"Separately, we can accomplish only our own deaths. Together, we can share a million dollars."--Colonel Francisco Vazquez
James (as "Frank Slade"): You haven't changed your scent
LINDA MEDFORD: Niether have you, you polecat.
For many Wild Wild West fans, The Night of the Fatal Trap is widely considered to be the worst episode of the entire series. Yes there are problems, and it is nowhere near the caliber of such well-written third season episodes such as TNOT Death Masks and TNOT Bubbling Death. Plus, there is hardly any great and nifty gadgets, yet it still does have a lot going for it.
One of the problems in this episode is the pacing and direction. Right from the beginning, it seemed like it was going to head into silly territory, then midway into the program,it changes direction and goes into the excellent dramatic pacing that this series is best known for.
Another problem in this episode involves the lawmen of Cane Fork. Why would a sheriff hire a deputy who never catches anyone? Even the voice and delivery spell out intllectually challenged! Still the sheriff is very good, and the actor playing him reminds me a little bit of Neville Brand, veteran villian actor and the somewhat funny Texas RangerReese Bennett on Laredo. The sheriff also has a couple of great lines in this episode in the opening scene: "Washington says once they cross that river border, it's ally ally oxen free." plus his letter to Washington: Dear Washington, What are you going to do with the Vazquez Gang? Sincerely, Sheriff Cantrell."
The episodes plot revolves around the recovery of half a million dollars from Colonel Vazquez and his ragtag group of men, which includes Viper, Plank, Matt, Luke, and Mark Dawson. This is yet another one of the Season One episodes wherein our fair James West goes undercover again, this time as "Frank Slade", one of the most wanted lawmen, yet was captured in Missouri. For most of the episode, he goes around wearing a moustache, trying to give his disguise somewhat of a cross between Clark Gable's Rhett Butler and Gene Barry's Bat Masterson. "Slade" is a criminal who always likes to keep them gussing, yet does not arrange the untimely demises of people. Plus, he likes to light his cigars with a candle from the candelabra, and is somewhat of a gentleman, being that he cleans off his plate before he serves any food on it.
As for the episodes main heavy, Colonel Vazquez "Is responsible for half the robberies in the border countries," yet the law cannot reach him if he remains in Mexico. His band of merry men are the self-proclaimed very best in the area, yet his main weakness is pretty girls and his conquest into turning pretty girls into women, yet according to his current squeeze, Linda Medford, he makes gals "Seem like a queen and a fool at the same time." I also like the somewhat shiny silver shirt he is wearing when he is talking to Linda Medford.
As for Linda Medford, she is a lady who wants to leave Vazquez because it seems like she is rotting in the hellhole that Vazquez has her in, after giving him "The Best years of his life." Just like Suzanne Pleshette's character in TNOT Inferno, Linda Medford is yet another bad girl that James West has tangled with before, during a counterfeit operation in another city. She is an okay lady, middle-of-the-road for the gourgeous ladies that frequently appeared on the series, and, like most of the bad girls in Season One, gets to go off scot-free thanks to a $2,000 reward for Viper and gets to start anew. She also has some great scenes together with James, including the scene wherein she takes off his moustache!
Artie's one disguise as Mojave Mike, the ever-present rogue desert rat, is one of the funniest and best disguises that Artie donned during the entire series, plus he would slightly modify it two years later as the old-timer in TNOT Montezuma's Hordes. I really like the music-related joke he tells to the bartender, and the slightly veiled relationship between him and "Slade." Plus, toward the end of the episode, he has one of bis best fight scenes in the entire series. Also his interaction with James, especially on the Wanderer, kind of borders on silly at times, yet they work great together in character.
This is Charles Davis' last appearance on WWW as Tennyson, and unlike his previous two appearances, it is the one episode where he has the most screentime and plays an important part in the shows plot, fooling Colonel Vazquez with the Sheriff and appearing as the wagon driver. His best line of dialouge appears in the beginning of the episode: "Whatever you two brave gentleman of the Secret Service are discussing, I don't want to know about it...for that I would need hazerdous duty pay in addition to the combat pay."
Overall, a good but not great episode of WWW that could have been better in places, but still, a great episode to watch.
6 out of 10 from me.