The Back Pages (2017–…): Season 1, Episode 4 - Innocence Escaped - full transcript
In Northern California during the late 1800's, a simple farm hand is accused of murder and must choose how he faces the swiftness of frontier justice.
Riggs!
Riggs.
I know you're in there, Riggs.
I shoulda never let you
stick around these parts, half-breed.
Speak to me, Riggs, damn it.
Maybe he ain't in there, Clay.
Like hell he ain't in there.
Riggs!
I'll give you one final chance
to come out peaceably.
You ain't gonna like my alternatives.
Let's go.
He ain't up here, but
there was definitely
someone up here recent.
He can't be far.
Look around.
Hi, Marshal.
Hello my dear, Pearl.
Why, aren't you just as purty as ever.
And, what do I owe the pleasure
of your company this time around?
Business?
Or personal?
I reckon a little of both.
Oh, is that so?
Yeah, I'm celebrating.
And, what
might we be celebrating?
The death of Miss Annie's killer.
What you talking about, Frank?
Out by Shingleton.
Those two brothers been
robbin' the stagecoach?
I found this on one of them.
You gotta go, Frank.
What are you talkin' about?
Sheriff came through
here just 'fore dawn today
said he knowed who killed Miss Annie.
He was on his way to get him.
Where was he headed?
That old Georgeson homestead.
Frank, you gotta get down there.
The Sheriff, he weren't
in his right state of mind
when he came through here.
I reckon he weren't.
I'll be back.
You take care Frank Kennedy.
Hey, how 'bout a game, Marshal?
Not this time, boys.
Sure could use some fresh blood.
Maybe next time.
All right, suit yourself.
Hey, Clay.
Over here.
Atta boy, Yancey.
Good job.
Should we go get the horses?
Nah, no time.
He ain't far.
Let's go.
You ain't gonna kill him, are you, Clay?
Like hell I ain't.
Well, you mean we ain't
gonna wait for the judge?
We don't need no judge to tell us
what we already know.
All due respect, Sheriff,
we don't know it's him
who done it.
That boy's been cowering
in a barn for days
ever since it happened.
It don't get much more certain than that.
Maybe he's just scared.
Scared.
Scared.
Round these parts there's
two types of scared.
The innocents are scared of the outlaws
and the outlaws are scared of the law.
Now, that boy, well, he's scared of us.
Now, are you with me?
Or should I find another deputy?
I'm with you.
Well, what are you standing
around for then, damn it?
Come on.
Real shame.
Huh?
Real shame what they're doing to you.
You know, before the day's out
they'll be hanging you from
one of those trees.
What you know about me?
Well, I have a talent of knowing things.
I know your name is Riggs.
Nat Riggs.
Knowing my name don't
mean much these days.
Maybe, maybe not.
Either way, what we both know
is that when they find
that white woman murdered
with that half
breed Injun nearby.
Let's say the Injun won't
last very long.
I ain't never touched
that woman, you hear me?
I ain't no murderer.
Hey, hey, hey, easy boy, easy.
Hey, you're awfully violent
for an innocent man.
I'm only trying to help you.
There ain't nothing no one can do for me
at this point, mister.
Don't mean there ain't something
you can't do for yourself.
What exactly you expect me to do?
What you expect me to do with this?
I ain't no killer.
Doesn't matter if you is or you ain't.
See, for them, you is.
They'll hang you for it.
I don't wanna kill no one.
Then be killed.
It's either you or them.
Hey, hey you hear that?
Not so fast off your
Sunday face there, Riggs.
Come on, get up.
Easy, easy.
Look, you gotta believe
me, I didn't touch her.
It'd be best if you
didn't say anything, boy.
It weren't me, honest, Clay.
That's enough.
This way.
You heard the sheriff, get going.
Set him over here, Yancey.
Shouldn't we be headed back to town?
You're going back.
Riggs and I?
Well, we have a little, couple
little matters to discuss.
Shouldn't we all go back together?
Do what I told you to do, damn it.
Go on.
Yes, sir.
Get up, boy.
You gotta believe me, Clay.
I didn't hurt Miss Annie.
I found her like that, honest.
Where's the locket?
