Mr. Barkin's driving a bus with the MHS-cheerleading squad (with Ron and Rufus in tow) to an invitational cheerleading competition, when Ron suddenly becomes agitated at the sight of a "too familiar" place. He becomes even more upset when Kim shows him their current location on the Kimmunicator, announcing that it's his "worst nightmare — return to Camp Wannaweep."
The bus then hits a nail board, flattening two of the tires and forcing it to a stop. Everyone takes shelter in the abandoned campground, while Ron recounts the awful summer he spent there as a child. Among other things, he was bullied by another camper named Gil, who spent most of his time swimming in the lake (which Ron avoided because it looked and smelled dubious).
Meanwhile, a creature resembling a giant humanoid frog is lurking and watching, finally moving in to attack. It turns out to be Gil, mutated by the polluted water of Camp Wannaweep and determined to get revenge on the one he blames for his condition: Ron Stoppable.
Ron uses his knowledge of the camp (and his excellent lanyard making skills) to ultimately defeat Gill, who's handed over to a scientist named Dr. Lurkin, who might be able to cure him in the hopes of returning him back to normal. As they're getting ready to leave the camp, Mr. Barkin and the cheerleaders thank Ron for saving them—even Bonnie (albeit very grudgingly), who acknowledges that what Ron did was very heroic. Kim also thanks Ron for saving her and the rest of the cheerleaders, and adds how proud she is of him for what he and Rufus did.
However, Kim admits that it's "ferociously unlikely" she'll actually let Ron lead their next mission when he questions her on it.
This episode provides examples of
- 13 Is Unlucky: The cabin Ron stayed in during his years at Wannaweep: Cabin 13.
- Abandoned Camp Ruins: Camp Wannaweep is now this due to toxic run-off from the science camp contaminating the lake.
- All Up to You: Gil ends up trapping Mr. Barkin and all the cheerleaders (including Kim), ultimately leaving it up to Ron and Rufus to capture Gil and save the day.
- Ankle Drag: While Mr. Barkin is gathering up firewood, Gill grabs him by the ankle and drags him into a bush.
- The Cameo: Wade only shows up for only a second at the beginning of the episode to show Ron GPS coordinates. After that, he doesn't make any other appearances. Of course, this is justified by the Kimmunicator being jammed, leaving Kim and Ron unable to contact him.
- Cassandra Truth: Officer Hobble disbelieves that Ron was the one to save the day instead of Kim this time.
- Cell Phones Are Useless: The squad's cell phones don't get any service and even the Kimmunicator doesn't work. Justified as Gill used equipment from the Telecommunicatons Camp to jam their signals.
- Chekhov's Gunman: At first, Ron's flashback with Gil just seemed like another random story, until we find out what (or who) the creature hunting him and the squad is.
- Chekhov's Skill: Taking that arts-and-crafts class and making lanyards really worked out for Ron.
- Dwindling Party: A non-fatal example.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Gil (or Gill) managed to keep track of Ron’s life and adventures by following the news. Later episodes establish that Ron is almost never acknowledged by others; even Kim’s cousin Joss, who Hero Worships her, hasn’t heard of him. That said, given Gil has a personal relationship with Ron as he doesn’t even care about Kim, it’s possible that he just dug deep and found out about Ron’s involvement with Kim.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Or at least, Ron thought so; even the squirrels were apparently vicious.Kim: Ron, I think we've established the squirrels mean us no harm.
- Fish People: Gill has become this as a result of his contact with the polluted lake water.
- Flashback Cut: Many to Ron's times at Wannaweep.
- From Bad to Worse: "There I was, trapped in the hollow of a tree (gasps)" (Beat) "and then, the woodpeckers came."
- Green-Eyed Monster: It seems like Gil's hatred towards Ron stems largely from how (ignoring all the "saving the world" stuff) Ron ultimately got to have a much more normal life compared to Gil, who ended up becoming a mutant (possibly permanently).
