One Flu Over the Cuckoos

'''The contestants take part in a medically themed challenge. Somebody tries to make an alliance with two others, to counter someone. Then when a deadly virus breaks out, things go critical on set.'''

Plot
The episode opens with the contestants returning to their trailers. The Screaming Gaffers are still discussing Gwen's departure, as they comment on their shock about her deal with the other team in the previous episode. The Killer Grips team then watches Izzy as she begins to rant on the features of the film lot she recalls. Then, Lindsay, yawning, declares that she is going to sleep, but soon thereafter finds the door of the trailer to be locked. The guy's trailer is also locked, confusing and irritating the castmates. In the midst of their confusion, an unexpected ambulance drives past, frightening Izzy who believes it to be the police, leaving behind a stretcher with a body-like shape on it, resting underneath a cloth. The figure reveals itself to be Chris, who tells the campers to calm down as they "aren’t dead yet".

Chris then tells that he is only their to prepare them for the following day's challenge. He then throws them each a textbook, claiming that it is "the total of eight years of medical school". The contestants are then told that tomorrow they will be "playing doctor" the following day. Duncan is then shown, in the confessional, talking about how much he dislikes doctors, but he will play doctor. Harold is shown next, talking about how he could be a doctor if he wanted, as he had contracted over 400 diseases. They then show the contestants again, where Chris is telling them that they should memorize the entire content of the textbooks by the morning. Heather then protests that it is already very late, to which Chris just begins to talk about how "no medical school all-nighter is complete without pizza". Chef then brings a large stack of pizza to the competitors, which they are shocked to find out is actually quite good, although Heather and LeShawna are slightly suspicious.

They then show DJ in the kitchen with Chef, worried that his team will wonder where he is. Chef then tells him that, as long as the others are eating, they won't think twice about where DJ is. Chef then convinces him to continue to help in making the pizza. Beth and Justin are then shown, along with the rest of the Killer Grips, eating pizza and studying around a fire pit outside the trailers. Justin asks Beth if he squints when he reads, to which she replies, blushing, that she doesn’t know as his shirt is distracting her. Justin then, before Beth could even complete her sentence, removes his shirt, flustering her. She then offers to read the book to him, as to "spare his beautiful eyes". She continues to be flustered as she begins to read "Chapter One: Anatomy".

Owen and Izzy are then shown, sitting on the opposite side of the fire from Beth and Justin, and also studying and eating. Owen beings to tell Izzy about how he and his brothers had once had a 'no-hands-pizza-off', saying that she "should have been there". Izzy then decides to 'pretend that she was' there, and crouches on the ground, beginning to tear apart another pizza, still in the box, with her teeth. Due to her getting remains of the pizza everywhere, the other team members cry out when they get covered in the sauce. Izzy is then shown in the confessional, talking about how she is glad to be back on the show. She also claims to have been top of her class in pre-medical school, saying the challenge will be a snap. Owen is then shown, also talking about how great it is to have Izzy back, comparing it to Christmas, but with pizza.

The Screaming Gaffers, save DJ who is still with Chef, are shown in the dining hall, also studying and eating. Duncan is shown doing more eating than studying, claiming that the pizza is "rad", while Harold questions whether LeShawna is going to have any of the pizza. LeShawna is then shown in the confessional, talking about how she loves pizza, but her digestive system does not cope well with dairy. They then return to showing the team, showing Duncan continue to eat the remains of the pizza, while Harold tells him to stop as DJ might want some. At the mention of their absent teammate's name, Heather suspiciously begins to question where DJ is. DJ overhears their conversation, and he quickly slips out of the kitchen and into the dining hall, claiming he was there the entire time, and requests a piece of pizza. After receiving one from Duncan, DJ realizes how good it is, proud of himself.

LeShawna then rises from the table, telling her team that she doesn’t want to study any longer, saying that, as the following day's challenge is a reward challenge, they don't need to work so hard. Duncan agrees and follows LeShawna out of the dining hall. In the confessional, Heather is then shown, talking about how she could have forced them to stay, but claimed that they couldn't help the team win unless the challenge was about piercings or plus-sized shopping.

