Bunk'd (seasons 3-7)

From Qualitipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

This is a featured article!
This article has been reviewed by one of our Staff as one of the best articles on the Qualitipedia Wiki.


Bunk'd (seasons 3-7)

"Because of Disney and their never-ending greed, they ended up making these seasons a total summer bummer."
Genre: Comedy
Running Time: 23 - 25 Minutes
Country: United States
Release Date: June 18, 2018 - August 2, 2024
Network(s): Disney Channel
Created by: Pamela Eells O'Connell
Distributed by: Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Starring: Peyton List (Season 3)
Karan Brar (Season 3)
Skai Jackson (Season 3)
Miranda May
Mallory James Mahoney
Raphael Alejandro (Seasons 3-5)
Will Buie Jr. (Seasons 3-5)
Shelby Simmons (Seasons 4 & 5)
Scarlett Estevez (Season 4)
Israel Johnson (Seasons 4-7)
Trevor Tordjman (Seasons 5-7)
Shiloh Verrico (Seasons 6 & 7)
Alfred Lewis (Seasons 6 & 7)
Luke Busey (Seasons 6 & 7)
Seasons: 5
Episodes: 119
Previous show: Jessie (2011-2015)


"Everything we've come to know about the show is either gone, or will be gone and knowing that this show was once a JESSIE spin-off, this show's popularity will keep it from ending, thus making it destined to loop like this for all eternity. In conclusion, Bunk'd, a once decent show coming off of the heels of a once-decent series has gone so far down the drain that it has passed the event horizon of any dignity this franchise has had. Season 6 better be the last season. I don't even care if they barely acknowledge the previous 5 seasons in some mastermind way. This show will likely go out with its head submerged under water as it tries to intake one final grasp for breath. I have no clue what happened to Xander, Tiffany, Griff, Jorge, Matteo, Ava, Finn, or even the rest of the OG cast, but I'd rather watch a spin-off with all of them than this, and I can only hope that they had a far better adventure outside of Camp Kikiwaka and New York City than the one we're forced to watch."

Mr.Kay-27 on Bunk'd fandom

Bunk'd (also known Bunk'd: Learning the Ropes for the last two seasons) is an American comedy television series created by Pamela Eells O'Connell that premiered on Disney Channel on July 31, 2015. The series was originally a spin-off of Jessie during seasons 1-3, with said seasons including returning stars Peyton List, Karan Brar, and Skai Jackson, as well as Miranda May who has starred over the series entire run. After 7 seasons of 161 episodes, the series officially concluded on August 2, 2024, marking the end of the longest-running show in Disney Channel history.



Season 3 premiered on June 18, 2018, with "We Can't Bear It!" and ended on September 21, 2018, with "Up, Up, and Away". It consists of 16 episodes. Season 4 premiered on June 20, 2019, with "Who da Boss? Lou da Boss!" and ended on July 24, 2020, with "Raven About Bunk'd". It consists of 30 episodes. Season 5 premiered on January 15, 2021, with "Lou's Still the Boss, But Now There's a Ross" and ended on August 6, 2021, with "Frien'ds Forever". It consists of 21 episodes. Season 6 premiered on June 10, 2022, with ''Learning the Ropes'' and ended on May 21, 2023, with "Desperate Treasures". It consists of 30 episodes. Season 7 premiered on July 23, 2023, with "Cursed Day of Camp" and ended on August 2, 2024, with "Happy Trails". It consists of 22 episodes.



While the first two seasons (2015-2017) were mostly well-received, the same cannot be the same for the last five seasons (2018-2024) which garnered negative reception and are considered non-canon due to the highly radical changes.

