[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Red_Eyed_Madmen_9309.jpg]]

A senator's daughter breaking up with her fiancé is the first step in a chain which leads West and Gordon to a militant group planning to overthrow the United States government, led by the insane General Grimm (Martin Landau). West manages to join the group and starts to gain their trust by overcoming various tests which they put him through, but he is in constant danger of being recognized, events are beginning to move quickly, and somehow word has to get to the fort at Goldtown before things explode...

Disguises used by Artie: [[http://photobucket.com/gallery/http://s385.photobucket.com/user/l8dreamr/media/Artemus%20Gordon%20Disguises/ColCrossRed-EyedMadmen.jpg.html?sort=6&o=18&ref=1 Colonel Cross, German Military Expert]][[https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x56db1m (32:30)]]

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!!Tropes present in this episode:
* BeardOfEvil: Grimm has a neatly-trimmed goatee.
* BigBookOfWar: The Mars Academy has the "blue manual."
* TheCavalry: Arrives just in time to keep the militants from scattering to the four winds and escaping.
* DeliberateValuesDissonance: PlayedForLaughs at the end of the episode when Artie opines that the idea of equality for women is ridiculous and those who believe in it must be insane. However, given how quickly Sgt. Musk (who had given a rather insightful, moving speech about how she'd only wanted to be seen as more than "just a woman") and Jenny revert to {{Girly Girl}}s once free of Grimm's influence[[note]]they fawn over a new dress and begin discussing how to look their best when the Wanderer pulls into Carson City[[/note]], it's debatable whether the show itself agrees with Artie or not.
* GladiatorGames: As part of Grimm's "[[TrainingFromHell intensive training]]", West has to fight off several other soldiers in an improvised arena--[[ShirtlessScene while they're all shirtless]].
* IdiotBall: General Grimm's army clutches it to a man (and woman) after Jim impales their leader on [[HoistByHisOwnPetard a knife meant for him]] in front of an audience - namely said army. To paraphrase the {{Novelization}} of the movie of the musical of ''Theatre/{{Annie}}'' (with "Jim" and "him" in for "Annie" and "her"), "Now, of course, if they'd all rushed him at once, Jim wouldn't have had a chance. But somehow this never occurred to any of them."
* KeystoneArmy: General Grimm has built his followers into a cult based on AsskickingLeadsToLeadership, with his basic premise being that they would be able to defeat larger bodies of conventional soldiers thanks to their superior melee combat training. When West beats him in a one-on-one fight the group realizes the whole thing was BS and surrenders en masse.
* LastNameBasis: We never learn Grimm's first name.
* LaughingMad: Grimm often laughs mirthlessly, especially at inappropriate moments.
* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Grimm is planning to take over "the entire United States army in the Southwest" and [[DayOfTheJackboot place the region under strict military rule]]. Sgt. Musk even says that his reign will last "[[ThousandYearReign a thousand years]]".
* TheOrder: The Mars Academy is organized along these lines, recruiting like-minded individuals and subjecting them to a rigorous application process.
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain[=/=]PoliticallyCorrectVillain: Grimm manages to be both. He may be a fascist, but he believes in equality for women, which is how Jenny rose so far under his command and Sgt. Musk became his [[TheDragon dragon]].
* PunishmentBox: Poor Jack Talbot gets put in a hot box when General Grimm learns about the letter he wrote to Lola. Jim finally rescues him, [[ShootTheShaggyDog only for Talbot to denounce him as a traitor]] and [[YouAreTooLate promptly die]].
* SoftGlass: Artie dives straight through a closed window as he makes his escape from the Academy. Doesn't seem to hurt him one bit.
* StrangeSalute: Grimm's army already has one, but Artie comes up with another in his disguise as Col. Cross; it's basically a combination of three different, more common salutes.
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