Mod Squad (1968–1973): Season 1, Episode 19 - The Uptight Town - full transcript

Listen to me, don't do it!

It's a mistake!

Shut up! Will you listen to me?

My name is Greer. I'm a...

Get the truck. Get the truck!

Stay at the wheel.

Come on, let's have it.

♪ ♪

Will you move it!

Greer. Captain Adam Greer.

Five-ten and a half.



About 185.

Dark hair, dark eyes.

Well he hasn't been
through here, Chief.

How long has he been missing?

Four days.

He was gonna fish
in Saganin Lake.

Sorry, I never saw him.

Maybe he came the main route.

Funny, he called me earlier,

said he was going to have
dinner in Miller's Springs.

Well he...

he must have changed his mind.

What does Highway Patrol say?

Uh-huh.



Well, I'll keep an eye out.

Anything I can do, be
sure and let me know.

Right.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

"Julie, Linc and Pete.

"Fishing's good,
weather's clear,

"having a wonderful time.

Stay out of trouble."

That's our leader.

It's postmarked Parkersburg.

Then forget the main route.

He had to go through
Miller's Springs,

the only town between
Parkersburg and the lake.

So the sheriff didn't see him.

Maybe someone else in town did.

Not according to Highway Patrol.

There are only a dozen
people in Miller's Springs.

They talked to them all.

Plus everyone for
a radius of 50 miles.

No trace.

Maybe he just cut out.

Man with a good place to fish

can forget a lot of things.

Sure.

Like the world wasn't there.

No, not Adam.

I've known him for 20 years.

There's one thing
he'd never miss...

the Police Academy graduation.

He missed it.

Thanks for bringing
this in anyway.

It'll help.

That's all?

There must be
something we can do.

Not this time, it's
not your problem.

How do you tell a
chief... he's so wrong?

Man, I've never seen
anything like it before.

Miles after miles
of just plain nothing.

It's funny.

I expect to see a lifeguard.

What?

City dude's logic.

This much sand, it's
just gotta lead to a beach.

I'll let you in on a secret.

My whole life I've never been
this far away from concrete.

It's kind of different.

I'm getting scared.

Look, a...

an army could
get lost out there.

How are we gonna find one man?

Not one man, the man.

A year ago I wouldn't give
two pop bottles for a cop.

Now look at us.

Hi, sleepy head.

I wasn't sleeping,
I was just listening.

It's better than worrying.

Yeah, there are
lots of ways to worry.

Some people eat,
and some people talk.

Me, I just lie down.

Solid.

How far to Miller's Springs?

A couple of miles.

There sure is a lot
of sand out there.

Pete look out!

Are you hurt?

Did something happen?

Did someone else get hurt?

Where do you live?

Are you lost?

You'll never learn what's
good for you, will ya?

Now come on, let's go home.

Donna!

Hey. wait a minute,
man. Take it easy.

Like, what's the problem?

She can't talk.

You just keep away,
you'll scare her.

Peace, man.

We're just trying to help her.

We don't need help.

It's all right! She's my
sister, he's my father.

Come on Donna, let's go home.

Looks like the
natives are restless.

Welcome to Miller's Springs.

How would you like
to call this place home?

The way I hear it, a
building's a building.

It's the cats inside that count.

Solid.

Hey, pull in that gas
station over there.

I think I just got
a foot in the door.

Hey, man, you
mind if I fill this up?

Help yourself... man.

Is it all right if I
get some gas?

All I got's high test.

What do you think I burn
in here, chicken soup?

Hey, fella. Hey,
you want to play?

Hey, you mind?

Hey, come on boy. Come
on boy, Take it, come on!

How's the hotel?

You'd do better in Parkersburg.

Well, thank you
for the hospitality.

Let's give it a try.

Hey, a long way from home.

I am home.

It must be kind of lonely.

You know someplace
where it's not?

For our side?

You find a thaw here and there.

Hey, man, how come
you're so uptight?

I ain't uptight.

I'm just uppity.

Not much is it?

You could spit from one
end of town to the other.

If it weren't so dry.

Oh, hello.

Hi.

Uh, is there anything
I can do for you?

How's your sister?

She's, uh, much better.

Listen, I never got a
chance to thank you...

or apologize.

For what?

My father.

He was... he was a little upset.

She just wandered
out of town and, uh...

Do you mind if I ask
what's wrong with her?

She's had a bad time.

It wasn't always this way.

Hi. It's like old home week huh?

What's with the hotel?

You're staying here?

Any problems?

You'll have to ask my father.

No.

That's the magic
word around here.

Can't help it.

No rooms available.

There's a lot of keys available.

We're painting.

Oh, man.

Too much!

Too much!

Somebody hold the room please?

All right, now
where did you get it?

Hey, you take
everything so serious.

