| “ | This is all pretty expected from a Camp Campbell camper; poor leadership, overconfidence, and general half-assery. I can't say I'm surprised. | ” |
"Follow the Leader" is the 6th episode of the fourth season of Camp Camp, and is the 46th episode overall. It premiered July 6th, 2019 on the on the RT FIRST site, and July 13th, 2019 on the the Rooster Teeth website.
Official Synopsis[]
| “ | Max, Pikeman, and Sasha are forced to work together to acquire a lost package for Campbell, putting their leadership skills to the test. | ” |
—Episode description | ||
Plot[]
Up in the sky and over the lake, a drone carrying a box labeled "Scamazon" approaches an impatient Cameron Campbell, who says the delivery shouldn't have taken so long because he's a "Scamazon Crime" member. A rogue dodgeball comes soaring through the sky and crashes into the drone, causing it to fall into the lake and the package to land somewhere on Spooky Island. Campbell calls the drone a piece of junk, and wonders how he's gonna get his package now. Out at the activities field, the campers are shown to be in an all-out dodgeball brawl with the Wood Scouts and the Flower Scouts, ducking and throwing balls. Pikeman stands at the edge of the field, cackling to himself, "when we win this game of dodgeball, Camp Campbell will finally be ours!" His maniacal laughter is interrupted by Campbell taking the ball out of his hands, saying, "boring, we're not doing this anymore," and tossing it aside. The campers gather around and Campbell says the new activity is going to be a search and rescue mission on Spooky Island instead. Nikki is excited and asks if they're rescuing a puppy or a wild animal, but Campbell says it's "even better; a cardboard box." Nikki seems impressed but Max says "no thanks" to fetching Campbell's stuff. Campbell attempts to lure the campers with a prize at the end, and Max says he'll pass if it's an extra pudding cup at lunch. "Meh, suit yourself. I guess everyone else will get to compete for something from the... Box Of Confiscated Items," Campbell says with a devious smirk. The campers gasp, and Nikki says she thought the box was just a myth, like the tooth fairy or the possibility of David owning a second shirt. Campbell states that it is indeed real, and is the one shared resource between the three camps of Lake Lilac, filled with generations of illegal contraband. And also lots of Pokemon cards. Pikeman asks if he even has authorization to access the BOCI, and Campbell asks if he's willing to risk it to find out. Max pipes up to clarify that he would indeed get anything he wants from the box if he runs the errand, "including, say, a certain illegal Columbian firework that a certain someone had to fork up when they first got to this godforsaken camp?" Campbell says "sure whatever" and starts telling him something important, but realizes that Max is gone. Neil informs him that Max is halfway across the lake right now, and he is shown rowing fast and furious inside a rowboat in the direction of Spooky Island.
Some time later, a group has arrived on the island to search for the package, consisting of Nikki, Neil, Nerris, Harrison, Space Kid, Tabii, and Petrol. To make small talk, Harrison asks Petrol what he's gonna get from the box, and is met with a shrug and a grunt. Space Kid says he's gonna ask for a new helmet, and is told by Neil that the box is not a genie. Tabii begins whining about the search taking hours and is ready to give up, all the while trying to reach for Neil as he backs away. Nikki agrees, saying it's getting pretty late, "though it's hard to tell on this permanently dark island." Neil leads the group away, saying that his confiscated test mice are all probably dead by now.
