V (1984) s01e11 Episode Script

Good evening.
I am Howard K.
Smith.
And this is the state of the war tonight.
The defenders of Córdoba, the last free city in Spain refused to surrender this week despite seven weeks of savage fighting.
When offered terms by the Visitors Juan Palacios, the leader of the Spanish Resistance is reported to have replied "Spain for the Spanish, death to the Visitors.
" In LA, the wounding of Nathan Bates remains an issue of great dispute with both the Aliens and the Resistance blaming each other.
As for Bates himself, he has issued a statement outlawing the Resistance and placing the city under martial law.
Benni Scallini, a 34-year-old insurance man from Atlanta, Georgia received the Freedom Network Medal of Valor for his efforts in derailing a train, carrying 600 people through a labor camp in Savannah.
More than half the prisoners were able to flee from the train.
And that's where we stand tonight.
From the Freedom Network in New York.
Our hopes are with you.
Good night.
What you need is a thermonebulon rasafrats.
The last thing I need is a stand-up lab assistant.
It's quitting time, you better be nice to me or I won't come back.
- Night, Doc.
- Good night.
Resistance.
Don't anybody move.
Where's Nathan Bates? Nathan Bates? What are you talking about? Either you tell me where he is, or we'll start doing some serious damage.
You can't do this.
This is private property.
Starting with you.
Now, I know he's here.
Talk to me.
He was never brought here.
I swear.
You're a liar.
They'd never trust a hospital.
All right, let's get out of here.
I believed in the Resistance.
Why did you do this? We pause for a moment to bring you the latest report on Science Frontiers where Mary McHugh is standing by.
I'm here at the headquarters of Nathan Bates where members of the Los Angeles Resistance staged a violent surprise attack.
Apparently the raiders were attempting to kill Mr.
Bates who was wounded earlier in an assassination attempt - What the - I'm sorry.
- What was that, an earthquake? - No, I was experimenting.
I'm not quite sure how to control my powers.
I've been practicing.
Practicing? Practicing what? Becoming an alarm clock? You looked kind of restless, I felt like I needed to hold you.
And before I knew it, I was holding you.
Along with the bed? - And then you dropped me? - I didn't mean to.
The news was on and there's been another attempt on your father's life.
- Where? - Science Frontiers, but he wasn't there.
I got upset and I lost my concentration.
At least we know he's still alive.
No matter how hard I try I can't get the picture of my father being shot out of my mind.
It's nice to be wanted.
- Especially for something we didn't do.
- The question is, who did? We'll check out other Resistance groups in the city.
Find out what the word is.
Robin, you get over and see George Caniff at the underground newspaper.
- We need to set the record straight.
- I'm on my way.
Think we better do a little digging of our own.
Let's do it.
Then our agent has arrived in the Open City? He's already made a contact that he believes we'll put him in touch with the Resistance.
Good.
Keep me informed.
Guards, cease them.
I wouldn't advise that, Diana.
What are the Resistance doing here? The Resistance? Why, Diana, dear? Don't you know Lt.
James of Covert Operations? I thought you were familiar with all the males in the fleet.
Familiar, Lydia, not intimate.
- James.
- Sir.
- It went well? - Like clockwork.
Just a scratch.
I'll arrange a battlefield commendation for you.
You are dismissed.
Your plan to set our enemies against each other seems to be right on schedule.
What one really needs to do is to observe their history to discover they have this absurd passion for trying to destroy themselves.
Fifty million people were slaughtered in their Second World War and that was despite the limitations of primitive weaponry.
If we hadn't arrived, they would've certainly resorted to a nuclear holocaust.
The fallout would have made the entire population inedible.
So, thanks to James and his commandos, the people of Los Angeles see the Resistance as a direct threat to their safety.
Precisely.
The next step is to reach Bates himself.
- Unless he is already dead.
- He's not, he's alive.
- I'm sure of that.
Are you? - I am.
If Bates were dead, he'd be choking on the Red Dust by now.
