Wild Wild West: Season 3

The third season of "The Wild Wild West" rode into town with some changes--the look of the show was spruced up a bit with new wardrobe designs for Robert Conrad's character. Although this season has less of the fantasy/science fiction elements that were a highlight of seasons one, two and we only get one episode with Dr. Loveless, it was still a stellar season with top notch writing and direction. We had some memorable guest stars including Michael Dunn (Dr. Loveless), Robert Duvall and Nick Adams.

Season four is tentatively set for March 18, 2008.

The episodes include:

Disc 1 & 2
The Night of the Bubbling Death
The Night of the Firebrand
The Night of the Assassin
The Night Dr. Loveless Died
The Night of Jack O' Diamonds
The Night of the Samurai
The Night of the Hangman
The Night of Montezuma's Hordes

Disc 3 & 4
The Night of the Circus of Death
The Night of the Falcon (featuring Robert Duvall)
The Night of the Cut-Throats
The Night of the Legion of Death
The Night of the Turn Coat
The Night of the Iron Fist
The Night of the Running Death
The Night of the Arrow

Disc 5 & 6
The Night of the Headless Woman
The Night of the Vipers (with guest star Nick Adams)
The Night of the Underground Terror
The Night of the Death Masks (one of my favs)
The Night of the Amnesiac
The Night of the Undead (involving voodoo)
The Night of the Simian Terror (with a witty reference to Edgar Allen Poe)
The Night of the Death Maker

The third season had less episodes as well 24 compared to the 28 for seasons one and two. The show's level of action sequences--which had always been high--reached a peak during season three which put the show on the radar for a group that protested the level of violence in the show. The result was that with middling ratings and conflict over the high level of action in the show, "The Wild Wild West" was not renewed after the fourth season.

This set comes without extras although the show looks terrific. It would have been nice to have a featurette on the show's production. At least we get a terrific looking presentation for the show.

You're about to experience the third season of "The Wild Wild West" which is producer Bruce Lansbury's new and revised vision of the series: meaning gritty, rough, realistic, Sergio Leone's western Spaguetti-like. The characters of James West and Artemus Gordon have new costumes, especially West and his trailer outfit. Some episodes take place in Mexico: "The Night of the Assassin", "The Night of the Jack O'Diamonds", "The Night of the Montezuma's Hordes" and "The Night of the Headless Woman", some are political as "The Night of the Firebrand" (guest starring Pernell Roberts), "The Night of the Legion of Death" (guest starring Kent Smith and Anthony Zerbe), "The Night of the Arrow" and "The Night of the Underground Terror", and some are still stamped with Michael Garrison's concept of fabulous fantasy: see "The Night of the Turncoat" (guest starring John McGiver as the excentric Elisha Calamander), "The Night of the Death Masks" (written like "The Prisoner" episode "Living in Harmony" and in which Artie guns down Jim in a ghost town called Paradox!), "The Night of the Amnesiac" (guest starring Ed Asner and Kevin Hagen and in which James West looses his memory), "The Night of the Undead" (a mixture of Vaudou and mad scientist intrigue with Hurd Hartfield) and "The Night of the Simian Terror" (with a veiled reference to Edgar A. Poe's "The Murders in the Rue Morgue", guest starring Richard "Voltaire" Kiel). Warning, there's only one Dr. Loveless' offering: "The Night Dr. Loveless Died". One episode reaches the peak of violence for its time: "The Night of the Vipers", guest starring Nick Adams aka Robert Conrad's close friend and Red West.

The third season of "The Wild Wild West" (1967-68) was the most Western-oriented due to budgetary constraints. Though the bizarre fantasies were curtailed, Secret Service agents James West and Artemus Gordon encountered challenging adventures such as "The Night of the Bubbling Death," "The Night of the Jack O'Diamonds" and "The Night of the Falcon" (featuring Robert Duvall as a guest villain). Michael Dunn's return in "The Night Dr. Loveless Died" was a definite highlight and the last memorable Loveless episode. Season Three had its share of clunkers - "The Night of the Firebrand" and "The Night of the Arrow" come to mind - yet the unique chemistry between Robert Conrad and Ross Martin always made the series worth watching.