Plot

Season 3

Emma, Ravi and Zuri Ross eagerly return to Camp Kikiwaka ready to forge new friendships and memories as counselors, only to discover the Woodchuck and Grizzly cabins were never rebuilt after the fire and previous owner Gladys has fled with the insurance money. With hopes of building a bigger and better camp solely operated by kids, the Ross siblings convince their parents to buy Kikiwaka and put them in charge. Just as the Ross siblings relied on each other their first year at camp, a new trio of first-time campers instantly bond and manage to stir up a ton of hijinks and adventure at every turn for their newfound leaders. Matteo Silva, a cautious kid who can find danger in any situation, would rather not be at camp; Finn Sawyer, an energetic boy and cousin of camp counselor Lou, has realized his dream of attending Camp Kikiwaka; and Destiny Baker, a young girl who has spent her childhood on the pageant circuit, is accustomed to getting things her way. No matter the situation, Emma, Ravi, Zuri and Lou stick together to try and create summer magic for their younger peers and a Camp Kikiwaka fueled by teamwork, friendship and family fun.

Season 4

After purchasing Camp Kikiwaka—for one dollar—from the Ross siblings, the always cheerful Lou is adjusting to her new duties as camp director with her usual brand of over-the-top enthusiasm. She’s thrilled to be reunited with campers Destiny, Finn and Matteo, who have returned for another exciting summer full of fun and friendship. Lou also welcomes some new faces, including camp counselor Noah, an upbeat and enthusiastic actor from Hollywood; Ava, a tenacious counselor from the big city; and Gwen, an eccentric new camper who has spent her entire life living off the grid.

Season 5

Back for another exciting summer at the sometimes-struggling Camp Kikiwaka in rural Maine are the enthusiastic camp owner/director Lou, counselors Ava and Noah, and returning campers Destiny, Matteo and Finn, who are all ready to tackle new and hilarious adventures. As the new camp season begins, they are thrilled to welcome former counselor-turned-fashion-designer Emma Ross, who pays a surprise visit to her old stomping grounds. They also welcome witty and charming Parker Preston, who arrives to stake his 15% claim to the camp and brings his own over-the-top ideas that don’t necessarily mesh with Lou’s, much to her consternation. Meanwhile, Destiny takes on more responsibilities while she pursues her newly discovered passion for protecting the environment. Matteo impresses his fellow campers with his professor-level scientific expertise and Finn continues to charge fearlessly into adventures. Although Ava and Noah have gained confidence in their second year as counselors, Lou soon presents them with a daunting challenge: supervising the new “PeeWeeWaka” day campers, a fast-moving pack of energetic eight-year-olds who always keep them on their toes.

Season 6

Lou, Parker, Destiny and Noah arrive at the soon-to-be Kikiwaka Ranch in Dusty Tush, Wyoming, where Lou must convince the surly owner, aka ‘The Marshal’ to officially sell the property to her. In the meantime, counselors Noah and Destiny have their hands full with the newly arrived campers, including Bill, a no-nonsense descendant of famous cowboy Bill Pickett who prefers roping cattle to hanging out with friends; Winnie, a fearless girl who’s earned the nickname ‘Wild Winnie’ by breaking the rules and occasionally blowing things up; and Jake, a laid-back, easy-going boy who also happens to be a video-gaming fanatic.

Season 7

The hijinks conclude at Kikiwaka Ranch with Lou, her right-hand man Parker, plus counselors Destiny and Noah along for the ride. Cowboy Bill, daredevil Winnie and gamer Jake are also back for another summer full of excitement and new adventures.

