Voodoo Something to Me

Voodoo Something to Me is the Third episode of the series and the third episode of the First Season. It aired October 10, 1964.

Synopsis
Gilligan is asleep on guard duty. The Skipper explains to the castaways that they need to be careful around Gilligan while he's on guard duty because he shoots first then asks questions. All the castaways gather for the nightly flare launch. They hope that someone will see the flare and rescue them. After everyone else goes to bed Gilligan hears a rustling coming from a bush.

In the morning, Skipper and Gilligan prepare to start breakfast only to learn that the supply hut has been ransacked. Some of the supplies are gone too. They quickly tell Professor, Mary Ann, and Ginger. Skipper and Professor go search the island for the thief. But the Skipper thinks the theft is a result of voodoo. He mentions witch doctors turning people into animals as an example.

Gilligan sets a trap for the thief but he sets it off himself when he accidently steps into the noose. He's stuck hanging upside down. To be safe the Howells put bars on their windows leading Thurston to perspire for the first time. The Skipper then calls out to Gilligan because he stepped in the trap too.

That night Gilligan is on guard duty again. He hears a rustling in the bushes and goes looking to check on the supplies. While in the supply hut, he sees what he thinks to be a monster. Skipper and Professor check the hut and don't find anything or anyone. Skipper tells the Professor it's voodoo but the Professor being a man of logic doesn't believe it.

Professor and Gilligan are searching the island again. Professor tries to explain that there's a logical explanation for everything that's happened. They split up to search the island quicker. Gilligan falls into a mud hole and heads to the lagoon to clean up. He takes off his clothes before he dips in the water and a chimp comes out of the bushes and grabs Gilligan's clothes.

The Skipper lights a fire to keep the bugs away and the Professor comes back from his search with nothing to report. Skipper asks about about Gilligan only to learn that the Professor thought that he was back at camp already. On his way to gather a search party, Skipper sees a chimp wearing Gilligan's clothes. Still thinking it's voodoo he and the chimp have a heart to heart talk with the Skipper giving the chimp his hat. The chimp then runs off with it.

Gilligan wearing a leaf skirt is trying to find his way back to camp. He stubs his foot on boxes of flares and cans of food. The chimp comes by wearing Skipper's hat, pointing the flare gun right at Gilligan. Because of the Skipper talking about voodoo, Gilligan thinks the chimp is the Skipper. The chimp runs off with Gilligan following. The real Skipper and Gilligan run into each other, rejoicing to see each other again.

Back at camp the chimp is waving the flare gun at the other castaways. Skipper and Gilligan arrive eager to tell the others that they found each other. Gilligan trades the chimp a banana for the flare gun, but Gilligan inadvertantly shoots off a flare into the supply hut where the other flares are located. Gilligan runs into the hut to save the flares and there's a huge explosion. He comes out charred but otherwise fine.

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
 * None

Trivia

 * When Gilligan first fights the chimp in the supply hut, it's a dummy chimp wearing shoes and looking nothing like a chimpanzee, making for a truly a bizarre scene.
 * Despite the flare gun being stolen, Gilligan finds the chimp has also stolen an entire box labeled flares along with some food; yet, he doesn't recall them in the trees after the supply hut blows up from a flare fired into it.
 * It's never explained why a chimp would carry off a heavy box of flares when he could have just carried them off one at a time.
 * In this episode and Three to Get Ready, the Skipper sets a precedent by establishing he believes in the ghost stories and strange native legends of the local islands; however, in later episodes, particularly Ghost a Go-Go, he says he doesn't believe in ghosts.