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Canada's Worst Driver 10 is the tenth season of the Canadian reality TV show Canada's Worst Driver, which aired on the Discovery Channel. As with previous years, eight people, nominated by their family or friends, enter the Driver Rehabilitation Centre to improve their driving skills. This year, the Driver Rehabilitation Centre is located at the Dunnville Airport in Dunnville, Ontario for the fifth straight season. The initial drive started in Niagara Falls, Ontario and the final road test occurred in Hamilton, Ontario.
Canada's Worst Driver 10 | |
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Season 10 | |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | Discovery Channel |
Original release | October 27 December 15, 2014 | –
Season chronology |
Experts
edit- Cam Woolley is the show's longest-serving expert, having been present in every season except the first and has seen the habits of Canadian drivers change drastically since 2000, with the most common offense having changed from DUI to distracted driving. He is the traffic expert on CP24 in Toronto and had a 25-year career as a traffic sergeant with the Ontario Provincial Police.
- Philippe Létourneau is a veteran high-speed driving instructor who counts BMW and Ferrari among his clients. Since joining the show in the third season, the average car has gained considerably in speed and acceleration, with the high-speed emphasis of this season making his job a particularly important one.
- Shyamala Kiru is the show's resident psychotherapist and relationship expert, a position which has become more demanding each year since joining the show in the seventh season, as the stresses in driving and everyday life seem to always be on the increase. With Shyamala returning for her fourth season (breaking a tie with Dr. Louisa Gembora), that officially makes her the longest-tenured psychologist in Canada's Worst Driver history.
- Tim Danter is the show's head driving instructor, a position he has held since joining the show in the eighth season. In this position, he not only gives the drivers help and instructions for challenges, but gives them further lessons off-screen. With Tim returning for his third season, that ties him with his predecessor, Peter Mellor (the head instructor from seasons five-seven of Canada's Worst Driver) and Scott Marshall (the head instructor from seasons one-three of Canada's Worst Driver) as the longest-tenured head instructor so far.
Contestants
edit- Ian Brannan, 33, from Kingston, Ontario, is renowned as the worst taxi driver ever, having written off two cars and caused six accidents during just a year. His habit of blaming other drivers and unwillingness to admit to his own faults has resulted in his buddy, Adam, bringing him to rehab, in an attempt to prevent Ian from becoming "Canada's Worst Taxi Driver." He drives a silver Chevrolet Impala and drove a silver Chrysler Sebring to the rehab centre.
- Mariah Carriere, 22, from Port Colborne, Ontario, was a habitual drunk driver whose preferred method of dealing with her anxiety over driving is to ignore any and all driving laws. This carefree attitude has led to a $7,000 insurance bill and even resulted in her rear-ending a police car while texting at the wheel. Her best friend, Jessica, has nominated Mariah in an effort to finally get her under control. She drives a black Pontiac G5.
- George Firth, 36, from St. Catharines, Ontario, is prone to road rage, enjoys racing other drivers and often spends more time watching TV shows on his smartphone than paying attention to the road. These dangerous habits have caused his best friend, Patrik, to nominate him for rehab. He drives a black Ford F-150.
- Tyler Fitzsimmons, 27, from Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot, Quebec (near Montreal), is a self-described old man trapped inside a young man's body. His buddy, John "Q" Quart, has nominated him for his extremely over-cautious driving style, something that, oddly enough, does not carry through to Tyler's day job as a light aircraft pilot. Tyler drives a blue Toyota Tercel.
- Jason Marcoux, 45, from Sudbury, Ontario, has a car that is literally held together with duct tape as a result of dozens of accidents caused by apparent issues with vision and spatial awareness, which have resulted in him being pulled over for drunk-driving despite being a teetotaler. His brother, Bart Marcoux, believes that Jason should give up driving, and has brought him to rehab in a last-ditch effort to get to the bottom of Jason's problems. He drives a beige Chevrolet Cavalier and drove an orange Pontiac Wave to the rehab centre.
