Canada's Worst Driver Ever

Canada's Worst Driver Ever
Country of origin Canada
No. of episodes 8
Release
Original network Discovery Channel Canada
Original release October 21 – December 16, 2013

Canada's Worst Driver Ever is the ninth season of the Canada's Worst Driver series, which airs on Discovery Channel. This season brings back nine former contestants, who were either named Canada's Worst Driver or failed to graduate in the final episode of their respective seasons, giving them one more chance to improve their driving and avoid being named Canada's Worst Driver Ever.[1]

Contestants

This season has the largest roster of drivers so far, with nine former contestants returning. However, it also has the least amount of graduates so far with only four. Six of them also have their original nominators returning and two (Dale and, initially, Michael) have different ones, while Chris doesn't have a nominator with him at all. The only season from which no driver returned is Canada's Worst Driver 4.

Experts

This season retains the same line-up of experts as Canada's Worst Driver 8:

Synopsis

Contestant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Kevin Simmons IN IN IN IN IN IN IN CWDE
Dale Pitton IN IN IN IN IN IN EXPL RUNNER-UP
Sly Grosjean IN IN IN IN IN IN IN FAIL
Michael Telford IN IN IN NOM IN IN IN OUT
Shelby D'Souza IN IN IN IN IN OUT
Angelina Marcantognini IN IN IN PSYCH
Shirley Sampson IN OUT
Chris Ferguson OUT
Henrietta Gallant DISQ
     The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver Ever.
     The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver Ever.
     The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
     The contestant was expelled from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.
     The contestant graduated.
     The contestant was sent from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to a psychological clinic and is out of the running for Canada's Worst Driver Ever.
     The contestant was deemed ineligible to take part in the show, and sent home.
     The contestant's nominator was changed during the show.
     The contestant was not the worst or second-worst driver, but failed to graduate from rehab
^1 Non-Elimination Week, due to all contestants wanting to remain at the Driver Rehabilitation Centre.
^2 Non-Elimination Week, due to all contestants failing the reversing challenge.
^3 Although Dale was expelled from the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, she was brought back because the judges believed she could have been named Canada's Worst Driver Ever even though she didn't participate in the final challenges.

Episode 0: Remember...

Original airdate: October 21, 2013

Host Andrew Younghusband introduces each of the returning drivers through a review of their performances in their original appearances. At the end of the episode, he briefly outlines the challenges that they will face. He also restates his personal belief that Angelina is Canada's Worst Driver Ever, though says that he is willing to be proven wrong.

Episode 1: They're Back!

Original airdate: October 28, 2013

The drivers then have their initial meeting with the experts. Michael asks Philippe to go over the footage of his slalom spin-out with him, and Philippe tells him his mistake was driving too fast and not looking where he wanted to go, instead directly staring at the foam people. Sly is also called out for making the same mistake in his run. Henrietta admits that since Andy retired shortly after Canada’s Worst Driver 2 aired, he usually drives the couple everywhere, and she doesn’t usually drive more than a dozen times per year. Shelby thinks he might be Canada’s Worst Driver Ever; Andrew tells him that he probably isn’t that bad, but that he could still benefit from more rehab (Shelby also expresses shock that Angelina really is as bad as her reputation suggests). The remaining drivers all deny that they may be Canada’s Worst Driver Ever.

Due to the exceptionally awful performances by most of the drivers, the experts agree to graduate one person immediately so as to give the remainder their full attention, and very quickly decide on Chris. However, Cam raises the issue that Henrietta would not realistically benefit from rehab, since she drives so rarely, and that they would be better served sending her home and focusing on the remainder. Ultimately, Andrew gives Henrietta her licence back, after which Andy drives her away. Andrew then further surprises the drivers by announcing that Chris, clearly the most skilled of the group, will be the first graduate.

Episode 2: Where's Your Blind Spot?

Original airdate: November 4, 2013

Angelina has a lengthy discussion with the judges, and admits that she is no longer on anti-depressants due to her original psychiatrist having retired, and her being unable to find another in the Sudbury area. Shymala tells Angelina that while she can't prescribe drugs, she can help her deal with her issues, and Angelina agrees to as many therapy sessions as it'll take. Along with Angelina, Sly, Dale and Kevin all admit that there's no way they'll be graduating this episode, as they didn't pass a single challenge between them. This leaves Michael, Shelby and Shirley, who each had some degree of success in each challenge this episode, as the pool of potential graduates.

Despite all three wanting to graduate, the judges decide that there is no need whatsoever for a discussion; Shirley, who was regarded as the most capable driver of the group (apart from Chris) even before rehab, and the only driver who fully passed every challenge this episode, becomes the next graduate, with Andrew describing her as "inspirational" and saying that he only regrets that she can't be around for longer.

