After Hours

## Media

  Rooster Teeth

Ending theme"Gwen Isn't Your Mother So Stop Asking Her To Rinse Your Dishes"

**"After Hours"** is the 8th episode of the fourth season of *Camp Camp*, and is the 48th episode overall. It premiered July 20th, 2019 on the on the RT FIRST site, and July 27th, 2019 on the Rooster Teeth website.

## Plot

On a starry night at the edge of the lake, the inhabitants of Camp Campbell have gathered around the campfire, where David has just finished strumming the final notes of a song. He asks who'd like one last song before bed, and Max says "nobody wants to hear your passive-aggressive attempts to change our behavior hidden in songs." David insists this isn't what sing-along night is about and pulls out a paper containing the next song, "Gwen Isn't Your Mother So Stop Asking Her To Rinse Your Dishes". Neil asks if they can just go to bed early, as tomorrow is a big day; the day of the big relay race. Harrison pipes up to say Team Weather Channel will swiftly achieve victory, while Ered insists Team TV Guide Channel will wipe the floor with the other team of "uncools". David suggests the kids save their competitive spirits for the morning as the winning team gets their channel used for the entire week, although Max points out the TV only has two channels that both suck, ergo this contest is stupid. The taunting quickly escalates to everyone (but Max) arguing and trying to prove their channel is best, and Gwen decides that it's now time for lights out, ordering everyone to get to bed. As the kids wander off, she asks David if he's "still good for tonight", as she has an event in town that she refuses to tell him about. He says he respects her boundaries and that he's prepared, as tomorrow's activity is already set up. They pass by the activities field to see that the entire event has been completely trashed, which Gwen isn't surprised about as apparently today's earlier activity was ruined as well. Quartermaster appears out of nowhere to tell her she shouldn't say the place is cursed, as saying this will bring a curse, but she says the place is just "fucking with me" instead, as she just wanted one evening out. David says she can still enjoy her evening as he and Quartermaster can clean everything up, but Quartermaster says needs a ride into town this specific evening as he had set it up as a night for gathering food supplies. The counselors do their "ritual" - a game of rock-paper-scissors - which David loses. He is dismayed, as he doesn't understand why Quartermaster insists he can't drive at night, and from a distance QM says it's because of "the spirits". As Gwen is already going into town, she offers to just give him a lift anyway, leaving David to clean up the activities field. He eagerly thanks her for helping out, and she also offers to get him some nasal spray which he gladly accepts. Gwen questions who's going to look after the campers, if she and QM are in town and he's out in the activities field, and David sheepishly has an answer at the ready. Inside the room in the attic above the mess hall, Campbell sits up in his sleeping bag, cringing at the "stink of responsibility" that has suddenly overtaken him.

While on the road, Gwen instructs Quartermaster that she's only dropping him off to do his errands as she has "shit to do", which she immediately breaks down to reveal is a "Lizards of Love" fanfiction group meetup after being met with zero response from Quartermaster. She is nervous due to never having met any of them in real life, and worries about them finding out about her "secret life" as a camp counselor. Quartermaster says he won't judge her for her "lizard hookups", seeming to think she's trying to engage with actual animals, but she decides that the more she tries to explain it the weirder he's going to make it. As they roll into town, Gwen wonders where she's dropping him off, as all the shops are closed. He tells her to turn down an alley, and a car at the other end flips on its lights while three male figures step out. Seeing this, Quartermaster says he'll need her for backup in case they try anything and hands her a machete, which she immediately freaks out about.

Back within the counselors' cabin, Campbell is angrily muttering about the TV only getting two channels while attempting to fix the signal, though he is intrigued by the hurricane season coverage on the weather channel. There's a knock at the door which turns out to be Space Kid, and Campbell looks at his hand (where he had written down incorrect versions of everyone's names) trying to remember his name. Looking rather downcast, he says that he misses his mom, and Campbell awkwardly closes the door on him. Space Kid knocks again, explaining that he misses her when he sees the stars, and although David used to let him phone her she'd told him he'd have to "get used to" not phoning her if he ever went to space. Sighing that this is his problem now, he lets Space Kid in, and provides a momentary distraction in enlisting his help to steal cable. Since the satellite signals come from space, this is of course exciting to him, and Campbell grins at the small victory.

