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The Wild Wild West: The Night That Terror Stalked the Town
An intriguing woman Jim meets in a restaurant leads to a coach ride – and a generous dose of anesthetic gas, courtesy of an old enemy who plans to destroy James West and the Secret Service, a good piece of Washington, D.C. and regain a lost heritage! If the plan succeeds, James West will do this madman’s bidding, while James West lies under a cold granite headstone...
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 1x10 Production Number: 3224-0123 Airdate: Friday November 19th, 1965 |
Co-Guest Stars
Recap
A coach rumbles down the road, passing James West as he walks to meet Artemus Gordon. Jim passes an alley, and a crouching man steps from behind a crate, pulling a knife from his coat. Jim turns onto the wooden walk of a side street and the man follows. As he passes a support column, Jim grabs it and pivots, landing a solid kick to the torso of his shadower. A few sharp jabs later and the contest ends, with the assailant laid out on the boards. Not far away, a woman comments to the driver of her coach about Jim’s strength. Artie and pair of policemen arrive; the constables take charge of Jim’s attacker while Artie conducts his partner into the nearby restaurant for a brandy. The woman continues, saying to her driver that she will soon see just how strong. She enters after Jim and Artie...Read the full recap
Episode Notes
Corner Slides
Lower Left: Jim West’s tombstone, courtesy of Dr. Loveless!
Lower Right: Dr. Loveless operates on Janus, turning him into a copy of James West!
Upper Right: Jim learns he will be executed at sundown.
Upper Left: The Wanderer pulls away.
Lower Left: Jim West’s tombstone, courtesy of Dr. Loveless!
Lower Right: Dr. Loveless operates on Janus, turning him into a copy of James West!
Upper Right: Jim learns he will be executed at sundown.
Upper Left: The Wanderer pulls away.
James West was born on July 2, 1842, assuming Dr. Loveless' tombstone is correct. Since the doctor's information was correct in far subtler details, this is likely correct too.
The Gramophone
Devices capable of reproducing encoded sound appeared in various forms starting around the middle of the nineteenth century. The mechanism Dr. Loveless calls a “speaking machine” most closely resembles the gramophone, invested by prolific American genius Thomas Alva Edison in 1877 - several years after Dr. Loveless devised it and dismissed it as a toy. The gramophone persisted for several decades before the disc style player superseded it in the early twentieth century. Today it is mostly remembered as the origin of the name of a musical achievement award.
Devices capable of reproducing encoded sound appeared in various forms starting around the middle of the nineteenth century. The mechanism Dr. Loveless calls a “speaking machine” most closely resembles the gramophone, invested by prolific American genius Thomas Alva Edison in 1877 - several years after Dr. Loveless devised it and dismissed it as a toy. The gramophone persisted for several decades before the disc style player superseded it in the early twentieth century. Today it is mostly remembered as the origin of the name of a musical achievement award.
Music
| Artist | Song Title | Played When |
| Michael Dunn / Phoebe Dorin | I Know Where I'm Going (traditional) |
Episode Quotes
Marie: Where are you taking me, you naughty man?
Jim: Anywhere your little heart desires…
Jim: Anywhere your little heart desires…
Jim: I didn’t think I’d see you again… ever.
Dr. Loveless: It’s quite a nice little jail you had me in, Mr. West. I didn’t mind. Gave me plenty of time to think. But poor Voltaire was just wasting away in that cheerless little cell! We simply had to leave.
Jim: I had heard that you were shot, trying to cross the river – both of you.
Dr. Loveless: People assume so much. But I’m really delighted to see you again, Mr. West. (ominously) I’ve thought of you every day…
Dr. Loveless: It’s quite a nice little jail you had me in, Mr. West. I didn’t mind. Gave me plenty of time to think. But poor Voltaire was just wasting away in that cheerless little cell! We simply had to leave.
Jim: I had heard that you were shot, trying to cross the river – both of you.
Dr. Loveless: People assume so much. But I’m really delighted to see you again, Mr. West. (ominously) I’ve thought of you every day…
(Dr. Loveless shows Jim a tombstone with his name and birth date carved into it.)
Jim: When do you intend to fill in the rest?
Dr. Loveless: If all goes well… in two weeks.
Jim: When do you intend to fill in the rest?
Dr. Loveless: If all goes well… in two weeks.
Jim: What do you want from me, revenge for sending you to jail? You were going to kill five thousand people with your explosive. I had to stop you. You belong in jail.
Dr. Loveless: Revenge? Mr. West, mean-hearted people might accuse me of many things but pettiness is not one of them.
Dr. Loveless: Revenge? Mr. West, mean-hearted people might accuse me of many things but pettiness is not one of them.
Jim: What are you going to do with me?
Dr. Loveless: Preserve you. A walking, talking, breathing, thinking James West… who will do my bidding!
Jim: Well, then, why the name on the tombstone?