Why These Seasons Can't Learn The Ropes

Overall

  1. The main problem with these seasons is that the majority of the characters from the first two seasons, such as Xander, Tiffany, Jorge, Griff, Gladys, and Hazel (however, she makes a guest appearance in "Inn Trouble") are nowhere to be found. No explanation is given as to what happened to them (except for Gladys, whose absence is explained) and they aren't even mentioned by the other characters, like they never even existed in the first place!
    • Executive meddling: It wasn't even the original cast members decision to leave the show as Disney Channel kicked them off to introduce new characters, which shows how expendable the cast is to Disney.
    • To make matters worse, they are now replaced with three new characters: Destiny, Matteo, and Finn. They're not bad characters, but the three are rehashed versions of former or current characters.
      • Destiny is a rehash of Emma since both are into beauty and fashion (the difference between them is that Emma is not a show-off).
      • Matteo is a rehash of both Ravi and Tiffany. He's smart like the former and overly cautious like the latter.
      • Finn is a rehash of Jorge since both are slobs who don't care about personal hygiene.
        • Matteo and Destiny themselves are unlikable and very selfish.
          • Matteo may seem innocent, but he is a huge jerk and is a horrible friend to Finn (he gets better developpement in season 5 and his guest appearance in season 7).
          • Destiny is quite manipulative. She always wants things to go her way because all she cares about are winning and beauty (like Matteo, she gets better in seasons 6 & 7).
    • The final few episodes of season two showed a lot of promising storylines that we could've seen in these seasons for instance:
      • Griff and Zuri started dating in season 2, the writers could've focused more on their relationship.
      • These seasons could've developed the sibling relationship between Griff and Xander.
      • Hazel, who had been demoted to a CIT at the end of season 2, could've gotten some character development.
      • Xander and Emma could've had more time to develop their relationship. Speaking of which, it has never been confirmed if Xander and Emma are still together, or if they broke up.
      • Since Xander and Hazel are no longer on the show, these seasons killed the Xander-Emma-Hazel love triangle, which was an insult to many fans.
    • Since Lou is connected to all of these seasons, she seemingly unaffected by these absences, which is a huge step down to her character because they were so thoroughly connected to others. You would think that Xander being gone would dampen her confidence as they practically grew up together. However, the writers, despite their good intentions, fail to execute as the show goes on.
  2. These seasons are a disgrace to the Jessie franchise.
  3. It lacks many of the same charm as the first two seasons.
  4. Unlike the first two seasons, the theme song has been shortened considerably and is very lazily put together as only the last verse is used.
  5. There are lots of bad episodes such as:
    • "We Can't Bear It!" (which started these seasons on a sour note)
    • "Let's Bounce!"
    • "Cav'd In"
    • "Toilets and Tiaras"
    • "Bungle in the Jungle"
    • "Gruel and Unusual Punishment"
    • "Mo-Squito Mo Problems"
    • "Cramped Champions"
    • "A Tale of Two Stackers"
    • "R.V. Having Fun Yet?"
    • "Raucous Science"
    • "Everyone's Trap'd"
    • "Dancin' Up a Storm"
    • "Hope You Geyser Ready to Go!"
    • "Model Citizen"
    • "What About Barb?"
    • "Wastin' Away Again in Barb-aritaville"
    • "Me, Myself, and A.I."
  6. There is little to no connection to the first two seasons, making these seasons seem almost non-canon to said seasons.
  7. Quantity over quality: Much like The Loud House, The Next Step, Family Guy and The Fairly OddParents, it's went on for way too long, having a total of 7 seasons, span 9 years with 161 episodes. The fact that it's rare for Disney Channel shows to surpass 4 seasons makes it worse.
    • It will often jump the shark due to the fact that the writers constantly keep replacing old characters and bringing in new characters every season. The show was originally going to end after season 3, but due to an increase in popularity, it was renewed for more seasons.
    • Also, there’s other Disney Channel shows that could’ve run for more seasons, like Andi Mack or Girl Meets World, since they had potential for extra storylines. But unfortunately, they only lasted for three seasons.
  8. These seasons are very clichéd as they use the same formula as other bad live-action Disney Channel sitcoms.
  9. None of the new side characters are very interesting.
  10. Unlike the first two seasons, there are no guest appearances from any Jessie characters, not even Luke.
    • To add insult to injury, Jessie never made a guest appearance.
  11. Weak, unfunny, forced, and stale humor. Speaking of which, these seasons have even more gross-out and toilet jokes than the first two seasons did (though it's less present in seasons 6 & 7).
  12. It tries to be trendy, as they used up-to-date slang and social media references, with "Me, Myself, and A.I." being the infamous example.
  13. The announcement that season 6 would switch locations from the camp to a ranch got a mixed reaction, with some thinking it's a refreshing change of pace and that the show had gotten all the mileage it could out of the summer camp premise so the change in location was needed. While others think it's straying too far from the original premise of the show and aren't happy with the introduction of yet more new main characters, especially after the last introductions of new main characters already had some pushback.
  14. Like with the CGI era of Fireman Sam, because of all the changes made to the show in these seasons, it doesn't even feel like Bunk'd anymore. Instead, it feels like a Camp Lazlo rip-off or another generic summer camp show.

