Post by tyche on Apr 4, 2017 22:37:53 GMT -5
I messaged California Girl and asked if I could write a review of this particular episode. She said it would be all right so is my take on this episode.
I love this episode, I freely admit that it has nothing to do with Druids (or Blood) and perhaps a better title would have been TNOT Stolen Brains. But the reason I adore this episode is because the audience get to see how much Jim and Artie care about each other, even in the early days of their relationship.
It begins with Jim visiting his old Professor of Archaeology (another piece of backstory – Jim did a degree in Archaeology? Who would have guessed?) and Professor Robey pretends that Jim’s just dropped by en route so to speak; Jim’s confused as the Professor asked him to come and it is at this point the audience realise – as does Jim – that something is very wrong. Again we see Jim’s compassionate side, when Professor Robey can’t pour himself a sherry because he’s shaking so much after admitting that he is indeed in trouble, Jim walks across and pours the drink for him and tells him that he has done something about it; he’s told James West.
We get to see the first picture of Astarte (although at this point we know her as Lilith) and poor Professor Robey confesses that he fell in love with this young woman and how foolish he was to do so, but also that he’s discovered that she was evil, almost beyond belief. At this point Professor Robey’s prize pupil, Robert Perry enters the room. Now I probably should have taken more notice of Robert, particularly as he helps the Professor on with his gown, [and he turns up later with the ambulance] and he must have been part of the scheme, but I didn’t consider it until later.
Anyway, cue the Professor putting his mortar board and gown on and then leaving the room. Robert says that he’s been worried about the Professor and Jim shows him the picture of Lilith, at which point the picture bursts into flames. As they stare at it, suddenly they hear screams from outside; both men turn to the window to see Professor Robey engulfed in flames. Perry turns away [regret/remorse?] but Jim continues to look, almost unable to bear what he’s seeing.
Cue opening credits.
Having watched this episode a number of times, it has just occurred to me that Jim spends almost the entire episode in a state of cold fury. I never realised it before, but RC does a masterful job of portraying a man who is just barely keeping a lid on his anger. But on with the episode. Jim wants to investigate the murder of his friend but is stonewalled by Colonel Fairchild. Apparently the House Senate Commission, or rather the Head of the Commission, Senator Waterford. Cue scene change and we see Jim standing in Senator Waterford’s front room/drawing room? (Not sure which it is) waiting for the Senator.
We don’t get to see too much of Artie at the beginning of this episode, however I feel that Ross makes up for this with a stellar performance later on.
In Senator Waterford’s house, Jim again tries to convince the Senator that Professor Robey’s case should be investigated and again he’s refused. The Senator asks if Jim would like to stay for dinner and West rather sarcastically remarks that he can’t as he has to attend to ‘official duties’. At this point the door opens and the audience come face to face with Lilith (but this time she’s calling herself Astarte.) The plot thickens. The Senator introduces her and Jim makes the remark that everyone should get their happiness in life, including lowly archaeology professors. Obviously, Senator Waterford doesn’t get it, but the audience know that Lilith/Astarte does.
We get to meet Asmodeus and Senator Waterford’s doctor who appears deeply suspicious of magic (I really liked the doctor to start with and I was bitterly disappointed when he turned out to be the villain.) Jim and Astarte are left alone and again we get to see Jim just about keep a lid on his anger as he calmly and (almost politely) insults and threatens Astarte. Her reaction is quite surprising, she simpers at him and suggests that they take a turn in the garden. Jim even asks her how she did it, but she never really explains why. Their conversation is also interesting, the way that RC plays it as someone who while he has no power to arrest her makes it abundantly clear that he will do everything in his power to bring her to justice. Astarte still tries to make a joke out of it and asks Jim how he feels about fraternizing with the enemy and Jim leans in and it seems for a moment that he’s about to kiss her [and yes I was screaming at the tv ‘Don’t do it, Jim! She’s an evil b***h!’] But then he turns and flips Asmodeus from out of the bushes. Asmodeus mutters something about disliking muscular young men; and Jim retorts that he doesn’t like Bushwackers. And then, joy of joys, Artemus arrives on the scene!
