THE ADVENTURES OF SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON I EPISODES
BOOK 2 - THE ISLAND OF THE GODS

FULL EPISODE SYNOPSIS (spoiler!)

Three weeks have passed since the Robinsons were marooned on the island. Meanwhile Ben and Parsons have moved to one of the outer islands.

Elisabeth is in the forest looking for herbs when the ground is suddenly shaking. Looking up she sees three white goats. At the beach, where the rest of the family is working on the raft to add a cabin and a rudder they feel the shaking of the earth also. David climbs up to higher ground and sees a column of smoke rising from a hill in the distance. It's a volcano.

After having finished the treehouse the family has began to build enclosures for all the animals that they have rescued from the Fury and that Christina has adopted. Elisabeth, by chance, finds out that Emily knows a lot about herbs which can be very useful. Emily tells her that her grandmother was a healer and has taught her that knowlege.

Parsons is worried when he and Ben look through the telescope and discover the raft which seems to be seaworthy. He fears being left behind and that Robinson would escape his revenge. So the old sea dog and Ben row across to the other island. They sneak close to the treehouse, hide and watch.

When the ground shakes again the children also want to look at the volcano and climb to higher ground. Christina sees one of the white goats her mother has seen before. They follow it and are led to a cave. The dog Bruno runs into it. The others follow and discover a little goat kid that has fallen down a small hole and has injured its leg. Exploring the cave further the children find what clearly is a natives's holy chamber. A large carved wooden figure looms in one corner and there is a sarcophagus. Christina sees a black pearl serving as an eye for a carved wooden fish. When she takes the pearl a mechanism is activated and a skeleton rises up from the sarcophagus. Ernst believes the cave to be some kind of a burial chamber. The children leave the cave through the exit of the holy chamber and take the injured animal to their mother who tends its wound.

Unnoticed, a group of natives approaches the island in a large canoe. They arrive just when Ernst is showing the cave to his father. David and Ernst watch how one sick man, who appears to be the chief or king, is brought onto the beach and tended by a shaman. When the natives move towards the entrance of the cave Ernst and David hide behind the large statue. The sick man and the shaman are brought into the cave. The shaman is bound. An angry young man who clearly is in charge leads the native warriors out of the cave again. Outside he discovers a shoe print in the wet sand and becomes suspicious. The natives start searching the forest for intruders.

Meanwhile Ernst and David free the shaman and escape with him and the sick man to the treehouse. Elisabeth and the shaman are both are trying to cure him.

After another argument with David about her refusal to do any chores at all, Emily runs away from the treehouse compound. In the forest she is captured by Parsons and Ben who, in turn, are taken prisoner along with Emily by the native warriors.

The leader of the natives discovers that not only the King and the Shaman have been rescued but that the black pearl is missing too. He questions his prisoners about it. Emily tries to buy her freedom with the knowledge. Parsons realises that if she knows where it is it can only be at the treehouse. So he makes a deal with the leader to exchange Emily for the pearl. Parsons, Ben, the leader and most of the warriors head for the treehouse, leaving only two men behind to guard the girl.

In the meantime the children have followed the white goat once again. From a hill they can see Emily and the native guards. While the girls, Billy and Bruno use the cave's other entrance to get inside and make strange noises to scare away the guards, Ernst goes down to the shore and swims around to rescue Emily. But the guards are not fooled for long and return quickly. The children escape through the cave and the other exit. However, once outside Christina stumbles, falls and hits her forehead on a stone. She is unconscious. The others take her back to the treehouse and arrive just in time to prevent any deal between Parsons and David. The King is finally feeling better. He speaks English and tells the Robinsons that he had been enslaved for many years before he managed to escape. He is suspicious of white people but finally learns to trust the Robinsons.

In the evening the Shaman performs some kind of ritual. The King explains that he is looking for Christina's spirit for she is still unconscious. When Ernst, Joanna, Billy and Emily go to sleep they all find themselves in the same dream with the Shaman. Together they look for Christina in the world of spirits and finally find her in the holy cave. There the spirit of the young native leader, who is the evil brother of the King and also a Shaman, waits for them. He attacks the Shaman. Ernst puts the black pearl into a sling and throws it at the attacker. The native is hit at the forehead and goes down. The Shaman feels that he is dying and urges the children to wake up so their spirits won't get trapped in the spirit world.

