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Episode 1 - A Tale Of Two Cities

Transcript by Lost-TV, posted with spooky's permission

Written by J.J. Abrams & Damon Lindelof
Directed by Jack Bender


[We see a woman (only her hand) select a CD and put it in a player. The camera reveals her as a new character. She looks in a mirror and tries to smile as the song (Downtown by Petula Clark) starts to play. But she's obviously upset and almost starts to cry. She shakes it off and we hear an alarm beep. She runs to her smoking oven and pulls out a pan of burnt muffins, burning her hand in the process. Someone rings the doorbell and she opens the front door. We see an older women who notices a towel wrapped around the other woman's hand.]

JULIE: I burnt my hand -- on my muffins.

[They hear a noise and both look over to see someone working on the house. We can only see his legs.]

AMELIA: Still hasn't fixed your plumbing yet?

WORKER GUY [still not fully visible]: It's a work in progress.

[Scene switches back to inside the house, a little while later. We see a group of people sitting around the coffee table in the living room.]

ADAM: It's not even literature. It's popcorn.

AMELIA: And why isn't it literature, Adam? I'm dying to know.

ADAM: There's no metaphor. It's by-the-numbers religious hocum-pocum.

AMELIA: No metaphor?

ADAM: It's science-fiction -- now I know why Ben isn't here.

JULIE: Excuse me?

ADAM: I know the host picks the book; but seriously, Julie, he wouldn't read this in the damn bathroom.

JULIE: Well, Adam, I am the host and I do pick the book. And this is my favorite book. So I am absolutely thrilled that you can't stand it. Silly me for sinking so low as to select something that Ben wouldn't like. Here I am thinking that free will still actually exists on...

[Suddenly there is violent shaking like an earthquake. Everyone gets up.]

JULIE: The doorway -- get into the doorway.

[They all move to doorways and wait until the shaking stops. After it subsides we're outside and see everyone coming out of their homes. We see a brief shot of Ethan, discovering that he was the man working on Julie's house. Then, we see the person we know as Henry Gale coming out of another house. Everyone looks up at the sky. They see a plane flying over which then breaks apart in mid-air and crashes.]

GALE: Goodwin, did you see where the tail landed?

GOODWIN: Yeah, probably in the water.

GALE: You run and you can make that shore line in an hour. Ethan, get up there to that fuselage. There may actually be survivors; and you're one of them. A passenger -- in shock -- come up with an adequate story if they ask. Stay quiet if they don't. Listen, learn, don't get involved. I want lists in 3 days. Go.

[Goodwin and Ethan run off. Henry notices Julie standing nearby holding a Steven King book.]

GALE: So I guess I'm out of the book club.

[The camera moves so that we can see a wider and wider shot of the Other's group of houses and how it's situated on the island.]

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[FLASHBACK]

[We see a shot of a pager, badge, and a crossword puzzle on a car seat. We hear Moonlight Serenade playing on the radio. The camera reveals Jack sitting in his car. He's watching some kids in a playground at a school when he notices Sara approach a man who is carrying some art supplies. They talk and laugh as Jack stares moodily.]

[Back on the island we see Jack awaken to find himself lying on a metal platform. He peels off a band-aid and cotton ball that's covering a puncture wound in the crook of his arm. He unsuccessfully tries to open a door, and then tries to reach another area, but runs into a wall of reinforced glass which is one entire wall of his cell.]

JACK [yelling]: Kate! Kate, can you hear me! Kate!

[Scene switches to water from a shower hitting the ground. We see Kate come to; and then Tom (Mr. Friendly) is revealed. They're in a sort of locker room.]

TOM: Rise and shine, Kate.

KATE: Where am I?

TOM: You don't really think I'm going to answer that, do you?

KATE: Where are Sawyer and Jack?

TOM: I'll tell you what, why don't you just take a nice hot shower -- wake yourself up -- wash the day off you and start fresh. There's a nice clean towel, soap, shampoo...

KATE [defiantly]: I'm not showering in front of you.

TOM [laughing]: Kate, you're not my type.

[Tom exits and we see Kate remove a band-aid and cotton ball from her arm, as well.]

[The scene switches to a shot of Sawyer lying on the ground outside, coming to. He looks up and sees he is in a cage. We see a building nearby and a long walkway with a Dharma logo stenciled on the awning. The camera pans to show another man in a cage across from Sawyer's.]