Artie asks if he’s interrupted something and Jim replies that no he hasn’t and that had Artie not arrived, Jim would have worn out his welcome. He introduces Astarte and Asmodeus and takes her hand bidding them goodnight. Astarte and Asmodeus turn and face one another and a look passes between them, at which point I remember thinking Uh oh.
At this point Jim and Artie are leaving the house and I remember thinking that there must have been a missing scene otherwise how would Artie know that Lilith/Astarte are the same person? He never saw the picture so unless Jim told him just before this scene or there was another self-explanatory scene where Jim filled him in about Lilith that we didn’t get to see [FanFic anyone?] Jim asks Artie to find out as much as he can about ‘Mrs Waterford and her freaky (I think he says freaky) pal, Asmodeus.’ Artie says he’ll see him in the car and someone calls out ‘Cab, Sir?’ and Jim walks across and gets in. The driver pulls a handle, there’s a rocking motion and when he pulls the curtain back, the cab appears empty. I have read various theories about how James West was incapacitated, that there was already someone in the carriage; that there was knockout gas in the cab and that the rocking was the whole cab turning itself inside out to trap West. Whatever happened, certainly one of our favourite duo is incapacitated.
Then the cab passes a waiting ambulance and who should be waiting in the shadows but Professor Robey’s star pupil Robert Perry! Another man steps forward, smoking a cigarette, his head heavily bandaged. Perry opens the ambulance doors and the other man steps inside. Then Perry goes to the front of the vehicle and the ambulance moves off.
The next thing the audience see is a gurney being wheeled down a corridor with what looks like a badly injured man on it. As the orderlies gently lay him on the bed the nurse reads out a list of his injuries (all of which sound horrendous in the late 19th Century) and then identifies the patient as James West. Cue intermission.
As we return from the intermission the screen opens to see Artie sitting next to the bed. I think Ross does a fantastic job here of a man deeply worried about his partner. The way he holds his body; the expression on his face is of a man who has been cut to the quick. And when Colonel Fairchild enters, the way he nods and speaks, even his voice breaks when he’s talking about his friend.
Jim wakes up at the bottom of a shaft, he looks around and then suddenly Asmodeus appears as an apparition, at first Jim tries to hit it and hurts his knuckles, then Asmodeus reappears and Jim tells him that he doesn’t impress him a bit. Asmodeus tells him not to go away and then disappears. Left alone, Jim realises that the walls of the shaft are becoming warm, so he decides to use this to get out. Taking the heels from the bottom of his boots he removes makeshift dynamite and a fuse which he then sticks into the lip of the bucket; takes one of the pieces of wood and holds it against the wall until it bursts into flames. He lights the fuse and hey presto! He’s blown to the iron girder which he grabs and then gets himself out.
Hearing the sound of chanting, he carefully opens the door and sees Astarte in a white robe, surrounded by hooded observers, about to drive a knife into some supine figure. {And yes they used the same chant for TNOT Montezuma’s Hordes!} As he steps forward, Asmodeus bashes him on the head and again West sinks into unconsciousness.
Back at Senator Waterford’s Artie enters to find Dr Tristam, Colonel Fairchild and Senator Waterford all present. Apparently they had all received a message from Jim demanding their presence at the Waterford House. Artie says that it can’t be true because West is still in the hospital but Colonel Fairchild says that West disappeared an hour ago. The audience see a cab stop outside the house; the door is opened and a man helps West out of the cab; we can see that something’s wrong already as the man leaves him leaning against the door and Jim doesn’t seem himself, especially when the servant opens the door and (if you’re very quick) you can see that Jim ‘falls’ into the house.
Jim walks into the drawing room (still not sure that’s the right word) and immediately Artemus strides across to him and takes his arm, and Jim looks up and says, ‘Fancy meeting you here; wherever here is.’ And then Colonel Fairchild demands to know where West has been. I think RC does a masterful job here – then of course Astarte and Asmodeus enter and Jim basically accuses both of them of being involved in something nefarious, of course since both set him up, it’s Clay Waterford’s reaction that’s the most interesting as he goes to hit West. Again Dr Tristam steps in and gently touches Jim’s face saying that West appears to be ill, and that he also seems to have been drugged [At which point I thought: Well when did that happen? Did Asmodeus knock him out and then inject him with something that would make him passive? Or was he drugged before with something slow acting?] Gordon takes charge and says that he’s going to put Jim to bed, but West’s having none of it and says that it’s too early to go to bed, at which point Fairchild says that for the past 12 hours, Jim’s been lying unconscious in a hospital bed; Jim stabs him in the lapels with his finger saying that he’s been having a lot of fun, but he hasn’t been in hospital and then Artie grabs him by his lapels and says that he’s been sitting beside Jim’s bed praying that he’d pull through and that his friend has been hurt. Again, Jim shakes his head but Gordon’s insistent and says that he wouldn’t kid Jim over something like that.
