User blog:Gogogadget831/Total Drama Pahkitew Island Seasonal Review and Conclusion

Hey guys! GoGoGadget831 here and welcome to my seasonal review of Total Drama Pahkitew Island! It's also my last seasonal review of the summer! But don't worry! I'll still be around to review the Ridonculous Race episodes and post more Total Drama Theories! Now, let's talk about each of the aspects of the season: the characters, the character interactions, the episodes, the comedy/drama, the continuity, the challenges, how realistic the show was, and final thoughts! Let's start off with the characters!

Characters:

1. Beardo: He was pretty clear filler, especially since he was spoiled to be the first one eliminated multiple times. All he pretty much did was make sound effects. Not too much to say. However, his sound effects, particularly the slow motion one and the Pacman losing theme, were actually really funny. I also liked when he got shot out of a cannon and yelled, "It was really nice to meet all of you!!" I hope he gets some development in the future, though I kinda doubt it. :P

2. Leonard: Although he had a few funny moments here and there, like his Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter references, he was kind of annoying in this season. Heck, I didn't even know that LARPers existed. All he pretty much did was live in his own little world and view everything unrealistically. That's pretty much it. He tried doing spells, but failed every time. But his elimination was hilarious. Didn't really care too much for him. However, I'm curious as to the development he will get in the Ridonculous Race. It's good to see that he has a friend alongside him and I'm curious how they will interact in that season.

3. Amy: Rewatching this season, I really could not stand Amy. She was pretty much a blend of Heather and Regina George, minus all the personality and likability. All that she pretty much did was nag people and pick on poor Samey. This is kind of a pet peeve of mine, but I'm not a big fan of the bullies in movies and TV shows. The bullies who have no personality to them and are just there to make the characters' lives miserable. Say what you want about Sugar bullying Ella, but at least Sugar was funny and had a personality to her. Amy has squat. I hope she develops more of a personality in a later season and doesn't just revolve around making Samey's life miserable.

4. Rodney: Yeah....I wasn't that crazy about this guy. His gag of randomly falling in love with girls and breaking up with them is very repetitive. There isn't that much to this guy's personality, aside from being a farm boy, having many brothers, and eating six eggs a day. That's about it. I don't even think guys like this exist, much like Leonard. Anyways, he was pretty obvious fodder and I'm kind of glad he left early, because his gag would've gotten annoying really fast if he stayed for longer. However, it was pretty funny seeing him taunt Clucky.

5. Samey: I found myself enjoying Samey a lot more than Amy this season. I really liked her sweet nature as well as her friendship with Jasmine. I loved how assertive she was in Twinning Isn't Everything and I think she stood up against her sister really well. That is, until A Blast From The Past came along. Nevertheless, she had her fair share of good moments and next time when she competes, I hope that her character doesn't revolve too much around her conflict with her sister. I want to see Samey, not Fake Amy.

6. Ella: Wow, this character really exceeded my expectations. When I saw her original design, I rolled my eyes. I found myself thinking, "Ugh, this character is a Snow White rip-off. Clear that the writers are running out of ideas. She's gonna be annoying..." But I was wrong. I LOVED this character. I just love how sweet, positive, and inoffensive she was. She's nice to everyone, even the ones that break her heart (Dave) and the ones who are rude to her (Sugar). But nevertheless, she treats everyone with the utmost respect and most people seem to like her. Her singing voice is beautiful and her exit song is one of the highlights of the season. It shows that Total Drama needs another World Tour season! It would be a pleasure to see Ella again.

7. Topher: I used to love this character in my first watch of the season. And now, I'm pretty neutral on this character in all honesty. He's definitely much hotter than Chris and he had his fair share of funny moments. But he's pretty much a wanna-be Chris and that's about it. It was pretty funny whenever he tried to act like Chris, even though that joke got a bit stale later. But nevertheless, he had his moments and Chris managed to get his payback against him by pretending to be one of the producers, in a predictable but good twist. I don't really have strong feelings for Topher one way or the other and I wouldn't mind if he competed again.

8. Dave: And my least favorite character in the whole series is.......Dave! That's right! Dave is the most annoying and infuriating contestant in the whole series! Ugh, seriously, I cannot stand this guy. He was just annoying. He started off okay in the beginning and it was pretty funny when he got irritated by Beardo and Leonard. But he didn't really have that many moments when he clearly shined on his own. All he did was fawn over Sky and act like a complete germophobe. He's pretty much the normal guy and that's the extent of his personality. Starting from Three Zones and a Baby, he becomes so desperate to make up with Sky that he begins to act insane and especially like a jerk (clearly evident in Hurl and Go Seek). And he acts like such a cry baby when he gets rejected. That's not how a teenage boy would react when getting rejected. A normal guy would just stay strong and move on. Dave takes it in such an immature fashion and he starts whining and crying so much to the point that he becomes grating to sit through. Not to mention acting like a complete psychopath in the finale. His anger should be understandable, but I don't feel any remorse for him. I thought this guy was just annoying. He's pretty much equivalent to Spongebob in A Day Without Tears. I hope the writers make him less annoying in the next season he competes in.