He wears a fail-safe device on his wrist that releases the dust the moment his pulse stops beating.
A true paranoid.
No wonder he's been so successful.
Given your familiarity with the subject, perhaps you'd care to join me.
You can relax, Reggie, nobody's gonna hurt you.
Julie? Yeah, it's me.
What's going on? You were at Science Frontiers the night it was raided.
Yeah, so? I need to know exactly what went down.
It's like I told the police, the Resistance came looking for Bates.
You're lying, Reggie.
We're friends, remember? Friends like you are gonna get me killed.
- Who's gonna kill you? - Nobody.
I didn't see anything, don't know anything.
I don't want to get involved.
You already are! Talk to me.
I swear I won't use your name.
There'll be no court, no press.
I need to know the truth.
When they raided us one of the guys got shot.
I couldn't believe they were with the Resistance the way they roughed everybody up.
And then I knew they weren't.
I saw the guy who got shot.
His blood was green.
Still no change.
Doctor, please let me know the moment he comes out of the coma.
Mr.
Chiang? Charles and Diana are here to see Mr.
Bates.
Should I send them away? On the contrary.
Send them to Mr.
Bates' office.
I will take care of the matter.
Aren't your new seating habits somewhat premature, Mr.
Chiang? I wonder if you'd be as quick in Mr.
Bates' grave.
Mr.
Bates requests you excuse his unwillingness to meet with you.
And under these circumstances he prefers to keep his enemies at arm's length.
Enemies? I hardly think so, Mr.
Chiang.
Allies comes closer to the mark.
I'm sure Nathan is aware of who shot him.
And who set him up.
He does not wish to make the same mistake a second time.
Naturally.
But then the answer is simple.
We must work together to eliminate the Resistance.
What happened with Ham Tyler was an unfortunate accident.
Surely Mr.
Bates can see that the Resistance has him marked for death.
The Resistance attack on this building is proof that we must act before they do.
I will convey your message to Mr.
Bates.
Victory requires action.
I have a plan.
- Would you do the honors? - Of course.
- Excuse me.
- Surely.
That should do it.
You are about to witness an interesting technical achievement.
The computer generates a basic facial structure.
Now, watch closely.
We program in human characteristics.
Skin tone, hair color, eye pigmentation.
Hello, Mr.
Chiang.
I hope you will listen to what Charles has to offer you.
I thought you might be interested.
Most interested.
- It looks and sounds exactly - Like Nathan Bates.
You see, I'm offering the ability to speak out without risk.
And a chance to avenge those who tried to kill him.
Perhaps you're right.
I think it's time to break the back of the Resistance once and for all.
"Tigers are often called the most beautiful of the big cats "as well as the most powerful and dangerous to man.
"But the threat they pose to man has been greatly exaggerated "even though they grow to a length of 10 feet.
" - Ten feet? - That's right, Nicky.
It's 10 feet long.
That doesn't include their tails.
George.
- Robin.
- Hi.
- Do you have a minute? - Sure.
Private? - Depends.
- He's okay.
I'm your roving tiger expert, in from Rajasthan.
Robin Maxwell.
John Langley.
John's a stringer from the Phoenix Post.
He just brought in a interesting piece on what's going on in occupied territory.
Mucho gusto.
Don't let me interrupt.
That business out at Science Frontiers? What's the deal out there? What am I supposed to print? Just the truth.
We had nothing to do with it.
You're with the Resistance.
Who's going to believe you? I would.
Nicky.
Time to wash up.
Wait.
I'm looking at tigers.
You are all under arrest.
- What is this? - You'll find out all about it.
- What are you doing? - Watch it.
Stop it.
Leave me alone.
Get off me.
All right.
I'll go quietly.
You are not going anywhere.
No one's going anywhere.
Come on, get them in the back.
I come to you today by the grace of God and a bulletproof vest.
All rumors as to the extent of my injuries have been grossly exaggerated by the same people who attempted to assassinate me.
