User Reviews

Season 3 begins with no mention of the departure of Seaman Happy Haines, as Gavin McLeod was no longer on the series, reducing McHale's crew to Mr. Parker and 5 sailors.

The men are returning from a mission where everything went wrong. Sneaking up to eavesdrop is Binghamton as they stand on the dock going over all the things that went wrong, and someone observes that the date is Friday the 13th. They start talking about superstitions and before you know it, Mr. Parker jumps back into some crates, knocking them over on top of Binghamton, injuring his foot.

Of course, Binghamton again wants to court martial Parker, even though it's obvious he didn't know his captain was around. But then Binghamton, thanks to something Carpenter says, gets a better idea. Going on that superstitious bit, he comes up with a way to breaks up the whole squad by making them think their ship is haunted.

He repaints the ship's number to "13" and has Carpy "accidentally" tell them that this was it's original number and that the ship has a dark past. He lets them hear about a letter that tells all-but doesn't directly let them see it. He allows them to sneak into his filing cabinet and read the letter themselves-all phony items, such as claiming the first two crews it had all perished.

Binghamton sends McHale away, then he and Elroy sneak onto McHale's Island and rig the boat so the engine runs and a machine gun fires with nobody in sight on board.

The final touch comes the next day when he lets them read a message "from McHale" telling them to all put in for transfers as he (McHale) is arranging for a new boat for them all.

McHale returns and tells them he sent no message and he learned there never was a PT 13. But they need to come up with a way to get the transfer papers back from the captain. They put on a show via the radio about a fake attack with disastrous results. That night, they all go ghost-appearing in Binghamton's quarters somewhat like movie zombies. They spook the captain enough that he gives them the transfer papers, which they destroy. Binghamton finds out about their masquerade, but can no longer transfer them.

Now I do have a problem with the concept as played out: If the problem was with the boat, and McHale was going to get them a new one, wouldn't they just be issued a new boat? I mean, they are assigned to the PT base at Taratupa, regardless of what number boat they use. The whole notion of them "transferring" to all be together, at the same base, only with a new boat seems an error.

The plot was designed for the "big scene" in Binghamton's quarters, with McHale with eye black all around his ghostly eyes, and Parker floating through the rooms, with angel wings, thanks to wires coming through the skylight, controlled by Christy. The funny parts were quite good with only a couple of Mr. Parker is too clumsy scenes to take it down a notch. I give this one an 8.