Twenty-two contestants arrive at Camp Wawanakwa, where they discover that they will be spending eight weeks at a run-down summer camp competing for a $100,000 prize. The host divides them into two teams, introduces them to the camp cook, and shows them their first challenge.
Plot[]
The series begins with Chris, the cheerful host of the newest reality show Total Drama, welcoming the audience from Camp Wawanakwa, which is located somewhere in Muskoka, Ontario, and introducing himself. He tells the viewers that twenty-two campers have signed up to spend eight weeks at a summer camp, where they will participate in various challenges every three days, with the winning team receiving a reward. The losing team will have to vote one of their own members off the island at the Campfire Ceremony, where the campers who are safe will receive marshmallows, which is Chris' favorite food. The camper who is voted off will take a walk down the Dock of Shame, take a ride on the Boat of Losers, and leave the island forever. Each week, the number of campers will dwindle, with the final one gaining cheap tabloid fame and earning a small fortune of $100,000, which Chris predicts will be blown in a week. He then tells the audience that any dramatic moments will be caught by cameras on the island. Chris explains that this, along with his deception to the contestants about getting better living conditions at a five-star resort, would make the teens unhappy when they arrived, as seen later in the episode.
At the Dock of Shame, Chris prepares to welcome the first eleven campers. A short and socially awkward girl named Beth is the first to arrive, and she runs up to Chris and gives him a big hug. Before Chris can say anything, she remarks that he seems to be much shorter in person. A sensitive, gentle, and soft-hearted "Mama's Boy" named DJ arrives next and asks if this is the place they are supposed to be and where the hot tub is. Chris dismisses him by saying, "Yo dog, this is it, Camp Wawanakwa!" DJ expresses his frustration that the camp seems to be somewhat different from the application form. A goth girl named Gwen arrives and, after seeing the run-down camp, tells Chris that she did not sign up for this. Chris takes out her contract with a smug smile and tells her that she did. Gwen takes Chris' contract and tears it up, but she gets angry when he brings out more copies. Gwen refuses to stay on the island, but Chris explains that unless she can swim, the only way off is by boat, which has already left, prompting Gwen to call him a jerk.
An exuberant, upbeat, and fun-loving "party animal" named Geoff arrives next, and he happily greets Chris, using the word "man" many times in his conversation, much to Gwen's great annoyance. Lindsay, a textbook dumb blonde girl, arrives next, attracting the attention of all of the boys and telling Chris that he looks familiar; Chris mentions that he is the host of the show, and she immediately recognizes him. Heather, a ruthless, narcissistic, manipulative, and self-centered girl, is the next contestant to arrive, and she is immediately irritated by Beth's enthusiastic greeting and the state of the camp. Duncan, a Grade-A juvenile delinquent, arrives and immediately begins to be confrontational, but Chris reminds him that he is in contact with Duncan's parole officer and that if the show has any problems with him, he could be sent to juvenile prison at any moment. Duncan, on the other hand, seems unconcerned by this. Next is Tyler, a high school sports champion, who arrives on water skis but accidentally crashes into the dock, soaking an already enraged Heather in the process.
Harold, a classic nerd, arrives with a keyboard and is initially taken aback by the state of the camp, but quickly becomes enthused, thinking that the conditions are ideal for his skills, which makes Chris cringe. Trent, a smooth and handsome young man, arrives next and mentions that he saw Chris at a figure skating competition, which Beth confirms that she also saw and claims that one of the contestants dropped his partner on his head and in doing so won immunity, to which Harold says that they were lucky and hopes that he will win immunity as well, to which Lindsay agrees. He comments on how run-down the camp is, then sees Gwen and waves to her, causing her to blush.
Then Bridgette, a sweet, gentle, and caring surfer, arrives with a surfboard, and almost hits the group several times before expressing her disappointment that she will not be able to surf on the island. She soon makes friends with all of the boys and catches Geoff's attention. Noah, a sardonic, antisocial, and pessimistic know-it-all, arrives next and asks Chris if he got the memo he sent out describing a number of his life-threatening allergies, to which Chris awkwardly replies, "I'm sure someone did." When Noah makes a snide remark about his piercings, Duncan pulls his lip and threatens to give him one, which Noah calmly refuses. Leshawna, a big, loud, and proud woman, arrives and talks confidently about winning, but reacts negatively when Harold says she's big and loud. A ditzy, bubbly, and kind-natured girl named Katie and her BFFFL, Sadie, arrive together, excited to be staying at a summer camp.
