Forever Knight (1992) s01e17 Episode Script

Unreality TV

It's like what they say about a war-- long hours of tedium, broken by brief spells of complete terror.
Tonight, we pound a different beat with the men who see perhaps the darkest side of the city at night, the officers charged with bringing criminals to justice.
Tonight, we ride with metro homicide officers Nick Knight and Don Schanke.
Yep, it's a dark and dark and lonely jungle out there with lots of wild animals masquerading as human beings.
Just ask Nick.
When you're out there on the street alone, you're definitely up the river without an outboard.
You're You're working without a net.
You're bungee jumping without a cord.
It's like well, it's like-- What's it like, Nick? It's like being alone in an alien world.
You really think so? RADIO: 81 kilo, 81 kilo.
Possible homicide in progress.
Shots fired, Eglington/Yonge, code three.
Roger that.
[SIREN.]
Hold on to your diapers, folks.
We're going into the free-fire zone.
Smell that? Smell that? That's the smell of adrenaline, baby.
Adrenaline.
Hey.
Please, stay down, stay out of the way, all right? Just keep low and stay out of the way.
Turn that thing off, come on.
Turn the light off.
[SIRENS.]
Dispatch, 81 kilo.
We need paramedics, corner of Victoria and Court.
He's got a pulse.
Did you see anything? He went that way.
Keep out of the way.
Go on.
Now.
Do it! Get down And stay down.
[GUNSHOTS.]
Oh, my God.
[GUNSHOTS.]
Get out of the way.
Hey, where are you going? Come on, let's go.
Follow him.
Go! [GROWLING.]
Stay with him.
Stay with him.
I told you to stay clear.
NARRATOR: He was brought across in 1228.
Preyed on humans for their blood.
Now he wants to be mortal again To repay society for his sins To emerge from his world of darkness From his endless forever night.
I was against this from the start.
They're in the way.
They should be on a lower-profile case.
This is our follow-home killer.
I know what the case is.
Well, then you know it's dangerous.
Well, where do you want me to put them, traffic? You know, parking violations don't make good television.
They were in the line of fire.
Well, they were in Vietnam, in the Persian Gulf, and the riots in Los Angeles.
This is the commissioner's idea.
It's not my decision.
You know, he wants the public and the budget slashers in city council to know what we're up against.
That's good public relations.
It's bad police work.
Adjust.
It's you against the world on this one, Nick.
That's that.
Let's go take a look at what they got.
Let me look, let me look.
It's too dark.
You can barely make out the guy.
They got our shooter on tape.
It doesn't look like much right now, but once we run it through the board and do a little enhancing, our computer will give you a picture good enough for his high-school yearbook.
Nick, you should take a look.
I think your argument just crashed and burned.
Well, we've got two entrance wounds and a big barn door at the back.
There could still be some lead in there.
[SIGHS.]
Oh, you're okay with this, aren't you? Oh, yeah, no problem.
I've seen a lot of gory things in my day.
Are you sure you're okay? Yeah, I'm fine.
I'm-- I'm just a little woozy, that's all.
Didn't have any dinner tonight, and Oh oh, God, I think I need some air.
Bobby, please.
Not now.
Do you want to get a shot of this? Now, what I do is I just open out the entrance wound, just a-- They were in Vietnam, they were in the Persian Gulf, and now they're in the bathroom.
Well, the sight of blood does strange things to some people.
Tell me about it.
Ah-hah.
M-16.
[GASPS.]
Corporal Miller, can you hear me? [GASPS.]
You do not feel the pain.
You do not feel the pain.
I don't feel You will sleep now For days.
You will rest and you will feel nothing.
Nothing.
[EXPLOSIONS.]
Evening, Dr.
Knight.
Uh general wants me to photograph as many of the dead as I can for records.
There are no dead here, Sullivan.
This man will make it.
You sure, doc? Maybe I should take his photograph anyway, seeing as I'm here.
