Jericho (2006–2008): Season 1, Episode 13 - Black Jack - full transcript

As Jericho's fuel supplies are barely enough for two weeks now winter approaches, a party must search for the parts to repair the windmills which are their only alternative. Jake and his dad ex-mayor Johnston Green take charge, and luckily have a supply of salt from the mine, as their apparently more valuable barter goods are less in demand at the Black Jack Fairground market, which also centralizes news, so they learn that no less then six federal government members have taken over 'control' of part of the country after the president's death. Dale finds the trader is criminal and when Johnston refuses to deal with him steals the part, but is seen and captured; freeing him makes the part go lost.

Previously on Jericho:

So you and I
are gonna be partners now.

Where'd you get that?

You're running the store.
You're gonna need protection.

Don't make the same mistake
that Gracie made.

Those people out there
are gonna be putting flowers

and candles on the sidewalk for you.

Who the hell is that?

Remember, the gas tank on this thing
is on the left-hand side.

If somebody starts shooting at you,
make sure it's not on that side.

Okay, anything else?



So are we going to see you
for Thanksgiving?

Oh, I think Mary and I
are gonna spend it together.

You're always welcome.

Thanks, but I don't wanna put you
in an awkward position.

You could have thought of that
before you moved in

with your mistress
and left your wife with us.

Some of them were on planes.
They landed in the middle of nowhere.

They've been walking for weeks.

They must have gone through hell.

Oh, my God.

Roger.

Is it really you?

Darcy, I need you to keep the kids
in the house for a while

- until I can sort something out.
- Are we in danger, Robert?



Moderate frostbite
on your toes and fingers.

You need to keep them clean
and warm.

Do you have a place to stay?

Do you know anyone in Jericho?

Actually, I do.

It's freezing in here too.

Mr. Bintner?

Mr. Bintner?

Joe?

Temperature dropped so fast.

It's gonna be a long winter.

All right, everyone.
Everyone, please!

Please. Right now
we're using the generator

to power the town hall
for three hours a day,

the med center for six.

This is how much fuel we have.

And this is how much we need
to get us through the winter.

At current levels of consumption,

we will be completely out of gas
and diesel in two weeks.

I wonder
when the dancing girls show up.

Stop.

There's a way of doing this without
scaring the crap out of everybody.

He was elected.
He's just gonna do it his way.

Oh, I'm gonna need a hobby.

Here's what we're working on.

All right,
we've got organized firewood crews.

They'll heat the town-hall shelters.

There's a woman in that group
of refugees that Bill is processing.

- I think you should talk to her.
- Why?

Because she said
she used to be a cop in Saint Louis.

Especially with 53 new people
among us,

we have got to start
rethinking things, fast.

Or the people we lost last night

won't be the only casualties
of this coming winter.

- What about the windmills?
- Right.

- Wind power.
- It's a great idea.

- We should be building windmills.
- Harry.

I think you all know
Harry Carmichael,

our chief engineer
down at the mine. Harry?

We've been looking into wind turbines
for weeks with Green,

but in order to build anything
that can be connected to the grid,

it's gonna take time.

Time I'm not sure we can afford.

- She's in here.
- Thanks.

Hello, Rob.

We need parts we don't have.

We simply don't have
the machining capabilities.

What kind of parts?

Mechanical governors
to regulate output.

With the EMP damage we're figuring
out a lot of this from scratch.

- It's still a long way off.
- Black Jack Fairgrounds.

We walked through it
on our way back here.

It's become a trading post.

People from all over the region
are trading food, information,

machine parts.

They may have what we need.

That's gotta be a 200-mile drive.
That's a lot of gas for a maybe.

If we can get one windmill working,
we'd save that much gas in a month.

If we get enough of them
we could be off gas for good.

It might not be a bad idea

to put a small party together
and go check it out.

Is anyone interested
in volunteering?

I know it was you.

- What?
- Those men that grabbed me.