LeShawna and Duncan are then shown, walking towards the trailers. LeShawna then stops Duncan, and begins to talk about starting an alliance as, now that Gwen is gone, they need to "watch their backs" around Heather. She suggests that they, along with Harold, would form such an alliance, to which Duncan laughs. LeShawna then becomes irritated as Duncan walks away. Then following morning, all of the castmates, save Duncan and LeShawna, are exhausted from their all-nighter. While Harold complains over exhaustion and Lindsay claims her "brain is full", Duncan and LeShawna are flaunted their night's sleep, much to the other's annoyance. The castmates are then lead into a studio by Chris, who begins to prepare them for their challenge. He provides them with doctor-like outfits, asking if they are ready for the challenge. Heather claims that some are more ready than others, indicating LeShawna. LeShawna responds by saying that she made had own choice, while Chris grows excited over the tension between them, calling it his "favorite". Chris then explains their challenge, which he titles "Visiting Hours". He tells them that the reward given to the winners can only go to one person, who, when Duncan asks who 'the one' will be, Heather calls "the person who most directly contributes to the win". In the confessional, Heather is shown talking about how she will be the one who will receive the reward.

Harold is then shown, asking Chris what the reward is, to which Chris compliments him on being perceptive, but goes straight into describing the challenge, rather than answering. The is to assemble a cadaver, and when Lindsay asks if he means a dead body, Chris replies that he means a giant dead body. Chris then explains that there are two tanks, containing the dismembered parts of a cadaver. Once a player answers a question, whose answer they would have learned from the studying they had done, correctly, they will attach themself to a harness and dive into the tank to hopefully retrieve a part. The part will then need to be snapped into it's correct place on the platform. Once the cadaver is completely assembled, the teams will pull them to the roof, where they will be reanimated by a blast of lightning. The first team to do so was to win the challenge.

The challenge then begins when Chris asks the first question, which Beth correctly answers. Once she is lowered into the tank, she finds the electric eels, which Chris has forgotten to mention. Chris then tells them that if they get shocked three times by the eels, they will lose the chance to retrieve a body part. Despite, Beth still manages to retrieve a part and the challenge continues. Heather answers the next question correctly and receives a part, which Harold attempts to catch, but he is trampled by Duncan, who catches it instead. The next question is correctly answered by Owen, who gives a correct but ridiculous-sounding answer, after which, Chris admits to the camera that he had changed some of the terms in the books he had given to the competitors. Owen then attempts to receive a part, but the rope attracted to his harness breaks, dropping him into the tank.

This is followed by a number of clips of castmates answering questions and attempting to receive parts for their cadaver, or 'FrankenChris'. The first one is of DJ, correctly answering a question, but he appears to fail to receive a part. Lindsay is then shown answering the question and receiving a part. They then show the two teams assembling their cadavers, as they collect more of the pieces over time. Izzy is then show answering a question correctly, followed by Owen, but it is not shown whether either of them did or did not receive a part. They then show Duncan, on the harness, attempting to pull out a piece of the cadaver. Harold is then shown, being attacked by eels, but managing to retrieve the head of the FrankenChris, leaving them in need of only one more part, while the Killer Grips still need two.

Next, Heather is shown, retrieving the final piece for the Screaming Gaffers. She tosses it to Duncan, who, before setting it in the platform, takes advantage of a distracted Harold by pulling down his pants. Harold then angrily yells at him, before LeShawna rushes over and tells them to separate. Harold then hops away, while LeShawna tells Duncan to "stop getting up in Harold's grill". LeShawna then tries to comfort Harold, telling him that Duncan was "just playing". Harold then claims that Duncan was lucky that he didn't attempt to use karate on him, and beings to rapidly move his arms, which forces his pants to fall down again. LeShawna then tells Harold that she thinks that they and Duncan would make a great alliance. Harold refuses, calling LeShawna 'nuts', then hops away, annoying LeShawna. Harold is then shown in the confessional, questioning why LeShawna even talks to Duncan. He insists that Duncan is a "worthless punk" or his name isn't "Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady V". Harold then hurriedly tells the camera person not to tell Duncan about the "Doris" part.