- Siham Martell, 27, from Calgary, Alberta (originally from Morocco), was a new driver in Halifax, Nova Scotia where her newly found independence was shattered after she was involved in a four-car pile-up in 2010. Now she struggles to keep her composure and her driving skills while at the wheel. Originally nominated by her husband, Wayne Martell, for Canada's Worst Driver 8, she turned down the opportunity, but got nominated again this year in hopes that rehab will restore her confidence in herself. She drives a black Volkswagen Tiguan and drove a black Ford Escape to the rehab centre.
- Santana Pike, 22 and licensed for four years, from Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland (near Corner Brook), is a self-taught and perpetually distracted driver who estimates that she has had between 200 and 300 minor accidents since getting her license in 2010. Her carefree attitude has resulted in her best friend, Jim-Bob Kane, nominating her as the nation's worst driver. She drives a red Chevrolet Cobalt and drove a red Chevrolet Aveo to the rehab centre.
- Chanie Richard, 27 and licensed for nine years, from Calgary, Alberta, is a surface land administrator and mother of one who obtained her Prince Edward Island driving license through "beginner's luck" at the first time of asking and only the second time she had driven overall. Since moving to the big city from the Maritimes, her lack of driving skill has become glaringly obvious to the point that her boyfriend, Jeremy King, has brought her to rehab to gain the driving education she never had. She drives a red GMC Sierra and drove a blue Toyota Yaris to the rehab centre.
Synopsis
editContestant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
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Chanie Richard | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | CWD |
Siham Martell | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | RUNNER-UP |
Jason Marcoux | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT |
Tyler Fitzsimmons | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | |
Mariah Carrière | IN | IN | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||
George Firth | IN | IN | IN | OUT | ||||
Santana Pike | IN | IN | OUT | |||||
Ian Brannan | IN | OUT |
- The contestant became Canada's Worst Driver.
- The contestant was runner-up for Canada's Worst Driver.
- The contestant was on the panel's shortlist.
- The contestant was under consideration to be expelled from the Driver's Rehabilitation Centre.
- The contestant graduated.
Episodes
editNo. | Title | Original air date | |
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1 | "Welcome to Rehab..." | October 27, 2014 | |
After the initial test, the drivers have their first meeting with the experts. The experts reiterate to Jason the importance of taking an eye test as soon as possible and Andrew expresses disbelief at the fact that driving-related eye examinations are not mandatory until the age of 80. Mariah is also called out on her attitude toward her drunk-driving and Cam informs her that should she kill or injure someone while doing so, she would face near-certain jail time. Most of the drivers are convinced that they are not Canada's Worst Driver, though Jason, Chanie and Siham admit that they may be. As usual, no one graduates this episode, as it serves merely as a skills evaluation. | |||
2 | "Crash, Bang, Boom!" | November 3, 2014 | |
After the Eye of the Needle, the experts confront Ian about the list he gave Andrew prior to the Riding the Rails Challenge, noting that the issues he listed indicate that he is someone who until now simply wasn't prepared to put in the effort required to be a good driver, rather than suffering from any technical issues; Ian in turn admits that he has decided to give up being a taxi driver and that the only reason he was even doing the job was to fund the journalism degree that he's currently undertaking. George is the only driver who actively wants to graduate, while the others all admit that they still need a lot of work before they can even consider graduating. The panel are split, with Andrew and Philippe wanting to graduate George for being technically the most proficient driver, but Cam and Shyamala favouring the notion of graduating Ian, who, despite not passing any challenges, is clearly not the worst of the group and has shown awareness of the issues he needs to address; they also feel that George's arrogant attitude and the possibility of him teaching bad habits to Cody is a deal-breaker, leaving Tim to cast the deciding vote and names Ian becomes the first graduate of the season, surprising nearly all the other drivers. Before Ian drives himself home, Andrew makes him remove the "Taxi" sign from his car and wishes him a successful career in journalism. | |||
3 | "What Just Happened?" | November 10, 2014 | |
