The Cape (2011): Season 1, Episode 1 - Pilot - full transcript

Hey.

What are you doing in here?

He had a bad dream.

Palm City police
are out in force today

as the mayor announces his new
Chief of Police, Tom Ross,

at a noon day press conference
at City Hall.

This despite recent
terrorist threats

made against the new chief

by the masked killer
known as "Chess."

Now we'll have much more
on this developing story...

You be safe.



- See you later, Trip.
- Bye, dad.

Palm City Police Department.
Can I help you?

- Hey, Billy.
- Hey, Vince.

- Good morning, Donna.
- Are you sure about that?

Orwell says the threat
to the new chief

is coming from inside
the department.

What the hell are you doing
on Orwell's blog?

Orwell is the only one
that seems to know

what the hell is going on
in this city.

He just put up a new list
of corrupt cops.

Jenner and Brooks are on it.

This is our vision
of better days ahead,

a day when a police force can
execute its most basic purpose,

to fight crime.



Get me a man
on the north corner.

We're looking
a little thin there.

I'm on it.

And together
we can save Palm City

with your support.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Palm City.

There's a new day ahead!

Sir, right here, sir.

Let's roll.

Hope that Chess moron
had a front row seat.

Backstage pass.

Hey, Bobby,
what you doing, man?

You and Garcia are my bodies
on the chief.

You just called me off.

The hell I did.

Chief!

Chief!

Hey, buddy.

That's good.

That's really good, but
you've gotta turn your hips.

Boom.

Keep your hand up.

I know you'll get him, dad.

I love you.

Ark Corporation?

Come on, man,
we've been through this.

It's time, Vince.

We're detectives.

We need to be solving crimes,

not worrying about getting shot
in the back by one of our own.

Yeah, but Ark?
I mean, come on, what is this?

Some billionaire, Peter Fleming?
I mean, how does that work?

After the chief's murder,
everything has changed.

From what I'm hearing,
Peter Fleming,

the Ark Corporation,

they're gonna take over
the police force.

We need guys like you, Vince.

You know what, talk to Dana.

She seems to be the only one
of you two with any sense.

I thought you'd be happy.

I just want to know
it's what you want.

You've always wanted
to be a cop.

I'd still be a cop.

Private cop.
A corporate cop.

How am I supposed
to do my job

if I can't even trust
the guy next to me?

No, I get it.
I get it.

Ark's taking over the force
in six months.

I get in now,

I get good benefits,
time off.

Time off, what's that?

- Mmm.
- Mmm.

Operating in war theaters
in 17 nations,

Ark Corporation
is setting a new standard

in privatized law enforcement.

Chairman and CEO Peter Fleming

now plans to bring
Ark solutions

to cities
all across America.

Mr. Fleming,

this is Vince Faraday,

the Detective
I told you about.

Right.

There's a shocking amount
of police corruption

in Palm City, Detective.

I hope you've kept
your nose clean.

I don't take bribes, no.

Forgive me, that--
that was rude.

You realize
that Ark Corporation

is paid billions
of dollars

to train police officers
in Afghanistan,

while American cities are
left to crumble in neglect.

I want to change all that.

This can be
a great city again, Vince.

Yes, sir, I believe that.

But first we have
to rebuild the trust.

Well, these are good people.

Of course they are.

Well, you're a hometown guy,
right?

Yeah, yeah.
Born and raised.

I used to play ball
over in Ditmuss Park.

My father was
a Palm City Sheriff.

Well, then you must have
mixed feelings about this,

a privatized police force.

I just want to be a cop.

Good answer.

These people
don't know me, Vince.

I'm a faceless bureaucrat.

They need heroes,
like Vince Faraday.

Marty will sort you out.

And I want you on the clock
first thing Monday morning.

Thank you, sir.

"He propped his glasses
on his nose,

cleared his throat,
and read aloud."

He's gotta finish
his school reading.

We're on it.

Good night, sweetheart.

Good night, mom.

Do it.

Okay.

Now, where were we?

"The Cape dove off
the rooftop,

"barely dodging
the jets of fire

"streaming from the gauntlets
of the arsonist.

"'Let's see
if that cape burns,'

"the arsonist sneered.

"'I shoulda killed you
while I had the chance.'

"beneath the city,
beneath the streets,

"the vermin of the city teems
and grows and grows unchecked.

They need a hero."

Hello, Vince,
this is Orwell.

