Plot Synopsis:
When Gary tries in vain to stop a bicycle thief, he is rescued by a derby-wearing, horse-riding gentleman who introduces himself as Bat Masterson - and yes, that would be Bat Masterson from the O.K. Corral. Chuck concludes the man is nuttier than a Snickers bar, but Gary senses there's more going on and decides to take "Bat" home himself. At the local mental hospital, Gary meets "Bat's" attending psychologist, Dr. Feinstein, who, when questioned about "Bat's" history, demands that Gary mind his own business.
The story does not end here, however, for the following morning, Gary walks into the lobby of the Blackstone and finds "Bat" waiting for him. "Bat" informs Gary that Ike Clanton, his old arch-nemesis, has returned and expresses his desire that Gary join the pursuit. Gary begs off, concerned that getting involved with "Bat" will anger Dr. Feinstein, and "Bat" seems to accept Gary's refusal. However, when Gary heads to a pool hall to break up a potential knife fight, "Bat" appears and helps Gary end the scuffle. Later, Chuck can hardly believe it when Gary tells him he and "Bat" are "riding together"; Gary simply doesn't have the heart to tell "Bat" to skedaddle.
Also incredulous is Dr. Feinstein. When Gary once again returns "Bat" to the mental hospital, Dr. Feinstein admonishes Gary for encouraging him, a charge Gary denies. Gary tells Dr. Feinstein that "Bat" seems to trust him and threatens to keep digging if the doctor won't tell him the full story. Dr. Feinstein relents, informing Gary that "Bat's" real name is Mike Killabrew and that he was a well-respected cop until his partner and he walked into a fatal ambush ten years ago. The Bat Masterson identity, Dr. Feinstein relates, appeared a short time after that incident, and since then, Killabrew has lived a sheltered life in her hospital -- until, that is, he launched into his Ike Clanton fantasy two weeks ago. After sharing this back story, Dr. Feinstein then urges Gary to leave Killabrew's treatment to her.
The paper, though, has other plans. When a dejected Gary returns home, he finds a story in the paper reporting on a "berserk cowboy" who will tie up rush hour traffic on the El. Gary goes after Killabrew and finds the old cop very agitated, as he has just spotted his nemesis boarding a train. Gary throws caution to the wind at this point and agrees to join forces with Killabrew -- and is stunned to hear Killabrew mention his true name. Certain now that Killabrew is about to make a breakthrough, Gary takes him back to the Blackstone, where Killabrew spends the night sleeping on the roof.
Early the next morning, a livid Dr. Feinstein arrives and demands to know where Gary is keeping her patient. When Dr. Feinstein goes to look for Killabrew on the roof, she discovers that Killabrew has already left. Gary remembers that Killabrew wanted to speak to Crumb about Clanton, and he and Dr. Feinstein follow Killabrew to the station. There, Killabrew insists to Crumb that an ambush that took place two weeks ago is linked to the ambush that killed his partner a decade ago and declares that the perpetrator of the previous ambush, Rico Salazar, is back in the country. Crumb is deeply skeptical, but before Killabrew can work on changing his old colleague's mind, two cops walk in and ask Crumb cruelly if Killabrew is the man who let his partner die. Wounded, Killabrew leaves.
Back at the mental hospital, Dr. Feinstein decides to revoke Killabrew's out-of-house privileges. Gary tells Dr. Feinstein that holding Killabrew back won't work, and sure enough, Killabrew attacks a hospital attendant and makes off with that attendant's gun. Gary spends the entire night searching for Killabrew at all the hospitals and homeless shelters in the area with no luck. Fortunately, the paper gives him a helping hand: the following morning, it reports that Killabrew will die in a shootout at a local warehouse. Dr. Feinstein, Gary, and Crumb proceed to the warehouse in question, and Gary is sent in to retrieve Killabrew. Inside, Gary stops Killabrew from murdering Salazar, telling Killabrew that the ambush ten years ago was not his fault. After Salazar's capture, Killabrew abandons the Bat Masterson persona and starts picking up the pieces of his own life.
Overall: 9.8
Often, the episode immediately following a two-part blockbuster is something of a let-down. This is not so here; in fact, with the unique and deeply humane Bat Masterson, Early Edition manages to set the bar even higher.
Cut for length.
SABR Matt's Ratings:
Writing: 9.5
I love it when I put on a shirt of mine and unexpectedly find a 20 dollar bill in the pocket that I thought had already been spent. Or when I forecast 1-3 inches of snow with Alberta Clipper system and we actually get 6. This episode is like that. It seems like a run of the mill "Gary saves the crazy guy" plot - admittedly featuring a crazy guy who is genuinely likable right from the start and brings a lot of laughs in the early acts. Then it catches you off guard and succeeds in bringing me, at least, to the verge of tears as there emerges a profoundly sad story of loss and heartache featuring a good cop who ran into a dangerous criminal and lost and the need to seek a fantasy persona who never loses. I think what this script lacks in mastery of language, it more than makes up for in characterization and romantic appeal.
