Ring Around Gilligan

Ring Around Gilligan is the 77th episode of Gilligan's Island and the ninth episode of the third season. It aired November 7, 1966.

Synopsis
Reading a change in the currents around the Island, the Professor has Gilligan and the Skipper start construction on a raft to reach the shipping lanes. Meanwhile, Dr. Balinkoff is back to normal and returns to the island with another plan. He leaves a ring for Gilligan to find that allows him to control the First Mate that night and lure him to his cave where he shows off his Mind-Control Machine and announces the crime of the century. The next morning, Mrs. Howell sees Gilligan with the ring and borrows it from him. That night, Balinkoff has Gilligan rob the Howells, not knowing Mrs. Howell is wearing the ring. She judo-flips Mr. Howell when he wakes and tries to stop her then delivers the money to Balinkoff. When she returns to her hut, she has no memory of what has happened and blames the attack on him on a dream. The following dream, she returns the ring to Gilligan who has the Skipper hold it for him as he works on the raft. When Balinkoff hears they're building a raft, he orders the Skipper to destroy it. When Ginger gets the ring to return it to Gilligan, she also has a sudden urge to destroy the raft. When she shows up at the cave, Balinkoff is convinced the ring will work on anyone, and has his pet monkey, Igor deliver a bag of six more rings to the other Castaways to wear, ordering them to collect coconuts all night long. The next morning, everyone is sore and confused, and as they turn to Gilligan for answers, Balinkoff takes control of them again, having them rehearse their robbery of Fort Knox with the Supply Hut standing in as the Depository and coconuts representing gold bars. Everything seems to be going to plan until Balinkoff asks them to deliver the "gold bars" at which time they start tossing the coconuts. His remote control gets smashed which breaks his control on everyone and leaving them all confused and bewildered. With Gilligan in the Bamboo Island Taxi, he drives after Balinkoff to stop him, driving the taxi into the lagoon. Unfortunately, they miss the change in currents to get them rescued, but the Howells come out of it with a nice taxi to deliver them around 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
 * Vito Scotti as Dr. Boris Balinkoff

Trivia

 * Vito Scotti also portrays the Japanese Sailor in So Sorry, My Island Now and Diogenes, Won't You Please Go Home?.
 * This is possibly the most sinister and dark episode in the series as it has Balingkoff planning to brainwash the Castaways into committing crimes for him against their will.
 * It's never revealed how Balinkoff got his body back after the events of The Friendly Physician; many fans suggest the episodes work better in reverse order. Another possibility is that since he already seems to know the Castaways names that the effects eventually reversed themselves.
 * It's odd that the Skipper decides to wear Gilligan's ring when he could have just placed it in his pocket. Likewise, Ginger also takes to wearing it so Balingkoff can control her as well as the Skipper.
 * Since Balinkoff is asleep when Ginger arrives in his cave, it's uncertain as to who gave her the instructions to smash the raft - unless it was an echo of the commands given to the Skipper.
 * Apparently, while Balinkoff's ring controls the higher motorary functions of the brain, it doesn't affect each person's sense of morality; hence, Ginger slapping Balinkoff when he pinches her cheek.
 * After Gilligan gets his ring back, he passes the Howell's Hut and stops before the Supply Hut before Igor the Monkey takes control of him. This hut set-up of the communal area is faithful to the set-up in the rest of the series, particularly The Producer, Love Me, Love My Skipper and Feed the Kitty
 * In The Friendly Physician, Balinkoff expressed no interest in money but rather in power, but he must have revised his views because now he uses his inventions to rob Fort Knox.
 * In an interview, Vito Scott remembered the monkey in this episode had no teeth, and when it tried biting him, it gummed him on the hand.

Quotes

 * Dr. Balinkoff - "I am Dr. Boris Balinkoff." Gilligan - "The mad scientist..." Dr. Balinkoff "No... Scientist, yes... mad, no!" (followed by creepy laughter)


 * Gilligan - "Yes, mad scientist..." Dr. Balinkoff - If I told you a million times... Scientist, yes... mad, no!" (followed by creepy laughter)


 * Mr. Howell - "Mother warned me about you Vassar girls and your year-long gym classes."


 * Dr. Balinkoff - (upon seeing Ginger) "Our robots are getting better every time!"


 * Mary Ann - "I was once in a club where we all wore the same ring." Mr. Howell - "Young lady, I only join exclusive clubs. In fact, I consider them suspect if they consider me a member!"