| The Secret Ingredient | |
| Season 1.5, Episode 10 | |
| First Published | November 5, 2008 |
| Challenge(s) | Consume disgusting food. |
| Winner(s) | Chef's Surprise and Catch of the Day |
| Eliminated | Katie. |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous "Animals Crossing" |
next "Kart Karnage" |
The fourteen remaining contestants must prepare a food item that includes an ingredient beginning with a certain letter of the alphabet. However, one contestant's cooking sends its recipient straight to the emergency room. Who could have done this?
Plot[]
The episode starts off with Harold sick in the medical tent, and Leshawna hijacking the Boat of Losers to see him. Ezekiel, watching over him, begins to tell her what exactly happened that day.
After playing a game of touch football, the contestants are called in to the next challenge, 'E' is For Eating. The key to the game is to have the contestants all pick a random ingredient for something to be added to another contestant's food. Those who cannot eat what is given to them are eliminated, and the first two teams to have everyone eliminated have to vote someone off.
Throughout the challenge, most of the contestants remain strong, especially Harold, who has allergies that spare him from having to eat some of the foods. At one point, Chef Hatchet loses the sheets that say what the allergies are, and someone, unknown to the audience at the time, finds it and discovers Harold's biggest allergy: gummi slugs. When the person blended the treats up and added them to all the soup bowls, Harold suffered a serious reaction that could have killed him, if it wasn't for Bridgette and Noah quick thinking that saved him, while Chef fainted.
When Harold is unable to walk, crippled again by the allergy like he had been the first time, the contestants try to find out who could have done it: Beth, Courtney, Duncan, or Heather. Eventually, Katie nominates herself to be voted off, not only so she can be with Sadie again, but so the others can find out who spiked the soup with gummi slugs.
Sure enough, when Katie left, Courtney exploded. After all her efforts to have Harold, who was now in a wheelchair, eliminated and to have revenge, she lost it when this passed by. All of the campers were arguing, save Bridgette who was in tears over the betrayal she felt. Courtney stormed away from the others in her anger, but Ezekiel brought her back for an explanation.
Courtney told the others that her personal life, at school and with family, had fallen because of the indignity she had suffered on the island. She was losing political races, taunted by her peers, and her parents were upset with her over the whole show. Harold explained that the reason he rigged the votes to kick her off was because he knew Duncan wouldn't care about being eliminated, but he would if someone he liked were eliminated. After apologizing to each other, Harold and Courtney embraced for a hug.
To close the episode, Courtney made sure that Gwen knew the truth about last episode, in which Cody was framed for voting Trent off. When the proof was brought before her, Gwen apologized to Cody for what she had done. Izzy, jubilant over the events, tried to get Ezekiel and Heather to kiss, with the queen bee running from him.
Votes[]
Harold: Katie
Bridgette: Katie
Katie: Katie
Cody: Katie
Ezekiel: Katie
Gwen: Harold
Izzy: Harold
Beth: Beth
...
Katie: 5
Harold: 2
Beth: 1
Quotes[]
- Ezekiel - [picking his nose] "I cannot help it, eh! There's no moor' tissues on this island, and doo'nt want the girls to see me pickin' my nose!"
- Chris - "Your letter is F, people, so get out there and get those F'ing ingredients!"
- Harold - "Should've done it then... gosh. Should've done it then."
Cody - "I should have been more into that challenge. If I had given it my all... none of this would have happened."
Courtney - "I couldn't believe what had happened by the end of this challenge! It was the very definition of insanity!"
Tyler - "... I wonder what Chris meant when he said he'd show these confessions earlier in the show to bring up tension. That'd be mean to the poor viewers."
Confessional Catch Phrases[]
1. In pure druidic nature
2. Where the hunter is hunted
3. A real warrior for confessions
4. Just like at church, only it's venting
5. A rouge element
6. It's like death at night, We're not sure how, though
7. Earlier that day in the confession cam
8. Do I smell bacon
9. Do I smell sticky buns?
10. Do I smell Turkey
11. Do I smell Toast
12. Do I smell trouble
13. Do I smell something burning?
14. As seen in reviews
15. Will the real Confession cam please stand up?
16. Bigger than a voting booth, less private
17. Missing for some time, but now back
Trivia[]
- This episode marks the end of the rivalry between Harold and Courtney.
- In addition, this episode brings to light Harold's food allergies, including his allergic reaction to Gummi Slugs (as revealed on the official Total Drama Island website).
- The letters of the alphabet that were represented are B, C, F, G, I, J, M, O, P, S, and W.
- Groucho the Duck makes an appearance stealing the allergy papers, thinking they were information on terrorists; why the normally smart bird thinks Chef would have those is a mystery.
- Beth and Ezekiel are revealed to hate olives, something that TDI Charlie Brown has also made look intensively distasteful in his story, You're on Total Drama Island, Charlie Brown!.