Quietly singing the song he didn't get to perform earlier (about Gwen and the dishes), David finishes tidying up the activities field, saying that although he doesn't know what happened here he gets the "opportunity to make tomorrow's activity as perfect as it can be... again!" and says that last word with a forced smile and a twitch in his left eye. He notices a empty supply bucket and wanders out into the woods, finding a bunch of broken sports equipment scattered around the area. He concludes that some of his "forest friends" ran off with the supplies and takes out a stopwatch, clocking out and congratulating himself on solving another mystery "in record time." He takes two steps forward and is abruptly ensnared in a net that pulls him into the trees, where a small metal box is beeping to indicate the trap's been sprung. Confused by this, he starts his stopwatch again, saying he's "back on the clock."

Armed with a box troll dolls each, Quartermaster and Gwen square up to start trading. Junker 1, with long red hair and a baseball cap, says they aren't making this trade, but Quartermaster offers them a box of shaven-headed troll dolls, which he gladly says he can work with. Both Gwen and Junker 3 (with dark hair wearing football shoulder pads) are grossed out by this, and he states they should leave as this is a waste of their time. Gwen asks how any of this is supposed to feed the camp as none of it is food and the exchange is taking forever, reminding him she still has her meetup to go to. A remote that Quartermaster owns starts beeping, and he grimly says their "day of reckoning has arrived." He leaves all the supplies with Gwen, putting the burden of successfully completing the trade solely on her, and swiftly walks away. Junker 1 calls out that the dolls better be part of the deal still, and asks Gwen if there's any doll arms in the box.

Serving as a makeshift antenna to get a better TV signal, Campbell instructs Space Kid on how to move, and complains that this isn't as easy as they made it seem at the joint. Space Kid is curious about him learning to steal cable in prison, but Campbell clarifies to say he meant a place called The Joint, which is a coffee shop in town that caters to ex-convicts. They finally get a signal and Campbell instructs him not to move, which prompts him to ask if Campbell misses his mother. He scoffs and explains bitterly that his mom had "thrown him to the wolves of Wall Street, with only a meager trust fund" to guide him when he became an adult. He reminisces on the experience as though he was abandoned/mistreated, and that he "sure showed her" with where he is now. He then goes on to speak fondly of the cookies she made (oatmeal raisin with a hint of molasses and a touch of exotic Himalayan juniper berries, which he says is "normal kid stuff"). Space Kid says oatmeal raisin cookies taste like dirt, and Campbell grumps that he should get to bed now. Nerris knocks at the door, holding her gut, whining about having just vomited. Campbell sighs again, as *this* is now his problem also, and the cable goes out as Space Kid abandons his post and hops onto the chair.

Struggling in the net, David spots Quartermaster coming out of the bushes, and is grateful to see him and be rescued. Quartermaster is less than pleased, as he had set the trap for an upcoming battle that he'd felt in his femur, and despite being curious David ultimately decides he'd rather not know what Quartermaster is talking about, instead opting to scold him for the possibility of a camper getting snared instead of him. There's a rustling in the bushes that prompts Quartermaster to climb up the tree in fear, and an army of squirrels march into the field, led by a reddish-brown squirrel wearing a yellow bandana and brown vest, and even has a tuft of hair on its head  to make it resemble David. It squeaks some orders and the army marches back out through the bushes. Disturbed, David asks what they just watched, and Quartermaster says, "best not to think on what you see in these woods before dawn" while sawing the net with a knife to free him. David wordlessly clicks his stopwatch once more.

Inside the alley, negotiations continue between Gwen and the junkers. They ask what else she has, she admits she has no idea what's been traded so far and if they even have any potatoes, thus she decides to drop her boxes of knick-knacs and leave. Junker 3 repeats to Junker 1 that this was a waste of time and asks if they can leave, and is told that they'll get him to his "stupid lizard hookup group." Gwen realizes that Junker 3 was also planning to go to the meetup, which he confirms he was going to do before getting roped into all of this. He asks her username (ChibiiKawaiiCat91) and he shares his (xxAznAnimeBoixx), which prompts them to gush and compliment each other for the fanfictions that they had written. He turns to his fellow junkers to instruct them to give Gwen anything she wants. Junker 1 says he doesn't understand this "millennial nonsense" and asks if they can keep the dolls, which she agrees to.

