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Starring:
Adrian Paul (Duncan MacLeod) Guests:
Peter Wingfield (Adam Pierson/Methos)
Written by David Tynan |
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Fade to barge. Joe arrives in a taxi, still clearly shaken up. He gets out a tape recorder and starts making his "terminal report on the immortal, Duncan MacLeod." Just as he's saying the name, we see Duncan MacLeod jogging up towards him. He sees Joe, looks puzzled, and calls to him. Joe turns and sees him, and starts towards him, muttering that "someone's gonna catch hell for this," but before they get anywhere near one another a car pulls up and men jump out and grab Joe. Duncan gives chase, even managing to jump on the roof of the car, but they shake him and drive away with Joe.
Shot of the bank beside the barge. The fog is very thick, swirling and blowing (in slow motion ;)) around a mysterious figure. Cut to Duncan inside. He feels another immortal, and goes out to investigate. He walks into the tunnel, draws his sword and says "I'm Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod" and swings at the voice that says, "Yes, I know that." It happens to be Methos... Duncan checks his swing, but Methos still looks like he had about six heart attacks when the blade came towards his throat! Duncan tells him about Joe, and Methos says that something is going on with the Watchers, that security is intense and that was why he didn't come directly to the barge. Duncan thinks someone might have taken Joe to get at him, and wants Methos to find out who might be watching him, etc. Methos doesn't want to do it, arguing that if he keeps asking questions, sooner or later someone will start questioning him. Duncan says he owes Joe, if for nothing else than keeping his secret. "That was his choice," Methos says, and Duncan gives him a look.
Duncan: "Yes, it was." Methos finally mutters, irritated, that he'll find out what he can. Duncan thanks him and leaves.
Methos: "I spent years losing my conscience," Methos mutters to himself, "only for him to go and find it again..."
Cut to Joe being taken, blindfolded, into a large room and left there by his captors, who refuse to aknowledge his questions. (This was a really strange set, which I can hardly describe. It was obviously some kind of of children's playroom, with wall murals and huge stand-up cut-outs of toy soldiers and anthropomorphic trees. There were lots of stuffed toys scattered around as well as children's furniture. Lots of cheerful, bright colors, very cool for a kid's playroom but disturbingly surreal as a prison...)
Back to the barge, where we see Jacob Galati pull up on a motorcycle. He goes to the barge and starts looking in the door. Another person comes down the steps to the bank, and pauses, uncertain, as he sees Jacob. He turns and casually lights a cigaratte (letting us see his Watcher tattoo) then goes back up to the street, but not before being noticed by Jacob. Cut to Methos feeding the pigeons in a park. Duncan comes up and pretends to be re-tying his shoelace on the bench behind his. Methos tells him that they're watching his barge, and that his phone is probably tapped, too. He also says that it's not another immortal that's doing it, but the Watchers. Duncan presses him, but he says he can't find out details. The only thing he knows is the rumor that the Watcher tribunal are putting Joe on trial for treason.
Duncan goes to the former Watcher HQ, but finds out that the place is abandoned and has been sold. On the way in, he passes an immortal leaving on a motorcycle, and discovers from the agent that he was also inquiring about the old owners. Cut to "New Watcher Headquarters," in Lyon, France. (They apparently got the place from Kristin...;)) Joe is sitting with a toy water pistol when two goons come in.
Joe: "Well, if it isn't Ken and Barbie! Love the decor, guys..."
They take him to a cellar where several other men are waiting. Joe clearly still has no idea what's going on, who they are, or why they've nabbed him. But when one of the men greets him, he finally recognizes his old friend Jack. He's even more confused now.
Joe: "You're my own people! Dammit, Jack, you're my friend!"
But Jack tells him that that's why he's here to judge him. When Joe asks for what, another Watcher ("Charlie"--This was another guy I never actually heard the name of, except that Joe called him that at the end.) tells him that he's charged with betraying his oath, consorting (Oh, baby!;)) with an immortal and falsifying chronicles. Joe doesn't believe it, but then Jack tells him that in the last three years, the Watchers have lost 80 agents. In the 50 years before that, they lost only 2. And since it was just 3 years since Joe had his first talk with Duncan... Joe says fine, if they want him out for talking, he's out, and "you can keep the gold watch." But Charlie says it's gone far beyond that, that "an example must be made. If we decide that you are guilty, the penalty is death."
Cut to Duncan sneaking through the trees around the new HQ. He catches his breath against a tree, and senses another immortal. He draws his sword and leaps out to confront the immortal who's leaping out to confront him...and who happens to be Methos (again!)
Methos: "We've got to stop meeting like this. People will talk." Methos says that Joe's in enough trouble as it is, that Duncan shouldn't be there.
Duncan: "And you should?"
Methos: "Okay, like you say, I owe him one."
Duncan: "Glad to hear it." They leave to figure a way in.
