Episode 14,
Season 5
Title: Death Toll
Written by:
Melissa R. Byer,
Treena Hancock
Directed by: Allan Arkush
Original Air Date: March 12, 2006
Description: (full synopsis)
A bomber strikes a
Boston commuter train, leaving multiple people dead and
many more injured. The morgue team is called in to help
with the wreckage and they learn that most of the
casualties were children on a field trip. Lu,
Woody and Nigel search through the evidence for anything
that might help them identify the bomber. Tensions run high in
the morgue and in the field when Macy and Lu are
reminded of painful losses from their past. They must
set their grieving aside though, as they learn there is
another bomb somewhere in the
city ready to explode, and race against time to find the
bomb.Guest
Stars:
Wallace Shawn (Dr. Howard
Stiles) , Romy Rosemont (Allison, Charlie's Mother),
Eyal Podell (Widower, Teacher's Husband), Cody Estes
(Charlie Cohen), Kristin Bauer (Special Agent Green),
Brian Poth (Greg Hewitt)
Random Facts:
- Garret reveals in this episode
that Abby had a twin brother who died 6 hours after he was born. Garret
and Maggie never gave him a name.
- Edgar Allan Poe was born in
Boston, MA on January 19, 1809. He was born on Carver Street, just
south
of Boston Common. Carver Street was demapped and now basically serves as a
driveway. A plaque on Boylston Street marks the site.
Poe was born in a lodging
house on this site in
1809.
Later the same year Poe's parents, both actors, moved to
New York.
Poe returned to
Boston
in 1827. His first book of poems,
Tamerlane was published in
Boston.
Poe had a love-hate rela
tionship
with
Boston
and often referred to it as "Frogpondium," after the
frog pond on the Common.
(Picture on left--from the
episode--is not true to the location of Poe's birthplace in Boston)
In this episode Jordan and Bug
talk about Poe's birth place being by Cambridge Court, near a fountain. I
don't know of a Cambridge Court, nor have I been able to find anything on it
that links to Edgar Allan Poe, so I question the accuracy of this fact.
That said, I do need to do more research.
- The lines from the poem
mentioned were from Edgar Allan Poe's poem The City In The Sea.
- There is no Stockton Station (as
that's what it sounds like Woody is saying where the third bomb was) on the
Boston Transit System. And
not all the T cars have emergency breaks, depends on the line and how new or old
the car is.
Goofs:
- Bug, who has said he's allergic
to chocolate, was about to eat a chocolate doughnut in this episode.
Music:
- Instrumental Music only
Quotes::
Stiles:
So are we going to talk? Or are you just going to keep playing with my ‘balls’?
Jordan:
So I should feel flattered to go first?
Stiles:
Well, you are my most difficult nut?!
Stiles:
Guilt, now that’s a very complicated emotion
Jordan:
No it’s not…
Nigel:
Looking back, I may have been a tad insensitive
Stiles:
Regret, now that’s a very interesting emotion.
Lu:
It wasn’t that big of a deal.
Stiles:
Oh, so it was just an ordinary day, is that it? (cut)
Jordan:
Nothing about that day was ordinary
Nigel:
(to ATF agent) So you’re the go to gal in an explosive
situations, huh!
Bug:
And Homeland Security had no warning this was going to
happen?
ATF Agent:
Unfortunately, we were completely blindsided
Jordan:
I did what needed to be done
Stiles:
That sounded a little defensive (cut)
Lily:
I just resent people telling me how to do my job. I know
how to make people feel better.
Stiles:
Can’t be easy on a day like that.
Lily:
It’s the little things, make coffee, tea, put out
doughnuts.
Stiles:
Everybody likes doughnuts.
Lily:
I used to, until I started working in a morgue.
Lily:
(Bug eating doughnut) Bug, those are for the families.
Bug:
Oh, sorry your kid is dead, here, have a doughnut!
Woody:
It looks like sugar.
ATF Agent:
Silver flash powder, packed into a galvanised steel pipe
makes one hell of a bomb.
ATF Agent:
…most likely domestic.
Woody:
American’s attacking Americans.
ATF Agent:
You know your stuff.
