Wonder Woman: Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther

""Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther" is the second episode of season one of the TV series Wonder Woman. It was directed by Barry Crane and written by Margaret Armen. The episode first aired on ABC on April 21st, 1976. In this episode, Diana Prince learns about the re-emergence of a Nazi spy ring known as the Abwehr, which is being secretly led by a US prisoner named Baroness Paula Von Gunther.

Synopsis
At the War Department in Washington, D.C., General Blankenship tells Diana that a Nazi spy ring known as the Abwehr is active again and may be targeting Steve Trevor for imprisoning their leader the Baroness von Gunther. After Blankenship leaves, Diana changes to Wonder Woman to investigate further. Meanwhile, Steve leads a team on a training mission to stop a truck moving in on "enemy territory". As the military vehicle passes a mountain ravine, a soldier activates a detonator, which creates a rock slide that forces the truck to crash. Steve and his men surround the vehicle and pull the driver free. Steve tries to shore up truck, but it begins to fall. As the vehicle’'s axle breaks, Wonder Woman arrives, catches Steve in her magic lasso and pulls him to safety. The truck falls into the ravine and explodes. Back at the at the War Department, General Blankenship receives Trevor's report and tells him that the truck was carrying a secret cache of rapid fire rifles en route to Fort Myers for dispersal. Steve suspects that the truck's faulty axle pin was an act of sabotage – perhaps even perpetuated from someone working inside the War Department. Blankenship agrees with him, and further tells him that the FBI is looking to implicate Steve in the crime. Trevor is shocked. Blankenship continues and says that a special senate hearing led by wealthy steel magnate Arthur Deal, III is coming together to investigate the matter. Arthur Deal is demanding the records of all of Steve's most recent top-secret missions. While Steve and Diana search for the records, a mysterious man calls Trevor's office. He tells him that he is willing to share information about three other acts of sabotage, and tells him to meet him by the Old Virginia Stables on the Fort Myer Road. Diana suspects a trap, but Steve doesn't feel as if he has any choice but to meet with the man.

