West and Gordon are introduced to Gerda Sharff (Michele Carey), a former member of the villainous Count Manzeppi's organization. She wants to trade information for protection, but she disappears in an explosion before a deal can be made, leaving behind only a small toy chicken. A complicated game of cat and mouse ensues involving Gerda, Manzeppi and the agents, all of them after the chicken - or, more precisely, what it contains.
Disguises used by Artie: Organ Grinder
(32:25)
; Uncle Ansie(38:35)
Tropes present in this episode:
- Artistic Licence – History: Like in his first appearance, Manzeppi incorrectly name-drops Herodotus, this time naming him as a Byzantine Emperor.
- Badass Boast: When Jim points out that the bird Dodo is named after went extinct, Dodo replies that "I make others extinct."
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Gerda doesn't stay loyal to anyone for very long.
- Distress Ball: Jim gets a lead from the chicken and runs off to investigate without telling Artie where he's going or why. Not surprisingly, he winds up captured and Artie has to track him down with nothing to go on.
- Divide and Conquer: When Gerda holds a gun on Jim and Artie near the climax, Artie points out that she can just turn the weapon on Manzeppi and take the Philosopher's Stone for herself. She does. Lampshaded when Manzeppi uses the trope name to describe what Artie is doing.
- Enemy Mine: Artie suggests to Gerda that they team up to find Jim and the chicken—just as Manzeppi wanted him to do.
- Fan Disservice: Some fans may argue the very sexy Michele Carey (as Gerda) being turned into gold and blown up, a rare Girl of the Week to not survive the episode, qualifies.
- Flaying Alive: Manzeppi threatens to let Benji do this to Jim unless he gives up the chicken.
- Funny Foreigner: Artie's disguise as Heinrich Sharff's eccentric "Uncle Hansee from Pennsylvanee". However, Manzeppi is on to him and even does a mocking Brief Accent Imitation of his character voice.
- Improbable Weapon User: Luther Coyle uses a cup and ball which has been weaponized, so he can fire the ball from the cup and then retract it on its string.
- Organ Grinder: Manzeppi disguises himself as one and uses the accompanying monkey to deliver explosives. Artie uses the same disguise later on when trying to locate Gerda.
- Philosopher's Stone: This is what the toy chicken contains and why everyone wants it.
- A Rare Sentence:Artie: Jim, I never thought I'd hear myself say this, but let's search the monkey.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Gerda.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: Played With. Manzeppi serenely plays a violin while Jim fights with Benji, but the diegetic score can also be heard.
- Stock Footage: The shots of Jim going down a slide previously turned up in "The Night of the Golden Cobra" (the first episode shot for season two), "The Night of the Raven" and "The Night of the Poisonous Posey."
- We Will Meet Again: Count Manzeppi assures West and Gordon of this. Sadly, they didn't.
- "What Now?" Ending: Sort of. In the epilogue, after Jim and Artie leave with their dates, the remains of the philosopher's stone are exposed to moonlight and reconstitute into the chicken. Enter the agents' maid, who thinks it's an ordinary toy and takes it home to give to her daughter. The End.
