The Adventures of Brisco County Jr (1993) s01e02 Episode Script

Fire in the hole! Some time ago, while working on a chain-gang, four Chinese coolies discovered something.
Something strange and mysterious.
A metallic orb.
When they touched this orb, they felt an energy, a mystical power, a sense of some greater force.
It gave them strength to set themselves free.
It's my job to transport this "orb" here on the special government gold train to Washington.
Why Washington? It's going to my lab at the Smithonian for study and safe-keeping.
Careful now, careful.
What are we hauling here? It is an unearthed foreign object.
That's kinda a mouthful, chief.
The orb, coveted by the forces of good and evil, was taken by the government.
At least, that was the idea until it crossed the path of Brisco County Junior.
Your train was carrying more than gold back to Washington.
It also carried an object known as "the orb.
" But you wanted the orb for yourself, so you went into partnership with Bly.
You tipped him off to the train schedule so he could rob it.
He gets the gold, you get the orb, and Washington would never know you had it.
They soon learned they had underestimated the power of the orb.
- Oh, would you look at that! - It's incredible.
Why do you want it? What is so important about the orb? Why don't you ask the coolies who found it? They took one of the rods out of the orb, and it gave them each the strength of a dozen men.
Hard to believe, innit? Incredible, huh? But it's true.
I know it's true, because I tried it myself.
- You did what? - I tried it myself.
You're a fool, Thorogood.
You tampered with powers you don't even understand.
Having already seen first-hand its power, Brisco was determined to keep the orb away from members of John Bly's gang.
County! And in so doing, Bly's right-hand man was defeated.
the orb: lost.
Arms straight; wrist locked.
Yes! Yes! Yes! Brisco.
I didn't know you were an athlete, Socrates.
I just discovered golf.
It is a tremendous sport.
- You think so? - What I like about it is this: You're in the great outdoors, yet on perfectly manicured lawns.
No hiking through the bush, no painful sticks to the face, and the only animals you have to deal with are very small.
Yeah, personally I have my doubts about any sport you can play in a suit.
What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were off in Oregon or someplace.
I was.
I ran into sheriff King from Colorado.
He gave me a lead on Bly.
He did? Why, what was it? Well, he gave me a note from a guy named Donovan Joe.
Bly may be in Poker Flats, Colorado.
This is what I've been waiting for Socrates.
A clue to Bly's location.
If I can find Bly, I'll have this job wrapped up in no time.
Donovan Joe.
Who's he? He's an old childhood friend.
- It's nice to have that kind of help.
- Yeah.
Especially considering our past history.
What's that supposed to mean? Well, a long time ago, before I went to law school, Donovan Joe and I both used to work for my father.
One day he sent us out on an assignment.
We had to go up into the mountains to track down some bad guys.
The Swill brothers.
We had almost caught up with them.
We tracked them into a canyon.
Donovan Joe stopped, I asked him what was the matter.
I'm turning back.
You go on.
Donovan Joe got scared.
He ran, leaving me face the Swill brothers by myself.
I was shot and left for dead.
Later Dad found me.
Lucky for me he decided a day later to follow after us.
I never knew what happened to him until I got that note.
Donovan Joe is now Sheriff of Poker Flats.
- Can you forgive him? - Well, it was long ago.
I can't forget, but yeah, I can forgive him.
Hey, before I get the heck outta here, can I give this a try? Oh, don't tell me: you're an expert at golf too? This is another one of those things that you mastered at Harvard, right? - No, I never played.
- You're kidding.
Not so hard! A little white thing! You know, there is something interesting about this game.
I can see it catching on.
Comet, it was a stick, not a snake.
I don't want to argue about it anymore.
What's in the crates, old man? Nothing of interest to you, hooligan.
Uh oh, Comet.
Looks like trouble.
You take the one on the left.
I'll take the one on the right.
We can make this simple, or we can make this real hard.
Excuse me.
