Episode
#112 - "The First Stone"
Will remembers some of the
Lost Words, with unexpected consequences. Synopsis
Episode
#113 - “The Devil's Army”
When the Chosen Village is
threatened by an invasion of army ants, everyone must mobilize to fight them
off; Jimmy Stack becomes a hero while helping Ezra to regain his son’s
admiration. Synopsis
Episode
#114 - “The Finding”
The Chosen celebrate the
"Finding", a night of drinking, dancing and debauchery that leads
to a few "paired off" surprises among our survivors.
Synopsis
Episode
#115 - “Escape”
After
weeks of anticipation, the survivors finally make good their escape. But
their plans quickly go awry when they find themselves trapped in an
underground river.
Synopsis
Episode
#116 – "Home"
After
suffering a near fatal snakebite, Karen has difficulty distinguishing
between fantasy and reality as she and the others make their way back to the
modern world.
Synopsis
Episode
117 - “The Pale Horseman”
Angry
and grief stricken on discovering that Talbott, Karen, Doctor Kennedy and
Will, "The Promised One" have escaped from the Chosen Village,
Elder Cole collapses into a coma. At death's door, he is no longer able to
protect Pia and Will when they find themselves pursued by an assassin.
Synopsis
Episode
118 - “The White Witch”
The survivors find a boat,
but before they can use it to escape, they discover the horrible truth about
the Jaguar People.
Synopsis
Episode
119 - “Circle of Fire”
After
being captured by the White Witch, Morag, the survivors learn of her evil
plans. Will and Pia plan to rejoin the escapees. Synopsis
Episode
120 - “BABEL”
Karen,
Jimmy and Kennedy become separated as they search for the geologists’
plane. Talbott attempts to return to The Chosen, but must first rescue the
head of the Spider Tribe.
Synopsis
Episode
121 - “The Wild Child”
Three
of the survivors discover a plane, while the Wild Child’s presence brings
chaos among the Chosen. Synopsis
Episode 122 - “A
Bible and a Gun”
Kennedy, Jimmy, and Karen argue over who
gets to leave in the plane that only seats two. Back in the Chosen
camp, Elder Cole goes on trial. Synopsis
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Episode
#112 - "The First Stone"
Broadcast
Week of January 24, 2000
Synopsis
Waking
from a terrible nightmare, Will (Tyler Hynes) finds that his worst fears have
become reality. He is summoned by the Elders to tell them what he knows of the
Lost Words. They are puzzled over one fragment in particular - “the first
stone.” When Will is unable to come up with anything significant, Elder Balaam
(Joseph Scoren) declares him a fraud. And the security of the all the survivors
is once again in question, especially when Pia (Fabiana Udenio) antagonizes some
of the women with her diva-like manners.
The Elders discuss the situation with Falconer John (Gabriel Hogan). John still
strongly believes in Will, and would do anything for him. Elder Cole (John
Neville) takes a pragmatic approach and decrees that the Strangers must work to
earn their way. John is sent to convey this information to the survivors and
finds them bickering amongst themselves. In the heat of the argument, no one
noticed Will slipping away. And now that the Elders want him again, he’s
disappeared. Talbott (Rob Stewart) confesses that he fears Will will try to
return to the Spider People. Hearing this, Elder Cole orders Falconer John to
find Will and bring him back to the Chosen.
The survivors begin their assigned duties. Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) is sent to
repair Hekka’s (Deborah Pollitt) hut – the women he has been ordered to
marry. Much to his dismay, Jimmy finds himself shoveling manure. And Karen
(Carol Alt) and Pia join the women in preparing food. Once again Pia’s haughty
manner offends and tension rises until Elder Cole intervenes. But even his
kindly wisdom will not change her attitude.
Falconer John finds Will in the jungle but Will refuses to return to the Chosen.
As they argue, they are confronted by a small Spider girl, who leads them to the
river where her mother is floating face down – her face covered in red spots.
Will insists on bringing the body back to the village and Falconer reluctantly
agrees. When they reach the Spider village, Will is horrified to see the entire
tribe suffering with some terrible disease – including Korakel the Headman
(Pedro Salvin), who hovers near death. Falconer realizes the danger that
exposure to this disease could bring and tries to pull Will away. But Will is
determined to help his adoptive family, even if they are still rejecting him.
And so he orders Falconer to bring Dr. Kennedy to help.
Falconer finds Kennedy and convinces him to return to the Spider Village. But
his disappearance is noted by Balaam. When he hears that the Spider People are
sick, Elder Cole orders the rest of the survivors to stay where they are and not
risk spreading the disease further. Pia has returned to work, but is hopeless at
cooking over a fire. Turning on the charm, she asks a passing man for help. But
the man’s wife doesn’t appreciate Pia’s interest in her husband.
Defiantly, Pia stomps off.
Kennedy examines the tribe and diagnoses them with measles. He explains that any
one of the survivors could have been the carrier, but Will feels entirely
responsible. He sees Kinchka (Inga Breede) falling ill and he is even more
obligated to help. But Falconer John cannot understand how they are willing to
help people who are the enemies of the Chosen. Only reluctantly does he bring
water to help. Kennedy is frustrated by his inability to communicate with the
Spider People and by the interference of the Shaman (Alejandro Ronceria), who
has his own methods of curing diseases. And Falconer John’s fears are proved
correct when the Spider warriors seize an opportunity to take revenge. Capturing
Kennedy, Will and Falconer, the warriors leave them to die in the river. And a
painful death looks certain as a caiman stalks them. But at the last moment they
are rescued by Jakuki (Mauricio Rodas). With Kinchka hovering near death, the
strangers are the last hope for her survival.
The Headman, on the road to recovery thanks to Kennedy, banishes the Shaman. But
Kinchka has developed pneumonia and there is little Kennedy can do for her
without medicines. Suddenly Falconer John steps forward with a handful of
leaves, telling Kennedy that Prudence uses them to cure. Kennedy has no other
options left. He must trust in the jungle. And learn a thing or two from the
Shaman. When Hekka discovers a rash on her son, she immediately thinks of the
disease the Spider People are suffering. And the cause is clear – the
strangers have brought it! Fearful and suspicious, the women turn on Pia and
Karen. Pia is knocked unconscious and carried off by the mob. Karen and Talbott
can only watch as the Chosen throw Pia into the Pit of Despair for punishment.
Talbott hurries off to find the Elders put an end to the mob’s madness. Elder
Cole arrives on the scene and disperses the crowd. Then he descends into the Pit
and gathers Pia in a tender embrace, making his feelings for her quite clear.
When morning comes, the Spider People are on the way to recovery. And Will has
repaired his relationship with the Headman. Falconer John begins to realize that
Will may not be the child spoken of in their legends, but he is special all the
same. Falconer brings Kennedy and Will back to the Chosen village where they are
met by a group of angry people, still calling for blood. Balaam stands on the
fringe of the crowd, subtly manipulating them for his own purposes. Not even
Elder Cole can dissuade them. Then Balaam calls out the Lost Words, “Cast the
first stone!” urging the crowd to further violence. Will suddenly remembers a
valuable lesson and answers with the complete phrase - “Let him without sin
cast the first stone.” The crowd falls silent. Will’s words have a powerful
effect. Elder Cole leads the strangers back into the city, more sure than ever
that Will is the child they have been seeking.