- Hand Gagging: Gill does this to Barkin before dragging him into a bush as he abducts him.
- Indestructible Edible: While hiding out in Ron's old cabin, it's revealed that his secret stash of snacks are still there. Kim and Bonnie find the idea of eating them gross, but Ron points out that they have enough preservatives to last for decades. Tara eats some of it, but doesn't seem to like the taste of it.
- Kids Are Cruel: According to Ron they are, anyway.Ron: Ah Bonnie, you remind me of the mean kids at camp. Sticks and stones.
Tara: (gasps) They called you names?
Ron: Yes, as they were hitting me with sticks and stones. - Laugh of Love: Tara giggles before kissing Ron on the cheek at the end of the episode.
- Lured into a Trap: Gill went to great lengths to bring Ron and the cheer squad into his clutches, from causing a blowout of the bus's tires and jamming all communications to even sending out an invite to a phony cheer competition.
- Mutagenic Goo: Gill is able produce muck that can mutate whoever comes into contact with it. Of course, he reveals this after he's slimed everyone except Ron. Fortunately, the only who really shows signs of mutating is Barkin, and he's cured by Dr. Lurkin's men after Ron captures Gill.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Camp Wannaweep.
- Never My Fault: Gill blames Ron for him becoming a mutant due to them switching camp activities, but he was the one who willingly swam in the polluted water, even though Ron told him it seemed funny, so Gil really has nobody but himself to blame (and, maybe to a certain extent, the nearby science camp, since it was the runoff from that particular camp that ended up polluting the water in the lake).
- Oblivious to Love: Tara's nicer to Ron than the rest of Kim's fellow cheerleaders (especially Bonnie), but Ron's a little too busy freaking out over being back at Camp Wannaweep (and being hunted down by Gil) to notice.
- Pet the Dog: Bonnie (very begrudgingly) thanks Ron for saving the cheer squad.
- Properly Paranoid: As shown, Ron's fears about Camp Wannaweep are more than justified, especially about swimming in the lake.
- Science Is Bad: Gill thinks so, as the toxic runoff from the science campnote made him into a mutant.
- Ship Tease: At the end of the episode, Tara kisses Ron on the cheek for saving her and the rest of the cheerleaders.
- Skewed Priorities: Even with them being stranded in an abandoned summer camp and being hunted by an unknown monstrous creature, Bonnie was ultimately more concerned about her and the rest of the squad missing the cheerleading competition they had supposedly been invited to take part in.
- While hiding out in Ron's old cabin from he was at the camp, Bonnie complains that they're now down two cheerleaders (Liz and Marcella have gone missing) and they also have no one to drive them to their cheerleading invitational (Mr. Barkin had been kidnapped). When a cheerleader named Crystal exclaims, "Forget the competition! How are we gonna survive the night?! There's something out there!" Bonnie seems to agree with her before saying, "Do you think that 'something' can drive?"
- After everyone (except for Ron and Rufus) has been captured and they're about to be mutated, Bonnie exclaims, "There's no way they're going to let a squad of mutant cheerleaders into the competition!!" But then Gill shouts at her that there was no cheerleading competition and that the whole thing was a setup for him to get revenge on Ron.
- Slasher Movie: Affectionate Parody of the "there's a stalker at a summer camp" kind.
- Smooch of Victory: Tara gives one to Ron (albeit on the cheek) after everything is wrapped up.
- Something Only They Would Say: Downplayed. Ron initially doesn't recognize the fish mutant before him when it calls him "squeeb". But after the creature recollects a time they traded activities, Ron recognizes who it used to be:Ron: Gil?
- Summer Campy: Ron has very bad memories of Camp Wannaweep
- That Man Is Dead: Played for Laughs; "I am no longer 'Gil', now I am "Gill!"Ron: What's the difference?
Gill: I added an "L", you know, as in "gill." As in, THESE THINGS I GREW WHEN I MUTATED!