A fellow shot up like he is don't usually make it.
[COUGHING.]
He'll be fine.
Hey, doc, when you're done here, I'd like to see you over at my tent.
Something ailing you, Sullivan? Yeah, as a matter of fact.
Um, I mean, I'm fine, but I've got some photographs I need you to look at something damn strange.
The camera was right there.
I could have nailed him.
The killer? Yeah, but I couldn't let them see the vampire.
Probably would have had it all on tape.
Boy, sometimes, being a vampire is a real disadvantage.
At least in these days of modern technology.
Okay, there, that's it.
Okay, go back to 13825 and let's digitize it.
What we're doing is putting the tape into a form the computer can work with, and then we can monkey with the images a million different ways.
Ain't technology wonderful? Not when you're a criminal.
Listen, when we get a good picture of this guy, can we get a hard copy? That baby will give us a snapshot of any frame we want.
Okay, artificial intel.
Mm-hmm.
So here's where I chase you down the street, Nick, and here's where they open fire.
Here's where I hit the deck.
You did the right thing.
All right, and so I panned to the sounds of the shots.
Freeze that.
Let's run it frame by frame.
Would you look at that.
He's in the shadows, but you can see his face in the muzzle flash.
Exactly.
It's kind of like a photographer's flash.
Every time he fires, it lights up his face.
Okay, let's find the clearest shot.
That one, that one there looks good.
Freeze that, Bobby.
I don't know.
I can't tell this guy from Lee Harvey Oswald.
Can you make it a little clearer? Watch this.
Bobby, let's try another pixel factor.
Brighten it up.
Get closer.
[COMPUTER BEEPING.]
Hello, handsome.
Print that one, Bobby.
Okay, that should give you guys something to start working with.
I'll go back over the tape and pull off anything else that might be helpful.
This is great.
You know, every cop on the beat should have a video with him.
Oh, yeah, it'll happen.
Next couple of years.
You can count on it.
Those cameras easy to use? Yeah, anyone can use them I think I owe you an apology.
For taking me into the autopsy? Hey, it was as much my idea as anyone else's.
No, I wasn't referring to that.
Um, you know, I was dead set against you guys coming along with us tonight.
I thought you'd get in the way.
A lot of the officers we've profiled on the show have had the same complaint.
You don't have to apologize.
Okay, but if we catch this guy, you guys will get a commendation.
That's that.
Are you kidding? When we catch this guy, we are talking Emmy here.
Right, Bobby? Okay, we'll see you later.
Bye.
Thanks.
Okay.
Yeah, thanks.
Big skirmish down by the run last night.
The whole field was on fire.
There's plenty of light, so I start taking pictures, just to see what would come out.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
I just kept slipping plates in and out of the camera as fast as I could.
Who else has seen this? Not a soul.
I was the only one there by then.
The rest of the outfit was way up ahead.
What the hell is it, doc? An angel? Yes.
The angel of death.
Keep out of the way, go on.
Now.
Do it! Get down.
Stay down! [GUNSHOTS.]
[TYPING.]
[COMPUTER BEEPING.]
[SHOUTING.]
This one's fading fast.
He won't see another sunrise, poor soul.
Shall we? Get out of here.
It's been a long time, Nicholas.
Let me see, when was it? The Crimea? The war of 1812? You follow carnage like a vulture.
Oh, I don't care for the conflict.
It's very noisy.
Don't you agree? But I love the free food.
You're a sick man, Lacroix.
Then, physician, heal thyself.
Don't tell me that you abstain in the midst of this bounty.
I draw only what sustenance I need so that I can work.
I do not prey on misery.
[CHUCKLES.]
You warm my dead heart, Nicholas.
The man with the camera, he photographed me, didn't he? All these marvelous new inventions, Nicholas, they're shrinking our domain, endangering our secrets.
Science may yet reveal us to the mortal world.
He does not know what he saw.
Nonetheless, he has evidence.