Ezekiel, a sheltered and home-schooled farm boy, arrives next. When Chris asks him, "What's up?" he responds by pointing to a bird he sees above him and saying, "I think I see a bird," showing his lack of knowledge of modern times by taking the question literally. Knowing that Ezekiel was home-schooled, Chris gives him some advice, telling him to try to keep quiet and avoid getting voted out too early in the game. Cody, a tech-savvy nerd, arrives next and notes that the ladies have already arrived, a pathetic attempt at flirting that is interrupted when Leshawna shushes him. Eva, a tough, aggressive, and temperamental girl, arrives next, obviously irritated and uninterested in her surroundings. Duncan sarcastically tells DJ that Eva is all his because the guys are not interested in her. Suddenly, Owen, an outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic, and not-too-smart boy, arrives and happily shouts that he is psyched to be here before grabbing Chris and giving him a bear hug. After saying how great it is to be there, he struggles to find the right words to explain how he feels, with Gwen helping him to say "awesome" again. Owen enthusiastically asks Gwen if they're going to be on the same team, and Gwen sarcastically replies, "I sure hope so."
A haughty, uptight, and perfectionist nerd named Courtney arrives and greets everyone politely, and as Owen greets her, Justin, a supermodel of irresistible beauty, arrives too, and everyone stares in shock at his incredible good looks. Chris tells Justin that the only reason he's on the show is because of his good looks, which he doesn't mind. Izzy, a happy, energetic, and slightly hyperactive girl, is the last to arrive, but she slips and falls into the lake after hitting her head on the dock. Izzy is pulled from the water by Courtney, but she is unconcerned about the accident and immediately starts asking questions about what they will be doing at the camp. Chris directs the campers to one end of the dock for a group photo now that all of the contestants have arrived. Unfortunately, the dock collapsed under the combined weight of the campers just as the photo is being taken. Chris tells the campers to dry off and meet him at the campfire pit in ten minutes.
Chris tells the campers that this is Camp Wawanakwa, where they will be staying for the next eight weeks, and that the people sitting around them will be their cabin mates, competition, and maybe even friends, so Harold smiles at Duncan, but Duncan raises his fist to threaten him. Chris also says that the last person standing in the contest will win $100,000. Duncan asks for a bunk next to Heather, and she, disgusted, asks if the bunks are co-ed. Chris replies that each team gets a cabin, with the guys sleeping on one side and the girls sleeping on the other. Lindsay mistakenly calls Chris "Kyle" and asks for a lake-view cabin since she's "the prettiest," which is immediately refused. Chris continues to divide the campers into two teams: Gwen, Trent, Heather, Cody, Lindsay, Beth, Katie, Owen, Leshawna, Justin, and Noah form the Screaming Gophers; and Geoff, Bridgette, DJ, Tyler, Sadie, Izzy, Courtney, Ezekiel, Duncan, Eva, and Harold form the Killer Bass.
Katie and Sadie are adamant about being on different teams, but everyone ignores them except Courtney, who inspires Sadie to be brave. Chris mentions that the campers will be recording their thoughts in the outhouse confessional.
Chris |
“ | You will also be able to share your innermost thoughts on tape with video diaries anytime you want. Let the audience at home know what you're really thinking, or just get something off your chest. | ” |
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As the female Gophers unpack, Heather complains that the bunk beds are too much like summer camp, and Gwen sarcastically reminds her that it is a summer camp, potentially being the start of their ongoing conflict later in the series. Cody then enters the girls' cabin and compliments Gwen on how smart she is, to which she responds by reminding him that he should be on the boys' side and kicking him out. Chris also points out the communal bathroom for everyone to use, which confuses Lindsay, who mistakes it for "communion." Chris gives everyone thirty minutes to unpack before meeting him back at the main lodge.
A sudden scream from the Gopher girls' cabin interrupts this statement. Lindsay is standing on a chair inside, screaming in terror at a giant cockroach on the floor. The cockroach crawls toward DJ, who screams and jumps onto one of the bunk beds, completely crushing it, which Gwen later reveals was hers. Several campers struggle to kill the cockroach before Duncan uses an axe to chop it in half. Tyler attempts to impress Lindsay by bragging that he could have done the same thing, even though he did little to help her. Duncan then concludes from their interaction that blondes are often attracted to jocks.
In the main lodge, Chef, the camp's chef and Chris' sidekick in the show, introduces himself and his plan to serve three meals a day, ignoring the campers' requests and complaints about the quality of his food. Beth asks if they'll be getting the major food groups, to which Harold agrees since he gets hypoglycemic if he doesn't eat enough sugar, but an irritated Chef just yells at him to sit down. Chef then asks "scrawny kid" to bring his plate forward, but the slop they're served returns to Chef's spoon. Leshawna tries to be friendly with Eva, but Eva just gives her a blank stare, which surprises Leshawna, who now says ""it's going to be like that"" between them but is scared when Chef calls the next person. Lindsay then tells Chef that her nutritionist told her not to eat any white sugar, white flour, or dairy products, but Chef remains silent and kills a fly with his hand. Lindsay's question is answered instead by Gwen, who says that it shouldn't be a problem. Gwen then goes on to say that she despises being the one to complain on the first day, but she thinks her food has just moved. Chef, with a blank expression on his face, just swings his meat tenderizer at Gwen's dish, and she walks away.
