Sink or Swim

Sink or Swim

Production Number:	111
Season:	1
Executive Producer(s):	Bob Schooley Mark McCorkle
Writer(s):	Unknown
Art Director(s):	Unknown
Dialogue Director(s):	Unknown

Broadcast Information

US Broadcast Number:

2

Disney Channel US Premiere:

June 7, 2002

Merchandise

DVD Releases:

Kim Possible: The Complete First Season

iTunes Releases:

Unknown

On their way to a cheer competition, the Middleton Cheer squad gets stranded at an old camp Ron has a long history with and face Gill, a high-school mutant who is determined to get his revenge on Ron.

Plot Summary

Mission

• Villain: Gill
• Evil plot: Revenge against Ron Stoppable for becoming mutated during his time at Camp Wannaweep.

Personal Storyline

The Middleton Cheer Squad is being driven to a cheer competition by Mr. Barkin, but Ron's Mad Dog antics are starting to eat away at certain members of the squad (namely Bonnie). As Kim warns Ron to act 'normal' for a change, Ron begins to notice something familiar about the road they're on. In a sudden panic, Ron calls Wade on the Kimmunicator wanting a GPS lock on his position. Wade obliges and the data confirms Ron worst fears - they are near Camp Wannaweep.

Ron urges Mr Barkin to drive fast and explains the camp is the site of his worst summer ever and that he would never come back. Suddenly the bus drives over some tire spikes, causing the bus to come to a halt outside the main gates to Camp Wannaweep. Barkin informs the team that the bus has two flats and that they need to call for help. As such the girls all pull out cellphones only to find there is no signal and even the Kimmunicator is not working. Barkin tells Ron to lead them to a phone in the camp. It then dawns in Ron that he is in charge for once, according he declares to the team only he knows how to survive the dangers of Camp Wannaweep. The team enters the camp only to discover the phone is out of order. Tara recalls that their situation is just like from horror films, innocent teens trapped in the woods getting picked off one by one. Kim is quick to dispel that idea and even Bonnie agrees, as if it were a movie there would be more guys. Kim announces that they're stuck for the night and might as well make the best of it.

A rustling in the bushes

As the team sits around the campfire Ron tells them stories of his time at Camp Wannaweep. Barkin tells Ron to stop, when Ron notices a rustle in the bushes. As Ron goes to investigate, Kim tells him to relax and enjoy the campfire. As they leave the bushes a swamp creature appears briefly watching the team. Kim and Barkin soon leave in search of more firewood, citing they can’t stand to listen to another of Ron’s stories. As Barkin and Kim wander into the forest, the swamp creature follows them. Back at the campfire Ron tells the story of the lake at Camp Wannaweep. In the story, Ron recalls how he did not want to go swimming in the lake due to the fact it was green, it smelled and he had seen the fish glowing at night. Ron ended up trading his afternoon swim with a kid called Gil and Ron taking Gil's spot in arts and crafts. Back in the forest as Kim and Barkin collect firewood, Kim hears a noise. Barkin dismisses this, saying Ron’s stories must be getting to her. Suddenly a creature grabs Barkin's leg and pulls him into the bushes. Kim notices Barkin has vanished and calls out to him, but there is no response.

As Kim returns to the campfire she asks the rest of the team if they have seen Barkin. Kim asks where Liz and Marcello have gone, when suddenly two screams are heard. As Kim and Ron rush to the site, they find no trace of the girls and only a strange footprint in the dirt. Ron decides they must move to his old stronghold Cabin 13. As Kim and Ron debate over who is in charge, Barkin is heard calling out from th

The cheerleaders bound to the walls of the cabin by the creature’s green slime

e forest. Kim and Ron race out to find Barkin covered in green slime, talking about a strange creature that oozed muck. Suddenly screams are heard from the rest of the team. Kim, Ron and Barkin run back to Cabin 13 to find it in ruins, the rest of the team pinned to the walls by green slime and the mysterious creature. The creature then revels itself to be Gil (who now calls himself Gill). Gill then traps Kim in his slime and tells Ron he knows all about how great Ron's life is. Gill reveals that the lake was toxic and the reason for his mutation. Gill also tells the team that he jammed their cellphones and caused the bus to crash in order to get his revenge on Ron. As Gill advances on Ron, Ron escapes through a tunnel in the floor of the cabin, as this happens Barkin starts to mutate due to contact with Gill's slime. Ron’s tunnel emerges into the arts and crafts building and he begins collecting supplies. Gill suddenly bursts through the floor and begins shooting slime throughout the room. But once again Ron is able to escape.