They said that someone on my team
sold us all out.

- They said it was you.
- And you believe them?

- Tell me why I shouldn't.
- Come on.

You're smart enough to know
they'd say anything to get you to talk.

And because you know
I owe you my life

as much as you owe me yours.
Because you just...

You just punched me in the face
and I didn't hit you back.

- Who else is here?
- No one.

Victor showed up just after D-day.

- He only made it for a couple of hours.
- Did you kill him?

It was the radiation from Denver.

No one else made it back here
to the rally point?

No.

Are you gonna tell me
how you got out of that room?

Three armed guys, cuffs?

Three guys and cuffs
keep you in that room?

One of them got too close.

Then there was only two.

Two is easy.

From there
I drove as fast as I could.

Saw the clouds
from D.C. and Baltimore.

Ran out of gas in West Virginia.

Went from refugee camp
to refugee camp however I could.

I'm glad you made it.

You left me.

I know.

So, what now?

We caught wind
of some raiding parties

at interchanges here and here.

But if you're careful,
you should be safe the rest of the way.

And once you're at Black Jack,
watch your back.

Thieves?

Not the thieves you gotta worry about.
It's the guards.

They've got a reputation
for being really ruthless.

Without the cops
or the National Guard

it's the only way they guarantee

it's safe enough
to keep commerce going there.

You'd better take two or three
of the border-patrol guys with you.

Just in case
you run into any surprises.

I'm coming too.

Not a chance in hell.

Would you know a working
mechanical governor

for a wind turbine if you saw one?

Yes.

No, I'm not taking
passengers out there. No.

No. No.

Jake, Mr. Carmichael has a family.

I can help.

You need me.

- Mrs. Green?
- What?

Eric told me that April's pregnant.

I just...

- If there's anything that I can do...
- Mary,

I think you've done quite enough.

Always gotta be the first one
to jump in the fire, don't you?

Somebody's gotta go.

Well, it just seems like
that someone is always you.

Gray's having a few bags of salt
packed up for us to trade.

Smart. Who else is going?

Apparently Heather.

Gray thinks I should take a couple
of the guys from border patrol.

That's it?

I'm not sure pulling them off patrol
just to watch my back

is such a good idea.

Besides, only a handful of them
even know what they're doing.

You don't think
I can watch your back?

Why, do you wanna go?

You've already seen
what it's like out there.

I just need to see it for myself.

Besides, I'm unemployed,
I'm not obsolete.

Did you ask Mom?

Son, I'm 59 years old.

I was mayor of this town
since the Carter administration.

I'm a retired U.S. Army Ranger
and a combat veteran.

Of course I asked your mother.

I could go downstairs

and warm some water
for a bath for you.

I didn't think
I was ever gonna finish this.

Hey, we have a guest.

This is Sarah.

Hey, Dale?

Dale?

Hey, what are you doing back there?

- Inventory.
- Is it that bad?

Well, Mr. Houghton just showed up
with Mrs. Leigh's cut of the produce.

- What the hell is that?
- Yeah, exactly.

Did you point out that it's rotten?

They're all screwing me.
Hardly anyone's honoring their deals.

My dad used to have to deal

with stuff like this all the time
down at the salt mine.

Well, how did he do it?

He just did whatever it took
to keep things running.

I'm not shutting this place down.

Actually,
I may have good news about that.

But you might have to take
a little trip.

Jake?

I need to talk to you.

All right.

I shouldn't have sprung this on you.
This is too weird.

What? What's weird?

Okay.

I kissed you, a month ago.

We haven't spoken since.

Generally, people speak
after something like that.

I'm just gonna, you know...

I know, I'm...

- I'm sorry, really...
- You don't have to apologize.

I'm not upset.

I understand why it happened.

Look, I wanna go

because I think I can help
get this place back up on its feet.

That's it. It's not a date.

Mr. Mayor?

I'm not the mayor anymore, Dale.
What is it?