At which point, Astarte and Asmodeus share another look and we cut to Jim stuffing clothes into a chest while Artie tells him not be bitter because ‘furloughs can be beautiful’. Still furious Jim replies that Artie can take his furlough and that he was in effect, played for a fool, but who would believe him. Then Artie says that he would. Still annoyed, Jim turns and in one word demands, ‘Why?’ Then Artie replies with one of the sweetest lines ever, ‘Because I know you to be loyal, thrifty, trustworthy, truthful, reverent, clean, brave-’ and although Artemus never finishes his sentence, the audience know that he’s just restored Jim’s sense of worth, even though he complains that Asmodeus and Astarte have made him look like the Village Idiot. Artie also suggests that it was a ‘Ringer’ in the hospital (which the audience knew all along) and then says that Jim should cancel his furlough because his research has turned up something regarding many of the country’s scientists who have all died suddenly under slightly suspicious circumstances and that Asmodeus had an engagement near to, or in the city. Both men wonder if the scientists haven’t actually been killed, but their deaths have been faked. Next stop the cemetery where they decide to dig up the grave of Dr Kempley. When they open the coffin Colonel Fairchild looks down into the grave and says that he knew Dr Kempley very well and that the remains in the coffin are most definitely his and that West should take his furlough as requested.
However, as both men leave the graveyard West turns to Gordon and asks if he’s humming. Gordon replies that he only whistles in graveyards. Jim goes over to a mausoleum type building (where the humming is obviously coming from) and pushes open the door, just before he enters he turns to Artie and asks, ‘When was the last time you attended a witches Sabbath?’ He enters the building/tomb, Artie looks back at the cemetery, concern on his face and then follows his friend. Cue advertisement break.
We return to our friends going down a flight of stairs, as they get to the bottom we see the hole that West was imprisoned in. They both look down into it and although it’s subjective, I got the impression that Jim had told Artie what had happened to him and Artie was seeing it for the first time. At this moment we hear the chant again. Following the sound, Jim cautiously opens the door (and I expected to see Astarte again.) Artie jumps one of the hooded guys and then realises that it’s a dummy – that they’re all dummies! However, one of the figures at the back moves – uh oh, it’s Asmodeus! And he’s carrying a revolver! Then he reveals himself and tells them to drop their guns, Artie asks when the next show is, and Asmodeus replies that they are the next show.
Both Jim and Artie taunt Asmodeus in this scene; I think deliberately because they know if they can get him annoyed, he’ll make a mistake and hopefully tell them all his plan. Asmodeus does a few magic tricks, and although both Jim and Artie try to goad him into telling them everything, this particular villain doesn’t fall for it, saying ‘I prefer to have it be a surprise.’ He even intimates that there’s so much both men don’t know and then produces a mourning candle – and still Artie snarks at him. Asmodeus almost loses it, but says that they won’t get him to tell them – he will do that. Asmodeus orders both men to put their hands in the manacles; Artemus does so, but Jim sees the swords mounted above his manacle and pulls them down onto Asmodeus’s head. A fight ensues and Asmodeus is despatched in a rather unceremonious way. As Jim’s releasing Artemus, a door to their right slowly opens and both men square their shoulders and Jim’s look of astonishment when he sees the man sitting at the desk, it is none other than Dr Tristam, who advises them not to move. Cue advertisement break.
