Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990): Season 3, Episode 5 - Beggar's Comet - full transcript

In this city of night,

in this city of millions,

there are countless stories.

This is one

of two lovers
who shared a bond

that changed their lives
forever.

It is my story.

How compassion opened my heart

to a world where goodness
and truth were stronger

than hate or fear.

Then... one day,



she was taken from me

by the forces of evil
she had battled so bravely.

And now, alone with her memory,
yet armed with her courage,

I have sworn to fight
those who would kill

or harm or destroy,

in the hope that one day

I will find
what all men seek to find--

my destiny.

Mr. Burch...

That's some beautiful music.

Sweet music, Mr. Burch.

Sweet and sad.

You know me?

Well, everyone
knows Elliot Burch,



but I'd be mighty proud
to shake your hand.

The honor's mine...

Name's Clarence.

You can hear me most Wednesdays
down at the mission on Delancy,

if you like.

Donations are
gratefully accepted.

What was that
he was playing?

A saxophone.

Found your comet yet?

It's too faint.

We're fighting New York City--

all this light pollution.

I suppose
we should be grateful

we can still see
the moon, huh?

Well, maybe it's just
a beggar's comet.

A what?

You know--
Julius Caesar.

Come on, I know you
read Julius Caesar.

Ninth grade;
it's required.

Oh, please, please.
I just taught
it last month.

The training bra and braces--
I'm still trying to forget.

Well, I'd better
be heading home.

I'm subbing in the
South Bronx tomorrow.

I'm going to need all
the sleep I can get.

I'll call you.

So...

it begins again.

It never ended.

It's like a nightmare.

He's killing me, Vincent.

Inch by inch.

His name is Gabriel.

This is important
to him, somehow.

Gold.

It's interesting.
Looks old.

Where did you get this?

From the hand of the hunter
he sent to kill me.

But he took it off...
in the end.

You don't know
what you ask of me.

If I go on with this,
I'm risking...

Everything.

I built a sand castle once.

I couldn't have been more
than eight years old.

It was a wonderful sand castle--
walls and turrets.

It must have been
six feet high.

Then the tide came in.

Gabriel is the tide, Vincent.

He's washing away everything
that I've built in my life.

He's washing away my dreams.

Dreams can be dreamt again.

Sand castles can be rebuilt.

Catherine said
you were a fighter.

Catherine was wrong
about many things.

Sometimes in my sleep,
I see another world...

a world where I died
in Catherine's place.

I see her walking
in the sunshine,

laughing...

I watch her grow old,

reading to her children,

cradling her grandchildren
in her arms...

a happy life.

The life that she
was born to live,

the life that
she deserved.

It seems so real, and if...

somehow I could make it so,
then...

The grave is a fine
and a private place.

It's not much to go on...

but I'll see what I can find.

Elliot.

Be careful.

I think it's a little late
for that.

My apologies.

He was found
on the helipad.

Yes, of course.

It's Snow.

His ring?

He wasn't wearing a ring.

Get this out of my sight!

What, uh... what, what
do you want me to do?

Find me the ring.

I'll take care of it.

Uh, will you
be rejoining
your guests?

No.

Get rid of them.

I'll be in the nursery.

Let's go over it one more time.

What happened after you
took Burch to the park?

He told us to wait at the car
while he went on a walk.

Burch pays you, what, 40,

50 grand a year
as a bodyguard,

and you just let him go
waltzing off in Central Park

alone at 2:00 a.m.?

Mr. Burch pays me 63-5 a year
to do what he tells me.

And he told me
to wait at the car.

How long did you wait?

I don't know,
maybe 15, 20 minutes.

That's when you heard
the gunshots?

Yes.

So what do you think?

Well, I just got here.

Fill me in on the highlights.

He puts Burch in the park

at the same time
Moreno was killed.

Claims he saw blood
on his clothing.

What about a motive?

Money.

Marina was
costing Burch millions.

And that's not all.

Pierson claims
he was paid a hundred grand

to hush up
what happened in the park.

So, so look
at his bank deposits.

Yeah, we did.

It checks out.

I think we gotta go for
a search warrant, Joe.

Blood stains
on Burch's clothes

would nail it down.

Then do it.

Elliot Burch.

Can you believe it?

No.

The case is bogus, Joe.

Somebody set the whole thing up.

Well, then somebody
did a damn good job.

Look, do you think
I have a choice here?

I've got motive,
I've got opportunity,

and I've got a witness.

Look me in the eye.

Tell me you honestly believe

that Elliot Burch ripped
these two guys into pieces.

Oh, come on, Joe.

Don't let them use you.

You're better than that.

Go with your instincts.

I don't like this
any better than you do,

but when I moved into
this office, I took an oath.

Can you come over
to my loft later tonight?

Why?

'Cause I think there's
some things you need to see.

As we remember Steven and Sam,

let us remember
more than our grief.

Let us always remember...

their faces.

The sound of their laughter.

The joys they shared with us.