Most of the drivers tell the experts without any hesitation that they will never drive while distracted again and Jason also reveals that he's going to wear his glasses full-time from now on. However, while Mariah vows never to drink-drive again, she won't commit to also giving up the use of her phone while driving. The biggest concern is Siham's defeatist attitude, as she openly admits that she isn't overly concerned whether or not she continues to drive and refuses to commit to making herself a better driver. Every one of the experts has a different opinion on who should leave rehab; Tim is in favour of expelling Siham for showing no desire to learn (which would have made her the second contestant in the show's history to be expelled by the experts for showing no desire to learn after Colin Sheppard from the second season), Shyamala doesn't feel anyone should graduate, Philippe feels that now that Jason has glasses, it's safe to return him to the roads, Cam says that George is the most technically skilled and should be given the graduation he missed out on last episode, while Andrew wants to graduate Santana for showing the best attitude and passing both challenges this episode. Andrew is eventually able to convince the other judges to back his fellow Newfie and Santana becomes the second graduate of the season. Note: This episode did not display an opening title screen or broadcast the opening animation. | |||
4 | "Piece of Cake" | November 17, 2014 | |
After the Swerve and Avoid, George is finally told that Cody has been brought to rehab and he takes George and Andrew on a quick drive through the surrounding area to demonstrate that, if anything, Cody is now an even better driver than his father. During this drive, George admits that he was a terrible teacher and is proud of his son. While Jason feels that he deserves to graduate, the experts quickly agree that George, having already been passed over twice on the grounds that his arrogant attitude and the possibility of him teaching bad habits to Cody was a deal-breaker and Santana showed the best attitude in the previous episode, is the overwhelmingly obvious choice to graduate for performing the best in all three challenges this episode; the clear improvement in his attitude and the experts no longer needing to worry about him passing on bad habits to Cody helps seal the decision and George becomes the third graduate. | |||
5 | "1 - 2 - 3 - Go!" | November 24, 2014 | |
While Chanie is noted to be the obvious front-runner to graduate, as she passed every challenge, she admits not fully comprehend all the challenges and that she should stay in rehab for the time being. Siham and Tyler, who both passed two challenges, also say they don't want to graduate. Mariah and Jason, who passed one challenge and no challenges respectively, aren't even considered for graduation. Cam and Philippe nominate Chanie to graduate, as she was statistically the best driver this episode, though Cam isn't overly enthusiastic about letting her go. Shyamala and Tim, on the other hand, feel that Siham is the person who deserves to graduate, as they consider her the most technically adept of the five remaining drivers, despite her confidence issues. This leaves Andrew to cast the deciding vote, but elects not to back Chanie or Siham, as he feels they are both still lacking in focus and confidence, respectively. In what Andrew notes has become something of an annual tradition for the show, the season's fifth episode ends with no one graduating.
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6 | "Know Your Limits" | December 1, 2014 | |
Mariah and Siham are easily agreed on as the only two possible nominees, as they both passed every challenge this episode and want to graduate. Jason half-heartedly puts himself forward to graduate and is immediately shot down, while Tyler and a tearful Chanie admit that they both need a lot more work. Tim and Shyamala back Mariah to graduate, with Tim feeling that she has superior technical skills and more confidence compared to Siham, something which he feels is particularly obvious in the lessons he's been giving drivers in-between episodes and Shyamala convinced that Mariah has drastically reformed her attitude. However, Philippe and Cam back Siham to graduate for performing better than Mariah in all the challenges, once again leaving Andrew with the deciding vote and chooses Mariah as the next graduate. Before she leaves the Driver Rehabilitation Centre, however, Mariah gets a tattoo on her left forearm, to specifically remind her never to drink-drive again (Mariah appears in a bonus clip of Canada's Worst Driver 12 in an attempt by Andrew to reform eventual "winner" Krystal McCann from texting and driving prior to Krystal's final drive).[1]
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7 | "Slip and Slide" | December 8, 2014 | |