Season 3 (2018)

  1. There are only 3 counselors and one camper (Zuri), who only interact with 3 campers. So that means nobody is watching the other 30-some campers!
    • Speaking of counselors, Lou was supposed to be an administer in this season, as in the season 2 finale, she and Xander both become administers after Emma and Ravi we're promoted as counselors.
    • It feels strange that Lou, and the Ross family, suddenly become part-owners of Camp Kikiwaka after Gladys leaves in the first episode. For instance, Ravi is part owner, camp cook, and Grizzly cabin counselor. This is an issue in one episode when he realizes Finn and Matteo need constant supervision (as you would expect in a kid's camp) but has issues dealing with them when he is in the kitchen. The sudden shift in responsibility to the Ross kids and Lou feels unrealistic, as it seems odd that another adult wasn’t hired to run the camp.
  2. In "We Can't Bear It!", Emma doesn't allow Timmy to come to camp when he tries to sneak in. This is very unfair because Gladys is no longer the owner of the camp (she banned Timmy from coming to camp back when she was the owner). Since the Ross Kids are now the owners, Timmy should be allowed to come to camp.
    • This episode didn't premiere until 1 year after the season 2 finale, which is awfully late since most Disney Channel season premieres normally premiere a few months or so after a season finale.
  3. There’s barely any chemistry between the 4 remaining original characters with the three new characters.
    • The writing has also taken a slight dip in quality unlike the first two seasons, with many character interactions feeling forced.
  4. Ravi continues to be the butt of many jokes in this season, which becomes increasingly frustrating as Finn and Matteo show little respect for him, treating him as the target of their childish antics. This undermines his authority as a counselor and reduces his role to enduring pranks.
  5. The rebuilt cabins (while cool-looking) don't look anything like cabins. Instead, they look more like miniature houses that don't belong in a rustic summer camp like Camp Kikiwaka.
  6. Steals some episode plots from the first two seasons. For example, "Bungle in the Jungle" is a rehash of "Xander Says Goodbye", because Lou's disagreement with her mom does echo Xander's argument with his dad in Xander Says Goodbye.
  7. The bear in the "We Can't Bear It!" and the Kikiwaka in "Up, Up and Away" both have cheap and unconvincing costume designs (even for Disney Channel standards).
  8. After this season when the Ross family went their separate ways in the season 3 finale, Luke Ross is never mentioned again in the series. Aside from the brief reference in the episode "Finder's Keepers, Lou's a Weeper," Luke's character fades from the storyline entirely, with no further appearances or mentions in subsequent seasons. This might feel disappointing to fans who were hoping for more connections to the original Jessie series and the Ross family dynamic. Cameron Boyce's passing in 2019 likely further contributed to the character's absence and lack of mention in later seasons.

