Recap & React: I Dream of Jeannie, Season 1, Episodes 1 – 5

Welcome to TMP’s newest Recap & React series! “I Dream of Jeannie” has been one of my favorite classic television shows for as long as I can remember, but I’ve seen most of the episodes out of order since I’ve only been able to watch them in re-runs. Now that I have season 1 on DVD, I’m excited to see them all in the order that they originally aired and thought I’d share my re-watch experience here on the blog.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 1: “The Lady in the Bottle”
DIR. Gene Nelson
WRITTEN BY Sidney Sheldon
ORIGINALLY AIRED September 18, 1965
Recap: Astronaut Tony Nelson is forced to crash-land his spacecraft, Stardust One, on an island in the South Pacific. After landing on the beach, he finds an odd bottle… and when he opens it, a beautiful genie appears, following him home to Florida!
Reaction: This episode is such a great start to the series! Tony’s mishaps and Jeannie’s silly, playful attitude set the tone for the entire series. I love the scene in which Nelson describes his “hallucination” to the psychiatrist, and the scene in which he tries to explain to his fiance why Jeannie has been showering at his place.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 2: “My Hero?”
DIR. Gene Nelson
WRITTEN BY Sidney Sheldon
ORIGINALLY AIRED September 25, 1965
Recap: Jeannie whisks her dear Captain Nelson away to an ancient civilization, where she announces to her parents that she wants to marry him. He must contend with a man known as Ali, Killer of the Giants, who takes him hostage.
Reaction: This was one of the first “I Dream of Jeannie” episodes that I ever saw. I love the opening scenes, with Jeannie blinking a swimming pool into existence and then trapping Tony in concrete when he says he doesn’t want the pool. Tony’s struggle to keep himself from getting an ass-whoopin’ from Ali is pretty funny, too, because he can’t intimidate anyone with his USA credentials — the US doesn’t exist yet in Jeannie’s world!

SEASON 1, EPISODE 3: “Guess What Happened on the Way to the Moon?”
DIR. Alan Rafkin
WRITTEN BY Tom & Frank Waldman
ORIGINALLY AIRED October 2, 1965
Recap: Jeannie follows Tony on his latest mission, which involves traveling to the desert and staying there with limited supplies to test the effects that such an exercise would have on new recruits. Jeannie supplies Tony with everything he needs — food, shelter, water, transportation — with no regard to the purpose of the experiment. But Tony’s luxurious amenities in the middle of the desert make Roger suspicious!
Reaction: Another delightful episode. Roger’s reaction to Jeannie’s desert assistance is a big part of the episode’s humor — he thinks Jeannie and her tent are a mirage, and doesn’t really suspect anything fishy until he and Tony are evaluated at the end of the experiment.

SEASON 1, EPISODE 4: “Jeannie and the Marriage Caper”
DIR. Alan Rafkin
WRITTEN BY Tom & Frank Waldman
ORIGINALLY AIRED October 9, 1965
Recap: Tony’s fiance wants him to push up their wedding date and accept a new position, which will take the newlywed couple overseas. Jeannie, however, will do anything she can to stop Tony from marrying his fiance.
Reaction: Jeannie is so much fun to watch in this episode. From blinking in a goat so she can make cheese for a cheese sandwich, to floating in cloud form around the room when Tony’s fiance visits, to planning a honeymoon for three. She’s hilarious!

SEASON 1, EPISODE 5: “G.I. Jeannie”
DIR. Alan Rafkin
WRITTEN BY William Davenport
ORIGINALLY AIRED October 16, 1965
Recap: Jeannie is still desperate to get closer to Tony, so she decides to join the Air Force.
Reaction:Again, lots of funny moments in this one: Jeannie not understanding the word “platonic”; telling the recruiter that she’s 1500 years old, and then admitting that she lied and is actually 2,000 years old; being declared a “disaster area” in all of her Air Force jobs. I think this may be my favorite episode from the re-watch so far!