Jencyclopedia

Gilligan wants to be a good photographer.
Phyllis Davis wants to meet her great-grandmother, Mata Hari.
A man wants to find Michelle Phillips.

I’ve been putting off watching this episode because it’s a three-fantasy episode, so it’s a long one, and I’ve already seen it, so I’m not all that interested. “Magic Camera” and “Mata Hari” were good, memorable fantasies, but I have no idea what “Valerie” was about.

When I first saw this episode last year, I missed the opening scene, so rather than watching it on TV, I watched it on my computer. Only I didn’t realize my local station skipped the three-fantasy episodes since they are longer than an hour, and I didn’t realize three-fantasy episodes are longer than an hour, so as it was getting close to one o’clock, I wondered why the episode wasn’t done, since I was watching it without commercials, and then I finally realized it was a long episode.

Oh wow, this is the second episode featuring both Tattoo and Julie. I guess it makes sense to have them both during a three fantasy episode, so they can each help with one fantasy.

Having Bob Denver in two episodes in a row doesn’t seem like a good idea. I don’t have anything against Bob Denver; it’s just when you have the same actor playing a different character in a different episode, maybe don’t play it right after the other episode.

I made a comment in my first post wondering if Ross Bellah’s name had always been in the opening credits (he worked on The Monkees, so that’s why I wondered). I think his name has appeared before though.

What the hell are these blue flowers doing on Fantasy Island? You would never see that in season 1 or 2.

This guy is going into a cavern filled with water to find Michelle Phillips… that’s a little too Princess Nyah for me.

Last year, I wondered if anyone had ever died on Fantasy Island, or if Roarke would be able to save them, even if they were drowning in some remote cavern. Present Day Me knows guests don’t die (except under special circumstances).

Tattoo: Everything is possible on Fantasy Island.

Don Winters: You can’t give me my fantasy, huh?
Roarke: On the contrary, Mr. Winters; your fantasy has already begun.

These lines are not technically recurring phrases, but these sentiments are often repeated, so I feel like I should note these lines somewhere.

When I first saw this episode, I thought the naked chick swimming in the lagoon was Mama Michelle, and maybe they just always called her whenever they needed a topless girl, but it wasn’t her.

I feel like Martha Harris masquerading as Mata Hari is probably one of the most dangerous fantasies on this series. I know what happens to her in the end, but I’m still kind of nervous for her.

Stupid Claude only listens to half of Mata’s conversation, and he just assumes she’s betrayed him to the Germans.

Walter Lukas: To Mata Hari, the most beautiful spy in the world… and the most stupid.

Oh, this is bullshit. He’s supposed to be on a neighbouring island, but we know that lighthouse is on Fantasy Island.

I think this is a re-dress of the main house; they don’t do that too often. It was a casino in 2×16 “Royal Flush”, but that’s about it.

Ummm, I think these things usually have people’s full names on them.

Oh hey, the guy playing William Lowell (Christopher George) was married to Lynda Day George in real life.

Hey! This dress is a pink version of that turquoise dress that the extras wear (see 5×11 “House of Dolls”).

This bartender is great. Apparently, she’s already appeared in two other episodes, and she has a name — Pauline. I think that means she’s another recurring character, woo! I’m gonna have to go back and find her in those episodes.

She was in 5×9 “Romance Times Three” as the bartender in the tiki restaurant; she asks Georgia Engel “champagne?” I’m kind of surprised she got a credit for that; I feel like Tama and Wally had lines in some episodes, but they weren’t credited.

She was also in 4×13 “World’s Most Desirable Woman” as one of the beauty pageant contests (the girl who says “darn these false eyelashes”). She’s credited as Pauline, but no one ever calls her that in the episode as far as I could tell. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Hervé’s wife was also a contestant in that episode; she got a couple of lines and a closeup, and then she gets picked up by Tattoo, lol.

Even though the bartender is delightful, it wasn’t cool of her to help some creepy guy find the chick who just poured water on him.