9. Scarlett: I adored Scarlett in this season. She started off as the quiet, but harmless nerd. I really liked seeing her display her intelligence throughout the series and she actually did more than what I remembered in my first watch. I thought her build-up as a villain was really brilliant and I'm very surprised that the writers didn't think of this idea before. She ironically knows how to be more evil than Max, which makes the twist even more great and hilarious. Her evil design looks awesome and she had a pretty diabolical plan in Scarlett Fever, which I thought was very well done. Although her downfall was a mistake that could have been avoidable, she was fun while she lasted and I hope that I get to see her again and this time, doing more evil things. I was very baffled as to how we never saw her in the finale though.

10. Max: Much like Ella, I was expecting this combination of Dexter, Denzel Crocker, Dr. Doofenschmirtz, Sierra, Cody, Magilla Gorilla, and the short villain from Underdog to irritate me a lot. But surprisingly, this guy was absolutely HILARIOUS. I just loved his evil laugh and how he would always say, "eeeeevil". He also showed how weak of a villain he really is when Scarlett knew how to be more evil than him, which was pretty ironic. The way he showed his sweet side in Three Zones and a Baby was very hilarious and it was pretty great how he outsmarted Scarlett in Scarlett Fever. His screentime on this season was great, the amount of comedy he delivered on screen was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to seeing him again in future seasons to come.

11. Jasmine: Jasmine is easily one of my favorite characters this season. One question I have about her is why she is so tall. I was scared we were going to get another Dakotazoid! Anyways, I loved this character. I love Aussie people. I think they're really cool. She had great development in this season. She was a great leader who had great survival skills and strategy up her sleeve. She was very sweet and has a good heart and is always willing to stand up for her friends. She has a very tough side, especially when it comes to the heartbreak she suffered from Shawn. She also shows to have some weaknesses, like claustrophobia and sometimes coming off as a bit intimidating. But despite her weaknesses, she is a very strong and likable character. I can't wait to see her again in a future season and I can see her as a great contender for the million dollars.

12. Sugar: Oh yeah, Sugar haters! Come at me! I actually love Sugar and she's my favorite contestant of the season! Yeah, come at me with torches and pitchforks, but I actually like this character a lot! Yes, she's gross and she's vile. But on the other hand, she's weird, she's bizarre, she's emotional, she's totally out of control. But you know what? That makes her even more funny and more of an interesting character. She has the weirdest sayings and she has weird views of romance (slaughtering goats??). She also has the stomach of a raccoon to chow down a lot of Juggy Chunks and a live tarantula! She also came up with a weird combination of country and rap! You know what? That was hilarious! She was definitely a different character and along with her jokes, she also pulled some pretty strategic moves, like trying to sabotage Sky and Jasmine. She was also a great competitor and won several challenges for herself. She's a pretty interesting and funny character and I hope to see her again next time.

13. Sky: Sky was definitely an improvement compared to Zoey. Her athletic skills are actually explainable and her main focus is on the million dollars. She doesn't want anyone to get in the way of her winning the million. I like how determined and perseverant she is. She's a dedicated athlete and leader and she's never afraid of hard work. But I don't like her as much as everyone else does, because I don't find her that interesting. She's an athlete, she burps a lot, she has a thing for Dave, and that's pretty much it. I wish she interacted a bit more with the other characters aside from Dave. But I guess you have to take what you get. Despite that dumb moment in Lies, Cries, and One Big Prize, she was a pretty decent character and I hope she's more interesting in the next season she competes in.

14. Shawn: Shawn is a really cool character. He has some pretty wicked survival skills and he had his fair share of great moments, like snot-rocketing his whole team, sleeping with both eyes open, his unforgettable armpit serenade, and his destruction of the Chris bots. Not only that, but he also shows to have a good heart, especially the ways he sticks up for Jasmine, despite his obsession. He was definitely a different character and I've actually never seen a character be paranoid about the zombie apocalypse before. Aside from messing up with Jasmine a few times, I really enjoyed him this season and he's probably my fourth favorite character of the season (behind Sugar, Jasmine, and Scarlett respectively). I admired the diversity the writers contributed with this character and I think they pulled it off nicely here.

Overall, while some of the characters were hit-or-miss, I did like the efforts that the writers put in to mix up the cast a little bit. I applaud their efforts, but I would like it if they made the contestants less gimmicky and added more dimensions to their personalities. If they took this track, I think the contestants would be even better. Now, let's talk about the character interactions.