SAWYER: Hey. [the guy looks over, but doesn't respond] Where are we? Who the hell are you? Oh, you ain't gonna talk to me? What -- you got more important things to do?

[Sawyer looks around the cage and sees a large circular "button" protruding from the one solid wall of the cage. Inside it are a white fork and knife under a plexiglass-type cover. We also see a couple of large levers in different parts of the cage and a shoot that's near the "button". Sawyer pushes the button and a voice from a speaker says: Warning. Sawyer pushes the button again and the speaker again says: Warning. Sawyer is about to push the button a third time when...]

KARL: I wouldn't do that.

SAWYER: If I want your advice -- I'll ask for it.

[Sawyer pushes the button again and is shocked with electricity; he flies across the cage crashing in the bars.]

SAWYER: Son-of-a-bitch!!

KARL: Told you.

[Back in Jack's cell we see a red light flashing on a security-type camera. There is a long metal chain attached to ceiling of the cell and Jack tries pulling on it hoping to find a way out.]

UNKNOWN VOICE: Stop that.

[Jack looks and sees a women. We see that it's Julie on the other side of the glass.]

JULIE: Hi, Jack. I'm Juliet.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[FLASHBACK]

[We see Jack enter an office building and check-in with a receptionist.]

JACK: Hi, I'm Jack Sheppard. I'm here...

SARA [from a couch behind Jack]: Where's your lawyer?

JACK [sitting with her]: You look pretty.

SARA: Where's your lawyer?

JACK: I fired him. Sara, I'm sorry for, for pushing us to this place. I know that I...

[Sara's cell phone rings.]

SARA: Excuse me; I'm sorry. [she answers the call and walks a bit away] Yeah, um, no not yet. He just got here. [She laughs] I'll call you when I get home. [she goes back to the couch] Jack, I'm going to say this as simply as I can...

JACK: What's his name?

SARA: Jack, stop it.

JACK: I'm not going to stop it. I'm going to keep asking you that until you tell me.

SARA: No, I don't ask you what you do in your...

JACK: Just tell me what his name is! I want to know who he is. Look, you can have everything -- the cars, the house -- I don't care. I just want to know the name of the man that is with my wife.

[Sara stares at him but doesn't respond. Finally, she gets up and leaves.]

[Back on the island we see Jack continuing to pull on the chain.]

JULIE [turning up the volume on a sound board]: Jack, can you hear me in there? [he continues yanking the chain] Is that a yes?

JACK: Where are my friends?

JULIE: Come down from the table first.

JACK: You want me to come down -- come in here and get me down.

JULIE: If you want to talk, I'm happy to...

JACK: Tell me where my friends are!!!

JULIE: I will -- if you let go of the chain.

JACK: You think I'm stupid!

JULIE: I don't think you're stupid, Jack. I think you're stubborn.

[Jack continues pulling on the chain.]

[Scene switches to Kate showering. She exits the stall in a towel and discovers her clothes are missing.]

KATE [calling out]: Hey! Where are my clothes?

[She notices a partially open locker door with a strip of masking tape across it that says: Wear this. She pulls out a flowery sundress and put it on. Suddenly Tom appears.]

TOM: [whistles appreciatively at how nice Kate looks] Come on, Kate. He's waiting.

[Tom and three armed guards escort Kate through a covered walkway and to a beach where Henry is waiting under a thatch-roofed structure at a table laden with breakfast foods. Henry pulls out a chair for Kate. Kate sees a pair of handcuffs lying on the table.]

GALE: Sorry, I'm going to have to ask you to put those on, Kate.

KATE: And if I don't?

GALE: Then you don't get any coffee.

[Kate puts the cuffs on.]

GALE: A little tighter. [Kate gives a defiant look] Please.

[Kate makes the cuffs tighter.]

KATE: What did you do with Sawyer and Jack?

GALE: Now why Sawyer?

KATE: Why Sawyer what?

GALE: He's the first one you asked about. "What did you do with Sawyer and Jack?"

KATE: You don't know me.

GALE: Of course I don't.

KATE: I want my clothes back.

GALE: We burned them.

KATE: Why did you bring me here? Why did you make me put on this dress? Why are you feeding me breakfast?