We can no longer tolerate the chaos and anarchy that these thugs bring upon us.
They are a cancer to our society.
They must be rooted out and destroyed.
Accordingly, I have ordered the arrest of a number of known Resistance sympathizers.
Unless the Resistance leaders Mike Donovan, Ham Tyler Julie Parrish surrender one prisoner per day will be handed over to the Visitors for execution.
Damn him.
This has been the most difficult decision of my entire life but I know your hopes and prayers are with me.
Thank you and good day.
My slug should have caught him between the eyes.
Sonny-boy still loves his daddy, huh? You're a real hero when it comes to shooting unarmed men.
Stop it.
Both of you! We're behaving exactly like they want us to behave.
All I want is a piece of him.
Kyle, Ham, what are you doing? You're not enemies.
She is right.
We can't fight them if we fight ourselves.
We have got to free those hostages.
Free them? We don't even know where they are.
Somebody out there has to have seen something.
- Let's split up and find them.
- You come with me, all right? Remember they've seen our faces.
They'll be looking for us.
They always are.
They came after me.
I'm sorry you two got involved.
Don't be.
I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines with a notepad while others fight.
I just don't understand why they're keeping us here.
My guess is, in reprisal for the attack on Science Frontiers.
But I told you the Resistance had nothing to do with it.
I guess Nathan Bates has a different idea.
Boy, my family.
I never even got a chance to say goodbye to them.
Goodbye? If they can't connect us with that raid, they can't keep us here.
My guess is you'll be back with your family in 48 hours.
- You don't believe that, do you? - No.
But he needs to.
- It's getting hard to be invisible.
- Tell me about it.
All right, he's coming.
Thanks for coming, Glen.
All of us don't play ball with the lizards.
What about the hostages? Nothing.
If they were being kept at any city facility, I'd hear about it.
What do you think? I don't know.
Beats me.
One thing's for sure.
If those folks die at noon tomorrow, you guys ain't gonna have many friends.
May I have your attention, please.
I'll try to be as short as possible.
If you got any shorter, you'd need a ladder to tie your shoe laces.
As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted by our comedic friend here unless the Resistance surrenders one of you each day will be turned over to the Visitors.
You can't do that.
The order will be determined by lot.
Draw your number.
Now.
Number five.
Next.
She was on the street looking for us.
Mrs.
Caniff.
Her husband's captured.
Why aren't you doing something to save them? - You're Mrs.
Caniff? - Yes.
We know that your husband's shop was raided.
Do you have any idea where they may have been taken? Taken? They weren't taken anywhere.
They're holding them at the store.
They're looking for you.
My husband belongs with his family.
What am I supposed to tell our little boy? He keeps asking for his daddy.
Mrs.
Caniff, we'll help.
But we need some information.
Was there a young woman there? They took five others.
One was a young girl.
Mrs.
Caniff, I want you to know, we'll try Try? Trying won't bring back my husband.
It takes courage.
You want to help us? Surrender.
Let my husband live.
I don't know how to say this.
We all feel terrible about what's happened to your husband.
But he's not in it alone.
There are others.
Surrender? I'd do it in a second if I thought it would stop the killing.
But it won't.
This is Visitor blackmail, pure and simple.
If we give in now, there's no telling where it'll stop.
I'm sorry, Mrs.
Caniff, but you're just gonna have to trust us.
We're gonna save your husband our own way.
Number three.
Now, only two left.
Publisher and our comedic friend.
I got a feeling this is going to be my lucky day.
What did I tell you? You're looking at number one.
How appropriate.
Now, all that is left to do is to wait for the Resistance to surrender if they surrender.
Come on, you have to get this platform finished by tomorrow morning.
Diana will have us for breakfast.
What's wrong? As a child, my mother would teach us to hunt at night.
I was always afraid of the night.
Relax.
Have I ever let you down? No, you are my best friend here.
I think we hit the jackpot.
Well, then, let us go back and tell the others now.
Let's make sure first.
