Someone else said, I think, once: with all the caves on the island, what made them choose that one to hide in?

I could really feel Thirston's pain when he got hit in the mouth with the bag of coins!

I had thought for the longest time that the drink the professor was drinking while working on his storm tracking was part of his experiment--you never really see him with a snack while doing his work.

Do you think it was actually silly for the men to start leaving the shelter of the cave? Of course, Skipper was emotionally attached to Gilligan, but the Professor and Thirston??? Supposing Gillligan and Skipper were killed or hurt in the storm, wouldn't the others, living on the island still need the help of as many the group as possible? Do you understand their motivation here?

Pretty brave of Gilligan to agree to getting punched in the mouth--the storm notwithstanding. By the way, what's up with Maryann's look in that scene? Not her most flattering, I think.

Yeah...the poky cave was a pretty big plot hole in an otherwise wonderful story! Well...maybe the women categorically refused to go into any of the other caves for fear they had bats. This cave was too tiny to hold any!

Were the castaways silly? In terms of survival, yes. In terms of loyalty and compassion, no. I think at this point, we see how close the castaways have all gotten to one another. They simply will not hide in safety while one of their number is facing mortal danger. They make the same decision in "Slave Girl." As the Skipper cries to them all when the typhoon is upon them, "Hang onto each other!"


Gilligan was brave to agree to getting punched in the mouth. And the poor, sweet Skipper! He just can't do it. I think this episode is where I love him best. "I'm gonna hang on to you, little buddy, when the storm hits!"

Say - I assume that somehow the Professor fixes the radio!

I do know there is a strong message that the 7 castaways care about each other but if you look at it a little more deeply, I was thinking......In "Slave Girl," the point is that the castaways must defend Gilligan. As in a war, they are willing to risk sacrificing themselves to save someone. It is heroic. One might comment that since only one of them is under attack this is also not practical to risk the other 6 but I think it is more understandable since they believe they should at least take a chance and save him. But in "Hi-Fi," it is more like sacrificing oneself knowingly (well, yes, there is a chance they will weather the storm outside even), joining someone else, not saving him by one's heroic action. For the Professor to suggest a brave fight with natives to save the others, as in "And Then There Were None" when they go out to find Maryann, is different, I think, from his leaving the others and going out to join the Skipper and Gilligan in possible death. The other 4 people in the cave would possibly be left without, here, an especially valuable person for their survival--not to mention, one of the men would be gone. Even if their love for each other is stronger than practicality and even life itself, what about love for the castaways remaining in the cave? The Eye of the Idol episode is different because it is merely remaining on the island, presuming those who get their "wish" will send back help; it is not a life and death or a permanent situation. I was just wondering if this is, in fact realistic, even emotionally, or going too far.

Ah - I see what you mean now: risking one's life to save someone as opposed to simply wishing to die with someone. You're right in that they are two very different things.

There are a number of different motivations going on in this scene. Gilligan's is heroic in the way you describe, for he actually reasons out that his sacrificing himself will give the others the best chance for survival. As you pointed out, the Skipper is motivated by hisvery strong emotional attachment to Gilligan. Mr. Howell, with his, "I must, my dear," seems to take it as a point of honour that he can't be the only man left hiding in the cave. Mrs. Howell, does not wish to go on without her, as she explains when she says that they'll both be killed, instead of just her.

Ginger seems to have been the first of the two young women to decide to leave the cave. When the Skipper yells, "This is ridiculous!" Mary Ann replies, "That's what I told Ginger!" Mary Ann obviously didn't want to be the only castaway left on the island. I find it interesting that Ginger is the more self-sacrificing of the pair here.

And back to your point about the Professor, I'd agree that his decision to leave the cave, more than anybody's, is questionable. He would be the obvious leader for the other five (well, he's the leader already, really) and since Mr. Howell is there, he would not have to live with the shame that he'd stayed behind with the women (a thing that they really do seem to find shameful).

"We haven't got time to decide who's the most necessary or who's the most heroic," said the Professor. But Gilligan did, in a split second. And in everybody's sudden decisions here, we see a little bit more of who they really are.