History YMMV / TheWildWildWest

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Loveless's accomplices Antoinette the songstress and Voltaire the strongman. Many fans like to theorize that Antoinette is the mother of one of Loveless's children from the first reunion movie.

* FanonDiscontinuity: Some fans prefer to ignore the existence, canonically at least, of the made-for-TV reunion movies. [[BerserkButton And then there's]] [[Film/WildWildWest the film...]]

* HilariousInHindsight: Having Creator/RossMartin and Creator/RobertConrad as the two noble heroes of the series can be pretty funny when you know they would both later play killers on ''Series/{{Columbo}}''. And two [[Recap/ColumboS01E04 particularly loathsome]] killers, [[Recap/ColumboS04E01 at that.]]

** More of a lack of effects, but Creator/VictorBuono's character in "The Night of the Inferno" is supposed to be Mexican [[spoiler:(or rather, Chinese passing for Mexican).]] Some brown contact lenses for Buono's light blue eyes might've helped with the spoiler-blocked situation.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Some fans think the UsefulNotes/SwitchToColor was detrimental. Also, there are some who consider the nine Martin-less episodes in season four to be hardly worth watching. The decision to have the end credits for the final season's shows run over a standard collage rather than an episode-specific one (see the illustrations on the recap pages) also doesn't appeal to some viewers.

* HilariousInHindsight: Having Creator/RossMartin and Creator/RobertConrad as the two noble heroes of the series can be pretty funny when you know they would later play killers on Series/{{Columbo}}. And two [[Recap/ColumboS01E04 particularly loathsome]] killers, [[Recap/ColumboS04E01 at that.]]

** "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E21TheNightOfTheUndead The Night of the Undead]]": [[MadScientist Doctor Articulus]] is a callous, self-serving chemist. Eighteen years prior to the episode, his experiments on special mold sample resulted in multiple deaths. Following his colleagues, doctors Armbruster and Dr. Paul Eddington, alerting the authorities, Articulus missed his wedding, with his bride eventually marrying Armbruster. Retreating to the Bayou, Articulus discovered using the mold he could create a mind-control potion. Using to turn numerous people, including Armbruster, into his [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombie slaves]], he forced them to work nonstop refining the mold, with two goons whipping to work faster, right up until they collapsed from exhaustion, Articulus dismissing a man drowning with "many more will take his place", and with the implication his victims were [[AndIMustScream fully aware the entire time]]. To scare off anyone who might discover his operation, Articulus [[ScoobyDooHoax staged voodoo ceremonies]], one of which led to the death of John Little. Having Eddington's teenage daughter Mariah drugged, Articulus planned to [[HypnotizeThePrincess forcibly marry her]] to right "the wrong which was done to me", then send Mariah back to murder her father. Angered by their interference, Articulus attempts to murder Jim and Artie with Ammonia gas. Defeated, he attempted to strangle Jim.

** The tank in "The Night of the Juggernaut" was called out by some press sources at the time of the episode's original airing for being rather poorly done; the tank is indeed embarrassing, both in its design (late 1960s racing stripes?) and in it being so slow Series/{{Ironside|1967}} could have outrun it. ''Without'' his wheelchair. (The tank in "The Night of the Freebooters," on the other hand, is far more convincing. And that was in season ''one'', while the Juggernaut was for season four.)

** The entire last scene of "The Night of the Firebrand" just drips with misogyny, as West and Gordon decide that Vixen O'Shaughnessy's punishment (for helping mastermind an attempted massacre at a military fort and a coup against Canada) is to be "forced to return to the feminine fold" so that she will "leave the fighting to us," by which they mean they're just going to make her return to the ladies' finishing school she escaped from. When she objects and goes into a CharacterFilibuster about all the wrongs that still need fighting against in the world, West basically gives her a Vulcan nerve pinch (a RunningGag in this episode) and reflects that he'd better tell the school's headmistress how to do it.

* JustForFun/XMeetsY: The show might be considered a mixture of Series/{{Gunsmoke}}, with the espionage elements of Series/TheManFromUNCLE, and the macabre elements of Series/NightGallery.

** More of a lack of effects, but Victor Buono's character in "The Night of the Inferno" is supposed to be Mexican [[spoiler:(or rather, Chinese passing for Mexican).]] Some brown contact lenses for Buono's light blue eyes might've helped with the spoiler-blocked situation.