I need to come with you.

I wanna take it all.

Trade it for something
I can actually use

to build this store up again.

Whatever I don't use

I'll put towards supplies
the town needs.

You're just gonna give it away
to the town for nothing?

It's the right thing to do, isn't it?
I just wanna help.

Well, this is one hell of a crew
we're putting together here.

All right.

We'll leave first thing in the morning.

You just happened
to know someone

who just happened
to wander into town?

Hey. Hey, look at me.

I'm not gonna lie to you,

but I can't...

I can't tell you any more
than I already have.

So she's a friend, okay?

Last time you let someone
from that part of your life

into our home was four years ago.

- This is different.
- You couldn't tell me who he was.

Then you told me not to worry.

Two weeks later, you left.

I didn't see you again
until two months ago.

- This is different.
- Sam cried for weeks.

He was 4 years old.

He didn't understand
why you'd wanna leave him.

I just...

I don't know if I can watch him
go through that again.

Rob, what is going on here?

Rob?

Come here.

What is this?

So I'm being watched.

- By who?
- My guess, the Old Man.

What...?

You still have the package,
don't you?

He's been coordinating this thing
from the beginning,

feeding us information.

- Why would he turn on us now?
- I don't know.

Do you still have a way
to reach him?

And have you told him
that you made contact with me yet?

- Not yet.
- Then do it.

You do it and you see what he says.

"Thieves will be
strung up"?

I need your guns.

Pick them up on the way out.

Go ahead.

They're kidding
about the strung up thing, right?

They don't mean that literally.

Looks like everyone checks in here
at the main tent.

They try and match buyers
to the sellers.

They gave me
three possibilities of sellers

- that might have parts for the windmill.
- It's like eBay.

Stop!

Not like eBay.

All right, look,
see if you can find the governor.

I'm gonna stick with Dale,
see what he can trade for.

Let's do this thing quick
and then we're out of here.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Last night
you fell asleep mid-sentence.

- I did?
- Yes, you did.

Standing up right there at the sink,
shaving.

You were gonna tell me
what you've seen out there and...

Roger, I...

I don't wanna push.

I can't even imagine how awful
it was for you out there, I just...

A lot of it was.

Listen, if I tell you something,

will you promise
not to think I've lost it?

Of course.

Out there, I saw something.

I haven't told anybody about it.

I can't explain it.

Thing is,

it was the most beautiful thing
I've ever seen.

From there, I ended up in a tent city
outside of Lexington.

So, what are they like?

The camps?

Each is different.

Some are overcrowded, dangerous.

Some are better run.

Did you see people
with radiation poisoning?

- Some, yes.
- What do they look like?

Lots of burns, tissue loss,
some vomiting.

Allie, Sam, upstairs.

How do you know my dad?

We work together.

Do you know how to play football?

Of course I do. Doesn't everybody?

- Not everybody.
- Samuel, now.

Come on.

You know, these kids
have been through enough.

I'm sorry.

Look, I don't know you,
and I really don't want to.

I know the kind of people
my husband works with.

And no matter how close
the two of you are,

I don't need my kids exposed
to that world.

I've been married to this man
for a long time.

I got pretty good
at reading between the lines.

Thanks, Mary.

Why don't you and I
sit down together and have a drink?

Hey, how much?

- Beg pardon?
- How much?

How much for what?

I don't know. An hour?

An hour of what?

- Wait, what? No!
- How about a half hour?

- Is everything all right?
- I'm not a hooker, pal.

- Then what are you doing here?
- All right, that's enough...

That's enough, man.

- Is there a problem here?
- Hey, no, no.

No problem. Everything's fine.

No kidding, buddy. You don't wanna
mess with the guards. It gets ugly fast.

Thanks for the help.

Heather.

My God.

- Oh, I can't believe you're here.
- I know.

- Jake, this is Ted Lewis.
- Hey, how you doing?

We grew up together
over in New Bern.

