Jencyclopedia

Gilligan wants to be Turbo Man Eagleman so his son will love him.
A woman wants to interview a famous missing man.

What? They’re cutting right from “de plane! de plane!” to the dock scene? We don’t even get “good morning, boss”/”good morning, Tattoo”?

I feel like this episode may have been shot earlier in the season, because Roarke’s spiel doesn’t end on an ominous note; instead, it ends with Tattoo questioning whether the fantasy is possible, and Roarke remaining silent, which was something that drove me crazy earlier this season.

There’s also no ominous shot of Roarke raising his drink, and they’ve been doing that consistently lately.

I’m not sure if this indicates it’s an early season three episode — when we still had shenanigans, and the show was still good — or if this is a mid-season three episode — when the show stopped being fun.

Ooh, let’s see how many windows in Roarke’s office; that’ll determine it.

Ah, they didn’t show the windows. It did seem darker in there though.

Uggh, this woman is explaining to Roarke the story of this missing doctor… but Roarke obviously knows all this already, because surely he’s found the doctor, and this whole conversation is very obviously for the audience’s benefit. I hate when they do that.

Roarke literally said “but I must warn you” this time, which he hasn’t done for a while, so this is absolutely an earlier episode. I wonder if there was something controversial in this episode, and they had to hold it back, like with “The Devil & Peter Tork”?

Who is this guy driving the boat? He’s not Wally or Tama.

Ohhh, I remember this episode; I saw it on TV, and it like it was gonna turn into The Island of Dr. Moreau. I guess I shoulda paid attention to what she was saying in Roarke’s office instead of just complaining, and then I’d know if that’s what this was gonna be. The guy she’s looking for is a doctor, so maybe he’s doing animal experiments too.

Yeah, man, and Tattoo has scenes in this episode? Such an early season three episode.

Roarke: It could mean opening yourself to possible ridicule, Mr. Binstock. Are you willing to subject yourself to the slings and arrows of your fellow man?

Ah, I should have been keeping track of every time Roarke makes a Shakespeare reference.

For some reason, I always think Q’s a Shakespeare fan, but really, it’s Picard who’s the Shakespeare fan. I feel like Q probably grudingly became a Shakespeare fan, just because he hangs out with Picard so much. It’s like if you have a friend who plays an annoying song all the time; eventually, the song grows on you, and you start to kinda like it too.

Damn, that’s badass — Roarke created a secret Eaglecave in the back of the bungalow closet.

Aw man, this shot tricked me — I thought they were showing us another room in the main house, but it’s just the office door at a weird angle.

Aaand there are only two windows in the office, and no window behind Roarke’s desk. And mid-episode pointless shenanigans? Come on, I know my earlier season three episodes.

Ummm, was that Roarke doing the high-pitched dummy voice? It didn’t totally sound like him, but I want it to be him.

And I’m making so many GIFs this episode! I was starting to think maybe I’ve just been getting bored, but clearly, the show has actually been getting worse this season. I hope we get the opening scene shenanigans again in season four, and more mid-episode pointless shenanigans.

I don’t like this shot at all; the framing of it just makes me uncomfortable.

This Eagleman scene is great. I’m pretty sure I saw this scene when it was on TV.

Gilligan: Hi, little buddy.

lol

There’s a shot in this episode following Gilligan and his son walking from the waterfall to the bungalow. I like it, because it shows how close these sets are.

Waaaah, the payphone is beautiful.

Why does this guy have to squat on the ground to impersonate Tattoo… over the phone? And why is he so good at impersonating Tattoo’s voice? That makes no sense.

The guy tells Gilligan to meet him at bungalow 12, but they don’t give bungalows boring names like that.

Oh… I guess they do.

[Gilligan’s co-worker humiliates him by tricking Gilligan into showing up in the boss’ bungalow dressed like Eagleman. Gilligan’s son is upset that his dad’s co-workers are all making fun of him. The son tells Gilligan to explain that he really is Eagleman. Gilligan doesn’t say anything, and his son realizes his dad isn’t really Eagleman, and he runs away.]
Gilligan: The most important thing in my life just ran out that door, and I’m going after him.

Gilligan’s boss, Howell, then looks all regretful, and you know he’s gonna give Gilligan the promotion in the end, but someone who says something like that is not what most companies want in a vice president; most companies want you to put the company first, not your ~family~.

I don’t like the ending to Rochelle’s story. She still could have told Gates’ story; she just needed to keep secret where he was.

• Tattoo has no faith:
  • Tattoo: Him? Become Eagleman? Boss, are you kidding?
  • Tattoo: Boss, he’s been missing for two years. The police all over the world have been looking for him and can’t find him. Boss, can you give her her fantasy? Can you really find him?
• Roarke’s drink: clearish yellow
• Ominous shot of Roarke drinking: not at all
• Neighbouring islands:
  • Roarke: A man who answers the description of Dr. Gates has been reported on the island of Mentu nearby.
• Recurring phrases:
  • Roarke: But I must warn you… going to Mentu Island alone would be most unwise.
• Magic object: I don’t want to transcribe all of Roarke’s explanation, but the entire Eagleman costume is probably a bit magical.
• Tattoo’s shenanigans: He has a ventriloquist dummy, but he’s not a very good ventriloquist. Roarke, on the other hand, is very good.