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Hero Part 1 (October 12, 1999) Written by: Howard Gordon & Tim Minear |
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Teaser |
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EXT. THE CITY - NIGHT - AERIAL SHOT - STOCK Remember the opening shot in the pilot? Similar. We hear: CORDELIA (V.O.) EXT. STREET - NIGHT A lovely pair of legs stroll down the sidewalk. CORDELIA (V.O.) TRAVEL UP the gams to reveal it's CORDELIA, dressed and made-up at her best. A purse slung over her shoulder. CORDELIA (V.0.) She looks over her shoulder, then turns back to find herself face to face with a huge, muscle bound THUG. He grabs the strap of her purse. She struggles. CORDELIA (V.0.) The thug produces a SWITCHBLADE and waves it menacingly. CORDELIA (V.O.) Cordelia and the thug react as they become-aware of an OFF-SCREEN GLOW. They turn to see... ANGEL -- framed in an alleyway, lit dramatically, heroically. His long coat waving cape-like in the sudden night wind (waving and wind optional!). (PRODUCTION NOTE: For artistic and budgetary reasons, this is Angel's double, so silhouetted that we can't tell.) CORDELIA (V.O.) Deftly, Angel's silhouetted double kicks the knife out of the stunned thug's hand and up into the air, and a crashing blow from a huge right hand sends the thug down and out. CORDELIA (V.O.) CLOSE ON Angel's double's outstretched other hand as the switchblade falls into it. CORDELIA (V.O.) And now ANGEL himself turns into a corny close up (to be shot anywhere) and says: ANGEL INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - DAY Angel squints at Cordelia (who holds a vid cam) brimming with enthusiasm. Doyle watches. ANGEL CORDELIA ANGEL CORDELIA But he just shakes his head, then starts past Cordelia, toward the elevator. She follows, undaunted. CORDELIA But Angel enters the elevator without answering, hits the button. Angel's continuing silence is punctuated by the closing doors. CORDELIA Angel descends. Doyle appears. DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE Cordelia considers, seemingly consoled, then: CORDELIA She's looking right at Doyle. He takes a quick peek behind himself, then looks back at her, not pleased with where this is heading. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA Doyle self-consciously touches his hair. DOYLE CORDELIA She positions him in the light. CORDELIA Cordelia steps back, studying her handy work. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA BLACK OUT. END OF TEASER |
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Act One |
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INT. ANGEL'S OFFICE - DAY THROUGH THE VIEWFINDER
OF A VIDEO CAMERA (icons tell us we're recording) Doyle leans against the
desk, crossing his arms with forced casualness. He looks straight at us --
whenever DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE Cordy is shooting the vid. File folders serve as cue cards, taped on the wall behind her. DOYLE An awkward beat. Doyle clears his throat. DOYLE Cordelia lowers the vid cam, underwhelmed. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE She sees the effect on him. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA She starts taking down the cue cards. DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE INT. ANGEL'S APARTMENT - DAY WHOMP! Angel's fist hits a body bag, he's shirtless or in tank top, boxing hard on a body bag. Doyle walks down the stairs, watches Angel work out his aggressions. After a beat: DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE Doyle notes the broken MANTEL CLOCK from episode 8, it's cracked face fixed forever at 9:01. DOYLE Angel stops boxing, moves past the clock, gets a drink of water. ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE Angel sips water. ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL Doyle tries to absorb all this. DOYLE Angel regards Doyle, suddenly very vulnerable. ANGEL DOYLE Beat. DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE Angel almost smiles at that. DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE Angel does smile at that. INT. ANGEL'S BUILDING - LOBBY - DAY Cordy and Doyle sit on the stairs drinking cups of take-out coffee as she tries to understand what Doyle's just told her. Occasionally, a PEDESTRIAN enters and/or exits, heading to and from other offices. