I have been here. I gave a speech. I'll have more tomorrow, and there's Serial below the ad. (Hoorah, I know.) As I said, this week's a mess - but the work's over. I came to give a speech and It started here:

The Flying Disk Man from Mars drags on. Hardly seems possible we're already up to . . .

This is the energy weapon death beam that the Quisling scientist used in the opening scenes, and has never used since. No, Mr. Mars wants to get nuclear weapons. Can't bring them down from Mars. They just sent one guy to somehow arrange a nuclear bomb on his own using local materials. I still think this is the Martians' way of giving Uncle Benny something to do just to keep him out of everyone's hair.

However did Kent escape from the grenade tossed on the bridge? You won't believe it:

Back to the office:

She's back behind the desk. Shot a man yesterday but she seems to be doing okay. No legal repercussions whatsoever.

Kent is getting suspicious about Dr. Bryant, the Quisling, and decides to inform the authorities . . . no. Sigh. No OF COURSE not; he's going to plant a secret radio in the Doctor's lab, so he can hear if he's on the up and up. A henchman spots him doing it, though, and removes the radio instantly.

So that didn't even work for a minute. BUT! Now Dr. Bryant knows Kent is suspicious, so he orders a Time Bomb to be put in his plane. Much easier than shooting him.

We get one telephone conversation with Mr. Mars, who's speaking in his usual Russian accent, and says they will demonstrate their bomb soon. (Somehow they managed to build a nuclear weapon during all this. Well, no need to show every silly little detail. That's smart storytelling!

And here's smart Time Bomb placement:

Don't put it in the back. Use the preexisting First Aid kit. Everything will fit perfectly!

Remember the secret radio? The henchman who removed it took it to another room, and left it on. Later other guys come by, unaware the radio is on, and ne says "well, the Time Bomb will go off in Fowler's plane soon." Our heroine is listening in, and warns Kent.

He hits the silk, after noting he hates to lose "this ship." True. That's two planes he's lost, right? And this isn't even a job. There's no one to bill.

Well, Kent decides to go "bluff his way" into the plant where something is going on, who knows what. So he shows up on prvate property and holds up the employees at gunpoint. You know where that's going: a bunch of armed guys in suits punching each other.

Watch the guy in the middle make a MAD LUNGE for the gun on the floor:

Jeez, don't sprain anything.

Earlier we'd seen a heavy metal door raised by a pneumatic pole in the floor, and fans of serials will know right away that was the cliffhanger device. And so:

I wish they'd shown his lifeless bisected corpse, if only to see how they'd explain it away next time. It wasn't him! At the last minute he dragged in a bag of sheep guts.

That'll do! More tomorrow, to state the obvious.