Nigel:
Well I’ll be happy to help out today if er…
Stiles:
If that doesn’t make you want to down a bottle of Scotch
I don’t know what will.
Garret:
I didn’t take a drink.
Stiles:
mmm…
Garret:
Are you saying I wanted to?
Stiles:
Don’t tell me you weren’t tempted
Garret:
Even if I was, I didn’t take a drink.
Allison:
He beat cancer, he beat it! Why would God give him back
to me, only just to take him away like this? (cut)
Stiles:
I’d sure like to heat your answer to that one.
Jordan:
I didn’t have one… bad things happen, I stopped asking
why a long time ago.
Stiles:
So, how’s your love life these days? Are you seeing
anyone?
Jordan:
Are you asking me out Howard?
Stiles:
I’ll take that as a no.
Stiles:
I’m just making conversation.
Jordan:
You don’t just make conversation.
ATF Agent:
Did you get anything off the surveillance footage?
Woody:
Their system’s more archaic than my grandmother’s 8mm.
Woody:
So, if our guy is a repeat offender…
ATF Agent:
He’ll be in the system.
Nigel:
Looks like we have a virgin on our hands, first timer.
Woody:
He blows up a train full of kids to make a point… he’s
no better than Al Qaeda.
Woody:
You’re just going to wait for me to say something,
aren’t you?
Stiles:
I’m just not as interesting as you are, am I?
Stiles:
From all accounts, on that day you went above and
beyond.
Woody:
It wasn’t enough
Stiles:
Finally, that’s the root of the problem
Woody:
Lu?
Lu:
I can’t do this.
Woody:
What are you talking about?
Lu:
I’m taking myself off the case.
Stiles:
One shrink to another I’d say we are dealing with a
classic case of avoidance.
Lu:
I’m not trying to avoid anything.
Stiles:
Avoidance and denial, this is worse than I thought…
Stiles:
Was it the kids that got to you?
Lu:
They got to everybody.
Stiles:
Yes, but you were the only one that ran away.
Bug:
It was a difficult day, I was under a lot of stress.
Stiles:
Stress! There’s that word again.
Bug:
I’m not normally one to crack under pressure. I guess
I’ve changed.
Stiles:
Why do you suppose that is?
Bug:
Evolution?!
Bug:…
It sees things, it feels things that it never knew
existed before, but not all of it is good.
Stiles:
It can’t change back into a caterpillar
Bug:
But I wonder if there are moments it wishes it could.
Nigel:
Once again… Lubricant saves the day!
Nigel:
She looked at me as if I was an insensitive clod!
Stiles:
Federal agents tend to take their jobs very seriously!
Stiles:
Yet you felt the need to make jokes.
Nigel:
Do you remember that episode of Mary Tyler Moore, the
one where Chuckles the clown dies?
Stiles:
During a parade, he was dressed as a peanut and he got
trampled by elephants. Is that the one?
Nigel:
The funeral was a sombre affair, very serious, and right
in the middle of it Mary starts to laugh, and she tries
to stop but she can’t help herself.
Stiles:
So, what you are trying to say is, you’re Mary Tyler
Moore.
Stiles:
…I’ve been known to crack a joke or two myself on a
rough day.
Nigel:
Yeah?
Stiles:
Did you hear the one about the two psychiatrists who
passed each other in the hall? One guy says ‘hello’, the
other guy thinks ‘I wonder what he meant by that’ haha!
Nigel:
You might want to work on your timing.
Garret:
(to Stiles) What are you? An elephant?
Stiles:
If you keep answering a question with a question, we’re
going to be here all day.
Garret:
What do you want from me Howard?
Stiles:
Well A that’s another question. And B why didn’t you
hold your daughter?
Garret:
I couldn’t.
Stiles:
Why not?
Garret:
I don’t know. I think, I think I was afraid.
Stiles:
Afraid? Of what?
Garret:
Like I said, I don’t know.
Stiles:
Yes you do, what were you afraid of? Being a father?
Getting too attached?
Garret:
I was afraid she’d die too.
Stiles:
What do you mean, too? Who else died?
Garret:
Abby’s twin brother.
