourages Bridgette to examine Geoff closely in case he has developed something serious, as she has first-aid training.

Courtney is dissatisfied with the size of the fire and orders her teammates to find more wood. In a panic, Harold grabs all of the paddles from their canoes and throws them into the fire, leaving horrified faces on his teammates as Bridgette angrily asks how they would get home without them. On the Gophers' end, Izzy creates a home-made fire-starter made of tree sap and other assorted ingredients. She warns everyone to stand back as she tosses the ball into their fire pit, which triggers off a massive explosion (large and tall enough to nearly hit Chris in his helicopter). When Heather asks where Izzy learned this technique, she explains she spend a summer training with the Reserves and accidentally blew up the kitchen in a similar incident. She reveals that the RCMP (the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) is still searching for her since then, proclaiming herself "so totally AWOL." Chris declares the Gophers the winners of the fire-building contest, thus starting the final leg of the challenge: paddling their way back to home base. Before taking off, Cody uses the quicksand incident as an excuse to switch places with Trent so that he can ride with Gwen while Cody rides with Lindsay and Beth on the way back. Both Trent and Gwen are grateful for this.

The Bass are left helpless with their paddles burnt. While paddling away, Izzy suggests someone flutter-kick all of the canoes together from behind. She is cut off by an angry LeShawna for giving the opposing team help, but the Bass do consider Izzy's idea. DJ is chosen to be the swimmer, being the only one strong enough to push all of the canoes at once. Geoff argues against it, knowing full well of DJ's aquaphobia. He volunteers to do it instead, but is not permitted to do so due to his "injury." DJ finally steps up to the plate and says he will do the deed for the sake of his team. With his teammates rooting for him, DJ manages to out-swim every Gopher canoe and make a wipe-out finish at home base, giving the Killer Bass the win and invincibility. LeShawna assures Izzy that she will be the one voted off tonight, since she was the one whom gave the opposing team advice that ultimately helped them win. Izzy seems not to be concerned about the danger she has put herself in, but is quickly chased off by LeShawna with a paddle.

During the campfire ceremony, Chris gives the marshmallows to Beth, Trent, Gwen, Cody, Owen, Heather and LeShawna. The final marshmallow was set to either go to Izzy (who looks quite confident) or Lindsay (who is playing with her hair, seemingly not paying attention). However, before the call can be made, the RCMP abruptly make an appearance from a helicopter, shining their spotlight down on Izzy. Being the notorious liar she is, LeShawna asks Izzy if all the crazy stories she told were actually true. Izzy says that only the RCMP part was true, bids the group farewell, and screams at the RCMP that they would never get her alive. With that, she runs off into the distance, laughing maniacally while everyone else looks on in utter shock. Chris is the only one apparently nonchalant about the situation, and ends the ceremony then and there. Later that night, Cody finds a bra under his pillow; Gwen rewarded Cody for following through on his promise. He shows it off to Owen, and tells him to enjoy doing his dishes for the rest of the competition as per their bet rules.

Glass is heard breaking as the scene cuts to the Bass girls' cabin to see pieces of Geoff's change bowl all over the floor. Upon reflection, Bridgette has a change of heart, and finds it sweet. She asks Courtney for some glue to mend it, despite Courtney's objection. Beth is then seen reading by herself, with her tiki doll securely next to her. Ominous lightning strikes as the cursed object is focused on, and the episode ends.

Cast
Duncan, Harold and Sadie appear, but have no lines, although they can all be heard cheering when the Killer Bass win the challenge.

Quotes
Owen: Yeah, a cursed island! Whoo! (awkward silence) Chris: Now, get in your canoes and let's have some fun! Owen: Yes! (the other campers leave; a toilet is heard flushing and Beth runs up to Chris, having not been with the group) Beth: What'd I miss?! Chris: (pointing ahead) Canoes.
 * Chris: Legend has it, that if you take anything off of the island, (dramatic voice) you'll be cursed forever!

(camera cuts to Cody making air guitar noises in the Confessional, then cuts back to Gwen) Gwen: So much for hooking up with Trent.
 * Gwen: (in the Confessional Stall) Cody? He's like an annoying brother. A really annoying little brother.

LeShawna: (rolls her eyes) Let's hope it's today...
 * Izzy: Just follow my technique. I'm one eighty-seventh Cherokee, you know, which means the tribe could, like, claim me at anytime!


