User Reviews

A native family arrives on Gilligan's Island and the daughter sees and wants to marry Gilligan. After passing a couple of important tests, Gilligan is all set for marriage when Haroki, the rejected suitor of the daughter challenges Gilligan in a duel to the death.

Overall, not a bad way to start the second season as it is certainly quite colorful to say the least.

Highlights include Mr. Howell loving every second of the palm-prawn fan, Gilligan trying to stop the Skipper by ramming his head repeated into his gut, Gilligan going "flat out" as he escapes through the window, the rather cartoon-like delay before the native girl falls, the "knife" test, the "Howell touch" when it comes to costumes, Gilligan winning the spear throwing contest with Haroki and then being chased by the chief.

It also must be noted that Henny Backus, the wife of Jim Backus, plays the Mother of the native family and actually delivers quite an animated performance in a really good way.

A somewhat promising episode that quickly turns a bit sour as we are meant to laugh at the beautiful, but rather large, heavy-set daughter. Admittedly, Mary Foran plays it for all she's worth and she actually delivers a wonderfully expressive performance, most notably when being "made up" by the girls. However, the fat and ugly jokes at her expense get to be a little much.

Still, all the guest stars are quite effective in their roles and there is some nice comedic bits along the way. Not one of the best episodes of the season, but not a bad one, either.

Tidbits & Trivia - Our very first color episode of Gilligan's Island. While I certainly miss the black and white episodes, the lagoon, trees and flowers are quite colorful and attractive.

• Since all the natives speak in gibberish, we never find out exactly why this family was heading to Gilligan's Island in the first place.

• Russ Grieve makes his third and final appearance on Gilligan's Island, this time playing the Chief or father of the native family. Interestingly enough, he wears the same outfit he wore in his first appearance, "How to Be a Hero", complete with the skulls hanging from his belt. Russ seems to be having a ball, especially when he playfully takes Mr. Howell's hat at the party.

• Mary Foran who plays the lovely native daughter was, according to IMDb at least, about four years older than her father played by Russ.

• We see the palm-prawn fan for the first and, of course, last time ever in this episode.

• The Skipper remarks that he has never heard that native language before. An odd remark since he's never indicated he knew any native languages before.

• Apparently, there are crocodiles in the lagoon...well, for the only time in the series anyway.

• Eddie Little Sky makes his first of three appearances on Gilligan's Island as the rather angry warrior. Eddie's yell is quite impressive and he is quite good.

• Gilligan leaping into his wife's arms, only to have her drop him appears to an outtake, though I cannot say for sure.

• Although Eddie Little Sky is called "Haroki" more than once, he is only listed as "Native Warrior" in the credits.

This second season premiere is just a shade above average. It's helped by the new color environment-which makes the island look wonderfully tacky-and a fine cast of guest natives. But it's hindered by a lot of gags that fall flat, dated jokes, and, despite the bright red rugby shirt he's shown in, a bland new Gilligan.

The guest natives arrive in a family-sized outrigger looking for a husband for their daughter. By luck, the very first place they look reveals Gilligan working on his butterfly collection, and his grace with a net gets the daughter's heart a thumping. She cajoles her parents into going along with her wishes and, just like that, Gilligan is going to be married.

Much of the humor of the episode, especially in the first act, derives from making fun of the daughter's large size. The jokes start with a misunderstanding where the Skipper thinks he's the one who has to take her hand in marriage. He gets so freaked out at the prospect he barricades himself in his hut. It takes the Professor to set the record straight, and Gilligan, no less brave than the Skip, flees hilariously into the jungle at warp speed. Not even the thought of rescue will get these two to marry her.

Gilligan's hiding place is that same rock formation used in Forget Me Not and It's Magic and et cetera. Yet no one, not even his big buddy, can find him, other than his future mother-in-law. The castaways are overjoyed at his reappearance, assuming that this arranged marriage will somehow lead to a return to civilization.

The rest of the first half consists of wedding preparations. The girls work to make the bride more presentable with broad, lazy jokes about her appetite, while Gilligan is forced to undergo a series of tests to prove his worthiness as a groom. These tests include another easy gag where he carries his bride around until his scrawny legs give out and she nearly crushes him (as funny as it sounds); and one where his future father-in-law throws knives at him, a scene done much better on I Love Lucy. Our lead passes both due to dumb luck and the need to advance the plot.

The material improves when his new family throws him a party and Gilligan treats us to an amusing dance interlude. He's interrupted by a brawny, confident warrior named Haroki who wishes to compete for the daughter's hand in marriage, making the second half an entertaining showdown between the two rivals.

Overall, the second half is funnier and more focused than the first. We get one of Ginger's more memorable seduction attempts, which typically fails, and a lot of broad slapstick as our lead prepares for the confrontation with Haroki. The showdown involves spears at ten paces. Gilligan proves hopeless, of course, but more dumb luck spares his life and his bachelorhood. He and Haroki remain best new pals in the amusing epilogue, until our lead passes on taking another test.

COCONOTES:

Veteran sitcom writer Budd Grossman is the architect of this script, his first of four for Gilligan's Island. Previous credits include My Favorite Husband, Bachelor Flat, and Dennis the Menace. He would go on to write for Get Smart, Maude, and Three's Company, among others.

Kudos to the prop department for creating Mr. Howell's fan, which interestingly isn't the invention of the Professor, but the Skipper, and is never used again.

Russ Grieve makes his third and last appearance as a native in the series. Since he is wearing the same outfit as in How To Be a Hero, would that make him the same headhunter whom Gilligan smoked back then, which would give him a good reason to allow the marriage to'skinny winny?' Eddie Little Sky really livens the episode up with his role as Haroki. His scream is terrific.

Mary Foran definitely is a good sport for playing the maligned daughter, whom writer Grossman doesn't even bother to name.