He suspects.
You know what that means.
No.
No, they are not needed here.
Go and tell them I've taken care of it.
Have you? Will you? You never could hide your thoughts from me, Nicholas.
I'm afraid I was a poor teacher in that area, or maybe Yes, we skipped those lessons, didn't we? The photographer-- You know the code in these matters.
Handle it, Nicholas, because if you won't, the enforcers will.
[FOOTSTEPS.]
Are you sure this is okay? The slightest problem, I'll just tell him it was my idea, even though it was your idea.
Personally, I think it's-- What did you call it? High concept? Yeah, yeah, high concept.
It's a showbiz term, right? Yeah, a slice of a real cop's life.
Yeah, the man behind the badge.
Actually, it makes a nice balance with the action stuff.
You know, cops on the beat, cops at home, just being human.
Yeah, that's great.
The human side of an inhuman job.
Nicely put, detective.
Bobby, I think we should put that in the script, don't you? Oh, yeah, I'm taking notes.
It-- It'll be in the script.
So what brings all of you down here so early in the day? Oh, Nick It's called "video vérité," Nick.
I hope you don't mind.
Listen, I know I wasn't supposed to use the door code except under emergency, but we wanted to capture the man behind the uniform.
Well, in this case, out of the uniform.
We wanted to capture the reality of the man, not just the cop on the beat.
A "vérité phone call" would have been nice.
Ow! You know, I knew you were going to say that, but that's not the way it works.
Now, if I had called you, you would have prepared, right? You would have prepared, and you would have cleaned up, just like I would when I have company.
It's my fault.
I did a little convincing.
She's very good at that.
Hey, you mind if I look around? Help yourself.
You're doing a pretty good job already.
It's kind of dark in here, huh? Don't touch the blinds.
Uh, Nick's got a skin disease.
He's very, very sensitive to the light, all right? I'll show him around.
A cop with a disability.
A small one.
Might be a good angle.
So are you feeling a little sore today? Sore? No, a little angry, maybe embarrassed.
No, no, I mean, physically.
Why do you ask? Well, I went over the tapes last night, and from what I saw, I could swear you took a hit.
Well, I look like I'm in one piece now.
Nick, Nick.
I knew there was a reason I came over here.
Vancouver PD faxed in this artist's sketch, and here's our shooter.
Looks pretty close.
So you think our guy's a tourist? Here to paint the town red.
They're circulating these photos.
I'm going to go out and check hotels and motels and see whether anybody checked in fitting this description recently.
So you can't ride the day shift with us, detective? No, I think one media star's enough for you guys in one day.
What do you mean? Come on, let's go.
I'm just doing my job.
I'm doing my job.
What do you want me to do? Thanks for coming by.
Yeah, I'll see you.
Schanke, bye.
You know, being a cop isn't always about chase, chase, shoot, shoot.
For the most part, running down clues can be pretty dull stuff, but you've got to follow every lead.
You've got to go Could you hold it a minute, Bobby? Cut it.
What's up? Could we take it from the top? I, I I didn't say it right.
Detective, this isn't supposed to be a performance.
Right.
I'm sorry.
I'll just kind of play it loose and freewheeling.
You know what? It might help you if you didn't play it at all.
Yeah, it's very clever, Tawny, very clever.
Tell me have you known Detective Knight? I don't know.
A year, maybe.
Does he seem sort of eccentric to you? Nick, eccentric? You mean the skin condition thing? That, yes.
You mean the only-ever-working- night-shift thing? You mean the fact that he has no family and shies away from social functions like bowling and other stuff with the cops? Still hasn't bought me one meal? Never seems to eat himself? Not even donuts? Eccentric? Nah.
Right.
Has he ever been shot in the line of duty? Well, not on this force, no, but he's never really talked about it.
He never really brings up the past.
Knight isn't what you might call a "sharer.
" I see.
[WHISTLING.]
Okay, then.
