The ending is one of
those rare, carefully crafted pieces of cinematic art
that manage to close every plot line in just a couple of minutes. You should
try your best to see the episode, because no description or summary can do it
full justice.
This episode was accompanied by five video podcasts on the Nickelodeon web
site. These podcasts were meant to be teasers for the episode, but are
charming in themselves. Where else do you get to stare so deeply into the
eyes of Victoria, Erin, Matt, Sean, and Christopher? Pick your favorite set
of eyes on their podcast and dive into their mind! Paul Butcher was also
present in each podcast, but strangely - there was no "get into the mind of
Paul" podcast. OK - turn down the music so we can get into the minds of the
others! And - Sean plays guitar before each one.
Finally, this is the first Zoey 101 episode released on DVD. When I get my
copy, I will review supplementary material and post an updated summary.
SUMMARY:
Zoey is outside on a nice day, leaning against a tree, writing an email to her
grandparents on her "pear" computer. She has made almost all A's, but had one
B. Next week is spring break, and she and her friends have been invited to
Logan's house in Santa Barbara. Logan's dad is a TV and movie producer. She
is quite open about Logan - calling him kind of hot, but a jerk.
Chase and Michael are packing in the boys' room. Chase refuses to get into a
discussion of how much underwear Michael should pack. Chase tries to sneak
some cologne into his suitcase while Michael isn't looking, but Michael
notices and kids him about it. Chase's insistence that it is "pimple medicine"
doesn't work - Michael knows it is to impress Zoey. In fact, Michael
tells Chase this will be the perfect romatic location and opportunity for Chase
to tell Zoey that he loves her. Chase shuts him up as Logan enters the room -
he doesn't want people to know. Logan has to leave to retrieve some shampoo
from the bathroom, leaving Chase and Michael alone again. Chase tells Michael
he won't do it - because it would make his friendship with Zoey too awkward.
It's not worth the risk. Michael responds with the Latin phrase "carpe diem" -
"seize the day."
The kids are outside waiting for their ride to Logan's house. Nicole is late
- but soon joins them. Two boys are carrying her bags – she promised them
$10, but decides not to pay them. A van comes up, and everybody is kind of
impressed - but that is just for the luggage. A stretch limo comes up for
them!
Everybody is impressed by Logan's house in Santa Barbara - it wasn't where he
grew up, though. Just the summer house where his father lives now. A British
butler named Chauncy greets them. Chauncy - you get the feeling - is not
thrilled with having the house invaded by teenagers. He has come to show them
to their rooms. Logan tells them to all look nice for supper, there will be
an after dinner surprise!
After dinner, Logan's father Malcolm comes down to greet them. He has an
assistant named Kira. He tells them that the surprise is that he will be
testing the concept for a new reality show - "Gender Defenders," and they will
be the subjects of the test. The show will be a series of contests - mental,
physical, and creative. Furthermore - the winning team will come with
him to Hollywood where they will be on national TV!
Logan comments that we already know which gender is better, which earns him a
painful pinch from Lola. As the rest of the kids start to argue, Logan's dad
stops them with an additional surprise - each of them will be given their own
"Tekmate" - a portable device with a phone, email, text message, MP3, and web.
It is theirs to keep, and they can use it during the competition.
Malcolm has them choose team captains - and in spite of Logan's attempt to
usurp it, the boys choose Chase and the girls choose Zoey. Kira gives each
team captain a copy of the rules, which they should review alone together
that night. Michael pulls Chase aside – and reminds him that it will be
just Chase and Zoey, in
the dark, a perfect time!
Chase shows up outside first. After a little mocking exchange with Chauncy -
which makes Chauncy even more hostile - Michael text messages Chase. It turns
out that Michael is watching from a balcony, and he puts the pressure on Chase
to tell Zoey. Chase messages back that "if I tell Zoey I love her it could
wreck our friendship." Zoey shows up, and Chase has to send the message and
hurriedly close the Tekmate. He waves Michael off and they start going over
the rules.
Quinn has brought a complete chemistry set with her, and is busily working in
the kitchen. Nicole shows up and asks her what she is doing. Quinn tells her
that she is working on a new, all natural energy drink named FRAZZ that will
be 17 times stronger than anything else on the market. It isn't quite ready -
it is too powerful. She needs to find a way to dilute it without ruining the
taste. Dustin shows up, and Nicole invites them to the hot tub. Dustin says
no - he just wants to get some juice, then go to bed. After Quinn and Nicole
leave, he sees the bottle of Frazz on the counter and drinks it. A sip at
first, then more enthusiastically as he gets a charge of energy!
Next we see Dustin on the stair machine in the fitness center - loving the
stairs and hyper!
