The Chefshank Redemption

'''The competitors start to heat up the competition when they face the prison movie theme. The Grips are pretty confident as they have a special deal with Gwen. And it looks like someone gets eliminated but earns some karma points.'''

Plot
The episode begins show in the campers waking up, to find that they have been locked inside their trailers. The girls quickly decide that they need to have one of them slip through the opening in the roof of the cabin. Heather is talked into doing such by Gwen, who uses one of Heather's weaknesses, shameless flattery. The guys, save DJ, who is cooking with Chef, have a harder time finding a way out, and eventually attempt to use Owen as a battering ram, which only works when Chris opens the door for them.

Chris then tells the castmates that the theme for the week's challenge will be Prison Break, showing that there is an area around them that has been appropriately decorated as a prison type area. Chris then goes into a unappealing and crude description of prison life. The teams are then shown preparing for the first challenge, with the Killer Grips feeling quite overconfident, as Justin reminds them that Gwen must throw the challenge for the Screaming Gaffers. Chris then describes the challenge, in which each team will pick a member from the opposite team to eat a disgusting dish made by their team, in an effort to simulate gross prison food. The first competitor of the two to barf will be declared the loser, while the other team will get an advantage in the elimination challenge. The Gaffers easily decided on Lindsay as their victim, as she is known to be extremely squeamish. The Grips then choose Gwen, as she will throw the challenge so they are given the advantage. The two victims are then put in prison cell type cages, while the two teams prepare their disgusting meal. DJ, however, besides putting in a disgusting ingredient, puts in some of his mother's spices. Then, when the victims eat the dishes, Lindsay considers her meal very good, due to DJ. Gwen however, despite her disgusting meal, has difficulty barfing, even when she accidentally swallows Beth's retainer and has to cough it back up. In the end, Gwen wins, even with her strong effort to lose, when Beth places the retainer back into her mouth, Lindsay throws up due to being grossed out by Beth's actions. Once the challenge ends, Lindsay reminds Gwen that she should have allowed the Grips to win. Heather, seeing Gwen talk to Lindsay, immediately confronts Gwen and suspiciously asks Gwen what she was talking about to Lindsay. Gwen shoves aside Heather's suspicions and walks away, leaving Heather still very much suspicious. Meanwhile, DJ has a conversation with Chef, where Chef at first tells him he is doing a terrible job so far. Then, Chef shows a small amount of his softer side when he tells DJ that he used to be a lot like him, and then tell him to 'not waste his gift' like he thinks he, himself, did.

Later, Chris describes the elimination challenge to the teams. They must have one member of their team push the rest through an obstacle course, until they reach a point where they will begin to dig a long tunnel from that point to the finish line. This challenge is to simulate breaking out of a prison. The Gaffers have the advantage of receiving a shovel to assist in digging their hole, while the Grips must dig with plastic spoons. For the Gaffers, DJ offers to push the cart, until Gwen convinces him otherwise. Gwen arouses more suspicions from Heather as she insists on pushing the cart for her team, followed by a wink to the Grips, signaling to them that she will be helping them win. The Grips have more trouble deciding who will push for their team. Owen is quick to make up and (obviously fake) excuse for why he cannot. Lindsay then flirtatiously asks Justin if he will push for their team. Justin then tells her that it will make Gwen's cheating for them look more natural if she pushes the cart. After he refers to her as beautiful, Lindsay blushes, giggles, and agrees to push the cart for their team. Once the challenge begins, Gwen ends up far ahead of the opposing team, as Lindsay is having trouble pushing such a heavy cart. The Grips, angered by Gwen's lead, begin to drop very obvious hints that Gwen needs to throw the challenge. Gwen comes to a stop as soon as she hears Beth call out that Gwen is running faster than Trent ever could'. Once the Grips pass up the Gaffers several seconds later, Heather's suspicions rise high enough to begin to suspiciously questioning Gwen about why she had stopped and why the Grips kept mentioning Trent's name. In an effort to convince her team that she had stopped for a legitimate reason, Gwen attempts to fake a cramp. Heather, still suspicious, then tells Gwen to keep moving, despite her 'cramp', and Gwen complies.

