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 1986.  Almost the entire show is currently streaming is on Youtube, Daily Motion, and a few other sites.

This week, a guest star from the past returns!

Episode 4.2 “The Flying Aces/The Mermaid Returns”

(Dir by Earl Bellamy, originally aired on November 1st, 1980)

The plane is landing, bringing with it a new group of Fantasy Island guests.  As always, Tattoo steps out of the main Fantasy Island office, intent to head down to the lagoon and discover what this week’s fantasies will be.  Except …. wait a minute …. where is Mr. Roarke!?

Tattoo waits for a few minutes and then looks around.  Mr. Roarke is nowhere to be seen!  Is it possible that, after three seasons of reported acrimony between him and Herve Villechaize, Ricardo Montalban has left the Island!?  That would certainly make Tattoo happy.  Though it was a storyline that was phased out as the show became more family friendly, Tattoo did spend the first two seasons of Fantasy Island talking about how he would like to be in charge of everything.  Finally, Tattoo is in charge!  Tattoo heads down to the landing lagoon and, for once, he’s the one who declares, “Smiles, everyone, smiles!”

However, Mr. Roarke has not left the Island.  Instead, he’s been having a meeting with Nyah (Michelle Phillips), the mermaid who lives off the shore of Fantasy Island and who, during the third season, tried to tempt John Saxon to his death.  Nyah reveals to Roarke that she wants to come to Fantasy Island as a guest because she had a fantasy of her own.  Roarke informs her that, to do this, she will have to agree to be human for the weekend.  Nyah agrees and Roarke makes a fist and closes his eyes tight.  Suddenly, Nyah’s tail is replaced by legs!

Roarke then heads over to the landing lagoon, where he meets up with Tattoo.  Tattoo is shocked when Nyah stumbles off of the plane.  (So was I, as I was kind of under the assumption that the plane had already landed when Roarke had his conversation with her.)  Tattoo wonders why Nyah is struggling to walk.  Roarke explains that she’s still learning how to use her legs.  When the friendly island girls offer her a drink and a lei, Nyah rudely shake her head.  It’s not easy being human!  Roarke explains that Nyah wants to experience human love.

As for the other guest, he’s an airline pilot named Tony Chilton (Sam Melville).  Tony feels that World War II was the last time when men could truly be men and he has stated that his fantasy is to be a member of the 53rd fighting group, battling the Germans above New Zealand.  However, as Roarke quickly deduces, Tony’s actual fantasy is to meet the father he never knew.  David Chilton (Tom Wopat) was a member of the 53rd and he died in aerial combat.

Both fantasies play out pretty much the way that you probably expect that they would.  Fantasy Island was a show that understood the importance of fulfilling expectations.  For instance, you’ve probably already guessed that Nyah is going to end up announcing that she’s in love with Mr. Roarke and also that, by the end of the episode, Nyah is going to have realized that her home is in the ocean.  But Nyah’s storyline is still enjoyable because Michelle Phillips does such a good job of playing Nyah and her struggle to figure out how humans do things like walk, make small talk, and wear clothes all the time.  At first, Nyah is rude to almost everyone that she meets and I cringed a bit when Roarke disciplined her by giving her a spanking.  (Oh hi, 1980!)  But, at the same time, I could relate to Nyah because, from my childhood, I know what it’s like to constantly find yourself in a new town and a new school and having to figure out the customs of a whole new group of people.  Sometimes, it’s not easy to learn how to walk in a new place.

As for the World War II story, Tony does meet with his father and he gets to bond with him.  Awwww!  Sadly, he also learns that Roarke wasn’t kidding when he warned that history cannot be changed.  It was a simple story but it worked due to the heartfelt performances of Sam Melville and Tom Wopat.  This storyline was unabashedly sentimental and all the better for it!

All in all, this was a good trip to the Island.