Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1964–1968): Season 4, Episode 14 - The Return of Blackbeard - full transcript

Probably gremlins, sir.

There's just no regular pattern.

Keep tracking it.
We can't take
any chances.

Aye, sir.

Any sign of the shah's yacht?

Not yet, but it
looks like half the fleet's
patrolling the Atlantic coast.

Take a peek.

Must be
a very important visit
to touch off red alert.

I just opened our secret orders.

I can tell you it's
more than important.

If anything
happens to the shah
on his trip to Washington,



it could start another war.

Skipper, there's an object
flying across the area.
Dead ahead.

It's a chopper.

That checks out.
It's the president's copter.

He's joining the shah
for pre-conference talks.

Mr. Morton,
I'm getting
a strange pattern.

Nose camera.

Activate homing device.
Homing device activated.

Can you sharpen it?

Looks like a weapons bunker.

Could be a missile silo
hidden inside that mound.

Patterson, send out a probe.

Mr. Morton.

I'm getting a reaction,
metal, it's like...



What happened?

I'm not sure, sir.

Admiral,
our instruments now
indicate we're under attack.

Missile Room.

Missile Room, aye.

Chief, load
number one tube.
Stand by to fire a torpedo.

Aye, sir.

Come on, men. Snap to it.

You heard the skipper.
Load number one
torpedo tube.

Computer
programmed for firing.
It's all yours now, Lee.

Missile Room,
countdown for firing.

Five, four, three, two,

one...
Fire.

Programmed to
hit in five seconds.

It turned.

It's homing in on us.
LEE: Hard left, rudder.

That missed by a seal's whisker.

(TSKING)
It's coming about again.

Slow to one-third.
Blow starboard tank.

Aye, sir.

It's going to hit us.

We've got to explode it.

Chip, face it dead on.
I'll try a laser shot.

(NARRATOR READING)

NARRATOR: Voyage to
the Bottom of the Sea.

A stout ship and a lusty crew.

At last!

Damage Control, report.

MAN:
All compartments watertight.

Minor damage in frame six.
Repair crew on the way.

Very good. Carry on.

(NELSON GRUNTS)

Take it easy.
I'll call the doc.

No, no, no. I'm fine.

Admiral, I just checked
with Chief Sharkey
about the runaway torpedo.

He doesn't know how it happened.

Well,
these things used to
happen in World War II.

Something goes wrong
in the electronic circuit

and the missile
homes in on the
mothership.

We're pretty lucky this time.

I would
call it a pretty
good shot on your part.

Why don't
you get some rest, sir?
We're under control here.

Yeah, I think I will.
Now, don't forget to
check out that mound.

We've gotta know
what's in it before
the shah's yacht arrives.

Chip, eject a robot
profile analyzer to
scan it.

You want a full
spectrum analysis?

No, it would take too long.

Run up a graphic reproduction.

All right.

Missile Room.

Missile Room.

Sharkey here,
but just barely, sir.

I know, Chief. Well,
ready another torpedo.

And this time,
double-check the circuitry.

Right, sir.
From tonsil to toenail.

And if this fish
goes bad, I'll eat it.

Very good, Chief.

Now, advise me when
you're ready to fire.

Right, sir.

Well, what are you
standing around for?
Let's get to work.

Hustle down to storage
and get an electronic sensor.

Give me that screwdriver.

(ALARM SOUNDING)

Frame seven, check it out.
Right, sir.

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE)

It came from around the corner.

I could have sworn
that sound came from here.

Hey, look at this.
The sign of the
Jolly Roger.

Come on.

Lee?
Was that general quarters
I heard?

Yes, we're checking
it out now, Admiral.
How are you feeling?

I'm all right.
What about the mound?

I'm waiting for the picture.

Aye. I'll keep in touch.
Aye, sir.

(COUGHING)

Captain Edward Teach, sir,
of the Queen Anne's Revenge,

at your service, sir.

The Blackbeard?

Aye, I'll warrant you I am,
Admiral Nelson.

Blackbeard.
The real, real Blackbeard.

Sound the alarm and you'll
sound your death knell, sir.

You know,
I don't know
how you managed

to stow away in
that masquerade outfit,

but I would advise that you
put the cutlass away and
surrender peaceably.

Strike me colors!

Oh, no, sir, never.
Not Blackbeard.

Well, if you're
going to impersonate a man

who's been dead for
more than 200 years,

you might have
made a better choice.

