I am a big fan of the mythology surrounding Frankenstein, whether we are talking about the original Mary Shelley novel or the various adaptations on stage and screen. Therefore, I always look with keen interest in homage such as “The Night of the Big Blast.” But the episode is far more than that. It is largely an Artie solo adventure which strays far from the usual formula, yet does not pay the price for doing so.Ida Lupino plays Dr. Faistina, a mad scientist who has developed a method to reanimate the dead using electricity. She requested funding for further research from the federal government, but was turned down since no one believed her claims could be true. Out for revenge for beig spurned, she uses a reanimated duplicate of the captured Jim as a bom to kill four cabinet officials. Artie, desperate to prove the assassin was not Jim, is captured by Fautina. She creates a duplicate of hi in order to assassinate Ulysses S. Grant, but it is stopped by the escaping Jim and Artie.
There are some serious plot holes here. Why did Fautina not demonstrate her ability to reanimate the dead instead of just telling the government se could do such? She could have used a body donated to science instead of grave robbing like she normally does. The feds we probably chomp at the bit to use her technology I order to create super soldiers who could easily e reanimated. Faustina definitely went about her plan the wrong way.
You also have to wonder why, when four Cabinet officials are killed by Jim, does grant still come to New Orleans and no one suspects the fake Artie is going to kill him even though he is running the exact scam as the fake Jim. Looks like all the other Secret Service agents are very slow on the uptake.
Casting that aside, “The Night of the Big Blast” is an exciting episode. It is not revealed until the fifth act that Jim is still alive, much less he did not kill the Cabinet officials. We knew that, but it was not obvious how Jim was still alive. Artie steal the episode trying to find him. The highlight of his adventure being a sword fight with the Three Musketeers during a Mardi Gras costume party.
“The Night of the Big Blast” is not only one of the best of the secod seaso, but a highlight of the series as a whole.
Rating: *** *(out of 5)