A sickly Nerris has been given a thermometer and a blanket by Space Kid, while Campbell unsuccessfully jiggles the wires to try and get the TV reception going again. Holding a can of bear mace, Preston anxiously asks about the bear he had heard, as it could still be out there, and Campbell exasperatedly insists him he's safe as long as he has the mace. Space Kid inspects the thermometer and says she has "a temperature", and despite the fact that this is not how it works she thanks him for taking care of her. He says he's just doing what a mom would do, because theirs aren't around. Campbell successfully wrangles a TV signal, just in time for Nikki to kick down the door to tell of "the worst nightmare I've ever had" about the most perfectly normal day at camp, causing her to fall to the ground while sobbing uncontrollably. With yet another sigh, Campbell invites her in.

The next morning, while unloading the potatoes from the camp mobile, Gwen spots an unsettled-looking David and Quartermaster wander up. Upon being asked if he's had a long night, David replies that he's seen things that he can't unsee. Gwen squints at Quartermaster and asks what he did, but Quartermaster replies, "nothin' I wouldn't do with anything else" and hauls the potato bags away. Because some of the items for the race were broken, David tells her everything's still ruined and wonders how the campers are supposed to settle their debate about the TV channel. Gwen assures him it'll be fine; they'll just figure it out as they always do, and hands him the bottle of nasal spray she'd promised. David happily says that this alone makes the night worth it, and she hesitantly informs him that the spray has been gently used. They enter the counselors' cabin to find Campbell slumped over the desk and every single camper asleep around him, most of them on the floor. David bids him good morning and asks what happened, but Campbell shushes him, lest he disturb the horde. While pointing around the room, he explains, "misses mom, sick, heard a bear, nightmare, had to pee, snuck out, nosebleed, weird rash, woke up alone and got scared." Gwen asks if he stole cable, to which he says he fixed it, but is very confused as to why the kids wouldn't stop arguing about the TV guide channel, and that he doesn't understand children. David thanks him as this is "perfect", and Campbell huffs that he's going to bed. David reaches for a whistle and prepares to blow it, but Gwen interrupts to ask if he doesn't want to get some sleep first before waking the campers. "Why would I? It's about to be the best part of the day," David replies warmly and raises the whistle to his lips once more.

## Features

### **Main Characters**

* David
* Gwen
* Quartermaster
* Cameron Campbell

### **Supporting Characters**

* Junker 1, Junker 2, and Junker 3 (aka: xxAznAnimeBoixx) (first appearance)
* Max
* Nikki
* Space Kid
* Nerris

### **Minor Characters**

* David-lookalike Squirrel (first appearance)
* Neil
* Ered
* Dolph
* Nurf
* Harrison
* Preston Goodplay

### Music

* "Camp Camp Song Song" (Opening Theme)
* "Gwen Isn't Your Mother So Stop Asking Her To Rinse Your Dishes" (Ending Theme)

## Trivia

* As there are only 2 channels and 10 campers, the teams are split by 5 campers each. Team Weather Channel consists of Max, Harrison, Nurf, Neil, and Space Kid, while Team TV Guide Channel has Ered, Nikki, Nerris, Preston and Dolph.
	+ Given Campbell's positive reaction to the weather channel, it's safe to say he'd likely be on Team Weather Channel as well.
* David gives Gwen a traditional salute when saying he's respecting her boundaries, which is the first time he is shown saluting but NOT doing the Campe Diem salute.
* David's need for nasal spray indicates that he may be prone to nosebleeds without it, as higher elevations (such as where the camp is at) can cause dryness that leads to nosebleeds.
	+ The same can potentially be said for whichever camper got a nosebleed during the night.
* Spray painted on the alley wall behind Gwen and Quartermaster, there is some graffiti reading "IT WAS  LESTER". The meaning of this cryptic message is currently unknown, though it could potentially have something to do with the fact that he was working together with  Miss Priss to kidnap a man in "New Adventure!"
* The dummy used by the junkers in their negotiations with Gwen is identical to the one used in the heimlich maneuver presentation in "Bonjour Bonquisha".
* Although it has not been directly said by any character in the show, on page 4 of the Official Camp Camp Press Kit, Gwen is stated as being 25 years old. Based on the fact that her username includes the number 91, it is possible she was born in 1991. Since the series began airing in 2016, in that year she would indeed be 25 years old.
* This is the first episode where Nerris is shown to take off her glasses. However, this is not the first time she is seen without them, as she doesn't have them during David's dream sequence in "The Order of the Sparrow".
* Campbell gives 9 reasons for why each of the 10 campers had come into the cabin (misses mom, sick, heard a bear, nightmare, had to pee, snuck out, nosebleed, weird rash, woke up alone and got scared.) While the first few are known to the viewers the rest are a complete mystery, and up for fandom debate. Campbell may have lost track of which reason belonged to which camper, or is just very bad at pointing, as he gestured to Ered (who was alone at the back of the cabin) twice during his spiel.

