Tyler Should’ve Gotten More of a Chance in Total Drama Island
“Oh, you’re going down! We’re gonna bring the dinner to the table, and then we’re gonna eat it!” -Tyler, Total Drama Island (Dodgebrawl)
I talked about this show a while back, but I can’t believe I’m talking about again, especially so soon. What can I say, guys? I just can’t help myself; this show really impacted both as a child and now. The characters are so memorable and fun to watch, and the challenges (well, most of them) are exciting and dramatic, for lack of a better term. My only gripe with the show really is (other than the unnecessary love triangle between Courtney, Duncan, and Gwen in World Tour) that some of these characters deserved more chances to prove themselves in the show. One of those characters I’m talking about is Tyler, the clumsy jock.
We get our first glimpse of Tyler’s character on the very first episode. He’s a clumsy jock who tries to impress everyone but ends up failing. For example, when Lindsay screams at the sight of a cockroach as does everyone else (even Tyler). After that, Tyler tells Lindsay that if she ever sees another cockroach, he’ll save her and kill it… after Duncan had already killed it with an ax. Lindsay accepts this request with open arms and ends up hooking up with Tyler later on in the series… and she seems to be the only one who shows any positive attitude towards him.
Yeah, it’s a shame Tyler didn’t get the love he deserved because I see a lot of potential in his character. In fact, I see a lot of potential in almost every character except Katie and Sadie (but that’s another story for another time). Let’s bring up the episode where he gets eliminated from Total Drama Island- “Phobia Factor”. In that episode, Tyler admits that chickens are his worst fear. Sure enough, he has to sit in a chicken pen for three minutes, in which he rocks back and forth in the fetal position. So yeah, it’s pretty easy to see why he got eliminated in that episode.
Here’s the thing, though- Tyler was not the only one who didn’t technically face his worst fear. Bridgette was supposed to be alone in the woods for six hours but only stayed there for two, and Courtney didn’t even try to jump into the pool filled with green jelly. If anything, I think Courtney should’ve been eliminated in this episode. At least Bridgette and Tyler tried overcoming their worst fears. And, by a technical standpoint, Tyler was only supposed to sit in the chicken pen for three minutes, so he technically did overcome his fear of chickens.
“But if Courtney had been eliminated in ‘Phobia Factor’ instead of Tyler, then we wouldn’t have had her character development and her relationship with Duncan.” you’re probably saying. And you’re right. As much as I don’t like Courtney (and I should’ve made this more obvious in my previous post about Total Drama), she is necessary for the drama in Total Drama, especially when it comes to her relationship with Duncan.
So, how would I keep Tyler in the show? I had a hard time figuring out what I would do with this character at first. I wanted to keep Tyler in the show, but I also needed to keep the authentic drama when it comes to Duncan and Courtney’s relationship. It felt like a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. Then, I read a YouTube comment on some video that basically said something like this-
Why don’t we eliminate Sadie instead of Tyler in “Phobia Factor”? Sadie has been nothing but a filler character until her elimination after Katie had been eliminated. In “Phobia Factor”, Sadie could have the same worst fear, but she wouldn’t go for it, saying she couldn’t do it without Katie being with her. That way, everyone would eliminate Sadie instead of Tyler, and Tyler would get another chance.
That clicked in my head and inspired me to write this post. It was genius! After all, Sadie was a filler character from right after Katie’s elimination up until her own elimination. What did Sadie do between that time? Nothing. Meanwhile, Tyler could add so much more comedic value, and the apple-slingshot challenge in the episode “Who Can You Trust?” fits Tyler’s athletic incompetence and his arrogance at said skills. Plus, it would be a valid reason to eliminate Tyler and fit Courtney’s thirst for revenge at the same time! It’s pure genius!
And that, my fellow campers, is why Tyler should’ve gotten more of a chance in Total Drama Island. Will I make yet another article about this series, or will I write about something else for once? Tune in next time for Total Drama Something!