GALE: I brought you here so you'd look out at the water and feel comforted -- comforted that your friends were looking out at the same ocean. I gave you the dress so that you'd feel like a lady. And I wanted you to eat your food with a real live fork and feel civilized. I did all those things so that you'd have something nice to hold on to. Because, Kate, the next two weeks are going to be very unpleasant.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[FLASHBACK]

[We see Jack sitting in his office, talking on the phone.]

JACK: Yeah, hi. Uh, I met a woman on the train. Sara. And she dropped her cell phone and I don't even know her last name. But your number was in her phone so I was just wondering... I'm sorry, forget it.

[Christian enters the office.]

CHRISTIAN: Hey.

JACK: Just give me a minute, Dad. [Christian walks toward Jack's desk] I asked you to give me a minute here.

CHRISTIAN [indicating the list of phone numbers Jack has]: What's this? Why are you dialing all the numbers on Sara's cell phone?

JACK [dialing another number]: Because one of them is him.

CHRISTIAN: You've got to stop this, Jack. It's over.

JACK: Not until I know his name -- where he works, where he lives, when they first kissed. I want to know what it is about him.

[Christian's cell phone rings.]

JACK: Why is Sara calling you, dad?

CHRISTIAN: I think it's time that you let this go.

JACK: Why is she calling you?!

CHRISTIAN: Because she was afraid -- for you.

JACK [yelling]: I want to know exactly why the hell she was calling...

CHRISTIAN: She could see that you were slipping -- you were losing your grip.

JACK: My grip is not the problem here.

CHRISTIAN: Which is exactly what's happening here. Jack, I think I know a little something about being obsessive.

JACK: No, being a drunk is not obsessive.

CHRISTIAN [exiting]: Let it go, Jack.

[Back on the island we see Jack letting some water from the ceiling drip into his mouth. He quickly spits it out. He hears a lot of static on a speaker.]

JACK [to the speaker]: What? If you're trying to talk to me, I can't hear you.

[Jack hears the voice of his father come over the speaker: Let it go, Jack. A light suddenly comes on and we see Julie with a tray of food and water.]

JULIE: I know you're hungry. I brought this for you. This is how it will work. You sit there across from the door, back against the wall. I open the door and leave the tray. Can I trust you to do that, Jack?

JACK: I don't want your food.

JULIE: Well, it's a delicious sandwich...

JACK: I want you to tell the guy who's trying to talk to me through that intercom that he can give it up.

JULIE: Maybe you're hungrier than you think. That intercom hasn't worked in years.

JACK [pointing to button behind Julie]: What's that for -- the button -- what's it for?

JULIE: It's for emergencies.

JACK: Who's watching me?

JULIE: Are you going to sit against the wall so I can open the door? [we get a shot of a grilled cheese sandwich] It's just off the frying pan.

JACK: You can have it.

JULIE: What do you do, Jack? What's your profession?

JACK: I'm a repo man. You know, when people don't pay their bills I go into the bank and collect their possessions. I'm a people person so I really love it.

JULIE: Are you married?

JACK: No. I never saw the point. What about you? What's your job, besides making sandwiches?

JULIE: Oh, I didn't make it. I just put the toothpicks in. When your plane crashed, where were you flying from?

JACK: Sydney.

JULIE: What were you doing there?

JACK: I was bringing my father home.

JULIE: Why would you go all the way to Australia just to...

JACK: Because he was dead.

JULIE: I'm sorry.

JACK [laughing]: Yeah, I'm sure you are. Thanks.

JULIE: You can trust me, Jack. I'm not going to hurt you.

JACK: What the hell is going on here?

[Julie exits, taking a bite of the sandwich before she goes.]

[We see Sawyer trying to work out the lever-puzzle in the cage.]

KARL: Hey. Hey, how long would it take to get to your camp?

SAWYER: What, you talking to me now, Chachi?

KARL: From where they got you, how long a walk was it? A day, two days? And what are the people like from your plane?

SAWYER: Oh, they're just awesome. [we see Karl picking the lock to his cage while Sawyer's busy on the puzzle] Last one of you boys came for a visit got tortured by an Iraqi. He tortured me, too. But hell, he don't know any better.

[Sawyer turns and is surprised to see Karl's cage door open. We hear a loudspeaker say: Subject escaped; subject escaped. Karl suddenly comes into frame right in front of Sawyer, and then starts picking the lock to Sawyer's cage.]

