Commando Cody – one of nature’s less convincing heroes – has been buried beneath a million tonnes of rock after the two henchmen blasted a hill with the ray gun they were given by their employers from the moon. The moon, you will remember, is inhabited by evil men who want to invade the Earth because we’ve got air and they haven’t. I’m trying to whip up a sense of excitement because the pay off is that Cody hid in a small alcove and the million tonnes of rock missed him.

The two hoodlums, realising that the rocket ship has landed, decide to go back to base. They don’t want to attack it on the ground as there will be too many guards around. Because they’re evil but not evil enough to want to kill honest security personnel apparently.

Cody emerges from his little nook and surveys a million tonnes of fallen rock.

Back at Krog’s cave, the sinister moon man is not pleased. Cody’s escape has been reported on the radio (why?) and everything is going wrong.

He does what any self respecting gothic moon man underling who has just received bad news would do – he phones the king.

Retick – king of the moon men – is furious. You can tell he is furious because his hand is all clenched.

He announces that he’s coming down to take over operations on Earth and ensure that his invasion can proceed. I’m sure it will help.

Back at Cody’s top secret laboratory, the greasy government guy, the token woman (sitting down because she’s delicate) and Commando Cody discuss the lunarium. The Earth scientists are doing their best but it will be some time before they can start building ray guns. I hope this doesn’t mean extra episodes of this exciting serial. That would be terrible.

"Let’s go over in detail you trip to the moon" says the greasy guy. The audience – even in more genteel times – must’ve tossed their hot dogs at the screen at that suggestion. They sit down and Cody explains, in detail, their trip to the moon.

Confirmation reaches us that this is the cheapest episode of the season as we fade across to footage from episode one. Cody’s meeting with Retick is replayed.

It isn’t any better second time round. We get a full three minutes of old stuff then cut back to the lab. Thank goodness that’s over. It’s like a greatest hits album but without any hits or any hint of greatness.

Smashing – another old clip. This time we’re reminded of the time they were trapped in a melting cave and escaped cheaply by walking down a different tunnel.

Three minutes later and we’re back in the lab. Cody informs the greaser that they came back with more than just Lunarium – they got a ray pistol too.

Uh oh. Here comes trouble. Something is coming along to burst Commando Cody’s bubble.

Rather than ANOTHER fight, the hoodlums put some kind of locking device on Cody’s door handle and then run away. I suppose they couldn’t find the bell.

They run round to the front of the building and attach a gas cylinder to the air vent. The dastardly, cowardly, underhanded, sneaky, dirty, no good sons of bitches. What kind of low life would stoop to ripping off one of Commando Cody’s plans?

Amazingly, it is the weak and fragile Joan who is the first to notice that they are being gassed. Damn women all and their annoying lungs.

Cody goes to open a window – the hoodlums realise there is a flaw in their plan. They must stop him letting air into the lab so they shoot at him, breaking the window and ruining everything. No wonder they need Retick and his great brain to sort things out.

Despite the clearly audible breaking of glass, the woman is still overcome by the fumes. The greaser is sweating a bit too. He lunges for the door but it is no good. The situation I mean, rather than the serial in general. That’s a given by now.

Commando Cody – rather than just opening or smashing some more windows – thinks he’ll escape from attack by gas by PHONING SOMEONE~! Who is he going to ring? 1-800 FRESH AIR?

Damn – he’s fainted too.

Three people unconscious – not exactly mass execution is it? At least they learned their lesson as next week’s chapter is much less sensationalist.