The next morning, Chase is up early, drowsily watching cartoons. Michael joins
him and asks him about last night - did he tell Zoey? Chase is getting more
than a bit irritated - and asks, didn't he read the text message? Michael
never got the message, so Chase shows him the Tekmate where he sent it. But -
Chase didn't send the message to Michael - he sent it to ZOEY! Chase
absolutely panics - and
Michael tries to calm him down.
(after a break)
Chase is still hysterical - telling Zoey in a text message is not what he had
in mind! Michael injects some reason - he looks at the Tekmate again, and the
message hasn't been read. Zoey hasn't seen it yet, so Chase still has a
chance - if he can get to Zoey's Tekmate and delete the message.
Chauncy appears, and
Chase asks him where Zoey is. Zoey is having
breakfast, and Chase rushes to the kitchen to implement his plan.
Lola and Zoey are having breakfast and discussing the house. Chase gets on
his hands and knees, and quietly creeps up to Zoey to get her Tekmate - which
is on her belt. Quinn comes in - and sees that the Frazz is all gone. Logan
and Michael come in, and ask if anybody has seen Dustin, because he never
slept in his bed last night. Quinn puts it together and realizes that
Dustin was the one who got hold of the Frazz. Everybody but Michael
rushes out - just before Chase can grab Zoey's Tekmate! Michael is content
to snack on Zoey and Lola's breakfast when - Chase grabs him by the leg!
He was "this close"
(gesturing) - then he got Frazzed!
Everybody is searching the house for Dustin. Rather ominously - Quinn checks
inside a chest. Zoey and Quinn finally find him - still on the stair machine!!!
Quinn says the obvious - he drank it. Dustin has been on the stair machine
all night, and has climbed over 22000 steps! Zoey is alarmed and asks what
was in the Frazz - and Quinn reassures her that it was all natural. That
doesn't reassure Zoey who
wants to know how long it will last – and Quinn
doesn't know if it will be a few hours or a few days. Logan joins them - they
are about to start the first event. Dustin is pumped about it and just as
hyper as last night - rushing off while the others follow.
Everybody is outside for the first challenge. Malcolm is there with Kira
and three judges. He gives them the rules - this test will be mental. There
is a safe for each team, and the combination will be discovered in a scavenger
hunt. The team captains will stay at the safes, and the first clue is on the
safe. Whoever brings him the item in the safe first will win.
While Malcolm is talking, Chase succeeds in taking Zoey's Tekmate and erasing
the message. But - he can't get it back on her belt before the competition
begins. He slips it in his pocket.
The boys' clue points to milk in the refrigerator. The girls' clue to Lola's
pillow - and they are off! Chase calls to Michael that he has a problem - but
Michael is busy running off with the others.
The girls get their first number, and the next clue sends them to the
microwave. The boys get
theirs, and the next clue sends them to a pet rabbit.
The boys get their number, and the final clue is on a swing. The girls get
the same clue - but on a different color swing. Both groups rush to the swing
set.
The girls get there first, get the final number. They think of who is the
fastest runner, but Quinn brings up her extra toe. But - Zoey has the Tekmate
and they can call her with the combination! Only - they don't know Zoey
doesn't have her Tekmate.
The boys get there - get their final number - and send the hyper Dustin to
Chase with the combination.
Dustin arrives first, and Chase opens the safe. Inside is a glass of iced tea
- which they deliver to Malcolm. The boys win!
The girls show up - unaware that the boys have already won. When they find
out that Zoey didn't have her Tekmate, they call it. It rings in Chase's
pocket! Chase tells Zoey that he found it - but all of the girls including
Zoey are convinced he took it to cheat. Chase insists he didn't cheat - and
Zoey will believe him. All he has to do is tell her why he took her Tekmate.
He won't tell, and the girls leave, mad. Kira asks if the boys should be
disqualified, but Malcolm won't disqualify his son's team.
Chase finds Zoey later and tries to convince her he didn't cheat. But she is
still mad, and all of the girls think he cheated. She wants the truth! But
when Chase still doesn't tell her, she says that honest people don't hide
things, and walks off. This is where the preview scene appears - with Chase
asking - "so does this mean we aren't friends any more?" and Zoey giving him
an enigmatic stare in return, before walking off.
Event 2 is creative - "nerd makeovers." The boys get a nerd named Marty and
the girls a nerd named Nelson. Both teams have makeover supplies and clothes.
Both nerds get a hose down shower - then hair gel, eyebrow plucking, nose hair
trim - and new outfits. Butterfly magazines and Rubik's cubes are discarded -
and the results are good for both teams. But - the girls win. Dustin is
still "Frazzed."
The tiebreaker will be a physical challenge - the "Aqua Battle." Each team
captain stands on a platform in the middle of a pool, and tries to knock the
other off with a padded baton. Other team members shoot water at the opponent.
