Audio
Cast
Workjuice Players
- The Red Plains Rider - Busy Philipps
- Josiah Goodnight - Craig Cackowski
- Threat on Mars - James Urbaniak
- Threat on Mars - Hal Lublin
- Threat on Mars - Mark Gagliardi
Guest Stars
- Cactoid Jim - Nathan Fillion
- Sebastian Dalton - Matt Gourley
- Mr. Horner - Jeremy Carter
- Highwayman Dan - Mark McConville
Theme Song
The theme song was performed this episode by:
- Grant Lee Phillips, who also narrates
- Sean Watkins
Detailed Overview
Cactoid Jim and The Red Plains Rider have been temporarily deputized by Sparks Nevada and asked to escort a Space Coach with three important businessmen across the plains. Mr. Horner sizes up Jim and mentions that he and Sparks Nevada fought together in the war over the Earth's moon. Horner says that Sparks must have a lot of esteem for Jim for sending him despite not having fought in the war.
The Red Plains Rider arrives, and after Mr. Horner questions having a woman come along on their space coach, Jim sets him straight. Jim attempts to give Red a badge. Red refuses to wear hers, chastising Jim in advance for polishing his badge when they will have better things to do.
Cactoid Jim and Red keep a close eye on their charges. Soon, they come to some rock formations with Highwaymen behind them. Jim suggests instead of shooting right away, they throw a rock at the rock formations, which tips over the formation on top of the robbers. They also encounter a tribe of uncivilized Gray-skinned Martians and a riddle-loving Space Bobcat, all of which Red shot outright.
The party arrives at the mars volcanoes, Jim and Red sit a spell and get to know each other, and Jim mentions that he was in a spaceship that fell through a time hole 500 years ago. Red then asks what the businessmen are doing, and they answer that they are testing the lava to see if it's compatible to transmogrify into rocket fuel. They find out it is compatible, and are excited to be even more rich soon.
Mr. Dalton says that Mars has been terraformed for hundreds of years and the ecosystem will be fine.
On the way back, they encounter Highwayman Dan, who attempts to rob them. Highwayman Dan wields his knife, Stabby LeReux. Red and Jim shoot Stabby and ruin it. Dan then Jetpacks away, and Cactoid Jim suggests he think about his loss and maybe it will turn him around.
Dan gives away the fact that he was hired to murder Mr. Goodnight and Mr. Horner by Mr. Dalton as he leaves. Mr. Goodnight also confesses to hiring other highwaymen to murder Mr. Dalton and Mr. Horner. Mr. Horner did not hire anyone to kill them, he instead arranged the Space-coach guards (Jim and Red) because he knew the other two would try to kill them. Jim and Red arrest Mr. Goodnight and Mr. Dalton, thus giving Mr. Horner all of the profits from their business venture.
Back at the Space Port, Mr. Horner suggests that Sparks Nevada may have sent Jim and Red together to guard the coach in order to allow them to get to know each other and possibly fall in love, as Sparks Nevada had set up Mr. Horner and his wife, Lady Hucklebunny, when they were younger.
Red offers to shine Jim's badge, as it had gotten dusty, and they share a moment.
End Theme
A hard-hearted gal was a' riding the plains
A tougher cookie there'd never been
She rode with the King of the Martian Frontier
She was the future Mrs. Cactoid Jim
That sure-footed, heart-melting, handsome-devil Cactoid Jim!
Cactoid Jim Descriptors
- The Hand-Shakin' Cactorid Jim
- That Bandit-Crushing Cactoid Jim
- That Montaging Cactoid Jim (not sung)
- That sure-footed, heart-melting, handsome-devil Cactoid Jim!
Production
This episode was recorded at Largo on September 10, 2011.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley & the Andy Paley Orchestra, along with Grant Lee Phillips and Sean Watkins
- Cactoid Jim's Theme: Andy Paley