Canada's Worst Driver 7

Canada's Worst Driver 7
Country of origin Canada
No. of episodes 8
Release
Original network Discovery Channel Canada
Original release October 24, 2011 – December 13, 2011

Canada's Worst Driver 7 is the seventh season of the Canada's Worst Driver series, which airs on Discovery Channel. As with previous years, eight nominees, as nominated by their nominators, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. This season makes a particular emphasis on the uniquely Canadian nature of driving, rather than having any driving-related motifs as in past years. The initial drive started in St. Catharines, Ontario, and the final road test occurred in Hamilton, Ontario this year.

This season is the first to be broadcast in high definition, owing to the launch of the high-definition simulcast of Discovery Channel. As part of the promotion for this season, a special Monday edition of The Alan Nursall Experience, a segment on Daily Planet (which normally airs on Tuesdays and Thursdays), takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.

Contestants

Experts

The experts on this season are as follows:

Synopsis

Contestant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Shirley Sampson IN IN IN IN IN IN IN CWD
Sly Grosjean IN IN IN IN IN IN IN RUNNER-UP
Aaron Cheshire IN IN IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Afiya Lassy IN IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Tab Parks IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Ben Reiman IN IN IN OUT
Lauri Bencharski IN IN OUT
Jon Parsons IN OUT
     The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
     The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
     The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
     The contestant graduated.
     The contestant left the show.

Episode 1: Take Off, Eh!

Original airdate: October 24, 2011

When the experts interview the contestants, the experts question Tab on her nerves, Ben on his relationship, Jon on humility, and Shirley on confidence. Lauri, who has seen past seasons on the show, is quietly confident; while Sly admits to confidence issues. Afiya is ignorant as to why she was nominated, while Aaron breaks down when talking to the experts. He admits that maybe if he can share his pain to the world, he will be able to recover. Since it is the end of the first episode, no one is leaving, and the lessons will begin in earnest.

Episode 2: Use Your Mirrors, Eh?

Original airdate: October 31, 2011

In deliberation, Ben admits he will not be the first to graduate, while Shirley and Tab both admit to needing more improvement. Philippe believes that the root of Tab's problems is that she is looking not far enough ahead. Afiya admits to wanting to go home, with learning as an afterthought. Lauri believes that she should be first to graduate, but she also wants to stay longer to learn more. She breaks down when they discuss how in keeping her pets in the car may injure them without proper safety precautions, from which Cam suggests that she disable the passenger-side airbag and get specialized safety gear if she wants to continue riding with her pets. Jon wants to graduate, after a long talk with Aaron's life story earlier in the day in the confessional. Aaron, in return, is grateful for the news. The experts are divided on Jon and Lauri on being the first graduate; Cam and Philippe wants Jon to graduate based on his dealings with Aaron, while Andrew and Shyamala both want Lauri to go home because Lauri did better in all the challenges. In the end, the experts agree to honour Lauri's request to stick around, and Jon becomes the first graduate.

Episode 3: Dangerous Driving

Original airdate: November 7, 2011

In deliberation, Aaron doesn't want to graduate, if only to further make an impact on the other contestants. Afiya in particular is moved by Aaron. Tab, Lauri, and Ben all feel that because of Aaron, they feel ready to graduate. Sly and Shirley are also moved by Aaron, but also vowed to stay. The experts make their deliberation short, by granting Lauri the unanimous decision for graduation.

Episode 4: Buckle Up

Original airdate: November 14, 2011

In deliberation, Tab wants to stay to aid in her emotions, while Aaron does not feel that he warrants graduation. Afiya, Sly, and Shirley also do not want to graduate. Ben, however, wants to graduate – having learned many things about his original licensing process, which included settling on the cheapest driving school available and being a class clown rather than focusing on fundamentals. Because only one contestant wanted to graduate, the experts debate whether they should graduate Ben: Cam and Shyamala feel that he should stay, while Philippe and Peter feel that he should graduate. Ultimately, Ben's vow to replace his stick-shift car with an automatic turns the tide in his favour, and he leaves the Driver Rehabilitation Centre as the next graduate.

