| Chapter One | ||
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Written by Bradford Winters Air Date - July 4, 2009 on  | ||
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Chapter One is the tenth episode of Kings Season 1. It first aired Saturday July 4th, 2009 at 8pm (eastern) on NBC.
Synopsis[]
(*From the official NBC write up)
Thieves break into Unity Hall and steal the Charter of Gilboa, comparable to the original U.S. Declaration of Independence. It could also be an allusion to the Ark of the Covenant, which was stolen by thieves during Saul's reign. The biblical David, however, was never able to recover the Ark. Meanwhile, David and Michelle walk publicly as a couple, much to the glee of the paparazzi. David, who lied to King Silas about harboring a secret -- his relationship with Michelle -- says the King won't even look at him in the boardroom. Michelle's certain her father will get over it. David is called to court where Gilboa brass mulls over what to do in response to the theft. The council believes the southern tribes, who are hostile to the crown, are responsible, and that they've taken the charter to Ekron to sell it on the black market.
David quietly apologizes to Silas for lying to him and says he'll do anything to earn his forgiveness. Silas says to prove he's better than the lie, and sends him on a journey south to get the charter back. He instructs David to tell no one where he's going, and he'll be supported by his wits, a gun, some money and a phone, the last three of which Silas provides. If he succeeds, he earns Silas's forgiveness. But come back empty handed, Silas warns, and that's all we'll see. Empty hands.
David travels to the Southern Territories, disguised as a down-and-out day laborer. Back at the palace, Thomasina mentions that they haven't heard from David in two weeks. Angered by David's betrayal, Silas isn't concerned about him. As for the charter, he plans to write a new one, saying it's time for him to be the hero of Gilboa again. He passes by Jesse, David's mother, but doesn't see her.
During her wedding gown fitting for her pending nuptials to Jack, Katrina Ghent relishes in rubbing it in Queen Rose's face. Rose warns Jack he'll be a laughingstock, then accuses Katrina of blackmailing Jack into the marriage. Katrina says Jack freely accepted her proposal when he realized how much it would hurt Rose, who retorts that the marriage will never happen. Katrina's confident it will, as it will allow Jack the freedom to publicly be king and privately a homosexual. And once she has an heir, Rose will be the "Royal Granny" and she'll be queen. Calling her mother, she tells Rose she's going ring shopping in Osteria.
David visits a seedy bar in Ekron and pays the bartender to tell him if he's heard anything. However, he only gets a warning from the man that everyone knows he's here on Silas's errand looking for the charter. He tells him to go home before he gets hurt. A woman overhears and tells David he's asking the wrong people. She leads him to a warehouse where thugs, pretending to have the charter, beat David up and rob him of his gun and cash. Then, they mock him for being, "Some hero."
Silas is pleased with the progress that his ministers and the people of Shiloh are making, fueled by the purpose of a new start. Mentioning tonight's engagement ceremony for Jack, Thomasina reminds him he that hasn't asked her to get a gift for Jack and Katrina yet. Silas says he has more than a gift in mind. He spots Jesse in the lobby and asks who she is, saying she's there every day like a bitter almond in the cake. Thomasina informs him that she's David's mother and asks if he wants her removed. Silas doesn't, as it's a public space.
David wakes in the office of the bartender, who had followed him to the docks because he wasn't going to let David die for being an idiot. He says word on the street is that someone named Ashkelon has the charter. Appalled at David's loyalty to Silas, he says he fought with David's father in the war. When they refused Silas's order to torch towns sympathetic to Gath, he sent them defenseless and alone into heavy combat. Indicating his wooden leg, the bartender says David's father was tying off his leg when he was killed. And, that Silas sent David on this mission to be killed. David doesn't believe Silas would do either.
To get the bartender out of the room, David asks for a drink, then sneaks onto his computer to look up Ashkelon. He prints out several addresses, then steals the bartender's motorcycle. Meanwhile, Jack enters his engagement party not with Katrina Ghent, but Lucinda Wolfson. Both knowing the subtext, Silas quips to Rose about the change in fiancées and Rose jokes that Katrina should have known the mountainous roads in Osteria were dangerous. Silas takes Jack aside to say he appreciates his sacrifice, as he didn't have to get a new fiancée. He stuns Jack by saying he'll announce him as heir to the throne on his wedding day.