Gill

Ron is then seen building a net from rope, while Rufus fixes an outboard motor on a motorboat. Ron and Rufus then take off across the lake in the motorboat. Gill hears the engine start and heads off after Ron. Suddenly the boat's engine dies and Ron complains it's out of gas. Gill then appears next to the boat, so Ron dives into the lake. As Gill and Ron fight in the water a rope slips onto Gill’s leg. Ron grabs the rope and tells Rufus to start the engine. The boat then hurtles across the lake with Gill in tow, until it crashes into the dock leaving Gill high and dry.

The next morning Biohazard teams arrive to decontaminate the squad. Kim introduces Ron to Dr Lurkin, who they hope is able to reverse Gill’s mutation. As Gill is taken away, in a giant fish bowl, he once again vows revenge on Ron. As the squad leaves the camp they all thank Ron and Tara even kisses him on the cheek. As Ron takes one last look at the camp, Kim comes over and congratulates him for saving everyone. As they leave Ron asks if he can call the shots on their next mission, however Kim's response is that that's ferociously unlikely.

Quotes

Transcript

Main article: Sink or Swim/Transcript

Memorable Quotes

Gill: I am no longer Gil... now I am GILL!

---

Ron: (To Kim) On the school bus, Barkin’s in charge. When we’re saving the world, you’re in charge. But here at Camp Wannaweep, I’m in charge!

Gallery

Team Possible's Clothing

Kim

Kim is featured in her cheerleading outfit for the entire duration of the episode.

Ron

Ron in his cheer-leading mascot tracksuit.

Younger Ron as he was dressed during the traumatic summer at Camp Wannaweep.

Looking badical in his green ducky-wings and an orange life-vest.

Misc Images From Episode

Ron realizing he was at Camp Wannaweep

Ron telling stories of his history with Camp Wannaweep to the people around the campfire

"Note: Serious face!"

"Cheese and crackers!"

Ron vs. Gill

"Swim time's over."

Kim explains to Ron how brave he is.

Supplementary Information

Middleton High School Reader Board

The Middleton High School Reader Board does not feature in this episode.

Team Possible's Transportation

• School bus

Allusions

• The scene in which Kim and Mr. Barkin walk by the camera followed by Gill after they pass off screen is exactly the same of shot used in nearly every episode of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The lighting of the scene and overall design of Gill even make the scene appear like the classic TV show.
• Tara's description of "one of those horror movies" matches that of the original Friday the 13th movie.

Trivia

• Eighth episode in chronological order.
• Although Ron is shown as the cheer squad mascot in this episode, he doesn't become the "Middleton Mad Dog" until Attack of the Killer Bebes, which was produced prior to Sink or Swim and is set chronologically earlier.
• This episode contained many elements of the summer camp horror genre. These include:

1. The setup: Teens are stranded at a summer camp
2. The "don't go off alone" rule: The characters need to use the buddy system.
3. The disappearing characters: Characters start to disappear
4. The unseen monster: The monster remains hidden for the first part of the show.
5. The "something's wrong here" feeling caused by the unseen monster: Because Gill is unseen, everybody is freaked out.

• This was the first episode of Kim Possible ever to be offered on DisneyChannel.com.
• This episode also mentions that Ron shared a cabin with a "tick-infested chimp," but it does not show Bozo the Chimpanzee, or explain that Ron is terrified of monkeys in any way because of this incident.
• This episode also does not give any reason for Ron's pathological fear of small bugs and spiders, which it did give a flashback of in the episode, "Tick-Tick-Tick."
• Although Ron is Jewish, as he celebrated a Bar-Mitzvah at age thirteen, and has made mention of 'kosher' on several occasions as well as Kim wishing him happy Hanukah during Christmas celebrations, the snack stash in his old cabin ironically includes a bag of Pop-pop Porter's Pork Wafers. Pork traditionally not being eaten by Jews as it is not seen as kosher.