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA Doyle shoots Cordy a look, guilty about the secret he keeps from her. DOYLE They both reach for their cups or a cruller at the same time, brush hands. Both feel the electricity that passes between them at the brief touch. He takes a breath, makes a decision... DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE Cordy looks a little disappointed. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE He drops his coffee and grips his searing head. A BUSINESSMAN is moving past. An embarrassed Cordy quickly improvs: CORDELIA Camera rockets toward his agony-riddled face, as -- DOYLE'S INTERNAL POV -- An abandoned tenement. JUMP CUT closer to a faded sign: "The Brinks Hotel." Then CUT TO: -- ABOUT TWO DOZEN LISTER DEMONS huddle in the darkness. Men, women, and children, all quiet with fearful anticipation. BACK TO DOYLE. Cordelia steadies him; as his pain subsides... CORDELIA EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT TRACKING FAST down the rain-slicked street with RAYNA, a ten year old Lister Demon. She carries a carton filled with food. Rounding the corner into an alley, she slips and falls. Veggies and canned goods spill from the carton onto the pavement. Rayna starts gathering them when the sound of approaching footfalls -- dozens of hard soles echoing against the asphalt in ominous syncopation -- turns her around. HER POV - THE CORNER No sign of the soldiers, except the sound of their quickening approach. RAYNA frantically gathers her food, when a shadow falls over her. She turns, about to scream, when a hand clamps over her mouth and sweeps her out of frame. ANOTHER ANGLE She's been snatched by RIEFF, a sixteen year old Lister Demon, who holds her close. RIEFF She nods and he lets go. The marching sound grows louder. Rieff pries open a boarded up doorway, pushing Rayna inside first, then following. Both press up against the broken slats as -- JACK-BOOTED STORMTROOPERS quickstep past. Their threatening presence underscored by the fact only their boots and legs are visible through broken wood slats. Rieff and Rayna freeze as the stormtroopers thunder past them. FLASHY CUT TO: EXT. TENEMENT - NIGHT A faded sign: "The Brinks Hotel." Angel's car is parked out front. INT. TENEMENT HALLWAY - NIGHT Doyle and Angel sweep their flashlights down the empty hallway. DOYLE ANGEL Each covers a side, checking one abandoned apartment after another. Angel lingers inside one, then ducks his head back out. ANGEL Angel enters the apartment, Doyle follows. INT. TENEMENT APARTMENT - NIGHT Angel tries the light switch, but it doesn't work. He sweeps his flashlight across the room. ANGEL'S PANNING POV The flashlight beam finds clothes hanging from makeshift clotheslines. Mattresses cover a section of the floor, laid out in neat rows. DOYLE ANGEL Doyle has found a long table littered with bowls filled with some kind of thick stew. DOYLE ANGEL Doyle looks at Angel, curious. Angel's gaze falls to the floor... He kneels and peels back a balding rug, revealing a trap door underneath. Doyle moves beside Angel as he pulls open the hatch, where his flashlight illuminates -- ABOUT TWO DOZEN LISTER DEMONS hunkering in the shallow pit. Men pull their women closer, and women their children. Angel trades a quick look with Doyle, then addresses the frightened group: ANGEL A slow wave of relief passes through the group, as meaningful glances are exchanged among them... INT. TENEMENT - MINUTES LATER The Lister Demons have emerged and are finishing their food. Some ignite Coleman lanterns, others stand respectfully aside as an older demon, ELDER, talks to Angel and Doyle. ELDER ANGEL ELDER ANGEL But before the Elder can answer, Rieff and Rayna enter, breathless. Rieff sets a carton down on the table, starts unpacking food -- RIEFF ELDER Rieff glances at Angel. ELDER RIEFF Rieff goes back to unpacking supplies. Angel and Doyle exchange looks ANGEL ELDER ANGEL Doyle looks suddenly, deeply stricken - although his reaction goes unnoticed by the others. RIEFF ELDER RIEFF Rieff stalks off into an adjacent room, leaving the group rattled in his wake. Doyle most of all, although all eyes are on Angel and the Elder, who is embarrassed. ELDER Angel watches as the Elder goes after Rieff. Angel looks around at the hopeful, expectant faces of the other Lister Demons. He smiles a little awkwardly, then joins Doyle, who's peering out a window. ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL Doyle nods, uncharacteristically grim. ANGEL DOYLE BLACK OUT. END OF ACT ONE |
