Splashdown

Splashdown is the 90th episode of Gilligan's Island and the 22th episode of the Third Season. It aired on February 20, 1967.



Synopsis
The Professor tries contacting a manned space capsule in orbit over the Island the get them rescued. Their initial plan to contact the capsule with a makeshift transmitter fails because their signal isn't strong enough, but their second plan to contact the astronauts with an SOS formed out of tree trunks almost works until Gilligan sets himself on fire and accidentally skews the SOS into "SOL." Astronaut Sol Tobias merely thinks it's a message to him. On the last trajectory, however, the experimental space capsule drops out of orbit and lands on the Island. The Castaways decide to use it to float to safety, but they don't know is that the capsule is set to self destruct by NASA to conceal its records. The Howells and the girls both try to stowaway in it with Gilligan and the Skipper going off to get help, but they get discovered, delaying the rescue attempt. As the Professor chides them for their selfishness and dangerous stunt, the capsules floats off into the lagoon where it finally explodes, showering the island and the castaways with wreckage. Mr. Howell, however, fails to take the failed rescues with grace. After losing money and brandy in the botched rescue attempts, he has a temper tantrum and starts tearing apart his hut, stopping just short of destroying his teddy bear.

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
 * Jim Spencer as Ryan
 * Scott Graham as Sol Tobias
 * George A. Neise as a NASA Official
 * Chick Hearn as a Commentator (voice only)

Trivia

 * George A. Neise playing the NASA official also appears in Will the Real Mr. Howell Please Stand Up? as a reporter interviewing the Mr. Howell Imposter.
 * This is the second episode featuring NASA space probes; the other was Smile, You're on Mars Camera.
 * When Ginger is found out trying to stow away on the capsule, she starts her sentences "Would you believe..." This phrase echoes of Agent 86 Maxwell Smart of Get Smart who also started several sentences this way.
 * The castaways try to get help three times: first, by sending a weak radio signal which goes through but fails; second, by lighting logs signaling "S.O.S" until as usual Gilligan ruins everything and third, they try to use the unmanned space capsule.
 * The part where Gilligan fouls up the rescue by turning "S.O.S" into "S.O.L" is similar to the "Pilot" episode when the castaways try to spell out "S.O.S" to a passing plane and Gilligan again messes up the last letter (which are written with fish!)
 * If the Howells and the girls had not been found in time, the unmanned capsule's explosion would have killed everyone, leaving the Professor alone on the island.
 * The idea of NASA planting explosives aboard a landing craft is a bit far-fetched, but a needed contrivance to keep the Castaways on the island.