I've been watching you.

Sorry to hear
you're leaving the force.

Palm City needs
honest cops like you.

Guess you
bought into the hype

that Ark Corporation
will save us all.

Well, not so fast.

This is L-9, super-expanding
chemical explosive.

Officially doesn't exist,

but we know better,
don't we?

This is what L-9
did to chief Ross.

How'd L-9 reach Palm City?

This man, Dominic Raoul,
aka Scales.

Not just a pretty face,

Scales runs the biggest
smuggling operation

on the West Coast.

And this is Chess.

My sources tell me Chess
and Scales struck a deal,

and a massive shipment of L-9
is moving by train tonight.

Let's see if you're
still a cop, Vince.

We'll be in touch.

Vince?

Vince?

It is 2:00 a.m., man.

You alone?

Yeah, I'm alone.

Did you bust this lock?

And you're opening boxes.
Vince, this is illegal.

You think that's illegal?

"Pammy pees.

Hours of toilet training fun."

I don't know about you,
but I'm thinking recall.

It's a weaponized shell
of L-9 chemical explosive.

I checked six boxes,
all the same.

That is what killed
the new chief.

So what the hell's it doing
on an Ark freight car?

Vince, it's
a billion-dollar corporation.

There's a lot
of moving parts.

Come on, Marty.

In this city,
those moving parts

seem to include organized crime
and W.M.D.

Look, we're gonna
get outta here, okay?

I'm gonna make
some phone calls,

and I'm gonna clear
this whole thing up.

Wait, no, no, no.

I got this!

Oh, Marty.

Marty, what did you do?

Do you play chess?

I ask because you have
an aggressive opening.

In the game, I'd call it
the Latvian Gambit.

You forced me to fine-tune
some things.

What's the plan for the L-9?

But we are
in the middle game.

Pawns become crucial,

and out of your inexperience

you left your King vulnerable.

Your family.

Dana, Trip.

Don't you dare.

Don't you dare!

My life is like
a game of chess.

Chess must pay for his crimes.

Ark will make him pay.

And when they do, the Mayor
will turn over the police to me.

And when the coroner's
report is released,

it will be
your skin they find

under Chief Ross' fingernails.

This is check, Vince.

Marty, don't.
Don't do this.

Don't do this.
Please, don't do this.

Tighter.

You have one move left.

Run.

There he is!

Newscopter 7
is on the scene now,

and we will continue...

Hey, oatmeal okay, hon?

Sure.
Where's dad?

I don't know, he must have
had to go into work early.

Hey, mom, I think
they caught Chess.

Is that where dad is?

Maybe.

...Have a very fluid
situation developing.

Wait, there's new information
coming in right now.

Stop where you are!

Why don't we turn that off?

The suspect
has been identified

as former police sergeant
Vince Faraday.

Why did he say that?

Say what?

He said dad was Chess.

Said what?

He said dad.

It was a mistake.
You didn't hear it right.

- What--
- Quiet, quiet, Trip.

...News 7 as we continue
to bring you...

Recap, Ark personnel
are in pursuit

of a suspect believed--
mom, it's him!

Why are they chasing him?

It's a mistake.

Oh, mom!

Shh, shh, shh.

Mr. Fleming,
how's this gonna work?

Is Ark taking over
the police department?

Look, Chess is dead.

And today Palm City
is safer because of us.

There is work to be done,

there are details
to be ironed out,

but as of today I humbly
accept the Mayor's offer.

Palm City will have

the first fully-private
metropolitan police force

in the United States.

Thank you.

Wake him up.

Rollo.

No, no, no, hold on.
I'm awake, I'm awake.

187 on the nose,
am I right?

Where am I?

Answer him, jerkface.

He's guessing your weight.

187, is he right?

187.

Yeah, that's right.

He's never wrong.

I never miss.

So you're Chess, huh?

No, I'm--I'm not Chess.

Is there egg on my face?

Whatever gave me
that impression?

Popo.

Authorities continue
to gather evidence

after the explosion that
appears to have taken the life

of Vince Faraday,

aka Chess.

- Oops!
- No, I was framed.

Look, you want the truth?

Chess is Peter Fleming.

He is!

Look, who are you?
What do you want?

Money, you poor,
slow-thinking man.

We are the carnival of crime.

We're professional
bank robbers.

Now are you
any use to me or not?

Because I'm getting thirsty.