This is Russell and Mike.

- Hey.
- We already met.

I was so worried about you.

We were gonna send a party
to make contact with you guys

but the roads
were just so dangerous.

What are you guys doing here?

We're looking for parts
for a windmill generator.

Unsuccessfully.

Hey, there's a guy we deal with here

who doesn't always report
to the main tent,

but sometimes he's got those
specialty items nobody else has.

- Do you wanna see him?
- Yeah, let's check it out.

All right.

Hey, hey, hey, get this stuff out of here
before somebody sees it.

- Why, what's wrong with it?
- Nickel.

- Silver stuff is all alloyed with it.
- So?

So nickel absorbs radioactivity.

Stuff that's looted from hot zones
is making people sick.

Nobody wants it.

This stuff
was nowhere near the fallout.

Look, if I can't sell it, I can't sell it.
What do you want me to tell you?

What else you got?

So, what does have value here?

Not much of what you got.
Check the board over there.

- Why salt?
- It's a preservative.

It's an antibiotic.

You need 1500 milligrams of it a day
to survive.

Romans actually used it as currency.

Whole African empires were based
on the control and the supply of it.

Wars have been fought over salt.

Food, medical supplies, a generator,
all airdropped, all from China.

What?

Yeah, we got an airdrop too.

Thing is, it was from Germany.

It's aid. I mean, it must be coming
from all over the world.

Well, if aid's coming
from all over the world,

then who did this to us?

Group of thugs
a few weeks back.

Guys claiming to be
government contractors.

So the mayor felt
we should make security a priority.

He resigned his office

and appointed Sheriff Constantino
acting city manager.

Contractors, who were they?

Security detail
from a company called Ravenwood.

They came in looking for supplies.

A few of the shop owners resisted
and they got violent.

Killed three and injured eight.

They drove off
with a truckload of our diesel.

But since then the sheriff's managed
to keep control of things.

Crime really isn't a problem
for us anymore.

How did he manage that?

- What is this?
- News.

Where does all this come from?

People pass through here
from all over.

Everyone brings a little piece
of the puzzle.

Something to write on?

Yeah. Yeah.

You guys don't get out much,
do you?

It gets better.

- What are the stars for?
- Capitals.

Of what?

Federal government.

Federal government? But...

There are six stars up there.
Where's the president?

Which one?

Six presidents.

I don't understand.
Who's in charge of the military?

You're assuming
there's only one of those.

All right, come on, let's go.

Isn't there a line of succession
so that there's only one successor?

The word is HHS Secretary Charles
is supposed to be next in line,

but there are five other guys who think
that the attacks changed the rules.

Senator Morrisette in Oregon,
Senator Tomarchio in Wyoming.

They're all staking a claim,
gathering support.

Well, then what happens?

How do they figure out
who's in charge?

Either they start making deals,
compromise...

Or?

Or they fight.

Six bags of soybean seed
and still this is not enough.

Maybe this whole thing
was a bad idea.

It's a start.

Dale, wait up.

It'd be a lot easier
if you'd close the store, wouldn't it?

But instead you're out here
trying to keep it going.

I think
Gracie would be proud of you.

I think your mom
would be proud of you too.

When my mom died,
there was nothing I could do about it.

Then after Mrs. Leigh...

Mitchell Cafferty is gonna get his due,
whether Gray finds him or not.

Sooner or later,
he's gonna cross the wrong person.

One of these days
it's gonna catch up with him.

I don't like to drink while I'm working.

To be honest,
I had difficulty understanding

how many ways I dislike you.

You made a list?

- Mrs. Green, I don't think l...
- Wait.

This will work a lot better
if you just sit there

and listen to what I have to say.

What you and Eric did to April
was awful.

But she's gonna get through this
because she is one strong woman.

But there's a baby on the way,
and it happens to be my grandchild.

And I intend to do everything I can
to protect it from this world.

But what you've done,
I can't protect it from.

You've divided the family.

