The castaways decide they need a system of law and order on the island. Gilligan and the Skipper are elected to enforce the law, and initially everything seems to go well. However, the authority gradually goes to Gilligan's head.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Drunk with Power: This ends up happening to Gilligan, of all people, when he and the Skipper start enforcing the law on the island. While Gilligan arresting Mr. Howell on charges of (technically) stealing the Skipper’s binoculars and attempted bribery is reasonable, once the Skipper (in order to help the Professor with his latest plan to get them rescued) puts him in charge, Gilligan gradually finds a reason on the books to lock up everyone on the island. As a result, the escape plan fails, and the Skipper locks Gilligan up as punishment.
- Jailed One After Another: The Castaways set up a system of law enforcement with Gilligan and the Skipper as "policemen". Gilligan goes overboard and proceeds to arrest Mr. Howell (unauthorized borrowing of binoculars, which could count as theft, along with attempted bribery), Mrs. Howell (for trying to slip him a Jail Bake), Ginger and Mary Ann (for building a fire too close to a hut and resisting arrest), the Professor (for carrying concealed weapons — specifically a stick of crude dynamite that he had made for their latest escape attempt) and the Skipper (for shaking him to get the keys, which Gilligan considered Police Brutality).
- Knight Templar: Gilligan becomes one of these as he gets increasingly Drunk with Power.
- Not so Dire: Gilligan happens on one of Ginger's rehearsals in which she shoots the Professor for cheating on her with Mary Anne. Panicked, Gilligan raises the alarm.
- Running Gag: The castaways bring up prison movies they've seen (or been in, in Ginger's case) multiple times while dealing with the island jail.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: The castaways are working on another plan to get rescued. However, Gilligan locks them all up and foolishly steps into the jail himself just as the potential rescue passes the island.