Chris welcomes the contestants to the main lodge while they are still eating. Geoff then asks if they could order a pizza, to which Chef reacts aggressively by throwing a cleaver knife at the wall, which sticks. Chris then announces that the first challenge will start in an hour. Katie is nervous about what the producers will make them do, but DJ assures her that their first task shouldn't be hard. The camera then pans campers lined up on a very high cliff, where DJ immediately changes his mind and starts to panic.
Cast[]
Voice actor | Role(s) |
---|---|
Christian Potenza | Chris |
Sarah Gadon | Beth |
Kristin Fairlie | Bridgette |
Emilie-Claire Barlow | Courtney |
Clé Bennett | Chef Hatchet/DJ |
Peter Oldring | Cody/Ezekiel/Tyler |
Rachel Wilson | Heather |
Drew Nelson | Duncan |
Julia Chantrey | Eva |
Dan Petronijevic | Geoff |
Megan Fahlenbock | Gwen |
Brian Froud | Harold |
Katie Crown | Izzy |
Adam Reid | Justin |
Stephanie Anne Mills | Katie/Lindsay |
Novie Edwards | Leshawna |
Carter Hayden | Noah |
Scott McCord | Owen/Trent |
Lauren Lipson | Sadie |
- A grub on a plate and a cockroach have a line each; however, it is unknown who voiced them.
Elimination Ceremony[]
There was no Elimination Ceremony in this episode.
Still in the running[]
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Trivia[]
General[]
- The order of the campers arriving on the island is: Beth, DJ, Gwen, Geoff, Lindsay, Heather, Duncan, Tyler, Harold, Trent, Bridgette, Noah, Leshawna, Katie and Sadie, Ezekiel, Cody, Eva, Owen, Courtney, Justin, and Izzy.
- The group photo of the campers posing before the dock collapses is used as the main promotional image for the season.
- In the written script for the episode, Courtney was Asian[1]; Heather had a ponytail[2]; and Noah wore glasses[3].
- According to Chris, all of the campers are sixteen years old; according to the script, Chris is twenty-five.[4]
- Since Sierra revealed in Total Drama World Tour that Chris was born in 1978, this would mean that Total Drama Island would take place around 2003 or 2004. However, this could just be another one of Total Drama's infamous timeline inconsistencies or an indicator that Chris' age was never made canon.
- However, Chris says he's thirty in Total Drama: Pahkitew Island. This would mean he was twenty-eight during Total Drama Island, which in turn would take place in 2007.
- When Chris holds the magazines as he mentions that the winner will receive tabloid fame, the prototype designs of Leshawna (later recycled into Leshaniqua) and Duncan (later Cody and then an intern) are on the cover.
- On the Total Drama Island: Totally Interactive! episode page, the episode name is "The Not So Great Outdoors - Part 1." The same name was also used in a Cake Entertainment flyer and on Netflix.
- Chris says that Trent arrived as the ninth camper when he was actually the tenth. In Total Drama Action, Trent reveals that nine is his lucky number and develops an obsession with it.
- The characters who use the confessional in this episode are Chris, Gwen, Lindsay, and Owen.
Continuity[]
- This episode, along with its sequel, is one of three two-part episodes in the series.
- The others are:
- Total Drama Action: "Mutiny on the Soundstage" and "The Aftermath: IV."
- Total Drama World Tour: "Walk Like an Egyptian—Part 1" and "Walk Like an Egyptian—Part 2."
- The others are:
- This is the only first episode of any season that does not have a challenge in it, and is purely an introductory episode.
- This is the first of four episodes in the series in which all twenty-two characters have dialogue.
- The other three are "Not So Happy Campers—Part 2," "Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island," and "Celebrity Manhunt's Total Drama Action Reunion Special."
- There is actually some foreshadowing of most of the relationships on Total Drama Island, such as Gwen and Trent, Bridgette and Geoff, Lindsay and Tyler, Harold and Leshawna, and Izzy and Owen's relationship.
- Coincidentally, the first two campers chosen for each team end up being a couple.
- For the Screaming Gophers, the first two people announced were Trent and Gwen.
- For the Killer Bass, the first two people announced were Geoff and Bridgette.
- The only relationship that is not foreshadowed in any way is Courtney and Duncan.
- Coincidentally, the first two campers chosen for each team end up being a couple.
- Chris' conversation with Ezekiel foreshadows the events of the next episode.
References[]
- Leshawna and Duncan/Cody's prototype designs appear at the top of each corner of the magazines Chris shows at the beginning of the episode.
- Some of Leshawna's dialogue when she arrives on the island is taken from the Camp TV promo, the prototype version of the season.
