The Chain of Command

Synopsis
After the Professor finds what he suspects is a Papuan headdress, he and the Skipper fear it might be an indication of an native attack. They start fortifying the island to defend the castaways, but an accident with a palm tree leaves the Skipper afraid of who will be left to replace him when he's gone. Gilligan tries to live up to his standards even as the Skipper considers the Professor and Mr. Howell as potential replacements, but the Professor is too analytical and Mr. Howell is too careful in his decisions. With no choices left, the Skipper turns to Gilligan, who is unable to take his lessons seriously and too insecure in his faith to replace the Skipper. Disgruntled with his effort, the Skipper departs to clear his head and vanishes near the lagoon. In his absence, Gilligan runs into the same problems trying to motivate the Professor and Mr. Howell as the Skipper did; it is only until he takes charge that they start taking him seriously. Ginger is impressed by him and claims she can lure a native into a trap set by the Professor, but the only person they catch is the Skipper who reveals he disappeared to test Gilligan. He further reveals there was never any attack - that the so-called Papuan headdress is actually one of Mrs. Howell's expensive Paris pieces. Still thinking he's in charge, Gilligan rallies the Castaways together, marching them into the wrong direction as he stumbles off a cliff, catching a limb on the way down. Back at camp, however, the Skipper, Professor and Mr. Howell watches as Gilligan's gorilla teaches him how to be a lackey once more.

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
 * Janos Prohaska as The Gorilla

Trivia

 * Syndicated versions of this episode don't include the tag scene with Gilligan being marched through the jungle by the gorilla.
 * Gilligan, the Skipper and the Professor are the only characters seen during the first quarter of the episode.
 * The Castaways are quite well armed in preparation of their attack. They have coconut catapult, coconut clubs, spears, shields and helmets made from wooden baskets.
 * In the cliff scene, Gilligan tumbles off wearing the Skipper's cap which he loses, but when he's found holding on to the branch, he's wearing his sailor's hat.