"Forget Me Not" opens with the Skipper building a signal tower from which he hopes to ensure rescue by notifying the passing Navy of their presence via semaphore. Unfortunately, well meaning Gilligan accidentally knocks him cold, so cold that he awakens a victim of amnesia ("will he ever remember to stop forgetting?"). Ginger confirms by the suddenly skirt chasing seaman's 'sailor's blood' that there are certain things he hasn't forgotten! Alan Hale has a field day with his characterization, similar but still different, and just as warm as the old Skipper, making hilarious comments about himself examining his own cherished mementos. The Professor tries hypnosis to bring him out of it, back to the past, which regresses him all the way to childhood, referring to Gilligan as 'Stinky!' A second try puts the Skipper back fighting WW2 at Guadalcanal, seeing his fellow castaways as Japanese soldiers, capturing all of them in only 15 minutes. A third attempt at hypnosis and the Professor winds up with three Skippers, none of whom is the real one! Mr. Howell, at the point of a bayonet, gives in to the Skipper's demands, going full tilt as the high and mighty Emperor. This was the second mention of Guadalcanal, first heard in "Good Night Sweet Skipper."
5 Reviews
Gilligan forgets a really good plot.
Ralphkram29 August 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Despite its title, Forget Me Not isn't especially memorable. The episode is pretty ordinary for the most part and weighed down by a few cringe-worthy moments. It uses the old amnesia bit that was touched on in Good Night, Sweet Skipper and is the worn out staple of many sitcoms. (It will be used again in the color years, in fact). The episode is only sporadically amusing, dated in spots, and derivative; but at least it speeds along fairly well.
Navy ships will be conducting maneuvers near the isle, so Gilligan and the Skipper are once again working on a signal tower to attract their attention. This time the Skipper will contact them through semaphore. To get the plot rolling, Gilligan absent-mindedly bops the Skip on the head and sends him hurtling off the tower.
The blow to the head causes the Skipper to instantly develop amnesia. The result is Alan Hale gets to play another character, one who doesn't seem all that concerned about his loss of identity. The new Skip is easygoing, likable, much quieter, and, as Ginger finds out while doing her wash, an unabashed skirt chaser. Unfortunately, the pesky plot won't permit him to stay that way, as the ships are fast approaching, and his old self is the only one who knows how to use semaphore.
So the Professor hypnotizes him to return to a time before he was conked on the head. The command of course is wildly unspecific and the Skipper goes back too far and thinks he's a little kid, and imagines the others as tykes as well. Thankfully, there is only one scene of the castaway kiddie corps in freckles and pig tails. He gets a do over and believes he is back in World War II in Guadalcanal surrounded by six Japanese soldiers, and flees into the jungle.
The castaways don't seem overly concerned that he has disappeared and go about practicing their semaphore skills, with Mr. Howell an enthusiastic fill-in. From this point, part of the plot is borrowed from So Sorry, My Island Now; the hypnotized Skip, using a bayonet, rounds up the 'enemy' with little fuss and imprisons them. Just like in that earlier, better episode, the castaways cannot convince him that they aren't Japanese soldiers; not even the turn of Ginger's leg will do the trick. The Professor is uncharacteristically at a loss on how to bring him out of his trance, and Gilligan proves unable to talk his big buddy down from the ledge.
With the Navy ships in sight, there is another desperate attempt at hypnosis, and the episode ventures into silly Three Stooges territory. Gilligan and Mr. Howell are reeled in by the Professor's hypnotic suggestion and each believe they are the Skipper. They have a loud, obnoxious argument over who is in charge that gets old really fast. The real Skip intervenes, is predictably jolted on the head again, and clears up his amnesia, just in time to warm up his semaphore.
The Navy, however, finds the episode too bland and forgettable to make it to the end.
COCONOTES:
The observation tower is not seen or referenced again.
Major plot hole: For plot convenience, the only way to contact the Navy ships in this episode is by semaphore, which is elaborate given what the castaways have tried in the past. Simply waving the flags would do the trick.
