Macgyver s06e20 Episode Script

Trail of Tears

This court is now in session.
Please be seated.
We've heard all the evidence .
in the case of the Lakota tribe versus New Plains Electric I'll now call on both counsels for their summations.
Closing argument, Mr.
Samuels.
Mr.
Whitecloud wants the court, you, ladies and gentlemen, to stop New Plains Electri c from running high tension lines across Bitter Flats.
First, he'd have you believe that the land was part of the reservation.
But as we've shown, the treaty states quite clearly that the boundary is Black Stream.
And just as clearly, the corridor through which we want to place our lines is three miles to the east of there.
This established, Mr.
Whitecloud abandoned his argument completely, m and conjured u p this wild clai of electromagnetic fields from high-tension lines harming the environment.
So, we summoned representatives of the Phoenix Foundation who are involved in a comparable case in California.
Yes, the Phoenix Foundatio n is notoriously pro-environment.
And, yes, in the California case , they were on the other sid e of the issue.
Nevertheless, what could Mr.
Willis and Mr.
MacGyver tell us? SAMUELS: Nothing.
What a sleazeball.
No indication whatsoever that EMFs harm the environment.
And as for the health issue, the way I read the testimony, if we ran high-tension lines through your living room, there is only inconclusive studies that only suggest the possibility of potential long-term effects.
(CHUCKLES) But Bitter Flats is uninhabited.
Jerk.
SAMUELS: Ladies and gentlemen, , at 11:00 on Friday morning Mr.
Everett Johnson, the president of NPE, is going to be at our Cook Power Facility to give the go-ahead on a massive renovatio n that will culminate in the running of hundreds of megawatts of power over these new lines.
This start-up has already been postponed three times due to Mr.
Whitecloud's frivolous lawsuit.
, I urge you do not allow another costly delay.
Let NPE get back to the business of supplying electricity to good folks of this community .
and others like it Thank you.
(MAN COUGHS) (PEOPLE CHATTERING) Mr.
Whitecloud? (SIGHS) No conclusive studies.
Terrific.
And what if at some point in the future ? there are conclusive studies And they do show a hazard? Then what? This is the only Earth we've got.
It's not as if we can pick up and move to another planet now, can we? ? And what about this treaty that Mr.
Samuels mentioned e For five centuries we've been given the choic of signing treaties, or being exterminated.
So we signed.
Nearly 400 times.
But even then, ask any Indian, not one of those treaties was ever completely honored.
So, my hat is off to you, Mr.
Samuels.
You have found the one treaty in all the world, in all of time, that someone actually wants to abide by.
(ALL CHUCKLING) Don't you believe it.
There's a swindle here somewhere.
, Unfortunately, in 1891 none of us had law degrees to ferret out these scams.
But so it goes throughout history.
Lying, cheating, stealing, slaughtering innocent women and children.
You bear this in mind, .
and you begin to understan d the depth of our grievance We're not asking to renegotiate the sal e of Manhattan Island.
.
We know it's impossibl e to turn back the clock But Bitter Flats, as, uh, Mr.
Samuels pointed out, is uninhabited.
Actually, he means "uninhabited by whites.
" Because holy men from the reservation have been going there for a very long time.
It's always been our land, and that land, ladies and gentlemen, is as sacred to Indian culture as the church is to yours.
How would you like high-tension wires passing through your place of worship? .
Please, think about it I'll admonish the jury to restrict their deliberations to the issue of environmental damage.
Nothing more.
We find in favor of the defendant, New Plains Electric.
(PEOPLE GRUMBLING) JUDGE: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) This court is adjourned.
Shall we go? Yeah, yeah.
Nothing like twisting our testimony around, pal.
I only restated the facts.
That's my job.
Mr.
Johnson.
Shyster.
Uh, Mr.
Whitecloud.
? Mr.
Whitecloud, hold up a second, will you What? Look, we were subpoenaed by NPE to testify.
We didn't have a choice.
We were used in that courtroom.
So what do you want from me? Well, you said there might be a swindle in this treaty.
I also said treaties weren't worth the paper they're written on.
Yeah, but if we can find proof of fraud Proof is a very elusive commodity.
We'll use the resources of the Phoenix Foundation.
Access data banks, global intelligence networks, satellite telemetry If it'll make you happy, go for it.
You don't need me.
Hey, wait a minute.
This is your case.
Look, you want me to tell you everything will be okay so you can have a clear conscience? You got it, pal.
Now go home.
Hey! My conscience is clear, okay? We just wanna set things right.
Sorry.
You're a few centuries too late.
You know, you don't strike me as a quitter.
