Jeremiah (2002) s02e10 Episode Script

The Question

1 Previously on Jeremiah I'm tired.
Can I go home now? I love you so much.
Meaghan! We tried every man for himself for 16 years.
It didn't work.
It's time for a change.
What's in it for us? The alliance has opened up trade routes between a dozen states.
So far, we haven't had any trouble because we haven't taken sides.
- They're building an army.
- So are we.
If you're not strong enough to defend yourself, you deserve what you get.
Now, you're starting to sound like Daniel Only the strong survive.
(Smith): God talks through me.
The reason I'm here is to give you a message.
For me from God.
I didn't ask for this, and I don't want this.
It's just there.
Oh, good, Markus.
What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Milhaven.
Well, they can get along without me for a few days.
You and I need to talk.
Now's not a good time.
I'm up to my ass in alligators.
I got half a dozen reps from different communities waiting to see me about God knows what.
Well, the alligators can wait, because I'm running out of stuff in Milhaven.
I need concrete, I need pipes, electrical wire Yeah, yeah.
We've had to divert some of that to other towns for a while.
Milhaven has been getting a disproportionate amount of that stuff.
Dispropor Hey! Listen to me.
Those people are on my back because of promises that you made.
I promised that we'd rebuild Milhaven, and we will, but we're not going to do it overnight, or by withholding help to all the other towns that we've promised to help.
Look, I'm not unsympathetic, okay? I'm not going to leave you high and dry.
Check around the base.
See if there's anything that we can give you that'll help for now.
If no one has dibs on it, it's yours.
Oh, great, great.
Yeah, I'll check on that.
Hey, Kurdy, what're you doing down here? Brianna here called and said I may want to come down.
Wanted to be here for the unveiling, huh? Smith I'll feel good when this thing's off.
That's for sure.
As I mentioned when they brought you in, none of us none of the staff here are trained doctors.
We're all self-taught.
Yeah, after the Big Death, there weren't a lot of medical schools around.
You guys did a good job.
What I'm trying to say is There's always a chance we could be wrong.
Wrong about what? The gunshot wound you received at Innsmouth cut across some critical junctions.
There's inflammations and lesions all through the nerves in that area.
That's the reason you haven't been able to move it.
Yeah, but they'll grow back, right? I figured, with time and That's what I've been trying to say.
Some nerve damage can repair itself spontaneously, or over time, but that's extremely rare in cases like yours, where the damage was so comprehensive.
It's just numb.
I mean, the binding was really tight, so We need to keep it immobilized for the time being, to prevent any further damage to the tissue.
We were hoping there'd be some signs of improvement on your own, something to give us a reason to hope, but Wait a minute.
What're you saying? That I'm paralyzed? That my arm is paralyzed? Barring a miracle, you're never going to be able to move that arm again.
It's been 15 years since a strange disease wiped out all of the adults and left us kids to fend for ourselves.
Now I'm moving ahead, through the past.
I can't let go I'm holding hope so tight It's hard to breathe when the whole world falls I'm gonna put the stars back back up in the sky Let them all just shine down I'm gonna try I believe we'll find the world together Through your eyes That's all I can see I believe we're looking at forever In a world where we can be free I believe Oh, hey, Kurdy.
I was looking for you, man.
They told me you were down at the cafeteria.
Yeah, I came to check on Smith.
Figured he'd need somebody to talk to.
It's okay.
It's no big deal.
How's it going, Smith? How's the arm? Jeremiah, this isn't a good time.
They say it's paralyzed, but they could be wrong.
Yeah could be.
They are sometimes.
And if not, it's all right.
I've got a spare.
It's no big deal, really.
Of course, I probably will need to figure something out for this camera a rope maybe So I can hang it around my neck.
Well, I could find somebody to do that for you.
Then I'll only need one hand to take the cap off and put it back on.
That'd be great, and I say, as long as I have one good hand, my love life's intact.
It's not a problem.
Got it! Got it.
Look, Smith I know you were there the night Libby was killed, and you got hurt because you did everything you could to help her.
- Jeremiah - I couldn't be there.
You were there.
You paid the price.
I owe you.
No, you don't.
That's not your decision.
It's mine.
Anything you need just let me know.
Jeremiah, you check in with Markus when you came in? Yeah, he's, uh Yeah, he was in a bad mood.
Must be something big going on.
And we've had four cases now where some of Daniel's people have come across the border, set some of our farms on fire We've had two convoys of supplies hit in two weeks.
We took care of the team that was hitting the convoys.
They should be safe for a while.