Laugh a little.

You drunken bum, you do
this once more and I'm gonna...

And what?

You going to fire me?

You can't fire me,
Al, you know that.

You can't do nothing to me...

and you know why.

All right...

All right, come on,
I'll take you upstairs.

Why are you so good to me?

It's $9.80,

and you need a
new radiator hose.

A little high, ain't ya?

You can trade where you
want... This is a free country.

So they tell me.

There's the only
friendly face in town.

What's the matter?

Dog is gonna drive me crazy.

Chews up everything I own.

Back with your
change in a minute.

What's happening?

That hat.

It's the captain's.

I hear you got trouble.

Uh, no, sir, no trouble.

I mean, uh, finding
a place to stay.

Have you tried Parkersburg?

Everybody's pushing Parkersburg.

You see, we have, uh, to
stick around here, Officer.

Sheriff.

Sheriff.

We've got work
to do in this area.

Uh-huh. Well, you're, uh...

you're in the wrong
place for prospecting.

We're students. Uh, archeology.

We're doing some
research on early Indian life.

We call it a dig.

Dig?

Well, uh... maybe
I can be helpful.

I've dug for
artifacts in my time.

Oh, yeah? Why, sure.

I've-I've got just the
spot for you to camp.

Happy digging!

He's nice.

Depends on which
program you read.

Yeah, baby, we just got the
fastest bum's rush in history.

Well, we better make
like we believe it.

He'll probably be
watching us from that ridge.

You don't think he
bought the cover?

It's hard to tell.

But I didn't buy his.

Jennings, the cook,
the nervous brother.

And the jive grease monkey.

It's an uptight town, man.

They're hiding something.

And if you're
right about the hat,

the captain's in
the middle of it.

You know I'm right.

Well, at least we
know our first move.

The dog brought the hat
out of the garage, right?

That's my move, buddy,
as soon as it gets dark.

And when did you
become John Wayne?

Oh, no, baby.

Jim Brown.

♪ ♪

You're gonna
wear the desert out.

Well, where is he?

I should have gone with him.

Come on, Pete, he's a big boy.

Yeah, a town like that...

What would happen
if they caught him?

Well, he'll con 'em.

Just like he does
the rest of the world.

It's no good.

I'm going into town. Pete!

Look, don't argue! No, listen.

Linc?

Linc!

Linc!

A bad trip, man.

Just take it easy, babe.

Hey, Pete?

I think I found it.

What?

The captain's car.

You don't seem to understand.

You're not in the city now.

He never got lumps
like that in the city.

Well, what'd you expect, son,

sneaking in in the
middle of the night?

Now, I told you, we needed
kerosene for the stove.

Now, I tried the front door,
then went around back,

and some clown laid me out.

Look, fellas, I'm
sorry it happened.

Whoever hit you...

probably thought you were
trying to steal something.

And it'd be his
word against yours.

And in this town

he'd win. Figures.

Why don't you forget
about pressing charges?

I tell you what,

you go on over to
Sam Clayton's store.

Tell him to give you a
bottle of his best sour mash,

on the sheriff.

Now, that's a switch...

Being bribed by a cop.

Well, the law's a little
more flexible out here.

You know, you started to
wail pretty good for a sick man.

Pop always said:

"When the wolf's at the
door, make like a bear."

You know, all we did
was buy a little time.

I hope Julie did better.

You never learn, do you?

Kids are different today.

You just don't flash a
badge or flex a muscle.

They don't run easy;
they ask questions.

You know what
that could mean, Al?

Running scared?

Look.

I've gone along with you

because I thought
you were right,

but you're getting
us in too deep.

I'm calling the shots now.

You stay away from those kids.

Do you mind

if I sit down?

Don't stop eating.

I... just thought maybe
you'd like some company.

Well? Nothing.

What?

What are you talking about?

Linc, I looked in the garage...
There weren't any cars.

Under the tarp, Julie!
There wasn't any tarp!

They must have moved it.

Well, then I blew it.

We're right back
where we started.

No proof.

And nobody's doing
any talking, either.

Hey, wait a minute!

Now, you stay right here.

If Jennings comes in
the hotel, you hit the horn.

Where are you going?

The sheriff offered
us a bottle of booze.

I'm gonna see
what I can do with it.

All right, what do you want?

Just take it easy.

Just passing the time of day.

Well, don't pass it with
her... You'll get her in trouble.

You know yours was the
only friendly face in town.

What happened?

Nothing. Nothing happened.

Look, please!

My father'll be back any minute,
and if he... Look, wait a minute.

I wish somebody in this
town would level with me.

Something happened here.

What?

What?

What do you want?

Hey, you remember me?

Oh, sure.

From the kitchen.

From the fight.

You are friend.

A friend... who
brought a friend.