You're right.
I was never a quitter.
I was a joiner.
Marine Corps.
Nam.
Top law firm in Chicago.
But then I quit, to become this big defende r of Indian rights, .
and a hero at last And I'll tell you what , kemosabe, I'm ready to be a joiner again.
I guess we've got a plane to catch.
I'm gonna stick around for a while.
I can, uh, fax you what we have on our database.
Uh, treaty, maps, geological surveys.
Yeah, yeah, all that stuff, that'd be good.
Come on.
(SIGHING) (SPEAKING NATIVE LANGUAGE) Hello.
My name is Standing Wolf.
I am not from around here.
Where are you from? g A place where a warrior does not waste his time thinkin when he can take action.
Okay.
Take care of yourself, huh? Bitter Flats is a place of power.
If wires go up, they will harm the spirits of the mountain.
Look, Standing Wolf, I respect your beliefs.
But personally, I'm not religious.
The only issue for me was Indian rights.
Oh, I see.
In that case, I will have to show you.
You don't understand, I I will have to show you.
, Well, they were talking about maps , treaties, satellit e something or other all sorts of high tech stuff.
Do we have anythin g to worry about? If MacGyver stumbles onto a certain well-kept historical secret, Bitter Flats could revert back to the Indians.
That our only corridor south from Cook Power Plant.
Now, if the construction is stopped, that could cost hundreds of millions in revenues and it could cost me everything.
.
Tell me what to do Accidents happen.
Just remember that I have that little publicity show-and-tell at the plant on Friday morning.
I don't want a mess.
I, uh, hate messes, too, Mr.
Johnson.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) What are you doing here? Uh, well, Willis faxed me some maps and stuff .
but I wanted to take a look at the place myself This is a place of power.
High-tension lines cannot go up.
A place of power? ? What are you doing You have to leave here.
Why? I had a vision last night.
You wouldn't understand.
Just don't go in there.
Give me a reason not to.
I just did.
(GROANS) You okay? Yeah.
What has gotten into you? They're gone.
I thought killing MacGyver was supposed to look like an accident.
Yeah, well it was, before they blew up our construction yard.
C4.
(PHONE SPEED-DIALING) It's Russell.
Listen, check out Whitecloud's file.
See if he has a connection for C4 plastic explosive.
Hey, wait a minute .
Hold it.
What do you mean, "hold it"? They were shooting at us.
! No kidding You just blew up their construction site.
Yeah, I also dropped my rifle and they still kept shooting at both of us.
The guy doing the shooting was Dick Russell, head of security for NPE.
What does that tell you? What, you think they followed me? You're the one that's been digging into the treaty.
Unless, of course, they're just nostalgic to kill an Indian.
A friend of mine has a cabin not far from here.
We can radio for help from there.
Perfect.
Yeah, I'll keep in touch.
Well, I think I, uh, know where they're headed.
So, how do you go from wanting to join a top law firm to A Lakota warrior? Yeah.
I told you, I had a vision last night.
What kind of vision? It's personal.
Sorry.
Why is it so important to you? .
I don't know.
Maybe I just want to learn I'll tell you.
A spirit came to me.
First he was a man.
An old Indian named Standing Wolf.
He brought me to the flats.
Then he became a wolf.
And I saw the killing powe r of the electricity, red and glowing.
And I saw a dead Indian boy.
A vision of the future, unless I did something to stop it.
And that's what I'm gonna do, MacGyver.
I'm gonna stop it.
Wait here.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (TIN CANS RATTLING) Phil, uh, Phil Crow? Who are you? Dick Russell.
I'm an old friend of Larry Whitecloud's.
How are you doing? .
You don't look like a friend of Whitecloud Yeah, we, uh, we practiced law together in Chicago.
Yeah, I was supposed to meet him in town, and he, uh, he left a note, uh, saying to come up here.
Yeah, he left his He left his rifle behind, too.
You recognize it, don't you? (CHUCKLES) After we use Phil Crow's radio and get you out of here, I'll just fade back into the wilderness for a while.
What are you gonna do, hide for the rest of your life? Just long enough to come back at NPE with a few more surprises.
Yeah, well, planting bombs is not the answer.
.
You're gonna kill somebody That'll be on Everett Johnson and NPE's head.
You know, one man's terrorist is another man's patriot.
Yeah, well, that's absurd.
Terrorism neve r did any good.
I've spent my entire adult life functioning within the system.
That doesn't do any good, either.
? Do you really believe that Well, I've won a few cases.
Advanced social justice here and there, but only in the context of reality brought over by the white man All right, all right, maybe.
I'll grant you that.
