1X21 END OF DAYS

Aired the week of May 30, 2001

Grisham and the Queen are trapped in a mine, and revisit their past as air slowly runs out.

The episode had a clever combination of multiple scenes, which were incorporated from various episodes in the past. Each scene lent support to the storyline and reminded us through different recaps of the conflicts and struggles between the Queen and Captain Grisham.

It was the perfect episode that offered the characters a chance to play the game of truth or dare. Trapped in the mine with no way to get out, the Queen and Grisham have no choice but to rely on one another. The flashbacks of memory or excerpts of episode scenes that both the Queen and Grisham remember seems more like their acts of confession. The flashbacks in the storyline helped to understand how both Grisham and the Queen thought about their lives, their feelings and their relationship as two worthy rivals. The supposed long hours spent in the mine was a time of reflection. Giving the viewers some suspense of what could happen to the characters was a good way for the writer to describe the relationship between the Queen and Grisham.

I was thoroughly enjoying Grisham's undertaking to get the Queen to succumb to his charms and advances, but obviously the Queen was not amused by his attempts. She made it very clear that he was not her type and she didn't like him at all. He, on the other hand, indicated that he has always been intrigued by her hidden persona and would have done anything to have her submit her will to him. I really enjoyed how Anthony Lemke played his role in the episode. Although he is the resident bad boy of Santa Helena, the viewers got a chance to see his softer side. He tried so many times to make the Queen falter and slip up, but she remained alert and cautious, always trying to stay one step ahead of Grisham and not give in to his ploy.

The crucial scene happened when they were both lying on the ground almost to the point of unconsciousness. When the Queen passes out first, Grisham is given the perfect opportunity to unmask her. But he hesitated and didn't expose her. What the viewer is left to understand is that he didn't care who she was because they were both dying or he preferred to keep it a mystery. In the midst of impending death, Grisham relents and decided not to learn the true identity of the Queen. I thought the writer did a great job of not jeopardizing Tessa's alter ego. In my observation of the scene, I noticed that during those moments there was a torch burning bright. If both Grisham and the Queen had passed out from lack of air since it had been thinning out, the torch should have extinguished out slowly to symbolize there was barely enough air inside the mine. It would have made the scene more realistic.

It was totally entertaining to see how the Queen managed to conquer Grisham by retreating from the mine with his clothes on. It was the perfect ploy to escape the soldiers without them not noticing it was the Queen dressed in Grisham's uniform. He is left with the little dignity he has when he emerges from the mine without his clothes. When the Queen returns home, Marta wonders how she is dressed up in Grisham's uniform, but Tessa decides not to tell her what happened. Marta is left to wonder if anything happened at all.

I missed not seeing a good sword duel or a fight in this episode, but the storyline was both revealing and entertaining. The writer showed us the softer side of bad boy Grisham and the vulnerability of the Queen. In their hours of despair, they set aside their differences as two archenemies and found some comfort with each other's company. Their dialog had some great bantering and sexual innuendoes. It substituted for the sword fighting. The sharp tongue's and humorous wit by both the Queen and Grisham, while under direst circumstances, provided a very entertaining storyline. All in all, the episode provided us with a different perspective of both characters. The Queen and Grisham realized what type of past history they had together and how well they knew all about each other.

HERE IS THE ENTIRE SCRIPT BETWEEN THE QUEEN AND GRISHAM:

Grisham: Perez......shoot.....shoot her (soldier shoots and misses).....Could you hit a barn Sergeant Perez?
Sergeant Perez: Sorry Sir, my horse kicked.....
Grisham: I should have kicked your head.....well lucky for you we still got her.....no, no, no.....she's mine, alright?

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Inside the mine
Grisham: Now, I just want to talk.....honestly? (Spots the Queen)....Drop your sword?
Queen: Uh em.
Grisham: (Pulls out his pistol)....Give me a reason to kill you right now.....go ahead.....(Queen drops sword).....that's a smart girl.
Queen: Now what?
Grisham: The mask!
Queen: If you want my opinion, I think red is a better color on you.
Grisham: Lose it!
Queen: .....And take all the mystery out of our relationship?
Grisham: I prefer to do this when you are alive, but.....Ladies and Gentlemen the moment we have all been waiting for.

Queen feels trapped and about to give in when earthquake occurs and traps them inside the mine

Queen: Grisham.....Grisham.....are you alive?
Grisham: Alive and well.....where is it?.....where is my sword?
Queen: Its underneath that pile, next to mine.
Grisham: Oh, that's great.....its just going to make it a little harder to kill you then.
Queen: Your kidding?
Grisham: Nope
Queen: Were trapped!
Grisham: Well, its perfect....its just you and me.....its no trick....no escape.
Queen: .....And no air.....if we fight we both die and a hell of a lot sooner.....its up to you.