They then show the contestants, who are attempting to complete the challenge. The Screaming Gaffers then attempt to raise their completed cadaver to the ceiling quickly, as the Killer Grips are only shortly behind them. The Killer Grips soon begin to raise their platform too, with Justin, Beth and Lindsay pulling, while Izzy and Owen watch. Izzy, overexcited as she watches the completion of the challenge, bites Owen on the arm only to discover an "icky" sore on his arm. Izzy then observes that he is 'burning up', right before Owen lets out a 'lemony burp'. Justin quickly observes those as symptoms of a disease in the book, which Beth says is "Mortatistical Crumbles Disease" which she recalls is fatal. Adding to the fear and shock already in place from this news, Heather adds that is it also highly contagious. Chris then quickly removes himself from the room, blocking the 'only' exit. Outside of the door, Chris reveals that there is "more to the disease than either team knows". Inside of the studio, Duncan expresses his confusion at how Owen could somehow get a deadly illness. Owen then nervously wonders if it is "just the twenty-four-hour kind of fatal". Izzy then worriedly swears to him that she'll find a cure. Harold then declares that they need to quarantine Owen, while Beth has already blown up the quarantine bubble for him, and Duncan, Justin, and LeShawna are already lifting him and carrying him to the bubble. Heather then spots another sore on DJ, who claims that it must be a mistake, but is quarantined all the same. Owen then begins to say he is getting claustrophobic, to which Lindsay wonders if that is another symptom. Owen the beings to roll around in the bubble, claiming he wants to get out.

Next, Harold decides that they need to confirm that no one else has been infected. He begins to list off the symptoms of "Mortatistical Crumbles Disease" which are explosive diarrhea (which, once he says it, sends Lindsay running into the port-o-potty inside the studio), itchy lips (after which Justin begins to feel like his lips are on fire, and they become inflamed as he itches them), sudden hot flashes (which Beth is shown currently experiencing), seasickness (which then has Heather throwing up), speaking in tongues (which, after he says such Izzy is shown speaking in gibberish), and temporary blindness. At first, no one has the last ailment, until Harold crashes in to Izzy by accident, causing him to believe that he is suddenly blind.

LeShawna is then shown in the confessional, claiming that, although the challenges are meant to be dangerous, she doesn't think they'd actually let one of the competitors die. However, Chris is then shown in a video watching/editing room, saying that, although you'd think they wouldn't, it would be very good for the show's ratings. The competitors are then shown, and, all but Duncan and LeShawna think they are fatally ill. Duncan attempts to take a moaning Harold's temperature with a rectal thermometer, to which Harold tells him that he is the sick one. Yet, Duncan continues to attempt to put it inside Harold's mouth until LeShwana intervenes, giving him a glass of water.

Duncan then observes that he and LeShawna are the only two who are not sick, yet they are also the only two who hadn't studied all night. LeShawna agrees that she is starting to question the disease also, and says that they need to see the textbooks, as there must've been a detail that the others missed. Duncan then reminds her that the only exit is sealed, but LeShawna then finds another exit by lifting themselves up on the platforms. Duncan is convinced, despite his claim that he "isn't a fan of heights", to join LeShawna on the platform. Once they are outside of the studio, they split up, Duncan going to get a textbook, while LeShawna goes to the kitchen. LeShawna is then shown in the confessional talking about how she takes a practical approach to both Total Drama Action and life.

Meanwhile, the sick contestants are starting to reach their breaking point. Owen, still in the bubble, is crying, DJ, also still trapped in the bubble, desperately needs to go to the bathroom, Justin is complaining about how horrible his lips look, Beth is offering to kiss Justin before he and she both die, and Heather is writing her will. Amidst all of the chaos, Duncan and LeShawna reenter the studio, bringing the truth about the 'disease'. Duncan tells them that he can tell that all of their textbooks had been forged and filled with fake information. However, at that moment, Duncan also experiences diarrhea, and runs into the bathroom.

Harold then tells LeShawna that it can't be all fake, as none of them are pretending to be sick. LeShawna then tells them that the cheese in the pizza was full of itching powder and laxatives, which explains most of the symptoms. The sores are also noticed to be only slices of pepperoni. DJ then was let out of his bubble, allowing him to use the restroom. Owen, however, was still trapped inside, only to be let out by Izzy, who unfortunately had timed letting him out right after he had farted. This greatly disturbed the other competitors. The other symptoms, such as temporary blindness, are questioned until Izzy diagnosed them as 'first year medical school condition', saying that their over-studying and lack of sleep had made them believe they had the disease.

