I've never quite been able to follow this. Gilligan speaks as if he had been in the navy. He's only in his early twenties (the navy is a 4 year term, isn't it?).
He also has worked with the Skipper. What happened to his navy stint? The Skipper, of course, may be retired--but, is Gilligan in the navy or not? And if he was, did he just leave? If he's 22 in "The Meteor," he had to be about 21 when the series started.

Gilligan was in the navy but,for a short periode that's where he met the skipper.Come on this is Gilligan,we see what kind of mess that he does on the island.Can you imagine what he could have done on boats with dangerous weapons on them?The Navy had to let him go for the safety of everyone.But,an accident happened on the day that he had to go,he saved the skipper's life.The skipper was so gratefull that he decided to retire and left with Gilligan.They started the Minnow's bizzness together.

^yes, but there was also something stated in the 'treatment' (season 1 bonus features) that confused me. It stated something like Gilligan was A) a cook in the Navy and B) he was only a temporary replacement for the Skipper's usual partner, who had come down with a bad case of 'rum'. lol.
If any of this is true, there is still something to be looked at. In the first couple of episodes, the Skipper and Gilligan seem distanced and have a different relationship. In seasons 2, 3, and most of 1, the Skipper and Gilligan have a father/son--bestfriend relationship. Ignoring what might have been originally intended, I think the idea Celine presented is the most frequently used for reference in the show.

^yes, but there was also something stated in the 'treatment' (season 1 bonus features) that confused me. It stated something like Gilligan was A) a cook in the Navy and B) he was only a temporary replacement for the Skipper's usual partner, who had come down with a bad case of 'rum'. lol.
If any of this is true, there is still something to be looked at. In the first couple of episodes, the Skipper and Gilligan seem distanced and have a different relationship. In seasons 2, 3, and most of 1, the Skipper and Gilligan have a father/son--bestfriend relationship. Ignoring what might have been originally intended, I think the idea Celine presented is the most frequently used for reference in the show.


Yes,I know what you mean.On the first season,they had a boss and employee's relationship which slowly changed into friendship and it finished with a father & son's relationship.Yes,the skipper became Gilligan's buddy in the Navy.But,that went overboarded he started the island cruise's bizness and hired Gilligan,he became his boss there,they were no longer the same friends that they were before.It's natural that when the show started they had a boss & employee's relationship.As time went by,they became Navy's friends again then,they grew even closer and develloped a father & son's relationship.I'm sure they wouldn't discover if they never got shipwrecked..

Gilligan was in the navy but,for a short periode that's where he met the skipper.Come on this is Gilligan,we see what kind of mess that he does on the island.Can you imagine what he could have done on boats with dangerous weapons on them?The Navy had to let him go for the safety of everyone.But,an accident happened on the day that he had to go,he saved the skipper's life.The skipper was so gratefull that he decided to retire and left with Gilligan.They started the Minnow's bizzness together.

The Skipper joined the Navy as SR* Jonas Grumby, working his way up to Captain. He retired and used the money to buy his charter boat business. Gilligan saved his life when they were in the Navy by getting Skipper out of the path of a depth charge** that broke loose and was rolling down their ship's deck.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
*: Seaman Recruit
**: "ash can" in Navy slang.