And when they do come back, what're you going to do to help us? When we signed on, you offered us protection, but protection doesn't mean squat if it takes two or three days for your people to show up, and you're stretched thin as it is.
Okay, but you know our resources here are limited, particularly in terms of manpower.
There are only a couple of thousand of us living here.
- So what do you want us to do? - Keep your promise.
I don't care how, as long as you do it, or this alliance of yours is going to die at birth.
They're not wrong, you know.
I know they're not wrong.
If they were wrong, all this would be a hell of a lot easier.
We offered them protection.
We haven't followed up as completely as we should.
There's no argument there.
You know what we have to do, Markus.
We've talked about it.
That's why you have me and Smith getting people to sign on.
- You said at the very beginning - I know.
We're nibbling around the edges of this.
It's time to go flat out.
They'll never go for it.
If they don't go for it, then there's no alliance, and if we don't give them protection, there's still no alliance, so choose your poison, because any way you look at it, it's all bad.
You know what's funny about me, Kurdy? I have to pick just one? I like putting things together always did.
Some kids like taking things apart.
Me, I liked putting them back together again.
When the adults died, and we took over this place, anytime something broke, they brought it to me.
It was like this great escape, figuring out how a slotted into b, fixing c and plugging into d, and soon the whole thing was up and running again.
I started this campaign because I wanted to put the country back together again.
I thought it would be like inserting part a into slot b, but it's not.
It's like putting person a into foxhole b, and shooting person c or letting person c shoot everyone else.
I don't like sending people out to die, Kurdy.
That's not what I signed on for.
That's not what I signed on for at all.
When you joined the alliance, we promised you protection not only from Daniel's group, but from other third parties.
We intend to keep that promise.
Good.
That's all we needed to know.
As noted, we have the weapons, the resources, and the supplies to make it happen.
What we don't have is the manpower.
There's only a couple of thousand of us living here.
We can't be everywhere at once, so here's the deal.
You want an army, you've got an army, but it has to be a cooperative deal.
How cooperative? We provide the resources, the training, you provide the warm bodies.
Each group that joins the alliance, has to kick in.
We'll work out a formula so many recruits per thousand.
You're being unreasonable.
I'm open to any other ideas.
An army needs resources and people.
We have one, you have the other.
And if we say no? Then you're on your own.
Even if we go for this, how do we talk people into signing up? We offer them hot meals, a place to sleep, training and the knowledge that every night, those they love are as safe as we can make them.
I'd say that's a pretty fair trade.
So what do you say? We can either sit around all day complaining about this, or we can do something about it.
It's your choice.
So, what do you think of our army? Well, half of them look like they haven't eaten in days, like if they had to walk one more day, they'd probably die right there in the middle of the street.
I have a hunch they're stronger than you think.
They want this to work.
They're tired of getting the short end of the stick.
I think they want to get busy.
I'm tempted to ask what all this has to do with us, but every time I ask that question, I never seem to get an answer I like, Markus.
Right now, we have the men and the weapons.
We're two-thirds of the way.
Next we have to put the two together, give them the training that they'll need so that they can fight as an organized force, and a place to live, because we sure as hell don't have the room here.
Wait a minute.
Kurdy, you have proven yourself over and over with the men, - with our recent missions - You want me to train these guys? Train them, lead them Do I look like a general to you? Now that you mention it, yeah, especially around the eyes.
What do you think, Jeremiah? Oh, I'll be in the car.
No Markus, Markus, this is not a good idea.
All I'm asking is that you give it a shot.
What's the worst that can happen? I can get these guys killed.
Or keep them alive, by teaching them what you know and once we've trained these people, we'll start farming them out to places we've set aside all along the border with Daniel's group, but they'll have to be bunked down and fed at a halfway point, which is where you come in, Jeremiah.
Milhaven? No way, Markus.
I'm packed to the roof.
I got people all over the You wanted to do something this is it.
Recruits come here, we train them, they go to Milhaven for assignment, and out from there.
No, I don't think that's going to work.
Why is it that every time I come up with a good idea Markus, Markus Why is it every time that I come up with a good idea, you guys start razzing me? It was never a good idea You wouldn't know a good idea.
That's the problem Excuse me.
Excuse me.
I'd like to speak to you while you're all together.
Smith, this may not be the best time.
This'll just take a minute, I promise.
I know that some of you, well Probably all of you Don't believe that I hear from God.
You don't believe that God's going to get more active in the world than he has been in the past.
That's going to change.
God spoke to me today.
He said "Tell them that I will offer proof.
"Tell them that they may each "ask for a miracle, "a miracle that will stand as testimony "to my promise of a better world to come.