At the same time Parsons leads Ben and the other native warriors to the treehouse. Ben manages to steal the musket. The King, David and Elisabeth carry the children to the raft and escape to sea. The Shaman stays behind. The respect his people have for him protects him. The the warriors stop Parsons from even touching the holy man, as they invade the treehouse.

The day is dawning. The children wake up one by one, first of all Christina. Elisabeth is glad to see her well again but is worried about the treehouse. Ernst tells the King about the Shaman's death.

The king's brother has also died. A few warriors signal from the beach and the King tells the Robinsons it is safe to return now. They sail back to shore and walk to the treehouse. Parsons, of course, is not willing to give it up. But again the family gets unexpected help from a white goat that suddenly appears behind Parsons and chases him out of the forest, down the beach and into the water, closely followed by Ben. The family and the King watch and laugh.

The volcano quiets down as the King and his warriors return to their home island. The Robinsons have turned down the King's invitation to follow him to his island because for now this island is their home.


Ernst's Journal

According to my journal three weeks have passed since we were shipwrecked. Castaway on a tropical island somewhere in the uncharted waters of the Indian Ocean. Our lives are under constant threat from Parsons and his accomplice Ben. Who are also marooned and have taken refuge on an outer island. The wildlife we have so far encountered seems as curious and fearful of us as we are of them as we attempt to survive in a world far removed from that of Boston. The unpredictable and often inhospitable world of Mother Nature. Billy, the cabin boy, has befriended my youngest sister Christina who also delights in her other new found friends over which she has become protective and proprietary since they were found lost ashore. Bruno seems to find our new lifestyle idyllic as does my other sister Joanna. And at times even mother and father appear content despite our predicament. Though I'm sure they - like all of us - fear what the future holds in store.
The mysterious Emily Chen remains cold and aloof and is a constant source of irritation. Seemingly unable to accept that she no longer lives in a society with servants. Or that for however long we will remain as castaways she is now an equal and must therefore assist with our daily chores.
Emily's selfishness was to endanger not only her own life but indeed the entire family's. In an adventure which began quite unexpectedly when we first tested our home made raft.

Little did we realise at the time that Emily's selfishness and even the volcano would pale in comparison with the enormous danger that lay ahead.

We would soon discover that the statue, burial chamber and volcano were linked. But at the time the only question was - why?

Emily was taken hostage. But not by Parsons and Ben. Who also found themselves hostages when their plan unexpectedly backfired. As night fell the volcano maintained its ominous presence. As if it was somehow waiting and watching for some event to unfold. Back at the treehouse we were more concerned about the health and well-being of the native king. Mother had concocted a possible remedy as had the king's medicine man who clearly felt that there was very little time. And that the king's days were drawing to an end.

As dawn broke all we could do was wait and put our faith in the dear Lord that mother's remedy would work. And that our prayers would be answered for the king to make a full recovery. We were also extremely concerned about the whereabouts and fate of Emily.

Once again the goat had seemingly played a significant part in our adventure by leading us to Emily. Bruno meanwhile - ever dependable - was to play his own part.

Once again we had defeated Parsons and his reluctant accomplice Ben. With the assistance of the native king and the mountain goat, of course. To our relief Emily was returned safely to us and through the Grace of God our beloved Christina made a full recovery. The shaman played his part in the temple of his own gods. And I've often considered his dreamtime. Was it really a dream? Or did it exist? I leave that for you to decide. In any event, the threat of the volcano seemed to immediately subside, reinforcing my belief that we all co-exist with the forces of Mother Nature under God in whatever incarnation. As the native king prepared to return to his island home he invited us to accompany him. But we declined as we were from two such different worlds. The island - at least for the present time - was our home. And our fate lay solely in the hands of the dear Lord to whom we must turn for any hope of rescue and salvation. I am sure the family will never forget the native king. Or the shaman who played such an important part in our adventure. I personally couldn't help but notice the profound look of gratitude exchanged between the native king and my father. Signifying a bond of friendship. And I wonder if somehow our paths are destined to cross in another adventure one day.

© Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment & CLT-UFA International

THE ADVENTURES OF
SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON

BOOK 2 - THE ISLAND OF THE GODS
Original US Airdate: 4, 8 + 9, September 1998
(each 75 minute episode was divided into 3 parts)

Screenplay by Rio Fanning
Directed by Declan Eames

Guest Cast:
Api Taylor (The King)
Eteuati Ete (Shaman)
Kirk Torrance (King's Brother)

 

Swiss Family Robinson
FOOTNOTE
German Site
Kieren Hutchison