Episode 3: Splish-Splash!

Original airdate: November 11, 2013

The experts tell Dale that she actually failed her second run on the Swerve and Avoid, and Dale admits she truly believed she saw the foam car, which Shyamala feels could be a sign of a more serious overall problem. None of the drivers want to graduate, but the experts decide to draw up a shortlist anyway. Despite it being noted that Michael and Kevin did well in the limousine challenge (and Michael also had the best run in the Water-Tank Challenge), Cam persuades the other experts that the Swerve and Avoid is such an important skill that anyone who failed it should automatically be barred from graduating this episode - which, since Shelby was the only one to pass the challenge, makes him the only nominee by default.

In the end, Andrew tells Shelby that he has been the best performer until now, and that the experts could have seen a case for him graduating this episode. But since he said he didn't want to graduate, he'll stay in rehab, and so will everyone else.

Episode 4: Easy as 1-2-3

Original airdate: November 18, 2013

After the challenge ends, Shyamala takes Angelina aside and gently tells her that one way or another, her time on the show is over. Angelina is further told that she has been booked a 60-day stay at a specialist psychiatric clinic, and is initially indignant about this, but ultimately accepts the offer, in part due to the strong implication that she will simply be expelled from rehab if she refuses the treatment. Angelina thus leaves the show in a taxi, as a tearful Christine waves her goodbye.

Angelina's departure is not the only issue facing the judges, as it's also clear that Yolanda's excessive negativity and unrealistic expectations are proving detrimental to Michael's learning. Andrew tells Michael that his original nominator, Eric's health has sufficiently improved for him to take over from Yolanda as nominator; while Yolanda's has been failing due to pulled muscles sustained in the first episode; Michael tells the judges that while he'd be grateful to have Eric around again, he also thinks that allowing him to graduate this episode would resolve the issue without requiring Eric to be brought to rehab. Kevin is the only other driver who shows any desire to graduate, though he quickly retracts his request and says that he'd benefit more from staying in rehab; the remaining drivers all admit they don't deserve to graduate. Ultimately, the experts decide to deny Michael's request to graduate, and all five stay in rehab. Andrew closes out the episode by saying that Angelina isn't really Canada's Worst Driver Ever, and that unfortunately, her problems go far beyond a simple lack of skill at the wheel. Before the credits, the show listed details of support available for those suffering depression and other mental health issues.

Episode 5: They Shoot! They Score!

Original airdate: November 25, 2013

After the challenge, Kevin sends another letter to the experts, again apologizing for his actions and vowing to improve. However, this time, the experts don't buy it for a minute, and demand to know Kevin's motives in sending them the two letters. Despite his performance in the episode, Kevin feels that he has learned enough to graduate, but the experts tell him that he has blown the goodwill he earned in the previous two episodes, and that they are now less inclined to graduate him than they ever have been. Dale, Shelby and Sly once again admit that they shouldn't graduate, and while Michael says that he wants to graduate, he doesn't think he really deserves to.

As the drivers assemble for what would be the graduation ceremony, Andrew says that the overall standard of driving in this episode was the worst in the entire history of the show. For the second episode in a row, Michael is the only nominee, but even then, Andrew says that the experts refused to even contemplate graduating him given that he only did especially well in the first challenge, leaving Michael visibly exasperated. For the first time in the show's history, three consecutive episodes pass without a single graduation.

Episode 6: Slip and Slide

Original airdate: December 2, 2013

Kevin thinks he deserves to graduate, but the experts and Lenny quickly shoot him down, telling him that one comparatively good challenge result (on the Reverse Flick) isn't worthy of graduating. Shelby and Michael both say they'd like to graduate, but are uncertain whether or not they should actually do so. Meanwhile, Dale and Sly are both told that the experts don't believe they will ever improve, and should give up driving sooner rather than later, but they are both adamant they will continue to drive even if named Canada's Worst Driver Ever.

Once again, Shelby and Michael are the nominees. While Cam favours Michael for doing well in the Icy Corner challenge, the one he feels is most likely to save a life in the real world, the other experts all agree that Michael's mistake on his final Reverse Flick run (hitting the accelerator instead of the brake) was such a severe error that he should be barred from graduating. Therefore, Shelby becomes only the third graduate of the season so far, and the first of the runners-up to successfully graduate. As Shelby drives away with Elerick, Michael (who is now tied with Canada's Worst Driver 4 "winner" Ashley van Ham as getting the most nominations in a single season without graduating) is left increasingly despondent and wondering whether he'll ever graduate.

Episode 7: What Happened?