But there's no way I'm gonna buy into some spirit telling you to go off and plant bombs.
You don't have a clue, do you? (RATTLING) Phil Crow's doorbell.
He doesn't like surprise visitors.
Nam? Yeah.
Big part of his life is still the war.
If, uh, Crow acts a little strange, don't take it personally, huh? I'm getting used to it.
Crow? Phil Crow? (KNOCKING ON DOOR) Phil Crow? He's probably out hunting.
I don't think so.
Crow is known to have a temper when it comes to mechanical things.
Crow! He's dead.
Yeah.
He's been shot.
Crow specialized in booby traps.
, He used to say, for a split second he could hear the beginnin g of a man's scream, as it was drowned out by the explosion, the noise.
.
Up here, he found quiet So this is where you got your C4, huh? No.
Just the detonators.
The C4's hidden.
Hey, wait a minute.
Was Crow licensed for C4? Yeah.
He used to do construction blasting.
Well, maybe he did some for NPE, and it was registered.
I left some C4 in my bag back at the construction site.
Along with your rifle.
They killed Crow.
To frame you.
What are you doing? Johnson's gonna be at Cook Power Plan t in the morning.
I'm going after him.
Why? You'll be playing right into their hands.
Then their hands are gonna get bloody.
Can't you see the only way to beat them is to get to the truth? There's truth in revenge.
Whitecloud.
They're afraid I'm onto something.
Does it occur to you that they might be trying to frame you to get rid of me? Then why weren't they here to greet you with my Winchester? What are they waiting for? (RIFLE COCKING) Fingerprints.
You see, I wanted to make sure yours were fresh.
(GROANS) There's my victim.
And here's my terrorist.
(TIN CANS RATTLING) (YELLS) Which way? Over here.
(GROANS) (BIRDS CHIRPING) Forget it.
He's gone.
Well, it doesn't really matter.
Once the cops find MacGyver's body, Whitecloud's history.
.
The body's in here Hey, that's impossible , he was right here.
(RIFLE COCKING) (GROANING) (GROANING) (PANTING) What Anything? No sign of him.
You don't think he could have made it to the road, do you? .
Let's check it out If he's not there, we'll brief Johnson at the plant in the morning.
(STANDING WOLF CHANTING) (CHANTING) (EXCLAIMS) What happened? You were shot.
By a gun.
I don't feel anything.
You will, in the morning.
But I don't think you'll die.
Your body gave up the bullet.
From the gun.
Remember? Yeah.
Who are you? Standing Wolf.
You're Standing Wolf? You know me? What an honor.
Not really.
? This is a dream, right I don't think so.
Didn't that hurt? Hey! Maybe this is a dream! Well, no matter.
Come.
I will show you what there is to see.
I do not understand why a white man would come to this place.
Unless you're the friend of Larry Whitecloud.
I know him.
Ah.
But still, it is strange, isn't it? Yes, I think so, too.
This is very strange.
Wait.
Wait a minute.
Where are we? Bitter Flats.
How'd we get here? I took a shortcut.
No.
No, I was at Bitter Flats.
.
There was no tower It was just a construction site.
When? Today, earlier.
Ah, yes.
But this is later.
Much later.
.
Wait, wait This stream wasn't here, either.
No.
You're wrong about that.
This stream was always here.
Come.
You must be thirsty.
Standing Wolf? (GROANING) (GROANING) You're going to be all right.
The boy.
The glow.
Whitecloud had the same vision.
Yes, the same.
But I don't understand.
What I saw was not about violence.
Violence? No.
Violence was not the message.
Perhaps Whitecloud only meant to To count coup in the old Lakota tradition.
"Count coup"? Yes.
A warrior shows true greatness by choosing not to kill an enemy, but instead to humiliate him by touching him with a stick, and then to come away unharmed.
.
Counting coup was the way my people often did battle It's too bad we don't do it like that these days, huh? Yes.
There are many things your world could learn from ours.
Mmm.
Now I understand why you are here.
To help Whitecloud see the truth.
That is good.
Now we must rest.
(BIRDS CHIRPING) (GASPS) (GROANS) MACGYVER: The stream.
The stream.
That's it.
(TIMER BEEPS) MacGyver.
You're alive.
(GROANS) Yeah.
Yeah.
Come here, take a look at this.
Bitter Flats is part of the reservation.
This map was drawn up in 1894, according to the treaty.
Black Stream is east of Bitter Flats, not west.
Yeah.
Now, take a look at this map that Willis faxed to me.
It was drawn up in 1911.
It shows the stream running five miles wes t of where it should be.
.