 * DJ: When I was eight, my brothers dared me to jump off the high dive platform at the pool. I was scared, but I jumped; wasn't gonna let them call me chicken. I landed on my butt. Sounds better than a belly flop, right? Wrong. My trunks went so far up my butt, I had to go to the hospital to get them removed. They invented a new word for what I did. The "wedgie flop."

Chris: Portage... (as a fly flies into Geoff's right ear and exits out of his left ear) Dude... walk with your canoe.
 * Geoff: We've gotta pour what?


 * Owen: (rocking the canoe) If this canoe's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'! (Heather hits him with her paddle) Ow, that smarts!


 * Chris: On your marks, get set, (Shoots a starter pistol into the sky) paddle! (an eagle falls down from the sky, shot dead) That's gonna provoke some angry emails.

Izzy: Oh, probably yeah... ahaha, probably it's illegal...
 * LeShawna: Isn't killing a koala bear illegal...?

(On the other canoe with Courtney) Bridgette: Oh my gosh, Courtney, it was so bad. I came back from brushing my teeth and I notice something bulging under my covers. When I lifted them, there it was. Courtney: No! Bridgette: Yes! Geoff: I made it in Arts and Crafts. DJ: No you didn't! Geoff: I did.
 * Geoff: (to DJ) Can I ask you something, dude? I gave Bridgette an awesome gift this morning but she's been sending me some weird vibes.

Geoff: So, I... screwed up? DJ: You screwed up, dude.
 * DJ: You drop a homemade heart-shaped clay bowl on a bunny, and the bunny's gonna run, man! You feeling me?

Gwen: (looking uneasy) What do you mean? Cody: I kind of bet Owen that if I got your bra, he'd do all my dishes for the rest of the competition. (Gwen hits him in the groin with her paddle; Cody now speaks in a squeaky voice) Ah... okay... asking too much. Got it.
 * Cody: I'm in a bit of trouble myself.

Gwen: Someone do something! Cody: Oh wait, (looks through his pants) Look! (pulls out a loaf of bread) Gwen: Where'd that come from? Cody: I was going to make us a romantic picnic... Gwen: With bread from your pants?!
 * (as the campers are chased by the monster birds)


 * Izzy: Come on, the race isn't over yet! We still have to burn stuff!

Chris: (amused) Hehehe... can you believe they fell for that? Heheh, I set it up, but I didn't think anyone would walk into it! That's just great! (laughs hysterically)
 * Trent: (in the confessional) Right, how am I suppose to know what quicksand looks like? It looks just like sand!

Trent: No, don't! (Lindsay jumps in) Lindsay: (gasps) I'm stuck, too! I so didn't see that coming.
 * Lindsay: Trent's stuck! I'm coming, Trent!

(Courtney starts to walk away, but DJ grabs her) DJ: We're not leaving any man behind. Not on my watch!
 * Geoff: You'll have to go ahead without me...

Trent: (suddenly angry) If you're lying, I could easily rearrange your face. You know that, right?
 * Cody: I struck out with Gwen today... a lot. The point is, she's not into me; she's into you.

Geoff: Or Jungle Rot! DJ: Or Athlete's Foot!
 * DJ: Bridgette, you got first-aid training, right? Maybe you could check out Geoff's wounds. He could have Gangrene!

Izzy: Right, okay, you are so lucky my license to kill is currently expired.
 * LeShawna: (to Izzy) You cost us the game! You are dead!

RCMP Officer: (from a helicopter) IZZY!! We know you are down there! You are under arrest! (a searchlight tries to spot Izzy) LeShawna: You mean all that trash you were talkin' was true?! Izzy: No, just the RCMP part. See ya! (goes psycho, the helicopter's searchlight immediately focuses on her) YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!! (laughs hysterically and runs off, with the RCMP in hot pursuit)
 * Chris: And now, the always anxiety-inducing marshmallow ceremony! When I call your name, come and get a marshmallow. Beth. Trent. Gwen. Cody. Owen. Heather. LeShawna. One last marshmallow. The person who doesn't receive this marshmallow will walk off the Dock Of Shame and take a ride on the Boat of Losers. (Izzy looks confident while Lindsay is playing with her hair) Who's it gonna be?

Bridgette: (sighs) Got any glue? Courtney: Hah! I wouldn't waste my time trying to fix that. Bridgette: (smiling, to herself) Maybe I would.
 * (Geoff's gift breaks)

Trivia

 * Title Reference: This episode title is referenced to the phrase, Up the Creek Without a Paddle.


 * Unedited this episode is rated TV-PG DS.