"Tell them to come to the appointed place, "at the appointed time, "and wait, "and whatever miracle they ask, it shall be granted.
" Of course, it's got to be a present miracle, because creating time took some serious-ass work, and I don't think he wants to mess with it.
(arguing) Would you look at all this food.
Do you believe this place? It's like walking into the old world.
They've got everything.
Yeah, real cushy.
So where you from? Lawrence, Kansas.
I'm Ed.
Gina.
Omaha, Nebraska.
So, you a volunteer? Hell, no.
The way I heard it, unless a certain percentage of folks sign up, the whole town gets screwed, So it's either come here, or get thrown out of town with nothing and have to start all over again somewhere else.
Stinks, but hey as long as they feed us, right? Only reason I signed up.
How about you? Me? No, the guy behind you.
Vail, Colorado.
Name's Kent.
You volunteer, or did you get volunteered? I signed on.
Ah! Another man in search of three hots and a cot.
No.
No, I signed on because I believe in the alliance, in what they're trying do here.
I mean, someone's got to create the new world.
Better these guys than some other ones I've seen out there.
No way.
We've grown up on our own.
We've come of age.
Now it's time for the country to come of age.
Man, you've got to be kidding me.
Spare me from dreamers, please.
I'm just saying It's a job, man.
It's just a freaking job.
You think it's wrong to have ideals? I'm just saying when things get hairy, you can kiss your ideals goodbye.
That's right.
You're here to do a job, or you ain't.
Now, someone tries to kill me, I'm going to kill them first, and not because of some dopey ideal, but because I want to live.
Yeah, but Hey, just pass me the salt, okay, dreamer? We only got half an hour left to eat, and I'm not going to leave anything on this plate.
Anyways, it'll be good to meet the guys in charge.
I'm sure they're giving us the best of the best.
Hi.
I'm Kurdy.
They put me in charge.
You ready to do this? You got something to say? All right, you Maggots! Stand at attention.
Maggots, stand at attention! Your gun is your friend.
I am your friend.
Thunder Mountain is your friend.
The thing about friends is, there's some friends that you watch, and All right, drop! Give me 20 No, no 40 no, no 50! You give me 50! Straighten that shirt! Suck in that gut Miss.
99 You see, if I can do it, you My job is to train you, not lie to you.
Now, what you learn here will determine whether or not I can do the most important part of my job Keeping you alive.
You got something to say? Nothing, it's just Look, everybody here has had to handle himself outside.
It's not like we don't know how to take care of business.
She's right.
Some, or all, of you have faced problems on your own, same as me.
You've had to fend for yourselves, fight for what you've got.
Maybe some of you have even had to fight off raiding parties, but I've learned there's a big difference between taking on a bunch of disorganized, jumped-up raiders, and fighting an army, and failing to understand that difference will get you killed.
So take a good look around, people.
Take a good look, because depending on whether or not you listen to what I have to say, as many as half of you will be dead by this time next year.
Jeremiah, wait up.
- How's it going? - Lousy.
So is this a good time, then? What's up? I wanted to know if you've given it any thought.
Given what any thought? God offered you a miracle.
Not now, Smith.
It can be small.
It can be big.
I do not want to have this conversation with you, okay? You're just you're, you're I'm not crazy! You get to ask for a miracle, Jeremiah.
That doesn't happen every day.
All you have to do is show up at the appointed hour, and the appointed place, and it'll happen.
Just like that? Just like that.
What could it hurt? Just in case I'm not as crazy As I just sounded.
Well, I don't look for quarters under my pillow from the tooth fairy, and I don't wish on falling stars.
I don't believe in miracles, Smith, okay? So you'll just have to find someone else to talk to.
I'm very busy right now.
- What's the harm - Not me! If you ask me what I want for a miracle, I would open up a door straight to hell.
All right! You know how they say "Talking to you is like talking to a wall?" Well, this is the wall they were talking about.
All right, you must be hungry, because I know I sure am.
So here's the deal I'm going to pick six people.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five and six.
Once you six get over that wall, then we break to eat.
All right, let's go.
You get over the wall, and we get fed.
You're kidding, right? - Yeah, I'm known for that.
- Right.
It's too high, man.
If you can't conquer a wall, how do you expect to conquer an enemy? Give me a break.
(laughter) This is bullshit, man! No, it's not.
You said we couldn't break until we all got over that wall, but you didn't say we had to do it alone.
No, I didn't.
So you have an idea of how to get over? Okay, you two lean up against the wall, hands out.
What are you looking at me for? You heard the man.
Okay, now you two, get on their hands.
No, no.
No.
Stay there.
Stay there.
Keep straddling the wall.