A better choice
indeed, sir. Yes.

Blackbeard was a blackguard.

A most villainous, licentious,
brawling brute that ever
sailed the seven seas.

Aye.
Oh, Admiral, I like
the cut of your jib.

We should be
having this little talk
over a tankard of mulled ale.

What do you want here?

You come
right to the heart
of it, don't you, sir?

I want your ship! And I want
your stouthearted crew to
sail her.

Mmm-hmm.
And where are you
going to sail her?

Across the seven seas.

Brawling and plundering.

Once again, the name
of Blackbeard will strike
terror in the hearts of men.

There's a world of
treasures out there
waiting to be plucked.

Aye,
and one golden
one in particular.

Aye, Admiral.
I took the liberty of
reading your secret orders.

I hope I wasn't
too disrespectful.

But I was
delighted to find out
the shah had on board

King Solomon's
legendary golden throne.

What fantastic booty!

You're a lunatic!

Admiral,

we'll continue this talk later.

Right now, I'm off
to gather up me crew.

LEE ON RADIO: Chief,
is the torpedo ready?

Not yet, sir,
but any minute now.

Well, hurry it up.
Yes, sir.

Everything I gotta do myself.

Have that ready
when I get back
with the sensor.

Right, Chief.

(EXCLAIMS)
It's me, sir.

Have you seen Blackbeard?
No, sir.

Blackbeard?

Has Kowalski been here?

Man, wait till I get
my hands on that gold...

Hand me
an electronic sensor.
Come on, get the lead out.

Come on,
hand it over.
Check me out.

(SIGHING)

You lunkhead,
you gave me the wrong...

He calls himself
Captain Teach of the
Queen Anne's Revenge,

and he's after
the golden throne.

Now, you got
a pretty bad knock
on the head, Admiral.

Don't you think
you should see Doc...

I do not think I should see...

Look, I'm trying to tell you
that some way, somehow,
a lunatic got aboard,

and with the yacht
due in the hour now,

we can't afford to
let him run around loose.

Here's the
profile scanner
reproduction, sir.

And it shows
the interior
of the mound.

Queen Anne's Revenge.

Blackbeard's ship.

Mmm-hmm. Now, what
do you say to that, huh?

Coincidence, sir.
Fantastic coincidence.

Yes, yes, now, that it could be.

Skipper?

Excuse me,
but can I be...
Can I be relieved of duty?

What's the trouble?

Uh... I'm...

I'm having hallucinations.

What sort of hallucinations?

Nightmarish.

I just saw
a skull on crossbones
and a bearded pirate.

(NELSON CHUCKLES)

Skipper?

I saw the
skull and crossbones
in the corridor today.

Well, why didn't you report it?

I thought it was
some kind of a joke.

Well, Lee?

Evidently, someone cracked
our security before
we left port.

(LEE SIGHS)

Master at Arms.
Aye, sir.

This is the Captain.
We have got a stowaway aboard,

and he's
masquerading as a pirate.

He's armed
with a cutlass, and
he may be dangerous.

I want armed details.

Start a search at once.
Yes, sir.

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE)

MAN ON RADIO: Control Room,
this is Engineering.

All repairs complete.

LEE: Very good.
Stand by to answer bells.

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE)

Oh, you'll make
a proper first mate
for Blackbeard, you will.

Now, there's
a face that would win
a fair maiden's heart.

(SIGHS) I'm sure of it, Chip.

A powerful force
field is protecting that
pirate sloop inside the mound.

Oh, I know our
instruments show it.
I just can't believe it.

There's just one
possible explanation.

That sloop's being used as
a cover for some highly
sophisticated weapon.

To knock off the yacht and
recover King Solomon's
gold throne.

This is possible.
That throne's priceless.

Now that
the Admiral's
alerted the yacht,

someone's
gone to a lot of
trouble for nothing.

Did you warn them just now?

No, the circuits are jammed.

The force field
must be sending out some
kind of electronic blanket.

Well, there's one
sure cure for that.

Missile Room.

Chief Sharkey here.

Is the torpedo ready?

Not yet, sir.

B and C circuits are...
We can't wait, Chief!

Load the tube,
double-charge in the torpedo.

We've got to
explode a force field.

Yes, sir.
There is no chance
of another accident.

Accident?

I wanted to knock out
this ship and I did.

