by SpiderBraids
They're camping for the night. CameraMom exposits to Eliza about the incident: "You almost got killed." Braceface is speaking with park ranger Jomo Mbeli, telling him all the details about the poachers she knows. Anyways, time for the family talk Cordi's been talking about. As if Eliza doesn't have enough problems of her own already, the Big Bad Sis (look, I'm trying here, okay?) is busy reading her Teenage Wasteland, and talking about her trips with her monkey, and interactions with animals, from her POV, with Cordi. "I've covered long enough!" She mentions feeding her protein bar to a Komodo dragon. I'd understand it more if I knew if this was actually from a previous ep of the show. For some reason Braceface is mad at that. She says "Thanks a lot, Deb..." but you probably know what she's really meaning by that...
Cordi complains that Eliza hasn't had a good education (one, so Debbie has? and two, well, they've been driving around for god knows how long), and she should be growing up in an environment like a boarding school in London. Upon hearing "boarding school" Big Sis spazzes a lot, and this is coming from a teenager who has been longing for a regular life in normal civilization since the show started, so it's natural. No one seems to be pointing out this irony, so it's left to DVDToons' review of the DVD to do so. Cordi explains to Nigel that this is how Nigel got his proper education, and became civilized. Debbie jumps on the table saying "And you don't think I'm not civilized?" Cordi: "Well, no, but it's much too late for you..."
Much unlike Debbie, Eliza doesn't want to leave, and the parents aren't too keen on sending her off, but hey, it's Cordi's decision. Nigel wonders why Braceface is blaming herself for the poacher incident. *I'm* wondering why no one has realised that self-blaming (is that a word?) has become so cliche (right down to the use of the phrase "It's all my fault", so it's not just partially your fault then?), you'd think someone would say something like, "Pardon the cliche, but..." in front of it. Parents are later settling in their bed. CameraMom wonders if they're doing the right thing, since they did promise not to separate the family while doing their job (I guess Big Sis didn't like the idea). Britdad goes over her self-blame and stuff. We pass Cordi cleaning her teapot, and go outside the window...
...where E&D are in a tent. Eliza: "Sometimes, I wish I could just tell them that I talk to animals." Darwin immediately points out the whole reason her powers are a total secret: if she tells anyone, she'll lose them. Again, this was for those who didn't watch "Gift of Gab", and the fact just might come in important later on. I'll save that for when it does ;). Darwin is looking forward to going to boarding school and he wonders how he'll do in gym class, so it's left for Braceface to break the bad news: Darwin can't go, and that ires up Dar and he runs out of the tent. Eliza follows... and runs into dad. Dad mentions a legend about elephants gathering for a solar eclipse, and sure enough, there's one coming up soon at Tembo Valley, and he intends to see it. Okay, now that the plotline for later has been set up, Dad gives Eliza a bravery medal, and sez he originally earned it for saving students from a burning school with a makeshift rope ladder. You know, that medal might come in handy later on. Uh huh. Anyways, Nigel tells her that she'll be facing new challenges and things ("poppet"???), and he expects her to meet them well.
Following morning. Darwin's still missing, and it appears that Sister Spazz (sounds good enough...) has gotten over Cordi's dodgy decision quite quickly, and gives Braceface a shopping list ("Basically, anything cool. .... Don't forget cool.") as she's getting ready to board the plane. A couple last good-byes, luggage on board, and take-off! While we're watching a sad Eliza (note the tear rolling down her face) looking at the wilderness she's being taken away from, along with its animals (nice zebras shot there), here's the Oscar-nominated Paul Simon song, "Father and Daughter". Pretty smooth. I thought it was going to be down to him and U2 for the prize. Instead, they give it to Eminem. For the one Oscar-nommed song in, I dunno, the last decade, that was not performed as part of the telecast, to boot...