This is not one of my favorite episodes. It's ok, of course, as all of them are--it's still GI! When you think about it, that's a pretty scary situation--to have a lion roaming around on an island from which you cannot escape. I think it gets a little too scary for me to see it as that much of a joke--add to this the little story we know about Bob Denver coming close to getting killed during this episode. It's pretty amazing that Gilligan would get so close to the lion (I mean Gilligan the character--I know they used a lion-trainer double).

So all the men are using the same razor to shave? My God!

I like the way Maryann contrasted her hair ribbons with her outfit in this one--she usually matches her blouse (a girl thing, sorry).

Did you notice (on the dvd at least) that clip with Gilligan and Ginger that ends with a quick flash of some pose that didn't even seem to be in the scene before? What happened there?

Why did Gilligan choose the lion over everyone else? Was it more important to him than his friendship with the Skipper and than Maryann (if you're a believer in that)?

I felt a little sorry for the lion floating away on the crate--and the Skipper didn't seem one bit concerned for him--I know he was a danger but I felt bad for him with no food, etc. Too bad they didn't attach a note to the crate.

I was a little surprised that Gilligan would be so concerned over a leftover plate of corned beef and, anyway, wouldn't that come in handy as some extra food, being stuck on an island?

The Professor warns Thirston about animals smelling fear and then he's just as scared as everyone else. Did you believe the "I travel best light" bit?

I liked Ginger's comment about hoping Lovey wasn't catching a cold--yes, it stinks--good for you, Ginger for acknowledging that (I hate when pople minimize the potential suffering involved).

I had the impression that when Gilligan "chose" the lion over the castaways he was choosing the lion's freedom over the lion's being imprisoned in a cage. If that meant that Gilligan had to go away with the lion, then he was willing to make that choice.

This isn't a terribly funny episode, and there certainly is some kind of editing glitch in the Gilligan/Ginger scene, (and I do cringe at the silly "Leo ate my buddy" scene) but the episode does build upon the strongly established theme of Gilligan's rapport with animals, and is indeed the strongest example of it. This was a wild lion, captured by an expedition and intended for a zoo, not a trained circus animal, yet it obeyed Gilligan like a gentle pet dog. Did anyone else get the impression from this episode that Gilligan's gift for communicating with animals is almost psychic?