Season 4 (2019-2020)

  1. This season was completely unnecessary, because season 3 had a good way to end the show with its finale
    • Speaking of unnecessary, the Ross kids should’ve still been in these seasons, because "A Whole Lotta Lobsta" shows them at camp for a few more years. However, this wasn't the case due to Peyton List, Karan Brar, and Skai Jackson leaving the series after season 3.
  2. The creator and original executive producers had no involvement in the making of this season. Instead, executive producers from Andi Mack (another live-action Disney Channel sitcom) took over. At least season 3 had the involvement of the creator and original executive producers.
  3. Emma, Ravi, and Zuri have been removed from the series, but with an explanation. This completely ruins the series because they were the core main characters; taking them out just changes everything. With so many of the original characters being written out, Lou is the only one left.
  4. Ava is seen as a Mary Sue, as well as Noah being seen as a Gary-Stu, they are also rehash of the Ross Kids.
  5. Gwen, one of the new characters, is a rehash of Timmy and Tiffany because she lives in the woods like Timmy and lacks knowledge of the outside world like the latter.
  6. In the premiere episode, there is a very stupid and nonsensical explanation as to why the camp has been remodeled: A sinkhole swallowed the camp, which was followed by a mudslide.
  7. This season is the worst of the bunch, as it worsened the problems that season 3 started.
    • To make matters worse, this season and the next ones aren't even considered part of the Jessie franchise. Starting in this season, Bunk'd is now considered its own separate show.

Season 5 (2021)

  1. It only exists to add even more big bucks to Disney's giant room of money.
  2. The show effectively "jumped the shark" in season 5 by removing Gwen without any significant explanation. Although it was briefly mentioned that she was spending her summer in the city, the lack of a proper send-off or storyline for her departure felt abrupt.
    • However, she did make a guest appearance in the episode "Crushin' It.
  3. Parker Preston is a spoiled brat who wants to make Camp Kikiwaka more "modern", which fails. Speaking of him, he's a rehash of Xander and Jorge, as he embodies the traits of both characters, serving as the cool yet somewhat self-absorbed character that Xander represented, while also sharing Jorge’s enthusiasm and charm.
  4. The ages are very odd because Finn is supposed to be 11 in season 5, but Finn's actor in the season is 14 years old.
  5. "Raucous Science" showed how big of a jerk Matteo can be.
  6. "Dancin' Up a Storm" has a stupid subplot about Destiny and Ava trying to kill a fly.
  7. There were no guest appearances from any characters from the first two seasons (except for one Jessie character, Emma Ross, who returned in "Lou's Still the Boss, But Now There's a Ross").
  8. Despite Destiny still being as tolerable as she was in season 4 and having received more character development, she's still a bland and annoying character.

Season 6 (2022-2023)

  1. Disney continues to stretch out the show with yet another season that fans neither wanted nor asked for, despite many agree that it should've have ended after season 3 or season 5. On top of losing key characters like Finn, Matteo, and Ava, this season also removes Camp Kikiwaka, that is now relocated to Kikiwaka Ranch in Wyoming.
  2. The new characters are rehashes of the previous ones most notably Finn and Matteo.
    • Both Winnie and Jake are a rehash of Finn. Winnie is reckless like him, and Jake, is gross and not intelligent.
    • Bill is a rehash of Matteo, as both of them didn't want any friends, but eventually warmed up to them by the end of the first episode. Speaking of him, Bill doesn't have much of a personality other than being a generic cowboy.
  3. Some running gags are also stale and repetitive such as Jake who's obsessed with video games.
  4. The first episode (while decent) is similar to the first two episodes of the third season ("We Can't Bear It!" and "Let's Bounce!"), because in both episodes, the campers are put in harm's way.
  5. Destiny should've been a CIT instead, due to the fact she has low experience of teaching campers, she could've had mentor. Apparently, Lou ended the CIT program since taking over the camp, as the position of CIT has not been mentioned since season 3.
  6. Most overnight camps are very regimented with the campers doing specific activities at specific times with only certain times of free play. However, most of the time both the campers and counselors are just messing around.
  7. The episode "Hope You Geyser Ready to Go!" is a rehash of Jessie episode from season 3 "Morning Rush" with only a slightly different premise.
  8. During seasons 1-5, the characters wore practical summer camp outfits like shorts, t-shirts, and sneakers, suited for outdoor activities. From season 6 onwards, their wardrobe shifted to more stylish, runway-inspired outfits, including trendy dresses, jackets and accessories, which felt out of place for a summer camp setting, especially during summer. As Alex Meyers humorously pointed out, Noah's more polished look might even lead to a heat stroke in the camp's hot environment.