Stiles:
Are you seeing anyone?
Woody:
I don’t know if you would call it ‘seeing’ each other.
Stiles:
What would you call it?
Woody:
What’s in between frustrating and weird?
Stiles: Sounds complicated. Anyone I know?
Stiles:
I mean, on a day where so many innocent people were
murdered, the Jordan Cavanaugh I know would’ve
channelled all her energy into finding the person
responsible.
Jordan:
It wasn’t my job to find the bomber.
Stiles:
Well, it wasn’t your job to look for Charlie Cohen
either, and yet you made it your personal mission to do
that, now why?
Jordan:
Well, he was hurt, he needed my help.
Stiles:
You think that was the only reason?
Stiles:
The son of Abraham. You know that story?
Lily:
From the Bible? Sure. God asked Abraham to sacrifice his
only son, Isaac.
Stiles:
So Abraham marches him up to the top of the mountain, he
lays him down on the alter, and he is just about to slit
his throat when God says ‘don’t do it’.
Lily:
I’ve never understood that story, it seems like God has
a cruel sense of humor.
Stiles:
It was a test of faith.
Lily:
Abraham was about to kill his only son, what kind of
heartless person would do that?
Stiles:
It’s not about being heartless, it’s about putting your
feelings aside to do what needs to be done.
Lily:
I didn’t cry that day, not once
Lily:
…What’s wrong with me?
Stiles:
Did you feel sorry for him?
Woody:
How could I? He was a bad guy, right?
Stiles:
You feel guilty because you couldn’t save him?
Woody:
I feel guilty about a lot of things.
Charlie:
Does my mom know I’m here?
Jordan:
Yeah, she’s on her way.
Charlie:
Why did you tell her?
Jordan:
She’s not mad at you Charlie. She just wants you to come
home.
Charlie:
I should have died on that train.
Jordan:
Don’t say that.
Charlie:
It would have been better that way.
Jordan:
Your mom loves you more than anything. Do you know how
lucky you are to have something like that in your life?
Stiles:
A happy ending in the middle of all that tragedy, it
must have felt good.
Jordan:
Yeah, it did.
Stiles:
Wow, you’re so convincing, there’s still one thing I
don’t understand. Why you found it so necessary to find
that boy.
Jordan:
He and his mom had already been through so much, all
they had was each other.
Stiles:
That’s a very special bond.
Jordan:
To love someone so unconditionally and to know that they
love you back.
Stiles:
It must have made you think about your own life.
Jordan:
So this is the part where I admit to you that I go home
to an empty apartment every night, no family, no pets, I
don’t have a plant.
Stiles:
Well, life’s a lot simpler if you only have yourself to
worry about.
Jordan:
Maybe life’s not supposed to be that simple.
Stiles:
Do you regret the choices that you have made? (cut)
Garret:
We didn’t even name him, after he died we just pretended
he never existed.
Stiles:
Don’t you think you are being too hard on yourself?
(cut)
Lily:
It shouldn’t be that easy to just check my feelings at
the door.
Stiles:
What are you really afraid of?
Lily:
What if I’m getting too good at this job?
Stiles:
Being good at your job, that’s nothing to feel guilty
about. (cut)
Woody:
It’s not just the kiss. Ever since it happened I can’t
stop thinking about her. (cut)
Lu:
I felt safe talking to him. I haven’t felt that way in a
long time.
Stiles:
Once you open that door there’s no going back. (cut)
Bug:
You can’t pick and choose what emotions you are going to
feel. And without the bad ones, you can’t appreciate the
good. Is that trite?
Stiles:
I hope not. (cut)
Nigel:
He said ‘Yeah, but what I really want is a twelve inch
pianist’.
Stiles:
I’m glad to see you took something positive away from
that day. (cut)
Jordan:
There’s a plaque on the wall of the morgue as you walk
in, it’s in Latin ‘Is est a locus qua nex est gauisus
iuvo victus’.
Stiles:
‘This is a place where death is happy to help the
living’.
Jordan:
And here I thought ‘employees must wash their hands’.
Stiles:
Being surrounded by death, must remind you how valuable
life is.
Jordan:
Every day Howard, every day.
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