What locket?
The locket I gave her, damn it.
There weren't no locket, Clay.
Like I told you, she
was all naked and bloody
when I found her.
Don't lie to me, boy!
I ain't lying.
I didn't find no locket, honest.
Tell me!
Where is it?
Tell me, damn it!
Damn you, Riggs!
We was gonna be married.
You took her from me, you bastard.
She was mine.
You took her from me.
Git up, git up, boy.
Clay, you here?
Shit!
All right, just put them
hands in the air, mister,
real steady like.
You shouldn't have done this.
You don't know nothing, mister.
I ain't had no choice.
He was gonna hang me for
something I ain't done.
Sure looks like you done something now.
You don't get it.
I had to, I had to!
Just put that gun down, boy.
There's still a chance for you.
We can get this thing all cleared up.
No, there ain't no chance.
You don't know.
They'll hang me dead.
Whoa, all right.
What can I get for you, mister?
Water, water, please.
Water per the gent's request.
What's that fer?
I ain't got no money, ma'am.
Just the Marshal's favorite.
Marshal?
What marshal?
Easy now.
Marshal Frank Kennedy.
That's his horse right out yonder.
You with him?
I don't know no marshal.
They was gonna hang me
for killing Miss Annie,
but I ain't, I ain't
done it so I had to run.
Miss Annie?
I know you ain't killed her.
Marshal came through here with proof
one of those stagecoach robbers did it.
He was headed down to tell the Sheriff.
That, that can't be.
Sure it is.
Marshal came through
here early this morning
showed me what was stole off her.
You mean you, he knew,
he knew it weren't me?
They wasn't gonna hang me?
Course they weren't gonna hang you.
Can't be.
Just can't be.
What have I done?
There's some law nearby?
Shingleton has a sheriff.
It ain't too far.
Get him.
What about the Marshal?
Ain't he with you?
I reckon I'll be seeing him soon.
Just go get the Sheriff.
What do I tell him?
Tell him, tell him I ain't gonna fight
and I ain't gonna run.
Tell him I'm done.
Tell him, tell him here sits
the once innocent, Nat Riggs.
Ah, you should've folded.
Aces and eights.
Read 'em and weep.
Riggs.
I know you're in there, Riggs.
I shoulda never let you
stick around these parts, half-breed.
Speak to me, Riggs, damn it.
Maybe he ain't in there, Clay.
Like hell he ain't in there.
Riggs!
I'll give you one final chance
to come out peaceably.
You ain't gonna like my alternatives.
Let's go.
He ain't up here, but
there was definitely
someone up here recent.
He can't be far.
Look around.
Hi, Marshal.
Hello my dear, Pearl.
Why, aren't you just as purty as ever.
And, what do I owe the pleasure
of your company this time around?
Business?
Or personal?
I reckon a little of both.
Oh, is that so?
Yeah, I'm celebrating.
And, what
might we be celebrating?
The death of Miss Annie's killer.
What you talking about, Frank?
Out by Shingleton.
Those two brothers been
robbin' the stagecoach?
I found this on one of them.
You gotta go, Frank.
What are you talkin' about?
Sheriff came through
here just 'fore dawn today
said he knowed who killed Miss Annie.
He was on his way to get him.
Where was he headed?
That old Georgeson homestead.
Frank, you gotta get down there.
The Sheriff, he weren't
in his right state of mind
when he came through here.
I reckon he weren't.
I'll be back.
You take care Frank Kennedy.
Hey, how 'bout a game, Marshal?
Not this time, boys.
Sure could use some fresh blood.
Maybe next time.
All right, suit yourself.
Hey, Clay.
Over here.
Atta boy, Yancey.
Good job.
Should we go get the horses?
Nah, no time.
He ain't far.
Let's go.
You ain't gonna kill him, are you, Clay?
Like hell I ain't.
Well, you mean we ain't
gonna wait for the judge?
We don't need no judge to tell us
what we already know.
All due respect, Sheriff,
we don't know it's him
who done it.
That boy's been cowering
in a barn for days
ever since it happened.
It don't get much more certain than that.
Maybe he's just scared.
Scared.
Scared.