Artemus inclines his head and says, ‘Good Evening, Master,’ and Dr Tristam seems quite impressed {but then Artemus was always good at that – disarming his opponents with his encyclopaedic knowledge} At this point, Dr Tristam introduces himself and calls this office ‘his modest little retreat where he comes to putter’ – Jim interjects by saying that it’s also where Dr Tristam creates his ‘devices’ that cause people’s clothes to burst into flame. Not surprisingly, Dr Tristam metaphorically shrugs and says its a ‘minor refinement’ and can be set to combust at any time. The audience get to see Gordon’s fury as he tells the doctor he’s already knows the ‘amusing way it worked on Professor Robey’ and although we don’t get to see Artemus angry very often (TNOT Big Blast is another one when we get see RM shine) this is another occasion when we get see him furious on his friend’s behalf. He takes a step forward, Jim tries to pull him back and poor old Artie gets himself electrocuted {he does so again in TNOT Bogus Bandits} but at least on that occasion he was trying to distract Loveless. I think his anger gets the better of him this time. Artie’s knocked unconscious and Tristam tells Jim that he’ll be nullified soon enough – Jim asks what exactly is Dr Tristam up to, and the doctor’s response is ‘Can’t you guess?’
Jim has started putting the pieces together and he says that he knows the Dr Tristam has ‘an unusual interest in our scientists; the exceptional ones’ and Dr Tristam smiles (with rather too much glee) and says ‘Go on.’ Jim states that he thought that at first the good doctor was faking their deaths, and forcing the scientists to work for him; but having seen Kempley’s body – Dr Tristam interrupts and says that West is correct and then pulls back the curtain at the side to reveal all these brains bubbling in jars. {Yes, I know this is a completely stupid idea; as is the idea that Jim could incite them all to rebellion by shouting at them. A brain has no way to interpret sounds and there was no way that the brains could be kept alive in something that looks like a cross between coca-cola and swamp water.} Dr Tristam reveals his plan to dispose of Senator Waterford – because Astarte gets bored – so at midnight, the Senator will combust. At this point Jim gets his idea to get the brains to work together - and yes I know this is totally crackers too! So he gets the brains to work together to destroy themselves, as the electricity crackles Jim helps a semi-conscious Artie to his feet and out of the building as the brains destroy themselves (and set Dr Tristam on fire – poetic justice, natch?)
They get out of the building and Artie leans against it, still suffering the effects of electrocution, Jim tells him that he has to get to the Senator’s and that Artie will be all right if he leaves him here. Cut to the Senator’s party with Jim moving through the partygoers. He goes out into the garden and sees Astarte who is still pouting prettily, oblivious to what’s been going on. She even asks for a truce, but again, looking at Jim’s body language, this is a man who knows the truth and very soon Astarte is going to know too. He sits down next to her, addressing her as ‘Mrs Waterford’ and Astarte simpers and says, ‘For starters, try saying Astarte.’
Jim responds by repeating her name and Astarte says that he does that very well, to which our Jim replies that ‘It’s just a knack.’ Finally he delivers one of the best lines and asks her if she remembers when they were so close the last time, and Astarte says that she does but that Asmodeus isn’t around this time. (At this point I wanted to cheer when Jim replies that he’s dead, and so is Dr Tristam. Ann Elder – the actress who played Astarte – does a fine job of showing her sudden fear.) Jim shines in this scene, yes he snarks and looks quite nasty when he tells her that her allies are dead – but in all honesty I think he has every right to. She swallows and begins to plead but suddenly there’s a look on Jim’s face that frankly, quite scary, and you just know that there’s nothing she could do or say. Enter Senator Waterford and Astarte’s last attempt to rid herself of James West (was she hoping her husband would kill him for making ungentlemanly advances to a married woman? Probably.) Then he leaps forward and grabs the cape off the Senator and wraps it around Astarte. She screams and wriggles out of his grasp to throw the cape on the floor where it bursts into flames. Astarte begs her husband to shoot him but the Senator shakes her off and walks away. Then the audience get to see a side of Jim West he doesn’t normally show, this is James West in full control of his anger but there is something in the line of his mouth and face that anyone facing it would shiver. (Points for RC here for making this scene so believeable.) He tells her that she’s going to dance the minuet from the highest gallows and the scene cuts on Astarte sobbing.
Not sure what the point of the teaser was – I suppose to show that everything was all right, and that Jim was back to his usual self. And Artie’s trick with the cards was quite funny, and there always has to be a girl (although I did think she was a bit forward!)