Errors

• Ron's pockets frequently change from cargo pants pockets to normal pockets throughout this episode.
• Right after Ron says, "And it's back there!," the "13" on Cabin 13 is missing, then it appears again.
• The positions of the cheerleaders change over and over when they are being held captive by Gill.
• Right before he paused in a conversation with Kim after saying "Are kidding me? I-", Ron has two eyebrows above his left eye.
• When Ron said he was able to survive every evil Camp Wannaweep could throw at him, he didn't survive the camp's mascot, Bobo the Chimpanzee, and all the bugs that crawled around in his cabin once. He dosen't even explicitly mention them.

Behind the Scenes

Cast & Crew

• Executive Producers: Bob Schooley; Mark McCorkle & Chris Bailey
• Story Editor: Gary Sperling
• Writers: Julie Du Fine & Amanda Rudolph Schwartz
• Art Director: Alan M. Bodner
• Line Producer: Kurt Weldon
• Storyboard Supervisor: Nick Filippi
• Cast: Christy Carlson Romano, Will Friedle, Nancy Cartwright, Tahj Mowry, Justin Berfield, Corey Burton, John DiMaggio, Kristen Storms, Tara Strong, Rosslyn Taylor & Patrick Warburton
• Dialogue Directors: Chris Bailey; Lisa Schaffer
• Voice Casting: Jamie Thomason; Lisa Schaffer
• Storyboard: Eugene Salandra; Holly Forsyth; David Bullock
• Timing Directors: Marsh Lamore; Bob Zamboni; Michel Lyman; Kevin Petrilak
• Lead Character Design: Stephen Silver
• Character Design: Eugene Salandra
• Character Clean-Up: Celeste Moreno
• Location Design: Andy Ice
• Prop Design: Jason Hulst
• Background Paint: Teri Shikasho
• Color Stylists: Karen Kilpatrick
• Production Manager: Angela Calimag Macias
• Overseas Animation Supervisor: Bradley Goodchild
• Technical Director: Joseph Cop
• Storyboard Revisions: Calvin Suggs; Wendy Grieb
• Continuity Coordinator: Jim Finch; Kitty Schoentag
• Main Title Design By: Jennifer Grey
• Animation Production by: Rough Draft Korea Co. Ltd.
• Film Editor: Christopher K. Gee
• Assistant Film Editor: Kris Gilpin
• Pre-Production Track Editor: Jim Harrison
• Animatic Editor: Ralph A. Eusebio
• Scanners: Chris Gresham
• Track Reading: Christine Craig
• Sound Designer: Paca Thomas
• Dialogue Editor: Robbi Smith
• Music Editor: Marc Perlman
• Foley Artist: Phyllis Ginter
• Foley Recordist: Marilyn Graf
• Digital Audio Transfer: J. Lampinen
• Re-Recording Mixers: Melissa Ellis; Fil Brown
• Online Editor: Keith Cook
• Original Dialogue Recording: Larry Winer
• Assistant Dialogue Engineer: Kelly Butler
• Manager of Music Production: Jay Stutler
• Post Production Manager: Steve Arenas
• Post Production Supervisor: P.J. Aminpour
• Audio Supervisor: Victor Garcia
• Post Production Coordinator: Mike Harrigan
• Production Coordinators: Sean Reed; Wade Wisinski
• Production Associate: Dan Soulsby
• Production Secretary: David Skillman
• Production Control: Anna Boyadjian
• Casting Manager: David H. Wright III
• Script Coordinator: Leona Beckert
• Produced by: Walt Disney Television Animation

Music

• "Call Me, Beep Me! The Kim Possible Song"
  • Written and Produced by
    • Cory Lerios
    • George Gabriel
  • Performed by
    • Christina Milian
• Score by
  • Adam Berry

External links

• Disney Wiki: Sink or Swim

Previous: Episode 1: "Crush"

Mission

Next: Episode 3: "Tick-Tick-Tick"