As the campers get settled into their newfound summer home, Connect 3 arrive on the campgrounds. Their entrance sets the tone for the new competition, as they pull up to Camp Rock in style in a sleek red car and a black Cadillac SUV. The band takes the stage in front of the new generation of musicians and announces that they’re looking for an opening act for their upcoming tour.

The campers have to earn this opportunity, however.

Connect 3 explain that there are three challenges everyone will partake in, with the surviving aspiring performers ultimately earning a spot in the final jam. There, they’ll have the chance to perform an original song in front of Connect 3 and compete for the ultimate prize, which is becoming the band’s opening act.

It’s a fittingly high-stakes setup for a Camp Rock movie, bringing the competition element of the original films to the latest sequel.

When Camp Rock director Connie Torres decides that the campers could benefit from practicing their songwriting, she brings in an unexpected guest: Calvin Rhodes, an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, played by Milo Manheim. Calvin is not only one of the most-streamed artists of the previous year, but also a Camp Rock alum himself, making his appearance a fun connection between the film series’ past and present.

During this songwriting workshop, Calvin pairs up campers who don’t know each other and asks them to interview each other. His advice is to “dig deep,” and look beneath the surface for details: an exercise that can potentially turn into a habit used in songwriting.

It turns into something sweet for two particular characters Malachi and Sage. When Malachi is asked about his partner, he shares the little things he’s noticed about her, such as the way her nose crinkles when she laughs, how she almost sings when she talks and how she uses jokes when she doesn’t want to discuss something. It’s one of the clearest indications thus far of Malachi’s feelings for Sage, possibly stemming from somewhere other than friendliness.

Malachi goes on to say that he already has a melody for a song but couldn’t figure out the lyrics. However, after this exercise, he feels confident that he has what he needs and heads to the stage to perform an acoustic, vulnerable number.

The third and final challenge takes five campers — Malachi, Sage, Rosie, Desi and Cliff — far outside their comfort zones.

Their task? Survive 24 hours together on a “tour bus.” The bus is basically a school bus outfitted with a portable toilet in the back, and if any one of the five leaves before the 24 hours are up, they’re eliminated from the final jam.

What started as a tension-filled challenge for a spot on the final jam easily turned into one of the movie’s most earnest, heartfelt moments.

As night falls, the five campers open up to one another about their lives, their fears and what happens when Camp Rock is over. They talk about the uncertainty of returning to normal life and not knowing exactly what they want to do next.

Then, naturally, they turn those feelings into music. The five of them begin playing together, with Cliff on percussion, Malachi on guitar, Rosie on ukulele and the others contributing their own instruments and vocals. The end result is “Echo,” an impromptu ensemble performance that captures the connection the group has built throughout the competition and their time at Camp Rock.

For much of Camp Rock 3, audiences might find themselves wondering the same thing: Where is Mitchie? That question is thankfully answered just before the final jam.

As the five campers prepare individually for their performances, Connie Torres is shown organizing the stage setup, instructing someone to place a microphone over by a keyboard. Then the camera cuts to a familiar face peeking over a stack of road cases.

“Psst, Mom!”

It’s Mitchie Torres, played once again by Demi Lovato. Even Connie appears surprised to see her daughter, who explains that she’s in the middle of a tour but happened to have a day off, and of course, could not miss the final jam.

The reveal comes with roughly 20 minutes remaining in the film, making it a satisfying surprise for Camp Rock fans who had been waiting for Mitchie to reappear.

The movie’s biggest payoff is when the final jam happens, where the remaining campers take the stage one by one to perform their original songs for Connect 3.

Sage is the last to perform, but instead of simply delivering the solo number she had planned, she makes a decision that changes the entire competition.

She dismisses the other musicians onstage and speaks honestly about why she came to Camp Rock in the first place. When she arrived, her only goal was to win. Along the way, she realized that her obsession with the competition caused her to neglect the people she cared about.

Then, one by one, Cliff, Rosie, Desi and Malachi join her onstage. Together, the five of them perform “Work in Progress,” transforming the final jam from a competition to a celebration of the friendships they formed at Camp Rock.

The performance moves the campers, as well as Connect 3. It sways the band enough that they end up choosing Sage, Malachi, Rosie, Desi and Cliff to become their opening act for the tour, collectively as a group.

Rather than one camper winning at everyone else’s expense, Camp Rock 3 ends its biggest competition by embracing the idea that the best music can come from working together.