Flipper (1995–2000): Season 1, Episode 4 - True Believer - full transcript

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You're turning into a fish. How
do you still have 1100 PS

aisle? How do you think? Give
up the smokes, pal. Forget it,

Keith. If I can't get him too
quick, you can't get him too

quick. Should've come with it.
We got the great shots out

there. Yeah, we did. That's all
we gotta tune about. Why you

would want to spend your
weekend out there taking

pictures of me? It's the Garden
of Eden out there. Sharks,

starfish, seahorses. That is
the only place on Earth where I



can actually forget about the
tuna business for a while. Why

don't you do that? The tuna
would love it. You're not

going to get on my case about
my net again right now. No,

your new net is bigger than
your last net and your last net

was bigger than a football
field. It's dolphins safe. No

tuna company in the country
would deal with me if it was.

Yeah, computers, reef imaging,
giant nets. It's not the

dolphins I worry so much about
anymore. It's a tuna. They

don't stand a chance. You know,
these waters are going to be

completely fish dry soon and at
one time, that used to bother

you as much as it bothers me.
Yeah, when we were a couple of

bright-eyed kids. Dad grew up
since then, so should you.

You just can't help yourself,
can you Keith? No,

We're supposed to be counting
them, not eavesdropping on



them. Well, this helps us to
differentiate. That way we

don't record the same dolphin
twice. It's not right. Yeah.

How would you feel if somebody
stuck a microphone in your

bedroom and recorded everything
you were doing? I'm divorced.

There's nothing to record. Just
because you don't have a sex

life, doesn't it? Excuse me?
You know, dolphins deserve

respect, personal stuff is
personal. Well, just think of

me as a professional. I'm a
Doctor Ruth to the dolphin.

Social call are you looking for
free eats?

He's scared about something.

Hold the hydrophone.

Do you recognize a friend?

The dolphins heard and there's
something around its neck. What

do you think happened? I don't
know. Maybe it got run over by

a boat. I'll call the standing
network.

Drop in the hydrophone. Four.
Harry.

Great. We got her on tape. If
she's a local animal, we might

have her signature whistle on
file at the lab and then we can

compare the two. Look at all
that too. Well, I want to hear

what effect distress has on her
vocalization. Wait a second,

you're turning this into an
experiment. You've got a

one-tract mind. Do you know
that? Thank you. The more we

learn, the more we can help.
Identification. We have over

200 local dolphins in our
signature whistle database.

These signature whistles,
they're like dolphin

fingerprints? Uh No, they're
they're more like dolphin names

because dolphins can't swim up
to each other and say, hey, my

name is Ralph. They don't have
any lips. Not having lips is

the least of it. They don't
have vocal cords. Dolphins

whistle through their
blowholes. They can't make any

sounds from their mouths at
all. Right, she said.

That's the recording that was
just made of the injured

dolphin, isn't it? No, that's
Flipper's whistle. He was with

it. We'll see about that. Don't
we have Flipper on the file? Mm

hmm.

He's right.

Yeah, he's one of those alien
kids that you read about in the

inquire. Go in. I'm teaching
class. That's the injured

dolphin. I'll see if I can find
a match. All the sounds are

digitized. An algorithm in the
computer program compensates

for any extraneous noise. Um I
wouldn't use such big words

there. It's like having a Dolby
Switch in your car stereo. It

just kind of filters out all
the junk, alright?

It's not there. It is now. I
just entered it. Good. We'll

find it first thing in the
morning. Good evening. We begin

our coverage tonight with an
Action News exclusive. The cans

of tuna may say dolphins safe
but at least one local

fisherman has taken violent
exception. What inspired you to

take this action? Well, I've
been a dolphin lover since I

was a little kid and I couldn't
let this happen without doing

something about it. That's
Robert Otterbridge, first made

on the fishing vessel
RumRunner. It's far from the

biggest tuna hunter in the seas
but by all accounts, it's an

extremely efficient, extremely
successful fishing boat. By

law, any dolphins caught in its
nets are supposed to be set

free. Sometimes, for some
people, that's just too much

trouble. Well, we're all eager
to get back to port. We were

tired and we had a whole full
of fish. Robert out of bridge

had something else. He had a
video camera. From a concealed

vantage point on the deck, he
trained it at Allen Riley, the

captain of the RumRunner.

Take the wheel.

Flipper will be right back.

Where is he? He's not doing
very well. Yeah, well neither

is the dolphin. You too?

Figured you'd show up sooner or
later. I think the power of the

media is an amazing thing.
Story was over by eleven oh

five. By 1110, I'd heard from
marine fisheries. They're

bringing me up on charges.
1115, Cannery called. They

don't want to do business with
me anymore. By 1130, you show

up. I thought I knew you. You
know me. I didn't pull that

**** Keith. It was outer
bridge. It had to be. He he

deducted the tape. You expect
me to believe that? I am the

only tuna fisherman who's ever
got one. Read the inscription.

