1.01 An Ensign for McHale

Ensign Charles Parker, newly assigned to the PT 73 crew as Executive Officer, is Captain Binghamton's last hope to tame McHale and his "pirates." Though Parker is unwelcome at first, McHale sees potential in the young officer, and orders his crew to shape up so that Parker won't be shipped out.

McHale's Island

 * Ernest Borgnine: Quinton McHale
 * Tim Conway: Charles Parker
 * Carl Ballantine: Lester Gruber
 * Gary Vinson: George "Christy" Christopher
 * Billy Sands: Harrison "Tinker" Bell
 * Edson Stroll: Virgil Edwards
 * Gavin MacLeod: Joseph "Happy" Haines
 * John Wright: Willy Moss
 * Yoshio Yoda: Fuji Kobiaji
 * Jo Ann Stoll: Native Girl

Main Base

 * Joe Flynn: Wallace Binghamton
 * Syl Lamont: Yeoman Tate
 * Andy Romano: Marine Sentry

Mentioned

 * Ensign Fatheringgay
 * Admiral Reynolds (later played by Herbert Lytton)

Goofs

 * Throughout the series, Joe Flynn's character was named "Captain Wallace B. Binghamton." In this episode, the sign outside his office identified him as "Captain R. F. Binghamton."
 * The exact location of the island of Taratupa is never explicitly stated; but during Ensign Parker's first meeting with Captain Binghamton, Binghamton points to a location on a wall map and tells Parker "here is the Navy's real enemy". The location to which Binghamton points is southeast of Stewart Island, New Zealand, which had no Japanese patrols/occupation and is hardly 'tropical'.

Quotes
"You're not a naval officer, you're a naval disaster!"

- Capt. Binghamton to Ensign Parker

"This is the 50-callibar machine gun. The important thing to remember, gentleman, is that this machine gun will fire over 306,762 bullets per minute. Now men, that's a lot of bullets. That is a lot of bullets. Oh wait, correction there; that's the patent number."

- Ensign Parker

"My men happen to be members of the US Navy. Well, if that's true, it's the best news the Japanese navy ever had!"

- McHale & Binghamton