The first team captain who falls twice loses. Zoey is first to fall, Chase
second. But on the third battle, Chase knocks Zoey's baton out of her hands -
she is helpless. Instead of quickly pushing her in, Chase purposely falls
off himself. The girls win the event and the game! Quinn, Nicole, and Lola
jump in to celebrate with Zoey. Logan is furious - and Chase just says that
he slipped. But Zoey
knows different.
There is a celebration dinner with a DJ. Chase tries to engage Zoey in light
conversation - but she will have none of it. Mr. Reese has another surprise -
and Quinn thinks he is trying to get out of having the girls on the show. She
threatens him with a lawyer. But - Mr. Reese assures her that they will be on
the show - in fact both teams will! The whole competition has been filmed by
hidden camera!
Back at PCA, the big day has arrived. Gender Defenders will be on in 4
minutes, and everybody is gathering to watch. Zoey is not in a good mood.
Chase isn't there, and she asks where he is. Michael said he is by the
fountain - he's not coming. Dustin comes in, still Frazzed! Lola asks when
it wear off, but Dustin collapses in Quinn's lap. It wore off!
Chase is by the fountain, and Zoey joins him. The conversation is awkward,
but Chase decides to explain about the message. His explanation is 100%
accurate, but he leaves out what was in the message. Zoey understands - but
asks if it was something mean about her. Chase assures her that he would
never write anything mean. So Zoey asks what the message was. Chase would
rather not say, but Zoey now has her curiosity aroused - there is no
discouraging her. As he is about to lay it on the line - all of the others
come to get them: the show is about to start and they will not let them miss
it.
The show starts with the credits - and all of them are in there, everybody
cheers for each one. But Chase's eyes are on Zoey - not the TV set. He
remembers Michael's advice, and gets out his Tekmate to text message Zoey. He
sends "the message was I LOVE YOU." Knowing what is at stake, he sends. But,
Zoey's Tekmate is not on her belt. She lost it by the fountain. As the
vibrate mode comes on, it pushes it closer and closer to the edge of the
fountain, and it eventually falls in - and Chase's message fades from the
display.
CLOSING LINE:
Logan: "Now THAT's a dork!"
NOTES:
We learn an interesting detail of Zoey's family - she has one set of
grandparents (at least)
that are alive. We do not know if they are maternal
or paternal grandparents, but we do know that they are "cool" – she can talk
about "hot guys" with them, without fear that they will be offended.
The house in Santa Barbara is actually near Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Chase's concern that Logan will find out he loves Zoey is misplaced. Logan
has known for a long time (School Dance from season 1).
Michael takes Latin, but gets a phrase wrong. Carpe doom does not mean
stupid. The Latin word for stupid is "stultus."
I was surprised when Nicole stiffed two boys carrying her bags. That seems
out of character for the charming Nicole. I guess nobody deserves to be
perfect.
We find out in a behind the scenes segment that the limo has a jacuzzi!
We never see Logan's mother.
Malcolm Reese's assistant is named Kira. Kira is also the name of the
assistant in "Rugrats in Paris."
I saw the "Tekmate" (not called that) in the mall. It is $250, so Dan shelled
out an incredible two thousand dollars for them! At least one is not returnable,
either!
Chase is not particularly a fast thinker. All could have been resolved at the
safes if he simply handed Zoey the Tekmate - saying "here, you dropped this."
But that would have made a fairly boring story.
Quinn mentions her six toes again. I will have to double check the last scene
of "Girls will be Boys" to see if Quinn indeed has six toes!
The girls could have as easily phoned Zoey - which would have been quicker
than texting. But - that would have complicated the plot.
Latin is introduced again in the "Aqua Battle." Aqua is Latin for "water."
Nicole is not the only one with an uncle who is a lawyer. Quinn also has an
uncle who is a lawyer.
Lola's last name is changed from "Camacho" to "Martinez" in the credits of
Gender Defenders. The following information comes from Kathy Sanders -
Erin's mom: "It's kind of funny... 'Camacho' comes from Omar Camacho, who is
one of the Nickelodeon executives. 'Pensky' (as in Quinn Pensky) comes from
Teri Pensky, who is one of the production assistants on the set. 'Lisa
Lillien' (the girl who, in 'Spring Break-Up,' Michael said he had liked in the
past and that she had nice teeth, is actually Dan's wife Lisa's maiden name!
The lop-eared bunny, Cookie, who appears in 'Spring Break-Up' is actually Dan
and Lisa's bunny! So many elements of Zoey are 'personal' - it's really a
labor of love."
SYMBOLISM ALERT: As the movie closes, we hear the piano version of the Zoey
101 theme again. This was also played at the end of School Dance - when Chase
and Zoey had a fight. In School Dance, it faded back to the full version of
the theme. This time - it did not. If the piano version symbolizes unresolved
conflict - then it symbolizes the unresolved conflict between Zoey and Chase.
Zoey is not the sort of person to let this matter drop. Chase will have to
eventually confide in her.