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Episode
#113 - “The Devil's Army”
Broadcast
Week of January 31, 2000
Synopsis
Harvest
time has come to the Chosen Village and everyone must work to bring the harvest
in before the rainy season begins. Jimmy Stack (Chris Martin) and Ezra the
dungman (Richard Curnock) are shoveling manure when one of the pigs escapes.
Venturing into the jungle to bring it back, Jimmy makes a horrifying discovery
– army ants have devoured the pig and now Jimmy is next on their list. The
swarm descends on the hapless Jimmy.
Jimmy, his face covered in ravenous, biting ants, tears through the forest,
screaming in pain. Ezra urges him to jump into the river before the ants get to
his eyes. Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) and Talbott (Rob Stewart) find Jimmy in
this sorry state. Talbott turns out to be an ant enthusiast and agrees with
Ezra’s tales of how dangerous the ants can be. Jimmy and Ezra inform the
elders of the possible threat to the village but Elder Balaam (Joseph Scoren)
scoffs at their warning. Bringing in the harvest is more important than dealing
with the remote threat of the ants. But when the elders are alone, Balaam
reveals the source of his bitterness – Ezra is his father! Jimmy and Ezra
return to their duties and Ezra shows Jimmy a few things about the explosive
power of bat guano. Meanwhile, Will (Tyler Hynes) receives a surprise of his own
when Hekka’s son Adam (Kyle Fairlie) inadvertently tells Will that the only
thing he knows about the Child of Promise, is that his death is part of their
legend. Will suddenly wonders if he’s in the hands of the elders who will
ensure that part of the legend comes true.
When night falls, Talbott awakens Jimmy and asks to be taken to the spot where
Jimmy encountered the ants. The possibility of seeing the army ants in their
bivuoac – a nest of their own bodies – appeals to the scientist in Talbott.
But when Jimmy reluctantly leads him to the ants they are horrified to discover
that the nest is five times larger than Talbott imagined – clearly a much
bigger threat than they thought. So in the morning Talbott returns to the elders
to plead his case for bodies to protect the village. Balaam once again scorns
the warning but Elder Cole (John Neville) is older and wiser and agrees that
some men may be spared from the harvesting to help the strangers ward off the
ants. But it’s too late. As they work in the river a Chosen man plunges into
the water, covered in ants. The swarm is advancing on the village.
The ants begin infiltrating the village and Pia (Fabiana Udenio) and Karen
(Carol Alt), slogging vegetables, are among their first victims. The alarm is
sounded and the Chosen begin to evacuate, bringing along their animals and
whatever else they can carry. In their haste, Hekka (Deborah Pollitt) and Adam
are forced to leave behind Adam’s pet lizard. The elders lead their people to
the only place available – the scatabouts camp. Balaam still refuses to
acknowledge his error in not taking the warnings seriously and places the blame
on the strangers before stalking off.
Elsewhere in the jungle, Hekka and Adam find shelter with Prudence (Katie Emme
McInnich). But the sisterly affection between them gives way to old
disagreements, and as they argue, Adam slips away to retrieve his lizard. When
Hekka realizes where he’s gone she too tries to return to the village. But
ennedy offers to go for the boy himself. He finds Adam cowering in a corner as
the ants advance all around him. Risking his own life, Kennedy rescues the boy.
But when he returns with Adam (and his pet lizard), Kennedy is stung by
Hekka’s response. Once again, the mis-matched lovers have their lines of
communication crossed.
While the Chosen make the best of the meager surroundings at the scatabout camp,
the elders debate their next move with Talbott, still the source of expertise
concerning the ants. Balaam continues to complain about the situation and Jimmy
has finally had enough. But when he stands up to Balaam, it is Ezra who tells
him to back off, leaving Jimmy completely confused. Later, a drunken Ezra tells
Jimmy the reasons for Balaam’s scorn, and his own demotion to dungman.
Meanwhile, Will fills the others in on what he’s learned from Adam and they
discuss the possibility that as the Chosen One, Will might be killed as a
sacrifice. Kennedy once again urges them to consider an escape plan – but
Karen is still reluctant.
After spending the night in the jungle, Balaam is furious to find the village
still under siege and once again, Talbott is to blame. The following night, they
resolve to search the village for the ants’ nest but all they find are the
remains of a deaf man, devoured by ants when he was unable to hear the warning.
Just when they’re about to give up the search, Talbott makes an unlucky
discovery. High up on the cliff, the ants have made their home and when Talbott
comes too close, he becomes their latest victim. Trying to fight them off, he
tumbles over the cliff and lands unconscious in the water below. That same
night, Karen undertakes her own search for answers. She asks Prudence about the
danger that Will might be in. And when Prudence confirms that the Chosen believe
that the Child of Promise dies, Karen realizes that now is the time to consider
any plan for escape - before it’s too late.
Talbott comes to in Prudence’s hut and finds himself banged up and more
disturbing, naked beneath his blanket. Prudence innocently tells him that
she’s mending his pants and to rest easy. But the spark between them is
undeniable. At the same time, Jimmy and Ezra work at clearing out a cave for
food storage. After Jimmy apologies to Ezra for criticizing Balaam, their
friendship is on the mend. While they work, Jimmy suddenly realizes that the
ants are near – in fact, their hidden nest is right around the corner. Jimmy
and Ezra hatch a crazy plan to rid the village of the ants once and for all –
a plan that could only be thought up by dungmen. They’ll blow up the ants and
their nest with the explosive bat guano! But in his determination to prove his
worth to the village and more importantly, to his son, Ezra gets too close and
finds himself covered in biting ants. Jimmy starts to run away in fear of being
eaten himself, but realizes that he would be abandoning his friend to a horrible
death. So he returns for Ezra and sets the bat bombs alight, wiping out the
entire colony. Ezra makes it out alive, but gravely wounded. But when he
recovers, he finds himself a hero amongst the Chosen. And Balaam is once again
proud to call Ezra his father.
While the village returns to normal, Karen tells Kennedy of her decision. She
agrees that the time has come to make their escape. But only if the plan is
solid. Kennedy tells her once more that he will escape the jungle – no matter
what the cost.
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Episode
#114 - “The Finding”
Broadcast
Week of February 7, 2000
Synopsis
It's
the time of year for weddings in the Chosen Village and Elder Cole (John
Neville) calls the names of the betrothed in readiness for the communal marriage
day when all will be joined together as man and wife. Jimmy Stack (Chris Martin)
watches fascinated from the balcony of the survivor's hut as the betrothed
couples present themselves to the Elders. As part of their ritual they must
touch a huge python that is wrapped around the neck of Elder Malakai (Julian
Richings) - a sign that they will fight evil rather than fear it in their coming
married life.
"Stranger Kennedy and Widow Hekka," Elder Cole calls out, and Jimmy
turns to Dr. Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) who, with the rest of the survivors,
Andrew Talbott (Rob Stewart), Karen Oldham (Carol Alt), Pia Claire (Fabiana
Udenio) and Will Bauer (Tyler Hynes), are deep in argument over ways and means
of escaping. Alerted to the fact that his name has been called, Kennedy
reluctantly goes to join the crowd below, vowing that his life sentence with
Hekka (Deborah Pollitt) will be short lived. He's getting out with or without
the others.