And that's where it's been drawn ever since The stream was dry, so no one questioned it.
Bitter Flats is Indian land.
That's right.
The land does not belong to NPE.
We can stop them, legally.
Yeah.
Try and make that happen.
But you can make that happen.
My vision showed me another way.
Your vision also showe d the stream running east of Bitter Flats.
I did see the stream.
How did you know? After I was shot, I--I had a dream.
A dream? Yeah.
Everything you described.
Standing Wolf, the red glow, all of it.
And then I found this map.
You just found the map? Yeah.
And what about the dead Indian boy? Did you see him in your dream? Yes, I did.
Then you should understand what I have to do.
No, no.
I think it's completel y the opposite.
A warning not to turn to violence.
Standing Wolf told me that you got the message wrong.
He said that .
counting coup was okay Counting coup? No.
Johnson's gotta pay for Phil Crow's murder.
Will you let the polic e handle Johnson? The police don't handle people like Johnson.
Thanks, MacGyver, for everything.
No, I can't let you do it.
Don't try to stop me.
And just keep away from the power plant.
Why? You already set the explosives, didn't you? Just keep away.
! No! I cannot keep away Well, I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.
(GROANS) So do I.
(GUN COCKS) You know, if I were superstitious, MacGyver, I would swear you were a ghost.
Only I'm not superstitious.
We'd better get him out of sight before Mr.
Johnson gets here.
Listen, guys, there's a bomb somewhere in this plant.
It could go off any minute.
Yeah, right.
And the check's in the mail.
RUSSELL: Move it, MacGyver.
Let's go.
) (SPEAKS IN NATIVE LANGUAGE Grandfather.
I'm telling you, there's a bomb in there! Oh, yeah, right, I heard you.
Get in there.
(MACHINES WHIRRING) What if he's telling the truth about the bomb? It's a bluff.
Stay here.
If he makes a noise, hurt him.
(BEEPS) I hope you have good news.
MacGyver and the India n got away yesterday.
We caught MacGyver snooping around the plant.
I have a publicity tour due any minute and you've got MacGyver here? He's locked up in the pump house right now.
He won't be causing any more trouble.
I pay you to solve problems, Russell.
When the tour is over, I want it solved.
.
No problem (CHILDREN CHATTERING) (WHISPERING) Oh, my God.
(AIR HISSING) (GROANS) Okay, everybody, give it a big smile, here.
(GRUNTS) (GRUNTING) (GROANING) And over here is the control room.
(CHILDREN CHATTERING) JOHNSON: When we finis h renovations here in three months, e this plant will be able to produc (CAMERA CLICKING) an extra 800 megawatts of power.
Get out of here, MacGyver.
There are kids in this plant.
.
I'm going to warn them Just defuse the bomb, will you? No.
What? There's still time for me to settle my score with Johnson.
What good will killing him do? We've already been through that.
Look, the last thing your cause needs is killing.
Where's the bomb? JOHNSON: Now up here are the generators I told you about.
Okay, everybody, now keep up.
Whitecloud, no.
Get the kids out of here.
Now! .
MAN: Come on, kids Johnson, up here.
With me.
Move it! This isn't the way.
.
No? You saw the vision .
What I saw was a warning to turn away from violence You're wrong! Whitecloud, where's the bomb? On top of the generator.
Get out of here, son.
Go, now! JOHNSON: Let's talk, Whitecloud.
We can work something out.
How do I defuse this thing? You can't.
You need a cotter pin.
MACGYVER: Do you have it? No.
JOHNSON: Whitecloud, be reasonable.
We're all going to die! WHITECLOUD: Shut up! (TIMER BEEPS) (BUZZING) I did it! (GASPS) ) (SCREAMING Whitecloud, no! BOY: Whoa! He counted coup on you.
(LAUGHS) (BIRDS CHIRPING) Hey, MacGyver.
Thought I might find you up here.
When did you get out? Yesterday.
They released me without bail until the trial.
Well, Willis got those satellite pictures.
Did they confirm the location of Black Stream? Definitely.
I had a chance to research the forgery.
Seems that a company called Horton Mining was prospecting the area back in 1904.
They paid off some government official to redraw the map.
Then in the '20s, they merged with an electrical power company.
NPE? .
Johnson must have known all about it The DA's filed conspiracy charges against him in Phil Crow's murder.
Well! See? Sometimes the system works the way it's supposed to.
Yeah.
I'm gonna participate in my first sun dance next year.
Outsiders are sometimes allowed to dance, too.
Yeah, well, I don't think I'm quite up to that yet.
It's a good way to touch the spirit world.
(WOLF HOWLING) Well
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