SEASON FOUR
Episode 18: Through a Glass, Darkly

Scenes from the DVD set's "Final Shooting Script"
that do not appear in the episode.

 

SCENE ONE

 
[Their shared smile is cut short as they both get a BUZZ from a spooky deserted building nearby.]

 

EXT./INT. DESERTED BUILDING - DAY

[It is dark in the bowels of the building, a home for spiders and rats. MacLeod and Methos move cautiously inside from the bright daylight at its entrance. We hear the rapid breathing of an unseen Immortal and see from the UNSEEN IMMORTAL'S POV: MacLeod and Methos enter the building. The perspective changes as the Immortal moves deeper into the dark. RESUME MACLEOD AND METHOS following the BUZZ, step further inside.]

MACLEOD - Who's there?

METHOS - [uneasy with the place] Why don't we wait for him outside?

[MacLeod throws Methos a look and keeps moving, leaving Methos by the entrance. THE IMMORTAL, an indiscernible shape in a great coat, moves through shards of light in the distance. MACLEOD spots him briefly and points.]

MACLEOD - There.

[He moves after him. They play a game of cat and mouse. The Immortal moving MacLeod deeper and deeper within. MacLeod arrives at the spot where the Immortal was an instant before and finds nothing. THE UNSEEN IMMORTAL is standing behind a pile of debris, his breath coming in labored gasps. He sees--]

[HIS POV -- MacLeod withdrawing his sword, as he senses the closeness of his opponent.]

[THE UNSEEN IMMORTAL pushes on the debris and sends it toppling down toward MacLeod. MACLEOD just manages to get out of the way. He turns, sword ready, and faces his opponent.]

MACLEOD - I'm Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.

[THE IMMORTAL (COCHRANE) reacts to the glint off MacLeod's sword, the hard look in his eyes. He's struck by A SUBLIMINAL IMAGE blasted with light and contrast, of another sword, Cochrane's Claymore, as it swings in a wide arc. Then, from the darkness, the translucent image of an unidentified young man floats toward camera. It is the face of a man we will later learn is named ANDREW DONNELLY. COCHRANE stumbles back, startled and disoriented.]

COCHRANE - Leave me alone. [beat] Stay away from me.

[It's MacLeod's turn to be confused. He steps toward Cochrane, lowering his sword slightly but keeping it at the ready.]

MACLEOD - Cochrane?

[Cochrane turns and runs past an astonished Methos.]

COCHRANE - Help! Help, police!

[MacLeod and Methos exchange a look. They follow after Cochrane.]

 

EXT. DESERTED BUILDING - DAY

[Cochrane runs out of the building yelling.]

COCHRANE - Help! Help! He's trying to kill me.

[He runs to a couple of POLICEMEN. MACLEOD AND METHOS stop at the doorway of the building and hurry in the opposite direction.]

METHOS - [on the move] Friend of yours?

[MacLeod doesn't answer.]
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWO

 
METHOS - Not everybody steps into the light with their sword raised and announces their name.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE THREE

EXT. ERISKAY ISLAND, SCOTLAND - 1745 - LATE AFTERNOON

[In the afternoon light, we are in the midst of a skirmish between a small knot of SCOTTISH SOLDIERS and their ENGLISH COUNTERPARTS. THE CLAREMONTS, a young Scotsman and his father, stand back to back in a wooded field and battle bravely THREE ENGLISH PIKEMEN. Both father and son fall to the English iron.]

[MACLEOD finishes his enemy and engages the Pikemen. Suddenly, he is joined by COCHRANE who enters the battle with the piercing joyous cry of a man filled with battle rage. MACLEOD runs one of the Pikemen through as Cochrane finishes the other.]

[COCHRANE studies the field of battle. The English lay vanquished for the moment, silent in death. He looks down upon the fallen forms of the Claremonts. He smiles and clasps MacLeod on the shoulder.]

COCHRANE - Did you see the Claremonts, father and son taking on three pike-men? Like two fiends, two lovely fiends.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE FOUR

In the shooting script, there are only 5 dead soldiers - 3 Englishmen, Cochrane, and another Scot.

 
COCHRANE - Did I get them? Bastards, there were three of them...

MACLEOD - Aye. You got them.

COCHRANE - And MacGregor?

[MacLeod shakes his head, nods at the other Scot's body. Cochrane sighs heavily, then retrieves his sword from the ground, feeling more steady.]

COCHRANE - Bloody English... they were lucky this time.

MACLEOD - Luck had nothing to do with it.

COCHRANE - [defensive] It was English trickery lost us that battle.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE FIVE

This intercut scene is not in the original shooting script.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE SIX

These lines are not in the original shooting script. Also, the scene was originally set in Methos' own winecellar.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE SEVEN

These lines are not in the original shooting script.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE EIGHT

This line is not in the original shooting script.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE NINE

In the original shooting script, Cochrane remembers more flashes of the battle here, and this intercut scene at the abandoned inn is the first part of a longer scene that doesn't take place until Act 4. (See SCENES THIRTEEN & TWENTY-THREE)

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TEN

 
METHOS - Thought it might help to know what he's been up to lately.

MACLEOD - Isn't that breaking your Watcher oath?