Hekka isn't looking forward to a forced marriage with the stranger Kennedy
either and as Elder Cole joins their hands, forcing the couple to touch the
serpent, she and Kennedy eye each other with a mixture of hatred and suspicion.
As they go their separate ways, Elder Cole joyously proclaims it time to make
ready for the "Finding", an ancient custom of the Chosen held on the
eve of the wedding day. As preparations for the mysterious "Finding"
begin in full swing, a curious Pia and Karen ply Falconer John (Gabriel Hogan)
with questions, trying to find out more about the celebration. Falconer becomes
suddenly bashful as he reveals that on the night before the Chosen wedding those
who are not betrothed but wish to be, go to the Finding and partake of a special
wine called Angelica. After a night of dancing and drinking this potent
aphrodisiac they find their true soul mate and... "And what...?"
demands Pia. Falconer makes a hurried escape but it is clear from his expression
exactly what follows the meeting of minds. Pia is flabbergasted but Karen's eyes
wander to see Andrew Talbott crossing the square. Soul mates?
Not everyone in the Chosen is looking forward to the Finding. Balaam (Joseph
Scoren) tells Elder Cole that it is a ritual from less pious days and should be
abolished. Elder Cole humours him, and warns him not to judge everything so
harshly or he will become old before his time. The Chosen look forward to the
celebration, a diversion from their hard labour. In spite of Balaam's opinion,
the Finding will continue.
Oblivious to the Finding or anything else, Kennedy continues to singlemindedly
plot his escape, measuring the water level of the river, convinced that the dry
season will make it possible to use the underground river tunnel at the End of
the World as a path to freedom. The others are far from convinced, reminding him
that this same underground river almost took his life (Episode 106 and 108).
Kennedy doesn't listen or care. His mind is made up.
Will wants to leave as well, but not before he returns to the Spider Tribe to
say his goodbyes to Korakal (Pedro Salvin) and Kinchka (Inga Breede). He arrives
at the Spider Village to find a disturbing situation. Jakuki (Mauricio Rodas) is
now married to Kinchka and, from the looks of it, he is abusing his new wife.
Will is furious at Korakal for letting this happen.
Wedding excitement spreads as the Chosen turn their attention to the affairs of
the heart and Elder Cole finds he is not immune. After a visit to his beloved
late wife in the catacombs he summons the courage to profess his true feelings
to Pia and takes her completely by surprise by proposing marriage. At the same
time, a despondent Hekka goes to the river and sits by her late husband's boat.
As she weeps, a vision of her beloved Jacob appears to her in the river's mist
and she vows that she will never marry his murderer. It is evident from the
desperate look in her eyes that she has a plan.
Korakal has a plan too. Kinchka in hand, he comes to Will in the night and asks
him to take his daughter to the safety of her uncle's village, away from her new
husband. He hands Will his knife and the boy takes it solemnly, realizing it
symbolizes the Headman's trust in him. He and Kinchka set off into the jungle.
The Finding has begun, pipe music plays, Angelica wine flows freely. Unseen,
Hekka pours some wine into a flask and takes her son Adam (Kyle Fairlie) to the
river for a "picnic". Struggling with her raging emotions, Hekka mixes
poison stolen from her sister Prudence (Katie Emme McIninch) into the wine and
offers some to Adam. She encourages him to drink it down like Momma and takes a
large swallow. Adam only pretends to drink however, and watches in horror as his
mother collapses to the ground in pain. She cries out for him to stay, but he
runs away to get help.
The survivors look at the ongoing celebrations below their hut, unsure whether
they should join the strange celebration or not. Jimmy is the first to brave it,
followed by Karen and Talbott. Pia and Kennedy think they're crazy and stay
safely in the hut. But Kennedy is not undisturbed for long. Adam arrives in a
panic and drags him away to help his mother by the river.
Kennedy finds Hekka next to dead, and forces her to vomit, attempting to rid her
stomach of the poison. Prudence arrives on the run, horrified by what her sister
has done, but understanding the depth of her plight. She reveals that their own
mother took her life and a very young Hekka witnessed it. Knowing too well the
hurt of abandonment she had obviously decided to take her own son with her in
death rather than leave him on his own. She warns Kennedy that if the Elders
knew what she had done, they would banish her and take her son. They are
interrupted by a patrolling Balaam, and a tense Prudence hides with Adam, not
knowing whether Kennedy will betray or protect her sister. Kennedy covers for
Hekka, telling a curious Balaam that she has taken ill and that he will look
after her. A grateful Prudence takes Adam to her hut leaving Kennedy alone with
Hekka. He watches her, still and pale in the moonlight, all the hate gone from
her face.
In a night of strange and dangerous liaisons, Jimmy finds Tamarra (Megan
Fahlenbock), a willing "soul mate" and makes fun of a righteous Balaam
when he tries to break them up. Stung by Jimmy's obvious scorn, Balaam throws
caution to the wind and takes his first drink of the wicked aphrodisiac. Alone
with Andrew by the river, her tongue loosened with wine, a tipsy Karen self
consciously begins to spill her true feelings for him only to have him jump in
with a confession of his own. He admits to a crazy inexplicable crush on... not
Karen, but Prudence. Karen hides her disappointment and encourages Talbott to
tell his love the truth.
An inebriated Balaam forces his attentions on a furious broom-wielding Pia until
Elder Cole intervenes. A grateful Pia suddenly realizes how strong the Elder's
love is for her and to his great delight and surprise, impetuously says yes to
his marriage proposal.
Following his heart, Talbott searches out Prudence only to find her in the arms
of Falconer John. Disappointed and feeling foolish he leaves, too soon to see
Prudence push Falconer away when he suggests that they could be married if she
admits the error of her ways to the Elders. Prudence responds angrily that the
only error she regrets is falling in love with Falconer once upon a time.
A spurned Falconer and an equally upset Karen find each other and after his
initial hesitation, John sees Karen as more human than angel. One thing
inevitably leads to another.
Meanwhile, Will and Kinchka are surprised by a furious knife-wielding Jakuki,
looking for revenge. He and Will engage in a deadly fight until Kinchka
intervenes, offering to return to the Spider Village with Jakuki if he spares
Will's life. Will begs Kinchka not to, but watches helplessly as she leaves with
Jakuki, disappearing into the jungle.
Kennedy is rudely awakened by a now recovered Hekka, kicking and fighting him
furiously for saving her life. Kennedy is incredulous! He spent the night
looking after her and this is how she thanks him. As sometimes happens, angry
passion turns to passion of quite a different sort.
The morning after the night before brings pounding heads and stark reality.
Jimmy is anxious to escape Tamarra's irate daddy, realizing too late that what
passes as a heavy first date in LA is a pledge of marriage in the Chosen
Village. Karen would rather forget what happened between her and Falconer John
and Pia suffers a change of heart in her decision to marry. She tells a
heartbroken Elder Cole that she has come to realize that she married her first
husband because she needed someone older to look after her. Now she can look
after herself and the next time around she is determined to marry for love. Will
arrives back despondent and determined to go home, but for the first time, Dr.
Kennedy seems hesitant. Could it be that something more important than escape
has taken over his heart?