SAWYER: Hey, how'd you get out of there?

KARL [opening the door and pointing]: Run that way.

SAWYER: Hold on!

KARL: You run that way!

[Sawyer starts running as Karl runs in the other direction. Sawyer stops and tries to get his bearings. Suddenly Julie appears.]

JULIE: Hey.

[She smiles, then pulls a taser-like device and shoots Sawyer in the neck with a dart that immediately drops him. We see Sawyer being dragged back to his cage by Tom and another man. Once Sawyer is back in his cage, Tom drags Karl to Sawyer's cage and shoves his face up to the bars.]

TOM: Say it. Say it, Karl.

KARL: I'm sorry. Sorry, I involved you in my break out attempt.

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[We see Jack sitting in his cell. Julie enters the outer area with a tray of food and water.]

JULIE: The drugs we gave you when we brought you here have a pretty serious side-effect -- dehydration. Your head is probably sore, your throat is raw. If you don't eat or drink something soon you're going to start hallucinating.

JACK: So, you're a doctor, huh?

JULIE: No, I'm a repo woman. No strings attached. You don't have to answer any questions. You don't have to do anything but sit with your back up against the far wall. Let me open that door, put the plate down and leave. I know it feels like you're giving up, like you're losing, if you do anything that I ask you to. But you're not. You need to eat. What do you say?

[Jack slowly moves to the far wall and sits.]

JULIE: Thank you, Jack.

[Julie exits without giving Jack any food.]

[FLASHBACK]

[We see Jack at the hospital in a patient's room with a nurse. His father is in the hall in the background.]

JACK [to the nurse]: Let's take out the epidural catheter and get him started on a PCA.

[Jack sees his father take a call from his cell.]

NURSE: You sure he's ready to self-administer his pain meds?

[Jack is so intent on his father, who he sees talking and laughing on the phone, that he doesn't respond to the nurse.]

NURSE: Dr. Sheppard...

[We see Christian pull up in front of a hotel. Jack is right behind and follows him into a room. He enters and finds Christian getting some coffee in a small conference room.]

CHRISTIAN: Jack?

JACK: Give me your cell phone.

CHRISTIAN: What? What?

JACK: I want to see it. Now.

CHRISTIAN: Look where you are, Jack. I mean, just look around you, please.

JACK: Give me the phone.

CHRISTIAN: This is not the place for this.

MODERATOR: You must be Jack. Why don't you grab a chair and join us?

JACK: You know me?

MODERATOR: Yes, your father's told us all about you.

JACK: Yeah, what's he told you about me? What did you tell them about me, dad? That your son never really had it -- not like the old man. I didn't have the will to make it work? My life, my job, my marriage. What did you tell them about my marriage, dad?!! You want to know how he manages his marriage? A bottle of scotch every night before dinner.

MODERATOR: Your father has been sober 50 days now. We're very proud of that.

JACK [laughing]: Wow, dad, I wonder what helped you turn that corner? Do you think maybe it was a new lady friend? Do you think maybe that's what...

CHRISTIAN: I will not let you you talk to me...

JACK: I will not let you speak to my wife.

CHRISTIAN: Jack, I'm your father. Jack, please just let it go.

[Jack suddenly runs at Christian and tackles him.]

[Back on the island we see Jack in his cage. Julie starts to enter and Jack runs at her. He takes the taser/dart weapon, and puts a sharp piece of broken plate to her throat.]

JACK: Which way out?

JULIE: Don't do this, Jack. Don't. Don't.

[He drags her to a hatch-like door with a wheel lock.]

JACK: Open the door.

JULIE: No. I can't. I can't, Jack. I do that -- we die. I'm not. I'm not.

JACK: Open the door!!

JULIE: I can't! I swear I can't!!

GALE [appearing]: She's telling the truth, Jack.

JACK: I swear to god, I will kill her.

GALE: Okay. Have her open the door and she dies anyway. We all do.

[Jack pushes Julie away and starts to open the door. Henry and Julie start running. Henry runs out a door and quickly closes it behind him, leaving Julie in the same area as Jack. We hear a loud creaking sound and suddenly a huge gush water pushes the door in and throws Jack backward. Julie grabs onto a pipe and grabs Jack.]