** [[SoftSpokenSadist Doctor Arcularis]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E14TheNightOfTheHowlingLight The Night of the Howling Light]]", is a [[PsychoPsychologist deranged psychologist]] who, fascinated by the discovery of conditional reflexes in animals, transfers the process onto humans. Through a combination of sensory torture and clear instructions, he develops a brainwashing procedure. For one victim, Arcularis imprisons him in a cage depriving him of water for several days, having conditioned him to throw away any he's given. Having already performed his cruel process upon five innocent people, Arcularis turns them into his mindless slaves who he regularly abuses, even breaking one victim's arm for a deception. Arcularis is contacted by [[AntiVillain Ahkeema]], who wants him to [[ManchurianAgent brainwash Jim into killing Chief Ho-Tami]], wrecking the peace negotiations. Uncaring about the brutal war this will cause, Arcularis is thrilled to further his experiments. Kidnapping Jim, he tortures him for over an entire week, attempting to break him. Capturing Artemus as well, Arcularis brainwashes him to murder Jim to clean up loose ends. Quick-witted and haughty, driven by a combination of scientific curiosity and sadism, Doctor Arcularis was easily one of the worst men the duo ever encountered.
** [[MadScientist Doctor Tristam]] and his associate [[TheVamp Astarte]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E24TheNightOfTheDruidsBlood The Night of the Druid's Blood]]", are responsible, with the help of the magician the Great Asmodeus, they are responsible for orchestrating the deaths of nine of the nation's greatest scientists and scholars, including Jim's friend and former teacher Professor Robey. Astarte seduces the men, until they are wrapped around her finger, enjoying using and killing them, while Tristam is the hidden mastermind. Astarte marries Senator Waterford so they can exploit his connections. When it becomes apparent Jim won't stop his investigations, using an elaborate con they make it appear he has gone insane. Initially suspecting a kidnapping ring, the truth is much more horrible. Doctor Tristam has discovered the secret of how to keep the [[BrainInAJar brain alive without a body]], leaving the geniuses [[AndIMustScream constantly conscious but trapped]], granting him the combined intelligence of the Nation's greatest minds. If any prove unwilling to answer his demands, he simply electrocutes them into compliance. No longer needing Waterford they attempt to burn him alive. Following Jim foiling the plan, Astarte attempts to trick the senator into killing him.
** [[EvilGenius Braine]], from season 2's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS2E21TheNightOfTheBrain The Night of the Brain]]", despite his [[FauxAffablyEvil cheerful good humor]] and [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist pretense]] of good intentions, is a [[AGodAmI megalomaniac with a god complex]]. Unhappy with how "discorded" the world is, Braine plans to kill the five major heads of state and replace them with his disguised followers, then plunge the entire world into chaos--having the Spanish loot Africa, the American's attack South America, the Russians loot India, etc.--until the entire world is at war, so that Braine can [[TakeOverTheWorld take over whatever survives]]. Fearing the existence of a security measure that will ruin his plan, Braine implements an unnecessary cruel plot to lure James West to him, sending them newspapers predicting their friends' deaths, then implementing the predictions, blowing up beloved entertainer Almeric and arranging for Jim's former commander to fatally shoot himself; in both cases ensuring Jim could [[ForcedToWatch only watch helplessly]]. No longer needing the printer, Braine has him stabbed to death. Finally capturing Jim, Braine [[BadBoss executes a loyal follower for missing a button from his uniform]], then engages in another pointless test involving the life of his loyal assistant Voulee. In the end, Braine decides to simply hurt Jim until he tells him what he wants to know.
** [[MadScientist Doctor Articulus]], from season 3's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E21TheNightOfTheUndead The Night of the Undead]]", is a callous, self-serving chemist. Eighteen years prior to the episode, his experiments on special mold sample resulted in multiple deaths. Following his colleagues, doctors Armbruster and Dr. Paul Eddington, alerting the authorities, Articulus missed his wedding, with his bride eventually marrying Armbruster. Retreating to the Bayou, Articulus discovered using the mold he could create a mind-control potion. Using to turn numerous people, including Armbruster, into his [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombie slaves]], he forced them to work nonstop refining the mold, with two goons whipping to work faster, right up until they collapsed from exhaustion, Articulus dismissing a man drowning with "many more will take his place", and with the implication his victims were [[AndIMustScream fully aware the entire time]]. To scare off anyone who might discover his operation, Articulus [[ScoobyDooHoax staged voodoo ceremonies]], one of which led to the death of John Little. Having Eddington's teenage daughter Mariah drugged, Articulus planned to [[HypnotizeThePrincess forcibly marry her]] to right "the wrong which was done to me", then send Mariah back to murder her father. Angered by their interference, Articulus attempts to murder Jim and Artie with Ammonia gas. Defeated, he attempted to strangle Jim.