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Episode
#115 - “Escape”
Broadcast
Week of February 14, 2000
Synopsis
Late
at night, Dr. Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell), Jimmy (Chris Martin) and Talbott (Rob
Stewart) meet in the forbidden cave to view a map they hope will point the
direction home. The water is low and the sinkhole at the End of the World is now
an open passage beneath the mountain. The plan is set. The survivors are going
to escape down river. But suddenly a noise! Someone has been in the cave,
listening to their plans. But who?
The next morning, nerves are rattled. Karen (Carol Alt) expresses concern - if
someone overheard their plans for escaping with the Child of Promise, their
lives may be in danger. Kennedy points out that the cave is forbidden to anyone
but the Elders. Whoever was in the cave would never admit it… unless it was
one of the Elders. Later, Jimmy discovers someone has been snooping in their
secret supplies cache. Shortly after that Will is taken for a “talk” with
the Elders. The survivors fear the jig is up, but Kennedy is undeterred.
Although he feels the tug of responsibility towards Hekka (Deborah Pollitt) and
Adam (Kyle Fairlie), he worries his window of opportunity may be closing. It’s
now or never. If it’s too dangerous to take the boy… leave him. Talbott and
Karen insist on staying, but Jimmy agrees to leave with Kennedy. Furious when he
learns that he must stay, Will (Tyler Hynes) accuses Talbott of reneging on his
promise to escape.
That night, Kennedy says his good bye to the sleeping Hekka, then steals off to
meet Jimmy by the river. But no sooner do they get their boat in the river when
Balaam (Joseph Scoren) suddenly appears before them, armed with a crossbow.
“Stand to!” Meanwhile, back in the Chosen Village, the rest if the survivors
awaken to crossbows pointed in their faces. What’s going on? It seems Balaam
was the man eavesdropping in the cave. He knows of their plans and wants them to
leave - all of them - especially the boy. Talbott fears it is a trick, but
Balaam makes it clear his intentions are earnest. Either they leave or they die.
He advises it is best to hurry before the villagers learn of their deceit and
hunt them down.
And so, the six survivors go down the river to the End of the World where they
are confronted with the danger of the underground river. Pia (Fabiana Udenio)
balks and opts out of the escape, but the others boldly elect to continue,
rationalizing to stay is to invite execution at the hands of the Chosen. Things
begin to go terribly wrong. The survivors pick the wrong underground channel and
find themselves in a steep channel that flows deeply into the mountain. They try
to make their way back, but find themselves forced by the current down into the
bowels of the mountain.
Furious at the betrayal of the survivors and the kidnapping of the Child of
Promise (of whom he is a devoted disciple), Falconer John (Gabriel Hogan)
follows them down the “River to Hell.” He finds the survivors hopeless and
miserable in a cramped chamber, struggling to avoid being further sucked down by
the relentless flow. He throws down a rope. The survivors' joy turns to dismay
when it becomes apparent he intends to only rescue Will and leave the rest of
them to drown in the rivers that flows forever down into Hell itself.
When Falconer disappears with Will, the survivors have to make a critical
decision: stay and hope for rescue, or follow the river to wherever it goes and
hope for enough air spaces to survive. They elect to go forward.
Falconer forces Will to escape through a secret passageway called “Jacob’s
Ladder.” But Will becomes increasingly stubborn. He refuses to continue unless
Falconer John agrees to go back and get the others. After initially refusing,
Falconer John is forced to comply after Will demands obedience of his disciple,
but it is too late. By the time they return the survivors are gone.
Meanwhile, stuck in a cramped pocket of air, they survivors' situation appears
bleak. The are unable to go back but from this point the river appears to flow
straight down which means there will be no more air spaces. This underground
river will be their watery grave. But just as the air begins to run out and all
appears lost, Talbott discover that light is leaking in. They decide to swim for
their lives. Kennedy goes first. Then Jimmy. Karen looks at Talbott for a moment
then kisses him for the first and only time then swims off for her life.
They follow the river interminably until finally they emerge gasping for air in
an open river, moonlight streaming down from above. They made it to the other
side. But their adventures are just beginning.
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Episode
#116 – "Home"
Broadcast
Week of February 21, 2000
Synopsis
Talbott
(Rob Stewart), Karen (Carol Alt) and Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) huddle in the
forest as Karen tries to attend to Kennedy’s broken ankle. Still shaken from
their experiences in the underground river and losing Will (Tyler Hynes) once
again, they bicker among themselves until Jimmy (Chris Martin) arrives with
great news – he’s found a boat! The others follow him to where they can see
the boat moored on the other side of the river. In her hurry to reach the boat,
Karen plunges into the river without thinking. She’s almost there when an
electric eel zaps her and Karen sinks like a stone.
Talbott, Kennedy and Jimmy haul Karen out of the water and begin mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. After a few frantic seconds they manage to get her breathing
again. Her first thought is the boat. Kennedy examines it and realizes that
it’s too small for someone to have come very far in it – they must have come
in a larger boat or a helicopter. The idea of finally leaving the jungle cheers
them up and they put their differences aside while Talbott goes in search of the
boat’s owner. Just as they’re about to give up the search for the evening,
the faint strains of music drift through the trees.
With Kennedy’s warning about the ferocity of the local Indians fresh in their
ears, the group moves slowly through the jungle. First they come across an empty
campsite, the source of the music. The sound of chimes draws them further into
the trees, where they find a tree full of trinkets blowing the in the breeze –
gifts for the local tribe. Included is a picture of the Brazilian Indian Agent
who’s left these things behind. There’s no one around and they return to the
campsite. But they are suspicious of anyone who is actually trying to make
contact with the same group of Indians who almost killed Kennedy during his
first escape attempt. While searching the campsite for food, weapons and
anything else they can use, Kennedy is suddenly grabbed from behind by a
gun-wielding stranger. Shouting in Portuguese, the man threatens them with the
gun. Karen frantically tries to remember the little Portuguese she knows as she
explains to the man who they are.
The jungle and the presence of the fierce Indians has put them all on alert, but
finally the man puts his gun away and they are able to ask him if he has a
radio. “Of course!” replies their new friend and they watch in disbelief as
he takes the radio and calls the outside world. They’ve made contact! The base
camp wants to know if they are survivors of the plane crash and then promises to
come immediately in a helicopter to take them out. It looks like they’re
finally going home. But as the others celebrate, Talbott is strangely subdued.
And in the darkness surrounding the camp, there is movement.
Talbott tells Karen his fears that the outside world will destroy both the
Chosen and the Spider People. As they argue, bare feet approach the gift tree
and silence the wind chimes. Talbott and Karen come running in to warn the
others. But it’s too late – the gun-toting Indians surround them. The
Brazilian Indian Agent is the first to die and Karen is left cradling his head
– just as she did when Marcel, their first rescuer, died. It looks like the
survivors are also doomed. The Indians have them pinned down in the forest when
suddenly they hear the sound of the chopper. Machine gunfire coming from the air
disperses the tribesmen. The commander directs the survivors to stay where they
are so the soldiers can rescue them.