JULIE: Jack, over here!

[Together they push the door closed.]

JULIE: The button! The yellow button, the button!!

[Jack pushes the button and when he turns around Julie clocks him, knocking him out.]

COMMERCIAL BREAK

[We see Sawyer stretching to reach a rock outside of the cage. He grabs the rock and places it on one of the levers. He throws his shoe at another lever. Sawyer has figured out the puzzle. A congratulatory song plays through the speaker and a voice says: Reward, reward. We see a large fish-shaped cracker drop down the shoot.]

SAWYER [picking up the cracker]: Oh, come on. Unbelievable.

[A pile of food pellets then drop down the shoot. Sawyer takes a bite of the cracker, and water starts coming out of a pipe. Sawyer drinks.]

TOM [off camera]: Keep moving.

[We see Kate being led to the cage Karl used to occupy.]

TOM: Stick your arms out through the bars; I'll take off your cuffs. They scratched you up pretty bad, didn't they? I'll bring you some anti-septic later.

SAWYER: How about you bring me an ottoman? While you're at it I could use a blow dry.

TOM: Hey, you got yourself a fish biscuit. How'd you do that?

SAWYER: I figured out your complicated gizmos, that's how.

TOM [exiting]: Only took the bears 2 hours.

SAWYER [calling after Tom]: How many of them were there? [to Kate] You okay, Freckles?

KATE [looking terrified, but trying to be tough]: Yeah. You?

SAWYER: Just swell. I requested that cage, but whatever. Nice dress.

KATE: They made me wear it.

SAWYER: You hungry?

[Sawyer tosses her the fish biscuit and she hungrily takes a bite.]

[We see Jack in his cell and hear some whale-like sounds. Julie is sitting a desk looking at some papers in a file.]

JACK: It's an aquarium.

JULIE: Excuse me?

JACK: This thing's for what -- sharks?

JULIE: Dolphins, too.

JACK: We're underwater, aren't we?

JULIE: Yes.

JACK: Is this one of their stations -- the Dharma Initiative?

JULIE: They called it the Hydra.

JACK: So you people are just whatever's leftover of them.

JULIE: Well, that was a long time ago. It doesn't matter who we were. It only matters who we are. We know exactly who you are, Jack Sheppard.

JACK: You don't know anything about me.

JULIE: We know that you're a spinal surgeon based out of St. Sebastian's Hospital in Los Angeles. I know that you went to Columbia and that you graduated med school a year faster than anyone else. I know that you were married only once and that you contested the divorce. I know your father died in Sydney. I know this because I have a copy of his autopsy report.

JACK: How did you get...

JULIE: We got it.

JACK [referring to the file Julie has]: What is that?

JULIE: This, Jack, is your life.

JACK: Do you -- is it just about me or is it about my family, too -- my friends.

JULIE: It's pretty much about everything.

JACK: Do you know about my -- about my ex-wife.

JULIE: Sara. Yes, Jack, we know all about her. What would you like to find out?

[FLASHBACK]

[We see Jack in a prison cell.]

GUARD [opening the door]: Sheppard, someone posted your bail.

[Jack walks around a corner in the jail, putting his wedding ring back on, and sees Sara waiting.]

JACK: How'd you, uh...

SARA: Your dad told me you were here. I called you a cab. So, um, goodbye. [she exits]

JACK [following her out]: Sara!

SARA: What?!

JACK: Is that him? [referring to a man waiting by a car across the street]

SARA: What difference does it make?

JACK: It just does.

SARA: It's not going to change anything.

JACK: I want to know! I need to know who he is.

SARA: It doesn't matter who he is. It just matters who you're not. Jack, your father -- he called me to help you. He was so drunk I could hardly understand him. Look at the bright side. Now you have something to fix.

[ Back on the island we're still with Jack and Julie.]

JULIE: Jack. Jack. What would you like to find out?

JACK: Is she -- is she happy?

JULIE: Yes, Jack, she's very happy. Now, I'd like to bring you some food and water. But this time I need to know that you'll behave. Can I trust you, Jack? Put your back against the wall, please.

[Jack moves to the far wall and sits down. Julie exits without giving Jack any food. We see Henry waiting for her.]

GALE: Good work, Juliet.

JULIE: Thank you, Ben.


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