That’s a different view of the Hilltop Bungalow.

I had to go back and check, because I’ve always had this thought that the Hilltop Bungalow is a redress of the side of the main house as well… but I’ve now realized the Hilltop Bungalow is actually just the side of the Lilac Bungalow (aka Hibiscus Bungalow aka Guest Bungalow aka basically every other bungalow)!

The Lilac Bungalow in 3×20 “Nona”:

Hilltop Bungalow in 5×10 “The Sailor”:

Ellen is carrying her purse around inside her own bungalow for some reason. It’s a cute purse, but geez.

I actually buy the love story in “Magic Camera”, since they’re both kinda dopey characters.

It was pretty predictable that the magic camera was gonna show a photo of him dead though.

[Don Winters shows Roarke a photo from the magic camera that takes pictures of things that haven’t happened yet; the photo shows Don lying on the ground, dead.]
Roarke: Well, I must agree. This is an unfortunate turn of events, isn’t it?
Don Winters: Unfortunate?! I’m dead! That’s my body!

This might be first episode where the magic door was used for two fantasies: Martha Harris entered the magic door and became Mata Hari; William Lowell entered a subterranean cavern, but he later came out the magic door.

Oh. Well, this complicates things — there’s a second turquoise dress with a magenta belt. I don’t think this is the same one from 5×11.

The Fantasy Island Daily Chronicle makes another appearance.

Martha Harris: I’m not Mata Hari; I’m her great-great granddaughter from Nederland, Texas.

I feel like at the beginning of the episode, she said Mata Hari was her grandmother, then she became her great-grandmother, now it’s her great-great grandmother. Phyllis Davis was born in 1940, and Mata Hari was born in 1876. Mata Hari had two children, in 1897 and 1898. It’s possible she could be Mata Hari’s granddaughter, great-granddaughter, or great-great-granddaughter, but it’s probably great-granddaughter.

Vinnie Avalon: Just give me all the securities and take off all your clothes, both of you.
Don Winters: What are you gonna do? Kill me? You can’t.

Bob Denver is playing 13 years younger than he is, at least according to his character’s drivers’ license.

Don Winters: Mr. Roarke, you made a boo-boo.
Roarke: I beg to differ, Mr. Winters; people make mistakes with their lives, but life… never makes a mistake with people.

Claude is just like Bones in “Amok Time”, drugging Mata Hari so she would appear dead.

Adam Larrabe: I asked your mother to marry me the first time I met her.
Roarke: And did she say yes, Mr. Larabee?
Tattoo: Of course she did, boss.
Adam Larrabe: As a matter of fact she said no… but I kept askin’.
Valerie Larrabe and William Lowell: [fake laughter]
Me: [fake laughter]
Roarke: [fake laughter]
Me: [genuine laughter]

Oh, hey, I just realized Julie isn’t at the dock at the end… ohh yeah, haha, I remember why; my favourite freeze frame moment is coming up.

Hey, there were three drivers at the end, and none of them were Wally. Weird.

There it is:

I love how proud Julie is when she says “I was referee”.

