Gilligan's Island: The Second Ginger Grant

Gilligan's Island: The Second Ginger Grant
CBS
March 6, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B+

In some ways, this Ron Friedman script (his third of three) seems like it would've made more sense in the first season, since Mary Ann is idolizing Ginger Grant the movie star, and they've been living as roommates all this time, seeing each other as ordinary people.  (And the title is a misnomer if you count Eva Grubb.)  On the other hand, because they've been living together so long, it's easier for them to imitate each other, as they do through most of the episode.  And then, at various points, we get all the men imitating Mary Ann, including a bathing Gilligan!  Mrs. Howell even imitates Thurston's Hahvahd accent.  So there's gender-bending, several renditions of "I Wanna Be Loved by You," and wardrobe modification.  (It's never explained how Mary Ann's clothes fit Ginger perfectly.)  The shipping is complicated because of all the switching, but Mary Ann as Ginger wants to rehearse a love scene with Gilligan, who tries to flee from the kissing, until the Skipper sends him back because they need to distract Mary Ann while Ginger is transforming into Mary Ann.  Gilligan bravely goes back, lays his head in Mary Ann's lap, and makes the sacrifice.  Elsewhere though, Gilligan does show great concern for Mary Ann.  It's the Skipper, however, who gives her a kiss on the cheek when she recovers.  And it could be argued that Mary Ann has a girl-crush on Ginger, platonic or not.

Steve Binder also directed the "Mosquitoes" episode and seems to have been mostly a director of variety shows, bringing something different to the show than the other GI directors.