Well that’s my review. Sorry that it’s so long, I tried not to make it so, but it kind of ran away with me!
Review of TNOT Druid’s Blood
It begins with Jim visiting his old Professor of Archaeology (another piece of backstory – Jim did a degree in Archaeology? Who would have guessed?) and Professor Robey pretends that Jim’s just dropped by en route so to speak; Jim’s confused as the Professor asked him to come and it is at this point the audience realise – as does Jim – that something is very wrong. Again we see Jim’s compassionate side, when Professor Robey can’t pour himself a sherry because he’s shaking so much after admitting that he is indeed in trouble, Jim walks across and pours the drink for him and tells him that he has done something about it; he’s told James West.
We get to see the first picture of Astarte (although at this point we know her as Lilith) and poor Professor Robey confesses that he fell in love with this young woman and how foolish he was to do so, but also that he’s discovered that she was evil, almost beyond belief. At this point Professor Robey’s prize pupil, Robert Perry enters the room. Now I probably should have taken more notice of Robert, particularly as he helps the Professor on with his gown, [and he turns up later with the ambulance] and he must have been part of the scheme, but I didn’t consider it until later.
Anyway, cue the Professor putting his mortar board and gown on and then leaving the room. Robert says that he’s been worried about the Professor and Jim shows him the picture of Lilith, at which point the picture bursts into flames. As they stare at it, suddenly they hear screams from outside; both men turn to the window to see Professor Robey engulfed in flames. Perry turns away [regret/remorse?] but Jim continues to look, almost unable to bear what he’s seeing.
Cue opening credits.
Having watched this episode a number of times, it has just occurred to me that Jim spends almost the entire episode in a state of cold fury. I never realised it before, but RC does a masterful job of portraying a man who is just barely keeping a lid on his anger. But on with the episode. Jim wants to investigate the murder of his friend but is stonewalled by Colonel Fairchild. Apparently the House Senate Commission, or rather the Head of the Commission, Senator Waterford. Cue scene change and we see Jim standing in Senator Waterford’s front room/drawing room? (Not sure which it is) waiting for the Senator.
We don’t get to see too much of Artie at the beginning of this episode, however I feel that Ross makes up for this with a stellar performance later on.
In Senator Waterford’s house, Jim again tries to convince the Senator that Professor Robey’s case should be investigated and again he’s refused. The Senator asks if Jim would like to stay for dinner and West rather sarcastically remarks that he can’t as he has to attend to ‘official duties’. At this point the door opens and the audience come face to face with Lilith (but this time she’s calling herself Astarte.) The plot thickens. The Senator introduces her and Jim makes the remark that everyone should get their happiness in life, including lowly archaeology professors. Obviously, Senator Waterford doesn’t get it, but the audience know that Lilith/Astarte does.
We get to meet Asmodeus and Senator Waterford’s doctor who appears deeply suspicious of magic (I really liked the doctor to start with and I was bitterly disappointed when he turned out to be the villain.) Jim and Astarte are left alone and again we get to see Jim just about keep a lid on his anger as he calmly and (almost politely) insults and threatens Astarte. Her reaction is quite surprising, she simpers at him and suggests that they take a turn in the garden. Jim even asks her how she did it, but she never really explains why. Their conversation is also interesting, the way that RC plays it as someone who while he has no power to arrest her makes it abundantly clear that he will do everything in his power to bring her to justice. Astarte still tries to make a joke out of it and asks Jim how he feels about fraternizing with the enemy and Jim leans in and it seems for a moment that he’s about to kiss her [and yes I was screaming at the tv ‘Don’t do it, Jim! She’s an evil b***h!’] But then he turns and flips Asmodeus from out of the bushes. Asmodeus mutters something about disliking muscular young men; and Jim retorts that he doesn’t like Bushwackers. And then, joy of joys, Artemus arrives on the scene!
Artie asks if he’s interrupted something and Jim replies that no he hasn’t and that had Artie not arrived, Jim would have worn out his welcome. He introduces Astarte and Asmodeus and takes her hand bidding them goodnight. Astarte and Asmodeus turn and face one another and a look passes between them, at which point I remember thinking Uh oh.