Sam lived a very full life,

but Steven was scarcely
more than a child.

They both died too soon,

their lives cut short
by a brutal intruder.

They were armed
only with their courage,

but they died as bravely
as any soldier.

We will always remember
how much we loved them.

And let us never forget
how much they loved us.

Let these waters carry them
to every part of our tunnels,

and to every corner
of our world.

Stephen...

and Sam...

will always be part of us.

Brooke.

It's time to go.

No.

I won't leave him.

He's gone, child.

I don't care.

Just tap into the Cayman
Island cash reserves.

We used that cash to shore up
the Battery project.

Well, then sell
the damned site.

Sell it? We can't
sell it, Elliot.

It's already been attached.

Haven't you been listening
to a thing I've said?

It's over.

Well, what's that
supposed to mean?

It means I'm going to recommend

that we file
for Chapter 11 immediately.

Maybe I'll still be able
to salvage something.

He's done this.

Gabriel...

Okay.

What we have to do
is to find him.

Find him?

You can't even prove
that he exists.

Elliot,

you don't need an attorney.

You need a shrink.

What can I do for you?

Well, you can begin
by telling me

exactly what happened
that night at the carousel.

I don't know
what you're talking about.

I think you do.

I think you saw everything
that happened that night,

and I think you know
who Vincent is.

I'm afraid I can't help you.

I'm sorry.

You're a lousy liar, Mr. Burch.

You know, there
are people...

who would say that I was
a very, very good liar.

Maybe at one time, but, uh...
you're out of practice.

Why don't you
talk to me?

Why don't you tell me

what you're thinking
and what you know?

It's the only way
you're going to save yourself.

I, uh...

I think it's time for you to go.

Listen...

You can hear it if you try.

Vincent!

Leave us, Mouse.

Talk to me, Vincent.

Tell me.

Listen, Father.

What do you hear?

Only the wind.

There's music in that sound,
if you know how to listen.

Catherine
taught me that.

And you can
hear it still?

Only in my memories.

The rest...

is silence.

The hunter came for me.

Because he did,
two of my friends are dead.

You risked your life
to protect us.

You've always kept
our world safe from harm.

And I cannot allow myself
to endanger our world now.

What happened...

will never
happen again.

I must go, Father.

Go?

Where?

Away.
Somewhere separate and apart.

Don't do this, Vincent.

This is the only home
I've ever known,

but I must leave it
in order to keep it safe.

Don't make this parting
any harder.

I tried to make a world
free from fear and violence.

We cannot always choose
the roads we walk.

Be careful, Vincent.

The road you walk could cost
you more than your life.

It could cost you yourself.

I know the dangers, Father.

That's why I must
walk this road alone.

I'm placing you
under arrest

for the murder
of John Moreno.

You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say can
and will be used against you

in a court of law.

You have the right
to an attorney.

If you cannot
afford an attorney,

one will be
provided for you.

Do you understand these rights
that I'm reading to you?

What the hell
are you afraid of?

Everything you tell me

is protected by
attorney-client privilege,

you know that.

I've told you everything I can.

Damn it, Richards,
you've known me ten years.

You can't seriously
believe that I...

What I believe
is not important.

It's what I can make
a jury believe...

If I'm going to defend you,
I need to know what happened.

Whatever you say,
Elliot, doesn't have
to leave this room.

Who are you protecting?

Tell me.

You wouldn't believe me
if I told you.

I'll try and arrange bail.

You should be out of here
by tomorrow at the latest.

In the meantime,

you're going to have to do
some hard thinking.

You're not going to like it
in Attica, I warn you.

The food is lousy.

He's a beautiful boy.

He's strong.

When are you going
to name him?

He has a name.

Oh?

Snow always
learned their names.

And then he
killed them.

When you know a
man's true name...

you can own him.

And how's Mr. Burch?

Having a rather bad day,
I'm afraid.

Then play the Judas card.

I saw the press conference
on the evening news.

That wasn't my idea.

You don't bust a guy
like Elliot Burch

and figure no one's
going to notice.

Relax, Joe. I know
how the game is played.

You don't have to
explain it to me.

Come here.

What's up?

Whoever killed Cathy Chandler

was not the same person
who brought her home.

Now what makes you think that?

Vincent brought her home, Joe.

He brought her home
because he loved her.

Oh, come on.

Look at these pictures.

Moreno and Cates
were ripped to pieces.

Claw marks
on the bones,

torn flesh, heavy bruising,
heavy bleeding.

Yeah, I read the autopsies.

Coroner says it looked

more like an animal attack
than a murder.

Now I ran a computer check
just to see if there were

any other instances
of the same M.O.

in the last three years.

I remember these cases,

but what do they have
to do with ours?

The earliest was eight months

after Cathy Chandler
came to work for you.

A third of them tie into cases
that she was involved with.

All circumstantial.

You can't prove a damn thing.

Vincent?

Where'd you get this?

Drainage tunnel
under the park.

