Gilligan's Island: St. Gilligan and the Dragon

Gilligan's Island: St. Gilligan and the Dragon
CBS
February 13, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Like a lot of other first-season episodes, the writing-- this time by husband & wife team Arnold & Lois Peyser (who'd do another GI episode, plus a Brady)-- could be stronger.  The basic idea of the women protesting for equal rights is fine, but the impetus for it doesn't make any sense.  They in fact want the men to build separate huts for them.  (I hadn't realized that they're all still living in the communal hut.)  The women go off on their own and, after some difficulties, they build their own hut.  But when everyone is reconciled, it's unclear what happens with the hut situation.

The dreams that the men have about the women (we don't know if the women dream) are definitely interesting, for shipping and other reasons.  First the Skipper is a sultan with three wives.  Then Mr. Howell gets a pedicure and other attentions from the women, and his wife isn't jealous of the girls.  Then the Professor imagines that he's Cary Grant and the women are his fans.  (An earlier episode revealed that Ginger has a crush on Cary, although she has mentioned Rock Hudson twice.)  And Gilligan, who seems to be scared of women in his waking hours, imagines himself as a bullfighter facing the ladies rather than a bull.

When the men arrive and the women are scared of a weather balloon (don't get me started on the script problems with that plot twist), Lovey of course rushes over to Thurston, while Mary Ann chooses Gilligan, and Ginger the Professor.  (In fact, she keeps clinging to him even after it's clear there's no danger.)  G/G is still the most frequent ship this season, but the balance is shifting.  And note, Mr. Howell isn't sure if he's been married 19 or 22 years.

This is the last of three GI episodes Richard Donner directed.