The Grips then reach their stopping point, and begin to dig. The Gaffers aren't far behind, and once they reach their stopping point LeShawna begins to rapidly dig her team's hole. Gwen, noticing how much quicker LeShawna was moving compared to the Grips, begins to insist that LeShawna may injure herself. Heather then suspiciously asks Gwen why she isn't being supportive of her team, and questions whether she wishes to win the challenge at all. Gwen refuses Heather's assumptions, saying she is only concerned for the well-being of her teammates. Meanwhile, Chris and Chef are watching from the sidelines. While watching, Chris attempts to strike up smalltalk with Chef, which Chef does not participate in. Chris then asks if Chef is doing anything after work, but immediately stops once he gets a shocked look from Chef. Chris then backs off of the topic. The Killer Grips are shown, in the midst of digging their tunnel. Lindsay begins to worry that the Gaffers are far ahead of them. Justin coolly shoots down her worries, telling her that since Gwen must throw the challenge, they don't need to worry. Meanwhile, The Gaffers are also digging their hole, and are, in fact, very far ahead of the opposing team. Heather, Harold and LeShawna are being to become excited over their strong chances of winning another challenge. Gwen then begins to worry. In an effort to slow their progress, Gwen begins to fake an anxiety attack due to claustrophobia. Gwen then grabs the shovel from LeShawna's hands and hits Harold over the head with it.

Their shovel is then broken, leaving them with no digging tools. DJ then convinces the team that, no matter what, they can still try their hardest to win. LeShawna agrees and tells the team to 'get their dig on'. However, at that moment, Izzy pops through a bank of dirt, into their hole. They are confused, until Izzy (who now possesses prairie dog style buck teeth) explains how she has been living underground with the prairie dogs since she has been removed from the competition. Izzy then, besides being a member of the opposite team, tells the Gaffers to follow her to the finish line, as she knows a 'short-cut', which makes Gwen nervous. Heather then, noticing Gwen's nervousness, provokingly tells Gwen how great it is that they had found a short-cut, knowing that she didn't want them to win. Izzy then leads the team through a tunnel, telling them more and more of her 'prairie dog' stories. They then pop out at the top of the hole, to find that the Grips had already won the challenge. Izzy then ditches the Gaffers, saying that it is funner to be on the winning team, and walks over the the Grips. The Grips are very confused, telling her that they already voted her off. Izzy, however, tells them that they technically voted 'E-Scope' off, not her. Thus, they allowed her to stay in the game.

Later, the castmates are shown eating in the dining hall. Izzy and Owen are already flirting again, describing each other as desserts. Then, they show the Gaffer's table. Heather asks Gwen what is will be like to be voted off, to which Gwen asks why she is so sure of that. Then, Heather replies that she had seen through Gwen's 'stunt', assuring her that she knew that she threw the challenge. DJ then brings Gwen a dish of food, in order to 'keep her strength up'. Gwen then thanks DJ and Heather looks on angrily. Later, the Screaming Gaffers are shown at the Gilded Chris Ceremony. During the ceremony, Duncan, LeShawna, DJ, and Harold all receive awards, while Heather and Gwen continuously glare at each other. Chris then announces that Heather receives the last Gilded Chris. Heather then, excitedly, takes Chris's place at the podium, telling Gwen that she is not a winner and is, therefore, a loser, to which Gwen only glares. Following this are confessionals from all who had eliminated Gwen. LeShawna revealed that, although voting for Gwen hurt, she was upset that she had hit Harold over the head with a shovel. Harold revealed that, as a result of being hit over the head with a shovel by Gwen, if she stayed, according to 'prison rules', he either needed to break a shovel over her head, or fall in love with her, neither of which he wished to do. Heather is shown declaring that with the three votes for Gwen she knew of would easily have Gwen eliminated. Gwen in then shown, being hand cuffed by Chef, and taking the walk of losers. Once she had been handcuffed, Duncan offers to go instead of Gwen, as a joking way of saying that he really wanted to be out of the competition and would take her spot to do so. However, once Chef acctually attempts to take Duncan instead, he quickly assurs them that he never actually wanted to take her spot, and that he was kidding. Gwen then takes the handcuffs from Chef and tells Duncan that he won't get out of the competition that easily. She then wishes him luck and walks to the Lame-o-sine. Gwen's confessional is then shown, saying that the Grips had forced her to vote for herself, in order to make up for Trent throwing more than one challenge for her. Chris is then shown, still at the Gilded Chris podium and obviously beat up, saying that Gwen voting herself off would win her 'karma points' but lost her the competition. He then signs off the show and collapses to the ground.