At this point Jim and Artie are leaving the house and I remember thinking that there must have been a missing scene otherwise how would Artie know that Lilith/Astarte are the same person? He never saw the picture so unless Jim told him just before this scene or there was another self-explanatory scene where Jim filled him in about Lilith that we didn’t get to see [FanFic anyone?] Jim asks Artie to find out as much as he can about ‘Mrs Waterford and her freaky (I think he says freaky) pal, Asmodeus.’ Artie says he’ll see him in the car and someone calls out ‘Cab, Sir?’ and Jim walks across and gets in. The driver pulls a handle, there’s a rocking motion and when he pulls the curtain back, the cab appears empty. I have read various theories about how James West was incapacitated, that there was already someone in the carriage; that there was knockout gas in the cab and that the rocking was the whole cab turning itself inside out to trap West. Whatever happened, certainly one of our favourite duo is incapacitated.
Then the cab passes a waiting ambulance and who should be waiting in the shadows but Professor Robey’s star pupil Robert Perry! Another man steps forward, smoking a cigarette, his head heavily bandaged. Perry opens the ambulance doors and the other man steps inside. Then Perry goes to the front of the vehicle and the ambulance moves off.
The next thing the audience see is a gurney being wheeled down a corridor with what looks like a badly injured man on it. As the orderlies gently lay him on the bed the nurse reads out a list of his injuries (all of which sound horrendous in the late 19th Century) and then identifies the patient as James West. Cue intermission.
As we return from the intermission the screen opens to see Artie sitting next to the bed. I think Ross does a fantastic job here of a man deeply worried about his partner. The way he holds his body; the expression on his face is of a man who has been cut to the quick. And when Colonel Fairchild enters, the way he nods and speaks, even his voice breaks when he’s talking about his friend.
Jim wakes up at the bottom of a shaft, he looks around and then suddenly Asmodeus appears as an apparition, at first Jim tries to hit it and hurts his knuckles, then Asmodeus reappears and Jim tells him that he doesn’t impress him a bit. Asmodeus tells him not to go away and then disappears. Left alone, Jim realises that the walls of the shaft are becoming warm, so he decides to use this to get out. Taking the heels from the bottom of his boots he removes makeshift dynamite and a fuse which he then sticks into the lip of the bucket; takes one of the pieces of wood and holds it against the wall until it bursts into flames. He lights the fuse and hey presto! He’s blown to the iron girder which he grabs and then gets himself out.
Hearing the sound of chanting, he carefully opens the door and sees Astarte in a white robe, surrounded by hooded observers, about to drive a knife into some supine figure. {And yes they used the same chant for TNOT Montezuma’s Hordes!} As he steps forward, Asmodeus bashes him on the head and again West sinks into unconsciousness.
Back at Senator Waterford’s Artie enters to find Dr Tristam, Colonel Fairchild and Senator Waterford all present. Apparently they had all received a message from Jim demanding their presence at the Waterford House. Artie says that it can’t be true because West is still in the hospital but Colonel Fairchild says that West disappeared an hour ago. The audience see a cab stop outside the house; the door is opened and a man helps West out of the cab; we can see that something’s wrong already as the man leaves him leaning against the door and Jim doesn’t seem himself, especially when the servant opens the door and (if you’re very quick) you can see that Jim ‘falls’ into the house.
Jim walks into the drawing room (still not sure that’s the right word) and immediately Artemus strides across to him and takes his arm, and Jim looks up and says, ‘Fancy meeting you here; wherever here is.’ And then Colonel Fairchild demands to know where West has been. I think RC does a masterful job here – then of course Astarte and Asmodeus enter and Jim basically accuses both of them of being involved in something nefarious, of course since both set him up, it’s Clay Waterford’s reaction that’s the most interesting as he goes to hit West. Again Dr Tristam steps in and gently touches Jim’s face saying that West appears to be ill, and that he also seems to have been drugged [At which point I thought: Well when did that happen? Did Asmodeus knock him out and then inject him with something that would make him passive? Or was he drugged before with something slow acting?] Gordon takes charge and says that he’s going to put Jim to bed, but West’s having none of it and says that it’s too early to go to bed, at which point Fairchild says that for the past 12 hours, Jim’s been lying unconscious in a hospital bed; Jim stabs him in the lapels with his finger saying that he’s been having a lot of fun, but he hasn’t been in hospital and then Artie grabs him by his lapels and says that he’s been sitting beside Jim’s bed praying that he’d pull through and that his friend has been hurt. Again, Jim shakes his head but Gordon’s insistent and says that he wouldn’t kid Jim over something like that.