Curse me for a lubber
if I didn't.

That you did,
Captain Blackbeard.
That you did!

Matey, if they wipe out
me sloop, they wipe me out.

Now, we can't allow
that to happen, can we?

No, Captain.

Well, lay off, you swab,
and see that they have
another accident!

If you fail me,
I'll have you
keel-hauled!

This is the Captain.
All search units,
report in.

All search units,
report in at once.

Reactor Room, come in.

Engineering, report.

Sick Bay.
Come in, Doctor.

What could be wrong?

I don't know, but
I'm gonna find out.

Take the con.

I'll be in the lab, Chip.
That's a pretty powerful
field out there.

We may need
something special
to break through it.

(BLACKBEARD LAUGHING)

(BLACKBEARD LAUGHING)

(LAUGHING CONTINUES)

Ooh. Take care, sir.
I need you in good health.

(SIGHS) Are you
on the loose again?

When my men catch up with you...

Call off the search, Admiral.

I cannot be
destroyed by mortals.

I am
truly Blackbeard,
risen from the deep.

And as long as
I hold me cutlass,
no one can do me in,

and there's
no man alive who
can take it from me.

(LAUGHING)

Immortal, was he?

Blast me for a fool, sir.

That was a scurvy trick, but
one worthy of Blackbeard
himself.

But enough of our games.
Let's get down to cases.

Whatever games you're
talking about, Captain

Teach, I don't want
any part of them.

Blast me, Admiral!

But you're
no sniveling,
groveling lackey.

I knew I had the right man
when I chose you

above all the others
who sail the sea.

Chose me to do what?

Why, to walk the quarterdeck
with Blackbeard, as an equal!

Let's go, Captain.

We shall
sweep the seas clean
of all its treasures.

Our first target will be
King Solomon's golden throne.

I'll blast that
yacht to smithereens,

and pick that golden throne
up off the bottom,

thanks to your submarine.

Well, we're
going to stop you.
Now, I don't know how,

but we are going to stop you.

You refuse me, sir.

Well, before I'm
through with you,

you'll come
crawling back on
your hands and knees.

You need me. Why?

I need your
scientific knowledge,
your skillful seamanship,

your genius!

Things have changed while
I slept for two long
centuries.

And so you can't force my hand?

No, but I could
take over your body,

as I've taken
over the bodies
of some of your crew.

But I need your brain, as well.

And you can't get that,
unless I join you voluntarily.

Aye, that's true,
Admiral, that's true.

But there are
ways of persuading you.

You know, I doubt that.

We shall see, sir.
We shall see.

CHIP ON RADIO:
Captain Crane, please report
to the Control Room at once.

Remember, Admiral,
either you strike
your colors,

or you perish.

Torpedo's
being loaded, sir.
I'm almost ready to fire.

(GRUNTS)

Give me a hand with this box.

Are you all right, sir?
Yeah, I'm okay.

Thanks.

Let's go.

Take it easy.
Easy does it.

Missile Room,
starting 10-second countdown.

ELECTRONIC
VOICE: Ten, nine, eight,

seven, six,

five...
BLACKBEARD: Avast, ye swabs.

Abort firing.
Three...

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE)

Chip, fire the torpedo.

Strike your colors, Admiral.

(NELSON GROANS)

Another strong body, Admiral.
Which I will trade for
your mind.

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE STOPS)

What happened?

Are you all right?

Yes, sir.

Sharkey, fire.

Stand back, you swab.

Hey, Ski,
you're out of your mind!
And you're out of uniform.

NELSON ON RADIO:
Chief, I said fire. Fire!

Take him.
Lash him to the deck.

Take him, you swabs!

Keep back, everybody,
she's gonna blow!

Take her up,
we're gonna hit bottom!

After them, you swabs!

(BLACKBEARD LAUGHING)

All right, that does it.
Wait till I get my
hands on that Kowalski.

Tom, police out the area.
Let's check that torpedo.

Easy, now. Easy.

Easy.

Hold it. Hold it.

What's going on, Admiral?

You won't believe this.

Well, that black-hearted,
bearded pirate

is actually the real,
the original Blackbeard.

I believe it.
How did this happen?

Don't question it, Lee.
Just accept it.

The source of his power
is the force field on
his sloop,

and its extension
is in his cutlass.

All we have
to do is blast the sloop
and take away his cutlass.

We gotta hit him from all sides.