Episode 5: Park and Slide

Original airdate: November 21, 2011

In deliberation, Afiya apologizes to Andrew for cursing at him after failing the Trough. Cam lashes out at Sly for "gunning it" during the Trough, while Shirley is confident that she deserves to graduate. Tab also feels confident in graduating even though she went over-speed in the icy corner. Aaron, the consensus best performer in the episode, believes that he also deserves to graduate based on his performance; but he would rather stay put, as he believes his moment has not arrived. Shirley and Tab are shortlisted by the experts, but Andrew is not confident in graduating either of them. As a result, no one graduates this episode.

Episode 6: Hard!

Original airdate: November 28, 2011

At the start of the show, Andrew recalls an incident in the past year where a contestant on the Dutch equivalent of this series, De Allerslechtste Chauffeur van Nederland, injured host Ruben Nicolai and a cameraman during its shoulder check challenge, and how it has put him on edge (Canada's Worst Driver 7 was filmed as the Dutch series was airing in the Netherlands). The episode also opens with Tab and Afiya seeking help from Shyamala between episodes to address Tab driving anxiety and Afiya's lack of taking on responsibility.

The experts commend Tab and Shirley on their improved behaviour, and both claim that they deserve to graduate. However, Afiya admits to being overconfident when she entered rehab, and the realization of the true nature of her driving skills means that she is not ready to graduate. As for Aaron, he feels that his moment has still not arrived. Sly admits to not making any ground so far through rehabilitation. Cam believes that Tab should be the graduate – while Philippe still has an issue with Tab driving too fast, so he endorses Shirley. The experts, in a 3-2 split decision (Shyamala backing Shirley and Peter backing Tab) choose Tab over Shirley to graduate – as Shirley's driving was still too inconsistent for the experts' tastes.

Episode 7: Glazed Over

Original airdate: December 5, 2011

At the start of the show, Andrew comments on the destruction of 14 cameras of various qualities from challenges over the previous 6 episodes.

Through some of the challenges, Fred had been contemplating whether Sly would have been better off quitting driving altogether; a sentiment that is also echoed by Andrew after the beer truck challenge. Sly cannot defend his performance in any of the challenges, and admits that he is bound for the final three. Shirley also admits being bound for the final three as well. Aaron also wants to be in the final three, if only to prove himself on the road test – the only test that matters to him. Afiya admits to progress during this episode, and it is enough for the experts to unanimously agree to graduate her. Andrew is still unconvinced, as he believes that she is still a pathological liar – and believes that this year's final challenges should have four contestants instead of three. Nevertheless, Andrew assents to graduating Afiya, setting the stage for the final drive in Hamilton.

Episode 8: Oh Canada

Original airdate: December 13, 2011

After the six nominators and contestants give a somber farewell to the Challenger (complete with a mock funeral ceremony), the four experts give their final opinion of the contestants. Sly admits that the road test was more comfortable than any of the challenges, but he was ultimately on edge through the test. The opposite happened for Shirley: good challenge performances but horrible road test. Aaron admits that after the road test, he finally got everything and more out of rehab. Philippe and Peter believe Sly is Canada's Worst Driver due to his performance in the challenges, but Cam and Andrew believe that Shirley's performance in the road test makes her Canada's Worst Driver. Shyamala therefore has the deciding vote.

As none of the experts believe Aaron is Canada's Worst Driver, Aaron is named the final graduate of the Driver Rehabilitation Centre. Ultimately, Sly is considered to be able to drive away on his own, while Shirley wasn't, and that's why she is ultimately named Canada's Worst Driver. Despite Sly avoiding being named the worst, Andrew tells him that he has absolutely nothing to be proud about, and Fred says that Sly simply got lucky that Shirley happened to do worse in the Road Test. Shirley still leaves with parting words of encouragement from Andrew, who implores her to continue driving, and as a special mark of respect for her doing so well despite ultimately being named the worst, Andrew allows Janis to drive Shirley home, instead of the usual final humiliation of being forced to catch a plane home while her car is towed to her hometown.

References

    External links

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