Now, the guys on the wall just just help everyone else over.
You help the other guy get up.
He gets to the top, but he does not leave you behind.
He stays and he helps you over before following himself.
It's not about the wall.
It's about you.
On the outside, you're used to doing for yourself, but here, you have to do for each other.
You work together, or you die alone Or somebody else dies for you.
That's how an army works.
So go ahead.
Finish up.
So what's with the flowers? This little girl gave them to me when I signed up.
She said they'd be lucky, so I kept them.
- I like them.
- You know, I swear Kurdy's trying to kill us.
Two weeks straight, and not a single break.
It's just to make sure we can survive once we get out there.
Oh, I'm going to survive, all right, because end of the day, I'm a fighter.
Anybody comes at me, he's a dead man.
You'll probably survive too, dreamer.
Different reasons, of course.
Yeah, how do you figure? I've seen your kind before.
You think you're real smart, but when the shits start flying, you're going to be the first guy to run.
So why don't you take your dreams, and your bullshit and you shove them.
I'm going to get some sleep.
Because if there's anything I've learned from this, Markus, I am not cut out to be a teacher.
- That's your gig, not mine.
- That's not what I hear.
I think you have a natural affinity for this.
No, if you think that, you're even crazier than Smith, hi.
We were just talking about you.
We've only got a few days left before the appointed time.
Have you decided on your miracle, either of you? I no, I don't think so.
Kurdy, what about you? I've been hanging with you for about six months, Smith, and I still don't know what to make of all this.
Now, there's something going on with you, that's for sure But this? Then on the other hand, why the hell not? So, if I had to ask for one miracle I look at these guys I'm training, and I know they're going to face some hard times, because when the old world died, they left all these guns and weapons just lying around.
So, if I had one miracle, it'd be for every gun, every nuke, every rocket, every grenade, just every weapon in the world to disappear.
Level the playing field, you know.
Knives, too? No, knives we need.
We all got to eat, right? That good enough for you, Smith? Okay, people, listen up I've got good news.
Tomorrow, you get to go back outside.
Tomorrow, it's your turn.
You finally get to walk in the sun.
Of course, you're going to walk about 10 miles.
You're going to have to work together as a unit, and you're going to learn how to scout an open field, and once we're done with that, we'll have some war games.
You get to shoot at each other, and nobody dies.
Sounds just like Kent's kind of war.
(snickering) You got something to say? No.
Sir.
Good.
Let's keep it that way.
Get some sleep, people.
We head out at dawn.
So, how much time do I have before this so-called appointed day? End of the week Sunday.
I want Meaghan back.
Alive.
Whole.
Uninfected.
If it was good enough for Lazarus, it's good enough for her.
Hey, man.
I heard you was going on a little field trip.
Mind if I come along, help you keep an eye on these newbies? No, that's cool.
Thanks.
I need the help.
Hey! Did I tell you to touch that box? You ever hear the word "explosives" where you come from, chief? Okay, here it is.
You want to know what I want? I want to see God.
I want to see him face to face Him, her, it, whatever And look him right in the eye, and ask him, "Why'd you screw things up?" Then I'll tell him, face to face, that he's a thug, monster, hypocrite He's a killer.
I'm going to spit right in his eye.
All right, break up into two groups.
Group one, group two.
You're group one, group two.
You're group one.
You're group two.
Group one, you go that way.
Group two, you stay with me.
Scout the area, coordinate positions, and report back.
Let's go.
Hey, dreamer Don't worry.
If I see any bad guys, I'm sure Gina here will protect you.
Shove it, Ed.
Keep it down, jackass.
Run another cycle and increase the output.
See how that works.
Excuse me.
What are are you okay? We need to talk.
There's a problem.
Come on, let's go to my office.
Hey, Kurdy, check this out.
Hold up, guys.
- Look, Jeremiah, if this is another weird-ass - No, no, no.
Look at this.
Somebody's been here before us.
- Military boots.
- Yeah.
And for the last two weeks, we've had people go missing, some of our winter supplies have been stolen.
It could be raiders.
No.
Late yesterday we found one of the people who disappeared.
He was being held in a burnt-out bowling alley.
They'd hurt him, left him for dead.
If we hadn't found him He said he was captured and held for questioning by an advance scout team from Daniel.
Five, maybe six men, well armed.
Can you show me exactly where they've hit? Here, and through here.
You're sure? Yes.
Why? We just sent some of our people into that area.
I have to get to a radio, fast.
(Kurdy): Stay back! Come on.
There are two of them, maybe more! Spread out as much as you can.
If we're bunched up, it's easier for them to hit somebody.
