Welcome to Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past! On Tuesdays, I will be reviewing the original Fantasy Island, which ran on ABC from 1977 to 1984. Unfortunately, the show has been removed from most streaming sites. Fortunately, I’ve got nearly every episode on my DVR.
This week …. oh no!
Episode 6.21 “Remember When”
(Dir by Philip Leacock, originally aired on May 7th, 1983)
After crashing his little car, Tattoo ends up in the Fantasy Island hospital. Roarke cancels all of the weekend’s fantasies so that he can stay by Tattoo’s side and keep Tattoo cheerful until it’s time for him to have life-saving surgery. Roarke and Tattoo share memories and …. YEP, IT’S A CLIP SHOW!
Actually, for a clip show, it’s not that bad. Yes, there’s a lot of awkward dialogue. “Boss, remember that time Mickey Gilley opened up his place?” That said, the clips are well-selected and they all feature Herve Villechaize at his best, turning this episode into a Tattoo tribute. At the end of the episode, Tattoo says that he’s never going to leave Fantasy Island. Which …. well, we’ll get to season 7 in a few weeks.
Anyway, clip shows are pretty much impossible to review. Let’s just be happy that Tattoo pulls through. That accident looked serious!
Through the Shattered Lens 
If I learned anything from Tony Soprano, it’s that “remember when” is the lowest form of conversation.
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Why do you bother reading this if you don’t like anything about Fantasy Island?
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This should have been the final episode of Fantasy Island. A huge part of the show is Roarke and Tattoo’s touching friendship, and this episode shows how much the two love and support each. The season without Tattoo is terrible. Roarke is just another boring, wealthy guy without him.
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