Stay here.
- Robin.
- Robin? Where? They are holding Robin in there with the others.
- Wait here.
- Where are you going? I want to see what that platform is for.
Over there! - Kill him.
- Disintegrate.
Oh, God, they killed Elias.
Hang on.
There's nothing you can do for him now.
Hang on, for your own sake.
For me.
The Resistance doesn't work alone.
I think Willie got away.
Then they'll know where you are.
They won't let you die here.
They'll be back.
But there's so little time for you.
Then let's not waste the time we have.
Don't ever leave me.
Never.
Even if I could.
She knew the guy.
Resistance.
- Some toy, that rig that nailed him.
- Yeah.
I've seen them use it before in Prescott on Resistance fighters.
Kind of makes you feel they're serious about us, doesn't it? What's your story, John? Your real story.
I'm the guy that never got involved.
Until you felt a sudden compulsion to be a hero? That's not generally the way it works.
I just got tired of other people dying for me.
Just that simple.
Look, I thought it over.
I can't let you take my place.
- You don't have a choice.
- No, that's where you're wrong.
I chose to be a part of the Resistance.
Nobody held a gun to my head.
Now, you want to be a hero, that's fine, but not at the price of my conscience.
Listen, you got a family to think about.
You got a woman who loves you, a son whose life depends on you.
You're part of the struggle.
I got nothing out there but a lot of old, used-up war stories.
This is my big chance, George.
If I can buy some time for you and her just one day then maybe my life will be worth something.
Nobody's going to deny me that.
I think maybe it's time that we considered turning ourselves in.
We'd better consider it.
Could be just a matter of time before they catch up.
They have my mother, and I love her.
But you can't surrender.
You do, and it's over for the Resistance.
That's not true.
The movement will find other leaders.
- Don't look at me.
- Why not? You're not exactly what I'd call a born follower.
- You know that's not the point.
- Kyle, we're not martyrs.
But I am not going to stand around while innocent people die in my place.
Nobody's asking you to sit around.
- How's Willie doing? - He's still pretty shook-up.
- Come on, get up.
- Tyler, back off.
He's had it bad enough without you getting on his case.
I said, get up.
Every war has its dead heroes.
Those are the rules.
I don't believe this.
Isn't anybody allowed to show emotion around here? Not when it gets in the way of what we have to do.
He's gone, Willie.
Look at me.
Elias is dead and there's nothing you can do to bring him back.
Now we need to know what's going on out there or a lot of other people are gonna die, including her mother.
How can I be of insistence? The Resistance must surrender or lose their popular support.
Either way, they're on the verge of extinction.
At the academy, one of the first principles you learn regarding heroes is that they are completely vulnerable to manipulation.
When I was at the academy and heard you lecture I dreamed of serving under you.
- I remember you well.
- Do you really? I looked so different then.
But your eyes burnt with the same fire.
For the solitude of permanent quarters.
- Good evening, Charles.
- Good evening.
Why, Lydia, you're working late.
Do you ever stop? Not when we're at war.
You sent for me? Yes, you're right on schedule.
I've been reviewing your report on the Star-child and it deals almost entirely with her mother.
Explain why that is.
Robin's DNA is very unusual.
It's very susceptible to recombination.
Which is why I was able to crossbreed her with Brian to create Elizabeth.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find any other humans with the same genetic compatibility.
I see that you received my gift.
Yes, thank you.
Napoleon brandy.
A rather elegant elixir named after one of mankind's rare geniuses.
Yes, and what happened to him? He was left on a scab of rock to die.
Something to ponder, Diana.
Good morning.
What's so good about it? Don't tell me you're one of those people who's a total grouch before you've had your first cup of coffee.
My mother was like that.
Used to drive me crazy.
How can you make jokes at a time like this? I've got about six hours left.
What else is there to do? To late to feel sorry for myself now.
Tell me one thing.
Why did you do it? Why did you switch numbers? I guess you could call it a serious character flaw.
Excessive ego.
