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Written by Michael Green Air Date - March 22, 2009 on  | ||
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Prosperity is the title of third episode of season 1. It first aired Sunday March 22nd, 2009 at 8pm on NBC.
Synopsis []
(*from the official NBC write up)
David dreams of King Silas standing on a ledge overlooking Shiloh. A storm rages. He looks to the sky and yells, "Don't go." A flock of pigeons engulfs him. Next, his dead brother Eli is in his room and imparts the same words, "Don't go."
The morning of the historical Gilboa/Gath peace signing, Silas stands on the balcony with a newspaper headlining, "Peace at Last." A flock of pigeons flies around the palace. Queen Rose stresses perfection to her staff. Thomasina gets Silas, who sees that one of the pigeons has left a "gift" on his coffee saucer. She puts guards Boyden and Klotz on pigeon patrol to keep the birds at bay.
Queen Rose picks Silas' tie, wanting the right one for the day he's photographed making history. "Without any Reverend," Silas adds, noting Samuels' withdrawal of his support for his King. Silas tells General Abner he was right about David and orders him to kill him as soon as the treaty is signed. Gath Premiere Damien Shaw arrives with his top generals and tensions are high. Shaw and Silas agree not to shake hands until there is something to shake over.
In his apartment, David watches events on TV when his mother Jesse arrives. He asks her to watch with him, but she's not as enthusiastic as he is. She just wants to go to the Veteran's Benefits office to get Eli's check, then go home. David convinces her to stay and watch with him, noting it's what Eli died for. Jesse doesn't respond, but it's clear she doesn't share his sentiments.
With everyone poised at the table for the historic peace accord, Malek tells Shaw not to sign until they read the treaty again to make sure it's the one they agreed to. Chancellor Hanson assures him that it's the same one. Shaw has a different request; he wants David to be present for the signing since he's the reason they're all there. Rose bristles at the thought of her husband's spotlight being shared. At home, David worries that they're not signing. Jesse says Eli died for this opportunity so men like them can squander it.
David gets a text that he's wanted at the peace talks. Jesse says the words from his dreams, "Don't go," which give him pause, but he goes anyway. At the palace, Boyden and Klotz try to make the birds leave the eave on the balcony as Thomasina and Hanson prepare David for the breakfast with Shaw. They quickly school him in etiquette and warn him not to screw up since Gath's people are volatile and offend easily. In short, be seen, not heard. He tells Michelle that he's worried about his mom. She promises to see that she's helped quickly through the red tape.
Silas walks David in to meet Shaw, who expected the hero of Gilboa to be a giant. Even though David fights for his enemy, Shaw praises him for making a stance for peace on the battlefield. A man not easily moved, he was moved by that. Just outside, Jack is humiliated when a guard tells him there isn't a seat for him at the table and refuses him entry. The press captures the entire thing and asks why the crown prince isn't invited. Jack covers by saying he was offering his regrets at not being able to attend.
At the Veteran's Affairs office, Michelle introduces herself to Jesse and offers help. Jesse asks her to convince David to come home. Michelle says she understands why she feels David doesn't belong in Shiloh. On the contrary, Jesse is scared that he does belong. As a mother of seven sons, she knows David has a destiny. And only two things happen to those with destinies; "They die old and unhappy, or young and unfinished." She doesn't want that for David.
At the breakfast, Silas tells Abner that it's obvious Malek doesn't want to be here. When Shaw asks David if his country is ready for peace, David says he was instructed not to speak since he might say something stupid. Since the treaty is so important, he's going to respect that, in hopes that Eli's death will have meaning. He makes Shaw laugh when he says he's going to stay quiet and try to use the right glass. Abner sees that David is being useful and asks Silas if he wants to stay the execution order. He doesn't.
A spurned Jack takes his platoon on a high-end shopping spree. At the breakfast, Malek asks David where he's from. David says on a farm near Port of Prosperity. Malek says they call it the Port of Sorrow. David says his father died defending that land so he tries to call it what he did. He excuses himself, finds Michelle in the hallway and thanks her for going personally to help his mother. Rose sees them and separates them. She tells Michelle she can stop feigning interest in David since he's not the media darling anymore. Michelle says she isn't pretending. Rose says to stay away from him.
In front of the press, Silas and Shaw stand before the treaties. Last minute, Malek shows Shaw an inconsistency in the treaty. Hanson says it's the same treaty. Malek says Shiloh was built on lies like this. Hanson pleads with them to stay but Malek refuses. As they exit, David intercepts Shaw and pleads with him for peace. Malek pulls him off, telling David to cry for his brother again. "See what answer you get this time." He then dares David to lay a hand on him. Malek loudly proclaims he's being insulted and that there will be no treaty. Silas says, "Congratulations Shepherd. We're going back to war."