Welcome to my parlor...

uh, the both of you.

You got no right!

Who are you,
anyway, come in here

and stick your nose
in everyone's business!

It's not your town!

My friend got beat
up in this town.

Now, that makes it my business.

Well, you don't know
when you're well off.

It could get a lot worse!

It's a town full of hate!

They're like animals.

What do you mean, they?

You're no different.

Well, how would you
feel if your sister...

Get out...

It just... slipped.

Or maybe I wanted to tell him.

I can't take much more.

You've got to.

It looked a little
heavy in there.

Yeah.

Something rough
happened to that girl,

and I got a pretty
good idea what.

Let's go!

Where?

Parkersburg!

Where it's safe to
make a phone call.

Chief Metcalf?

The cook spilled his guts.

A man was lynched in this town.

Captain Greer?

I don't know.

You think they're
going for good?

Not them.

Follow 'em, Lloyd.

See what they're up to.

Time to feed the animal.

Okay, Greer.

Nice and easy...

or like last time?

Oh, no.

Uh-uh.

You can manage.

Eat hearty.

He never learns.

Where do you think
you're going amigo?

As far as I can get... amigo.

Who do you think you're kidding?

Now, you know we're
all in this together.

Only because you keep saying so.

Everybody made the big mistake

of believing you.

But no more for me.

You ain't going
nowhere, you lousy...!

You're gonna stop me, Al?

You worried about me talking?

You don't have to.

I'll be a long time
and a lot of bottles

trying to forget I
ever saw this place,

but I'm going to try.

Adios, amigo.

I say now, before it's too late!

No.

That Mexican's gone.

Sooner or later he'll
get tanked up and talk.

Who'd believe him?

It doesn't matter.

It'll bring trouble just
like those three kids.

I tell ya, someone's
gonna find that cop.

We can't hold on to him forever.

Are you gonna start that again?

It's so easy.

We just put him in the
lake like the first one.

I thought we settled this.

Are you gonna take over again?

I'm just trying to
finish this thing...

Once and for all.

You're quick to kill.

But you're slow to act.

Time's running out.

All right, slow down.

You've got something,
but you're excited.

You're jumping to conclusions.

All right, now look,
Chief, it all adds up.

Alive or dead, the
captain's in that town.

Now, we just know it.

You don't know anything.

You've got a trunk
full of wishful thinking.

That hat could be anybody's,
and so could the car.

There are thousands
of models like that

and you didn't get
the license plate.

We got a witness! The cook!

You've got a lush who
says he saw a hanging.

What's he gonna
say when he's sober?

All right, we'll find out.

You stay where you are.

You stay right in Parkersburg
and I'll catch a plane.

Look, that'll take hours.

Now, what about the
captain, if he's still alive?

Look, Adam and I go way back,
long before you were around.

Now you stay where you are!

The man doesn't buy
as quickly as we do.

Yeah, we heard.

I can't see hanging
around this place

when the action's
in Miller's Springs.

Well, not all of it.

We got trouble right
here in River City.

Could be a coincidence.

Let's find out.

He's still there.

There's no doubt about it now.

Shall we invite him in to
our interrogation room?

Is that smart?

Smart and necessary.

I've got some lumps to repay.

This ought to do it.

Right... here!

You've been pushing
too long, man!

So now it's "man," huh? Yeah.

So now you're

talking my language.

Now...

Now, let's get to it.

A man, Adam Greer,
a friend of ours,

came in your town
and never came out.

Now, where is he, hmm?

Not fast enough.

Now, that hat was his.

Where is he?

The car!

Now, where is he?

One more time...

Where?!

The, the, the sheriff's got him.

Is he alive?

He's, he's in a jail cell.

Look who got here first.

The cavalry.

Or the Indians.

You never know
in this town, man.

What do we do?

I know what you do.

You wait right here.

Oh, Pete!

Like, don't argue.

Anything happens,

just take off as
fast as you can.

Officer?

Hi.

Can you wait a minute?

Yeah, what's up?

Just wait here.

Turn him loose.

Who?

The man in the cell...

Adam Greer.

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

Do you turn him loose,
or do we call them?

I don't think there's any reason

to keep those fellows
hanging around.

Do you?

Everything's fine, Cliff.

My best to the missus.

Ain't no use, Mister.

They're long gone.

You know, I have to
hand it to you, Sheriff.

It was a very groovy move.

What did you do with him?

I do think you're
off your rocker.

No, really.

Level with us.

How did you know

that we were coming back?

Well, you boys
overlooked something.

Old Lloyd, he's got a
two-way radio in his truck.

It's mighty handy.

Okay...

you hold all the cards.

Yeah.

I guess we better
get out of your hair.

Uh-uh-uh, whoa!

Whoa.