And as hard as that child's life
is going to be,

you have made it
so much more difficult.

I don't think that's something
I'll ever be able to forgive.

Okay.

When I was a kid,
my mom split on my dad and I.

She left with this guy
she met in Denver.

This isn't about you.

This'll work a lot better
if you just sit there

and listen to what I have to say.

I lay awake at night
terrified that I have put April

in the same position my dad was in.

Terrified that I have put this child
in the same position that I was in.

My mistake was falling in love
with your son.

I never should have let it happen,
but it did.

I know the cost.
I know how wrong it is.

But the problem is he loves me too.

I don't know how you undo that.

So if you wanna go on hating me,

and never accept me,

I can't say I blame you.

So I went to find help.

I was more messed up
than I thought.

I wandered for days,

eventually passed out in this field.

So there I was, out in Nebraska,

feeling like that was the place
I was going to die.

And then
the strangest thing happened.

There was a light in the sky.

A bright light with a ring around it.

I went towards it.

Ten miles later,
I stumbled into the refugee camp.

That light saved my life.

Hey, I've been looking all over for you.
Did you find the part?

I think so. Did you see the news?

You looking to trade
for a mechanical governor?

- Yeah.
- Okay, let's talk trade.

Eight bags of salt at 35 pound per?

Russell, what do they think?
They're the first ones to think of this?

Now, these parts are in high demand.
I'm not giving it away.

- What more is it gonna take?
- What more?

I turned away a guy
just this morning,

and he offered 80 gallons of diesel
for the thing.

Hey, listen,

we have more salt
than you can imagine.

We have the largest salt mine
for 400 miles

and we've got men to mine it.

If you ever wanna see any of it,
we need to make this deal right now.

Today. You understand?

Look, here, listen.
I'll vouch for them, all right?

All right. All right, we got a deal.

Wait here. I'll go get it.

These things aren't easy to make,
you know. Not the good ones, anyway.

- Dad, this is Russell.
- Hi. Good to meet you.

Mr. Mayor?

No kidding, Dale.
I am not the mayor anymore.

There's blood on them.

- Need some help there?
- What the hell is this?

Are you conducting an inspection
or are we doing a deal?

No, we're not supporting that.
We'll find another solution.

Well, then we're all done here,
aren't we? Why don't you get out?

Get out of here. Get out!

Get out! Get out!

You too, get out of here.
Get out of here.

- Guys, I'm so sorry. We had no idea...
- We need that part.

- And we'll have to figure out a way to...
- Where's Dale?

Dale, where'd you get off to?
Don't just wander off like that.

Come on.

Did you steal that?

He's a bad guy.
He can't get away with that.

We gotta get that back
before they realize it's missing.

- I went out the back. No one saw me.
- Hey, hold it!

Hold it! Hold it!

Hand him over.

He made a mistake, all right?
He'll give back what he took.

There's no harm done, all right?

Excuse me.

You know, he really is sorry and
the property is back where it belongs.

You can explain it to management.

I'm just asking you,
use a little discretion, that's all. Please.

Excuse me, but could I talk
to whoever's in charge here?

Look, old man, I told you...

That's enough!

Hey.

How long have you been
with the FBI?

Fourteen years.
Started right out of college.

It's dangerous out there, isn't it?

I don't think your mom wants me
talking to you about that.

I'm not a kid.

It's pretty bad.

My dad's been teaching me
how to shoot.

I wonder if that's why.

He's been teaching you
how to shoot?

A little.

I'm not sure if I like it.

It's a weird feeling,
but it's the first time I can remember

the two of us
actually doing something together.

Where's your father?

It's the Old Man.

He's coming for us,
using us against each other.

He knows where you are.

We need to go.
We need to move now.

- No, I don't know.
- You don't know?

This country is gonna be
what we make of it.

There are only a handful of
other people that know what we know.

We have to keep fighting.
We have to stay alive.

No.