Both begin to excavate the rocks for a way out of the mine

Grisham: This is crazy.
Queen: You know the alternative.
Grisham: You know we are wasting more oxygen this way if we were fighting.
Queen: I some how doubt that.
Grisham: .....Burning those torches ain't helping either.
Queen: If you think you're staying in the dark with me your crazy.
Grisham: Ah....you don't trust yourself....is that it?
Queen: Be still my beating heart.
Grisham: Little messy....little sweaty.....maybe that is more of your style, huh?
Queen: You got me there....dirty, stinky evil guys.....every girls dream.

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Grisham: I'm done with this. It is getting us nowhere fast.
Queen: I have to admit, its bad.....I think you are right.
Grisham: Well, here we are stuck in a mine shaft, slowly suffocating.....huh, that's a hell of a way to die isn't it?
Queen: Wasn't exactly what I had in mind either.
Grisham: You know, since we're both doomed anyway.....I was kind of thinking maybe we could.....
Queen: .....Over my dead body.
Grisham: Why do you hate me so much?.....you know we go way back. (Flashback memory of Destiny episode).....we made a connection....well come on tell me you didn't feel that.
Queen: Not really.
Grisham: Ok, but you can't deny that we are a lot alike.
Queen: Oh.....the air must be thinning in here already.
Grisham: No, I'm serious.....just think about.....well you're a warrior and I'm a.....
Queen: ....Murderer.
Grisham: .....Strong willed, independent and I'm a.....
Queen: .....Psychopathic control freak.
Grisham: .....Your passionate and I'm.....
Queen: .....an egomaniac.
Grisham: Now why don't you just admit it?
Queen: Admit what?
Grisham: Admit that.....maybe I don't know.....in another time and place we might have made music.
Queen: Uh.....your delusional.
Grisham: No, just picture this

He tries to get closer and Queen pulls out her dagger and points to him in defense

Grisham: Hey, its ok. (He pulls out his dagger from his boot and throws it away).....yeah, (Queen puts her dagger away)...ok...(He gets closer)...just picture this.....its you and me and we're all alone in a log cabin.....fire going.....lying on a bear skin rug.....
Queen: Pathetic.
Grisham: .....And our bodies are pressed together so close.
Queen: Why don't you go sit over there?
Grisham: Are you waiting for someone else, is that it?.....Don't kid yourself.....What the hell kind of guy would go for a woman like you?

Flashback memory of Duel with a Stranger

Queen: You son of a bitch!!

Queen attacks Grisham and places dagger to his throat

Grisham: You see I was right....we've got a lot more in common than you think.....well, so here we are all alone......close enough to the.....
Queen: Throat.
Grisham: ....That too.....but I was kind of driving to something else.
Queen: I doubt it....you never have more than one thing on your mind.
Grisham: Sometimes I have to.
Queen: Careful.
Grisham: You are one pain in the ass...you know how good I had it before you showed up?
Queen: Murdering, pillaging, robbing....Ahem.
Grisham: Ok, ok.....I just got one question.
Queen: Make it a good one.
Grisham: Well, there's a hell of a lot more crime and corruption up in Monterey.....say, why did you choose Santa Helena?

Flashback memory of Destiny

Queen: Let's just say I have a score to settle.
Grisham: You know a woman like you with a sword and the mask and the whip and everything....you could probably go places.
Queen: I can say the same thing about you.
Grisham: Well, I like my job.
Queen: Really?....as Montoya's stooge!
Grisham: I'm the Captain of the Guard.
Queen: Give me a break, you can't even spit on your own boots unless he says so.
Grisham: That's not true, we just have a unique working relationship.
Queen: Right.....what's he have on you?
Grisham: Nothing.
Queen: It must be something and whatever it is....it obviously terrifies you.

Flashback memory of Destiny

Grisham: You got it all wrong.....Montoya and I are like a team....one hand washes the other.
Queen: .....Except your doing all his dirty work.
Grisham: Uh.....you don't understand, it's a guy thing.

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Both standing

Grisham: You tired?
Queen: No....you?
Grisham: No, no....just thinking maybe....you know....since the air in here is getting pretty thin, you might want to lie down.
Queen: Is this one of your military maneuvers?
Grisham: No, you've just been on your feet for a while....just thought maybe relax (Grisham tries to get closer and she points her dagger at him)....look we're going to die down here alright?
Queen: Maybe
Grisham: Well, do you really want to end it.....in this cold and damp hole alone with a last moment of warm heated contact.....
Queen: Down boy.
Grisham: You know, I don't even have to see your face....
Queen: You know all the right things to say don't you?
Grisham: Just feel the soft warmth of your skin.....(He makes a move and forces Queen down on the ground, pinning her under him)......now, where were we.....come on don't ruin it like this.....
Queen: I don't like this.
Grisham: You don't find me just a least bit sexy?
Queen: No.
Grisham: You know I think you've got the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen....(he caresses her face and tries to pull up her mask, but she moves her face away).....I wonder how they look.....
Queen: Don't you want to kiss me first?