* [[SoftSpokenSadist Doctor Arcularis]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E14TheNightOfTheHowlingLight The Night of the Howling Light]]", is a [[PsychoPsychologist deranged psychologist]] who, fascinated by the discovery of conditional reflexes in animals, transfers the process onto humans. Through a combination of sensory torture and clear instructions, he develops a brainwashing procedure. For one victim, Arcularis imprisons him in a cage depriving him of water for several days, having conditioned him to throw away any he's given. Having already performed his cruel process upon five innocent people, Arcularis turns them into his mindless slaves who he regularly abuses, even breaking one victim's arm for a deception. Arcularis is contacted by [[AntiVillain Ahkeema]], who wants him to [[ManchurianAgent brainwash Jim into killing Chief Ho-Tami]], wrecking the peace negotiations. Uncaring about the brutal war this will cause, Arcularis is thrilled to further his experiments. Kidnapping Jim, he tortures him for over an entire week, attempting to break him. Capturing Artemus as well, Arcularis brainwashes him to murder Jim to clean up loose ends. Quick-witted and haughty, driven by a combination of scientific curiosity and sadism, Doctor Arcularis was easily one of the worst men the duo ever encountered.
* [[MadScientist Doctor Tristam]] and his associate [[TheVamp Astarte]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E24TheNightOfTheDruidsBlood The Night of the Druid's Blood]]", are responsible, with the help of the magician the Great Asmodeus, they are responsible for orchestrating the deaths of nine of the nation's greatest scientists and scholars, including Jim's friend and former teacher Professor Robey. Astarte seduces the men, until they are wrapped around her finger, enjoying using and killing them, while Tristam is the hidden mastermind. Astarte marries Senator Waterford so they can exploit his connections. When it becomes apparent Jim won't stop his investigations, using an elaborate con they make it appear he has gone insane. Initially suspecting a kidnapping ring, the truth is much more horrible. Doctor Tristam has discovered the secret of how to keep the [[BrainInAJar brain alive without a body]], leaving the geniuses [[AndIMustScream constantly conscious but trapped]], granting him the combined intelligence of the Nation's greatest minds. If any prove unwilling to answer his demands, he simply electrocutes them into compliance. No longer needing Waterford they attempt to burn him alive. Following Jim foiling the plan, Astarte attempts to trick the senator into killing him.
* [[EvilGenius Braine]], from season 2's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS2E21TheNightOfTheBrain The Night of the Brain]]", despite his [[FauxAffablyEvil cheerful good humor]] and [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist pretense]] of good intentions, is a [[AGodAmI megalomaniac with a god complex]]. Unhappy with how "discorded" the world is, Braine plans to kill the five major heads of state and replace them with his disguised followers, then plunge the entire world into chaos--having the Spanish loot Africa, the American's attack South America, the Russians loot India, etc.--until the entire world is at war, so that Braine can [[TakeOverTheWorld take over whatever survives]]. Fearing the existence of a security measure that will ruin his plan, Braine implements an unnecessary cruel plot to lure James West to him, sending them newspapers predicting their friends' deaths, then implementing the predictions, blowing up beloved entertainer Almeric and arranging for Jim's former commander to fatally shoot himself; in both cases ensuring Jim could [[ForcedToWatch only watch helplessly]]. No longer needing the printer, Braine has him stabbed to death. Finally capturing Jim, Braine [[BadBoss executes a loyal follower for missing a button from his uniform]], then engages in another pointless test involving the life of his loyal assistant Voulee. In the end, Braine decides to simply hurt Jim until he tells him what he wants to know.
* [[MadScientist Doctor Articulus]], from season 3's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E21TheNightOfTheUndead The Night of the Undead]]", is a callous, self-serving chemist. Eighteen years prior to the episode, his experiments on special mold sample resulted in multiple deaths. Following his colleagues, doctors Armbruster and Dr. Paul Eddington, alerting the authorities, Articulus missed his wedding, with his bride eventually marrying Armbruster. Retreating to the Bayou, Articulus discovered using the mold he could create a mind-control potion. Using to turn numerous people, including Armbruster, into his [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombie slaves]], he forced them to work nonstop refining the mold, with two goons whipping to work faster, right up until they collapsed from exhaustion, Articulus dismissing a man drowning with "many more will take his place", and with the implication his victims were [[AndIMustScream fully aware the entire time]]. To scare off anyone who might discover his operation, Articulus [[ScoobyDooHoax staged voodoo ceremonies]], one of which led to the death of John Little. Having Eddington's teenage daughter Mariah drugged, Articulus planned to [[HypnotizeThePrincess forcibly marry her]] to right "the wrong which was done to me", then send Mariah back to murder her father. Angered by their interference, Articulus attempts to murder Jim and Artie with Ammonia gas. Defeated, he attempted to strangle Jim.