Out in the brush, Max continues his search. Sasha and Pikeman emerge from the bushes and Max tells them to get out of his area, as he doesn't want the others to find out about it. Sasha tells him the other kids left already, and Pikeman says it's just the three of them now. Max calls his fellow campers quitters, but says he'll take it from here and handwaves them off, saying they can leave. Sasha says she needs her confiscated bottle of Cindy Crawford shampoo, because they don't make that stuff anymore, adding that she shouldn't have to suffer because "some weak-ass bitches got their scalps burnt off." Max says the prize is his, Pikeman says he'll claim it first, and Sasha says "in your dreams!" They each pull a weapon on each other and stand in a circle, managing to brandish their weapons at each opponent simultaneously. Pikeman has a slingshot, Max has a tree branch, and Sasha has a high heel sharpened like a knife. Max says they appear to be at a stalemate... and then spend 5 whole days in the exact same stance, not even breaking for food or sleep. Finally, Max decides that this is ridiculous and they can't keep standing like this, with Sasha and Pikeman saying they can stand like this forever, and then some. Max clarifies they won't be able to get the prize if they don't even go looking for the box, and Pikeman relents that this is sensible. Max states that since they obviously don't trust each other, they all have to go looking together, and the other two reluctantly agree. They all try to take the lead and simultaneously say "follow me", and stop upon realizing that everyone said the same thing. "Gross, I don't DO following," says Max, and Sasha says everyone at her camp follows her like a freaking queen. Pikeman states this isn't England, this is America, where men take charge. Max says no one can lead since they don't even know where they're going, and grabs onto the binoculars hanging from Pikeman's neck to try and get a look around. He screeches that he's being attacked while ordering Sasha to help and she's grossed out, saying she's way out of his league. Max tells him to calm down since he's only looking for the package, and Pikeman says he'd need night-vision goggles for the job. Upon being asked if he has any, Pikeman says that he has one in the BOCI, and thus wants to get them back, along with his Yugoslavian army knife. Sasha reaches for the binoculars and tells them to just let her do it, since Max isn't even looking upwards. He dodges her advance and points the lenses upward, immediately spotting the Scamazon box sitting atop the roof of Campbell's abandoned summer home. He then leads the group onward.
Meanwhile at Camp Campbell, Neil is standing at the edge of a large hole that Nikki has dug. From below, she claims she's dug through the center of the earth, but hasn't found anything to do with China except for an old egg roll. She asks why he let her do this, and Neil says it's a lesson she needed to learn on her own. She says that Max would've talked her out of something this stupid, then wonders where he is. Neil shrugs saying he hasn't seen Max in days. After a pause, she asks if she should keep digging, and he says if she has to ask then she hasn't learned yet.
Back in the forest, Max uncertainly tells the group "it's that way", while pointing forward. Pikeman says Max had said that an hour ago, and Sasha informs him that if he's lying to impress her it won't work, and that he has to be at least a foot taller to get her interested. Max declares that he is sure, and that maybe the building moved or something. Pikeman says he isn't surprised, as the "poor leadership, overconfidence, and general half-assery" here is completely expected of a Camp Campbell camper. Max grumpily asks what he'd suggest, and Pikeman says a mission like this should not rely on the fragility of human memory; rather, his trusted compass will take them in the direction they're meant to go. Sasha asks if that's an "old-timey GPS" and Pikeman tells them to follow him as they head north, as this will mean they'll make it to their destination by daybreak. Max asks if Pikeman even knows what he's talking about, and he says that a good scout knows how to read the directions that nature has given him... right before stepping off a small ledge and landing face-first into a field of greenery. He sits up looking very pink in the face, asking for help as he believes he's dying. Sasha identifies the plant as "toxicodendron radicans, commonly known as poison ivy." Pikeman momentarily freaks out about the word 'poison' but then boasts that this is where he meant to go, as a good scout will start any mission by immunizing themselves - but the pain and itching prevent him from talking further. Sasha grabs some plants nearby and squishes them into a paste on top of a rock. She hands the rock to Pikeman and says to apply it to his face to stop the itching, though it won't cure his natural ugliness. He is amazed at how smooth his face feels, and Max asks in awe how she did that. Sasha says it's basic herbology and that she saves a ton of money by making her own anti-aging cream. "Aren't you 10?" Max asks, while Sasha flips her hair aside and says, "that's what you think." Sasha and Max offer their hands to help Pikeman out of the pit, while he declares that his brilliant leadership prompted them to work together. The duo promptly drop him, unimpressed, and Sasha informs the boys that she'll be heading away from the shrubbery, so they can follow her if they want.
