User Reviews

This weak, forgettable episode continues the second season's dreary sophomore slump. Its main problem is that the plot and most of the situations are lifted from earlier, much better episodes, giving the whole exercise a recycled feel. The original scenes are either underdeveloped, don't work, or are just odd. Most of the gags don't land or barely qualify as gags; even the laugh track struggles to make it through this one.

Gilligan and the Skipper are having a fairly interesting discussion about food when they are rudely interrupted by a random hand grenade. They and the other castaways conclude that they are under attack by sinister unseen forces.

Most of the first act is spent on forming a response to the attack. The men hold a dull strategy session where the Skip predictably wants to fight and Mr. Howell prefers the art of surrender. Outside of Ginger's sexy surrender walk, there is little of interest.

We revisit that old argument between the Skip and Mr. Howell over who should lead the isle's response. The Professor's solution is to humor the billionaire. So, for the rest of the act, we have General Howell's war games. Except that, unlike in the superior Chain of Command, there are no combat drills or training. Instead we meander through more strategy sessions, pointless spot inspections, and another grenade attack where Gilligan is injured by a tie clip. (Not as funny as it sounds).

His injury leads to the most obvious and oddest bit of padding in the episode. The plot steps aside so that Ginger can perform a long, dull rendition of some old song to our uncomfortable lead. It's easily her most forgettable musical number in the entire series.

In the second act, the stakes are upped somewhat when the castaways are raked by machine gun fire. Any drama, though, is quickly squelched when the marauder turns out to be a gorilla, the most disappointing reveal this side of Sam the macaw. The remainder of the act borrows heavily from Diamonds Are An Ape's Best Friend, as the men try to lure the gorilla away from two crates of grenades he's guarding at a cave, and, in a succession of cheap, adolescent gags, are easily outwitted.

Eventually, just like in that earlier episode, the gorilla captures our lead and takes him into the jungle. Gilligan's unusual ability to charm savage beasts works once again and the pair are soon best buds. He encourages the gorilla to dispose of the grenades by pitching them into the lagoon. They conclude with a silly, over-the-top gag that isn't going to make anybody forget about the ending of Dr. Strangelove.

COCONOTES:

"Nothing doing. No one will pay any attention to the flag."

Mr. Howell studied under Generals Robert E. Lee and George Armstrong Custer, just in case, you know, he needed to lead a losing charge down Wall Street.

The specificity of the wardrobe the castaways have continues to amaze (and grow). Mr. Howell packed a tan brigadier general's uniform complete with oak leaf clusters; the girls have tan nurse outfits; and Ginger has a gorgeous body suit.

The two crates are helpfully marked 'grenades' for the audience, Batman-style.