Across the jungle, Will and Pia (Fabiana Udenio) lie sleeping in their hammocks
when they too hear the sound of the approaching helicopter. Despite her promise
to Talbott, Karen has led the soldiers directly to the Chosen Village. As Will
and Pia scramble to get dressed, the villagers scatter in terror. Elder Cole
(John Neville) and Balaam (Joseph Scoren) watch as Pia waves to the helicopter
and then drags Will off to wait for rescue. Falconer John (Gabriel Hogan) is
more determined than ever not to let Will leave. But this time he’s up against
machine guns. As Karen watches in horror, Falconer is cut down in a hail of
bullets. Talbott’s worst fears have been realized.
The survivors are taken to a mission hospital while the arrangements for their
trip home are made. But the group quickly breaks apart. Pia is gone before Karen
even wakes up. Will is the next to depart when his overjoyed parents come to
pick him up. And Talbott is desperately ill – having taken a poison arrow in
the leg during their escape and suffering from the sudden return of his leukemia
symptoms. The remaining survivors are flown back to their real lives in America,
but Karen is having a hard time adjusting. She sees reminders of their jungle
lives everywhere – the hospital orderly holding a spear, a mysterious
centipede in her apartment – even a homeless man who looks like a bearded
Falconer John. Worse, the special relationship she shared with Talbott is now
treated with suspicion by Talbott’s wife and Talbott himself hovers near
death. And a cheesy tv documentary confirms that the Chosen Village has been
abandoned, the fate of the Chosen People unknown.
Everyone else seems to be getting on with their lives – Jimmy is offered
another trip by The Price Is Right, Pia invites them to hear her sing in New
York and Kennedy has found a new girlfriend. Karen’s life is just as empty as
it ever was. She returns to work, even though Kennedy has added his name to a
lawsuit against Karen’s airline. But as soon as she gets on the plane, Karen
begins to experience an eerie feeling of déjà vu. A drunk and disorderly
passenger is shouting that the plane is about to crash. When Karen approaches
the man it turns out to be Sydney, their fellow survivor who was then killed by
the Spider People. Backing away from him, Karen stumbles into the cockpit and
finds it filled with smoke, the pilots desperately trying to bring the plane
under control. The nightmare of the crash begins all over again. Karen is
knocked to the floor, confused by images of the past and the present. Finally a
dripping wet Talbott rushes towards her with an oxygen mask, shouting
“Breathe!”
Karen comes to on the jungle floor as Kennedy is performing mouth to mouth
resuscitation on her. Talbott and Jimmy hover anxiously. The boat is still
there. They haven’t left the jungle yet.The boat is still there. They
haven’t left the jungle yet.
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Episode
117 - “The Pale Horseman”
Broadcast
Week of April 10
Synopsis
Elder
Cole (John Neville) angrily denounces Pia (Fabiana Udenio) and Will (Tyler
Hynes) and the rest of the "Strange Ones". He cannot believe that
Stranger Talbott (Rob Stewart), a man he regarded as his friend, chose to escape
from the Chosen Village with Karen (Carol Alt), Doctor Kennedy (C. Thomas
Howell) and Jimmy (Chris Martin). Anger aside, he also grieves, for all four
have most certainly paid for their betrayal with their lives in the river to
Hell (Episode #115). Working himself up into a rage, Elder Cole suddenly
collapses in front of a horrified Pia and Will. Elder Cole's mourning is
premature.
Having survived the deadly underwater river, Doctor Kennedy, Talbott,
Karen and Jimmy have discovered a boat hidden in the bushes. As usual, no one
can agree just what to do about it. Karen, having barely escaped death after
being stung by an electric eel (Episode 116), just wants to take the boat and
leave as fast as they can. Kennedy, his ankle injured, wants to stay put and
wait for the boat's owner, reasoning that whoever it is will know the way out
better than they do. An ominous growling in the jungle interrupts the argument
and a massive jaguar appears from the shadows, approaching them stealthily. The
others run, but Kennedy faces the animal down, human and animal eyes almost
challenging each other. The jaguar turns and melts back into the jungle as the
others watch in amazed relief.
Elder Cole lies at the edge of death and it
doesn't take long for Elder Balaam (Joseph Scoren) to seize control. On the
advice of the Doctor, he decrees it is time for the Laying on of Hands. Elder
Malakai (Julian Richings) suggests that they use Will, the "Child of
Promise", as their third, but Balaam damns Will as the cause of their
Elder's decline and demands instead that Hekka's son Adam (Kyle Fairlie) be
called to take part.
Night falls in the jungle and the survivors are huddled
around a small fire when Karen suddenly claims to hear music. None of the others
hear anything but Karen is convinced that the owner of the boat is camped
somewhere nearby. In spite of Kennedy and Jimmy's doubts about Karen's sanity,
Talbott agrees to look for the owner as soon as it's light.
As the Doctor sleeps
on his watch, Elder Cole's eyes fly open. He rises from his bed to see a vision
of his first wife Miriam, long dead. She looks at him with accusing eyes and he
asks if she has not yet found it in her heart to forgive him. She fades from
sight and Elder Cole turns to see his own seemingly lifeless form still lying on
his bed. He realizes his dead wife does not haunt him... he haunts himself.
As
Hekka (Deborah Pollitt) tells Adam how proud she is that the Elders have asked
him to do the Laying on of Hands and vows that she will not let anyone or
anything stand in the way of his rightful position. Deep in the jungle, a
scatabout glares at the photograph of Will and his parents and makes his own
silent vows
In the survivor's hut, Will faces the fact that he will probably
never be reunited with his parents. Pia tries to cheer him up, telling him how
brave he is and how much courage he has given her. They'll protect each other
from any danger they may have to face. But as Will pulls back the covers to his
hammock a much more present danger awaits as a deadly snake strikes out at him.
Falconer John (Gabriel Hogan) hears Pia's screams and comes to the rescue,
killing the snake. But he's puzzled. It's a water snake, not a land snake. It
wouldn't be in Will's hammock unless someone had placed it there. He turns to
see a silent Hekka watching from the shadows.
The Laying on of Hands proceeds
but Elder Cole continues to have strange out of body visions that reveal past
indiscretions with a Spider Tribe slave girl he chose many years ago as his
servant. His dream reveals he had a love affair with the girl.
As Elder Cole
dreams, Talbott, Karen and a reluctant Jimmy set out to look for the boat owner,
leaving Kennedy alone at the camp. He assures them he's not afraid of the
jaguar. He's stared him down once and the campfire will keep the beast at bay.
Meanwhile, Balaam exerts his authority and orders Pia and Will out of their hut.
Once again, Falconer John comes to their rescue, offering them the protection of
his own lowly hut. Will resists at first, still angry at Falconer for deserting
the other survivors, but Falconer insists he needs his protection. Falconer's
protection doesn't prove to be enough as he, Will and Pia fall prey to the
would-be assassin, drinking water that has been drugged and finding themselves
trapped in a deadly ring of fire. Falconer collapses but Will awakes in time to
pull Pia from the inferno and escape into the jungle.
The night is full of
surprises as Kennedy comes face to face with his nemesis, the jaguar, but once
again, frightened by the flames, the beast turns and melts back into the forest.
Karen hears screams in the night but is assured by Jimmy that it's howler
monkeys making the racket. Karen is not so sure. Especially when, the next
morning the three find a blood-stained shred of camo material and a trail of
blood leading off into the jungle.
