“The Night of the Cut-Throats” goes back to the theme o traditional western. This could have easily been an episode of Bonanza or Gunsmoke. That does not make it a bad episode, but it is an odd fit considering most of The Wild Wild West.Jim and Artie receive a letter from a contact claiig he has information vital to the Secret Service, but he can only tell them in person. When they get to his hometown of New Athens, they discover he has been killed and the townsfolk are leaving in droves to avoid a bunch of outlaws coming to burn the place down.
The outlaws are associated with a guy named Mike Trayne. Trayne was sent to prison years ago when he killed a man for allegedly having a fling with is girl. He blames everyone in the town for his incarceration, so he has arranged for it to be destroyed just as his life was. Our heroes are the only thing that stands in the way of its complete destruction.
There is a twist--the mayor, who has supposedly been bravely standing up to Trayne and his men, is secretly in cahoots with them to rob New Athens of all money. Burning the town down will cover up all evidence of his involvement. He gets his in the end, along with Trayne and his men, during the big shoot out which takes up nearly the entire final act.
“The Night of the Cut-Throats’ feels out of place, but is not a bad episode. There is no big villain. Trayne is just a cruel man out for revenge. There is no romance for our eroes. No gadgetry. It may not be typical fare for the series, but the episode is well down with an interesting twist. I did not see the mayor as a traitor until he actually turned. I have to give the writer props for that one.
Rati: *** (out of 5)
