Pilot
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT. OLD BROOKLYN COURTHOUSE, 1886 - DAY
It's an old wood courthouse on the corner of a street of other wood buildings, across from a big open-air market. Traffic is thick with horse-drawn carriages, and people are scurrying here and there as in any busy old city. It all seems fairly ordinary. Except . . .
. . . in front of the courthouse is a public hanging.
A good-size crowd has gathered to see it. A tall strong-looking man with fine features and long sideburns is up on the gallows. He's in a good suit, shiny boots. He looks out to the crowd. Unconcerned.
A BARRISTER-type in a tall black hat stands on the gallows, reading from a roll.
BARRISTER
Seamus (Shame us) Bingham Junior, having been found guilty by this court of Brooklyn, New York, of murder, arson, malfeasance, and piracy, you are to be hanged until dead on this day, May first, eighteen hundred and eighty six. Do you have any last words, Sir?
This gets some heavy BOOS and HISSES from the crowd.SEAMUS
(thick Irish accent)
Yes that I do, Sir. I'm a businessman, nothin' more. Sure I've done bad. But I'm what makes this land great . . .
Seamus grins out to the front of the crowd.SEAMUS (CONT'D)
Without the likes of me organizin’, you’re all just at the whims of the pious, they just want to rob ya . . . too . . .
Down in front of the gallows is a priest in black with a wide, ruddy face. Next to him is an older black man in a dark suit, with a wild mop of white hair. They're both glaring up at Seamus Bingham with waves of hatred.
Seamus now leers at the men in front.
Some more BOOS from the crowd.SEAMUS (CONT'D)
Promisin’ heaven to this rabble . . . it’s just the maggots waiting for them, why don’t ya admit it. But with that said . . . I’ll be seeing you again.
(then loudly at the crowd)
And if finally what the Book says is true, I’ll be seein’ the rest of your lot in Hell, I’m sure.
The noose is slipped around Seamus's neck. He doesn’t struggle. He just says . . .
The gallows trap floor opens up under him . . .SEAMUS (CONT’D)
(in a whisper)
Bokor dit vie éternelle.
AND:
. . . his nice books dangle in midair bathed in the smoky light that's old New York, accompanied by the sound of APPLAUSE and some CHEERING.
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. FT. GREENE BROOKLYN, PRESENT DAY - DAY
A New York blue and white Police cruiser, lights on, streaks down an industrial-looking street called Classon Avenue. The cruiser is marked 86th Precinct.
INT. POLICE CRUISER - SAME
Driving the car is Officer LOU TAGALAFARRI. He's in his mid- 30s. He's good looking, but sort of worn out, and he needs a shave. He’s tired around his eyes like he doesn’t sleep well.
Next to him is Officer JON OLIVER, a handsome young black man. Late 20s. Muscular. He looks like he takes much better care of himself.
Jon is talking into the radio, the mic in his hand.
A female voice, DISPATCH, comes back to him.JON
Ten seven on the store again?
DISPATCH (V.O.)
One six six Classon.
LOU
(to Jon)
That's not a store there, Oliver.
JON
Well, sounds like it got robbed, whatever it is.
LOU
Call ‘em back, there's no one six six Classon.
A block of warehouses goes by the window, then the next. Warehouses.JON
(looks out)
No, it's right, Lou. See, we got two hundred . . .
JON (CONT'D)
One hundred eighty . . . sixty.
LOU
(exasperated)
Ahhhhhh.
EXT. 166 CLASSON/CAR 20 - SAME
Sure enough, there is a tiny convenience store, with an Asian man (STORE MAN) standing out front, waving his arms.
Lou pulls the Chevy over. Stops.
They both bound out.
JON
(to man)
Which way did he go?
Store Man points down the street.STORE MAN
He go in car.
LOU
What kind of car?
STORE MAN
He go in little blue car.
LOU
Can you be more specific, Sir.
STORE MAN
Blue car, what I say. Little blue car.
JON
Like an old Nissan Sentra, or a Honda Fit?
Jon gets on his shoulder radio.STORE MAN
I no know cars. Ugly blue car!
JON
Dispatch, twenty, ten twenty suspect is in a small, ugly blue car, possibly up on the BQE, Queensbound.
DISPATCH (V.O.)
Ten four, twenty.
LOU
Why you think he hit the BQE?
JON
What do you think?
Jon mulls it over. The cops nod to each other.LOU
Betcha he's ten blocks from here. That methhouse on Nostrand.
The two fly over to the car and hop in.JON
We'll be back, Sir.
Lou's back in the driver's seat. He floors the blue and white Chevy and they roar off.
INT. CAR 20 - SAME
Jon hits the light and siren buttons on the dash. They’re roaring down the street, WHOOP WOOPING through intersections. He gets the mic.
JON
Dispatch, ten eighty five on Nostrand between Myrtle and Park.
DISPATCH (V.O.)
Ten four, twenty. Backup should arrive in about fifteen minutes.
LOU
Fifteen. Why we even bother. We're on our own.
JON
(smiling at Lou)
Again.
EXT. CAR 20/STREET - SAME
Lou spins the car out across the pavement, and stops. Sure enough, parked at the curb-side is a beat-up little blue Geo Metro. The building nearby is a boarded up storefront.
Jon and Lou get out, weapons drawn low. Jon is scanning up and down the street. He checks out the car, empty. He nods at Lou.
Lou goes up to the papered over door of the building, knocks, RAPRAPRAP, then ducks back against a wall.
Jon moves out of the line of sight of the door on the other side but he and Lou can see each other.
There is no answer.LOU
NYPD . . . Open up!
He knocks again, hard, RAPRAPRAPRAP, ducks back. No answer. Lou nods to Jon. Jon looks up and down the street again. Looks back.
And then . . . as they're both looking at the door of the abandoned storefront, in the background a small, skinny man climbs out from under the Geo Metro, and then sneaks into it.
And starts it up.
Jon and Lou jump.
LOU (CONT’D)
Oh crap!
The car pulls away.JON
Stop!
Drawn Glocks now aimed high, Lou and Jon shoot out all the tires of the beat-up little car. The car drives a few yards on flopping rubber, stops. The guy hops out with his hands up.LOU
That's it then!
LOU (CONT’D)
There you go!
JON
Hands on you head, and lie down on the ground, Jesus! (Heysus)
But Jesus obliges, he gets down on the ground without a fuss.JESUS
Why it have to be you cowboys!
Lou and Jon move over to him, both holster their Glocks.
LOU
Is the money in the car?
JESUS
Jes.
Jon cuffs him on the ground. Lou goes into the car, fishes out a big wad of cash and a .22 revolver from the glove box. He puts them both in a big ziplock bag he gets from his uniform shirt pocket.LOU
Thank you Jesus.
(says Geesus)
They've gathered a crowd on the sidewalk across the street. A unique crowd of hipsters with little beards and girls with lots of tattoos.
LOU (CONT’D)
(looks around)
Where'd all you come from?
Jon looks around. Just the abandoned store front, and a low brick factory building next to it. And something nearby with big, chained-up garage doors. Nothing with windows for people, really.HIPSTER
Well. Uh, we live here.
Lou smiles.JON
Why, man? This is no place for people.
LOU
(to Jon)
Ehh, they're all from upstate, gettin' that arty “urban” experience.
Jesus moans from the pavement.JON
(grins back)
Well they got it!
LOU
Right, Jesus?
JESUS
I need my lawyer.
LOU
Yes you do. You very much do.
***
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