Falconer tries to convince Balaam that Will
and Pia have fled the village because the boy is the target of an assassin. Only
when Elder Cole speaks from his dreams does Balaam heed Falconer's command to
track the boy and bring him back to safety.
Meanwhile, the assassin continues to
pursue a horrified Pia and Will all the way to the Spider Village. Will expects
protection from Korakal, the Headman (Pedro Salvin) but is stunned to find the
village completely empty. Pia's fear turns to anger and near hysteria when she
realizes there is no one there to protect them and even more upset when Will
finds a blowdart and leaves the fortress to make a poison for it.
Darkness falls
in the jungle and with Will still gone, Pia is stalked by and comes face to face
with the murderous Gorem (Martin Randez), a scatabout she first set eyes on in
Episode 109. A horrible game of cat and mouse ensues but seeing Will in the
shadows armed with the blow dart, Pia lures Gorem and Will brings him down with
the blow dart. Or at least it seems he has. As they slowly check him out, Gorem
grabs out at Will and just as he is about to kill the boy, he himself is struck
by a well-aimed arrow from the crossbow of Balaam, who appears at the palisade
door. Falconer John runs to the fatally wounded scatabout and demands to know
why he tried to kill Will. The man's last words are, "Ask the elder."
All eyes turn to Balaam.
Before the night is out, Kennedy has one more encounter
with his friend the jaguar only this time he is horrified to see that the cat
seems to be mauling something hardly recognizable... a human arm. And as Karen,
Talbott and Jimmy give up following the trail of blood when tropical rain washes
all the traces away, they head off back to camp, missing what they would have
seen if they had ventured further... a man, strapped to a tree, one arm missing,
severed at the shoulder.
Pia and Will at his side, Elder Cole experiences more
visions of past wrong doings. In his dream, Will, more native than white, leads
him through the jungle to the Spider slave girl he had loved so many years
earlier but abandoned in pregnancy. A stunned and ashamed Elder Cole begs her
forgiveness and the forgiveness of her unborn child. Will reveals the child
Elder Cole fathered with the Spider girl and sinking to his knees, the man faces
at last what he has avoided for so many years. He awakens from his coma in a
state of peace brought on by coming to terms with his past. He is also more
convinced than ever that Will will be the future leader of the Chosen, just as
in his dreams, he led Elder Cole to his enlightenment.
On his own with Pia, Will
still wonders how the scatabout came by his picture. Was he acting on his own or
did someone send him to kill Will? The question remains unanswered as Hekka
watches the "Promised One" closely from her hut and in the darkness of
the Cathedral an elder sits in Elder Cole's great chair - Malakai is revealed in
the shadows, his face a mask of hidden ambition.
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Episode
118 - “The White Witch”
Broadcast
Week of April 17, 2000
Synopsis
A panicked man runs through
the jungle. Brushing aside trees and vines, he tears through the trees driven by
an unseen threat. But who is he? Karen (Carol Alt), Talbott (Rob Stewart) and
Jimmy (Chris Martin) have left the injured Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) with the
boat while they search for the boat’s owners. So when Kennedy hears the sound
of someone approaching, he’s expecting one of the others to have returned.
Before Kennedy can react, the stranger rushes up to Kennedy and knocks him out
cold. Kennedy never stood a chance. Moments later, the rest of the survivors are
horrified to hear the sound of the boat’s engine starting up. Kennedy’s
double-crossed them! They hurry back to where the boat was moored, only to find
it gone and Kennedy unconscious. Even when he comes to, he can’t tell them
much.
Then they hear the boat’s engine suddenly cut out. Hope is reborn. The
others rush off in search of it, leaving Kennedy behind once again. But their
search comes to an abrupt end when the river suddenly disappears into an
Amazonian swamp. As they’re forced to double back, Jimmy steps into a pit of
quicksand. Talbott and Karen struggle to help him, but Jimmy is sucked under
before they can do anything. Talbott plunges his arms into the mud and finally
manages to pull Jimmy out. Karen is horrified to discover that Jimmy’s missing
an arm! Puzzled, they realize that whoever they’ve pulled out of the bog –
it’s not Jimmy. Talbott returns, this time pulling an unconscious Jimmy to
safety. Kennedy arrives to help resuscitate him. Then they all turn their
attention to the one-armed body. Whoever he was, he hasn’t been dead long and
his arm was pulled off – it was not an animal attack. Before they can absorb
the impact of this realization, the boat’s engine starts up again and they
rush off to continue the search. Talbott heads off in one direction while Jimmy
and Karen go in another leaving Talbott alone when he comes across the ghostly
figure of a middle-aged white woman - an enigma in the jungle.
With night
coming, Jimmy and Karen still haven’t found the boat. Frustrated, they return
to their camp. Karen is more determined than ever to escape, even if it means
leaving the injured Kennedy behind. When Talbott hasn’t returned by nightfall,
Karen, frantic with worry, heads out into the dark jungle to look for him.
Jimmy
follows her and they discover the dead man’s campsite. There is a radio, but
the microphone is smashed, rendering it useless. By the light of a flashlight,
Karen makes a grisly discovery - pools of blood in the tent. Whoever was camping
here came to a violent end. Karen screams when another face appears in the beam
of the flashlight – but it’s only Kennedy. He’s leaving, building a raft,
whatever it takes – even if it means leaving without Talbott. Karen is
indignant, but Kennedy accuses her of having the same thoughts about leaving him
behind. Suddenly, their argument is interrupted by a blood-curdling scream.
Thinking the scream has come from Talbott, Karen takes off with Jimmy trying to
follow.
In a blinding rainstorm, Jimmy spots something through the trees. Coming
closer, he discovers the man who attacked Kennedy, trussed to a tree. Jimmy
starts to back away, but then the man speaks to him in Portuguese. Trying to
calm the man, Jimmy explains he’s American. In broken English, the man, with
blood pouring down his shoulder where his ear has been cut off, begs Jimmy to
kill him. Jimmy can’t free him, but he promises the man he’ll return. Jimmy
runs off as the man screams for help. When Jimmy returns with Kennedy, the man
has disappeared. That’s enough for Kennedy – he tells Jimmy that they have
to leave now. Jimmy has to accept the likelihood that Talbott and Karen aren’t
coming back.
The two of them head off into the jungle, just as they have so many
times before. Jimmy and Kennedy have no idea where they’re going, but manage
to stumble across the boat. Jimmy’s thrilled, but Kennedy knows enough not to
start the engine - the noise would give away their position. Who ever is out
there is everywhere. Trying to hide, Jimmy comes across a rat eating some bloody
meat. Grossed out, he staggers backward and finds himself lying in the middle of
what seems like an endless bone yard. And the bones are human.
Jimmy tears
through the forest in a blind panic. Somehow, Kennedy finds him and the two are
astonished to hear what sounds like someone playing the violin through the
trees. Figuring it can’t be any worse than the unknown threat in the jungle,
they creep closer to the source of the music. They follow the music through a
series of cave until they find the violin player – the white woman Talbott met
earlier.