** [[MadScientist Doctor Arcularis]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E14TheNightOfTheHowlingLight The Night of the Howling Light]]", is a [[SoftSpokenSadist soft-spoken]], deranged [[PsychoPsychologist psychologist]]. Fascinated by the discovery of conditional reflexes in animals, Doctor Arcularis began experimenting to discover whether the process would also work upon people. Through a combination of sensory torture and clear instructions, he develops what he believes to be a perfect process for brainwashing people. For one such victim, Arcularis imprisoned him in a cage and deprived him of water for several days, [[KickTheDog having conditioned him to, at the sound of a whistle, throw away any he was given]]. Having already performed his cruel process upon five innocent people, Arcularis turns them into his [[SlaveMooks mindless slaves]], before being contacted by [[AntiVillain Ahkeema]] who, fearing the proposed alliance between the government and the confederacy of tribes to be a sham, wants Arcularis to [[ManchurianAgent brainwash Jim to kill the great chief Ho-Tami]] and wreck the negotiations. Caring nothing for the politics or the brutal war this will cause, Arcularis is thrilled to have an opportunity to further his experiments. Kidnapping Jim, he subjects him to the full process, torturing for hours on end over a week in an attempt to break him. When Jim manages to signal for help, to take back control Arcularis breaks the arm of one of his victims and frames it that it was him who was signaling, thus satisfying the investigators. Capturing Artemus as well, Arcularis also [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashes Artemus]] to murder Jim. Quick-witted and haughty, driven by a combination of [[ForScience scientific curiosity]] and sadism, Doctor Arcularis was easily one of the worst men Jim and Artie ever met.
** [[MadScientist Doctor Tristam]] and his associate [[TheVamp Astarte]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E24TheNightOfTheDruidsBlood The Night of the Druids Blood]]", are a pair of ruthless [[WolfInSheepsClothing wolves in sheep's clothing]]. With the help of the [[StageMagician Great Asmodeus]], they are responsible for the suspicious deaths of several of the nation's greatest scientists and scholars. Astarte seduces the men, until they were wrapped around their finger, enjoying using and killing them, while Tristam is the hidden mastermind. Together they cause Jim's former teacher and friend, Professor Robey, to [[ManOnFire burn to death]] right before Jim's very eyes. Astarte also seduces and marries political genius Senator Waterford to exploit his connections. When it becomes apparent that Jim won't stop his investigations, they organize an elaborate con to make it appear Jim has gone mad. Originally suspecting that the scientist's deaths were being faked and they were being held prisoner, Jim and Artie stumble upon the true horror of Tristam's plans. Doctor Tristam has discovered a way to keep [[BrainInAJar the brain alive without a body]], leaving them [[AndIMustScream able to see, think and hear, but not move; all constantly conscious with no end in sight]]. Linking all nine of his victims through a giant web, he has granted himself the combined intelligence of the nation's greatest minds at his fingertips. If any prove unwilling to answer his demands, he simply [[ElectricTorture electrocutes them until they comply]].They also try to burn Senator Waterford alive, not to add him to the web but simply because [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Astarte has grown bored with him]]. Following Jim foiling the plan, Astarte's last act is to try and trick the senator into killing Jim.
** [[EvilGenius Mr. Braine]], from season 2's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS2E21TheNightOfTheBrain The Night of the Brain]]", may present himself as having good intentions, but [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist beneath]] a [[FauxAffablyEvil polite, cheerful, and good-humored]] veneer lies [[AGodAmI a megalomaniac with a god complex]]. Unhappy with how "disordered" the world is, Braine plans to kill the five major heads of state presently in Washington and replace them with his disguised followers, then plunge the entire world into chaos-- having the Spanish loot Africa, the Americas attack South America, the Russians invade India, etc., until the whole world is at war--so that Braine can [[TakeOverTheWorld take control of whatever manages to survive]]. Fearing the existence of a security measures that would upset his plan, Braine implemented a complex—and as Jim pointed out, [[ComplexityAddiction unnecessary]]--plot to lure James West to him, first by sending Jim and Artemus tomorrow's newspapers predicting their friends' deaths, then having the predictions come true, blowing up beloved entertainer Almeric and arranging for Jim's former commander Colonel Leeto to accidentally shoot himself; in both cases [[ForcedToWatch ensuring Jim would helplessly witness his friend's demise]]. Braine then has the printer who made the newspapers stabbed to death as he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness no longer needs him]]. Having finally captured Jim, Braine pauses briefly to [[BadBoss execute one of his loyal followers]] for having a button missing from his uniform. Engaging in another unnecessary exercise to test Jim, Braine tries to force him to decide whether he will die or if Braine's entirely loyal assistant Voulee will die. In the end, Braine decides to drop all pretenses and just hurt Jim until he tells him what he wants to know.
** [[MadScientist Doctor Articulus]], from season 3's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E21TheNightOfTheUndead The Night of the Undead]]", is a callous, self-serving chemist and [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaver]] who eighteen years previously tested a special mold sample upon several people, causing them all to die. When Doctor Armbruster and Doctor Eddington alerted the authorities, Articulus faked his death, causing him to miss his wedding. His bride went on to marry Doctor Armbruster. Retreating to the Bayou, Articulus carried on his experiments and discovered that by refining the mold he could create a mind-control potion. Using it, Articulus turned numerous people into [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombie]] slaves, forcing them to work refining the mold, having two of his goons constantly whipping them to work faster, right up until they dropped from exhaustion; [[AndIMustScream with the implication that all his victims were fully aware the entire time]]. To ensure that no one disturbed him, Articulus began holding [[ScoobyDooHoax mock voodoo ceremonies]]. One such ceremony led to the death of one of his victims, John Little. Articulus kidnapped Doctor Armbruster and infected him with the drug. When one of his slaves collapsed and drowned right before his eyes, Articulus's only response is "[[LackOfEmpathy many more will take his place]]." He also had Eddington's teenage daughter Mariah drugged, [[HypnotizeThePrincess planning to force her to marry him]] to right what he perceived as "[[ItsAllAboutMe the wrong which was done to me]]", and then send her back to murder her father. Angered by their interference he attempts to murder Jim and Artie with [[DeadlyGas ammonia gas]]. Finally defeated, his last act was to try and strangle Jim.

