"Lightning Man"

"Lightning Man"
March 16, 1982
C+

Despite a somewhat stupid premise (it barely worked on Gilligan's Island in the actual 1967), I sort of like this episode where Carmine is struck by lightning and becomes convinced, by Squiggy, that he's invincible.  Even after Frank talks sense to him, it takes awhile for him to, well, see the light.  Still, I like some of Squiggy's lines, and Laverne finding Carmine's "tingling, vibrating" charm too irresistible, so that she has to kiss him after Shirley gets a try.  It's too bad that the girls disappear after that first scene, so we never get Shirley's reaction to Carmine's vanity and greed.  At least we get some insight into the Carmine & Squiggy friendship.

Note that Lenny is only in the tag, wearing a different Lightning Man costume.  Murphy Dunne, who was a nameless Reporter four years earlier, is Del Diamond here.  Dottie Archibald, who's Mrs. Swisher, would be "Reporter Karen" the next year.  And Noah Hathaway, who's Kevin Swisher, would play Harry Potter, Jr. in Troll (1986), and this episode not only contains references to lightning, but the newscaster predicts that Carmine might turn into a wizard!