| "Bang! Bang! Bang!" | |
|---|---|
| Season 3, Episode 29 | |
| |
| A cache of plastic explosives becomes dire for Gilligan after it's used in one of his teeth. | |
| Basic Info | |
| Air Date: | April 10, 1967 |
| Written By: | Leonard Goldstein |
| Directed By: | Charles Norton |
| Guest Cast: | Rudy Larusso, Bartlett Robinson and Kurt Duncan as Government Agents |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous | Next |
| The Pigeon | Gilligan, the Goddess |
Bang! Bang! Bang! is the 97th episode of Gilligan's Island and the 29th episode of the Third Season. It aired on April 10, 1967.
Synopsis
The Central Intelligence Agency has developed a brand new top secret plastic explosive that is safer in its malleable state but just as volatile when it is hardened into practical objects. They have a small supply of it, but they learn a crate of it has gone missing off a ship far off from any known islands. It actually washes up on to the island where Gilligan and his pet monkey discover it and show it to the Professor. He believes everyone would be able to make use of the plastic in a variety of objects, including nails for the Skipper, dishes for Mary Ann, jewelry for Ginger, golf balls for Mr. Howell, and even fillings for Gilligan after he loses two of his existing fillings. Meanwhile, the monkey has discovered the plastic's explosive properties and becomes amused by the ability to create explosions. Shortly after it steals their new plastic golf tees, the Howells blame the resulting booms on thunder, but at dinnertime, it shows up again and steals a plate, tossing it and blowing up a tree. Everyone is shocked as the Professor deduces the serious ramifications; the Castaways have no recourse but to get rid of all their new plastic objects. The worst ordeal is for Gilligan who is stuck with plastic feelings, and the Professor trying to figure out how to safely pull the fillings. Unknown to anyone, the monkey has collected all the plastic objects on the roof of the Boy's Hut. That night, thee Skipper gives Gilligan gum to keep his teeth from grinding, but he just blows a big bubble in his sleep that pops loudly. When the monkey starts tossing plastic again, everyone runs to see if Gilligan exploded, just as the monkey starts bombing the camp site with everyone running around trying to get to safety. Gilligan finally takes charge, marching into the line of fire and a small explosion that shreds his clothes. Climbing the ladder to get the monkey, he sneezes and hits his head on the ladder, his fillings loose with his saliva hit the hut and blows it and the last of the plastic. The monkey drops out of the sky a bit charred but unhurt. Gilligan is okay too but disappointed no one said "Geshundheit." After a few days, the Professor replaces Gilligan's fillings with melted copper, but the monkey is still trying to make explosions by smashing Mary Ann's good plates.
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
Trivia
- Syndicated versions of the episode omit the ending where Gilligan's monkey smashes another of Mary Ann's good plates.
- It's a bit odd that the Professor recognizes the plastic as made from thenaformaldehyde without realizing it has explosive qualities.
- The clay plates should have created enormous explosions, given the amount of plastic involved, but instead, it's shown making a smaller blast radius with lighter detritus than the golf balls.
- It's kind of odd that no one makes any effort to bury their clay objects very deep or beyond the easy reach of the monkey.
- When Mary Ann feeds Gilligan in the boy's hut, their hammocks are missing.
- Filling cavities with copper is medically unsafe.
- When the monkey throws the last good plate in the teaser, Gilligan, the Skipper and the Professor do the "See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil" poses.
- At the end of the episode, all of Gilligan's clothes, including his hat are blown to shreds. It's never explained how he sources exact replacements, but in Ghost a Go-Go, it's suggested that both he and the Skipper have extra copies of the same outfit.
Quotes
- Lovey: Thurston, don't just stand there, run!
Thurston: A Howell never runs in the face of danger.
(explosion)
Thurston: He walks very fast!
- Skipper: The golf ball! It exploded!
Mr.Howell: A golf ball doesn't explode, it was just plastic.
Mary Ann: Plastics don't explode.
Professor: But plastic explosives explode!
(explosion)
Ginger: My jewelry!
Mr. Howell: My golf ball!
Skipper: My nails!
Mary Ann: My dishes!
Gilligan: My teeth!
Mrs. Howell: My goodness!
