The warden of a territorial prison apparently goes mad after hearing a whistle, first setting free a murderer who's about to be hanged, then attacking West and finally dying of unknown causes. An autopsy reveals that a crystal had been implanted in the warden's brain - one which resonates at the frequency produced by the whistle. Since this is the latest in a string of escapes by dangerous prisoners who have made threats against President Grant, West and Gordon set out to track down the escapees and figure out who is behind the mind-control scheme. Their investigation leads them to Sergeant—er, General Trask (Don Gordon), a cashiered military man who is assembling a cadre of killers to wreak his vengeance on the President.
Disguises used by Artie: Prison Guard
(9:55)
; Kelton, Traveling Salesman(23:40)
Tropes present in this episode:
- Bling of War: "General" Trask and his men wear some doozies. Apparently being mind-controlled destroys your fashion sense.Artie: (upon seeing the cadre members) Great jumping balls of St. Elmo's fire. You didn't tell me this was going to be a costume ball.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: The warden, who's forced to let one of his prisoners go and to attack Jim. Trask's troops aren't exactly sane either, and they're definitely murderous, but unlike the warden they agreed to the operation that gave Trask control over them.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Trask leaves Jim alive after discovering his true identity, deciding that the agent would be more valuable as one of his mind-controlled minions.
- Disney Villain Death: The climactic fight ends with West punching Trask off a desert cliff.
- Gone Horribly Right: Played for Laughs in the epilogue. Artie, trying to perfect his Knockout Gas, succeeds so well that he puts himself to sleep.
- HA HA HA—No: Artie's response to Jim's oh-so-punny quip about knockout gas.Jim: If you'll excuse the expression, it did a knockout job on the cadre.
Artie: Ha ha ha ha, no, it didn't. - Herr Doktor: Professor Frimm, Trask's resident Mad Scientist, although his accent is more Slavic than German.
- The Infiltration: Jim poses as one of the psychos Trask wants to recruit. It works until one of Trask's other men recognizes him.
- Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Artie hums along with his own theme music.
- Mind Control: The theme of the episode. Trask mentally enslaves his troops (and others, such as the warden) with the Franconium crystals and the whistles, and he eventually decides to do the same to President Grant instead of assassinating him.
- Sink or Swim Mentor: This is why Grant tossed Trask out of the army. It seems Trask took his men on a long march after ensuring that their canteens were filled with water. Salt water. Some of them died. In his view, of course, those men were weak and soft and shouldn't have been in his unit in the first place. He continues the same sort of Training from Hell with his current recruits.Trask: They were plough boys!
- Strapped to an Operating Table: Jim ends up like this (and shirtless, of course) while Frimm prepares to operate on him.
- Sweet Tooth: Josephine turns down fancy clothes, perfume and jewelry, but becomes quite friendly after being offered a box of candy. She's also shown downing sweets at every opportunity.
- Traveling Salesman: Artie's disguise of the week, complete with Cockney accent.