• Julie’s outfit: pants
• Drivers:
  • To the dock: Wally
  • William Lowell’s departure: That Guy
  • Don Winters’ departure: I don’t know his name, so I’m going to call him “Steve”
  • Martha Harris’ departure: I think this is a new guy (at least since I’ve started tracking this); I’m going to call him “Dan”. I spend way too long picking names for these guys.
• Guests:
  • Mr. Don Winters, a very sensitive freelance photographer from Dorsett, Ohio
  • Miss Martha Harris, a hairdresser from Nederland, Texas
  • Mr. William Lowell, a geologist from the University of Northern Arizona
• Recurring phrases:
  • Julie: I’ll bet you have some really great pictures lined up for him, Mr. Roarke.
    Roarke: Indeed I do, Julie.
  • Tattoo: Boss, she looks like a dancer.
    Roarke: She is indeed, Tattoo.
  • Roarke: The pursuit is over, Mr. Lowell, as is your fantasy.
  • Roarke: Miss Harris, your fantasy is over.
• Ominous Roarke:
  • Julie: I’ll bet you have some really great pictures lined up for him, Mr. Roarke.
    Roarke: Indeed I do, Julie. Including a spectacular type photo that no man has ever before taken… or will ever take again…
• Roarke’s drink: same old
• Ominous shot of Roarke raising his glass: no
• Neighbouring islands:
  • Roarke: This trail, Mr. Lowell, leads to a secret subterranean cavern, which connects Fantasy Island to the island called De Cahuna, where you said you met your Valerie.
• Magic object:
  • Roarke: This, Mr. Lowell, is a mirror. Oh, a very unique mirror. Used properly, it will aid you in your search for Valerie.
• Warning:
  • Roarke: One final word of warning, Mr. Lowell; that subterranean cavern is completely filled with water.
  • Roarke: But first, I must make you well aware of the kind of world you will be entering. A complex web of international intrigue, the unrelenting tensions and dangers with which a spy must live.
• Magic door, magic room, magic fog: Roarke leads Martha Harris into the magic room. We don’t actually see the room; we just see them walking through a dark room, and images of the war are superimposed over them.
• Time travel: Martha Harris travels back in time to France in 1915.
• Locations:
  • Cafe Deux Croix
  • Lacy Investments
  • Fantasy Island Stocks, Bonds, Commodities
  • Hilltop Bungalow
  • De Cahuna Island Sheriff’s Dept
• Roarke in disguise: As a French soldier in Martha Harris’ fantasy. Twice.
  
• Can’t help you:
  • Martha Harris: I just wanted to find out about my great-grandmother. Now suddenly, I am Mata Hari. I could get in serious trouble doing this. If you could just tell these people–
    Roarke: Now, I’m sorry, Miss Harris, but what has been initiated here must run its course.
  • Don Winters: Call the police! Get me off this island.
    Roarke: Oh, I am so sorry, Mr. Winters. But once a fantasy has begun, it must be played out to its own… inevitable conclusion.
• Disappearing act:
  • Roarke: Monsieur Lukas is waiting.
    Martha Harris: That guy is a spy–
• Magic fog: William Lowell takes Valerie and her father through the subterranean cavern. When they realize they are lost, the magic fog fills the screen, and they end up coming through the magic door in Roarke’s office.
• He’s dead, Jim:
  • Martha Harris as Mata Hari is executed
  • Don Winters slips and falls near a fiery car crash
• He’s not dead, Jim:
  • Martha Harris: But I’m dead; they shot me.
    Roarke: Their rifles were all loaded with blanks; Captain Dumarque saw to that. And he gave you a drink, a powerful knockout drug.
  • Roarke: Officer, who was in the car?
    Officer: Here’s his license. His name was Don Winters. He was a photographer.
    Don Winters: That’s how it happened! It was a mistake! Ellen, honey, it was a mistake! Mr. Roarke, you made a boo-boo.
• Fantasy Island brand: Fantasy Island Taxi
• Leaving with an extra guest:
  • William Lowell with new girlfriend Valerie Larrabe and her father
  • Don Winters with new girlfriend Ellen
• Mini-fantasies:
  • Julie: I’m sorry I’m late!
    Roarke: Never mind, never mind being late. What happened to you?
    Julie: I was working on Mrs. Jones’ fantasy.
    Tattoo: You mean the great-grandmother that wanted to be in mud wrestling?
    Julie: That’s the one.
    Roarke: Julie, overseeing a fantasy is one thing, but to participate in mud-wrestling?
    Julie: Mr. Roarke, I did not mud-wrestle… I was referee.
• Age gap:
  • Susan Richardson: 29 / Bob Denver: 47 = 18 years
  • Phyllis Davis: 41 / George Chakiris: 47 = 6 years
  • Phyllis Davis: 41 / Monte Markham: 46 = 5 years
  • Christopher George: 50 / Michelle Phillips: 37 = 13 years