Chris then comes down on a platform, announcing that the Screaming Gaffers had won, due to Duncan and LeShawna. He tries to mention their reward, but then remembers he had forgotten it, and leaves for a brief moment. During that time, LeShawna mentions the possible alliance to Duncan and Harold, saying that she just wanted it to "get Heather out of her face". Duncan then reveals that he knows of Harold's middle name being "Doris" by teasing him. This is followed by Harold, in the confessional, accusing the camera person of telling Duncan, and saying that he won't reveal anymore secrets of his, and accidentally reveals them anyway. Harold is then shown refusing to be an alliance with Duncan, though he says he would have accepted if it were just LeShawna. She then angrily tells that that they are both fools.

At this point, Chris returns, telling them that their reward is to spend time with their best friend. The team begins to argue over who will receive the award, until LeShawna begins to cry, telling them that she was so afraid of losing them. A shocked Heather admits that LeShawna "does have a heart", while Duncan admits that she had contributed the most to the challenge. She is then voted unanimously by the team to receive the award, to which she tells them that they are all beautiful people. She then leaves crying, out of the studio and into the Lame-o-sine, and to greet her best cousin LeShaniqua.Her cousin expresses shock that she had been crying, saying that she never cried. LeShawna, redoing her makeup, said that she had just faked it in order to win the reward. She then expresses her gladness to be away from the reality show for a short while.

Chris responds to her negative attitude towards the show by saying that he hopes her morals and attitude will improve. He then signs off the show.

Quotes

 * Chris: ''(About Izzy coming back) Yeah, Izzy.  That girl is 8 shades of nutty.  Will she drive every one else crazy too?  Find out now on TOTAL DRAMA ACTION!!!


 * Chris: (rises up from under a sheet on a gurney) Calm yourselves. Nobody's dead... yet!


 * Duncan: (in confessional) I hate doctors! They just get off on telling people what they don't wanna hear... like don't pick at that scab... or if you eat nothing but pickled eggs, you'll die! Don't tell me what I can't eat! Now playing doctor...playing doctor I can handle.


 * Harold: (in confessional) I could be a doctor if I wanted to! I have plenty of hands on experience, because I've contracted nearly 300 known diseases. And I've been cured of nearly all of them. But there is no known vaccine for loving LeShawna!


 * Justin: Hey, Beth! Do I squint when I read? Beth: Uh...I dunno! You're shirt's distracting me unless you.... (Justin's shirt goes flying past Beth and he's now shirtless) Beth: Uh.... I'll just read the book to you. Spare your beautiful eyes!


 * Owen: Hey! You know what my brothers and me did once? We had a no hands pizza off! (laughs) You should've been there! Izzy: Let's pretend I was here! (Izzy jumps off her chair, gets on her hands and knees, and begins tearing into one of the pizzas) Owen: You're magnificent!


 * Izzy: (in confessional) I am so glad to be back! I was top of my pre-med class before the RCMP started chasing me, so this should be a snap! And Owen is just the sweetest thing ever! If he were a candy bar, he'd taste just like caramel covered marshmallows. (Switches to Owen in confessional) Owen: It's so sweet to have Izzy back! It's like Christmas, but with pizza!  It's Pizzmas!


 * Harold: (in confessional) How could LeShawna even talk to Duncan? He's a worthless punk or my name isn't Harold Norbert Cheever Doris McGrady the Fifth! Please don't tell Duncan about the "Doris" part!


 * LeShawna: (pulling Harold and Duncan closer) Okay, jokers, all I want is an iron-clad alliance to get Heather out of my face! Can we not agree on this? Duncan: I don't know if I can handle being in an alliance with you and Doris here. Harold: (in confessional) How could you?! That's the lowest, meanest, dirtiest...GOSH! That's the last secret you're gonna get from this guy! Now you'll never know about my teapot collection, or the fact that I wear a wizard's cape when I play Solitare...