Methos drives up to the gate of the new HQ and tries to talk his way in using his status as a researcher, since they've moved all the books to the HQ from Paris. While he argues with the guard ("If I lose Methos because of this, it'll be on your head!"), Duncan scales the fence. Methos doesn't get in, but Duncan does. He finds Joe and tries to get him to leave in a hurry because the security is everywhere. "I know," Joe says wryly, and points out the cameras, mikes, and other survelliance equipment in the room...
Duncan: "Oh."
He sits and waits with Joe for the reinforcements to show up.
Back in the trial room: (I should mention, btw, that all the scenes in this room were filmed in a strange, grainy style. I thought at first it was just my local station getting weird, but apparently it's on purpose. The lighting was very dark, too, with patches of bright light under the few lamps.) Jack is shaking his head over Duncan coming to rescue Joe. Duncan accuses them of kidnapping Joe, but Charlie says they were just following their rules. Joe broke the rules by telling Duncan about the Watchers, and Jack and the Charlie both agree that Duncan knows things he never should have, and that now too many immortals know the secret. The Watcher position is essentially that the dead Watchers were killed by immortals because Joe broke his oath (I know, it doesn't make a lot of sense, but that's what it boiled down to.) I think that they were trying to imply that once Duncan knew, he told other immortals who told other immortals, etc. Duncan then takes the tack that Joe didn't break the oath, that Duncan found out on his own.
Flashback to "Watchers", Duncan coming to the bookstore and showing Joe the chronicle he got from Darius. Duncan voiceover explaining that Joe covered, but the other Watchers gave him away. Shot of scene from credits, Joe and Duncan walking and talking, Joe explaining what the Watchers are.
Back to trial: Charlie accuses Joe of taking it on himself to reveal the secret, but Joe says he did what he had to in order to keep Duncan from thinking that all Watchers were like Horton.
Flashback to that scene from "Hunters" (Darius's death for the 100th time...:)). Then to "Watchers" again, Duncan telling Joe about Horton.
Trial: Jack accuses Joe of letting Duncan become more important to him than his oath. Charlie brings up Killian.
Flashback: "The Colonel" Amanda talking Joe into interfering. Joe voiceover saying that Killian had "crossed the line." Joe talking to Killian's Watcher, she tells him where Duncan is: "You aren't gonna get involved, are ya, Joe?" Cut to Duncan getting rescued by Amanda and Joe.
Trial: Jack says Joe's been "breaking the rules for years. Not only did you betray us, you underestimated us." Duncan butts in again to try to point out that Joe has done good by interfering. He apparently decides it's time to make a more direct point, so he breaks free and grabs a gun, and threatens the Charlie with it, asking Jack how many mortals they'd let die before they did something about it.
Flashback: "The Vampire." Duncan voiceover explaining that he'd never have found Ward without Joe's help. Scene of Joe and Duncan meeting, Joe giving him info, then Ward killing some guy, then scene of Duncan taking Ward's head.
Trial: Duncan lets Charlie go, and Joe says that the rulebook looks a lot different out on the street than it does down there. Charlie could care less, and tells Joe he'll suffer the penalty prescribed in the code, which Joe explains to Duncan.
Joe: "They're gonna blow my brains out tomorrow. Tradition, you gotta love it."
Duncan says they can't just murder him, and argues that he should be tried by his peers, other people that have faced what Joe faces, to stand by and do nothing while innocents have died. The Watchers agree, but only if Duncan judged with him, to face the same penalty as Joe does if they find him guilty.
Duncan and Joe in the playroom.
Duncan is talking to a blue teddy bear: "I'm not your enemy." He then makes the teddy bear answer (in evil voice): "You're presence here only proves how dangerous it is for immortals to know we exist
Punches the teddy bear on the nose
Jacob on a back street. He walks up to the same guy we saw earlier at the barge (the Watcher) and introduces himself, showing the other Watcher a tattoo to reassure him that he's one of them. The other Watcher introduces himself as David Shapiro and says, "It's funny, there's an immortal named Jacob Galati."
Jacob: "I know, and he just killed you."
Pulls out a switchblade and stabs him. He then scrubs off the fake tattoo and walks off.
Back to Watcher HQ, trial room. See four men and a woman seated in chairs, then pan to see Joe and Duncan led in. Joe explains that these are the "Big Shots," the Regional Coordinators from South Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, and Europe.
Duncan: "Glad to see we're a hot ticket..."
Jack comes in, and the trial begins. Charlie starts, saying that Joe has admitted that he breached their secret, that he told Duncan about them. But he says that he will go on to show them that Joe has committed an even worse crime.
Charlie: "Falsified reports. Chronicles that will leave lies in the record. All this to cover up his own agenda."
Brings up Thorne, which Joe reported Duncan as killing because of an ancient grudge, but that Joe neglected to mention that he'd killed Laura.