Acting: 10.0
My co-author will spend some time below discussing Philop Bosco (Bat/Killabrew) and the magnificent job he did moving between affectation and reality. In fact, I think the brilliance of his performance comes largely from his ability to be one character (as opposed to two distinct personalities). Someone with split personalities or buried in a delusion will generally still carry elements of their real mind with them. Here, we see Bat - full of confidence and gusto - as an ideal version of the real Officer Killabrew. When the real man emerges, he is still charming, still a bit old fashioned, and still genuinely likable in many of the same ways. The differences are there, but we can see why Bat Masterson was his choice when he descended into madness. Not to be outdone, Kyle Chandler puts in a wonderfully understated (as per usual) performance.
Message: 10.0
I think, perhaps, the reason Bat Masterson had such a strong emotional impact on me the second time I viewed it, and not the first, was because between that first viewing and the second, I've met a lot of damaged people and tried to figure out how to help them. I've seen the overwhelming good and intrinsic value in some folks who have done rather distasteful things because they have lost faith in the value of their own lives, and I've done whatever I could to be a persistently positive voice in their ear telling them that there is someone out there who believes they are good people and just as worthy of deep love as anyone else. Of course, Gary does this more than once (:)) in the course of the show, but I have to believe that if I've helped lead even one troubled soul in the right direction, then my life mattered, and the way Gary helps Killabrew just reminds me of the ways I've tried to help others in my own life. I wish they all worked out so happily - but there's nothing wrong with a little wish fulfillment in my TV viewing.
Stephanie S.'s Ratings:
Writing: 9.5
When this episode begins, it appears to be a comedy featuring one of those harmless crazies Gary runs into from time to time. A few acts in, however, the story takes a hard emotional left turn, evolving into one of Early Edition's most surprising - and poignant - character-based dramas. Dusty Kay's gentle script paints a vivid picture of a man in crisis and forces us to fall in love with him. Mike Killabrew's Bat Masterson persona is a charming and cleverly written throwback; his gentlemanly courtesies in particular really make the viewer smile. Yet at the same time, we feel Killabrew's tragedy, and, like Gary, we root for him to find his way back to sanity. In short, this episode, by combining whimsy and tenderness, epitomizes Early Edition's driving spirit and thus deserves to be counted among the show's classics.
Acting: 9.5
This is a story that really depends upon the skill of the principal guest star. Fortunately, the folks in casting were able to find an excellent character actor in Philip Bosco, who portrays the transitions between delusion and reality with consummate skill. In the meantime, Joan McMurtrey puts in a very nice performance as Dr. Feinstein -- and, of course, Kyle Chandler is perfect as Killabrew's straight man and concerned friend.
Message: 10.0
In the opening monologue, Chuck observes that these days, folks often live by the maxim "ignore thy neighbor". Truer words have never been spoken. Much ink has been spilled on the subject of modern man's ever expanding ring of personal space. We drive to work alone, we watch television alone, and we surf the web alone. With this increasing societal atomization, is it any wonder that people like Mike Killabrew fall through the cracks?
This episode stands as a wake-up call to those of us who drift through life without really seeing others. There are countless people out there who have lost their way - people who are waiting for someone - anyone - to take notice and decide that, yes, something must be done to help. There are countless people out their who are struggling with terrible personal tragedies - people who would benefit from the loving attention of one - just one - fellow human being. And there are countless people out there who need to be told that their lives have value because they have stopped believing it themselves. If we can just bring ourselves to open up and trust, we can do a lot of good.
The Benevolent Hand:
Surely God had a hand in bringing Gary and Mike Killabrew together, as it is a tremendous stroke of good luck that Killabrew should be at just the right place at just the right time to witness Gary's struggle with the bicycle thief. God's fingerprints are also all over Killabrew's instant affinity for Gary - particularly Killabrew's eerily accurate observation that Gary is well acquainted with the improbable. And just so their first encounter will not be their last, stories appear in the paper that bring Gary into Killabrew's life more than once; Dr. Feinstein may tell Gary to drop it, but God, through the paper, is working on another plan - one involving the redemption of a good man.
Highlights:
CHUCK: When are you going to learn? Sometimes it's better to just leave things alone the way they are. Gar, it's time to face facts: you have a severe problem.
GARY: And what is that?
CHUCK: You care too much. It's clouding your judgment -- not to mention it's driving me nuts.
GARY: This wouldn't have anything to do with money would it?
CHUCK: Gar, you've got to face reality, okay? You can't fix everything. Paper or not, things go wrong every day, and somehow the world survives.
GARY: Well, that's easy for you to say.
CHUCK: Because I'm sane. I have this theory about you: that you have a gene missing -- the one that makes you see how things really are. (Thank goodness Gary is missing that gene. That's all I have to say.)
BAT/KILLABREW: To valor!
CHUCK: Whatever you say.
BAT/KILLABREW: Wyatt Earp said that courage was 90% conviction and 10% plain foolishness. Well, then, Wyatt said many things in his time, as you probably know.
CHUCK: So you've read a lot about Wyatt.
BAT/KILLABREW: Read about him? I knew him! I was privileged to enjoy his friendship.
CHUCK: And that was what, like 100 years ago or so?
BAT/KILLABREW: More or less.
CHUCK: Gar -- get the net.