** [[MadScientist Doctor Arcularis]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E14TheNightOfTheHowlingLight The Night of the Howling Light]]", is a [[SoftSpokenSadist soft-spoken]], deranged [[PsychoPsychologist psychologist]]. Fascinated by the discovery of conditional reflexes in animals, Doctor Arcularis began experimenting to discover whether the process would also work upon people. Through a combination of [[ColdBloodedTorture sensory torture]] and clear instructions, he develops what he believes to be a perfect process for brainwashing people. For one such victim, Arcularis imprisoned him in a cage and deprived him of water for several days, [[KickTheDog having conditioned him to, at the sound of a whistle, throw away any he was given]]. Having already performed his cruel process upon five innocent people, Arcularis turns them into his [[SlaveMooks mindless slaves]], before being contacted by [[AntiVillain Ahkeema]] who, fearing the proposed alliance between the government and the confederacy of tribes to be a sham, wants Arcularis to [[ManchurianAgent brainwash Jim to kill the great chief Ho-Tami]] and wreck the negotiations. Caring nothing for the politics or the brutal war this will cause, Arcularis is thrilled to have an opportunity to further his experiments. Kidnapping Jim, he subjects him to the full process, torturing for hours on end over a week in an attempt to break him. When Jim manages to signal for help, to take back control Arcularis breaks the arm of one of his victims and frames it that it was him who was signaling, thus satisfying the investigators. Capturing Artemus as well, Arcularis also [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brainwashes Artemus]] to murder Jim. [[SmugSnake Quick-witted and haughty]], driven by a combination of [[ForScience scientific curiosity]] and [[{{Sadist}} sadism]], Doctor Arcularis was easily one of the worst men Jim and Artie ever met.
** [[MorallyAmbiguousDoctorate Doctor Tristam]] and his associate [[TheSociopath Astarte]], from season 1's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E24TheNightOfTheDruidsBlood The Night of the Druids Blood]]", are a pair of ruthless [[WolfInSheepsClothing wolves in sheep's clothing]]. With the help of the [[StageMagician Great Asmodeus]], they are responsible for the suspicious deaths of several of the nation's greatest scientists and scholars. [[TheVamp Astarte]] seduces the men, until they were wrapped around their finger, enjoying using and killing them, while Tristam is the hidden mastermind. Together they cause Jim's former teacher and friend, Professor Robey, to [[ManOnFire burn to death]] right before Jim's very eyes. Astarte also seduces and marries political genius Senator Waterford to exploit his connections. When it becomes apparent that Jim won't stop his investigations, they organize an elaborate con to make it appear Jim has gone mad. Originally suspecting that the scientist's deaths were being faked and they were being held prisoner, Jim and Artie stumble upon the true horror of Tristam's plans. [[MadScientist Doctor Tristam]] has discovered a way to keep [[BrainInAJar the brain alive without a body]], leaving them [[AndIMustScream able to see, think and hear, but not move; all constantly conscious with no end in sight]]. Linking all nine of his victims through a giant web, he has granted himself the combined intelligence of the nation's greatest minds at his fingertips. If any prove unwilling to answer his demands, he simply [[ElectricTorture electrocutes them until they comply]].They also try to burn Senator Waterford alive, not to add him to the web but simply because [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness Astarte has grown bored with him]]. Following Jim foiling the plan, Astarte's last act is to try and trick the senator into killing Jim.