Where the hell are you going? Costa! Oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
Forget this, man! I'm getting out of here.
- We hold the line! - You hold it.
I'm out of here! Ed no! - Get him out of here.
- What? He stays, he dies! Get him out of here.
I'll cover you.
Kent, come on.
Let's go! Come on! Go on! I'll buy you as much time as I can.
Go! Kent! Make sure he gets buried with this, all right? You work together, or you die alone.
Or somebody else dies for you.
You know Kent was just grandstanding.
He was trying to show everybody how superior he was.
I mean, guys like that It's inevitable.
You said we couldn't break until we all got over that wall, but you didn't say we had to do it alone.
No, I didn't.
So you have an idea of how to get over? It's not about the wall.
It's about you.
On the outside, you're used to doing for yourself but here, you have to do for each other.
You work together, or you die alone.
You're leaving? Got to get back to Milhaven now that I got the supplies I came for.
But today's the appointed day.
Your miracle, remember? Sorry.
I thought you wanted a chance to spit in God's eye.
If there is a God, and I don't think there is, there'll be time for that later.
Maybe.
You know, first I thought you were just afraid that your miracle wouldn't come true, but now I think you're afraid you will get your miracle, because if you do, then you're going to have to Reconsider everything.
You think whatever you want.
You know something? I want to know what you asked for.
What miracle did you ask for? To use this arm again.
That's it? All the things you could ask for That's it? I travel light.
Markus, Kurdy, there you are.
Smith, we have to stop meeting like this.
People will talk.
It's miracle day.
Are you guys ready? I can't.
There's too much going on here.
It's half a day's walk, Markus.
- I wish I could, but I - But you what? It's just been a hard week, Smith.
It's just been a really hard week.
I know.
Okay.
I'll go, but we've got to go now, before I change my mind.
You're going? I'm going.
All right.
If you're going, I'm going, too.
This I want to see.
This is the appointed place? Almost.
I'm being eaten alive.
Nothing comes easy, Markus.
Thank you for that insight, Mr.
Smith.
How come these things aren't bothering you, Kurdy? You're a more likable guy.
Pays to be mean.
This is it.
You're kidding.
No.
You know the thing about mosquitoes, right? No, what's the thing about mosquitoes? Well, the male mosquitoes are the ones that buzz, but they don't bite.
The female mosquitoes bite, but they don't buzz.
So if you hear buzzing in your ear, you're okay.
If you don't hear anything worry.
You made that up.
Nah.
So what do you hear? I don't know anymore.
(buzzing) How much longer do we have to wait here? Until he shows up.
You know, you never told us what your miracle was.
What for the sun to stop overhead? Repeal the law of gravity? Clean up all the cities? I wanted Meaghan back Alive and uninfected.
It was his choice.
He could choose whatever he wanted.
He chose one person.
One One This is ridiculous.
- No, it's - No, it is! It's ridiculous.
What have I been doing here? I'll tell you what I'm doing here.
We've got people wounded at Thunder Mountain.
I'm in the middle of building a freaking army.
We're on the cusp of a war with Daniel's group, and I'm stuck here in a swamp, in the middle of the night Being eaten alive.
Why? I'll tell you why.
Because I loved her Because I didn't want to let go, because I haven't let go, even after all this time.
I didn't let myself talk about her.
I didn't think about it, I She's gone.
She's gone.
She's gone.
I don't think I realized, until right now, how badly I was holding on, or how much I need to let her go, or I can't be what she wanted me to be, what she could never be, locked in that room Free.
Free I should head back.
They need me back at the Mountain.
That's, uh Quite a metaphor you got here, Smith.
Wandering around in the muck and mud of my own conscience, for far too long.
Time to go.
You're leaving, too? Come on, Smith.
Look, when you got Markus to come along, I knew exactly what you were doing.
You knew Jeremiah would cut off his left foot before he went along with even the possibility that there was a God, but Markus You gave him something he needed.
You did good, Smith.
You knew what Markus would ask for.
Now, let's go.
I'm staying.
You're kidding.
No.
All right, you want to play this whole thing out so nobody can say you didn't, you go right ahead, but I'm going back where it's warm and dry, and I can stop pretending that these things are not eating me alive.
Good night, Kurdy.
I'll see you in the morning.
So, what do you think of the first graduating class of the Thunder Mountain irregulars? They look good, but it's the army of the Western Alliance.
Yeah, whatever.
It was a rushed program, but we got there.
Now, once we've got these guys trained in the basics, I figure we can get them teaching the others, while we work to get them to the next level.
Heads up! You should have stayed, Kurdy.
You really should have stayed.
Synced and corrected: quinnell
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