- She says "What's up?" and declares "Leshawna's in the house." This comment was originally made when she and Lindsay were in the cabins.
- Her getting mad at Harold is similar to when she got mad at Tyler in the promo. She also had similar dialogue, saying, "Excuse me? What did you say to me? Oh, you ain't seen anything yet! I'll show you big, baby!"
- The difference is that in the promo, she actually attacked Tyler, with Gwen (then known as Heather) as the only witness. Here, both DJ and Bridgette stop her from attacking Harold.
- When Chris mentions the horrible food on the island, a giant grub appears and says "Hey now!" The grub appeared in the original promo for the show years ago.
- Just before the cockroach is killed by Duncan, it cries out, "Help me!" a reference to the climax of the 1958 science-fiction horror film, The Fly.
- Trent's reference to Chris appearing on a skating show could be a reference to the fact that Chris' voice actor, Christian Potenza, appeared in a commercial featuring him figure skating. This could be a further reference to Jacques and Josee, the Ice Dancers from The Ridonculous Race.
Goofs[]
- When Chris introduces the show, he says that one camper is eliminated every three days. Later he says there is a campfire ceremony every week. This inconsistency also occurs in other episodes, such as "The Big Sleep," where Courtney mentions they were only there for one day, or "Phobia Factor," where the challenge is right after the previous one.
- This is probably due to the fact that Survivor is a pre-filmed show where they usually vote someone out every 3 days, but the episodes air weekly, months after the show was filmed.
- In the reflection of Heather's sunglasses, DJ's right eye is closer to his left.
- The handprint on Trent's shirt moves from the left side to the right side in this episode.
- Chris states that Trent is the ninth contestant to arrive at the camp, when Trent is actually the tenth to arrive.
- Lindsay and Duncan are not shown when Trent observes the camp.
- When Justin was on the boat, coming to the island, Duncan has two eyebrows.
- In the shot after Gwen gets her food and before Chris enters the lodge, you can see Katie sitting at the Killer Bass table and Sadie sitting at the Screaming Gophers table. Although they were originally on different teams, Sadie was supposed to be on the Killer Bass and Katie was supposed to be on the Gophers before she switched places with Izzy from the Bass. Izzy was correctly seen on the Killer Bass table during the shot.
- There are several scenes where Duncan either has an extra piercing or one of them disappears:
- When he threatens Harold.
- When Chris introduces Bridgette.
- When Geoff asks Chris about ordering pizza.
- When Tyler crashes into the pile of luggage, Leshawna's bags are seen, even though Leshawna hasn't arrived yet.
- When Heather first arrives on the dock, her belly button is missing.
- When Heather first arrives, she is seen with no luggage, but when she and Gwen enter the cabins, she is seen with two suitcases.
- Eva wears her regular outfit in this episode, but when the campers pose for the group photo, she wears her swimsuit.
- Izzy is absent when the Killer Bass receive their team's flag.
- When Izzy hits her chin on the dock, her neck disappears. Also, her bracelet is on her left wrist instead of her right.
- There are several errors in the group picture:
- When Katie asks DJ what he thinks their first challenge will be, she has Sadie's voice.
- In the photo taken after the dock collapsed, Beth is seen without her braces.
- At several points in the episodes, the sign on the dock says "Camp Wawanakwa" instead of just "Wawanakwa."
- Sadie is about the same height as Ezekiel but when everyone is in the campfire pit, she seems smaller.
- When all contestants are lined up in the mess hall, Izzy, Geoff, Bridgette, Katie, Sadie, and Courtney aren't present.
- Also, in the same lineup, the "D" on the DJ's shirt is backwards.
- When the dock collapses, Duncan's arm duplicates for a split second.
- In the same shot, Cody's torso is shown to be drawn irregularly when he's not behind Beth.
Gallery[]
See also[]
- "Not So Happy Campers—Part 1"
- "Not So Happy Campers—Part 2"
- "The Big Sleep"
- "Dodgebrawl"
- "Not Quite Famous"
- "The Sucky Outdoors"
- "Phobia Factor"
- "Up the Creek"
- "Paintball Deer Hunter"
- "If You Can't Take the Heat..."
- "Who Can You Trust?"
- "Basic Straining"
- "X-Treme Torture"
- "Brunch of Disgustingness"
- "No Pain, No Game"
- "Search and Do Not Destroy"
- "Hide and Be Sneaky"
- "That's Off the Chain!"
- "Hook, Line, and Screamer"
- "Wawanakwa Gone Wild!"
- "Trial by Tri-Armed Triathlon"
- "Haute Camp-ture"
- "Camp Castaways"
- "Are We There Yeti?"
- "I Triple Dog Dare You!"
- "The Very Last Episode, Really!"
- "Total Drama, Drama, Drama, Drama Island"
Recap: