Total Drama Review Week 41: Dial M For Merger

This is just a really great episode all around. I don’t have a lot of negatives for this one, honestly. This might be the best merge episode the show has ever done, taking into account the seasons I haven’t even reviewed yet. Where do I even start with this episode?

First off, the spy theme is great. You can tell that Chris is really into it, while the others are beyond confused. His attempt at a Russian accent is pathetic in all the best ways and continues this season’s theme of hinting at Chris’s acting background. It’s easy to see why he ended up hosting a reality show and not winning Gemmy awards (don’t worry you’ll get that eventually) or Oscars.  The one thing I don’t get about the cave dungeon scene is, did they really never expect to merge? There was a merge last season, why wouldn’t this season have one? On the bright side though, that gave us one of my favorite moments in the franchise: the 6Teen reference.  Both shows were made by the same studio, and seeing this little nod just felt so satisfying. If you listen to the podcast you know Michelle is a huge fan of 6Teen, and I think she’ll really enjoy this moment.

The challenges in this episode led to a lot of character development, especially from Courtney. The whole thing was set up that whoever won the first challenge would hold all the power for the rest of the episode, and having Courtney win made perfect since, as we know she can easily get power hungry. It’s just like her to make that 50/50 deal, and although it ended by the end, we now know what lengths she’s willing to go to win. Beth and Lindsey are as adorable as ever in this episode, with Lindsey’s forever and eternity speech being legitimately sweet. The alliance of the Gaffers seems to finally fall into place, mostly because they have no other choice. The biggest development from this episode though is of course Justin. His decision to rely on his brain is hilarious and at the same time makes him a competitor again. For a while he was just skating by, but now he’s actually in it to win. Also, you can’t help but love watching him trying to be smart.

This is such a well paced and well written episode, and is one of my favorites. I give it a 9.5/10 for being such a good merge. See you all next week!

Justin Cummings

I'm currently studying Communication at Lynchburg College with an emphasis in Electronic Media and a double minor in business and gender studies. I've been a huge fan of animation since I was little and thus have very eclectic tastes. Outside of animation I love Survivor, comic books, and a whole treasure trove of other things.

Tags: total drama