** [[EvilGenius Mr. Braine]], from season 2's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS2E21TheNightOfTheBrain The Night of the Brain]]", may present himself as having good intentions, but [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist beneath]] a [[FauxAffablyEvil polite, cheerful]], and [[LaughablyEvil good-humored]] veneer lies [[AGodAmI a megalomaniac with a god complex]]. Unhappy with how "disordered" the world is, Braine plans to kill the five major heads of state presently in Washington and replace them with his disguised followers, then plunge the entire world into chaos-- having the Spanish loot Africa, the Americas attack South America, the Russians invade India, etc., until the whole world is at war--so that Braine can [[TakeOverTheWorld take control of whatever manages to survive]]. Fearing the existence of a security measures that would upset his plan, Braine implemented a complex—and as Jim pointed out, [[ComplexityAddiction unnecessary]]--plot to lure James West to him, first by sending Jim and Artemus tomorrow's newspapers predicting their friends' deaths, then having the predictions come true, blowing up beloved entertainer Almeric and arranging for Jim's former commander Colonel Leeto to accidentally shoot himself; in both cases [[ForcedToWatch ensuring Jim would helplessly witness his friend's demise]]. Braine then has the printer who made the newspapers stabbed to death as he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness no longer needs him]]. Having finally captured Jim, Braine pauses briefly to [[BadBoss execute one of his loyal followers]] for having [[EvilIsPetty a button missing from his uniform]]. Engaging in another unnecessary exercise to test Jim, Braine tries to force him to decide whether he will die or if Braine's entirely loyal assistant Voulee will die. In the end, Braine decides to drop all pretenses and just hurt Jim until he tells him what he wants to know.
** [[TheSociopath Doctor Articulus]], from season 3's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E21TheNightOfTheUndead The Night of the Undead]]", is a callous, self-serving [[MadScientist chemist]] and [[SlaveryIsASpecialKindOfEvil slaver]] who eighteen years previously [[TestedOnHumans tested a special mold sample upon several people]], causing them all to die. When Doctor Armbruster and Doctor Eddington alerted the authorities, Articulus faked his death, causing him to miss his wedding. His bride went on to marry Doctor Armbruster. Retreating to the Bayou, Articulus carried on his experiments and discovered that by refining the mold he could create a mind-control potion. Using it, Articulus turned numerous people into [[TechnicallyLivingZombie zombie]] slaves, forcing them to work refining the mold, having two of his goons constantly whipping them to work faster, right up until they dropped from exhaustion; [[AndIMustScream with the implication that all his victims were fully aware the entire time]]. To ensure that no one disturbed him, Articulus began holding [[ScoobyDooHoax mock voodoo ceremonies]]. One such ceremony led to the death of one of his victims, John Little. Articulus kidnapped Doctor Armbruster and infected him with the drug. When one of his slaves collapsed and drowned right before his eyes, Articulus's only response is "[[LackOfEmpathy many more will take his place]]." He also had Eddington's teenage daughter Mariah drugged, [[HypnotizeThePrincess planning to force her to marry him]] to right what he perceived as "[[ItsAllAboutMe the wrong which was done to me]]", and then send her back to murder her father. Angered by their interference he attempts to murder Jim and Artie with [[DeadlyGas ammonia gas]]. Finally defeated, his last act was to try and strangle Jim.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music -- which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Leitmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for). The finale of "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E5TheNightOfJackODiamonds The Night of Jack Jack O'Diamonds]]" sees off El Sordo and the episode with an exuberant flourish. Some fans have seen it as composer Richard Markowitz "riding off into the sunset" (he launched the series musically, and this was last score for the series).