You want me to sort of take it down a little? About 50,000 feet.
Right, right.
I'll wing it.
I'll ad-lib.
You know, I take direction very well.
Okay, Schanke, we're rolling.
Rolling, right? This is the city.
[WIND BLOWING.]
The picture went out all over town today.
We got a tip from a motel down by the Lake.
Check it out.
With the camera crew? With the camera crew.
Really, detective, if your shift's over, you should probably just go home.
No sweat, I'll ride along for a while.
I'm used to working overtime.
Just in time.
Come on, Schanke.
We've got a lead.
See what I mean? Legwork.
Miss Teller.
I don't have to remind you and your cameraman about the dangers.
No.
We'll get you a couple of vests.
Play it safe.
Thanks.
Come on.
We get vests, Nick? Yeah, your own vest.
All right.
[SIGHS.]
I'm not sure it's him or not.
He checked in about four days ago.
Like I said, I wasn't suspicious or anything right away.
He's been pretty quiet.
Okay, do you mind if I look at the register? Morris Peters.
From Vancouver, Nick.
Do you know if he's still in his room? Don't know.
Saw him earlier this afternoon.
And what room is he in? But I don't think he's on his honeymoon.
If this is our guy, we know he's a shooter, so let's be careful.
I hear you.
Mr.
Peters.
Metro police.
Open the door.
Son of a-- Get back.
Get back! Ow, my leg! Bobby! Get him out of here and get some backup.
The camera.
Schanke! Schanke, I'm bleeding.
[GROWLING.]
No! No, don't! Sorry, Morris.
Honeymoon's over, pal.
Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law.
Get him out of here.
Yes, sir.
Come on.
David, book him, murder one.
Take him down to lockup.
We'll question him later.
Hey, partner, you made it.
I've been waiting for you.
Well, we did it, Nick.
Let's make this one stick.
How's Bobby? How-- Is he okay? Yeah, yeah, he's okay.
We hustled him over to Mercy Hospital.
He lost some blood.
The bullet shattered his tibia, but he'll make it.
A few inches higher, and he'd be in permanent post-production right now, or worse still, he'd be talking like Topo Gigio for the rest of his life.
He wasn't even in the line of fire.
Ricochet, Tawny.
Anybody who's around a gun when it goes off is in the line of fire.
I told you it was dangerous.
We need to talk.
All right.
Now, for the fun part-- Paperwork.
Come on, Tawny.
You okay, Nick? You look, uh distracted or something.
No, no.
No, I'm fine.
Well, write this up and get it on my desk, will you? I'll call the Crown and tell them not to go to bed just yet.
I want an indictment in the morning.
Okay.
[TELEVISION MUSIC PLAYING.]
Next time, Cop Watch stalks a killer on the homicide beat.
Reporter Tawny Teller promises some spectacular footage and a show unlike any we've seen so far.
You must destroy these pictures.
You must forget what you've seen.
Forget what I No, I can't.
I have proof.
Destroy the photographs.
I must destroy What, are you crazy? I can't.
These might be the single most important photographs I ever took.
What do you think the papers up North would pay if they saw these? Sullivan Trust me.
Listen to me.
This is for your own good.
Destroy the plates and leave this camp.
I must destroy Must leave Forget what you saw.
There's a man there, flying.
How am I supposed to forget that? I didn't do no tricks with the camera, doc.
There's something real in these pictures, and it might still be around here, so I aim to find out what it is, and I don't know why you're trying so hard to convince me otherwise.
[SIGHING.]
[SIGHS.]
Come on, come on.
Did you write up the interrogation on the follow-home guy? Jeez.
Interrogation? You haven't finished? Well, actually, captain, I-- I was waiting for the Cop Watch crew to turn up.
I figure they might want to be in on it.
Oh, really? I'm right on it.
[TYPING.]
Sorry.
I should have knocked.
You just seemed so involved.
The guard downstairs just sent me up.
