This wound up being the final episode of the series and that's unfortunate because they had reached their peak-this was the best episode of all the ones I saw-didn't quite catch them all.
The guest star was football's Terry Bradshaw as army Colonel March, who spent most of the show teamed up with three then-current NFL star players, Ken Norton Jr., and two men from my home state of Michigan, Jim Harbaugh, currently head coach of his alma mater the University of Michigan, and Carl Banks, who comes from my home town of Flint, Michigan and who was playing for the New York Football Giants at the time.
In part one, Brisco and Lord Bowler were blamed for acts against the government perpetrated by a General Quarry and his aide, Colonel March, who were planning to assassinate President Grover Cleveland to take over. Our heroes were sentenced to the firing squad but they escaped death there, then spent most of this episode trying to get to the president and avoid capture by March and Co.
Meanwhile other good guys Pete, Whip and Sheriff Viva spent much of their time in a jail trying to break out. Viva is a 19th Century Elvis Presley in looks, speech and mannerisms and about every third sentence he says includes a song title from the real Elvis.
In leading his three football players, March commands them to "huddle up" and proceeds to draw a plan of attack in the dirt, using X's and O's and some terms vaguely familiar to football fans. They even have a chase scene that makes one think of a classic football training camp drill involving running through a bunch of tires-only the 19th Century version of a tire is a wagon wheel, of course.
As if this wasn't enough, Brisco and friends are rescued at one point by their friend Professor Albert Wickwire's (John Astin's) incredible airship that looks like a Zeppelin, or a blimp. Two of the all-time funniest lines in this series come with this part. Brisco's friend Socrates Poole is aboard, helping turn the valves above the cabin to release the right amount of helium to keep the ship balanced. Or, as the professor puts it, he was there to "help me pass gas." Later, he tells Brisco about a deal with a German named Zeppelin, and finishes by telling Brisco that if he just sells him one of his airships, "it'll be a good year."
The role of President Cleveland is played by Richard Herd. Now most people don't know who that is. I see he had 155 credits to his name but to me he'll forever be George Costanza's immediate supervisor when he worked for the New York Yankees, Mr. Wilhelm. Of course I'm referring to Seinfeld.
With all that going on, you can see why it was a memorably funny episode, especially for a show that's half drama. This was truly a funny episode with a decent-enough drama to carry it even if you didn't see part one-I missed that one myself. I give it a 9.