At which point, Astarte and Asmodeus share another look and we cut to Jim stuffing clothes into a chest while Artie tells him not be bitter because ‘furloughs can be beautiful’. Still furious Jim replies that Artie can take his furlough and that he was in effect, played for a fool, but who would believe him. Then Artie says that he would. Still annoyed, Jim turns and in one word demands, ‘Why?’ Then Artie replies with one of the sweetest lines ever, ‘Because I know you to be loyal, thrifty, trustworthy, truthful, reverent, clean, brave-’ and although Artemus never finishes his sentence, the audience know that he’s just restored Jim’s sense of worth, even though he complains that Asmodeus and Astarte have made him look like the Village Idiot. Artie also suggests that it was a ‘Ringer’ in the hospital (which the audience knew all along) and then says that Jim should cancel his furlough because his research has turned up something regarding many of the country’s scientists who have all died suddenly under slightly suspicious circumstances and that Asmodeus had an engagement near to, or in the city. Both men wonder if the scientists haven’t actually been killed, but their deaths have been faked. Next stop the cemetery where they decide to dig up the grave of Dr Kempley. When they open the coffin Colonel Fairchild looks down into the grave and says that he knew Dr Kempley very well and that the remains in the coffin are most definitely his and that West should take his furlough as requested.
However, as both men leave the graveyard West turns to Gordon and asks if he’s humming. Gordon replies that he only whistles in graveyards. Jim goes over to a mausoleum type building (where the humming is obviously coming from) and pushes open the door, just before he enters he turns to Artie and asks, ‘When was the last time you attended a witches Sabbath?’ He enters the building/tomb, Artie looks back at the cemetery, concern on his face and then follows his friend. Cue advertisement break.
We return to our friends going down a flight of stairs, as they get to the bottom we see the hole that West was imprisoned in. They both look down into it and although it’s subjective, I got the impression that Jim had told Artie what had happened to him and Artie was seeing it for the first time. At this moment we hear the chant again. Following the sound, Jim cautiously opens the door (and I expected to see Astarte again.) Artie jumps one of the hooded guys and then realises that it’s a dummy – that they’re all dummies! However, one of the figures at the back moves – uh oh, it’s Asmodeus! And he’s carrying a revolver! Then he reveals himself and tells them to drop their guns, Artie asks when the next show is, and Asmodeus replies that they are the next show.
Both Jim and Artie taunt Asmodeus in this scene; I think deliberately because they know if they can get him annoyed, he’ll make a mistake and hopefully tell them all his plan. Asmodeus does a few magic tricks, and although both Jim and Artie try to goad him into telling them everything, this particular villain doesn’t fall for it, saying ‘I prefer to have it be a surprise.’ He even intimates that there’s so much both men don’t know and then produces a mourning candle – and still Artie snarks at him. Asmodeus almost loses it, but says that they won’t get him to tell them – he will do that. Asmodeus orders both men to put their hands in the manacles; Artemus does so, but Jim sees the swords mounted above his manacle and pulls them down onto Asmodeus’s head. A fight ensues and Asmodeus is despatched in a rather unceremonious way. As Jim’s releasing Artemus, a door to their right slowly opens and both men square their shoulders and Jim’s look of astonishment when he sees the man sitting at the desk, it is none other than Dr Tristam, who advises them not to move. Cue advertisement break.