He said you hadn't been here long.
I stopped by the hospital to see Bobby.
How is he? He's a little slowed down.
Well, a bullet will do that.
To most people.
Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but-- Saw? I have it on tape, detective.
Would you like to take a look? You cannot show those tapes.
What in the name of God are you? What I am isn't important.
Tawny, listen to me.
What you saw through that camera, it didn't happen.
Yeah, you tell that to my audience next week.
Look, I know what I saw, and the camera doesn't lie.
The very existence of those tapes places you in grave danger.
This is way too big to let go by.
You must destroy those tapes.
You must forget what you saw.
Forget.
You're doing something to me.
You're doing something to my mind.
You stay away from me.
I don't know what you are, detective, but whatever you are, I have evidence that you exist, that you are real, and it is my responsibility as a journalist to show it to the world.
Tawny, please.
[SCREAMING.]
Evening, major.
Sullivan.
Sullivan.
[SNARLING.]
[GROWLING.]
He has no part in this.
The fault is mine.
The code, Nicholas, I told you.
The code.
[GROWLING.]
[IGNITING.]
You must fix it, Nicholas.
They will not allow the code to be broken.
Well, I've tried to control her, but she won't submit.
Of course she won't submit.
She has photographic evidence, or worse, videotape.
Well, why does that matter? Oh, darling, where have you been? All right, it may be just a rumor, but even so, if you had hung around with your own kind more this past century, you would have heard it too.
Okay, so tell me.
It's her proof, the existence of empirical evidence.
As long as she has the tape, as long as she has empirical evidence, it will be impossible to make her forget.
Evidence The photographs, now the videotape.
Technology, huh? Why do mortals always seek to complicate the world? Before television and movies, people used to go to clubs, and now you So you must destroy the tape.
It is your only hope and, certainly, it's her only hope.
And I can control her then? Yes.
Then you will be able to make her forget, but you must do it soon.
The enforcers.
The enforcers will come.
They will enforce the code, whatever it takes.
You know, Nicholas.
Yeah, I know.
I can't do this But then again, Don, only once in a lifetime does a man have a moment where fate takes his hand.
You've got to follow that dream wherever that dream may lead and be all that you can be.
Hello.
Star Search talent agency? [TYPING.]
Look.
There.
You see that? It looks like he's flying.
Oh, nobody's going to believe that these weren't faked.
Danny, I swear to you, on my dead Italian grandmother, I did not doctor these tapes one iota.
That is a videotape of a man who can fly.
And this guy was in here tonight with you? You're going to think I'm crazy, but he was actually trying to hypnotize me or something-- something to make me forget about it, I guess.
A cop? Tawny, how long have you been awake? Maybe you could use a few Zs.
I'm serious.
Well, maybe he'll try something stronger than hypnotism next time.
Did you make dupes of the tape? I've got the originals hidden.
Where? In this building.
And have the producers seen it? No one but you.
I told them I have something very big, but I want to sit on it until the last moment.
I don't know, Tawny.
I-- I'd be careful.
You're my backup, Danny.
That's why I'm showing you.
I feel like Jack Ruby or somebody, like I know something I shouldn't.
I appreciate it.
Just keep it quiet, okay? Oh, I'm not going to breathe a word to anybody.
I want to keep my job and my neck a little longer.
Thanks.
Ah, I'm on OT I've got to run.
Hey, you be careful, Tawn, okay? No problem.
[GROWLS.]
[SIGHS.]
Where the hell are they? She said she was coming back.
[SIGHS.]
Hey, hey, you haven't seen the Cop Watch crew around have you? No.
They're not riding around with anybody else, are they? Don't know, Schanke.
Don't know, huh? Damn! She said she was coming back with a new cameraman.
[SIGHS.]
Where the hell are they? [SIGHS.]
[GROWLING.]
Hey, Nelson.
Nelson, you naughty boy, sleeping on the job? Nelson? [SNARLING.]