I don't need to read it. I
presented it to you. The

Dolphin and Whales Society
Award of Commendation to Allen

Riley for his pioneering
efforts in dolphin safe fishing

practices. I didn't do it. You
were there. What happened? I

was on the bridge. But what
about your crew? On support

boats. We were working a net.
It was Carol and Outer Bridge

and me. We were the only ones
on the RumRunner. He set me up

good. You had a club in your
hand. I do a lot of clubbing in

my line of work. I club tuna. I
club shark but I don't club

dolphins.

He's ruined me, Keith. This
house, my boat, my bank

account, they're all going to
go away now.

Please. You only make it worse.
Did he do it?

Hi Whoo.

I knew you'd be here. Yeah,
well, I couldn't sleep. You see

the news last night? That's why
I need to be here. You know,

it's times like this when it's
a real drag not having parents

around. Well, once in a while,
you know, it's okay to have a

mom to talk to. Problem is mine
always wants to talk to Pac.

No, I didn't want to talk. I
wanted a dad so I can send him

out to beat that guy up. That
guy was a friend of Keys.

You're kidding.

What if it had been Flipper?

Ready to go? I have hydrophone
for binoculars and veterinary

support. That was Carolyn
Riley. She said that Allen was

up all night drinking and then
went for a dive in Half Moon

Bay by himself. Doesn't he know
how dangerous that is? He knows

exactly how dangerous it is.
Come on.

How can you have a friend that
beats dolphins? If he beats

dolphins, he's not my friend. I
saw it on TV. Besides, he's a

tuna fisherman. Yeah, he is
that. If you kids are hungry,

there are sandwiches in the
cooler. Okay.

How's the food? It's tuna.

Right there. Up ahead. That's
Allen's boat right there. He's

going down. He must be down.
Alright, then so are we.

Well, can we come? Nope, you
gotta stay pop side.

Glad you could join us for the
birthday time. We need the

help.

Go. Go. Go. Go.

Go.

Go. Check for pulse. Check for
pulse. There's no pulse. He's

not dead. He can't be dead,
alright? Come on.

Free. You're gone through. No.
Go. Keith, he's gone. Yeah, he

He's gone.

We came up too fast.

I

Totally numb.

To go home. Today's my sister's
day off. Maybe she's still

there. You know I could use a
mom right now. Hey, want to

borrow mine? It doesn't work
that way.

He died in a place that he
loved. Maybe we can steal some

peace from that somehow. At
least think I did it on

purpose. No way, not Allen. Uh
he wouldn't check out without

without putting up a fight. We
found the died boy out at the

boat when we got there. I mean,
you wouldn't have bothered if

if he was going to kill
himself.

You know, last night after
dinner, we took a walk on the

beach. We talked about going to
Mexico in the spring. Redoing

the kitchen. Then that news
broadcast came on. By this

morning he was out of his mind
like like something had

snapped.

What can I do to help? Phone
calls, arrangements, hot stuff,

little stuff, anything, you
name it. Okay.

I just I just need to be alone
right now. You sure? Mm hmm.

Keith, Thanks for everything.

Rubber down a bridge? Hey, saw
you on TV the other night.

Pretty impressive. It's a nice
little boat you got here.

Rumrunner Junior. Would you
come up with a name like that?

Excuse me. Bonefish are biting.
I want to snag a few. On that?

Sure. Just go bone fishing with
Allen all the time. Catch and

release. Never kept a single
fish. Of course, he made up for

during the week. You're
wondering who I am. Name's

Keith Ricks. Yeah. He mentioned
you. He mentioned you too. Best

first mate I ever had. In fact,
he never said a bad word about

you til the other night. Well,
I was just doing my civic duty.

He didn't seem to think so.
He's pretty convinced that you

set him up. Well, that was
always his problem, wasn't it?

Blaming other people. Funny
thing, I tend to believe him

when I do you. Blame whoever
you want. Just do it some place

else.

He gave you this boat, didn't
he? It was a bonus. That's how

it got its name, right?

How about the junior part
really got to you?

See you around.

For this. Caroline, take the
wheel.

Keith.

What are you looking for?
There's a there's a part

missing here. Watch watch goes
from here

to hear. The camera was off.
Outer Bridge hit the pause

button. It happens all the
time. Wait, wait, wait, but how

long was the camera off? Was it
about 30 seconds, 30 minutes,

30 days? But are you suggesting
that this piece was

manufactured, that Allen was
framed? In this piece here, you

you never actually see who's
wielding the club. Keith,

you're grasping at straws. Of
course I am. He's my friend. I

know. I'm sorry.

He was so quiet. I don't think
I've ever seen anybody that

quiet before.

I kept looking at him on the
way back. I kept expecting him

to say something.

