Corner Slides



Upper Right: The hotel assailant will never forget Jim’s face – and he’s in the camp!
Lower Right: Grimm and a henchman discuss Jim's fate – “presently, he will die!”
Lower Left: Private West – you will be executed at dawn, by a firing squad
Upper Left: The Wanderer pulls away.

The Net and the Trident
This particular pairing of weapons seems odd until one realizes that it is effective against sea creatures. From there, it found its way into the Roman gladiatorial arenas.

Grimm’s Camp
As one enters the camp from the main gate, one sees on the left the Headquarters. Beyond that is a Storage Building and the Canteen. Directly ahead is the training arena that houses the octagonal pit. On the right side are the barracks.

The Military Affairs Committee
Senator Rawls chairs the Senate Military Affairs Committee. This committee oversaw the Armed Forces from 1822 until 1946 when it became part of the Armed Services Committee.

Jim: You said it was urgent, sir. Urgency and the secret service seem to go together.

Jim: (reading from Jack Talbot’s letter) The elite class will rule. The world for the strong only. No place for the weak. The government is decadent. We shall form our own empire.

Artie: (about Mars, Nevada) Friendly little place, isn’t it? Sun, sand, cactus, Gila Monsters and rattlesnakes. Ideal place for a honeymoon!

Jim: I don’t want to start on the wrong foot with you, my dear…
Sgt. Musk: You will address me as Sergeant Musk!
Jim: As long as I’m still a civilian, I’d like to think of you as woman rather than as, um, superior officer.
Sgt. Musk: While I am on duty you will not look upon me as a woman, Mister West!

Grimm: My doctrine is quite simple. Strategy and tactics are… nonsense. All that really matters is the superiority of soldier over soldier in close, personal combat, with the element of surprise.
Jim: An interesting doctrine, sir.
Grimm: Perhaps after we’ve taken over I’ll have the leisure for a passage at arms with you. You’ll find it quite instructive.

(After Jim kisses her)
Sgt. Musk: That’s not very military!
Jim: You said enjoy yourself…

(Jim tries to rescue a delirious Jack Talbot from the hotbox.)
Talbot: You oughta know – you’re one of us… or are you? Maybe he was right! My letter did fall into the wrong hands! The government!!
Jim: (urgently) You don’t keep your voice down we’ll never get out of here…
Talbot: He was right! She showed it to you and you’re not one of us. You’re here to spy on us!! Spy! Help! Traitor!! Spy! Traitor! Spy!! Traitor!!!

Mustache: He’s a secret service agent.
Grimm: That explains a good deal.
Mustache: There’s no question. I said I never would forget his face. That is him.
Grimm: Let’s give Private West his head a bit. We’ll find out what he’s about, who his friends are, what information they may have. It might be very helpful. Presently, he will die.

Trooper: (cocking pistol) Start explaining, mister!
Artie: Oh, I’d be glad to! Now if you’d just turn your head a little to the right… lower your eyes somewhat… tell me what you see…
Trooper: Them pistols.
Artie: Well, “them pistols” are loaded with real live bullets.
Trooper: So what?
Artie: So they’re pointed right at you. And I suggest you put your gun up, trooper.
Trooper: That’s big talk. They’re over here, and you’re over there. All I do is pull this trigger once and you never get to those pistols.
Artie: Oh, brilliant deduction, trooper – except that I don’t have to get from here… to there. Watch… (he moves the pistols). Now in the same way that I was able to point those guns at you… I can fire them. And if for any reason my foot leaves this button… such as your shooting me, for instance… you’ll be blasted right out that window. Now are you going to be a hero, and take all six bullets from each pistol? Or do you want to hand me that gun, butt end first?

Sgt. Musk: You had me really believing in you – that you were one of us. But you lied. And that hurts worse than the truth.

Sgt. Musk: Private James West. You have been accused of espionage. The finding of the court is: guilty.

Wobbly Weapons
In several shots parts of weapons jiggle in ways that suggest they are rather poorly constructed. While they’re certainly props and not real weapons, their heads shouldn’t wobble.

Why Confront Jim?
Early in the episode, three of Grimm's soldiers confront Jim to prevent him from meeting Lola Bracer. It is unclear why. Grimm does not learn who the letter reached until later in the episode, so it is unlikely they were there to intercept the letter. If they had known, it would have been far easier to murder Lola and retrieve the letter, or failing that fire her room.

Grimm’s Forces
Grimm’s doctrine holds that superior soldiers and subterfuge will defeat any opponent, regardless of tactics. What he has devised are the elite fighting units employed by most armies today. In the United States the most famous of these units is probably the Navy Seals. Other examples include the British and Australian SAS units and the Russian spetsnaz. Such units, employing subterfuge and their advanced skills, can prepare for an invasion, but generally speaking they cannot hold territory because even such men will eventually fall to superior numbers. Grimm could have caused a great deal of trouble and bloodshed but ultimately his plan would fail when Grant deployed the army against him.

Grimm’s Doctrine
Grimm’s tactical doctrine is essentially non-existent. He relies on superior skill and fighting power of his men and subterfuge. This strongly suggests he was not a classically trained military officer, as such men are relentlessly drilled in strategy and tactics. Properly executed strategy and tactics are effective force multipliers and professional soldiers have known this for millennia. The Art of War, a collection of the teachings of Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, born around 545 BCE, is required reading at many military schools.