Like how the amnesiac Skip thinks of his old self as a slob.
"There are some things he hasn't forgotten."
Jim Backus' impression of a Japanese soldier doesn't hold up too well.
Navy ships will be conducting maneuvers near the isle, so Gilligan and the Skipper are once again working on a signal tower to attract their attention. This time the Skipper will contact them through semaphore. To get the plot rolling, Gilligan absent-mindedly bops the Skip on the head and sends him hurtling off the tower.
The blow to the head causes the Skipper to instantly develop amnesia. The result is Alan Hale gets to play another character, one who doesn't seem all that concerned about his loss of identity. The new Skip is easygoing, likable, much quieter, and, as Ginger finds out while doing her wash, an unabashed skirt chaser. Unfortunately, the pesky plot won't permit him to stay that way, as the ships are fast approaching, and his old self is the only one who knows how to use semaphore.
So the Professor hypnotizes him to return to a time before he was conked on the head. The command of course is wildly unspecific and the Skipper goes back too far and thinks he's a little kid, and imagines the others as tykes as well. Thankfully, there is only one scene of the castaway kiddie corps in freckles and pig tails. He gets a do over and believes he is back in World War II in Guadalcanal surrounded by six Japanese soldiers, and flees into the jungle.
The castaways don't seem overly concerned that he has disappeared and go about practicing their semaphore skills, with Mr. Howell an enthusiastic fill-in. From this point, part of the plot is borrowed from So Sorry, My Island Now; the hypnotized Skip, using a bayonet, rounds up the 'enemy' with little fuss and imprisons them. Just like in that earlier, better episode, the castaways cannot convince him that they aren't Japanese soldiers; not even the turn of Ginger's leg will do the trick. The Professor is uncharacteristically at a loss on how to bring him out of his trance, and Gilligan proves unable to talk his big buddy down from the ledge.
With the Navy ships in sight, there is another desperate attempt at hypnosis, and the episode ventures into silly Three Stooges territory. Gilligan and Mr. Howell are reeled in by the Professor's hypnotic suggestion and each believe they are the Skipper. They have a loud, obnoxious argument over who is in charge that gets old really fast. The real Skip intervenes, is predictably jolted on the head again, and clears up his amnesia, just in time to warm up his semaphore.
The Navy, however, finds the episode too bland and forgettable to make it to the end.
COCONOTES:
The observation tower is not seen or referenced again.
Major plot hole: For plot convenience, the only way to contact the Navy ships in this episode is by semaphore, which is elaborate given what the castaways have tried in the past. Simply waving the flags would do the trick.
Like how the amnesiac Skip thinks of his old self as a slob.
"There are some things he hasn't forgotten."
Jim Backus' impression of a Japanese soldier doesn't hold up too well.
YOU ARE THE SKIPPER, YOU ARE THE SKIPPER!
tcchelsey26 May 2024
Kind', sorta' a goofy take-off on THE THREE FACES OF EVE which has the Skipper getting konked on the head --loses his memory -- and returns into some offbeat characters.
Alan Hale has a field day, and I agree with the last reviewer, does a fine job of acting, much in the tradition of his famous father.
First... the Skipper becomes a "wolf" and starts chasing after Ginger. Big time. This is bizarro, and it does make you raise an eyebrow. To the rescue, the professor becomes the pseudo consulting psychiatrist and attempts to hypnotize the Skipper back to his old self. NEXT... he snaps into a heroic WW II soldier, believing the castaways are his Japanese prisoners? The crew made up as prisoners of war is campy, sort of a bit from a grade B film, the makeup and uniforms ain't bad. Give credit to the makeup folks havin' a blast.
Creative writing 101 thanks to Herb Margolis, and the only episode he wrote for the show. Herb was a long time tv comedy writer. Also director Jack Arnold has some fun with the cast, and in one rare scene has the Skipper, or Alan Hale, actually talk to the camera. Shades of Laurel and Hardy.