Season 7 (2023-2024)

  1. Scout one of the new recurring characters is an unnecessary character and is a rip-off of Gwen.
  2. Some episodes still feel average.
  3. Jake's dumb moments can be annoying at times.
  4. It shares the same problems with season 6.
  5. The series finale, "Happy Trails," presents a fitting conclusion to the series, albeit with a few issues:
    • The relationship between Parker and Victoria seems illogical and contrived, given their minimal interactions throughout the previous season, which renders their sudden marriage as hasty and underdeveloped.
    • Lou starts to feel distressed as she notices her friends constantly arriving and departing, while she remains the stationary camp director. This prompts her to question why she hasn't moved on from managing the camp to seek new adventures in her life.
    • The absence of the original characters from the first two seasons, as well as the Ross Kids, is quite disappointing, considering they were integral to the show's charm and success. Their absence leaves a void that could have been filled with a more nostalgic and satisfying conclusion for longtime fans. This suggests that the later seasons regard the first two as non-canon.

Redeeming Qualities

Overall

  1. It was a much better show during its first two seasons, which makes the downfall even sadder.
  2. Even from the new cast, the acting is still decent.
  3. The set designs are still great.
  4. Like the first two seasons, it has serious and emotional moments.
    • In "O Sister, Where Art Thou?", Zuri becomes jealous of the growing friendship between Emma and Destiny. Feeling left out, she acts out and distances herself. Emma reassures Zuri that their sisterly bond is special and irreplaceable, resolving the conflict with understanding and communication.
    • In "Up, Up, and Away," Emma, Ravi, and Zuri announce they won't return to Camp Kikiwaka next summer to pursue their dreams. Lou feels disappointed, but the Ross kids surprise her by making her the new camp owner. Despite the bittersweet farewell, Lou embraces her new leadership role, marking a new chapter for the camp in the last four seasons.
    • In "Summer Winter Wonderland," Destiny reveals that she lost her grandpa and now hates Christmas because it reminds her of him. Ava comforts Destiny, offering her support and helping her rediscover the joy of the holiday season. This moment deepens their friendship and shows how Ava helps Destiny cope with her grief.
    • In "Lou Still the Boss, But Now There's a Ross," Emma returns to Camp Kikiwaka after an embarrassing incident at Fashion Week. Feeling humiliated, she decides to hide out at the camp to relax and recover from the ordeal. Throughout the episode, Emma reconnects with her camp friends, and they help her regain her confidence.
  5. Some funny moments.
  6. Unlike Jessie and the first two seasons of this series, these seasons hardly used sexual innuendos and gross-out humor, featuring fewer mean-spirited moments, and showing kinder interactions between characters. This tonal shift might be attributed to the change in executive producers and showrunners, with Pamela Eells O’Connell departing after season 3 and being replaced by Phil Baker and Erin Dunlap.
  7. Even though Xander is no longer a part of the show, his voice can still be heard in the theme song (until season 6).
  8. Thankfully, none of the original characters (from seasons 1 & 2) have been flanderized in these seasons (specifically the Ross kids and Lou).
    • Lou is still likable like she was in the first two seasons, as well being the only original character which is a blessing in disguise.
    • While that doesn't excuse much of being rehashed versions of former or current characters, Destiny, Matteo, and Finn also didn't get flanderized (they improved as the series went on).
  9. Despite the removal of the original characters being a blow to the show, and the constant replacement of characters each season being frustrating for fans, it does make sense within the context of the series. Since it's set at a summer camp, it's realistic that each year, some campers and counselors would stay while others would move on to new experiences. This mirrors the natural turnover that occurs at actual camps.
  10. Miranda May stayed in the whole series and was not taken out at all.
  11. Even though it is played more frequently than the first two seasons, the laugh track is still used appropriately.
  12. There are still a lot of good episodes, such as:
    • "O Sister, Where Art Thou?".
    • "Finder's Keepers, Lou's a Weeper".
    • "Up, Up and Away" (which ended season 3 on a high note and would've made a good series finale had the show not been renewed for season 4).
    • "Who Da Boss? Lou Da Boss!" (which started season 4 on good note).
    • "Inn Trouble".
    • "Summer Winter Wonderland".
    • "Raven About Bunk'd" (which is good end to season 4).
    • "Lou's Still the Boss, But Now There's a Ross" (which started season 5 on good note).
    • "Crushin' It".
    • "Frien'ds Forever" (which is a good send off to season 5, and would potentially have also made a good finale had Disney not renew it for season 6).
    • "Learning the Ropes" (which started season 6 on a good note).
    • "Hauntin' Around the Christmas Tree".
    • ''Finn It to Win It".
    • "Desperate Treasures" (which is good send off to season 6).
    • "Cursed Day Of Camp" (which is a good start to season 7).
    • "Hot Couture".
    • "The Glitching Hour".
    • "Happy Trails" (which finally ends the series on a good note).
  13. The new credits song (which is the main theme instrumental version) that is introduced in season 5 is catchy.
  14. Even though they left the series; the Ross family still receives a few shoutouts every now and then.
  15. It was pretty cool that Disney renewed a show more than four seasons along with Raven's Home, despite not making it better.
    • These seasons managed to gain popularity, largely due to its success on Netflix. This popularity helped save the show from cancellation twice.
    • It was also one of Disney Channel’s first longest-running shows, starting in July 2015 and concluding in August 2024 after seven seasons.