Grisham tries to kiss her and she hits him in the nose with her head as he retreats off of her and she escapes

Grisham: Oh....oh....God damn nose......oh.....what's the matter with you?
Queen: I don't like you....don't you get it?
Grisham: I think you have issues with men.

Flashback memories of Vengeance and The Serpent

Queen: I don't have issues with men Marcus.....I have issues with you.
Grisham: Don't give me that.....everybody loves a bad boy.
Queen: Some girls like nice guys.
Grisham: Yeah, well not to sleep with.....do you know how many women.....
Queen: Ah.....spare me.

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Queen once again tries to dig herself out of the mine as Grisham sits watching

Grisham: Do you always try to be the hero, just give up.....we're dead anyway.
Queen: You think you could give me a hand.
Grisham: Shut up....for you I wouldn't be in this mess.
Queen: .....So the earthquake is my fault?
Grisham: You're the one who did all the damage to this mine in the first place.
Queen: .....Just really trying to save my life.
Grisham: Details....details

Flashback memory of Death to the Queen

Queen sits down exhausted

Grisham: ....A lesser man might have said...I told you so.
Queen: Not you?
Grisham: Nope, you know come to think of it....I don't think that....I don't think that we're really actual enemies you know?
Queen: All those times you've tried to kill me....is this your way of breaking the ice?
Grisham: Yeah, I guess they weren't crushed through....do you know if you want to be mad at someone I think you just got to pick Montoya, cause I just follow orders anyway, right?
Queen: Don't worry, he's on the list.

Flashback memories of Vengeance and Honor Thy Father

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Both Grisham and the Queen are lying on the ground of the mine next to each other. They both are experiencing shortness of breath from lack of air

Queen: Are you still there?
Grisham: Yeah....hey want to play a final game of X's and O's....I'm x....its your turn.
Queen: I hate long good byes.
Grisham: Me too....hey hero....it's a good move here...I'm going to miss you.
Queen: You've gone soft.
Grisham: (quick chuckle).....no I'm just being honest....hey.....
Queen: (with her last breath)....Adios Captain....

She passes out

Grisham: (He holds her hand)....Adios.....(He reaches over and attempts to pull off her mask, but hesitates)....oh.....the hell with it.....

He fixes it back in place and passes out afterwards.

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An explosion causes a passage to open up in the mine letting in fresh air and reviving the two unconscious enemies

Queen: Air!
Grisham: Yeah!

Queen realizes she was left vulnerable and reaches to touch her face and realizes she is still wearing the mask

Queen: You didn't?
Grisham: No.
Queen: Looks like we're going to live.
Grisham: One of us is.

Both stare at a sword and struggle to retrieve it. Queen hits Grisham on head with rock and grabs the sword

Grisham: Ah....you little bitch...

Queen stands and points sword at Grisham lying on the ground

Queen: I wouldn't move another inch if I were you.
Grisham: Its not an issue....oh, great....so now what huh?....We're still stuck and you're not going to kill me....you hear that....that's not exactly mice (Sounds of soldiers digging into mine)....looks to me that you are stuck between a rock and a hard place huh?
Queen: Been there, done that.

Flashback memory of Death to the Queen, Fever and Running Wild

Grisham: Ah...yeah, but that was just BS luck.
Queen: I prefer to call it skill.
Grisham: Whatever, you know one day that will fade then what happens....why don't you just give me the sword.
Queen: .....And then what, you kill me?
Grisham: No, I have a proposition.
Queen: Of course you do.
Grisham: Well, you know, their my soldiers so I could probably get you out of this if maybe you and I might....ah....
Queen: Stand up.
Grisham: Your kidding?
Queen: Stand
Grisham: Ok.
Queen: Maybe we can work something out.
Grisham: I always knew you'd see it my way (Queen removes her red sash and drops on ground).....ah man...
Queen: Its your turn...take off the jacket.
Grisham: Gladly
Queen: .....And then your pants.

Soldiers break through and a person backs out in a uniform from the mine. Looks up and it's the Queen dressed in Grisham's uniform. Soldiers follow and Grisham emerges in his long johns with the red sash tied around his mouth. Queen escapes on her horse

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Marta is in the kitchen when Queen arrives home and opens the door

Marta: Tessa, where have you been.....what are you wearing?

Queen removes mask and jacket

Tessa: Don't ask.
Marta: A captain's uniform?
Tessa: I said don't.
Marta: Captain Grisham's uniform?
Tessa: Marta!
Marta: What's he wearing?
Tessa: You don't want to know!

Sits down and has Marta remove one boot

Marta: Those are his boots.....oh, no....this one you don't keep to yourself.
Tessa: Marta, if I tell you....I'd have to kill you.
Marta: (Looks at boot).....Maybe your right.....maybe I don't want to know.

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~Margie~