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Act Two |
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INT. DOYLE'S APARTMENT - DAY (FLASHBACK) CAMERA TRACKS through Doyle's apparently empty apartment. It looks a mess. In here it's always the lost weekend. The SOUND of KEYS working in the front door. Doyle enters. He looks a bit different than we're used to. Cigarette burning between his lips. Circles under his eyes. A couple days' growth. He shrugs off his jacket, moves to hang it in a closet... and pulls out -- a baseball bat. He spins. Brandishes the bat toward the shadows -- DOYLE Only now do WE SEE a FIGURE lurks in the dusky shadows. LUCAS (O.S.) DOYLE The figure emerges from the shadows, his BLUE PIN-HEADED DEMON FACE coming into relief. We recognize him as one of Doyle's race. Doyle reacts, surprised at the sight. LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS DOYLE Angel and Doyle in a private spot, away from the refugees. (who we can see in the b.g.) Doyle has been telling Angel this story. Doyle nods. DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL DOYLE And WE ARE back in -- INT. DOYLE'S APARTMENT - DAY (FLASHBACK) LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS DOYLE LUCAS We hold on Doyle... LUCAS Lucas heads out the door. INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT (PRESENT) Doyle continues his tale. DOYLE ANGEL INT. DOYLE'S APARTMENT - NIGHT (FLASHBACK) It's late but Doyle's still up. He paces the apartment, as much as its size allows. He stops, unhappy resolve on his face. DOYLE Doyle grabs his car keys off a table, steps toward the door. As he's about to open it, he jerks, grimaces... a familiar sight for us. But new to him. He freaks as: Camera RACES to his FACE -- DOYLE'S INTERNAL POV -- A REFUGEE ENCAMPMENT in a WAREHOUSE DISTRICT. FLASH IMAGES of more BRACHEN DEMONS, Lucas among them, great distress as they try to flee... BACK TO DOYLE As his eyes snap open with his first vision. He's freaked out big-time. As CAMERA pushes onto his sweating face... the panic of those he saw reflected there... INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT (PRESENT) Doyle tells Angel: DOYLE INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT (FLASHBACK) BANG! Doyle enters hard into the creepy warehouse. He smacks his flashlight, it comes on. He crunches over broken glass. The beam finds something... a small shoe. A child's shoe. Doyle, the lump rising in his throat, continues moving deeper into the warehouse... now his light finds something moist and glistening splattered on the floors and walls... blood. And then the bodies... DOZENS of BODIES of Brachen. The scene is a massacre. We only get bits and pieces, but from the detail we know this was a brutal ethnic cleansing. Doyle's light finally comes to rest on a familiar BLUE FACE. Lucas. Dead among the others. INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT DOYLE Beat. Doyle takes a breath, looks at some of the REFUGEES in the near distance. Rieff is eyeing them with adolescent contempt. Off Doyle's pained look -- ANGEL DOYLE ANGEL Off Angel's resolve... EXT. CITY SCAPE - NIGHT Cool, jump cutty transition to -- EXT. TENEMENT - NIGHT HEADLIGHTS FLARE out the FRAME. A YELLOW RENTAL MOVING VAN pulls up. The lights go dark and the driver kills the engine... INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT - A DOOR OPENS Slowly... someone's entering. It's Cordelia. CORDELIA Cordy rounds a corner. Finds herself nose-to-nose with the Elder. And behind him, more curious Lister Demons. She freaks, pulls a mace-like spray bottle, brandishes it. Reacts as she realizes she's grabbed the wrong thing... CORDELIA She aims it away into the air, gives a few warning spritzes. The Listers back up, exchange bemused looks. ELDER Doyle appears, gently comes between Cordy and the Listers -- DOYLE She looks at the innocent-faced demons. CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA Out of the side of her mouth: CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA She maneuvers Doyle a few steps away, as: CORDELIA Another glance and smile back at the demons from Cordy. DOYLE He hands her some paperwork. The