No, I--

I'm just a cop.

Wrong answer.

Rollo.

We hate cops!

They arrest people like us.

You're--
Max, you're screaming.

What?
I'm using my stage voice.

When you were Chess,
you were interesting.

Now you're boring.

Dump him in the desert

and cut the fingers off.

Head too, I guess.

But he's cute!

No, no, wait, wait, wait!

I'm a cop who had authority

over every security procedure,

code schedule,
and personnel shift

for the Palm City Branch
of Ark Security Corporation.

Get tattoo here
to check my pocket.

Rollo.

Outside pocket, cue ball.

That is a master key.

It talks to alarm keypads,
bypasses security codes.

You probably already know
that Ark alarms

and security troops
are taking over

every bank in Palm City.

So now you tell me,

how much is my life worth?

Whoa!

Ladies and gentlemen,
this is a holdup!

Get down!

On your faces!

Come on, we're leaving.

Gentlemen,
we have a winner.

Whoo!

Go, go, go, go!

This next video's from
the South Palm City branch.

Do we think
the raccoon acted alone?

Probably not, sir.

You have a beautiful family.

Thank you.

Search the forests.

Find these comedians.

Yes, sir.

Hello?

Hello?

Hello?

It's time to move on,
Vincent.

I can't let my son think
that I did those things.

Go on.

Explain to him
that you're not dead.

But the moment
Vince Faraday pops up,

Chess will kill them.

Believe me.

They're safer with you gone.

Then I'll kill Chess.

Ark is bigger
than just one man.

No, I can find evidence.

I can prove
that I'm innocent.

And give it to who?

He is the cops.

Then what?

You take his damn money,
that's how you take down Ark.

And who better
than me to take it?

That is not enough.

Here's the deal, Vincent.

You help me rob Peter Fleming,

and I'll help you
get your family back.

Trip.

Sweetie, are you hungry?

Will you eat something
a little later for mommy?

Okay.

I haven't seen
this old rag in years.

That would be quite an act.

But I can't help you.

Why not?

Look, we got
a good thing going here.

You've got
a good thing going.

What are you afraid of?

You're dreaming.

I'm still his father, Max.

I have to show him
that he isn't alone.

I have to send him
a message.

What message,
that his dad's lost his mind?

That it's not all corrupt,

that one man can still
make a difference.

Max, you made me a promise.

I kept my end of it.

Now you tell me, have you got
anything left in the tank?

Were you ever anything?

You watch it, punk.

I don't see it.

Ah, you're just
a broken down old loser.

I'm Max Malini!

Is it possible?

I've broken 92 bones in
pursuit of the perfect illusion,

trained a generation of
escapists, acrobats, magicians.

I specialize in impossible.

But this--

this won't cut it.

You need something special.

But I do nothing halfway.

This will cost you.

You'll learn just how much
the human body can withstand

and the mind.

You give me your soul,
Vince Faraday,

and I'll make you the greatest
circus act that ever lived.

When do we start?

It was one-of-a-kind.

Had varied elements,

like a weighted hem
for throws.

It was designed for Lozmo,
the Russian escapist.

They called him unkillable.

Now...Voila!

It's made entirely
of spider silk.

Stronger than Kevlar.

But thinner than filament.

Retract!

And snap.

Again.

Spin, spin, spin.

And snap it!

The cape must retract,

free you up to fight
with a fighting form

that embraces The Cape--

British bartitsu,
kodokan judo.

The warrior-dancers
of the Tang Dynasty

used their robes as weapons.

Again!

And so will you.

One day.

There are
37 vanishing illusions

that use a cape.

You will master them all.

All right, little man,

let's see how tough you are

when I'm not tied
to a chair.

Bring it, bitch boy!

Whoo!

In mentalism, the point
is not to let the sucker know

he's being hypnotized, right.

So you talk about
the weather,

or my wife,
she give me a hard time.

You move his eye,

slowly you're working your way
into his mind,

into his very soul.

What was that?

I just hypnotized you,
sucker.

You hyp--yeah, right.

Then why are you wearing
the girlie panties, Vincent?

The girl--what?

That is not cool.
That is not cool, Ruvi!

Come on, Vince.
Do it.

Come on.

Come on!

Yeah!

Do it!

Yeah.

Yeah!

Yeah!

Yeah, come on!

What you got?

There you go.

Hmm.

You wish, sucker.