After the party, Silas broods to Michelle about the woman standing in the lobby, but doesn't reveal that it was David's mother. Michelle tells him not to let anything bring him down, as he's been a new man lately. She credits that to having David as his advisor, which has made him young again. Adding that upon his return, Silas will accomplish even more. Michelle thanks her dad for sending David to diplomatic training, not knowing he's really sent him on a suicide mission.
Jack tells William about Silas' promise to announce him as the next king on his wedding day. When Jack wants to call off the coup and stop unnecessary bloodshed, William tells Jack that Silas has no intention of announcing anything, even after Jack promises William it doesn't change anything between them. When Jack protests, William slaps him and says that Jack gave him his word, and that Silas will fall soon, when he says so. And, with as much bloodshed as is required.
David follows the map to every Ashkelon, crossing off those that are dead ends. He comes to an abandoned gas station named Ashkelon where ironically, he runs out of gas. Desperate, he almost calls Silas to tell him he failed, but then sees the sign "Ashkelon" and dials it letter by letter. A shipping company answers, confirming they have a shipment from Shiloh that came through Ekron. At that, David knows he's hot on the trail of the charter. A van with two draft dodgers from Gath pulls up and they give David a ride to the rail yards.
Lucinda walks in on Jack and Stu, the security guard, openly flirting with each other. She stops, stunned, but Jack dismisses it as nothing. She shows him the wedding invitations, which he takes a disinterested glance at and approves.
The woman slips David a pill that takes him on a head trip where he wanders through a bar and hears the piano concerto that his father taught him. On the television, he sees his father instructing himself as a child, telling him to follow the time, "One and two, one and two." Suddenly, David is sitting beside his father, who tells him to keep playing or he'll have to go. When David tells his father he failed, he reminds his son that if he's ever lost, follow the time and he'll find his way. Next, he's at the palace, where a suited version of himself says the same thing.
David wakes in the train yard and sees the leader of the gang that beat him to a pulp in the docks. He bum rushes the guy and returns the favor, but can't get out of him which train car the charter is in. He tells David that the train is leaving in minutes, and he'll never find it. Meanwhile, Rose takes Lucinda through protocol training, bluntly asking her if she's fertile. Rose reminds her that she's not marrying Jack, but the country. Jack later levels with Lucinda that she can't "have" him to herself. Lucinda, who loves Jack, says she's content to settle for the crumbs.
Silas's New Chapter initiatives are hitting snags. The wind turbines are down, due to being built in an area where unsuspected cross winds make them ineffective. Samuels suggests this may not be the change that the country needs, but Silas says to push on. Silas spots Jesse and approaches her. She tells Silas that she's waiting for David, and accuses him of purposefully putting him in danger. When Silas says it's for a good cause, Jesse scoffs, saying she sees through his intentions. And, that both of them have to accept that David is on a set course that Silas himself set in motion.
David runs through the train yard, which has hundreds of train cars packed with cargo. All looks hopeless until David sees the numbers on a car and remembers what his father told him in the vision, to follow the time. He comes across a car marked "12 12," the same as the time counted in the piano piece, and boards it. He breaks open boxes and finally finds the one that holds the stolen charter.
Just as Silas learns that his renewal initiative is failing in every direction, David enters, dirty, tired and beaten, with the charter in hand. The court erupts in applause, Silas begrudgingly. The hero has returned, and is once again a hero. He presents it to Silas, who claps begrudgingly, then announces that he sent David to return their pride. They adjourn court, with only David, Silas and Perry remaining. David asks Silas if he intended for him to survive the mission. Silas says it was to test his mettle, and he earned the right of his forgiveness and to be seen with his daughter.
Later, Perry records history, and witnessing David's bravery and struggle, instead of writing in a book he initially called "The Book of Silas," he now writes in a book re-titled "The Book of David." Later that night, Silas tells Thomasina, "Do it." David and Michelle enjoy a private moment in his apartment, when soldiers suddenly burst in and arrest David for treason, as ordered by the crown.