All my life I've always wanted to be first in everything I did.
For what it's worth you're really one of the bravest men I've ever met.
Thank you.
What we're pulling here is a hijack off a diversion.
Only, we're after people, not equipment.
Speaking of which, that disintegrator is no popgun.
No, it was truly terrible.
Remember, timing is everything.
We've got to move on before they get a chance to use it.
Chris has rigged up a throat-mike, so be sure to listen for my command.
Willie, you go with Kyle in the truck.
Everybody else comes with me.
- Chris, you drive the van.
- You got it.
I must not fail.
If only I had not failed Elias.
Willie, you didn't fail Elias.
- You mustn't think that way.
- He was a warrior.
I am only a You're a warrior, too, Willie.
A different kind of warrior.
Elias is gone.
But it's up to us to do something about it.
We know he wasn't perfect.
He took advantage of what we went through to set himself up.
Flashy restaurant, the whole nine yards.
But when it counted, when the Visitors returned the truth was, he cared too much to turn his back on us.
He took us in, he gave us a place to stay.
He paid for it with his life.
If you think about it, we're all together right now because of him.
I'd say we owe him one.
Good day, Mr.
Chiang.
It's a pity Mr.
Bates isn't well enough to attend.
Mr.
Bates knows what's about to take place.
He feels no obligation to bear witness in person.
The execution will be televised for all to see.
We shall miss him nonetheless.
I believe you haven't had the opportunity to see the disintegrator in operation.
I've been told it is most impressive.
- Any word from the Resistance? - None whatsoever.
I hope they don't disappoint us.
They won't.
At least the wait's over.
I would like to tell your friends we got you off the hook but the cowards didn't turn themselves in.
Don't call them cowards.
Let's go.
Say your goodbyes.
I wish we had more time to get to know each other better.
I can't let you go through with this, John.
He took my number.
I'm supposed to go first.
You'll all get your turn.
Right now, my orders say he kicks things off.
How can you do this? Turn him over to those monsters? I'm just doing my job.
Move it.
I'll never forget you.
The important thing is to remember why we're here what we stand for, and what it means to be free.
Testing, this is Eagle One.
Do you read me? Come in, Sky Hook.
Over.
This is Sky Hook, Eagle One.
We read you loud and clear.
Over.
I'm a block from the target.
Any word from the Catcher? The Catcher is ready, all sisters go.
Just give us the word and we're ready to roll.
Over.
I'm on my way.
Over and out.
I'll get the smoke grenades.
You know what to do? You just get them out, I'll be there.
No way we can get close to them without being seen.
If I shoot him, those hostages are dead meat.
We've got to take him out.
Cover me.
You stick your head out there, it's gonna get shot off.
We can't stay here.
- Maybe I can help.
- You're not going out there.
- I can do it from here.
- Be our guest.
I think we may have a little problem here.
On the contrary, Diana.
Charles's plan has worked to perfection.
Charles.
Here I am.
- Let him go.
- That was the bargain.
Indeed it was, Mr.
Chiang.
Release him.
Mr.
Donovan has arrived to take his place.
A most courageous gesture on your part.
We all do what we can.
It's not working.
Nothing is happening, I'm sorry.
It's okay, sweetheart.
You gave it your best shot.
Then why isn't it working? I can't feel any energy.
You can figure that one out later.
Right now, he's our main concern.
Julie, no! - What was that? - Go check it out.
What's going on back there? Out the back door.
Go on.
Come on.
No, thanks.
I brought my own.
Unless you have any final requests.
No requests and no regrets.
What a way to go.
That's our cue.
Get going.
Take off! Don't shoot.
He's mine.
That hurt.
Next time, Mr.
Donovan.
How's our little secret weapon doing? She's fine.
My wife and I want to thank you for what you did back there.
Really.
Nobody's perfect.
Why don't you hang around? We can always use a guy with some guts.
Not a lot of call for second-string war correspondents nowadays.
I wouldn't say that.
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