 * All dialog edits of this episode can be found on the Edits page.


 * The campers in the confessional for this episode were Cody, Gwen, Geoff, DJ, Trent, and Bridgette.


 * Campers On Each Canoe:
 * Screaming Gophers:
 * Heather and Owen
 * Izzy and LeShawna
 * Gwen and Cody
 * Beth, Lindsay, and Trent
 * Killer Bass:
 * Geoff and DJ
 * Bridgette and Courtney
 * Duncan, Harold, and Sadie


 * Everybody treats Geoff as if he lost a leg (or worse, in Bridgette's case) when he only had a microscopic splinter only visble when zoomed in very far.


 * Owen's line "If this canoe's a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'" may be a reference to the Stevie Ray Vaughan song "The House Is Rockin'," which features the lyrics "If the house is a-rockin', don't bother knockin'."


 * In this episode, Duncan, Harold and Sadie have no lines. Ironically, they were all in the same canoe together.


 * Cody asks if Gwen wants to go out on the weekend, though they would still have been stuck on the island due to the contest still going on.


 * Even though Izzy later admits to be lying about it, it is technically impossible to be "1/87th" of anything. Only ratios of 1/2 or similar fractions (1/4, 3/8, 7/16, etc.,) are actually possible.


 * Cody made a bet with Owen before this episode's beginning that if he could get his hands on Gwen's bra, Owen would do the dishes. Cody wins the bet, but ironically, he is eliminated next episode. Despite initially being against it, Gwen does give Cody a bra, which he is shown to still be in possession of much later on in Total Drama Action.


 * Before the RCMP came, the final marshmallow was supposed to go to either Izzy or Lindsay. Izzy might not have been eliminated, as Chris had not yet said whether she or Lindsay were safe before the RCMP showed up and Izzy ran away. However, it was possible Izzy would've been eliminated anyway as she suggested to the Bass that they have someone paddle their canoes back to camp.


 * Throughout the whole episode, Lindsay is seen wearing blue shorts instead of her skirt seeing during other episodes. She is also wearing a red top, which actually is what she wears at all times (but it's usually covered by up by her brown vest, which is missing in this episode). This is fairly strange, as the campers usually wear the same outfit throughout the season (excluding swimsuits or sleepwear).


 * Water is the third phobia DJ admits he has. In past episodes, he has stated to be afraid of both heights and snakes.
 * This is the first irregular elimination in the show's history.
 * This episode was written by Alex Nussbaum.

Goofs

 * Several goofs concern the scene where the campers are approaching their canoes, and several of them are in their swimsuits. Yet in the very next scene, or even the next shot, they are wearing their regular clothes once again. These campers are:
 * Owen: When he's approaching Heather to be her canoe partner, he is in his trunks. Yet when they approach their canoe, he is back in his regular outfit.
 * DJ: Similarly to Owen, he is in his trunks and missing his cap when he and Geoff approach their canoe. Yet he is in his regular outfit in the very next shot.
 * When the campers are listening to Chris at the beginning, Gwen has bags under her eyes, as if she had just been in the Awake-a-thon, yet they disappear in the next scene.
 * This is fixed on the DVD and iTunes release.
 * When Izzy is seen talking to LeShawna about killing a koala bear, the symbol is the Killer Bass symbol instead of the Screaming Gophers symbol.
 * After Trent and Lindsay escape the quicksand, a voice that sounds like DJ's says "Booyah," but DJ isn't present.
 * As the Killer Bass pass by the Gophers after the latter's escape from the giant geese, Bridgette and Courtney are noticeably absent.
 * When one of the woolly beavers scare LeShawna and Izzy, Duncan, Harold and Sadie are in the background. But they're on the Bass, and shouldn't be with the Gophers.
 * If you look close enough when Lindsay goes up to hug Cody, she is wearing her regular outfit instead of her alternate one that she wears in this episode.
 * This is fixed on the DVD and iTunes releases.
 * Toward the beginning of the episode, Lindsay is shown wearing half her bikini bottoms and half her shorts, although in the next scene, it changes back to just her shorts.
 * This is fixed on the DVD and iTunes releases.
 * In the beginning of the campfire ceremony Heather's hair is in a ponytail, but the next time she is seen, it is down.
 * When Lindsay is braiding her hair inattentively to the elimination, she is wearing her regular outfit again instead of the outfit she has been wearing, and it switches back in the next shot.
 * Unlike the other two times when her outfit was incorrectly changed, this goof is not fixed in the DVD or iTunes releases.