Steve drives down to the stables and finds an unconscious stable hand. The saboteur sneaks up behind him and strikes Steve across the back of the head with a monkey wrench. He loads him in the driver seat of a jeep and sets the stables on fire. He then places a call to police sergeant Stranksy and tells him that Steve Trevor just set fire to a stockpile of ammunition at the Old Virginia Stables. Wonder Woman arrives and loads the unconscious stable hand into Steve's jeep. She then drives the jeep out of the burning barn before the police arrive. She brings Steve back to the apartment of Diana Prince. When Steve awakens, Diana tells him that Wonder Woman left him on her doorstep. The two discuss recent events, and Diana suggests going to the Federal Penitentiary at Fort Myer to consult with the Abwehr's former leader, Baroness Von Gunther. They arrive at the prison and speak with the warden. They also meet the warden's young son, Tommy. Tommy is an amateur sleuth who is fascinated with famed 19th century detective Sherlock Holmes. While the warden brings Steve and Diana to the Baroness' cell, Tommy continues sneaking about the courtyard and playing detective. He finds a special key in the dirt, and uses it to open up a secret passageway that leads to another area of the prison. Meanwhile, Steve and Diana question the Baroness Von Gunther in her cell. Steve notices that the Baroness owns a unique pendant (similar in design to the key that Tommy found). While Trevor interviews her, Diana looks out the window and sees Tommy across the yard scaling a tower ladder. She makes her excuses and leaves the cell to lend a hand. Changing to Wonder Woman, Diana executes a super-leap and snares Tommy before he can fall from the ladder. She brings him to the roof of the tower, and together they scale down the side of the building using Wonder Woman's lasso. Wonder Woman asks him why he was climbing the rickety ladder, and Tommy tells her that he was doing his detective work. Having completed his interview, Steve leaves Von Gunther's cell, and walks across the courtyard looking for Diana Prince. Wonder Woman she doesn’t want the prison staff to be alerted to her presence just yet so she asks Tommy to unhook her lasso and keep it in a safe place until she has time to retrieve it. Tommy agrees, and Wonder Woman runs off. From the window of her cell, Baroness Von Gunther witnesses the exchange. Von Gunther summons the prison guard Hansen, who is in fact an Abwehr collaborator. Hansen tells her that he lost his key to the tunnel door, so Von Gunther gives him the one that she wears around her neck. She tells him to contact an agent named Thor for a meeting. That night, Hansen sneaks the Baroness out of her cell and into a waiting vehicle. From a nearby tree, Tommy witnesses the escape and writes everything he sees down in his notebook. Hansen brings the Baroness to the mansion office of their agent Thor. Thor is the new ringleader of the Abwehr while the Baroness is in prison. She tells him of her interview with Steve Trevor, and that he might still suspect her involvement with the Nazi spy ring. Thor assures her that plans are in action to discredit Trevor in the eyes of the intelligence community, and that he will appear to them as a double-agent, taking the fall for all of the Abwehr's recent acts of sabotage. The following day, Steve Trevor meets with General Blankenship. Blankenship tells him that Arthur Deal, III has re-scheduled Trevor's inquest for tomorrow. Deal has agreed to meet with Steve privately to discuss the issue. The next day, Baroness Von Gunther is safely back in the prison courtyard and no one is any the wiser. She sees young Tommy reading a Sherlock Holmes book and begins speaking with him. Pretending to be a close friend of Wonder Woman, she asks him if he is taking care of her magic lasso. Tommy assures her that he is, but the Baroness suggests that he double-checks on it to make sure that it is safe. Tommy agrees and runs off to find it. The Baroness sends the guard Hansen to follow him. Hansen finds that Tommy has hidden the lasso inside of a knot in a tree. After Tommy leaves, Hansen steals the lasso. Steve Trevor arrives at Arthur Deal's mansion to discuss his pending inquest. He soon discovers however that Arthur Deal is actually Thor of the Abwehr. Baroness Von Gunther walks into the office from another room and trains a gun on Steve. After tying him up, Arthur Deal speaks with General Blankenship on the telephone and tells him that he is more convinced than ever that Steve is guilty of acts of sabotage. Von Gunther produces Wonder Woman's golden lasso and tells Trevor that if he ever wants to see Wonder Woman again, he will sign a confession claiming that he is a Nazi spy. With little choice in the matter, Steve signs the confession. The confession is delivered to the War Department and General Blankenship shows it to Diana Prince. Diana leaves and changes into Wonder Woman. She finds Tommy to retrieve her lasso, but Tommy tells her that Hansen and the Baroness Von Gunther stole it. She tracks the Nazi agents to the home of Arthur Deal where she finds Steve bound and gagged. The Baroness comes up behind Wonder Woman and sprays her with a nerve agent that renders her unconscious. She is bound in specially designed German chains and placed next to Steve. Hansen meanwhile, captures Tommy and brings him to Arthur Deal's mansion. When Wonder Woman awakens, the Baroness and Arthur Deal tell them of their elaborate plan to stage a massive attack and blame it on Steve Trevor and Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman breaks free of the chains and begins fighting the Nazis. Steve Trevor trades blows with Arthur Deal and Wonder Woman pushes the Baroness into a wardrobe screen. The Baroness races out of the mansion, but Wonder Woman gives chase. Diving on top of her, the two begin rolling down a hill and the Baroness ultimately ends up falling into Arthur Deal's swimming pool. Having recovered her magic lasso, Diana captures the Baroness.

Notes & Trivia



 * Production code number: 166532.


 * Producer Wilfred Lloyd Baumes' name is mis-spelled as Wilford Lloyd Baumes in this episode.

Allusions

 * Tommy is seen reading a copy of The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.


 * This episode is based on a plot from a 1942 comic book issue, only the warden's son was fascinated with cowboys and the magic lasso.

Quotes

 * Wonder Woman: It looks as if you're going to have more time to read about democracy, Baroness. Lucky you find it so fascinating. Perhaps now, you will appreciate it, and learn from your unwomanly mistakes.