Original airdate: December 9th, 2013

In the customary meeting with the experts, Sly immediately admits that despite a rare challenge pass, he's destined for the final. Kevin initially wants to graduate, but quickly withdraws his request upon Andrew pointing out that he failed every single challenge this episode. Michael admits he didn't do especially well this episode, though doesn't think he's Canada's Worst Driver Ever. Dale, however, fails to show up for her meeting with the experts; and upon further investigation by the production team, it turns out that immediately after the slalom challenge, she checked out of the drivers' hotel and caught a cab ride home.

Much later, Dale returns to rehab sporting a heavily bandaged left hand and reveals that she has severed a tendon in one of her fingers. The experts ask how it happened, and Dale initially claims not to remember; but on further questioning reveals that upon returning home she found that her husband was not there, and in frustration broke the front door window in an attempt to get in the house, severely cutting her hand and severing the tendon in the process. Dale attempts to claim that her actions weren't really a big deal, but Andrew points out that she attempted to quit the show, resulting in Dale giving the experts a rambling, incomprehensible speech about "personal realities" and how she sometimes exists in a different world to everyone else. This causes the experts to point out that aside from the obvious problem of her hand injury (which will take months to heal) making it impossible for her to continue, it now seems clear that she is not mentally competent to drive, and they unanimously recommend that she give up driving; Dale scoffs at this idea however, and says that she will continue to drive until she is no longer physically able to.

Because of her attempting to quit and refusing to take responsibility for her actions, the experts decide not to even afford Dale a medical-based departure (as was the case with Angelina), and expel her from rehab, with Cam even implying an intention to contact the Ontario Ministry of Transport and ask that Dale's driving license be put up for review. At what would be the graduation ceremony, Andrew shocks the drivers by appearing to destroy Dale's driving license; but reveals that what he actually destroyed was just a copy, and hands the real license over to Danny, who agrees to drive Dale back home. This, therefore, sets the stage for an all-male finale (the first-ever instance of such in the show's history), as Andrew announces that one of either Kevin, Michael or Sly will be Canada's Worst Driver Ever.

During the preview at the end of the show, it was revealed that Dale had returned for the graduation ceremony of the last episode, leaving audience members to question whether Cam had carried out his threat of contacting the Ontario Minister of Transport to ask them for a review of her license, or if Dale is named Canada's Worst Driver Ever.

Episode 8: The Envelope Please!

Original airdate: December 16, 2013

In his final meeting with the judges, Kevin gives a rather unconvincing answer when asked if he intends to follow through with his promise of quitting driving. This prompts the experts to call in Lenny, who reveals that Kevin told him he would only temporarily give up driving and take lessons to improve his skills. Both the experts and Lenny are disconcerted by Kevin's actions, and Lenny is shown a video of Kevin's final drive to show just how unfit to drive he is. Michael is convinced that he is not the worst, while Sly admits that despite his road test performance, he honestly doesn't believe he is a better driver than Kevin or Michael.

In the final discussion as to who is the worst, Shyamala and Philippe make a shocking suggestion – that despite having been expelled the previous episode, Dale should still be named Canada's Worst Driver Ever, for not even participating in the final challenges and road test, and for her unstable behaviour during both her stints in rehab. Cam still believes that Kevin is worse, however, noting that he had a serious accident between this season and last, and that for all her faults, Dale hasn't had any such serious accidents in recent years. Andrew sides with Cam, leaving Tim with the deciding vote.

As Kevin, Michael and Sly assemble for the trophy presentation, a car pulls up to the rehab centre, and Dale gets out and joins the three men. Andrew begins by announcing that Michael is the final graduate, and returns his driver's licence to him. As Michael drives away with Eric, Andrew's voiceover notes that while he still has a lot of improving to do, Michael is a better driver than in his original appearance on the show, and definitely not Canada's Worst Driver Ever. History then repeats itself, as Sly's strong final drive manages to override his horrible track record in the contest and saves him from being named the worst (as previously happened in Canada's Worst Driver 7). Due to his poor overall performance and the fact that he ultimately showed no improvement over his previous appearance on the show, however, Sly does not graduate, and Andrew asks Fred to drive him home, while recommending that Sly only drive when absolutely necessary from now on. Despite Dale believing she will be named the worst, she avoids this title due to the experts feeling she was a little more aware of the dangers of driving than Kevin, and Cam predicting that her licence will soon be revoked anyway. Kevin, therefore, is named the outright worst this time, and Andrew presents him with the trophy, then lights a road flare and asks Kevin to use it to destroy his licence. Kevin initially refuses to do so, but Lenny forces him to go through with it, and the licence is completely burned away by the flare, after which Lenny drives Kevin away. In an ending voiceover, Andrew reveals that while Kevin hasn't driven since the show was filmed, he has acquired a new car.

References

External links

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