Season 3 (2018)

  1. This is the least bad of these seasons as the original creator and executive producers are involved and it still features the Ross Kids.
    • It is the last season to hold the charm from the previous seasons, despite its flaws.
  2. Unlike the other former characters, Gladys's absence is explained. The reason is that she ran off with the camp's insurance money.
  3. Finn is a likable character, despite him being a rehash of Jorge from the first two seasons.
  4. The season finale is an improvement over the season as a whole.
  5. It's nice to see the Ross kids one last time since they don't return in season 4.
    • They're also still pretty likable and as mentioned before, none of them are flanderized.

Season 4 (2019-2020)

  1. After being absent in season 3, Hazel finally returns in the episode, "Inn Trouble".
    • Xander, and Gladys is mentioned in said episode.
  2. It's pretty nice to see Lou become the protagonist.
    • Once season 4 premiered she did a great job running the camp.
  3. At least there is an explanation as to why the Ross Kids left the show. The reason was that they went to pursue their dreams.
    • Also, they were mentioned in the premiere episode.
  4. Noticeable improvement in the lighting.
  5. The cabins are back to the way they originally were in seasons 1 & 2.
  6. Noah, Gwen, and Ava are pretty tolerable & likable characters.
  7. It had a crossover with Raven's Home titled "Raven About Bunk'd" which was decent since fans of both spin-offs of their original shows may enjoy this crossover, despite Emma, Ravi, and Zuri being absent during that season.

Season 5 (2021)

  1. Emma Ross, who starred in the first three seasons, makes her final appearance in the debut episode "Lou's Still the Boss, But There's a Ross."
  2. Although it's a mean spirited out of character moment for Lou, she had a good reason to not like Parker in the first place.
  3. Matteo grew more bearable than he was in seasons 3 and 4.
  4. Gwen made a guest appearance in the episode "Crushin' It."
  5. "Frien'ds Forever" had the characters sing the full theme song from the first two seasons.