Quotes

 * Chris: Have I ever let you down? Wait! Scratch that...


 * Chris: (in a sarcastic voice) Stay tuned to find out who will win this week. Could it be...the Grips? Owen: Hey! We heard that! Beth: It could still happen! We're not losers! Chris: (sarcastically) Riiiight!


 * Harold: (in confessional) Rule number one-DO NOT wake Owen's beast within first thing in the morning!


 * Harold: Owen! We had cowboy beans last night. You're seriously risking a toxic gas leak! Owen: Is that all I am to you? Some kind of human fart machine? Duncan: Uh, We just value our lives, is all. Alright big guy? Owen: Aw! I love you guys! (Owen hugs the guys)


 * Heather: (referring to trailer the girls are locked in) This trailer is as tight as the space between Lindsay's ears. Lindsay: Awww, thank you!


 * Gwen: (in confessional) Ever since the whole awful Trent thing went down, I've just been waiting for karma to bite me in the butt, but what could I do? He was my weakness, my Achilles heel. We all have one. Luckily, Heather has a whole bunch of useful ones. Glittery objects, new hair products, shameless flattery.


 * Gwen: Of course, only the toothpickiest of us is gonna fit through that vent. I'm talking model thin. So surely, the most athletic of us would want to show off her natural sleekness. Heather: For once, I agree with you. I'll do it.


 * Harold: (in confessional, referring to prison challenge) Talk about overkill. This place is plenty prison like already, not that I'm complaining. I mean, I should probably be locked up for the ladies sake anyways.


 * LeShawna: (to Heather) I trust anyone more than I trust you!


 * Harold: (in confessional) Everybody knows that more wars have been won with a shovel than a sword. Give a man a hole and what does he have? Nothing, but give a man a shovel and he can dig a hole to contain the nothing.


 * Gwen: (in confessional) I know I owe the Grips because of Trent's cheating but even if we forget Lindsay's shampoo incident, last night, she nearly hurled because LeShawna's gum smelled too "minty fresh"? How am I going to puke before that?


 * Gwen: (in the prison break hole of the second challenge; freaking out from enclosed space) AAH! My claustrophobia! The walls...they're closing in! I'm like a caged animal, man. I can't take another second! (steals shovel from LeShawna; yells out a battle cry; smashes shovel on Harold's head) Harold: (in confessional; after passing out from Gwen breaking the shovel over his head) Classic prison madness...and that shovel thing? Heck, everyone knows first day of prison, break something over some big dude's back, then nobody messes with you. I'm kinda scared of Gwen now and kinda of attracted to her. Don't tell LeShawna or Heather o-or Gwen!


 * DJ: Team! We're the Screaming Gaffers. We're gonna win even if we have to dig with our bare hands, even if we have to eat our way out. LeShawna: Danger boy (Duncan), Toothpick (Heather), Soul Patch (Harold), Puke Breath (Gwen), Mama Boy (DJ) is right! Let's get our dig on.


 * (Izzy emerges from the soil) Screaming Gaffers: Kaleidoscope?! Izzy: Yip! Yip! Yip! Duncan: Yep, I'd say that's her. Izzy: Yep! I've been living underground amongst the prairie dogs. (an angry prairie dog emerges from Izzy's hat growling) Aw, Butchy, it's okay. These are my friends.


 * Izzy: Follow me! I know a shortcut to the finish-line. Gwen (nervously): A shortcut?! Heather: Isn't it great, Gwen? We're totally going to win, Gwen!


 * Owen: If you were food, you'd be dessert! Chocolate covered chocolate with chocolate sauce and sprinkles...(laughs)...chocolate ones!!! Izzy: (laughs) That is so nice, Owen! You're a banana split with, like, 26 bananas and a whole lotta split! Yeah!


 * Chris: Times up! All telling them all! Duncan, Leshawna, D.J. and Harold. Another award and one day to compete. Tonight final Gilded Chris and another chance at the million goes to................. Heather!