We go see him. And if
he is behind this, we take him out.

Take him out?

Yeah, I mean,
how long can we run?

How long can my family run?

No, we pay him a visit,
we eliminate the threat.

We go straight at him,
there is a chance we don't come back.

You're leaving.

When she walked in that door
I knew right away you'd be leaving.

You have nothing to worry about.

It's not me that I'm worried about.

Hey, our children need a father.

Whatever you're gonna do,
it can't be more important than that.

Do you trust her?

I have to.

If she's a threat
to this family's safety,

if she's a threat to you, you kill her.

Understand?

Get in!

Hurry!

- Go!
- Go! Go! Go!

Stop the car.

Jake, this car will not fit
through that barricade.

Stop the car now!

Jake!

Thanks,

I don't know how this would have
turned out if it weren't for you guys.

- You'll make it up to us someday.
- However we can help.

Those windmills
you're looking to build,

I was thinking the guys
down at the old brake assembly,

maybe they can convert
part of their plant,

help build what you need.

I know the town
could use a good source of salt.

Yeah. Looks like we're gonna be
seeing a lot of each other.

- See you, guys. Take care.
- Pleasure.

- Thank you so much.
- No problem.

What?

Jake, I saw the governor.
I saw how it's put together.

I was talking to Ted,

and I think between the two of us,
we can help to make more of them.

But I have to go with him.

- Them? Wait a minute...
- No. Think about it.

We don't have the resources
to do this the right way.

They've got the machines and the guys
who know how to use them.

With a dozen full-size windmills
you could power the whole town.

Run the med center.
Forget about gas.

You're just gonna leave? Right now?

It won't be for very long.
Just a few days.

But I know I can help.
I think I need to do this.

You think this is a good idea?

You know why things didn't work out
between us?

I'm not dangerous.

I'm crossword puzzles,
and flannel pajamas,

and the occasional light beer.

I was never gonna be
hazardous to you.

- That's how you tick.
- No, it isn't.

Of course it is. But it's okay.

If it wasn't, your dad
would probably be dead right now.

You and I would have never met
on that bus.

So I'm taking a page out of your book.
I'm throwing caution to the wind.

I'm gonna help turn the lights on
for everyone back home.

Just for a few days.

You worried about me?

Come back in one piece.

- Dad?
- Yeah?

We're out of the good toothpaste.

Oh, well, here's the new stuff
that Mr. Daley made.

- This isn't toothpaste.
- Yeah, it is.

Are you playing a joke on me?

No.

Hey, you know,

when you were teething
you never cried.

See, because most babies,
they cry, but not you.

And your mom was worried,

and the doctors were worried,
but not me.

Because I knew
that you weren't sick,

you weren't hurt,
you were just brave.

Because you're
the bravest person I know.

You always have been.

- Dad?
- Yeah?

What are you talking about?

Sam, I have to go to work tomorrow.

It's a very important meeting,
but it's quite far away,

so I might not be back for a day or two
and I just wanted you to know that.

Are you mad at me?

What?

You're leaving.

Hey.

You listen to me.

There is nothing that you, your sister
or your mother could ever do

that will make me wanna leave you.

I...

I love you.
You understand that, right?

Hey, welcome home.

Success?

- You get the part?
- We had it.

Then we lost it.

- Where's Heather?
- Getting the lights back on.

You do realize that what happened
today was unnecessary.

- Yes.
- And stupid.

You got a lot of responsibility now.

You're gonna have to learn
how to be smart.

I understand.

And you, you knew that this car
was not gonna fit through that gate.

I know.

I heard you talking to me
and I knew you were right.

Why didn't you stop the car?

I don't know.

Hey, what'd you get?

Look at all this stuff.
Oh, you did great.

This is nothing.

Skylar, how much of the salt mine
does your family own?

I don't know, why?

Because I think we may be rich.

You okay?

Yeah.

Look...

I am glad you made it.

We leave first thing in the morning.