This is the right trail to Poker Flats? Or should I have turned left at that fork back there? You're asking directions in the middle of a robbery? Well, I don't mean to interrupt, but I am lost.
I said "I am lost.
" Well, you're found now, mister.
Oh, for Pete's sake! Now that's a little bit better! And it's about time! I took the big one.
And I don't care for that tone.
Sorry boys, I'm taking you in.
- What are you, a lawman? - Nope, I'm a bounty hunter.
Are you sure you want to take these guys in? It's going to complicate things you know.
- What are you talking about? - You'll see.
Let's get on into town and get this over with.
Who's gonna swing? Nobody in particular.
The jail's over-crowded, that's all.
What's going on here? I want you to lock these two outlaws up.
Really? What for? Attempted robbery.
They tried to rob that man's wagon on the trail west of town.
I am going to lock someody up, but it's not gonna be those two.
What? These men are sheriff's deputies.
Who do you think you are, that you can go around assaulting officers of the law? I knew it.
Drop your gun, slowly now.
And who are you? I happen to be the Chief Deputy.
My name Puel.
Remember it, you're going to want to use it when you scream for mercy.
Hands up! I want to see Donovan Joe.
Hey, Puel, I wanna see Donovan Joe! [dog growls.]
Easy boy, it's me.
It's Puel.
Here you go buddy.
Here you go.
Thank you.
Alright, inside.
Come on.
Enjoy your stay in Poker Flats.
Get off my bed! No, it can't be.
It can't be what? Brisco? Hello, Bowler.
Oh, I must be dreaming.
Hey, hey, what are you doing? I'm pinching you to see if I'm awake.
- That's not how it works! - It works for me.
Let me tell you something, County.
I'm hot on Bly's trail.
And I got here ahead of you.
And I'm not gonna sit still while you come waltzing in here with your late-arriving, fast-taling, bullet-ducking act and go behind my back, right under my nose, to rob me of my rightful bounty.
That's fine Bowler, but there's just one little problem.
Oh yeah, what's that? You're in jail.
A temporary inconvenience.
You know each other? Oh, yeah.
We like family.
Professor Ogden Coles, Lord Bowler.
My pleasure.
That's a completely fictitious title, I assume? No, I just made it up! But what are you doing here anyway? I don't want to bore you with the story.
Then don't make it boring.
I followed Bly's trail to Poker Flats and I went into a saloon.
You saw Bly go in there? No, I was thirsty! So I went in and I ordered a drink.
Took a look around, I noticed that the bartender was Hawk Missler.
Who? A horse thief wanted up in Cheyenne with a cool $1000 price on his head.
So you decided to take him in.
You bet I did.
I hauled his butt right outta the bar and took him down to Puel.
I told him "lock him up, wire Wyoming for my bounty.
" He didn't go for it, huh? Guess who's tending bar, and guess who's sitting in jail.
- What is that? - What's what? These drawings in your book.
- I've seen it.
- Have you? Not only seen it, I held it.
That is the orb.
Is that right? Tell me what you know.
You first.
I know that the orb was unearthed by Chinese railroad workers.
They used the power of it to set themselves free.
Then the orb fell into the hands of Randall Thorogood the railroad magnate.
He tried to harness the orb's power, but was destroyed.
Lucky thing, too.
The power of the orb is wonderful.
But in the wrong hands, there is incompehensible danger.
How did you know about the orb? I've spent my entire life studying it.
Tell me, what is the orb? Where's it from? Brisco.
Come here boy.
Get him out of there Puel.
Go! - Brisco.
- How you doing, Don? God it's good to see you! You look great.
So, what do you think? Who would have guessed it? Me, a sheriff.
Well, I'm proud you made something outta yourself, Don.
Thanks - I mean it.
You boys are fired.
Give me your badges and get outta here.
You heard me.
Now! Give me that.
The hardest thing about being a sheriff, is finding honest deputies.