After walking for a while, Sasha stops and asks what that sound is. Pikeman asks "what sound?" and Sasha tells him it's the sound of no one complimenting her, as she can't focus if they don't adore her while they walk. They both state how ridiculous that is but Sasha's temper starts reaching critical mass, growling if they don't start complimenting her she'll scream. They both quickly appease her by saying she's doing a great job and is amazing. She soaks it all in gleefully, and says they should set up camp for the night. Max is confused as they've barely been walking, and Sasha informs him she needs her 8 hours of sleep, also advising "and so do you if you wanna get rid of those circles under your eyes." Max touches his face and quietly asks "circles?" in a self-conscious tone. Sasha points at "wood boy" (Pikeman) and orders him to build them a shelter, and when he starts to protest she roars "NOW!!!" causing him to scurry off fearfully. Some time later, Sasha is seen laying on a rock, asking Pikeman what's taking so long, saying it better not be an underground shelter as she "won't sleep where spiders poop." He's standing under a very wobbly structure of sticks made of 3 walls and a roof, trying to get it to stay standing, and it promptly collapses around him. Sasha calls him a "lazy incel" and to stop screwing up, to which Pikeman says he's trying before bursting into tears. As much as Max loves seeing his enemies cry, he says that Pikeman is their only shot at a halfway decent place to crash for the night, so maybe she should go easier on him. Sasha sarcastically thanks him for the tip but says she's a professional manipulator, and that "the trick is to beat them down with constant criticism until they crave an ounce of approval". She instructs him to watch, and she walks up to Pikeman, puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "Max is worse than you." Greatly relieved, PIkeman asks if she means it, and she tells him "sure, whatever".
The 3 leaders sleep under a wood shelter
Reinvigorated, Pikeman rebuilds the shelter, and this time it's completely sturdy. Sasha and Max leave their spots by the fire, giving him backhanded compliments on the shelter. Pikeman says the most important thing about the structure is that he's better than Max, who grumpily tells Pikeman to suck his dick before suddenly passing out from exhaustion. Sasha lies down, using her hair as a pillow, and says she's proud of them for making it through the day "only kinda wanting to kill each other."
The next morning, Max sits up raring to go, but sees that the other two have left the shelter. They're standing a few feet to the left, directly in front of Campbell's summer home, throwing rocks at the Scamazon box stuck on the roof. Max is pissed that he hadn't noticed the house, and that he could've actually slept in a bed last night. But also, "hey, you assholes, we had a pact!" Pikeman says it was only for convenience, and all bets are off now, with Sasha adding it's every girl for herself. Max had expected betrayal, but not a mutual one, and they explain they just woke up simultaneously, thus their betrayals kinda synched up so they just went with it. Max says they've crossed the wrong person, and chucks a rock at the box, though it doesn't even come close to the bottom edge of the roof. Pikeman yells that the package is his, Max says he spotted it first - "using my binoculars!" counters Pikeman. Sasha sasses that he never would've found it if she hadn't told him to look up, and Max's sarcastic rebuttal is, "yeah, like telling people what to do is good leadership!" They continue chucking rocks, with not a single one even coming remotely close to hitting the target. Sasha informs them they're throwing like boys, and promptly hurls one right into the side of Pikeman's head, who falls down from the impact. Finally, Max lands a direct hit, and the box begins to slide. After a tense moment, it slides off the roof, bounces off the top of the shelter, and into the active fire from the night before.
"Say, Mister Campbell, whatever was in that package you ordered?" asks David, holding an assortment of yoga mats. Campbell is sitting in the counselors cabin with his feet propped up on the desk, ogling a centerfold pullout from a magazine called "The Legendary Butt Pine". He lazily informs David that it was "a very expensive vintage bottle of 1948 pure barrel-aged vodka. 99% alcohol." Upon seeing him unravel the centerfold, David looks visibly uncomfortable.