info she'll need. DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE CORDELIA DOYLE A beat as she takes in his more-grave-than-usual look. CORDELIA DOYLE A beat. When all is said and done, she's a team player. CORDELIA He nods his thanks. As she exits. DOYLE EXT. SOMEWHERE ON THE WATERFRONT - NIGHT A LONG SHOT of Angel and a CARGO INSPECTOR on a stretch of portside road. Standing near Angel's car. CLOSER - The Inspector has several official looking forms, a clipboard, pen. He is scared and unhappy about being here. CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL CARGO INSPECTOR ANGEL The Inspector hurriedly fills out some forms, stamps them, hands them to Angel. CARGO INSPECTOR INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT The Elder is upset, talking to some of the others as Doyle moves up, concerned. ELDER DOYLE ELDER RAYNA They all look to the little girl. RAYNA DOYLE He hands his cell phone to the Elder. DOYLE Now Doyle turns to Rayna. Kneels down to her -- DOYLE Off the girl, conflicted at blowing the whistle on her friend... WE HEAR A WHISTLE BLOW and WE ARE: EXT. HAROLD EXAMINER BREEZEWAY - NIGHT Rieff walks along. Doyle appears in the distance, running to catch up. DOYLE Rieff half-glances back, but keeps walking. Finally Doyle catches up to him, winded, and starts walking alongside. DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF Doyle knows, but he doesn't want to say it. RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE Rieff shrugs. DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF Doyle doesn't jump on that with a quick "yes." We see disappointment flicker across Rieff's face. Behind the bluster he was hoping it was true. RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE RIEFF DOYLE Rieff doesn't have a ready retort for that. DOYLE Rieff looks at Doyle. Hold the moment so we can cut here if we want, then: Suddenly that adolescent arrogance is wiped away by the child's face. He wants to cry but absolutely won't let himself. RIEFF DOYLE Off Rieff-- EXT. CARGO SHIP - NIGHT - ESTABLISHING INT. CARGO SHIP - SHIP'S HOLD - NIGHT BLACKNESS FOR A BEAT then... a heavy metal door opens, revealing Cordelia with THE CAPTAIN and his FIRST MATE (the one who's doing the heavy door opening work). Cordelia stands in the doorway of one of the two hatches on the floor. A third hatch is located high above on the ceiling, accessible only by a stairway, which connects to several catwalk/platforms. She looks around the grimy hold, filled with shipping crates and containers... CORDELIA CAPTAIN FIRST MATE CORDELIA CAPTAIN CORDELIA Cordy pulls out her cell phone, starts to dial... EXT. STREETS - NIGHT Doyle and Rieff move through the ghetto-y streets, making their way back toward the tenement. Doyle pauses, looks a little lost. Makes a choice. Starts to go a particular direction. Rieff reaches out, stops him, indicating: RIEFF He nods toward another direction. DOYLE AND RIEFF As Doyle follows -- RIEFF DOYLE Doyle hears something. He reaches out to the boy; Rieff looks at him. RIEFF But now he and WE HEAR IT TOO... MARCHING. Drawing closer... RIEFF The MARCHING SOUNDS building and building... DOYLE AND RIEFF RIEFF PULLS AT DOYLE, LEADS HIM TO AN ALCOVE. They duck behind piles of debris. Just in time, as... THE SCOURGE JACKBOOTED
STORMTROOPERS of various horrifying DEMON FACE, all wearing sleek uniforms,
well up out of the breezeway, row after row, marching in their strict columns
as if being BLACK OUT. END OF ACT TWO Continue on to Part Two |
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Hero Part 2 (October 12, 1999) Written by: Howard Gordon & Tim Minear |
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Act Three |
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EXT. STREETS - NIGHT - THE SCOURGE JACKBOOTS clicking smartly on the pavement as they sweep and roust the streets of this ghetto block, moving from building to building. In the controlled chaos of the scene, CAMERA FINDS... ALCOVE As we were, with Doyle and Rieff crouched, both terrified, hiding behind the alcove. Peering out at the soldiers. Rieff watches as various troops converge near the tenement. Soon they will: DOYLE They watch tensely as SOLDIERS move from building to building... closing in on the hideout tenement... RIEFF Rieff points in another direction. Doyle follows Rieff's gaze, sees... A STORMTROOPER moving their way, knocking over piles of boxes, poking into the shadows with his billy club, moving ever closer. Doyle turns to the terrified boy... DOYLE The boy can only nod. Doyle braces himself... THE STORMTROOPER Is just About to uncover their hiding place... when -- DOYLE Now totally BLUE DEMON FACED draws his attention by nearly colliding with him as he bursts past. The Stormtrooper BLOWS A WHISTLE, takes off after Doyle... RIEFF Watches, safe for the moment but more frightened than ever, as... THE STREETS As Doyle plays blue