Now, get whatever crew
you can together and
fire a torpedo.

Chip, take the Flying Sub
and blast that mound with
a laser.

One of us should be able
to smash through that
force field.

NELSON: Meanwhile, I'm trying
to find out what I can do
about his cutlass.

Good luck!

Look, Chip,
this is important.
Now, think carefully.

When the pirate took you over
in the Control Room,
did you know it?

What do you mean?
Now, what I mean is,

did you
want to break out of
his control but couldn't?

Or did you just
mentally become a pirate
and want to obey his command?

I lost my identity
and thought like
a pirate.

I would have
run you through if
he'd ordered me to.

That's too bad.

Why? I'm back
to myself again.

I know, but I had
hoped that in some way

I could reach
the minds of the crew
and try to break the spell.

No, that won't work,
they'd kill you.

Then I'll have
to find the men who
haven't been taken over yet.

If there are any of them left.

Okay, all clear.

I hope
it keeps this way until
I get to the Flying Sub.

Good luck.

(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING)

Don't shoot, skipper.
It's me, Patterson.

(SIGHS IN RELIEF)

That was a close one, Patterson.

What's going on, sir?

Come on.
We gotta find
the rest of the crew.

I'll explain as we go along.

Now, all I need's a little luck.

You'll need more
than luck, you scum,
to do in Blackbeard.

How'd you get here?

What difference, matey?

Blackbeard has powers
you mortals never
even dreamed of.

But I forget,
you've already felt
me power, have you not?

I have.
Good.

Then you'll
not be wanting
the taste of the same.

Now, come about,
and set a true course
for yon undersea craft.

No tricks now, matey.
Bring her about sharply.

I have
to increase
the power input.

I'm a gentle man.
Don't try me patience.

It's all right now.

Well, come about, then.

(EXCLAIMS)

(HIGH-PITCHED WHINE)

There'll be
no more tricks
from the likes of you.

Satan take you.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

KOWALSKI: Open up.

Open up, Admiral.

Get some explosives.
Move.

Chief.

Skipper, am I
glad to see you.
Kowalski was down here...

Later, Chief. Slap an atomic
warhead on number two torpedo.

Aye, sir. All right,
you heard the skipper.

Snap into it!

Stop where you are.

Admiral, surrender or die.

Kowalski, come to your senses.

Run him through.

(LOW-PITCHED WHINE)

Captain Blackbeard
will take care of this.

Come on, you swabs.

(LOW-PITCHED WHINE STOPS)

Careful.
If that thing blows,

they'll pick up our
pieces with a magnet.

The Admiral's in the lab.
Tell him we'll be ready
to fire in a minute.

I'm on my way, skipper.

Admiral,
the atomic
torpedo is loaded.

Mmm-hmm.

Oh, good, good.
I'm almost finished here.

What is that?
That?

That's an anti-force-field
device based on ultrasonics.

Now, if it works,

we're going to
teach Captain Teach quite
a lesson in modern science.

Hand me the soldering iron,
will you?

Well, what'll it do?

If my theory's correct,

it's going
to change that pirate
into a mass of loose atoms.

Well, how will it
affect anything else?
I mean, like, fallout?

I don't know the answer to
that yet, but we'll give
it a test right now.

Well, isn't that dangerous?
Won't it blast right
through to the sea?

Yes, yes, possibly. But
we'll find out in a minute.

Give me the power box, will you?

Yes, sir.

Hmm.

(EMITTING ULTRASONIC WAVES)

Admiral, it'll blast us apart!

Stand off, mates.

Let's see
if yon Captain is fit
to sail with Blackbeard.

I'm a man who loves a fight.

If you survive,
you'll take your
place on me quarterdeck.

If you drop,
you'll hang from
the yardarm at sunrise.

You're a loud-mouthed
bag of wind, Blackbeard.

I accept the challenge.

(BLACKBEARD LAUGHING)

(BLACKBEARD MUTTERING)

(BLACKBEARD EXCLAIMS)

MAN: Captain Blackbeard.
The yacht is on the horizon.

It'll be a sitting duck.

Lash him to the deck.
Follow me, mate.

To the Control Room!

What about the
Admiral's force field?

We'll take care of that later.

Missile Room, Lee.

Lee, Lee, you've
got to fire the torpedo.
Destroy the pirate's sloop.

Lee, answer me. Lee?

Pirates got him, sir.