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music -- which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Leitmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for). The finale of "[[Recap/WildWildWestS3E5TheNightOfJackODiamonds The Night of Jack Jack O'Diamonds]]" sees off El Sordo and the episode with an exuberant flourish. Some fans have seen it as composer Richard Markowitz "riding off into the sunset" (he launched the series musically, and this was last score for the series).

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music -- which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Leitmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for).

* AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music -- which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Leitmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for).

* AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music - which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Leitmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for).

* {{Narm}}: "The Night of the Dancing Death". Especially for anyone who knows anything about the real [[spoiler: Camorra]]. The way Jim's amnesia is cured in "The Night of the Amnesiac" also falls into this category for some fans.

** The tank in "The Night of the Juggernaut" was called out by some press sources at the time of the episode's original airing for being rather poorly done; the tank is indeed embarrassing, both in its design (late 1960s racing stripes?) and in it being so slow [[Series/{{Ironside 1967}} Ironside]] could have outrun it. ''Without'' his wheelchair. (The tank in "The Night of the Freebooters," on the other hand, is far more convincing. And that was in season ''one'', while the Juggernaut was for season four.)
** In the robbery scene of "The Night of the Burning Diamond," some of the people "frozen" in time are more frozen than others, to put it politely.
** The freeze-frames for "The Night of the Flaming Ghost" are uncharacteristically sloppy - the one for Act II [[spoiler: (where an enemy knocks Jim out and sends him falling off a ledge)]] has a lag of a couple of seconds rather than have the section being filled in appearing immediately upon freezing, and the final pullback to show the complete collage is repeated (for the only time in the series) behind the end credits.
** In "The Night of the Raven," Jim stabs Loveless' cat in the front paw closest to the camera, making said feline lick it in pain before leaping out of the tiny arena Jim's trapped in; the cat runs to another part of the room and resumes licking the injured paw, which as mentioned is the one closest to the camera... except now the cat's facing in another direction.
** More of a lack of effects, but Victor Buono's character in "The Night of the Inferno" is supposed to be Mexican [[spoiler: or rather, Chinese passing for Mexican.]] Some brown contact lenses for Buono's light blue eyes might've helped with the spoiler-blocked situation.

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Some fans think the UsefulNotes/ShiftToColor was detrimental. Also, there are some who consider the nine Martin-less episodes in season four to be hardly worth watching. The decision to have the end credits for the final season's shows run over a standard collage rather than an episode-specific one (see the illustrations on the recap pages) also doesn't appeal to some viewers.

** More than once a villainness is given much a lighter punishment than her male counterparts [[spoiler: such as Morn in "The Night of the Flying Pie Plate," who gets a lighter sentence than her other conspirators - including her two sisters, who significantly didn't have GirlOfTheWeek status]], or even allowed to walk away scot-free, apparently simply because she is a beautiful woman. This is compounded at the end of "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS1E11TheNightOfTheRedEyedMadmen The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen]]", when Sgt. Musk gives a rather insightful, moving speech about how she'd only wanted to be seen as more than "just a woman." This small step forward is promptly ignored in favor of having her and another woman fawn over a new dress and begin discussing how to look their best when the train pulls into Carson City.

** "The Night of the Tycoons" romps home with the gold in Misogynistic Episode Writing; other episodes have female villains, but there's an unpleasant tone throughout the episode suggesting women have no business being in charge of huge corporations, capped off by its tag scene with Lionel's fiancee Kyra booted off to the kitchen and Jim telling him he's got to keep these women in their place.
** All that said, there ''are'' exceptions: [[spoiler: Lady Beatrice in "The Night of the Two-Legged Buffalo," Posey in "The Night of the Poisonous Posey" (although captured offscreen), Laurette in "The Night of the Winged Terror, Part 2" and most notably Astarte in "The Night of the Druid's Blood" - Jim makes it ''very'' clear to Astarte that she'll hang for her crimes [including helping to murder a beloved professor of his] and he won't mourn her]].