spiky faced mouse to several jackbooted cats. HE DUCKS INTO A DARK ALLEY,
momentarily evading his pursuers. He's running for his life when a HAND DARTS
OUT It's ANGEL. Doyle swallows his terror, manages- DOYLE Angel takes this in, a plan formulating. ANGEL INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT The food bowls, personal items, etc. The same signs of life Angel and Doyle found on their first entrance into this place. And now, as then, no sign of the Listers... CAMERA finds The Scourge, led by Trask, inspecting the place. STORMTROOPER #2 Trask steps into the room, casts his glance about. TRASK He casts his gaze down to the balding rug, the one we know covers the trap door. He kicks the rug aside with the tip of his boot, revealing the seam there. He nods to Stormtrooper #2 who pries up the trap door, throws it open... revealing... ...the empty hiding place. TRASK They move into another room - where they encounter ANGEL, IN VAMP FACE, STANDING WITH A DEMON-Y DOYLE HELD FIRMLY IN HIS GRASP. ANGEL All soldiers go on the defensive when they see Angel. Angel himself looks angry, desperate - and just a little bit crazy. ANGEL Trask signals for his men to hold up. TRASK ANGEL TRASK Angel nods, his self-loathing growing evident. ANGEL Angel, caught up in his emotions, grips Doyle even harder - hurting him. Doyle, whimpering, starts to plead with Angel- DOYLE Angel, set off by his pathetic rambling, yells as he SNAPS DOYLE'S NECK - killing him dead. ANGEL Angel casts Doyle from his grasp without a second thought. TRASK Now Angel moves to Trask with a burning intensity in his eyes. ANGEL Trask and the others glance at each other, both suspicious of this creature and slightly curious. TRASK ANGEL Trask takes this in. Appears unconvinced. ANGEL Angel says this with the eerie conviction of the true believer. Trask remains inscrutable. Finally -- TRASK Trask nods to his men. Now Angel is their forced guest. And as they exit, we see Angel's face, not struggling, inscrutable himself, now... EXT. TENEMENT - NIGHT POV from Rieff's hiding place... Rieff is watching as The Scourge vacate the area, Angel their prisoner. Once it's safe, Rieff emerges, hurries to -- INT. TENEMENT - NIGHT Rieff enters, stops in his tracks when he sees the seemingly dead Doyle on the ground. He now drops to his knees next to him, horrified. He jumps a little when Doyle's "lifeless" eyes suddenly dart at him, fix on him. DOYLE Doyle rises, painfully CRACKING his neck back into position as he does and MORPHING back to HUMAN FACE. As he rubs his aching neck... RIEFF DOYLE Now Rieff looks around - his fear rising again. RIEFF DOYLE CUT TO: INT. CARGO SHIP - SHIP'S HOLD - NIGHT Cordy plays den mother as the Lister Demons file into the hold, find a place. The Captain is in her face a little. CAPTAIN CORDELIA The Captain looks at her, sizes her up. Considers the situation... CAPTAIN CORDELIA CAPTAIN CORDELIA The Captain moves off. The Elder approaches Cordy. ELDER CORDELIA ELDER CORDELIA ELDER The elder moves off, helping his people find a place in the hold, leaving: CORDELIA - face frozen in about-to-reply mode. Unable to come up with anything. INT. SEWER SYSTEM - NIGHT A vaulted subterranean lair, long forgotten, retrofitted into a kind of war room. Uniformed stormtroopers of THE SCOURGE are gathered here, listening, as camera finds -- ANGEL standing among the rapt crowd, dressed in the uniform of The Scourge. TIERNAN, their leader, speaks from behind a raised podium, flanked by a pair of stormtroopers. Although at first glance he appears charismatic, almost appealing - a closer look reveals that his eyes burn with controlled rage, like twin furnaces, as he addresses the assembly. TIERNAN The crowd murmurs. A few shout - no! TIERNAN Now the crowd starts to cheer. He's getting them worked up. TIERNAN |