Gilligan's Mother-in-Law



Gilligan's Mother-in-Law is the Season Premiere of the Second Season of "Gilligan's Island". It aired September 16, 1965.

Synopsis
A family of indigenous natives arrive on the island via canoe. The daughter is smitten with Gilligan. Mr. Howell misinterprets their gestures to mean the daughter is interested in marrying the Skipper! The Skipper is flatly opposed, barricading himself in his hut. The Professor is able to talk with the Chief in their dialect which he describes as a combination of Polynesian and Papu. He informs the Skipper the girl is actually interested in Gilligan! Viewing a marriage as a way off the island the Skipper insists Gilligan go through with the marriage, but first he must pass the marriage test. The marriage test involves Gilligan carrying the overweight bride around in his arms, then a bravery test where knives are thrown at Gilligan. Gilligan passes all the tests. Protocol then requires the Castaways throw a party in honor of the marriage-to-be. During the party, the Chief's daughter's old suitor, Haruki, appears to vie for her hand in marriage. A contest for the daughter is arranged - spears at dawn! Ginger comes on to Haruki in an effort to spare Gilligan any harm; her efforts are spurned. The duel begins; Gilligan is given first throw and hits a coconut which knocks out Haruki. The Chief's daughter decides to marry Haruki anyway, but they cannot leave the island because the marriage is by invitation only. Being good sports the natives invite Gilligan anyway, but when told he must pass the Best Man test of poison darts at six paces, he jumps out of the canoe and swims back to the island!

Credits
Main Cast
 * Bob Denver as Gilligan
 * Alan Hale Jr. as The Skipper
 * Jim Backus as Mr. Howell
 * Natalie Schafer as Mrs. Howell
 * Tina Louise as Ginger
 * Dawn Wells as Mary Ann
 * Russell Johnson as The Professor

Guest Cast
 * Russ Grieve ... Native Chief
 * Henny Backus ... Native Mother
 * Mary Foran ... Native Daughter
 * Eddie Little Sky ... Haruki

Trivia

 * Jim Backus's real life wife Henny Backus guest stars as the Chief's wife.
 * Despite the Professor saying the natives' dialect is spoken on only a few islands to the southwest of them, he appears to have a command of the language.
 * It's possible (but unconfirmed) that the native chief in this episode is the same native chief who departed the island on amiable terms in Music Hath Charms, having returned to procure a husband for his daughter. Both characters were played by Russ Grieve.
 * In the scene where Gilligan is hiding in the cave, there's a strange light inside the cave that illuminates the Skipper and then Gilligan strolling out then charging back out of it.
 * The lion's roar in the cave suggests that Leo the Lion landed on the island far earlier than the Skipper finding his crate in Feed the Kitty.
 * There seems to be no consistency to the pronouncing of Haruki's name. It is pronounced Haruki by the Chief and by the Professor repeatedly at the start. When Ginger comes on to Haruki, he says his name is Haruka, which Ginger then starts using it. After Haruki is knocked out by the coconuts, the Chief and his wife call him Haroki. In the final moments, the Professor starts calling him Hiroki! Furthermore, close-captioning of the episode spells it, "Harouki" and "Harouka" when Ginger says it. In the credits, Eddie Little Sky is merely credited as "Native Warrior."
 * It's unclear how islanders who speak a combination of Polynesian and Papua (island chains thousands of miles apart) are within canoeing distance to the island. A family (with only two paddlers) would not conceivably travel long distances by canoe and yet the natives's island is said to be in the shipping lanes (presumably Gilligan's Island is not).

Quotes
Gilligan: Well you're not so skinny yourself. Skipper: [Groan] Gilligan: What I mean is maybe on your honeymoon you go on a diet together.
 * Skipper: I am not marrying that fat native girl!


 * Mrs. Howell: "I'm sure she's very attractive in her little group." Ginger: "Trouble is she is her own little group."


 * Skipper: "Leave it to a mother-in-law to find the groom."