 * Izzy: (while watching Beth, Justin and Lindsay lift up the Franken-Chris) Ah! It's so exciting I can't take it! (Izzy bites Owen on the arm) Owen: Owwhh! (Smiles and laughs) Hubba hubba! Izzy: Ewwwh! What's this icky sore?.... (feels his forehead) and you're burning up! Just like my passionate soul!


 * LeShawna: (in confessional) I know it's meant to be dangerous and all but it's still a TV show. Now way they let anyone up and die in here, am I right? Chris: (camera cuts to Chris alone in studio) You'd think we wouldn't but just imagine the ratings!


 * Heather: (While Owen is inside a quarantine bubble and has farted and Izzy has begun walking towards the bubble with a pin to pop it)Wait, stop! You can't! (Izzy pops the bubble and a noxious green gas cloud comes out of the bubble) Owen: Oh, fresh air! Sweet, sweet air! Justin: (is trying to waft the fart cloud away) Oh, stale air! Smelly, smelly air! Harold: (is trying to waft the fart cloud away) I think I'm still dying!


 * (LeShawna walks into the Lame-O-Sine, fake crying) LeShawna: LeShaniqua! Girl, I won! Whooo!!! Girl!!! LeShaniqua: Girl! I cannot believe you've been crying. You never cry! Not even at Mr. Bunny Rabbit's Funeral! LeShawna: You nuts? I was just making sure they'd vote me the heck outta here for the night. LeShaniqua: I knew it was too fool to be true. LeShawna: Aaahhh, A night away from Total Drama.... pain in my behind!

Trivia

 * Pictures of everyone whom the Screaming Gaffers are close to are shown:
 * Duncan's parole officer (who is patterned after the original Tyler from Camp TV)
 * DJ's mother
 * Heather's mother
 * A young, male unknown relative of Harold in a wizard's cape who looks very similar to him.
 * LeShawna's favorite cousin, LeShaniqua appears. (Her design is the same as LeShawna's original design for Camp TV but with a slightly different wardrobe color).
 * It is revealed in this episode that LeShawna is lactose intolerant.
 * LeShawna's refusal to eat the pizza isn't out of character. In Brunch of Disgustingness she refused to eat the pizza with live toppings. Although, in that instance there was no mention of being lactose intolerant.
 * The Screaming Gaffers are now aware of Gwen's cheating from the previous episode.
 * Unlike previous challenges, this challenge does not seem to be based much on a movie genre. Rather it seems more based of school studies (as Chris had them study for the trivia questions that were asked as though it were a major exam).  It does however contain movie genre elements such as the Frankenstein like setting.
 * Heather seems to show signs of change from the previous season, as she voted LeShawna to have the spa trip over herself. She also seemed compassionate when she saw LeShawna cry.
 * For the first time, a character other than Chris or Chef has had their last name revealed: Harold's last name is officially McGrady.
 * It is revealed that Heather has a sister in addition to her little brother, Damien (who was known about since the Interactive pages were established for last season). Like her brother, Heather also detests her sister.
 * Harold is again seen in the red thong underwear, last seen in If You Can't Take The Heat....
 * This is the fourth episode of Total Drama Action where no one is eliminated (previous episodes being Monster Cash, Beach Blanket Bogus, and The Aftermath: I).
 * Throughout this episode, LeShawna tries to form an alliance with Duncan and Harold. They both turn it down for obvious tensions.
 * Chef Hatchet took revenge on Heather in Alien Resurr-eggtion because she put laxative in his baked goods at one point. He claimed that his cooking didn't require laxative to make people run to the restroom, yet he put laxative in the pizza in this episode.
 * The campers not seen in the confessional in this episode were Beth, Justin, DJ and Lindsay.
 * The episode title is based on both the 1967 book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and the 1975 Academy Award-winning film of the same name.
 * Harold's symptom naming is a parody of the movie Airplane.
 * Goofs:
 * Even though all contestants but LeShawna ate the itching powder/laxative pizzas, Owen and DJ did not have any problem from the laxative or itching powder.
 * When the Screaming Gaffers were putting the last arm onto their 'FrankenChris', it was thrown to Duncan who then got distracted with irritating Harold, and never put it on the platform. Then, several seconds later, Duncan was thrown the arm (again), but this time he put it on the platform.