She greets Jimmy and Kennedy with surprising equilibrium and introduces
herself as Morag. When Kennedy angrily demands an explanation, she seems
oblivious to their fear, instead offering tea and food. Jimmy’s relieved, but
Kennedy is suspicious. Before they can finish arguing, Morag returns with a huge
platter of meat. Jimmy dives right in and Kennedy stares at Morag. When she
smiles, he sees her pointed teeth – the same sharpened teeth he remembers from
the natives who tried to kill him. Kennedy tells Jimmy to stop eating. Sensing
something’s up, Jimmy takes a closer look at the meat he’s been chewing. And
there, as he turns it over, is a tattoo still visible on the flesh. It’s true
– the Indians here are cannibals! And Morag’s one of them.
Both screaming
now, Jimmy and Kennedy scramble through the cave, looking for a way out. They
run into an inner chamber only to discover it’s being used as a meat locker.
Among the pieces of meat dangling from the ceiling, they see Karen and Talbott,
gagged and trussed, ready for slaughtering. Kennedy and Jimmy try once more to
flee but a dozen of Morag’s warriors come down the corridor towards them.
They're trapped, and about to be eaten.
Back to Top
EPISODE
119 - “Circle of Fire”
Broadcast
Week of April 24, 2000
Synopsis
Elder Malakai (Julia
Richings) instructs Will (Tyler Hynes) and Adam (Kyle Fairlie) in the lessons of
the Holy Wall. But Will’s attention is captured by the map depicting the area
around the Chosen Village. Malakai reluctantly explains the meanings of the
symbols, including a circle filled with jagged points. He says, "That is
the sign for the Evil Ones, a tribe more animal than human, who are rumored to
eat human flesh". Will stares at the map, trying to memorize as much of it
as he can, including the location of the Evil Ones’ territory.
Across the
cliffs, the captured survivors know all too well where the Evil Ones’
territory begins. They sit miserably around a fire, tied up and helplessly
awaiting their certain deaths. But they are granted a brief reprieve when Morag
(Margot Kidder), the mysterious white woman who leads the Jaguar People, enters
the cave with her entourage in tow. Included is Wilson (Tony Munch), a freelance
photojournalist who promptly snaps some pics of the captives. The stunned
survivors stare as Wilson continues photographing them, apparently oblivious to
the horror of the situation. Morag sends them off to work. All except Karen
(Carol Alt), whose beauty has given Morag ideas.
Will and Falconer John (Gabriel
Hogan) practice tracking exercises in the jungle. Will casually questions
Falconer about the Evil Ones and learns that they are indeed cannibals. But he
also gains some vital information when Falconer reveals that the underground
river is not the only way out of the Chosen’s territory. There is another
route over the cliffs. Will absorbs this information without comment. He still
hasn’t forgiven Falconer for refusing to rescue the others when they were
trapped in the underground river.
Back in the village, Will tells Pia (Fabiana
Udenio) he is only speaking to Falconer to use his knowledge in making a new
plan to escape. Pia has problems of her own. Elder Cole (John Neville) is still
not speaking to her and Rachel (Waneta Storms), her only friend, has asked for
Pia’s help during the birth of her baby. Pia’s ideas about underwater
childbirth are received with some amusement by Rachel and her husband. Pia just
wants to make sure that the baby’s birth has nothing to do with her!
Morag
attempts “girl talk” with Karen. But when Karen mentions Will and his
missionary parents, Morag flies into a rage. Clearly she has an issue with the
intrusion of whites into the rainforest. She informs Karen that she will be
spared death – so that she can bear children with Morag’s son Ochinta
(Steven Allerick). By her reaction, Karen would clearly prefer death!
Meanwhile,
Kennedy (C.T. Howell), Talbott (Rob Stewart) and Jimmy (Chris Martin) work
halfheartedly at the Jaguar camp. Kennedy makes one last attempt to escape.
While the Jaguar men are distracted, all three survivors bolt into the jungle in
opposite directions. The Jaguar men give chase and after a desperate race
through the jungle, Kennedy finds himself on the business end of a Jaguar
warrior’s rifle. But just when he expects the worse, the bushes part,
revealing the Spider Tribe’s headman, Korakel Pedro Salvin). Once again, death
is postponed, as the Spider tribe emerges from the forest.
The two tribes gather
near the Jaguar caves. Morag welcomes the Spider People and gets right to the
point. She proposes that their two tribes join forces to fight the interlopers
from the outside world who are beginning to penetrate further and further into
the rainforest. Korakel makes no response as Morag invites them to a feast with
music and dancing. Wilson gleefully photographs everything as the survivors
watch in silence. Suddenly Talbott is pulled forward. Morag approaches with an
evil looking machete and as her henchmen tear away Talbott’s sleeves, she
prepares to punish him for the escape attempt – by cutting off his arm. The
others struggle vainly to stop her but it is Korakel who steps in. Talbott lives
– for now.
Later that night, a very stoned Wilson tries to explain Morag’s
philosophy to the traumatized survivors. They don’t buy it and Wilson gives
up. It’s only after a vigorous lovemaking session with Morag that Wilson
begins to have doubts himself. Morag refuses to let the survivors go free and
reveals her plans to get rid of Korakel and install her own son as leader of the
Spider People. And she’s suddenly not too keen on the idea of Wilson leaving
her either.
The next day, the counsel between the Spider and Jaguar Peoples
continues. Morag argues passionately for the reasons that the tribes should join
forces. Korakel points out that his own people have been the victims of the
Jaguars cannibal habits, but in the end he reluctantly agrees to the joint
effort. Morag triumphantly orders a celebration. But the celebration includes
some strange entertainment, as she first orders Jimmy and Kennedy to fight to
the death.
The two go at it, deliberately taking their technique from the
Captain Kirk school of stage fighting. But when Morag calls for blood, Talbott
is set free in the forest with two warriors in pursuit. Karen and Kennedy are
then forced into the ring. Just when Karen has the best of Kennedy, Jimmy breaks
it up. In disgust, Morag sends the men back into the meat locker, keeping Karen
close to her.
Will and Falconer continue their tracking exercises. Will spots a
trail where a large group of people have traveled through the secret cliff
passage. But before he can see very much of it, Falconer ends the lesson. Back
in the Chosen village Pia and Will are interrupted by the arrival of Mary
(Danielle Bouffard), Rachel’s daughter, who comes with the news that Rachel is
in labour and calling for Pia. Despite her reluctance, Pia asks Prudence (Katie Emme McInnich)
to deliver the baby, thus saving the lives of the newborn and Rachel herself. In
gratitude, Rachel names the baby “Claire.”
Talbott runs frantically through
the jungle, hoping to somehow escape the murderous tribesmen on his trail. He
spots the Spider warrior, Masteeko (James Gonzalez) and turns the other way,
only to find himself cornered on that side by the Jaguar warrior. Closing his
eyes, he waits for the final blow. But when it comes, it’s the Jaguar warrior
who lies dead. Masteeko gestures for Talbott to follow Jakuki, who’s emerged
from the trees. Confused, Talbott does as he’s told.
When Masteeko returns to
the Jaguar camp, the Spider women and children are performing a dance in honour
of the new kinship between their tribes. Morag watches impatiently, eager to get
on with her real plan – killing the Spider warriors and taking over their
tribe. But as Masteeko emerges holding the Jaguar’s head aloft, the Spider’s
true intentions are revealed. They fall on the Jaguar warriors, killing as many
as they can. As Morag watches in horror, the remaining Jaguar warriors run off
in terror. Korakel is a wise man indeed – and knows that a Jaguar will never
change its spots. Gathering the shaken survivors, Korakel leaves the weeping
Morag alone in the jungle, her threats of revenge falling on empty ground.
