EPI-LOG ARTICLE on Beauty
and the Beast
review by Nina Johnson. Click
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Episode 12 (Season 1, Episode 12)
Shades of Grey
Shades of Grey (airdate: Jan. 8, 1988). Mouse is accused of stealing from a warehouse above, where he set off the alarm and was almost caught. Now he is before the Tunnel council awaiting his punishment. One of the Tunnel World's laws is to not steal. Mouse's defense is that everyone takes from them but Father points out that scavenging and stealing are two different matters entirely. Mouse still clings to his defense and that he should not be punished. A vote is called for and all the members there who believe he is guilty turn their back to him except Vincent who isn't sure that the sentence fits the crime. Finally Vincent too turns his back and Mouse's punishment is total silence for 30 days.
Catherine and Joe are discussing Max Avery's case. He is extorting payoffs from construction projects. The only way they can nail him is for Elliot Burch to testify, but Elliot refuses to talk with anyone but Catherine. Catherine says that if they want to talk to Elliot they can subpoena him. Hoe points out that this could take years; meanwhile, Avery continues with his extortion. Catherine really has not choice but to give in. Father and Vincent are discussing Mouse's punishment. Father believes that they did the right thing, but Vincent feels that it may not have been a fair trial. Ellie runs in excited and out of breath. She says that Eric and some of the other children were playing Hide and Seek in an old part of the tunnels that is falling apart, the Maze. Eric fell and twisted his ankle. Father and Vincent follow behind Ellie to find Eric. Catherine is at Elliot Burch's office. He tries to be friendly with Catherine but she brushes him off saying that she is there on business. Vincent and Father find Eric whose ankle is not broken. Kipper and Ellie help them remove him from the chamber, All of a sudden the walls begin to give in. Vincent holds up part of them long enough for the children to run. But he is not strong enough to keep up the walls for long and the whole thing falls in on him and Father. They are surrounded by darkness. Catherine and Elliot are still discussing Avery's case. Then Elliot gives Catherine a stack of files with enough evidence for them to convict Avery. The price she has pay for the information is that she listen to him. He tells her that he has to deal with men like Avery if he is to build. Many of the actions were taken without his knowledge. He also admits that if he wanted to know, he could have investigated but he didn't. He feels that in turning in Avery, it will atone for his actions. If he turns in Avery that means that most of his projects will stop, and he, himself, will also be in danger. He tries to convince her that he isn't one of the bad guys. Catherine realizes that there is some truth in what he is saying, but she is still reluctant. Back in the tunnels, Vincent is regaining consciousness. He can barely see, but he hears Father, who is moaning and find him covered with rubble, hurt but quite aware of their situation. They have no way out of the chamber and their air supply is quite limited. Catherine goes back to her office and she and Joe agree to give Burch and his staff immunity if they will testify against Avery. Joe thanks Catherine, but she says she will resign if her personal life is ever used in D.A. business. The children have run back to get more help. They bring to the cave-in Winslow, Pascal, Mary and Jamie who try to dig to Vincent and Father with a pickaxe and their bare hands. As Winslow swings at the wall, Catherine senses each blow and its echoes. It takes her a moment, but then she realizes that it is Vincent. She gathers her things and runs from the office. At the rate Winslow is going they might get to Vincent and Father in about a week. Jamie offers to get Mouse to help but Winslow is against breaking the sentence. Jamie begs to no avail and the others are ordered to keep digging. Catherine enters the tunnel from her building wandering around and around. Finally she finds an iron gat and yells out from someone to unlock it. No one comes. She tries tapping on the pipes but no one answers back. At another iron gate she tries turning a stone gargoyle, thinking it will release the gate. Instead it is a trap door switches that Mouse has designed to capture intruders. She falls through the opening in the floor right into Mouse's chambers. Mouse is startled but is reassured when Catherine tells him that she is Vincent's friend. Hearing his name, Mouse agrees to help her. Not far outside his chamber, Mouse and Catherine meet Jamie who has run to Mouse for help. They rush back to the trapped men. Mouse inform them that there is another tunnel closer to where the men are. Winslow tells Mouse that the maps don't show any tunnel there. But Mouse is insistent saying he knows the tunnels better than anyone. He takes Catherine, Jamie and some of the others to help him. Winslow and the ones who stayed behind continue to work on the wall.
Vincent senses Catherine's presence and tells Father. Father is amazed at their bond but then admits that he once shared a bond like theirs. Forty years ago he saw a woman on the street and just one glance showed him the light, intelligence, and the passion of life in her. Before he could speak to her, she got in a taxi. He spent the next year on the same street corner hoping to find her and one day he did. The woman was Margaret and they were married a year later. Elsewhere, Mouse and the others have retrieved tools and machinery from his chamber. Using their tools they construct a drilling machine. But the stone is too strong and their drill bits get broken before they can even make an air hole. Mouse tells Catherine that they must have better tools and explosives. She knows of a place where she can get them and sets off. She arrives in a panic at Elliot Burch's. He is boggled by her request but grants it to her. Catherine says that all she asks is his trust to which he replies that that was all he ever asked of her. His reply touches her and she thanks him. As she turns to go, she turns back and says that if he decides to call her again, she will answer. He asks why and she answers that he set no price on his help. She follows his men to get supplies and comes back to the tunnels with a new drill. But mouse is not strong enough to handle the equipment. Winslow is and Catherine goes to him to beg him to use it. He tries to be difficult but she cries that Vincent told her that they took care of each other. He and the others follow her to Mouse's site and begin working. Father and Vincent 's air in the chamber is quite thin. Father is losing his struggle to stay awake. Vincent senses Catherine and her fear as Mouse places the explosives. Catherine and Mouse begin to argue about who is to detonate the explosives. Mouse wins the argument by telling her Vincent will kill him if anything happened to her. Everyone rushes for a safe place and the explosion crumbles the wall. Catherine and Winslow go back to the chamber and find Mouse covered with debris. He quips "Guess I used a little too much". Vincent and Father are still alive. She and Vincent share a loving look and Father weakly says that he cannot express his gratitude with mere words. Vincent takes Catherine back to her building tunnel entrance. He admires her courage saying that it saved them. But she replies that she was scared and that it wasn't courage, it was love. They begin a kiss but end up in an embrace. Then Catherine walks away.
Guest Cast: Rutanya Alda as Sarah, Kevin McDermott as the worker, Kamie Harper as Ellie, Irina Irvine as Jamie, Joshua Rudoy as Eric, James Avery as Winslow.
Writers: George R. R. Martin and David Peckinpah.
Director: Thomas J. Wright.