 * Heather: (to Gwen) Sorry Gwen, you're not the winner. You lost, so you're a loser. It's just logic! LeShawna: (in confessional) Voting for Gwen? Yeah, that hurt. I'm not saying Heather was right, but something must have gone on with Gwen, smacking Harold upside his sweet, little head like that. Girl wasn't right, and when you're not right, you're wrong. Harold: (in confessional) Thing is, if Gwen had stayed in the game; according to prison rules, I'd either have to break a shovel over her head or fall in love with her. Obviously, neither option was feasible. Heather: (in confessional) My vote plus LeShawna and Harold's equals the greatest day of my life. Bye bye, Gwennie!


 * (Chef puts handcuffs on Gwen) Chef: Dead girl walking! Duncan: Leave her, take me! Chef: Sure, whatever. (Chef takes handcuffs off Gwen) Duncan: What! wait, wait! Okay, I didn't actually mean... Gwen: (takes handcuffs out of Chef's hands) Nice try, Duncan. You're not getting off that easy. Good luck, okay. (in confessional) Definition of lousy: being a stickler for your word and having to vote yourself off. (looks and points upwards) Whoever's in charge of karma, I hope that counts for something.

Trivia

 * Gwen is the first contestant in all of Total Drama history to ever vote themselves off and also the first one of the original final five of Total Drama Island to leave Total Drama Action.
 * With Gwen's elimanation, both of the original captains of the Screaming Gaffers and the Killer Grips have been elimanated.
 * This marks the first time that someone other than Chris or Chef has talked or been seen (not in clips from the previous episode) in the recap given at the beginning of the show. The entire Killer Bass team was seen during the recap, sitting nearby.
 * Justin's constant make ups and beauty practices that disturb everyone in his cabin are similar to Heather's in the first season.
 * When Izzy returns she says she has been living with prairie dogs, similar to how in No Pain, No Game (the first episode she returned in) where she had been living with a family of beavers.
 * LeShawna and Harold seem to both still have feelings for each other, as Harold constantly mentions his feeling for LeShawna, and, in this episode, LeShawna voted for Gwen mostly because Gwen had hit Harold with a shovel, although Gwen and Leshawna have a strong friendship.
 * Harold begins to become attracted to Gwen after she hit him with a shovel, but then later explains that he voted her off because, to Harold, according to prison rules, if Gwen stayed in the game, he'd either have to hit her with a shovel or fall in love with her, and he refused to do either option, so it is unlikely that he will pursue a relationship with Gwen.
 * Justin is once shown flirting with Beth in this episode, yet he also flirts with Lindsay in front of her. It is unknown if and/or how this will affect the Beth-Justin Relationship.
 * The same two people (Lindsay and Gwen) participated in the challenges in which individual people are needed in this episode.
 * Lindsay is said to be squeamish in this episode yet, in Brunch of Disgustingness she seems to not throw up as easily as others, such as Trent.
 * This is the second time that Owen has been referred to as a "fart machine", the first being by Heather in Wawanakwa Gone Wild.
 * Lindsay had apparently once locked herself in the bathroom, drank everyone's shampoo in case it was 'magic potion', and then threw up on herself.
 * This marks the first time a Screaming Gaffer is voted off on Total Drama Action.
 * Heather received the last Gilded Chris Award in this episode.
 * Due to the slight flirting at the end of the episode, it looks like Owen and Izzy's relationship has got back to normal for the first time since the beginning of Hook, Line, and Screamer when Owen pushed her in front of the Killer (Chef).
 * This is the first time to see Lindsay puke onscreen.
 * Ironically, the first two competitors that were eliminated from the competition while on teams (Gwen and Trent) were the same two people who chose the teams (not counting Izzy who returned from elimination).
 * This is the first episode in TDA to have a contestant return, and also the contestant, Izzy, is the only contestant to return in both, TDA and TDI.
 * The episode title is based on the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.
 * The story of Gwen's elimination appears to be a parody of the 2004 film, The Passion of the Christ. In this case, Gwen is the Christ figure, suffering and "dying" for Trent's sins.  Other roles are less clear-cut, but Justin appears to have played the role of Pontius Pilate, with Heather perhaps standing in for the high priest, Caiaphas.  There is circumstantial evidence that the scheduling might have been arranged so "The Chefshank Redemption" could premiere during the week before Easter, which is when most Passion plays are performed.