Yeah, I'm afraid so.

Where away?
Dead ahead.

BLACKBEARD: Sail-ho!

Prepare a broadside.

Missile Room, ready torpedo.

No! The president's
on that yacht!

Are your guns primed?
Aye, Captain.

Fire!

Ten-second countdown and fire.

BLACKBEARD:
Fire, you lubber.

Ready.

ELECTRONIC VOICE: Nine, eight,

seven, six, five...
The power line.

Four, three, two, one...

Fire, you swab!
Fire.

I said fire,
before I keel-haul you.

Missile Room,
why don't you fire?

MAN: Someone cut the power.

It's the main circuit.
The cable's shorted.

Blast me for a fool.

I'll stake me head to a penny
Admiral Nelson's at the
bottom of this.

Aye, Captain.

Well, it's total war now.

I'll have him
drawn and quartered.

And as for the Captain,
I'll make him walk the plank.

Out of a submarine?

Aye. Me special version.

Come, I'll tell you.

Well, we stopped the shot.

Well, for the moment, Chief,
but if l know Blackbeard,
he'll be after us again.

I don't know
what's to stop him
from slicing us to ribbons.

(SCOFFS)

Yeah, that's all we need now.

Well, don't tell me it's busted.

The power cell is smashed.

You do have a spare, don't you?

I'm afraid not, Chief.
This is the only one,
the original.

Well, what do we do now, sir?

Well, there's more than
one way to catch a ghost.

All we need is another power
source and this thing is
as good as new.

Yes, sir.
All we need is power
and all we have to do is...

What?
(CHUCKLES)

Take this, Chief.
Come with me.

Yes, sir.

Hurry.
You're going for a swim.

Admiral!
Admiral!

Admiral!
Show yourself, sir!

(YELLING)

Go ahead, Captain.

Are you sending me
out without a tank?

Oh, no, no.

Captain Blackbeard
gave specific orders.
Full gear, he said, except...

Just one minute of air.

(AIR WHOOSHING)

Ski, don't do it!
It's murder!

Shut up, you scum!

(GRUNTS)

Your last chance, sir.

Strike your colors,
or you're a dead man.

Never.

You're outgunned, sir.

Morton is
at the bottom of the sea,
and Crane will join him soon.

Give it full power.

A child's toy, sir?

No man
has ever stopped
Blackbeard with a toy.

Ha!

(EMITTING ULTRASONIC WAVES)

(BLACKBEARD GRUNTING)

I'll blow that
yacht to smithereens yet.

But first,
some unfinished business.

There's no man alive who can
stand up to Blackbeard
in a fight.

But you're welcome to try.

Defend yourself!

(YELLS)

KOWALSKI ON RADIO:
Captain Blackbeard,
torpedo ready.

Awaiting orders.

We'll call this
one a draw, Admiral.

I'll be back.

Come on, snap out of it, Chief.

I'm okay, Admiral.

Where is he?

He's gone to
blow up the yacht.
We gotta stop him.

Admiral,
you're gonna
get electrocuted.

Uh-uh.

Can you loose a broadside?
Aye, Captain.

Then fire away, you swab.

He knocked out
all the firing
power, Captain.

What are these?

They're atomic missiles,
Captain.

Will they blow up the yacht?

Aye, and more!

Well, splendid.
Get them ready
to fire.

Sir, they're activating
a short-range missile.

Missile primed,
homed in on target.

Fire!

NELSON: Hold it!

BLACKBEARD:
You're too late, Admiral!

(EMITTING ULTRASONIC WAVES)

(ULTRASONIC WAVES STOP)

We'd better pick
up the survivors.

No, no, leave that.
There were no fatalities.

But the missile hit
the target, the yacht.

No, not the yacht.
It exploded underwater.

It hit the pirate sloop,
the source of his power.

See, skipper, the Admiral
reprogrammed the missile
from the main circuits

and changed
its direction
towards the sloop.

Well, Captain Blackbeard
is back where he belongs.

Did we wake him, Admiral?
Will he come back again?

It's kind of hard
to tell, Kowalski,

but I think he's gonna be
asleep in the deep for
a long, long time.

Hello, Seaview.
Morton calling.

Chip, are you all right?

I'm fine now.
What happened?

It's a long story.
We'll pick you up
and swap pirate yarns.

Over some
tankards of mulled ale.

ENGLISH - US - LINE 21