Character Interactions:

1. Jasmine and Shawn: Probably one of my favorite couples of the series. Their interactions throughout the series were very sweet and I did like the gradual development that was put in with this relationship. It also led to some great development from the two of them. Jasmine learned to be more stronger and more independent, and Shawn learned to think more with his heart and less with his zombie instincts. It was great seeing the two of them stick up for each other and I'm glad that despite the rocky path that they endured this season, they managed to end up together in the end. They were a pleasure to watch and I am eager to see them again in the future.

2. Dave and Sky: This was definitely a lot of fun....I'm kind of glad that Sky didn't hook up with Dave in the end considering how annoying Dave was. They have very poor communication skills, which really baffles me, and they start becoming jerks to each other, like Dave being too desperate to win Sky over and Sky continuous snapping at him and saying that she doesn't want to be in a relationship with him. They were definitely a mess in the finale, though it will be interesting to see how they will interact in the next season they compete in. I wish they interacted more with the other contestants than with each other and I hope their interaction becomes less annoying in the next season.

3. Max and Scarlett: I really liked the interactions between these two. Basically, Max views Scarlett as inferior to him, and Scarlett basically hates his guts for being an idiotic villain and treating her, the smarter one, as the inferior one. I really liked the twist that Scarlett knows how to be more evil than Max and Max even gets scared of Scarlett when she reveals her evil side, which makes the twist even more hilarious. People also thought that those two were all over each other, which was especially hilarious in This Is The Pits. I really hope to see these two again in the future, as their interactions this season were fantastic.

4. Amy and Samey: I felt horrible for Samey because of all the torture she had to go through thanks to Amy. It was awesome seeing Samey stand up for her sister by using the good ol' switcheroo. Too bad her potential to develop on her own was all thrown away in A Blast From The Past. Oh well....I wonder how their conflict is holding up now. They probably still hate each other's guts. That wouldn't surprise me XD.

5. Samey and Jasmine: I really like the connection that these two shared with each other. Basically, they're both social outcasts because Samey's popularity is overrided by Amy's and people find Jasmine intimidating. It was great to see Jasmine encouraging Samey to be more assertive towards her sister and stand up for herself. And it really did pay off in a fantastic twist. Their friendship was nice while it lasted and I hope to see their friendship again in a future season.

6. Sugar and Ella: These two were a very odd, but humorous pair. It was funny when Sugar kept on yelling that she wasn't no runner-up and then got mad at Ella for using pageant talk. And no matter how much Sugar despises her, Ella is still determined to be friends with her and still acts very nice to her nonetheless. I don't think Ella was even aware that Sugar got her eliminated XD. But regardless, their "friendship" was cute while it lasted. Although I was sad that Ella had to go home so early, her musical number made up for it and Sugar definitely pulled a strategic move there. Overall, a pretty decent interaction.

7. Dave and Ella: This interaction was a bit pointless, as it only lasted for two episodes and was never talked about again. I felt bad for Ella when Dave broke her heart, but ehhh, what can you do? Heartbreak happens all the time. I pray for Ella that she finds her prince someday.

8. Sugar and Leonard: It was pretty incredible to see that Sugar has faith in Leonard's power. Also, gotta love her elimination when she yells, "I'm comin' wizard!" Not much to say here. Wonder if Leonard has a thing for Sugar though?

9. Rodney and Jasmine and Amy and Scarlett: Nothing happened. Moving on.

10. Sugar and Sky: So, their interaction didn't really have much focus until Sky Fall. But I thought it was fun while it lasted. Sky wanted to make an alliance and had no choice but to make one with Sugar. Sugar and Sky did share some funny lines and it all went downhill in the same episode when Sugar backstabs Sky. Not to mention that hilarious line when Sky says that she hopes that she and Sugar's mothers don't meet. Though I would've liked to see more of their rivalry, it was fun while it lasted.

11. Chris and Topher: Oh, how could I forget one of the more major interactions in the first half of the season? So, it all started off with Topher being a complete suck-up to Chris and even go so far as to try to take over his hosting duties. While the gag was a bit repetitive, it was nice seeing Chris get some annoyance from Topher after all the terrible things he did in the last two seasons. The twist about Chris being the producer was pretty good and it comes to show that one Chris on the show is quite enough XD. Wonder if Topher will ever get payback against Chris?

Overall, most of the interactions were enjoyable to watch. While there were a few duds in the interactions and while I wished that some interactions had more focus in the season, most of them were written well and it made me come back for more everytime. Alright, let's talk about the episodes!