Artemus inclines his head and says, ‘Good Evening, Master,’ and Dr Tristam seems quite impressed {but then Artemus was always good at that – disarming his opponents with his encyclopaedic knowledge} At this point, Dr Tristam introduces himself and calls this office ‘his modest little retreat where he comes to putter’ – Jim interjects by saying that it’s also where Dr Tristam creates his ‘devices’ that cause people’s clothes to burst into flame. Not surprisingly, Dr Tristam metaphorically shrugs and says its a ‘minor refinement’ and can be set to combust at any time. The audience get to see Gordon’s fury as he tells the doctor he’s already knows the ‘amusing way it worked on Professor Robey’ and although we don’t get to see Artemus angry very often (TNOT Big Blast is another one when we get see RM shine) this is another occasion when we get see him furious on his friend’s behalf. He takes a step forward, Jim tries to pull him back and poor old Artie gets himself electrocuted {he does so again in TNOT Bogus Bandits} but at least on that occasion he was trying to distract Loveless. I think his anger gets the better of him this time. Artie’s knocked unconscious and Tristam tells Jim that he’ll be nullified soon enough – Jim asks what exactly is Dr Tristam up to, and the doctor’s response is ‘Can’t you guess?’
Jim has started putting the pieces together and he says that he knows the Dr Tristam has ‘an unusual interest in our scientists; the exceptional ones’ and Dr Tristam smiles (with rather too much glee) and says ‘Go on.’ Jim states that he thought that at first the good doctor was faking their deaths, and forcing the scientists to work for him; but having seen Kempley’s body – Dr Tristam interrupts and says that West is correct and then pulls back the curtain at the side to reveal all these brains bubbling in jars. {Yes, I know this is a completely stupid idea; as is the idea that Jim could incite them all to rebellion by shouting at them. A brain has no way to interpret sounds and there was no way that the brains could be kept alive in something that looks like a cross between coca-cola and swamp water.} Dr Tristam reveals his plan to dispose of Senator Waterford – because Astarte gets bored – so at midnight, the Senator will combust. At this point Jim gets his idea to get the brains to work together - and yes I know this is totally crackers too! So he gets the brains to work together to destroy themselves, as the electricity crackles Jim helps a semi-conscious Artie to his feet and out of the building as the brains destroy themselves (and set Dr Tristam on fire – poetic justice, natch?)
They get out of the building and Artie leans against it, still suffering the effects of electrocution, Jim tells him that he has to get to the Senator’s and that Artie will be all right if he leaves him here. Cut to the Senator’s party with Jim moving through the partygoers. He goes out into the garden and sees Astarte who is still pouting prettily, oblivious to what’s been going on. She even asks for a truce, but again, looking at Jim’s body language, this is a man who knows the truth and very soon Astarte is going to know too. He sits down next to her, addressing her as ‘Mrs Waterford’ and Astarte simpers and says, ‘For starters, try saying Astarte.’
Jim responds by repeating her name and Astarte says that he does that very well, to which our Jim replies that ‘It’s just a knack.’ Finally he delivers one of the best lines and asks her if she remembers when they were so close the last time, and Astarte says that she does but that Asmodeus isn’t around this time. (At this point I wanted to cheer when Jim replies that he’s dead, and so is Dr Tristam. Ann Elder – the actress who played Astarte – does a fine job of showing her sudden fear.) Jim shines in this scene, yes he snarks and looks quite nasty when he tells her that her allies are dead – but in all honesty I think he has every right to. She swallows and begins to plead but suddenly there’s a look on Jim’s face that frankly, quite scary, and you just know that there’s nothing she could do or say. Enter Senator Waterford and Astarte’s last attempt to rid herself of James West (was she hoping her husband would kill him for making ungentlemanly advances to a married woman? Probably.) Then he leaps forward and grabs the cape off the Senator and wraps it around Astarte. She screams and wriggles out of his grasp to throw the cape on the floor where it bursts into flames. Astarte begs her husband to shoot him but the Senator shakes her off and walks away. Then the audience get to see a side of Jim West he doesn’t normally show, this is James West in full control of his anger but there is something in the line of his mouth and face that anyone facing it would shiver. (Points for RC here for making this scene so believeable.) He tells her that she’s going to dance the minuet from the highest gallows and the scene cuts on Astarte sobbing.
Not sure what the point of the teaser was – I suppose to show that everything was all right, and that Jim was back to his usual self. And Artie’s trick with the cards was quite funny, and there always has to be a girl (although I did think she was a bit forward!)
Well that’s my review. Sorry that it’s so long, I tried not to make it so, but it kind of ran away with me!