Did you know there are hundreds
of unmapped tunnels

underneath this city,
with access through
Cathy's subbasement?

So?

So?

I don't know.

What kind of roses
did she like?

What do I look
like, her florist?

The only way that you can get
a red and a white rose

to grow off of the same bush

is with a special graft,
did you know that?

Maybe she couldn't
make up her mind.

Joe, there's a language
to flowers.

The red rose means
passion and love

and the white rose
is eternity or death.

Now, somehow,
I don't know how,

but somehow Vincent knew
whenever she was in trouble,

and he came to her.

He was her protector.

You sound like
you know this guy.

Well, sometimes I feel
like I do.

Let's say I buy this
for a second, okay?

Where is
he now?

Somewhere. I don't know.

Somewhere?

He's close.

Mr. Burch, how nice
to meet you at last.

I've heard
so much about you.

Who the hell are you?

Jonathon Pope.

You're being released,
Mr. Burch,

pending arraignment,
of course.

Where's Richards?
He set this up?

I'm afraid Mr. Richards has had
to take himself off the case.

His little girl is missing.

Very sad.

Who sent you?

A friend.

Just think of him as the player
on the other side.

Gabriel.

He's a great admirer of yours.

And he's very anxious
to meet you.

Shall we?

He's waiting for you.

I trust you know the way.

Will I be coming back?

That's entirely up
to you, Mr. Burch.

Why do people put
flowers on graves?

Do they really think
it makes death smell sweeter?

Why'd you bring me here?

Does it make you uncomfortable?

Only the company.

Elliot...

the war's over.

In a month,
you'll be bankrupt.

In a year, you'll be in prison.

Half your people
are already mine.

You're lying.

Maybe I am.

How will you ever be sure?

Machiavelli wrote

that... a wise prince knows it's
better to be feared than loved.

Look around you.

All these tombstones.

All these wasted
possibilities.

There's no reason for us
to be enemies, Elliot.

There's your reason.

Catherine Chandler.

You know, if
I had known

all the trouble
it would cause,

I would never have killed her.

But... it's done.

There she lies.

If you want to lie down
beside her, so be it.

But I had heard that you were
a more... practical man.

Maybe I was... once.

She changed me.

I don't think so.

What do you mean?

I know you.

You don't know anything
about me.

I know you.

I know where
you came from.

I watched you climb.

I know the price
you paid.

Rung by rung.

The world is run
by mice.

But you and I,
we're different.

We belong to an
earlier time.

500 years ago, we would
have been conquerors, kings.

Smaller men would have
showered us with titles,

triumphs.

After we died, they would
have built us pyramids.

You've come so far.

You've pulled yourself
up out of the dirt.

Halfway to the stars.

Do you really want
to throw it all away

for the sake of a woman
who never loved you?

She...

She what?

She told him
everything about you.

She told you
nothing about him.

She kept
his secrets.

Your dreams meant
nothing to her.

She loved him.

And she bore him a child.

I didn't take her
away from you, Elliot,

he did.

But I can give it all
back to you, Elliot.

Everything you've lost.

Wealth... power.

I can help you, Elliot.

Together, we can build towers

that will last
for a thousand years.

Or... you can have this.

Can I help you, Mr. Burch?

Do I look like I need help?

Poor men aren't the only ones
who lose their way.

I know my way.

Don't you want the money?

I'll see that he gets your note.

No charge.

Not for the note--
for the music.

Vincent!

You scared me.

Remember that fear.

I could help keep you alive.

How did you find me?

You can't hide from Mouse.

Want to help.

There's nothing you can do.

Plenty Mouse can do.

Building, fixing,
finding and taking.

Dying?

I've buried too many
of the people I love.

This is something
I must do alone.

Mouse was alone once.

Alone is bad.

Worse than bad.

Worse than worst.

What was in the note?

Hope.

"The paths of glory
lead but to the grave."

Her grave.

Father, I...

had to find you.

Ask you...

was it because of me
that Vincent went away?

No, child.

Come in.

Vincent left
because he had to.

Because he loved us.

And because his destiny
lies up there now.

Beneath those
stranger stars.

You're sure Burch will
go through with it?

He's come this far.

The first step is the hard one.

And afterwards?

He's served his purpose.

Elliot.

Vincent, come here.

I've got something
to show you.

What's wrong, Elliot?

You're what's wrong.

Look at you.

I could have given
Cathy the whole world.

What'd you give her?

All I could,

all I... had, all I was.

The message was a lie.

Get out of here, now.

You were a fool
to trust me.

Go, now.

Catherine trusted you.

No...

Let me help you, Elliot.

Vincent!

Take this.

Go!

You wouldn't leave me.

Damn right I would.

You're lying again.

Why do people always
disappoint me, Pope?

Enough.

Blow it.

Father, what's wrong?

When beggars die, there
are no comets seen.

The heavens themselves blaze
forth the death of princes.

Don't be afraid.

It's over.

You're safe now.