Back to Top
Episode 120 - “BABEL”
Broadcast
Week of May 1, 2000
Synopsis
Talbott decides to go back
to the Chosen Village by way of Korakal and the Spider Tribe, while leaving
Kennedy, Karen, and Jimmy to go their own way.
As Godmother to Rachel’s
baby, Pia is willing to take care of her after the young mother’s death.
However, Caleb believes that Pia’s involvement with the birth is what brought
upon the death of his beloved wife.
After being separated from
Karen and Jimmy, Kennedy has a stroke of luck when he comes across a seaplane in
a drug-induced haze
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Episode
121 - “The Wild Child”
Broadcast
Week of May 8, 2000
Synopsis
A single engine plane sits
on the open river. Kennedy (C. Thomas Howell) has found the plane – he can’t
believe it. Now can he make it fly? He climbs in and discovers some artifacts
from the real world. A bible, a gossip magazine full of pictures of Pia, and a
key. He starts the engine and manages to make some of the controls work. Just as
he’s convinced himself that he can actually do this - he could actually fly
out of the Amazon - the door opens and a pistol is pressed to his head. The
pilot has returned. The Brazilian pilot (Henry Alessandroni) searches Kennedy
and questions him in broken English. When Kennedy manages to communicate that
the geologists have been killed, the pilot freaks out. He handcuffs Kennedy to
the plane’s wing strut while he goes in search of the geologists’ bodies.
In
the Chosen Village, the Wild Child (Catherine Hernandez) has been captured and
is dragged before the elders for judgment. The crowd treats her roughly, but
when Will (Tyler Hynes) protests they fall silent. Pia (Fabiana Udenio) and Will
try to calm the Wild Child. Elder Cole (John Neville) orders that the girl be
cleaned up before being put on trial. While Patience (Heidi Weeks) and some of
the other women give the Wild Child a good scrub, they are horrified to discover
a tattoo, just like the one they all wear, hidden underneath the girl’s hair.
Now her origins are even more mysterious. Balaam (Joseph Scoren) and Malakai
(Julian Richings) are convinced that the girl is the beast of their legends.
When Cole examines her, he suddenly realizes who she is – the child he
fathered with the Spider slave girl. Cole sends the girl away while he considers
his next move.
Jimmy (Chris Martin) tries to get Karen (Carol Alt) motivated to
continue their search for the plane. But she seems to have lost all hope. Only
Jimmy’s insistence gets her up on her feet again. While she and Jimmy make
their way through the jungle, Talbott (Robert Stewart) and Korakal (Pedro
Salvin) head towards the Chosen Village. Although apprehensive about returning,
Talbott knows he must warn the elders about the Jaguar people.
The Jaguar
warriors are still on a rampage – and some of them have discovered the plane
where Kennedy lies handcuffed. He has enough chain left to slip into the water
to hide as the warriors approach the plane. Kennedy watches as the Jaguar men
come closer. With few options left to him, he leaps for the first warrior’s
gun. He manages to wrestle away the gun and shoots underwater, killing the man.
When the second warrior comes to investigate, he, too, is killed by the
desperate Kennedy. Once again, Kennedy emerges victorious. But he’s still
handcuffed to the plane with no hope of freeing himself while the pilot has the
key to the cuffs.
And where is the pilot now? He’s managed to find Karen and
Jimmy. Karen explains that the geologists have indeed been killed, but the pilot
insists on being taken to their bodies. Karen and Jimmy refuse, not wanting to
return to the Jaguars’ territory. But the pilot has a gun, so they have no
choice.
Marching through the jungle at gunpoint, Karen whispers to Jimmy that
they have to take the pilot down. Jimmy thinks she’s crazy, but on the count
of three, she lunges for the gun. As they struggle, a shot rings out and the
pilot collapses in a bloody heap. Karen is sure that she didn’t fire, so who
did? Her answer comes when a Jaguar warrior continues shooting at them. Now
they’re on the run again, this time carrying a wounded man. It’s madness and
Karen isn’t afraid to say so. In fact, she proposes dumping the pilot, leaving
him to die in the jungle. Horrified by Karen's callousness, Jimmy insists they
stay with the pilot, no matter what happens. Karen has no choice but to agree.
The trial of the Wild Child has begun. Only Pia and Will defend her against the
charge of stealing Caleb’s (Paul Boretski) newborn child. But Cole is
strangely lenient. Cole’s behavior puzzles the other elders and when he rules
that the Wild Child will be allowed to live in the city as one of them, Balaam
and Malakai are outraged. When the Wild Child is freed, she immediately takes
off into the trees.
While the elders’ mistrust of each other grows, Talbott
and Korakal are brought into the city by some of the hunters. The appearance of
the Spider Tribe’s headman upsets the Chosen people. Only Cole can calm them.
But the prejudice against the Spider People is deep. When Talbott warns the
elders of the threat the Jaguar people pose, they dismiss him. And his
suggestion that they join forces with the Spider People to fight the Jaguar
tribe is even more outrageous.
In private, Balaam and Malakai agree that
something must be done to bring the status quo back to the Chosen. But who poses
the greater threat – the aging Elder Cole or Will, the false Child of Promise?
Malakai takes matters into his own hands. That night, Malakai lures Will into
the caves with the excuse of reading some of the Lost Words. Once he has him
alone, Malakai lifts a huge rock, ready to crush Will’s skull. Just as Malakai
prepares to throw the rock, the Wild Child emerges from the darkness and hits
Malakai with a rock of her own. She’s saved Will’s life but wounded an
elder. Balaam is quick to accuse her, and Will cannot defend her. She is dragged
off to the Pit of Despond.
When Pia demands that Cole do something to save her,
Cole tearfully confesses that he is the father of the Wild Child. Pia’s
stunned – but more determined than ever to save the girl. Between them, they
make a plan to rescue to Wild Child and allow her to return with Korakal to the
Spider People. As they free her from the pit, Cole admits to Korakal that he is
the girl’s father. No one is more surprised to hear this than Balaam, who lies
hidden in the trees. Now he possesses Cole’s deepest secret – how will he
use it?
Across the jungle, Karen has spent the night with the dying pilot. He
regains consciousness briefly and Karen is able to soothe him before he dies.
The cold determination she feels to make it home is tempered by the fear of
losing her humanity. She lets Jimmy catch up on his sleep and in the morning;
the two of them start off once again. They finally break through the trees onto
the wide-open river. The plane is still sitting there. And Kennedy’s lying in
wait for them. They’ve finally found their ticket out of the jungle.
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Episode
122 - “A Bible and a Gun”
Broadcast
Week of May 15, 2000
Jimmy, Karen and Kennedy argue over who will fly the two-seater plane out of the
Amazon when suddenly Kennedy’s gun goes off, fatally wounding one of them.
In
an attempt to gain control over the Chosen, Balaam places Elder Cole under
arrest and puts him on trial for having a child with a “heathen woman” 20
years before.
As the little white plane flies over the huge green canopy we hear
a voice over the radio: “Mayday. Mayday. Is anyone out there?”
(A more lengthy description
is coming soon)
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