Flashback: "The Cross of St. Antoine." Scene of Laura being killed, Joe trying to get in. Then to Joe talking to Duncan, asking him to help him find this s.o.b. Then Duncan asking Joe to let him take care of it. Duncan voiceover, explaining that he'd have fought Thorne sooner or later, Joe just helped it happen before more people died. Start of fight between Duncan and Thorne.
Trial:
Charlie: "You admit that you interfered."
Joe: "I admit I loved her. I admit I am a human being. If you want me to apologize for that then you can all go to hell."
Just as he says this, Duncan feels another immortal and we hear Methos's voice asking for two minutes. They let him in and he introduces himself (as Adam Pierson, that is). He gives them a book that he "found" misfiled as a fairy tale in an Italian library. It's the private journal of a Watcher, a Methos Watcher. Charlie says Watchers don't keep journals, but Methos says this one had to, because he became friends with his subject. He makes an impassioned plea for Joe, pointing out that this Watcher knew Methos, asking how much knowledge had been lost because of the rules that forced men like him and Joe to hide what they've learned.
Methos: "I say, let friendship thrive. Let him record all he has learnt."
After they've taken Methos away, Duncan asks them to consider the good that's come of Joe's interfering. He points out that Horton would still be killing if it wasn't for Joe. He also points out that Kalas was about to reveal both their secrets, and Joe didn't have anything to do with telling him, he found out on his own.
Flashback: "Methos" Kalas torturing his Watcher, Watcher telling him who he is and what the Watchers are. Then "Finale, part 2" Kalas telling Joe to tell Duncan that he meets him tonight "otherwise we're all on CNN." Fight on top of the Eiffel Tower, Duncan voiceover talking about the database that "one of your people created" [snort] and that Kalas would have used to destroy them all. Shows Duncan killing K, and the computer with the disk being destroyed.
Trial: Joe says that if he and Duncan hadn't worked together, Kalas would have told the world. But Jack says Joe can't "chicken and egg this thing," talking about what might have happened. He says that the only thing that's clear is that Joe "trashed his oath." Duncan responds by saying that he's spent his whole life fighting other immortals, "men who hold life cheap. I live--no, I survive, because I value life."
Duncan: "if you value Joe Dawson's life less than you value a set of rules, then you become as unprincipled and as evil as the men I fight, because right then, you lose all your humanity."
Jack is actually looking a little taken aback, then a woman comes in and hands him a note telling him that his son, who was Joe's replacement as Duncan's Watcher, is dead... In a fit of grief, he declares the trial over, saying that he blames both Duncan and Joe. The jury doesn't even have to confer to bring a verdict of "Guilty."
Duncan and Joe being taken back to the playroom. Duncan overpowers the guards and gets their keys and guns and makes ready to escape. But Joe won't go with him.
Joe: "I knew the deal when I signed on. I knew the risks if I broke the rules."
Duncan: "Joe, they're gonna put a bullet in your head tomorrow, and you won't be coming back."
Joe says he believed in the oath, and he's made up his mind to take the consequences of breaking it. Duncan begs him, but Joe won't budge and Duncan finally leaves, but he gives Joe the keys in case he changes his mind. Cut to Duncan and Methos talking on some street, leaning against Methos's car. Duncan's saying that Joe's going to die without a word, and Methos says it sounds like "that's the way he wants it."
Duncan: "Well what do you expect me to do, stay there and die with him?"
Methos: "I wouldn't. MacLeod, you need a vacation. I hear New Zealand is very nice this time of year."
Duncan rants a bit about how they've done everything they can.
Duncan: "I'm not going back for him."
Methos: "No, it wouldn't be sensible..."
Morning. Joe being led out to a courtyard, with about a dozen other Watchers already standing there. He remarks on the niceness of the weather to Jack.
Jack: "Last request?"
Joe: "Yeah. I'd like to die of old age."
Jack: "It's not my choice, Joe. I hope you believe that. It's a question of principle."
Joe: "Principle's not going to give the order to shoot, Jack. You are. There is something you can do for me. Pull the trigger, buddy. (looks at Charlie) I hate that putz."
Jack gets the gun, but he can't do it. He gives the gun to Charlie and goes away. After he drives off, we see Jacob with automatic rifle creep up over the fence....
Joe: "All right, Charlie. Move your ass. I got an appointment to keep."
Charlie goes up and taps Joe on the shoulder.
Charlie: "On your knees."
Joe: "Not in this lifetime."
Charlie cocks gun, Joe crosses himself and closes his eyes. Jacob stands and opens fire. We see Joe go down, but after that it's just falling bodies and Jacob shooting until no one is left standing...
Duncan driving up to new HQ. He parks his car and walks up to the gate just in time to nearly get run over by Jacob on his motorcycle. He goes to the courtyard, sees everyone lying there and rushes down to Joe. He kneels and feels for his pulse, saying his name....
To be Continued... in "One Minute to Midnight".
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Act Four
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Jinjifore
Last Rev: H71 [ 1 Jul 97 ]
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