Season 6 (2022-2023)

  1. The idea of Camp Kikiwaka becoming Kikiwaka Ranch was pretty interesting.
  2. The removal of Finn, Matteo, and Ava is explained in the season.
    • Finn had a guest appearance in the episode "Finn it to Win it".
  3. Despite still being short, the new country-revamped theme song is pretty good.
  4. The new logo is nice.
  5. Destiny becomes more likable in this season then she was in previous seasons. She undergoes a significant transformation from a self-centered pageant girl to a mature and caring counselor at Kikiwaka Ranch.
  6. As of season 6, Parker is starting to improve a bit.
  7. Despite the rehash, Jake, Winnie, Bill are tolerable characters.
  8. "Desperate Treasures" had Winnie singing a revamp version of the Kikiwaka song which has new lyrics, (too bad it wasn't used for the theme song in this season).

Season 7 (2023-2024)

  1. Since Wizards of Waverly Place, this is the only Disney Channel sitcom to have more than 100 episodes. The series reach 161 episodes concluding the Jessie franchise with 11 seasons and 259 episodes overall.
  2. There are still some funny moments in this season.
  3. Some episodes are still worth watching.
  4. The season 7 finale ends the series on high note.

Reception

The last five seasons of Bunk'd have been considered obscure and garnered mixed to negative reception from fans. Many criticized the removal of characters Xander, Tiffany, Jorge, Griff, Gladys, and Hazel, who were replaced by Destiny, Matteo, and Finn. Another criticism from fans was the theme song being altered and shortened. Some fans have completely turned away from the show because of these seasons, while some continued watching but heavily criticized its recent direction. However, other fans preferred these seasons, praising Lou as a better protagonist than the Ross kids and seeing her as a positive role model for young viewers. The new characters were seen as less mean-spirited compared to the original cast, and the show also toned down some of its gross-out humor, which appealed to certain audiences. Despite these improvements, the absence of fan-favorite characters in the later seasons still left a portion of the fanbase disappointed.

The show rating currently has a 5.4/10 on IMDb.

Trivia

  • The series was initially slated to conclude following Season 3; however, it received a renewal for additional seasons owing to its widespread popularity.
  • "Happy Trails" end the series in August 2 2024.
  • Tessa Netting made a Q & A video about her time on Bunk'd.
  • Karan Brar and Shelby Simmons (two of the actors from the series) later start together in the Disney+ original movie Stargirl as their characters, Kevin Singh and Hillary Kimble.
  • Scarlett Estevez, actress of Gwen Flores will not make an appearance till her working on the Disney Channel Original Movie, Christmas Again is finished. Gwen won't be the main character in season 5. She did make a guest appearance in the episode "Crushin' It".
  • Season 4 originally had 32 episodes planned but episodes 431 and 432 were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Trevor Tordjman, the actor who played Parker Preston, spoke up with J-14 Magazine, stated that he wanted some co-stars from the Disney Channel Original Movie, Zombies 2 to make guest appearances in the series. He didn't show up in the Season 5 premiere episode because Peyton List already did a guest appearance as Emma Ross.
  • Matteo, Finn, and Destiny’s names were originally going to be Kyle, Tyler, and Anastasia but they changed their names, according to the Bunk'd Wiki on FANDOM.
  • Erin Dunlap returns as executive producer and sole showrunner for Season 6. David Booth, Valerie Ahern, Eric Schaar, and star Miranda May serve as executive producers this season.
  • The last two seasons is renamed to Bunk'd: Learning the Ropes. It is the sixth live-action Disney series to have a name change after Hannah Montana Forever, Jonas L.A., Lab Rats: Bionic Island, Liv and Maddie: Cali Style and Kirby Buckets: Warped.
  • Raphael Alejandro, Will Buie Jr, and Shelby Simmons leave the show, with three new campers replacing them. This marks the 4th and last time where a new set of characters replace the old characters in a new season (the first is Kevin, Nathan and Nina being replaced by Mallory, Raphael and Will; the second is Peyton, Karan and Skai being replaced by Shelby, Scarlett and Israel; and the third is Scarlett being replaced by Trevor).

Comments

Loading comments...