[TIRES SCREECHING.]
[SCREAMS.]
Do what I say or they'll kill us both.
Who are they? What do they want? They're what I am.
They're sworn to protect our secret, to keep the world from discovering the knowledge of our existence.
But they look like vampires or something.
Oh, my God, that's what you are.
Come with me.
Hurry.
[GROWLING.]
The tape, did you copy it? Come on, did you copy the tape? Yes, but I hid it.
Where? It's in a safe in an empty office we use for storage.
Who else saw it? No one, except Danny the night technician.
The night technician.
The guy's a vampire.
Danny? He seems so nice.
Come on, we've got to get the tape.
You think you know somebody Let's go! [GROWLING.]
Oh, damn it.
Here, let me.
Okay.
Nick, I-- I can't turn the tapes over.
It's my story.
It's the biggest story of my career.
The only story here will be about your murder, Tawny.
I'm sorry, Nick.
Look, it's my journalistic responsibility.
I just can't.
Oh, my God.
[GROWLING.]
Stay away from me.
No, no! No! No.
Here.
Tell them [GASPING.]
Those are the only tapes.
You can't lie to them.
They'll know.
I swear, they are the only tapes.
Now listen to me.
You have to forget everything that you've seen.
How can I forget every-- Surrender your will to me.
Submit.
You have to forget.
I I have to forget.
Now sleep.
It's done.
[GROWLING.]
It's over.
[HISSING.]
[WIND BLOWING.]
Oh.
Nick.
Jeez, I'm sorry.
You-- You shouldn't have let me crash on you like that.
It's okay.
You needed the sleep.
It's been a long night.
You know, I was having the weirdest nightmare.
Someone was chasing me, trying to kill me.
Really? How's the show going? Show? Oh, right, the show.
Well I don't know.
I kind of forget where I left off.
Good.
Hmm? [WIND BLOWING.]
Nick Time to move on, Danny.
[GROWLING.]
Proud of it.
Would you hold still, Bobby? Some day, this is going to be worth big money.
I'm not moving.
[SIGHS.]
Hors d'oeuvres, ladies? Try the little weenies.
They're great.
[GROANING.]
Don, didn't I mention I'm in a lot of pain? What are you writing, your yearbook? There, there.
Finished.
"Show business is my life henceforth.
"Yours in crime prevention, Don Schanke.
" Hey, thanks a lot, Don.
Wait, wait, wait.
I forgot the date.
Oh, easy! Didn't I just tell you that I'm-- I'm in pain? Yeah, I heard you.
Where did you get the little pizza roll things? They're a big hit.
Yeah.
What have you got there? A Hundred Years of Combat Photography.
It's a gift from Tawny, a little memento of the time we spent together in the front lines.
[TELEVISION MUSIC PLAYING.]
Cop Watch stalks a killer on the homicide beat.
Hey, the show's on.
Hey, come on, Nick.
Come on, it's on.
More champagne.
Come on, Knight.
You're going to miss my 15 minutes of glory.
Yeah! Whoo! [APPLAUSE.]
Oh, yes.
Yeah.
[LAUGHING.]
It's a dark and dark and lonely jungle out there with Do I have a quality or what, huh? Yup.
"It's a jungle out there.
" Thanks, Nick, for everything.
You're welcome.
You're definitely up the river without an outboard [TELEPHONE RINGING.]
Hello? Yeah.
Yeah, Schanke, it's for you.
Hello.
Hey, Nat, could you turn it down? It's my agent.
Okay, Marty, baby, how much money we talking about here? Shh.
Uh-huh, yeah.
Yeah, hair's looking good, sideburns.
Hold on to your diapers, folks.
We're going into the free-fire zone.
Wait a minute, Marty.
What do you-- What do you mean? What do you mean you're dropping me? No, no, Marty, this is not kosher.
You cannot do this to me.
I'm your star client.
You can't do that.
[ .]

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