FULL EPISODE SYNOPSIS (spoiler!)
It is Christmas. Nearly eleven months have passed now since the Robinsons were shipwrecked. Nonetheless the family is in a festive mood and has decorated a makeshift Christmas tree. Christina fears that St. Nicholas will not find them on the island but she is reassured by her father and brother. And they are right, for everyone receives presents on Christmas Day, even Billy. When Ernst receives the sextant Joanna asks if she can have the treasure map. Her wish is granted.
Ben has carved a little wooden ship as a Christmas gift for Parsons on whom the gesture is wasted. Ben is quite disappointed when it becomes clear that Parsons has nothing for him.
During the night a terrible storm rages over the island and does heavy damage on the fort.
Joanna slips away early and takes the raft to go treasure hunting instead of helping to rebuilt the fort. Much to the dismay of Emily who has to take Joanna's place. Everyone, except Elisabeth, goes up to the fort to rebuilt it. They keep an eye out for Joanna when they discover a ship that turns out to be the Viper. The pirates have returned! Christina, Billy, David, Ernst and Emily return to the treehouse and find Elisabeth unconscious on the ground, suffering from a high fever. Emily stays with her while David goes looking for Joanna with Bruno. Ernst, Christina and Billy go back to the fort to finish rebuilding it.
Joanna is unaware of the threat. When she finally sees the pirate ship and turns back she is taken prisoner by Parsons and Ben. She tries to exchange the treasure map for her freedom. Parsons takes the map but does not set her free. Parsons meets with Scaggs and offers the map in return for David Robinson's death as well as safe passage for himself and Ben. Scaggs accepts the deal. Before the take any action though, the pirates celebrate while Joanna is tied to a tree.
David searches until he is exhausted and darkness descends. It is then that he hears the pirates. He waits until they have gone to sleep before he dares coming near and freeing his daughter. But not all pirates have gone to sleep. With Ben's help however, all three of them manage to escape unharmed. The volcano causes another minor earthquake. The pirates awake from this and discover Joanna and Ben missing. They start searching for them immediately. Joanna insists that they take the treasure map from where Parson has hidden it at the beach. Almost they are found by the pirates there who anticipated them to try to reach the raft. But David, Joanna and Ben see them just early enough to be able escape into the forest unseen. Running through the darkness Joanna hurts her ankle and they must rest where they are for the remainder of the night. David notices the beginning romance between his daughter and Ben.
Early next morning they hear the pirates approaching. David supports Joanna and they move on. They find a path that leads them to some skulls. Joanna gives a startled scream that is heard by the pirates. Ben discovers a cave. They hurry inside. The ground gives way beneath their weight and they fall down into a hole. Bruno stays behind before the cave and is sent away. He hides nearby. The pirates find the skulls. Even though they look around they find no one and walk on.
Since the hole is too deep for David, Joanna and Ben to climb out they look for another way out. Joanna finds a tunnel and an old lantern. They follow the tunnel and come upon a skeleton. Thus warned Ben picks up a stick from the ground and uses it to activate a trap they would have almost walked into before they go on. In a cave that is lit by phosphorescent crystals Joanna discovers a chest. She hurries towards it. Ben runs after her and pushes her aside. Therefore it is him who is caught in a rough net and pulled up to the ceiling. Another trap!
Elisabeth is recovering. She feels well enough to get up. When she is just about to leave for the fort the ground shakes again.
The pirates feel it also. They are scared and long to return to their ship. Mary does not allow it. Suddenly Parsons remembers that the entrance to the treasure cave was marked with skulls on the map. So the pirates backtrack. When they arrive at the place of the skulls one of the pirates discovers Joanna's shell bracelet that she lost when she fell into the hole. She, David and Ben hear the pirates' voices echoing down to them. Behind the chest David discovers a fuse leading to a small powder keg. Ben urges David and Joanna to go on without him. Bonnie Mary suggests that the pirates should get ropes and lanterns from the ship before they attempt to climb down.
Supported by Ernst and Emily Elisabeth finally reaches the safety of the rebuilt fort, closely followed by Billy and Christina. Ernst makes his mother comfortable before he takes watch.
Joanna and David go on without Ben. David promises to return for him later. Once again the volcano makes the earth shake and part of the tunnel collapses thus creating an exit for David and Joanna. Once outside they are soon find by Bruno who has not strayed far. Joanna feels bad about leaving Ben behind and pleads with her father to return for him immediately.
The pirates get ready to enter the tunnel. Bonnie Mary, smarter and less greedy than Scaggs, offers to stay behind and keep watch. Scaggs is careful too and sends Parsons in before him. They reach the cave with the chest unencumbered. The men open the chest. It is empty. Then they discover Ben hanging beneath the ceiling. Ben claims not to know where the treasure is but the pirates do not believe him. They leave him hanging there and start to go back to the Viper. Half way there Bonnie Mary decides that she is not willing to go back and forth the long distance all the time. She has a plan to make Ben talk and they turn back.
Ben is relieved and overjoyed when Joanna and David unexpectedly return. He had feared that they had been buried beneath the collapsed tunnel. David puts his knife on the stick Joanna has used as a crutch and stands on the chest to get it high enough for Ben to reach. Ben frees himself. Meanwhile Bruno finds the treasure, buried beneath the earth in the tunnel. The pirates return. David lights the fuse of the small powder keg and sends it rolling down the tunnel towards the pirates. Scaggs is killed in the explosion. The tunnel collapses and cuts the pirates off. David, Ben and Joanna dig themselves out the other side and make their way up to the fort at last.
Bonnie Mary declares herself new captain and takes Parsons into her crew. They return to the Viper and sail around the island to once again try to get David Robinson. Ben aims the canon the Robinsons have salvaged from the Fury and installed at the fort, and fires their only canon ball at the Viper just as the pirates are lowering her boat. The ball hits the water right beside the pirates who are scared off by it. Quickly they set sail and flee.
Ben is welcomed into the Robinson family.
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