WarriorsEpisode 301 (035) - Sep 10 1997
Answering a call for a break and enter at a department store, Jim surprises
the thieves in the act. When the perfume counter comes under fire, Jim's senses
go haywire. When he zones in on the image of a revolver coming around the corner
and fires at the target, he discovers he has shot an innocent security guard.
Jim returns home distraught and tells Blair he shot an innocent man. The
security guard was wearing a bullet-proof vest and was only bruised, but Jim
still can't shake the guilt. Although Blair tries to reason with him, Jim
believes his heightened senses are to blame.
That night he dreams about shooting his animal spirit, the black jaguar, and
the next morning he notices that the shaving cream feels different - normal.
Blair insists that they will solve the sensory problem but Jim doesn't want his
heightened senses back.
Simon calls Jim and Blair away to the scene of an unusual murder, a man with
a dart protruding from his neck. He is Bud Toren, Vice President of Cyclops Oil.
Blair recognizes that the dart belongs to certain tribes from the La Montaņa
region in Peru and Jim adds quietly that it is a Chopec dart, from the tribe
that took him in.
The victim's gun has been fired but Jim refuses the opportunity to check it
for further clues in his usual way. On the scene, a Mitch Jaeger, Head of
Security for Cyclops introduces himself and admits that Bud Toren was in Peru
recently, overseeing the company's mining operations. He invites Jim to speak to
their President, Gerald Spalding.
While Blair waits outside Spalding's office, he sees an old friend from his
protesting days, Janet Myers walk by. They welcome each other warmly and she
explains that she is now Vice President in charge of Environmental Affairs for
Cyclops. Blair asks if she can candidly investigate her company's involvement in
Peru and she agrees to look into it.
Jim's discussion about Toren with Spalding reveals only that the two men and
their families were very close, but sheds no light on any circumstances that may
have lead to his murder.
Back at the office, Jim has obtained a satellite photograph of the La
Montaņa region in Peru, pointing out the Chopec territory near Pucallpa, and
Blair notices a series of roads cut through a protected region of the
rainforest. Blair watches Jim squinting at the map, now unable to see the things
that Blair can see with his own eyes, and Blair again reminds Jim that his
enhanced senses have saved the lives of so many people. Jim replies angrily that
if it costs just one life, it hasn't been worth it. Blair pointedly hands
Jim a magnifying glass which he uses to study the map and when Simon passes by
and observes this he is horrified. Jim replies off-handedly that his senses have
been "downgraded to normal" and Blair gesticulates at Simon to tread
carefully.
At that moment, Janet calls with information that she has uncovered some
discrepancies in the Cyclops financial records. There have been a lot of
equipment write-offs but she has difficulty accepting that her company could be
responsible for the destruction Jim and Blair have discovered in the
photographs. She agrees to check further.
Back at the loft, Jim admits to Blair that every Chopec dart carries the
individual markings of its owner. The markings on the dart that killed Toren
belong to Incacha, the Shaman who guided Jim in Peru. Just then they look down
and notice Incacha himself, standing in the street below.
They invite him in and Blair revels in the opportunity to practice his
limited Quechua with Incacha, with Jim translating for them. Incacha says that
he has come to Cascade to find the "Chief of the Big Eye", which
describes the Cyclops Oil logo. Cyclops have been conducting illegal mining
operations on Chopec land, destroying the rainforest and even killing tribes
people who get in the way. Incacha and his men stowed away on a freighter and
tracked down Toren, but when he pulled a gun on them Incacha shot him in self
defense. Jim resolves to keep the information from the authorities to protect
his old mentor. Incacha insists that Jim still has a responsibility to his tribe
to help the Chopec, but Jim admits that he has "no more power".
Back at Cyclops, Janet Myers has discovered evidence which backs up Jim and
Blair's findings, and begins making printouts and downloading the information to
a zip cartridge. When she rings Blair to report her findings, Jaeger is
listening in on the line. Blair promises to meet Janet in the Cyclops car park
in 15 minutes to collect the evidence, but while he and Jim are occupied,
Incacha slips away.
Without the assistance of Jim's senses, they drive aimlessly around the block
in search of Incacha until Blair gets anxious to maintain the rendezvous with
Janet, insisting that it would be much easier if Jim had his senses.
The mood in the truck is tense as they head off to meet with Janet, and Jim
asks Blair what's troubling him. Blair replies that without Jim's senses, there
is no legitimate reason for Simon to allow Blair to stay on as Jim's partner.
Jim is adamant that "the Sentinel thing is dead," and asks instead if
Blair's worried he won't finish his dissertation. Blair replies that he has
enough information for ten dissertations and could have finished months
ago. Jim asks if he's been stalling and Blair admits that he has, saying that
going back to his academic life now would be like jumping off a roller coaster
onto a merry-go-round.
When they arrive at the rendezvous they find Janet Myers dead, with an arrow
protruding from her back. Blair is distraught at having involved her and Jim
tries to calm him down. Blair returns to the loft and Jim goes to the station.
Jaeger reports to Spalding that he has had Janet killed, making it look like
the Chopec were responsible by using an arrow. Spalding is appalled at this
action but Jaeger is unmoved, throwing Spalding's violations of South American
natives back in his face. As they try to leave the building, Incacha and his men
attack, but Jaeger manages to shoot Incacha and escape. The remaining Chopec
kidnap Spalding and take him to their rooftop hideaway.
In Simon's office, Jim reveals the details of their investigations and Simon
is furious to learn that he let Incacha, a murder suspect, escape. Then Joel
arrives with some of Blair's misdirected mail and it turns out to be the hard
copies of the evidence Janet was attempting to pass on to them. The printouts
prove that Cyclops is conducting illegal mining operations in the Chopec home
territory.
Just then, Jim receives a frantic phone call from Blair to report that
Incacha has turned up at the loft, gravely wounded.
Racing home, Jim finds Blair nursing a dying Incacha. With the last of his
strength Incacha explains that they have kidnapped Spalding and taken him to
their "forest in the sky" and that he was shot by Jaeger in the
struggle. He insists that Jim must become the Sentinel again to save the tribe.
With his dying breath, Incacha passes the responsibility of being Jim's Shaman
to Blair, telling him to help Jim make contact with his animal spirit. Blair is
terrified by the weight of the responsibility and pleads that he doesn't know
how.
When the medical examiner arrives to photograph the scene and remove
Incacha's body, Jim is furious that they are desecrating the death rituals of a
Shaman. Blair manages to calm him down and drags Jim away to the rooftop.
By using a meditation tape, Blair gets Jim to focus on the place where his
"animal spirit" lives and Jim faces his own personal demons. The
animal spirit appears to him and transforms into an image of himself from his
time in the jungle. Jim must confront himself and acknowledge the fear that is
causing him to shun his Sentinel abilities. When he admits it is
'responsibility' that he fears, the spirit reminds him that even without his
heightened senses he cannot escape his responsibilities. His choice is to face
them alone or with the gift of his senses.
Jim's senses return and he locates the "forest in the sky". Jim and
Blair race off in search of Incacha's men, to rescue Spalding and prevent
Jaeger's path of destruction. Credits:
Semi regular Cast:
Guest Roles:
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