You give me a hundred bucks,
I won't tell the crew.

You!

Don't get cocky.

I think you're ready.

It's him.

It's Scales.

Isn't he, like, deformed?

Just don't stare, man.

Whatever you do, don't stare.

Hurry up, you slugs!

Let's get this stuff
on the ship.

Wait a minute,
let me see that thing.

Nice.

Move it!

Sweet threads.

Come on!

It's gonna be cold.

I know you'll get 'em, dad.

I love you.

The escapist
controls his fear,

focuses the mind.

Trusts his training.

Come on, you slugs,
let's get a move on!

Come on, chop, chop.
Over here.

That's what we want.

Load up.

Unload it!
You got 30 minutes!

Wait, you're Orwell?

Get up.

What are you, like 12?

You're the one wearing
long underwear and a cape.

Fair enough.

Who do you work for?

I don't work for anyone.

Please.

You're just
another mind game

to squirm out of
Peter Fleming's twisted brain.

What are you doing?

Running the fingerprints
you gave me

when you pushed the button
in the car.

I'll find you.

Turn that off.
Don't, stop.

Stop
Vince Faraday.

Vince Faraday is dead.

You put this on your blog,

you put my family in danger,
and I swear to God--

We're on the same side,
Vince.

How many cops did you rat out?
I lost count.

Dirty cops.

I wasn't.

You ruined my life.

I just thought
you might want to know

who it is you're working for.

Oh, yeah, thank you.

I found out all right.

So this is real?

You're fighting back?

Do I have a choice?

Why the getup?

I have my reasons.

It's an unconvention war.

I want to help you, Vince.

I'm The Cape.

Cape, fine.

I'm invisible to them,
and I have to stay that way.

But you,
you could be a symbol.

And trust me, I could help you
hit Peter Fleming where he's weakest.

Together we could scare him.

Together we could
take this city back.

sir, it's Marty.

We got a hit on a grifter-type
bank robber named Max Malini.

Surrounds himself with
a bunch of circus type

we got a team heading over
to their hideout now.

Yes, that's--that's good.

Bring him to me at
The Lady Luck.

Everything okay,
Mr. Fleming?

Oh, yeah.

I'm wonderful.

Don't die, Max.

I need names.

Die?

I'm just getting warmed up,
sweetheart.

Mr. Raoul,

tear his arms off.

Damn, look at you, son.

I could make you a star.

Whatever he's paying you,
I'll double it.

I don't think so.

Doesn't anyone value
showmanship anymore?

Find him.

He's one old man.

- Vince?
- Yeah.

They got Max.

Ark troops took him.

I think they got him on some
ship down by the pier.

I'm on my way.

Got your back.

So you're Scales, huh?

Yeah.

And the yellow brick road
is that way.

Not impressed.

Let's party.

Ahh!

Say hello to Dorothy,
bitch.

Abracadabra, pops.

Presto.

I got you, Max.

Try not to talk.

I'm the one dying here.

I like to talk.

What you said about your boy,

about showing him
one man can make a difference,

that stayed with me.

You take it from a man
who never knew his father

and never had a son,

that bond,

it's what makes heroes.

Want to say
something profound,

last words and all,

but God, I--

I need a drink.

Max.

Max!

Damn it,
I thought that was it.

And I wasted that great speech.

Let's get you up.

Set the charges,

blow the shipment.

Whoa, you have two tons
of L-9 down here.

That'll take out
half of Palm City.

And after, the people
will be so afraid

the fear will never
leave them.

Ark can pursue its goals
while they cheer for us.

Checkmate.

When I press send,

it blows the charges.

You might want to bring
the submarine around.

Palm City's air quality's
about to take a hit.

Stay and set
the damn charges!

Orwell, I need you jam
all cell phone activity

within 500 feet.

Chess!

I'll find out who you are,

I'll find out who you love,

I will make them scream.

No bars.

You did good
out there, Vince.

Yeah, you too, Orwell.

But now you're the mystery.

Who are you anyway?

No one special.

You Trip Faraday?

You read my comic?

I knew your father.

He was a good cop.

And he was framed
for those crimes.

But I know the guilty,

and I will not stop
until they know justice.

Your father asked me
to give you a message.

He said don't lose hope,

don't ever lose hope.

And be good to your mother.

And study your math,
you need to work on your math.

And he said to tell you

that he loves you
more than anything.

And someday,

someday you'll
see each other again.