Wow, considering how well written this show is I am a bit disappointed in the people that are responsible for keeping track of backstory consistancy.

In one of the episodes tonight McGee is revealed to have been a boy scout as a boy, but in one of the early seasons he had no clue what poison ivy looked like and consequently spent an entire show looking like the elephant man.

No self respecting boy scout could mistake poison ivy, and certainly would not rummage around in a patch of it.

But just because he was a boy scout as a boy, doesn't necessarily mean he retained everything he learned. Especially if posion ivy isn't really....."well known" (I guess) in the area you live in. I live in a wooded area so posion ivy is a big issue around here, but like I said...that doesn't mean it's an issue everywhere. Especially if you were raised as a city kid.

I was in girl scouts when I was younger. And I couldn't tell you a lot of the stuff we learned, other than a few games I vaguely remember.

When I was a scout I don't recall one time being told what poison ivy looked like. 'course that was a looooong time ago. I can't say that I've ever even seen any in person. And the fact that McGee did it twice isn't really that surprising, I used to work with a guy that got it at least three times since I knew him.

Not to mention some people are so allergic to it that the wind can blow the wrong direction, and they'll get it.

The second of the three times he was barefoot and walked thru it - in broad daylight. I don't recall him saying he was hammered... but that might explain it.

I agree; it could be relative to where McGee's character grew up.
I've lived in the city and the desert and have never even seen poison ivy before. If I was ever in a wooded area that may contain poison ivy, I probably wouldn't even think about it until I got it . I doubt any of the boy scouts in this area would know about it (other than it is poisonous... but you could easily figure that out just by the name of the plant!)

I forgot what episode, but I loved it when Abby told McGee he had that 3 little pigs look again! LOL!!

I was never in the Scouts, but I was always told to look for "3 shiny leaves". It's simply an inconsistency in the writing. I wager that the writers were just more concentrated on his clumsy nature than his back-story and made a little error. No biggie, really - but it's a good catch!

It's not always shiney. All the ones I've seen aren't, but I guess that top picture proves that isn't always the case. There's a little saying down here "leaves of 3 leave them be".






And this is what happens when you get it. You break out and itch like hell. Sorry the pic is so big.

I've always heard the "leaves of 3, let 'em be"

but without it being pointed out to me, I wouldn't know which ones it is. - I'm sure there are more plants than Just poison ivy that comes in "leaves of three"

OUCH! Tony said that to McGee! My husband got it once, and someone told him to pour bleach on it, and I think the whole neighborhood heard him scream!

WOW! I've never heard that. Wouldn't even attempt it either. About the only thing people around here do is cake on the Calamine lotion.

bleach on ones skin can never be good. yikes.