The experts face a major quandary, as there was only one clear challenge pass in the entire episode—Jason's performance in The Cross. Of greater concern, however, is the all-around horrific performances in the Longest Reversing Challenge Ever and Jason effectively destroys his chances of graduation by saying he thought the point of the challenge was to complete it as fast as possible. Chanie also admits to this, though, unlike Jason, concedes that it was clearly the wrong thing to do. Siham shows no awareness of how fast she actually went during the challenge. Tyler also gets called out over his bad performance on that challenge, but does get one bit of good news as he's told that, since his final Icy Corner run was the best in the challenge and would likely avoid most dangerous situations in real-life, they're retroactively upgrading it to a pass, doing Andrew a super favor of reducing the failure rate to 75% and keeping Canada's Worst Driver 10 out of the record books as the first season to ever have the Icy Corner Challenge end in total failure. However, due to the all-around awful performances, Andrew suggests a four-person final (something he previously suggested in the seventh season before ultimately graduating Afiya Lassy), a suggestion that none of the experts take up. Their discussions are not shown, but in the end, Andrew gives Tyler his license back, telling him that, as bad as his performances in the reversing and Icy Corner challenges were, they were still the best of the group. This, along with him having more confidence compared to Siham and being more aware of his mistakes than Jason, results in him becoming the season's penultimate graduate, sending Jason into the finale with Chanie and Siham. Incidentally, this also makes this the first Canada's Worst Driver season where every finalist was shortlisted as a potential graduate at least once. | |||
8 | "Icing on the Cake..." | December 15, 2014 | |
After the Road Test, the drivers each have their final meeting with the experts. Despite her earlier lackadaisical attitude, Chanie finally shows more awareness of what exactly went wrong as she talks to the experts. However, she then makes a shocking revelation: she's supposed to be on medication for an unspecified condition that causes her lack of focus, but was unable to get a new supply in time for rehab and so has been driving without medication. Andrew tells her that had he known about this beforehand, he would not have allowed her to take her final drive and Cam says that were it proven her failure to take her medication contributed to death by dangerous driving, she could face the same range of punishments as a murder charge. Harsh words are also given to Siham, due to the extremely dangerous mistakes in her highway run and what would likely have been a fatal collision on the four-way intersection; she tries to blame the former mistake on the off-ramp being too short, but admits to learning a lot from rehab. Of the three, Jason is the most willing to admit to his mistakes, but the experts are unconvinced about exactly how much he has learned. For the first time in the show's history, there are effectively three in contention for Canada's Worst Driver due to all three drivers performing badly on the final road test. Shyamala wants Siham to be the final graduate for having the best overall track record of the final three and having what was generally the least eventful road test and advocates naming Chanie and Jason the joint-worst, ultimately giving both a part of that season's trophy), but Cam actually deems Siham to be Canada's Worst Driver, feeling that the mistakes she did make were the ones most likely to result in a fatality than any of the 24 mistakes Chanie committed. Tim deems Chanie the worst for her lack of focus and failure to take responsibility for her actions. Philippe thinks Jason is the worst, pointing out that he ran several red lights and was lucky that this didn't result in any accidents. With the panel completely deadlocked and unable to even agree who should be the final graduate, let alone the worst, the decision on the final three's rankings ends up once again falling to Andrew. When the three drivers assemble for the trophy presentation, Andrew announces that, even though he still has some way to go, Jason is not Canada's Worst Driver, but instead the season's final graduate, as he showed the most improvement of the final three, had the best performance on the two final Rehab Centre challenges and at least wasn't overwhelmingly worse than Siham or Chanie on the final drive. This, therefore, leaves Chanie and Siham as the final two and in the end, Chanie is named Canada's Worst Driver due to the fact that she ultimately did not appear to have learned anything from her time on the show (aside from not to drive distracted) and showed no real improvement in her driving skill, but most of all because she showed a reckless disregard for safety by not telling anyone she was supposed to be on medication. While Siham does not technically graduate, Andrew notes that she did improve a lot in rehab and believes that she will ultimately become a good driver again someday. Despite her desperate pleas, Andrew shocks Chanie by appearing to cut up her driving license, but reveals that what he actually destroyed was a duplicate license she gave him on the first day of rehab, which legally she's not permitted to have, as it is invalid. He then gives Chanie the trophy and her actual license back before Jeremy drives her away as the tenth person (sixth woman) to be awarded the trophy. |
References
edit- ^ "CWD10 participant, Mariah, joins Andrew and Krystal before the Final Drive". YouTube. Retrieved 3 April 2018.