Interesting footnote, the castaways now have guns and ammo.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 30. Originally in black and white. Remastered color dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released 2004 and 2011.
Alan Hale has a field day, and I agree with the last reviewer, does a fine job of acting, much in the tradition of his famous father.
First... the Skipper becomes a "wolf" and starts chasing after Ginger. Big time. This is bizarro, and it does make you raise an eyebrow. To the rescue, the professor becomes the pseudo consulting psychiatrist and attempts to hypnotize the Skipper back to his old self. NEXT... he snaps into a heroic WW II soldier, believing the castaways are his Japanese prisoners? The crew made up as prisoners of war is campy, sort of a bit from a grade B film, the makeup and uniforms ain't bad. Give credit to the makeup folks havin' a blast.
Creative writing 101 thanks to Herb Margolis, and the only episode he wrote for the show. Herb was a long time tv comedy writer. Also director Jack Arnold has some fun with the cast, and in one rare scene has the Skipper, or Alan Hale, actually talk to the camera. Shades of Laurel and Hardy.
Interesting footnote, the castaways now have guns and ammo.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 30. Originally in black and white. Remastered color dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released 2004 and 2011.
Never mind what are you doing with that bayonet. The question should be, where did you get it?
mark.waltz14 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
When the skipper gets amnesia after being conked on the head with a pole, it comes at a very bad time because they are trying to signal some nearby Navy ships. The professor tries hypnosis and after briefly transforming the Skipper's mind into that of a child, he sends the skipper back to active duty and makes him think that the other castaways are Japanese enemies. One by one, they are all captured and of course it's up to Gilligan to save the day.
While this provides some good knowledge of World War II history, it's also rather adult in his scenes but with a child-like narrative. Alan Hale Jr. Seems to be emulating his father (Hale Sr.) who was in dozens of Warner Brothers World War II films, while Hale Jr. Didn't start acting until the Korean War. Visuals of the other castaways in the Skipper's mind as Japanese soldiers are rather funny, especially the women trying to be seductive to prove who they are.
The episode has a twist where Gilligan and Thurston are accidentally hypnotized into thinking that they are the skipper, but all this does is distract them from the fact that the Navy ships are passing by. And thus they remain on the island after a rather dour episode that does give Hale some of his best material and one of his better show performances in a dramatic light. He's also funny as he becomes a bit of a letch with Ginger, something very un-Skipper like.
While this provides some good knowledge of World War II history, it's also rather adult in his scenes but with a child-like narrative. Alan Hale Jr. Seems to be emulating his father (Hale Sr.) who was in dozens of Warner Brothers World War II films, while Hale Jr. Didn't start acting until the Korean War. Visuals of the other castaways in the Skipper's mind as Japanese soldiers are rather funny, especially the women trying to be seductive to prove who they are.
The episode has a twist where Gilligan and Thurston are accidentally hypnotized into thinking that they are the skipper, but all this does is distract them from the fact that the Navy ships are passing by. And thus they remain on the island after a rather dour episode that does give Hale some of his best material and one of his better show performances in a dramatic light. He's also funny as he becomes a bit of a letch with Ginger, something very un-Skipper like.
Just One More Blow to the Head
kmcelhaney00530 July 2013
Warning: Spoilers
We begin with the Skipper and Gilligan building a watchtower next to the lagoon. The US Navy is going to conduct maneuvers nearby, so the watchtower needs to be finished so that the Skipper can signal them with semaphore. Naturally, Gilligan accidentally whacks the Skipper on the head and now he can't remember who he is.
As the Skipper re-introduces himself to the castaways, they are desperate to get the Skipper's memory back so he can signal the ships.
This is another episode that suffers from major flaws in the plot and lapses in general logic to be anything more than middling at best. Alan Hale does an excellent job of playing the Skipper without his memory, becoming a different character in a real sense.