** [[EvilGenius Mr. Braine]], from season 2's "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS2E21TheNightOfTheBrain The Night of the Brain]]", may present himself as a WellIntentionedExtremist, but [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist beneath]] a [[FauxAffablyEvil polite, cheerful]], and [[LaughablyEvil good-humored]] veneer lies [[AGodAmI a megalomaniac with a god complex]]. Unhappy with how "disordered" the world is, Braine plans to kill the five major heads of state presently in Washington and replace them with his disguised followers, then plunge the entire world into chaos-- having the Spanish loot Africa, the Americas attack South America, the Russians invade India, etc., until the whole world is at war--so that Braine can [[TakeOverTheWorld take control of whatever manages to survive]]. Fearing the existence of a security measures that would upset his plan, Braine implemented a complex—and as Jim pointed out, [[ComplexityAddiction unnecessary]]--plot to lure James West to him, first by sending Jim and Artemus tomorrow's newspapers predicting their friends' deaths, then having the predictions come true, blowing up beloved entertainer Almeric and arranging for Jim's former commander Colonel Leeto to accidentally shoot himself; in both cases [[ForcedToWatch ensuring Jim would helplessly witness his friend's demise]]. Braine then has the printer who made the newspapers stabbed to death as he [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness no longer needs him]]. Having finally captured Jim, Braine pauses briefly to [[BadBoss execute one of his loyal followers]] for having [[EvilIsPetty a button missing from his uniform]]. Engaging in another unnecessary exercise to test Jim, Braine tries to force him to decide whether he will die or if Braine's entirely loyal assistant Voulee will die. In the end, Braine decides to drop all pretenses and just hurt Jim until he tells him what he wants to know.

** More than once a villainness is given much a lighter punishment than her male counterparts [[spoiler: such as Morn in "The Night of the Flying Pie Plate," who gets a lighter sentence than her other conspirators - including her two sisters, who significantly didn't have GirlOfTheWeek status]], or even allowed to walk away scot-free, apparently simply because she is a beautiful woman. This is compounded at the end of "The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen," when the villainess gives a rather insightful, moving speech about how she'd only wanted to be seen as more than "just a woman." This small step forward is promptly ignored in favor of having her and another woman fawn over a new dress and begin discussing how to look their best when the train pulls into Carson City.

* CompleteMonster: [[TuxedoAndMartiniSpy James West]] and [[MasterOfDisguise Artemus Gordon]] have faced many killers, supervillains and criminal masterminds in their career in the secret service, these are the very worst:

* AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music - which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E2TheNightOfTheFirebrand The Night of the Firebrand]]" (with a variation of Artie's {{Lietmotif}} so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for).

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Some fans think the shift to color was detrimental. Also, there are some who consider the nine Martin-less episodes in season four to be hardly worth watching. The decision to have the end credits for the final season's shows run over a standard collage rather than an episode-specific one (see the illustrations on the recap pages) also doesn't appeal to some viewers.

** More than once a villainess is given much a lighter punishment than her male counterparts [[spoiler: such as Morn in "The Night of the Flying Pie Plate," who gets a lighter sentence than her other conspirators - including her two sisters, who significantly didn't have GirlOfTheWeek status]], or even allowed to walk away scot-free, apparently simply because she is a beautiful woman. This is compounded at the end of "The Night of the Red-Eyed Madmen," when the villainess gives a rather insightful, moving speech about how she'd only wanted to be seen as more than "just a woman." This small step forward is promptly ignored in favor of having her and another woman fawn over a new dress and begin discussing how to look their best when the train pulls into Carson City.

* AwesomeMusic: Besides the show's theme music, there's Dave Grusin's score for "The Night of the Puppeteer" (in particular Vivid's dance music - which, tellingly, was never tracked into any other episodes) and Richard Shores's cue for the fight between Jim and Titan in "The Night of the Eccentrics" (used in assorted season two episodes and a trailer for the series itself). Shores also composed a propulsive score for "The Night of the Firebrand" (with a variation of Artie's theme music so beloved by the music editors that it was tracked into "[[Recap/TheWildWildWestS3E1TheNightOfTheBubblingDeath The Night of the Bubbling Death]]", which actually aired ''before'' the episode it was written for).

* FanonDiscontinuity: Some fans prefer to ignore the existence, canonically at least, of the made-for-TV reunion movies. [[BerserkButton And then there's the film...]]