Round these parts there's
two types of scared.
The innocents are scared of the outlaws
and the outlaws are scared of the law.
Now, that boy, well, he's scared of us.
Now, are you with me?
Or should I find another deputy?
I'm with you.
Well, what are you standing
around for then, damn it?
Come on.
Real shame.
Huh?
Real shame what they're doing to you.
You know, before the day's out
they'll be hanging you from
one of those trees.
What you know about me?
Well, I have a talent of knowing things.
I know your name is Riggs.
Nat Riggs.
Knowing my name don't
mean much these days.
Maybe, maybe not.
Either way, what we both know
is that when they find
that white woman murdered
with that half
breed Injun nearby.
Let's say the Injun won't
last very long.
I ain't never touched
that woman, you hear me?
I ain't no murderer.
Hey, hey, hey, easy boy, easy.
Hey, you're awfully violent
for an innocent man.
I'm only trying to help you.
There ain't nothing no one can do for me
at this point, mister.
Don't mean there ain't something
you can't do for yourself.
What exactly you expect me to do?
What you expect me to do with this?
I ain't no killer.
Doesn't matter if you is or you ain't.
See, for them, you is.
They'll hang you for it.
I don't wanna kill no one.
Then be killed.
It's either you or them.
Hey, hey you hear that?
Not so fast off your
Sunday face there, Riggs.
Come on, get up.
Easy, easy.
Look, you gotta believe
me, I didn't touch her.
It'd be best if you
didn't say anything, boy.
It weren't me, honest, Clay.
That's enough.
This way.
You heard the sheriff, get going.
Set him over here, Yancey.
Shouldn't we be headed back to town?
You're going back.
Riggs and I?
Well, we have a little, couple
little matters to discuss.
Shouldn't we all go back together?
Do what I told you to do, damn it.
Go on.
Yes, sir.
Get up, boy.
You gotta believe me, Clay.
I didn't hurt Miss Annie.
I found her like that, honest.
Where's the locket?
What locket?
The locket I gave her, damn it.
There weren't no locket, Clay.
Like I told you, she
was all naked and bloody
when I found her.
Don't lie to me, boy!
I ain't lying.
I didn't find no locket, honest.
Tell me!
Where is it?
Tell me, damn it!
Damn you, Riggs!
We was gonna be married.
You took her from me, you bastard.
She was mine.
You took her from me.
Git up, git up, boy.
Clay, you here?
Shit!
All right, just put them
hands in the air, mister,
real steady like.
You shouldn't have done this.
You don't know nothing, mister.
I ain't had no choice.
He was gonna hang me for
something I ain't done.
Sure looks like you done something now.
You don't get it.
I had to, I had to!
Just put that gun down, boy.
There's still a chance for you.
We can get this thing all cleared up.
No, there ain't no chance.
You don't know.
They'll hang me dead.
Whoa, all right.
What can I get for you, mister?
Water, water, please.
Water per the gent's request.
What's that fer?
I ain't got no money, ma'am.
Just the Marshal's favorite.
Marshal?
What marshal?
Easy now.
Marshal Frank Kennedy.
That's his horse right out yonder.
You with him?
I don't know no marshal.
They was gonna hang me
for killing Miss Annie,
but I ain't, I ain't
done it so I had to run.
Miss Annie?
I know you ain't killed her.
Marshal came through here with proof
one of those stagecoach robbers did it.
He was headed down to tell the Sheriff.
That, that can't be.
Sure it is.
Marshal came through
here early this morning
showed me what was stole off her.
You mean you, he knew,
he knew it weren't me?
They wasn't gonna hang me?
Course they weren't gonna hang you.
Can't be.
Just can't be.
What have I done?
There's some law nearby?
Shingleton has a sheriff.
It ain't too far.
Get him.
What about the Marshal?
Ain't he with you?
I reckon I'll be seeing him soon.
Just go get the Sheriff.
What do I tell him?
Tell him, tell him I ain't gonna fight
and I ain't gonna run.
Tell him I'm done.
Tell him, tell him here sits
the once innocent, Nat Riggs.
Ah, you should've folded.
Aces and eights.
Read 'em and weep.