METHOS - Your point? [beat]
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE ELEVEN

In the shooting script, this scene is set in Methos' wine cellar, and these lines (and actions) are not present.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWELVE

These lines are not in the original shooting script.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE THIRTEEN

In the original shooting script, Cochrane just remembers a flash of Andrew and a sword blade here, and this intercut scene at the abandoned inn is the middle part of a longer scene that doesn't take place until Act 4. (See SCENES NINE & TWENTY-THREE)

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE FOURTEEN

INT. FRENCH INN - 1786 - EVENING

[Cochrane and MacLeod enter, removing their capes, and look around. Cochrane stops the passing INNKEEPER.]

COCHRANE - Innkeeper! We're to meet a gentleman traveler here. [beat] His name is Charles.

INNKEEPER - [with sarcasm] Some "Gentleman."

[In a flash, Cochrane has his sharp DIRK at his throat.]

COCHRANE - Aye, a gentleman. [dangerous] Say it again.

MACLEOD - [smiling] I'd say it, if I were you. [beat] But this time, mean it.

[The frozen Innkeeper nods carefully.]

INNKEEPER - [with great care] Gentle - man.

[Cochrane nods, releases him.]

MACLEOD - Much better. Now, perhaps you'd be so kind as to announce us.

[The Innkeeper hurries off up the stairs. MacLeod turns to Cochrane, who sheathes his dirk.]

MACLEOD - A knife to the throat does wonders for the manners. [testy] That was less than subtle, Warren.

COCHRANE - The fool has no idea who he has under his roof.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE FIFTEEN

This line is used later, at the end of Act 4.

 
CHARLIE - [shakes his head, moved, his eyes far away] All these wretched years in exile, waiting to reclaim my throne... I'd almost lost hope.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE SIXTEEN

 
COCHRANE - You're here to sabotage the cause... sabotage me. [realizing] That's what happened at Culloden. You kept me from going there!

MACLEOD - [reaches for him, trying to keep his voice down] I did no such thing.

COCHRANE - [shakes him off, raging] And Sarah and James... you brought the English agents... [beat] It's your fault they died.

MACLEOD - Warren, get a hold of yourself!

[But Cochrane has gone deadly cold.]
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE SEVENTEEN

INT. COCHRANE'S HOUSE - STUDY - THE PRESENT - DAY

[Cochrane throws down the goblet and turns on MacLeod in a rage.]

COCHRANE - It was you! Sarah and James died because of you! [He pulls down a SWORD that hangs over the fireplace.] Traitor!

[MACLEOD doesn't pull his sword, backing cautiously away.]

MACLEOD - Warren, that was two hundred years ago.

COCHRANE - [waves the sword with a menacing flourish] It was your fault! It was you who wanted to go to Charlie -- you who led my wife and her son to their deaths. [desperate] And then you lost your nerve. You betrayed them -- and you betrayed Scotland.

MACLEOD - That's not the way it was.

[Cochrane comes at him. MacLeod dives aside, and Cochrane destroys a table lamp with the sword. MacLeod is scrambling, looking for a weapon to defend himself, when the door opens and NANCY comes in.]

NANCY - Warren! Warren, please stop!

[COCHRANE turns toward her, eyes wild, the sword raised. Suddenly:]

[A STACCATO BURST OF FROZEN IMAGES

Motion stuttered like a flip book: A HAND raising a sword; A FLASHLIGHT exploding; COCHRANE racing down a beach; the light of a QUICKENING just starting behind him; JAMES taking a bullet and falling at his mother's feet.]

[RESUME SCENE -- MacLeod tackles Cochrane before he can swing at Nancy. They go down in a heap, the sword skittering away. COCHRANE is a wreck, his face twisted with pain. He pushes MacLeod away, collapsing against the couch.]

COCHRANE - Sarah! [a sob] Sarah...

[MacLeod and Nancy exchange horrified looks and we--]

[FADE OUT.]

[END OF ACT TWO]
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE EIGHTEEN

In the original shooting script, Act 2 ends with SCENE SEVENTEEN (see above), and this flashback scene, in its entirety, takes place in the middle of DM's conversation with Methos at the beginning of Act 3.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE NINETEEN

 
CHARLIE - [looks up, sees the INNKEEPER standing at the entrance to the dining room] Talk after dinner? I believe it was this way... [moving off] Court first... then the army. Very important.

[He lurches off into the dining room. As he does, MacLeod pulls Cochrane aside.]

MACLEOD - There goes the death of a dream. He's hopeless.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWENTY

See SCENE SEVENTEEN.

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWENTY-ONE

 
METHOS - You say that like it's a bad thing. [back to business] So, that's all Cochrane remembered? Just Picardie? Nothing about last week?

MACLEOD - Nothing about this century. [beat] Maybe he's worse than I thought. He remembered Picardie, but he didn't. He's the one who pressed me into going to get Charlie. And when we got there...

[TRANSITION TO:]

 

INT. FRENCH INN - 1786 - EVENING

(In the shooting script, the entire "drunk Charlie" flashback takes place here, instead of at the end of Act 2, & with no narration/voice-over by DM.)
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWENTY-TWO

 
METHOS - Probably Cochrane's student. No parents, living on the streets of Aberdeen when Cochrane found him a couple years ago. Cleaned him up, gave him a job.
 

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWENTY-THREE

In the original shooting script, the full version of this scene takes place here, instead of in 3 parts throughout the episode. (See SCENES NINE & THIRTEEN)

BACK to transcript.

 

SCENE TWENTY-FOUR

 
[As Cochrane breaks down completely, MacLeod crouches down beside him and comforts him.]

[FADE OUT.]

[END OF ACT FOUR]
 

BACK to transcript.

 

BACK to Transcripts Page

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