'Fantasy Island' Recap: Season 1 Episode 3

I have to say that the more I watch this show, the more I enjoy it. The experience has only gotten more wholesome with each episode and today’s episode of Fantasy Island is no exception.

Our guests on Fantasy Island tonight are a scientist searching for the inexplicable and a woman who has to learn a valuable lesson on how to treasure the important things of life.
As usual, we have our resident teacher of life lessons Elena and her right hand Ruby to thank for the wacky adventures in the show.

The episode starts with Ruby carrying a tray full of enough food to feed a family of 4 into the outdoor sitting area where Elena is working. Elena thinks the food is for both of them, but it turns out Ruby is a really hungry woman who intends to gorge herself on breakfast. 

She tells Elena that she’s been trying to contact her husband Mel but for some reason, the call didn’t go through. Elena tells her that the island is cockblocking her and she can’t do anything about it because the island has a reason. Before they can finish the conversation and Ruby can tuck into her breakfast for 4, the helicopter starts descending. A middle-aged woman who we come to know as Eileen comes out of the helicopter.
Apparently, she’s a guest but she wasn’t supposed to arrive for another 2 hours. She somehow was able to pay a helicopter pilot to bring her to Fantasy Island.

We come to realize that Eileen doesn’t really care about people as she doesn’t even bother to learn Elena and Ruby’s names. And she looooooves to talk. They eventually ask her about her fantasy. She tells them about her relationship with her daughter Theo and how she gave her a wonderful childhood backpacking around the world. 

When Theo eventually had a kid, Eileen was watching the child one day and decided to put him down in his crib and then head over to the next house for karaoke which is just an absolutely terrible thing to do with a baby. Her daughter found out and after a life full of grievances, decided that she wasn’t going to have her mother in her life anymore and so she promptly decides to cut her off.

Her fantasy is to get to spend some time with her daughter and her family. That makes total sense. I mean we’ve all been there and there is nothing estranged children like more than being forced by a magical island to spend some time with a parent whom you had kicked out of your life for good reason.

Elena tells her that she’s already arranged for the family to be on the island. She also tells Eileen that the fantasies are never simple. Eileen goes to freshen up and then she walks to the beach where she sees her family. She tries to talk to them, but they seem to be ignoring her like that video where Rihanna calmly applies makeup while an angry fan knocks on her window.

She goes to talk to Elena about it. Elena makes her look at her reflection in the mirror and then she understands what has happened. The only people who can see and hear are Elena and Ruby. Elena explains that in order for her to get the point of the fantasy, she has to listen.

Eileen goes back to watch her daughter and her family. Theo tells a story about her mother which she recalls rather fondly and it’s clear that she misses her. When her husband offers to send a video of their son to Eileen, she refuses and says her mother has wreaked enough havoc in her life and she’s had enough abandonment growing up. 

Eileen walks off angrily to sulk and kicks the side of the inflatable pool her grandson is playing in. Theo notices it but dismisses it as just a fluke.

Elena goes to talk with Eileen where she’s sulking. Eileen is unable to understand why her daughter feels the way she did. Elena grabs her shoulder and takes her to the past. They are at a temple in Costa Rica where she spent some time. Theo who is a young girl at this point is seated on the steps crying because she misses her mother. Eileen is shocked to see this because she truly believed Theo loved it there. One of the teachers takes her to the temple, consoles her, and takes her in. Eileen tries to follow them to explain herself, but they’re taken back to the present.
Elena has to keep explaining to this grown-ass woman that she was a bad mom and that’s why her daughter wants nothing to do with her. The lady is still stubborn and refuses to accept this.

Ruby goes to the bar to get a drink with which to bribe Elena so she can have that phone call with Mel. Javier tells her to get a single malt whiskey. She notices Eileen and goes to talk to her and helps her order a drink. 

They talk about how she’s felt invisible since she became a middle-aged woman and now, she just feels dead. Ruby is able to draw on the experience she had raising her children and she tells her about how difficult it was raising her youngest child. 

On the side, I know Fantasy Island is a weird place but I’m wondering why no one notices when Ruby starts talking to the air, and then the air also starts to drink from a glass. If Eileen is invisible, that’s what the other patrons of the bar would be seeing.

Also, who are all the other people on the island? We aren’t told if they are guests, or they are people who have made their home here.

Moving on Eileen tells Ruby that the reason she left her grandson that night was because of how irrelevant and invisible, and she just wanted to be seen. Ruby tells her to keep working on the relationship.

The second guest on the island is a particle physicist named Charles. He arrives on time and his fantasy sounds simple. He wants to experience something that can’t be explained by science. He has a pretty chill day on the island with Elena showing up randomly. 

He goes out to the beach to look at the stars when a scarf floats toward him. He grabs it and then he notices footprints appearing in the sand. He follows them to a room. Charles sees a bed react as if someone has just laid down on it. 

Eileen looks out of the window and notices him staring into the room. She goes to the window, breathes on the glass, and introduces herself. He’s so shaken he runs back to his room and locks the door behind himself, She follows him.

Eventually, they discover that he can hear her when she’s touching him. They talk and then she tries to manipulate him into helping her with her family issues. At this point, it’s clear that she still doesn’t understand that the situation with her daughter is her fault. He eventually gets annoyed and leaves her.

Ruby goes to see Elena and they talk about why she can’t contact her husband.  Elena tells her the only way to go is to follow the path laid out for her by the island.

The next day, Charles packs his things to leave but Elena comes in to convince him to stay and help Eileen. At this point, it’s clear that the island is playing a very elaborate game of chess with these two people. He eventually goes out to the beach to find Eileen. She’s sitting on a swing alone. They apologize for the hurtful things they said to each other the day before. She finally owns up to her selfishness and manipulation. He feels her face like a blind person, and they kiss. He offers to help with Theo.

They go to Theo’s beachfront house where she’s sitting with her son and husband. He makes a lame attempt at introducing himself to them and Theo immediately catches him in the lie. Charles starts to leave but then he makes a little heartfelt speech about how much Eileen loves her. 

Theo says she feels like she’s always been invisible to her mom. Eileen takes her hand and finally owns up to what she did and apologizes for abandoning her so many times. Theo forgives her and then she becomes visible again.

Later that evening, Charles and Eileen talk and when she asks what his fantasy was, he says he thinks it was her.

The next day, the family, Eileen, Elena, Ruby, and Javier have breakfast together and Ruby is happy that she’s able to finally have that breakfast that she missed. Eileen makes a speech and announces that they’ll be staying longer on the island to have a proper vacation along with Charles.

Elena takes Ruby to her room and shows her some things which she was able to get for her. Her old lady rocking chair, an anniversary gift from many years ago, and a photo album with recent pictures of her grandchildren and her husband. This is the moment for me that Elena cements herself as the best boss to work for. I wonder if Fantasy Island is hiring so I could resign from my day job.
The episode ends with the Elena flipping through the album and Ruby making some tea.

I think this episode was my favorite one yet, and I absolutely loved the story. I wonder what wacky misadventures the show has in store for us next week. Till then, I bid you goodbye.