The highly flammable box, now in the fire, instantly explodes, lighting up Campbell's summer home in the process. PIkeman yells to abort mission and the trio bolt as the blaze begins ripping through the forest. Max says his boat should be at the shore, and tells Pikeman to get his compass. Pikeman was already on it, saying it should be south-southwest of their location and they turn in that direction. Although the fire is closing in fast, Sasha stops to grab a large leaf and tells Max to trust her when he asks what she's doing. Max and Sasha leap into the boat, holding the leaf sideways to act as a sail, and Pikeman successfully pushes the boat off the shore just as the fire was reaching them. They land at Camp Campbell, and Max says that was surprisingly good teamwork. The very thought causes them all to groan and shudder. Pikeman turns to look at the burning wreckage and sadly says that no one will be retrieving anything from the coveted BOCI. Max is fine with that, as watching the island burn down is way better than any firework he could've gotten. Nikki and Neil pop up, asking where Max had been as she was starting to think he died. Tabii and Erin also arrive, grossed out and wanting to disinfect Sasha as she legitimately hadn't showered in six days. Petrol and Snake are also here, and Petrol grunts at Pikeman. "I missed you too, buddy," he replies. Nikki asks Max if he wants to watch her dig to China, and Neil starts saying Max would never want to do something like that. Max smiles serenely, unseen by his friends, and says, "actually Neil, if there's anything I've learned in the last few days, it's that sometimes it's best to let others take the lead." He looks over at Sasha and Pikeman, who smile and nod their approval at him. Neil is a bit incredulous, as it'll be a waste of time since she isn't even close to China, and the three groups of campers all go their separate ways.
Campbell stands at the edge of the water, watching the island burn, and takes a swig from a bottle of vodka. Seems he managed to get Scamazon to send him a replacement bottle while Max was out on the island. He is immediately disgusted and checks the label, only to find it's 98% alcohol, not 99% as he had claimed to David earlier. Incensed, he calls it cheap crap, and smashes the bottle on the ground.
Transcript[]
{{Transcript}} would go here.
Features[]
Characters[]
Main Characters[]
Supporting Characters[]
Minor Characters[]
Music[]
- "Camp Camp Song Song" (Opening Theme)
- "Take Me To Your Leader" (Ending Theme)
Gallery[]
- Main article: Follow the Leader/Gallery
Trivia[]
- Presumably the reason that Campbell uses the kids to retrieve the package off the island is due to his community service duties, which may not allow him to leave the camp without supervision from David. That being said, he is also pretty lazy and would make the campers do this anyway without any ulterior motive or restriction of house arrest.
Cultural References[]
- The box being delivered to Campbell at the start of the episode is labeled "Scamazon", an obvious rip-off of Amazon. Even the trademark happy smile logo was changed to show jagged teeth inside. However, Amazon itself was mentioned by Nikki in "A Camp Camp Christmas, or Whatever". The mention of "Scamazon Crime" is also a ripoff of the site's in-house shipping service "Amazon Prime." Different names and logo were most likely used in this episode to avoid copyright claims.
- The Cindy Crawford that Sasha mentions is indeed a real-life person, but does not have her own shampoo line. She did, however, model for a few different shampoo companies in the 90's.
Continuity[]
- The dodgeball game for the fate of the camp has a similar theme to "Camporee" and "Jermy Fartz", in which the campers have to defend themselves from being annexed by the Wood Scouts in both episodes. In the latter episode, Max exasperatedly states, "god DAMN! Why is everything always for the fate of the camp?! We just played frisbee for the fate of the camp!"
- Said dodgeball plot being completely abandoned is the first time where an actual episode picks up after an unseen adventure was still in progress.
- Max says "I'll pass" on the possibility of getting an extra pudding cup as a reward for retrieving the package, which is interesting as he has asked for extra desserts in the past a few times; once as a reward for helping David put on the behavioral bootcamp in "David Gets Hard", and also after exposing Campbell's lies to the FBI to keep David out of Super Guantanamo in "Cameron Campbell the Camp Campbell Camper".
- Campbell seems to have a habit of sending campers to retrieve personal items from the island. He had previously sent David and Jasper there when they were kids in "Dial M For Jasper" to retrieve an "ideas" folder for him, which supposedly contained potential ideas to keep the camp from shutting down.
- Pikeman acts misogynistic in telling Sasha that "this is America, where men take charge!" He is seen continuing this trait in "Camp Loser Says What?" when he tells Gwen that "the men will decide what's best for you."
- This is the first episode in season 4 that more definitively shows Max becoming a better person, which Nikki had claimed he'd become in "Keep the Change". Not only did he instigate the group's truce and call Sasha out on her abusive behavior, he also genuinely learned that sometimes it's good to let other people take charge.
- It also ties back to "New Adventure!", referencing Nikki telling Nerris and Dolph that Max could be micro-managing at times and she didn't feel like she was reaching her full potential.