Jencyclopedia

A woman wants to find the perfect husband, and she ends up in Quark’s holosuites.
George Maharis wants to hang out in a volcano.

I definitely saw a lot of this episode when it was on TV, so unfortunately, I already know about the twist. I’ll try to keep the Star Trek references to a minimum.

Alright, Julie’s got a skirt in the intro, so let’s see if my theory still holds up… yup, no Julie this episode.

[Roarke has just explained Hal Workman’s fantasy involves a volcano.]
Tattoo: You are not thinking of him sending him up to Cavelor, are you?

The volcano has a name? Wow!

[Dorothy Nicholson has just told Roarke about how her husband died.]
Roarke: I am so very sorry, Mrs. Nicholson. What a pity you had no children.

I don’t know where to begin with this. Just no.

Somebody fix her collar, please.

I just can’t get over the volcano having a name. That’s so awesome. But I’m also annoyed that no one has ever mentioned it before, especially considering the volcano was mentioned in 4×20 “The Unkillable”, and possibly other episodes.

Oh, they reveal the twist right away, so I guess I’m not too spoiled. I wonder why they chose to do that? I think when I saw this on TV, I was like WTF.

Hal Workman: We’re not lost already, are we?
[Robert doesn’t respond.]
Hal Workman: I asked you a simple question, Robert.
Robert Luria: No, we’re not lost.
Hal Workman: Good. I figured you’d know this country blindfolded.
Robert Luria: Like the rest of our species, doctor, all I know is the depth of my own deep ignorance.

Seriously, dude? Get a grip.

Anton Jaeger: Our system here is very simple, Mrs. Nicholson. Each guest is provided her own escort, carefully selected by our research.

[Earlier:]
Barker: This is her ex-husband, and that is her most recent boyfriend.
Anton Jaeger: She likes them tall, dark, and handsome. How does Gilberto check out?

Yeah, real careful research.

Hal Workman: Yes, I remember seeing your picture in the Honolulu paper yesterday.

Interesting. They specifically said Hal Workman is from California, so why would he have been in Honolulu yesterday, unless Honolulu is on the way to Fantasy Island? That could be the most definitive clue to the location of the island yet. They gave us a latitude/longitude in 2×14 “The Treasure” (which also featured George Maharis), but it was in the middle of India, and I don’t think they thought in 1979 that anyone would ever look at that map that closely, so I think we have to disregard that.

Joseph E. Butler: You’re a bright boy.

Okay, Micky.

All the locations in this episode look familiar, but every time I’ve checked the previous episode I thought the location was in, I’ve been wrong.

Maggie Dunphy: I’m talking about guts. This guy is made of steel.

I feel so bad for Misty Rowe’s character in this episode.

Ah! It’s Roarke’s boat double. Wait, is that Wally?

I’ve never seen lava in real life, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t look like that.

This shot is weirdly framed.

Hal Workman: In the meantime, Teddy and I are going to do some personal research of our own.
Teddy: On personal relationships.
Tattoo: We are delighted.

Awkward.

The Robert Luria character is a very not Fantasy Island character; he’s way too serious. He reminds me of Jerry Seinfeld trying to be not funny in “The Visa”.

This is the first time Misty Rowe has left the island without being married.

Yeah, so this episode did absolutely nothing to convince me that a real husband would be better than a robot husband.

• Julie’s outfit: skirt
• Where’s Julie?
  • Roarke: Where are you off to in such a hurry?
  • Julie: To arrange flowers for two weddings, make out menus for three garden parties, then escort a retirement home tour on a nature walk.
• Drivers:
  • To the dock: Wally
  • On a supply run for Hal Workman’s fantasy: Wally
  • Dorothy Nicholson’s departure: That Guy
  • Hal Workman’s departure: Wally
• Guests:
  • Mrs. Dorothy Nicholson, she owns a successful chain of newspapers and magazines in the middle west
  • Dr. Hal Workman, a very famous seismologist from Pasadena, California
• Ominous Roarke:
  • Roarke: Her fantasy is to find the perfect husband… a goal which in itself may lead her down a most dangerous pathway…
• Locations: Cavelor (the volcano)
• Roarke’s drink: same old
• Ominous shot of Roarke drinking: a bit, yeah
• Neighbouring islands:
  • Roarke: There is a resort known as Paradise Bay on a neighbouring island.
• Warning:
  • Roarke: Be aware of one thing, Mrs. Nicholson: even perfection has its drawbacks.
• Technobabble:
  • Hal Workman: Think of the impact on science, Mr. Roarke. Being able to predict with accuracy when energy equal to a hundred megaton nuclear explosions will unleash itself.
• Roarke saves the day: He arrives at Paradise Bay with a boat to take Dorothy Nicholson back to Fantasy Island.
• He’s dead, Jim: Joseph E. Butler possibly dies during the volcano eruption.
• All you need is love:
  • Roarke: Though perfection may not be within human possibility, love and self-sacrifice are, and they, after all, are even more important qualities.
• Leaving with an extra guest:
  • Dorothy Nicholson with new boyfriend (the real) Gilbert De Vincenzo
  • Hal Workman with new girlfriend Teddy and new friend (?) Robert Luria
• Age gap:
  • Susan Sullivan: 39 / Lyle Waggoner: 46 = 7 years
  • Misty Rowe: 29 / Norman Alden: 57 = 28 years
  • Misty Rowe: 29 / George Maharis: 53 = 24 years