Nothing matters to him than
that. The subject makes me

uncomfortable. Look, I feel
really, really terrible about

what happened. But it was good
for me in a way.

Actually, it was pretty cool.
Do you know what you're saying?

Maya, come on. No, I didn't
mean like that. Come on, Maya.

Maya.

Flipper.

What's wrong? I don't know.

Okay.

Okay, just stay with her,
Flipper. Stay with her. Come

on,

Little jumpy huh? A lot jumpy.
What's this? Uh I just thought

that we would make it official.
Do you trust? Yeah, making me a

half owner in your late
husband's boat and business in

consideration of services
performed. And services that

will be performed.

Isn't it a bit soon? Well, we
made a deal. Discredit Alan

Kilms with the business. I just
want to make sure that

everything goes according to
plan. Don't you trust me? And

my mother always told me to
never trust a murderer.

This is going to be very
interesting relationship. Oh,

it's going to be a killer.

It's okay. It's okay.

You should call the Standing
Network and let her know that

she's still pretty bound up by
the net. She's got a broken jaw

amongst other things. And she's
only going to get weaker. Why

is that? It's too painful for
her to eat. It's only a matter

of time before she beaches
herself. Well, let them know

it's the same dolphin that Mike
and I saw the other day. It's

also the same dolphin I've been
looking at all afternoon on the

video. Are you sure about that?
Absolutely positive but I can't

prove it. Yes, we can. I have
her whistle on tape.

Outer Bridge's video isn't
exactly fine for dinner. That's

high enough. The same was a
little marriage. I need to

bring up the database.

Good.

Alright. Now, you need your
search menu. I know what I

need, okay? Okay. I want you
back. Would you like to sit

here? No, you're doing fine.

Bullseye, same dolphin. So what
does that prove? It means that

Allen didn't do it. It does?
I'm going to pay a little visit

to his boat. You want to come?
Gonna have to if I ever want to

figure out this is all about.
What do we do? You guys can

keep your eyes open for that
dolphin. She's in trouble.

She'll be coming shore soon.
Let's go. Right.

Flipper will be right back.

Do you want to drive? I can
switch with you. That's okay. I

like spotted. Sorry I was such
a creep earlier. You weren't. I

just overreacted.

Is it because of your parents
that That's why you don't like

talking about it. Death I mean.
Looked into Seahawk. They

always know where the best fish
are.

My dad told me that. He used to
take me fishing.

He called me his little
mermaid. I don't remember my

mom at all. She split when I
was a baby. My dad died when I

was ten. I wish I could make it
all better. You don't know how

much he has.

Let me see that piece of net.

Look at that nerd. Ok?

Hey. Ma'am, hi. This is a
surprise. I was just getting a

few things for the boat. How
you doing? I'm okay. Am I

simple? Me too. Caroline, the
dolphin that you saw on TV,

it's alive. We spotted it this
morning near Half Moon Bay.

Allen didn't touch it. He
didn't have anything to do with

it. Really? It's dragging a
piece of netting round with it

but it's the mesh is a wider
gauge than yours. I don't

understand. The dolphin was
beaten somewhere else by Robert

Outerbridge and then he edited
his home movies of The Rum

Runner to make it look like
Allen did it. And you can prove

this. Yes, as soon as we catch
the dolphin and retrieve that,

we'll be okay. Hey, you know, I
think we should get back,

alright? Come on. We'll give
you some space here, right?

Well, maybe you need a little
help first. Oh, no. No. Please.

I'll be fine. Uh we understand.
We'll call you if we know

anything, alright?

What is going on?

Keith, what are you so upset
about? You're shaking. I hope

I'm wrong. Wrong about what?

I heard everything. What are we
going to do?

We're going to go to Happily
Bay and we're going to do what

we meant to do in the first
place. Kill that dolphin.

What are we doing?

Dear God,

They're going after the
dolphin.

We gotta get to the boat.

No. I'll call the stranding
network, okay? Uh, I don't

think so. Doing? Staying out of
prison. Go me. Give me the net

off that dolphin. Bring it to
me. You can't just yank it off

and I'll hurt her. I don't care
if it kills you. Get me the

net. No. You don't do it.

They're just children. Bring me
that net.

That's Michael Maya.

I don't know what to say. Don't
say anything. I don't want to

hear it. We had to do it.
Elephant let me go. He threshed

us. I don't want to hear it
either.

Do you mind?

No, I'm just saying goodbye to
my friend Al. Mike told me, I

wanted to be here.

Hey, Flipper. Your friend's
going to be just fine. She's

got a whole team of bats
working on her.

I'm going to be fine too.

Flip for this. This is my
friend Allen. What's left to

them?

Why don't you take this out
deep, Flipper? Take it as deep

as you can because that's where
he'd want to be, right?

Lies over the sea

of the ocean

you.