An aide tells William that Rose is upset with him and Jack for not attending the breakfast and that Silas is taking events hard. William tells them to announce the treasury being emptied and see if they can't make Silas' bad day worse. As murmurs permeate that David was the cause of the break down, Samuels tells David that while it wasn't his finest hour, he'll be okay. He tells David to pay attention to the dreams he's having. And, to read the signs to find out what they're trying to tell him. "Don't go," David says, and decides to go home.
Silas gets news that Gath has agreed to hold for three hours so he can weigh a new demand. They want more territory in the north. Silas refuses, saying Gath never intended to sign and it wasn't Shepherd's fault. Insult to injury, Silas learns that William emptied the treasury. He accuses his brother-in-law of treason. William says the country is at its best when its King listens to him. Silas says he doesn't die in a corner; after all, he became King. When William credits himself for that, Silas tells him to wait and see.
At the boutique, the sales clerk tells Jack that his credit card has been declined. He announces it loudly to nearby press. Meanwhile, David meets his mother at the Veteran's Affairs office as news breaks about the empty coffers. When David blames himself, Jesse says that's what they want him to believe, "The same people who make her wait all day to get a death benefit because her son died," she yells loudly. David wants Eli's death to have meaning. Jesse says Eli's death didn't bring any benefit to the country, just pain to them. They agree to go home.
Silas visits Vesper Abadon, the former King of Carmel whom the nation thinks Silas had executed. Abadon, nicknamed the bloody King of Carmel, has been imprisoned for 30 years in a windowless cell. Hated by his people, they celebrated his death. Silas wants his hidden gold. Abadon hasn't told him for 30 years, why should he today? Silas pulls out his trump card, tears a picture in half and shows it to him. Abadon sees it and crumbles, "She's alive?" Silas says she's not alone in the picture. Abadon pleads with him to see, but Silas wants to know where the gold is first.
As news breaks that the treasury error has been corrected, a dejected William wonders how Silas got the gold. Rose asks her brother if all the drama was really necessary and asks him to stop the games with Silas. She acknowledges Silas is a brat but to stop retaliating. William asks why he would do that. Rose says that when they had his son Andrew banished from the court, they had good reason. But, he could find himself invited back. She tells William his life has been too empty for a long time.
David and his mother get into a cab to go home as Michelle defends David to her dad. Silas asks her how David would react if he knew the truth about her. Michelle says David might surprise him. Silas reminds her of a vow she took, saying he doesn't take joy in reminding her, but that she asked him to bear witness in case it ever appeared that she forgot. So, he's doing that now. He didn't want the job, but he's doing it because she asked. Michelle can only sit silent, concern etched on her face.
On the in-cab television, David and Jesse watch the news about the peace talk breakdown. David sees a young boy in the crowd holding a sign that reads, "Don't go." David tells the driver to stop, then commandeers the cab. He intercepts the Gath convoy by crashing into the lead car. Gath soldiers exit, guns drawn. David pleads with them not to go. Malek grabs David, saying there will be no peace and everyone he loves will die. David socks him in the jaw. Malek draws his gun but Gilboa soldiers order him to stand down. The two sides stand off.
Silas enters the fray and orders the guns down. He takes Shaw aside and they talk man-to-man. Silas tells Shaw he knows he wants peace but that his generals are holding him back. Shaw says David shamed them by taking out one their tanks. Silas asks what he needs to bring to his people for peace. Shaw wants what Shiloh has. A real city with industry, games, commerce. Silas does him one better and offers Port Prosperity, the world center of trade. A city he took from Gath. That way, they can build their own city. Shaw agrees.
After Silas announces the hand-over of Port Prosperity, David sees Michelle and smiles. She acknowledges him but doesn't return his gesture, just looks at him sadly. David gets the message. Later, David tells Silas that he couldn't let Gath leave because he's seen Silas in action and knew he could fix it. He tells Silas he's in awe of him and he was chosen to be king for a reason, and that he was sent here to help him. Silas is pleased. However, he still addresses the matter of Michelle. David says she doesn't seem interested, so Silas says there's no matter at all then.
David hugs his mother goodbye as Silas tells Abner they have nothing to fear from David. He calls off the hit, saying, "Some people make me a stronger king," Abner tries to abort but the sniper, who has his gun on David, is on radio silence. Meanwhile, the royal guards spook the pigeons with a bang and they fly off with a purpose. They dive bomb David, who ducks from them just as the sniper fires and misses. David sees a single felled bird on the ground. As the sniper prepares to fire again, a soldier reaches him and delivers the abort order. The pigeons fly and land where the sniper had stood.