### **Cultural References**

* The designs of the three junkers are heavily influenced by the Rowdyruff Boys, a trio of delinquent boys created by Mojo Jojo, from the cartoon "The Powerpuff Girls". The most striking resemblances are the similar color schemes and clothing.
* The boxes of troll dolls Quartermaster uses here resemble the real-life troll dolls.

### **Continuity**

* Quartermaster telling David and Gwen to "do your ritual" upon asking for a ride to town, which turns out to be a game of rock-paper-scissors, apparently happens quite a lot for QM to be aware of it.
	+ Near the end of "Ered Gets Her Cool Back", as Nerris is telling Ered that her confidence meant she never actively tried being cool, there is a brief scene of David and Gwen playing rock-paper-scissors to determine which of them would have to climb the ladder to get them down.
* Gwen is seen reading a copy of "Lizards in Love" while sitting on her inner tube in "Who Peed the Lake", and is such a fan of the series she attends a fanfiction group meetup in this episode.
* Quartermaster says he isn't going to judge Gwen for her "lizard hookups", implying she was trying to engage with actual animals. In "Something Fishy", he states that he had intercourse with a fish that gave birth to Graggle, whom Gwen went on to have a brief yet passionate fling with. Given this, and his own penchants, it's understandable that he assumed Gwen was trying to explore further erotic avenues.
* The machete that Quartermaster gives Gwen to use as "backup" is the same one he gave to Harrison to defend himself from the encroaching vines in "The Quarter-Moon Convergence", as some of the green goo from the vines can be still seen on the blade.
* The paper with "Max + Positivity = Success" that David made in the episode "Mascot" is seen again in this episode. It can also be seen in "Cult Camp" and "The Fun-Raiser".
* Campbell's habit of calling people by the wrong name continues here. He's called Gwen a handful of wrong names in various episodes including "Escape from Camp Campbell", as well as writing Nikki's name on his hand as "Girl Neil", which he previously called her in "Parents' Day".
	+ To try and counteract this, he wrote down the campers' names on his hand this time, which are (in order): Neil, Nerdress (Nerris), Neil (Space Kid), Ed (Ered), Norf (Nurf), Princeton (Preston), Harry (Harrison), Girl Neil (Nikki). To his credit, he did get Neil correct and Space Kid half-correct, as Neil is his real name ("Parents' Day") but prefers to go by his nickname.
* True to the words he spoke in "Keep the Change" about wanting to become a better person, Campbell actually tries to remember the strategies that David had given him about handling the kids, and despite them interfering with his plans to illegally hook-up cable he does settle everyone down to a point where they comfortably fall asleep in the cabin.
* Quartermaster brought one box of trolls with their hair shaved off and a box with their hair intact to trade with the junkers, and he can be seen shaving the hair off of some of the dolls in "Something Fishy".
* In this episode, Quartermaster had set a trap for an upcoming battle that he "felt in [his] femur". The upcoming battle unfolds two episodes later in "Squirrel Camp".
	+ Also in "Squirrel Camp", the David-lookalike Squirrel shown here makes a return, along with Revenge Squirrel from the episode "Mascot". Here, their plan here was to simply destroy the relay race, but their ultimate plan ends up being taking over the camp and replacing all the people with squirrel body doubles.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.dropbox.com/sh/nfu6q9ne8wetxg3/AACqt\_zNjwdM2REPLQnOcxLDa?dl=0&preview=CampCamp\_PressKit\_Presentation\_FINAL.pdf