Bang! Bang! Bang!

A cool take-off, at least at the beginning, of JAMES BOND and/or GET SMART. A top secret program called "Operation Orchid" is being discussed, all about a putty-like substance that will explode when it hardens. Very interesting.

As luck has it... a crate with some of the dangerous clay gets lost by the US Government(?) and winds up on the island. Even More interesting. Gilligan discovers the stuff and the insanity begins. Another one of those episodes where just about anything can happen, though thanks to poetic license NOBODY gets blown to bits!

The professor checks it out and learns the putty can be used for all kind of things, like dishes and even nails? -- also for "filling" cavities in Gilligan's teeth??? In the creative invention department, look for the professor's cocoanut-made anesthetic machine (it's a gas), used to put Gilligan to sleep so he can repair his teeth. Assistant Ginger supplies the pliers. Also confirmed the professor is a pseudo dentist, among many another talents. Amazing.

Gilligan is accompanied by a cute pet monkey, which gets into the act, stealing all the clay items. The monkey should have been added to the cast because he and Gilligan are a genuine team.

Stand by for the BIG EXPLOSION.

Look for character actor Bartlett Robinson as one of the government top brass, called Hartley. Charles Norton directed, long time assistant tv director.

Note, especially if you're a 60s music buff. The title MAY have been inspired by Cher's big hit called, "Bang, Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down," which peaked at #2 on the charts in 1966. The song was everywhere at the time.

SEASON 3 EPISODE 29 color remastered dvd box set. Final season dvd box set collectors edition.

Plastics play a minor but funny role in 1967's The Graduate. They play a more prominent role in this underrated next-to-last episode of GI. This entry does its best to remind viewers of the classic screwball comedies of the 1930's with its broad sight gags and verbal routines. Bang, Bang, Bang! may not be as clever or original as V is For Vitamins or The Producer, but it's fun, quick-paced, and rates above average. It gives us plenty of bang for our buck.

The cold open feels straight out of a Bond film...a second rate Bond film. A Q-like scientist explains to a secret agent about thenaformaldehyde, a form of plastic that can be molded into just about anything. Once the plastic hardens, it explodes on impact. During this dry exposition, they learn a crate of the stuff has been lost at sea. (Of course it has. Can't trust the government to hold onto anything in this series).

Not surprisingly, the crate washes up onto the beach of our favorite isle, where we have the trope of Gilligan discovering it, this time with his random monkey pal in tow. Once again, he completely misses the warning label on the side marked Top Secret. The Skipper dismisses the find as junk, but the Professor believes the putty can be used for all sorts of useful items. The putty is molded into plates for Mary Ann; costume jewelry for Ginger; nails for the Skip; and golf balls for the Howells. Most importantly, after a banana mishap with the monkey, the plastic is used as fillings for Gilligan's teeth.

This first act is a bit slow and feels random at times. There are a couple of mild attempts at humor with near misses with the now hardened plastic. The Howells have a golf routine that shows why they're not Burns and Allen. The Professor and Ginger team up to perform dentistry on Gilligan in a similarly mediocre bit.

Our lead is next the guest of honor in another trope-the party of the week-where everyone raves about their plastic doodads. His monkey shows up to demonstrate their explosiveness. The castaways respond in a cute moment where they take turns exclaiming how their doodads are now lethal. Gilligan, of course, draws the toughest assignment. If he even as much puts his teeth together, his fillings will explode.

The second act is more fun and tension-filled than the first. Gilligan's monkey keeps the suspense going by sneaking off with the plastic items and stockpiling them on the roof of the supply hut. Scenes of his scavenging are intercut with scenes of Gilligan stressing over his teeth. The Professor increases the tension by failing to pull them. His failure leads to an excellent scene where our lead mistakenly thinks his bubble has burst. The monkey then reappears to fling the plastics at the hapless castaways, who run like headless chickens and deliver one-liners. Gilligan nobly marches into certain doom to retrieve his pet, and we have a funny and dynamic conclusion.

COCONOTES:

The secret agent in the cold open vaguely resembles George Lazenby.

Gilligan's monkey and ape pals show up whenever the plot calls for it. This little tyke was last seen as Boris in Ring Around Gilligan.

Major plot hole: The Professor first states he doesn't want to risk drilling or pulling Gilligan's teeth, then reverses himself, puts him to sleep, and tries to pull them anyway.

Ginger's towel and Mary Ann's sleepwear make welcome reappearances.

Chuckle-worthy gag when Gilligan's clothes are instantly shredded.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" opens in a Washington facility where Operation Orchid is being discussed, using thermoplastics which are harmless when soft, but once it hardens into its final state it will explode on impact. Only 50 pounds currently exist, and when they mention that one 25 pound crate was lost in the Pacific we know exactly where it's going. The castaways are delighted to use this newfound plastic to make dishes for cooking, golf balls for the Howells, nails for the Skipper, and cavity fillings for Gilligan's teeth. The same expressive monkey last seen as Igor in "Ring Around Gilligan" is Gilligan's little playmate, whose delight in exposing their explosive properties warns the castaways of their impending danger. In gratitude, Mrs. Howell suggests her husband buy the little tyke his very own organ grinder! The show's consistent quality remained quite high even in this penultimate episode, an improvement on the second season's lackluster "Forward March."