I recall that I said from the beginning that it was a mistake to hire these two, sir.
Shut up, Puel! Sorry, Brisco.
There must be some way I can make all this up to you.
Well, you could start by letting my friends outta jail.
Anything you want.
Puel, let the old man outta jail.
- Him too.
- Bowler? - You two know each other? - Yeah, like family.
No, he stays, I want to keep him.
I guess when you said "anything", you didn't mean "anything".
Oh, what the hell.
Let Bowler out too.
Do it! Don't think you saved me, County.
They was gonna let me out anyway.
Well, basicly I was on the move, working odd jobs from town to town, and finally, I ended up here in Poker Flats.
I liked it.
It felt like home, so I settled down, got elected sheriff, and the rest, as they say, is history.
It's quite a story.
It's my life.
You know, Brisco, it's always nagged at me, what I did to you.
No, that's a lie.
It's haunted me.
I'm surprised.
Not a day goes by that I don't think about it.
Everytime a stranger rides into town, I think I see your face.
I don't get it.
You see, Brisco, I didn't run.
I set you up.
I led you right into a trap the Swill brothers paid me to set.
Why? Because you were too damn good - at everything.
I couldn't stand it, and I didn't want to die at the hand of the Swills.
- That wasn't going to happen.
- No, not in the mountains.
I knew we were gonna lose.
I tried to steer you off their trail, but you were just too determined.
Why are you telling me all this now? For twelve years, I haven't been able to think about anything else.
Did you knew? Were you coming back for me? I got tired of waiting, waitin' for you to show up, to face me down in the street.
The past is over, Don.
The only reason I'm here is because you've got a lead on Bly.
- You give me that and I'm on my way.
- I don't believe you.
- Your father would have held a grudge.
- I am not my father.
Maybe not.
But still I know one day you'll be back for me.
- You're wrong.
- It doesn't matter.
I am finally going to put the past to rest.
Boys! - That's long enough.
- You sure? Bring him up.
What do you want? I'm just getting you prepared.
For what? Brisco County Junior, at long last we meet.
Bly.
I must congratulate you.
You've done much, much better in carrying out your father's old mission than I had anticipated.
You actually managed to corral a few of my cohorts.
Spare me the compliments.
Well now of course your father he would have had the courtesy to bring them in alive.
But for every dark cloud there is a silver lining.
And I am very lucky that you're still around.
Why is that? You have something that I want.
What? You know what I'm talking about.
Where is it? Is it safe? Is what safe? The orb.
You know where it's at.
What makes you think that? It was on the train when you "assisted" Big Smith in his long dive into that shallow river.
Big Smith took the orb with him.
It's probably washed out to sea by now.
Wrong answer.
It's is the only answer I have.
Even if I knew where that orb was, I'd never tell you, Bly.
Pathetic little whelp.
You so wanted to fill the shoes of your daddy.
But you can't.
I'm sorry.
No, truely, I am sorry.
All's well that ends well, huh, County? By the way, I saw Lord Bowler today.
Don't worry, I got my men keeping a close eye on him.
Even better than that - hang him.
We have Brisco swimming and Lord Bowler swinging well, then the bounty hunters are going to think twice about coming after me.
Consider it done.
- Wait! - What? Give that to me.
- Who did this? - I don't know.
Well, who was in here, other than your ordinary idiots? Just Brisco and the old man he rode in with.
What old man? - You wanna ride? - Yeah, thanks for asking.
Hop on.
Good afternoon sir.
You don't cook the jail food here, do you? - No, sir.
- Good, then I'm real hungry.
Wonderful.
First off: my name is Todd.
I'm going to be your waiter this afternoon.
I'd just like to take a minute to tell you about our specials.
- Specials? - Special menu items.
All right, git on with it.
Today, our chef is preparing a baby rack of lamb in mint sauce.
We also have a pork roast in country gravy, as well as pheasant freshly shot by Gus Parker this morning.