Now you, uh,

you should have done
that a long time ago.

It may be too late now.

You know, I think it's
time we had a talk...

all of us.

They've got 'em
all. The girl, too.

I know.

Well, we've got to do something.

They'll kill them, too.

You've got to tell them.

Thanks for the ride.

Hey, you're just in
time for the party.

What party?

Hotel dining room.

You go ahead.

I'll be right there.

Boy, oh, boy, that's
gonna smart in the morning.

Longer than that.

We've been waiting for ya.

Let's get moving.

Here, you hold this.

With pleasure.

All right, let's get down to it.

What are we gonna
do with you kids?

Wrong question.

What did you do with the man?

The man?

No, not the cat you
threw in the cell just now.

But the original
tenant, Adam Greer.

You're pretty sure
of that are you?

We know it.

Well, Highway Patrol was here.

Why didn't you tell them?

Right, the other
guy in the cell.

They would have had a big laugh.

I ain't laughing.

You see anybody here laughing?

Now we don't think
you're funny at all.

We take you seriously.

Now, you got some ideas

about something happening here,

we'd like to hear 'em.

We're waiting.

It's not too hard to figure out.

You hung a man in this town.

Why should we hang a man?

Maybe cattle rustling?

It had something to do
with Donna Jennings.

Go on.

Now you might have
been able to hide then,

but you ran into a problem;

a witness.

A man on a fishing trip.

So you grabbed him.

You might have killed him, too.

But you find out he was a cop.

Different ball
game killing a cop.

Especially if you are a cop.

So you kept him alive
trying to figure what to do.

The question
is is he still alive!

We got bigger worries than that.

Let's take you.

Three wild city kids who rode in

and terrorized this town.

Burglarized the
garage, hijacked a truck,

assaulted Lloyd
Morgan with intent to kill.

Three rough kids.

That didn't surprise
me a bit, Sam,

when they walked into your store

and held you up at gunpoint.

Sure I hated to do it, but
there wasn't any choice.

No, no, we had to gun 'em down.

We sure did.

That's a very
groovy story, Sheriff...

but a hard sell.

Oh, we'll, uh, we'll sell it.

I don't think so.

Because you forgot to ask
the most important question.

Now how come three wild
kids know Captain Adam Greer?

Captain, cop, first class.

Because we work for him.

We're cops.

Huh, you expect
me to believe that?

Why don't you
call Chief Metcalf?

Henderson-3-2100, extension 507.

You remember him, don't you?

You just talked to
him the other day.

We were there.

Well, on second
thought, he won't be there.

He'll be here...

in about 20 minutes,

with the real Seventh Cavalry.

Oh they're lying,
can't you tell that?

It's the truth...
and he knows it.

Well, Sheriff?

You didn't have the
guts to kill one cop.

Now what are you
gonna do with four?

He's right, Al.

He's right.

It's all over.

Well, it's not all over for me

because I'm the
one they'll nail.

No, not you Al, all of us.

You say it now,

but what'll you say in court?

Then it'll be my problem.

Because some bum
passed through town

and attacked my daughter.

It destroyed her,
made her like she is.

Well, sure, you
were with me then.

"Right, Al," you said,
"The way he law is today,

a man might go free," you said.

"A man, man's gotta do
what's right," you said. Hmm?

Yeah, but look at you now,
ready to run because of them.

No...

No, it's like I said.

Three wild kids we had to kill.

No!

No!

Pa, no!

What, what's happening?

Donna?

She is trying to tell you...

Don't you understand?

She wasn't attacked!

I... I loved Eddie.

You can't blame him!

I loved him!

I wanted him!

That's right, hit her!

That's your answer
to everything.

Why do you think she
lied when you caught her?

Because she was afraid of you!

Afraid that you'd kill her.

Pa... won't you ever grow up?

Al, it'll be all right.

No...

It'll never be all right again.

The cop... Ben Zargo's got him.

I told him to put
him in the lake.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

What kept you?

First they save me, and
now you try to drown me.

That's the fifth cup.

Taste it.

It's a Julie Barnes special.

80-proof coffee.

I like your style.

Let's go.

It's a waste of time.

Just want the doctors in
Parkersburg to check you out.

Don't argue.

Did I remember to thank you?

Can't have everything.

Thanks.

That's all right. Any time.

Captain, did you catch any fish?

Not a nibble. Not a nibble.

What's gonna happen to them?

Trial.

How do you think it'll go?

Doesn't matter.

They're losers anyway.

They got to live with it.

By the way, didn't I tell you

to wait for me in Parkersburg?

Yeah.

I'm glad you didn't.

Julie...

The stranger...
they just hung him.

Why?

They already said why.

He was a stranger.

For some people, that's enough.

But it'll change.

The world's gotta change.

I just want to be
around to see it.