Highlights include the rather outdated and somewhat crass, but still funny scene of the Skipper chasing Ginger, Mrs. Howell's ignorance at what amnesia is and its cure, the Skipper's visions of seeing the castaways as children and then Japanese soldiers, the girls working on the watchtower with Gilligan's direction, the Skipper's reaction to Ginger's attempt at trying to convince him she's a girl, and Gilligan and Mr. Howell who are hypnotized to think they are the Skipper.
Unfortunately, there are simply too many flaws in the plot. First off, what does it matter if anyone can semaphore, as long as they can attract attention. Plus, shouldn't the watchtower be on a much higher point on the island so it can be seen? Of course, shouldn't they have some type of signal tower to attract attention for passing ships and planes already? On the plus side, the depiction of the castaways as Japanese soldiers may seem somewhat racist at first (note Gilligan's mustache and such), it really isn't handled that way as the castaways talk in normal English and conduct themselves normally as well...until Jim Backus pulls out all the stops on a stereotyped performance at the watchtower...oh well.
Ultimately, the flaws in this episode are more than enough to sink it as one of the lesser entries in the series.
As the Skipper re-introduces himself to the castaways, they are desperate to get the Skipper's memory back so he can signal the ships.
This is another episode that suffers from major flaws in the plot and lapses in general logic to be anything more than middling at best. Alan Hale does an excellent job of playing the Skipper without his memory, becoming a different character in a real sense.
Highlights include the rather outdated and somewhat crass, but still funny scene of the Skipper chasing Ginger, Mrs. Howell's ignorance at what amnesia is and its cure, the Skipper's visions of seeing the castaways as children and then Japanese soldiers, the girls working on the watchtower with Gilligan's direction, the Skipper's reaction to Ginger's attempt at trying to convince him she's a girl, and Gilligan and Mr. Howell who are hypnotized to think they are the Skipper.
Unfortunately, there are simply too many flaws in the plot. First off, what does it matter if anyone can semaphore, as long as they can attract attention. Plus, shouldn't the watchtower be on a much higher point on the island so it can be seen? Of course, shouldn't they have some type of signal tower to attract attention for passing ships and planes already? On the plus side, the depiction of the castaways as Japanese soldiers may seem somewhat racist at first (note Gilligan's mustache and such), it really isn't handled that way as the castaways talk in normal English and conduct themselves normally as well...until Jim Backus pulls out all the stops on a stereotyped performance at the watchtower...oh well.
Ultimately, the flaws in this episode are more than enough to sink it as one of the lesser entries in the series.
- Admittedly, the watchtower itself looks pretty well constructed...almost too well constructed in a sense. After all, why the full flooring on the first level? Shouldn't the only full floor be on the top level where the Skipper will stand? - There's a bit of confusion from what the Skipper says about "signal fire" and "semaphore". I suppose the signal fire will be somewhere other than on the signal tower.
- The contents of the Skipper's sea chest has changed considerably since "Waiting for Watubi". However, we find out that he used to play football in this episode.
- A new outfit and hairstyle for Ginger as the Skipper chases her under the clothesline. Her bra manages to peek out just before she leaves the scene. However, in terms of the rest of her underwear, Ginger seems to have gone "commando" so to speak based on how her...well, you'll just have to view and judge yourself.
- The "homemade" telescope seen in the last episode (barely) is now forgotten in favor of a new, smaller telescope.
- However, Ginger changes from her rather practical pants and top to her evening dress to work on the watchtower...smart. :)
- We see the rifle and bayonet Gilligan took off the Japanese soldier as the Skipper takes them to use against the castaways (ironic, I suppose).
- As the Skipper adjusts the bars he built in front of the cave, it moves rather violently, which indicates that it's pretty light and flimsy.
- When the Skipper captures Gilligan and the Professor, he breaks the "fourth wall" to tell us how he may take the entire Japanese army single handed.
- Gilligan's ability to see the Navy ships from the cave is pretty impressive considering we saw a very large tree in the way....not to mention the rest of the jungle.
- The US Navy must really have fast ships to be well out of range of the island in about three minutes time.
- Naturally, the completed watchtower and smaller telescope make no further appearances in the series.
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