Well, howdy Puel.
Care to join me for a little chow? Todd here was just running through the specials.
Sit down.
It's on sheriff Joe's tab.
The only thing you're gonna be eating today, Bowler, is crow.
No, I don't see no crow on the menu.
Damn! What? Take out! You got take out? Eat hearty.
[dog growling.]
- Easy boy.
It's me.
It's Puel.
That's a boy.
Thank you.
See you in the morning Bowler.
We'll hang out.
- They gonna hang you son? - What do you care? I used to be the sheriff here.
This town used to have some justice.
Of course, that was before Donovan Joe ram-rodded me out office.
Come here, doggie.
He doesn't like people.
The last prisoner who tried that stunt, he ain't doing too much clapping at the opera.
Well, I hate the opera.
Come here, doggie.
Yeah, nice doggie.
Yeah, good boy.
Damn.
Deal me out boys.
I gotta see a man about a horse.
Hey, what's going on? Who's out there? Let me out! Hi, Puel.
It's me, Brisco.
But you're you're dead.
You're drowned.
Pretty scary, huh? If you want this door handle back, you gonna have to tell me where Bly is.
I can't do that.
Sheriff Joe would kill me.
There's someone here who wants to come in with you, Puel.
A skunk! I'm not afraid of skunks.
Yeah, but you know what skunks don't like Puel? is a lot of loud banging.
No, they don't! They don't! Please, let me out of here.
- The handle for the information.
- Okay.
Okay.
Bly is holed up at the abandoned saloon north of town.
Thanks Puel.
Okay, he we go.
Oh, Bowler, sometimes, you're so good you surprise even yourself.
Hey, mister! If you're waiting for service you're liable to have a long wait.
For some reason I'm not thirsty.
Brisco County Junior.
Why am I'm not surprised? You don't know how much I feel like pulling this trigger.
Well, then, do it.
No.
These will be much better.
Put these on.
You want to humiliate me, don't you? Why don't you put your gun down and come after me like a man? Look! Unarmed.
A fair fight.
That's what everyone wants out of life, a fair fight, isn't it? - Put the shackles on.
- You are afraid, aren't you? You mark your accomplishments by walking in the shadow of your father.
But how far have you progressed, Brisco? You never shut up, do you? You don't see his weakness.
He has one, you know.
He lost to me.
Put those shackles on right now, or I'll kill you.
This is your one chance to prove you're better than your father.
Take it, now! First, take that gun out of your boot.
Whoops, you caught me.
Let's do it.
Brisco! Back off.
Oh well.
Perhaps at another time.
Take him, he's all yours.
Wasn't for you I wouldn't be in this mess.
You remind me of my father.
Boys, boys.
Looks like I'm going to get the pleasure of killing Mr.
County with his daddy's own gun.
Unless Professor, can you tell me the location of the orb.
It is in a crate in the back of my wagon sitting at Mayman's livery stable over on the west end of town.
Thank you, Professor.
Dobbs? You stay here with him.
Oh, Professor, if I come back without the orb you're dead.
What about him? Oh, I do not think he's going to be too much trouble.
Brisco, you sprung from the loins of a witless pathetic fool of a loser.
When I shot your daddy dead it was to me like putting a bullet into a calf that's gone lame.
And you always wanted be like your daddy.
I'm granting you that wish.
Goodbye, County.
What happened? You got shot.
You don't remember? Oh, yeah.
- How am I? - Terrific.
That bad, huh? Let me put it this way: you don't need a doctor, you need a priest.
Quit talking.
Who said you could talk to him? Get away from there! What you starin' at? I smell smoke.
Do you smell smoke? Yeah.
- Yeah, I smell smoke.
- Look.
The window.
The curtain's on fire.
I see it.
The whole room is on fire.
I know! Don't you want to do something? Run back to town? Get some help? The saloon is on fire! The saloon is on fire! The saloon is on fire! How the hell did you do that? That's the power of the orb.