Dr. Loveless: Because you will be dead. You will walk among the living, but all the time you will be under that tombstone, quite, quite dead!
Dr. Loveless: Preserve you. A walking, talking, breathing, thinking James West… who will do my bidding!
Jim: Well, then, why the name on the tombstone?
Dr. Loveless: Because you will be dead. You will walk among the living, but all the time you will be under that tombstone, quite, quite dead!
Dr. Loveless: I just thought you might be curious about the details of my plan. After all, you’ve made such an invaluable contribution to it!
Janus: What are you doing in my body, Mr. West?
Dr. Loveless: I’ve often wondered why prisoners are executed at sunrise. It seems such a dreadful way to start a new day. Your moment will be… at sundown.
Episode Goofs
Could you repeat that, please?
A recording Dr. Loveless created to teach Janus how to imitate Jim’s voice contains different dialog than what Jim actually said. Originally Jim said "I had to stop you" but the recording says "You had to be stopped."
A recording Dr. Loveless created to teach Janus how to imitate Jim’s voice contains different dialog than what Jim actually said. Originally Jim said "I had to stop you" but the recording says "You had to be stopped."
Rubber or wax?
The first time Jim discusses the fake townsfolk with Loveless he refers to them as wax figures, implying he checked them out sufficiently to discover their composition. Later, when Loveless takes Jim on a tour, he expresses surprise that the figures are made of rubber.
The first time Jim discusses the fake townsfolk with Loveless he refers to them as wax figures, implying he checked them out sufficiently to discover their composition. Later, when Loveless takes Jim on a tour, he expresses surprise that the figures are made of rubber.
Cultural References
Janus
The name of Dr. Loveless’ henchman Janus foreshadows his role. Janus was a Roman god who had several faces (in most versions, two – on looking forward and one backward). God of doors, portals and gateways, Janus’ chief contribution to modern culture is the name of a month – January. Janus the henchman eventually has two faces as well, from a certain point of view.
The name of Dr. Loveless’ henchman Janus foreshadows his role. Janus was a Roman god who had several faces (in most versions, two – on looking forward and one backward). God of doors, portals and gateways, Janus’ chief contribution to modern culture is the name of a month – January. Janus the henchman eventually has two faces as well, from a certain point of view.
Ars Longa, Vita Brevis
Dr. Loveless employs this quote when describing his plans to immortalize agent James West. Greek philosopher and “father of medicine” Hippocrates (for whom medicine’s Hippocratic Oath is named) spoke the complete quote: Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile. In this context, Loveless doubtless excerpted it to mean “life is short but art endures” although historians usually interpret the complete quote somewhat differently: “life is short, the art/craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous and judgment difficult.” They believe Hippocrates’ quote contrasts the great time and effort necessary to master a skill to the amount of lifetime one had to achieve that mastery.
Dr. Loveless employs this quote when describing his plans to immortalize agent James West. Greek philosopher and “father of medicine” Hippocrates (for whom medicine’s Hippocratic Oath is named) spoke the complete quote: Ars longa, vita brevis, occasio praeceps, experimentum periculosum, iudicium difficile. In this context, Loveless doubtless excerpted it to mean “life is short but art endures” although historians usually interpret the complete quote somewhat differently: “life is short, the art/craft long, opportunity fleeting, experiment treacherous and judgment difficult.” They believe Hippocrates’ quote contrasts the great time and effort necessary to master a skill to the amount of lifetime one had to achieve that mastery.
Episode References
Dr. Loveless makes a number of references to his plan to acquire, by fair means or foul, the southern part of California. He also mentions his explosive; Jim comments on that plan to the doctor and to Marie. These comments refer to events that occurred in “The Night The Wizard Shook The Earth.”
Analysis
The Empty Town
Dr. Loveless describes how the people of the town turned on each other, eventually murdering each other, explaining that this is why he has an entire town to himself. Although he does not take credit for it, it seems plausible that Dr. Loveless engineering this descent into anarchy. With his genius and skill, such a feat would be child’s play.
Dr. Loveless describes how the people of the town turned on each other, eventually murdering each other, explaining that this is why he has an entire town to himself. Although he does not take credit for it, it seems plausible that Dr. Loveless engineering this descent into anarchy. With his genius and skill, such a feat would be child’s play.
Dr. Loveless’ Obsessions
This episode reveals (as did Loveless’ previous appearance) that the doctor has invented a number of devices years – in some cases decades – before they were “actually” created. Any one of them would have earned him enough money to purchase land sufficient for his goals, but operating that way would be working within the framework of “politicians and generals” that he despises, and therefore not acceptable.
This episode reveals (as did Loveless’ previous appearance) that the doctor has invented a number of devices years – in some cases decades – before they were “actually” created. Any one of them would have earned him enough money to purchase land sufficient for his goals, but operating that way would be working within the framework of “politicians and generals” that he despises, and therefore not acceptable.
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