Episodes:

1. So Uhh, This Is My Team: GOOD

2. I Love You, Grease Pig: GOOD

3. Twinning Isn't Everything: GOOD

4. I Love You, I Love You Knots: GREAT

5. A Blast from the Past: MEH

6. Mo Monkey Mo Problems: GOOD

7. This is the Pits: GOOD

8. Three Zones and a Baby: GOOD

9. Hurl and Go Seek: BAD (moderately)

10. Scarlett Fever: GREAT

11. Sky Fall: GOOD

12. Pahk'd With Talent: GREAT

13. Lies, Cries, and One Big Prize: BAD (severely)

As you can see, this season shares the same statistics as Revenge of the Island: 10 GOOD episodes, 1 MEH episode, and 2 BAD episodes. However, the good episodes here are better than the good episodes in seasons 4 and 5. But the bad episodes were pretty bad. Alright, let's talk about the comedy and the drama.

Comedy/Drama:

There definitely was a good amount of comedy and drama in this episode. Most of the episodes in this season were very hilarious, especially Sugar and Max's moments, some of the over-the-top gags, and several other jokes sprinkled here and there. The comedy almost made me felt like I was watching an older episode again. Most of the plotlines and interactions between the characters were written very well, the season had its fair share of shocking moments (like Ella and Max's eliminations and Scarlett's revelation as a villain), there was some build-up to the more dramatic moments, and I think the writing was much better than last season. I think if the writers continue on this direction by building up moments that amount to something cool and have more jokes that make me laugh every second, I think the show will be much better. Now, the continuity.

Continuity:

I have to admit that the writing here is much better than in Total Drama All-Stars. With the exception of a few things in the finale, the season managed to keep its continuity straight and didn't make any noticeable continuity errors. Everything was played consistently. Not much to be said here. Alright, onto the challenges!

Challenges:

Each challenge was unique in their own way, and I really liked how they made an effort to mix it up a bit. While I wasn't very fond of the challenges in Hurl and Go Seek, Sky Fall, and the finale, all the other challenges were good. The final three challenge was very brilliant and I'm glad that the writers thought up that idea. It was refreshing to see the Truth or Scare challenge, I really liked the greasy obstacle course and the monkey scavenger hunt. Also, the one with stopping Scarlett was probably the best one. Overall, the challenges were good.

How Realistic The Show Was:

I really hate to say it, but this season felt very unrealistic. Probably along the same lines of TDROTI. I find it very bizarre that the writers chose the make the island artificial. I would have preferred it much more if they just stuck with a normal island with no robot nor mechanical stuff. Those elements, especially later in the season, were really distracting from the realistic tone that earlier Total Drama seasons had. This is one of the biggest flaws of this season. I think the writers need to make a normal season at a normal location. I think the robot and radioactive elements are taking things way too far. It's best if they keep things simple and realistic.

Final Thoughts of the Season: 

I'm not going to lie here. This is the hardest season I've ever had to review. I was very torn on what rating to give it. Was it good? Was it bad? Was it meh? Well, one thing I know for sure is that this season is definitely not bad. There's a lot going for it and I think it represents Total Drama pretty well. The characters were pretty enjoyable, the comedy was great, some of the twists and turns were great, the writing was great, the challenges were great. It definitely felt like an improvement compared to TDAS. But, on the other hand, there were some pretty serious flaws with this season, like the unrealistic themes, some of the gimmicky characters, some of the duds in the character interactions, and some challenges which were kind of boring at times. Well, I thought long and hard on what rating to give this season. After thinking about it for a while, I'm going to call it a GOOD season, though pretty close to being a meh season. Listen guys, like I said, I like this season. This is definitely a season I would go back to multiple times in the future, and I'm sure a lot of you feel the same way. But in all honesty, it just didn't live up to all of my expectations. It could have been slightly better. At the same time though, it could've been a lot worse. I do like this season, but there were some things that I wished could've been left out and other things that I wished were added in. Despite not liking this season as much as TDI, TDA, and TDWT, I still like it more than TDROTI and TDAS. Despite the not so good aspects, a lot of the aspects of this season exceeded my expectations and for the most part, I'm glad I saw it. For your reference, here are my seasonal rankings:

1. TDI

2/3. TDA/TDWT (tie)

4. TDPI

5. TDROTI

6. TDAS

In conclusion, I want to thank you guys so much for rewatching the series with me this summer. I really appreciate all the feedback/criticism you guys gave me and I do apologize if I was being a bit unfair in my reviews with a few (hence why I did a re-review of two particular episodes). But I really appreciate all the support and I really cannot wait to watch the Ridonculous Race and the future seasons that Total Drama has in store for us. It's been a pleasure rewatching this series. In fact, I actually enjoyed the series much more in my rewatch, which makes the series even more special to me. Thank you all so much for everything! I hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer and I'll see you all when the Ridonculous Race rolls along. GoGoGadget831, out!