I have to go now.
Howdy, Puel.
Bowler! But you're in jail.
Do I look like I'm in jail? Sorry, you can't hear me under water.
Do I look like I'm in jail? Actually, you don't.
- Where's Bly? - In the abandoned saloon north of town.
Thanks.
By the way: you stink, Puel.
Brisco.
You're too late, Bowler.
What happened? I was hot on Bly's trail.
You missed your big chance.
Do something Brisco.
Didn't you study medicine at Howard? Harvard.
Whatever.
To tell you the truth, I was an English major.
What do you want me to do? Talk to me for a while.
I always hated the sight of blood, even when I was a little boy.
Somehow I can't picture you as little, Bowler.
Let's just say littler.
- You got family? - Nah, my daddy died when I was a baby.
My momma died of scarlet fever when I was 11.
I been pretty much on my own since then.
You probably won't believe this, but when I was growing up, I used to have to go to church twice every Sunday.
Momma sang in a choir.
She had no place to leave me, so I sang with her.
- You can sing? - Sure I can sing.
- No, you can't sing.
- I sing like an angel.
Wait a while.
I'll let you know.
# Amazing grace # How sweet # the sound # that saved # a wretch # like me # I once was lost # but now # I'm found # was blind # but now # I see Brisco? Dad? - What? I thought - Just like I said: Right there at the back of the wagon.
What about Bly? Oh, did I say the Mayman stable on the west side of town? I meant to say the Foster stable on the east side of town.
You fooled Bly.
Good for you.
Touch it.
No.
Not until you tell me more.
- What is the orb? - Faith.
Faith? I don't understand.
It was meant for you to meet me.
That's why I'm here.
Well are you gonna do something? Just touch the orb, please.
It's not the time for you to die.
You can face Bly later.
But only if you touch the orb.
- How? - Don't think about it.
Just have faith.
You killed him! Brisco? Brisco? Brisco.
Professor.
Professor? It's not here.
There's no wagon here, there's no orb here.
What's wrong? I just felt the shiver.
Like something walked over my grave.
Brisco's not dead.
You go back and take care of him.
How do you know that? - Just do it.
- You shot him.
He's dead.
You'll kill Brisco, or I'll kill you.
- Where are you going? - It's not your concern.
You succeed, and you'll see me again.
That's not possible! You're dead! You're dead! You're dead! Want to know where Bly is? I'll give you Bly.
What is it? What do you want? Are you dead? Are you a ghost? No.
But I guess I'm always going to haunt you.
You're not going to be sheriff anymore, Don.
It's time for you to step down.
That was good.
Very dramatic.
Well, I was an English major, but a theatre minor.
- Need any help taking out the trash? - It's all yours.
- You sure you go my bounties right? - We've been over this, Bowler.
Well, I just want to make sure.
Donovan Joe, he's a freebie.
But there's $700 due on Dobbs $600 on Tate for horse theivery in Billings- And $350 due on Puel, for armed robbery in Green River.
- I got it.
- Hey! There's $500 on me.
I wounded the guard.
- Shut up, Puel.
- I did.
He limps now.
- Come, Bowler, we're outta here.
- You got my address.
What do you do, Bowler? You go to the post office and memorize the Wanted posters? - What's wrong with that? - Nothing, just curious.
- So where you headed? - I'll try to get back on Bly's trail.
Catching him isn't going to be as easy as I thought.
It's pretty tough work, huh? Maybe you got a little more respect for old Lord Bowler now.
Well, certainly among all the active bounty hunters out there, you're the best singer.
That's true.
About what happened I do not even want to know.
At this point I've got enough things in my life I don't understand.
Well, I probably couldn't give you much of an explanation anyway.
- See you 'round.
- Count on it.
- Where you headed? - Are you kidding? I'm waiting for you to get on Bly's trail, and then I'll follow you.