GARY: And when they ask you about the derby and the stick, what is it that you tell them?
BAT/KILLABREW: The truth. Life is full of improbables. Who's to say what is or isn't? You know, somehow, I sense that you in particular would understand that. Am I correct?
CHUCK: Are you nuts? Look, I don't want to pop your balloon or anything, but this whole thing is just a bit bizarre --
BAT/KILLABREW: (training his gaze on Gary) Am I correct? (Indeed you are. As I said, this is eerie.)
CHUCK: Okay, Gar, let's get out of here.
GARY: Where are you going?
CHUCK: As far away from this cuckoo as possible.
GARY: Wait a minute --
CHUCK: The guy's out of his mind. His elevator doesn't go all the way up to the top.
GARY: There's something special about this guy --
CHUCK: Don't start, all right? He's not your problem.
GARY: I'm going with him.
CHUCK: Where?
GARY: He's going to go home. I'll go with him. I'll make sure he gets there okay.
CHUCK: Okay, fine, you do that, but, uh, please just take my advice, huh? Get out of Dodge.
FEINSTEIN: What was it this time?
GARY: I beg your pardon?
FEINSTEIN: A stolen car? A barroom brawl?
GARY: He borrowed a horse, actually. Everything turned out all right, really. Who is he? I mean, other than --
FEINSTEIN: Who he is is none of your business. The question is who are you?
GARY: Look, I'm not a bad guy.
FEINSTEIN: You're just a concerned citizen, is that it?
GARY: You might say that.
FEINSTEIN: If that's the case, you can fulfill your civic duty by leaving. Sideshow's over.
GARY: You don't have much faith in human nature, do you?
FEINSTEIN: I'm a doctor, Mr. Hobson. I leave faith to the clergy.
MARISSA: So she threw you out. Do you blame her?
GARY: That's right. Take her side.
MARISSA: Well, she is a doctor. Maybe she knows what she's doing.
GARY: Maybe so. Maybe not.
MARISSA: Why this sudden curiosity about someone you've never met before?
GARY: I don't know. It just doesn't add up. I mean, I know the guy's crazy, yet somehow he's -- he's not.
MARISSA: Well, that clears things up.
GARY: What do you suppose happens to someone to make him want to be someone else?
BAT/KILLABREW: Give me a holler if you get into trouble.
GARY: (to himself) I think I already have. (Gary's sensing that he may be in over his head.)
CHUCK: The Clanton gang?
GARY: That's what he says. Mostly Ike, the bad one.
CHUCK: You're catching it, aren't you?
GARY: Catching what?
CHUCK: Whatever he's got. Look, Gar, one more piece of advice, huh? Take him home, drop him off, and then get out.
GARY: I can't do that.
CHUCK: Why not?
GARY: Because we're kind of -- we're-we're -- riding together.
CHUCK: Oh, my God.
GARY: Look he saved my life. What am I supposed to tell him?
FEINSTEIN: You're encouraging him, aren't you?
GARY: No!
FEINSTEIN: Let me explain something I hoped you already knew: he's not really Bat Masterson! You're not his sidekick, and Ike Clanton's been dead for a century.
GARY: Yeah, I know that.
FEINSTEIN: Good.
(A beat.)
GARY: Why does he think he's alive?
FEINSTEIN: You don't give up, do you?
GARY: I don't know why, but he trusts me. Now you tell me, maybe I can help.
FEINSTEIN: And if I don't?
GARY: He's here voluntarily. You don't tell me, I'll find out for myself.
FEINSTEIN: His real name is Mike Killabrew, and he was a cop. He was one of Chicago's best, decorated a dozen times. He had all the instincts of a man born for the job. Then one day, he made a mistake. He walked into an ambush he should have seen coming. Worse -- he brought his partner.
(Here's where the episode takes its turn.)
FEINSTEIN: He recovered in time, but his partner was killed. He blamed himself. He tried to come back to the force, but his mind couldn't handle the grief. He had no family, so the department sent him here. Bat Masterson made his first appearance a short while after that.
GARY: Why Bat Masterson?
FEINSTEIN: Sometimes a person who has lost self-esteem embraces the identity of someone he most admires. Bat Masterson was a boyhood idol of his, so that's who he chose. That's who he's been for the past 10 years, safe, secure -- up until two weeks ago.
GARY: What happened two weeks ago?
FEINSTEIN: I don't know. He won't tell me. All I know is he's launched into this Ike Clanton fantasy. That's why he goes out every day -- to look for him.
GARY: If you don't mind, I'd like to say goodbye.
FEINSTEIN: I think it's better I do that after you're gone.
GARY: What will you say?
FEINSTEIN: I'll tell him you ride alone.
(When Gary gets home, Cat is waiting for him on the bed.)
CAT: Meow!
GARY: What are you looking at? I just walked away from a man drowning. (Awww.)
BAT/KILLABREW: I lost him! He slipped from my grasp!
GARY: Look, not -- not yours. Ours.
BAT/KILLABREW: Ours? But Miss Lillie said that you prefer to ride alone.
GARY: Well, Miss Lillie was wrong.
BAT/KILLABREW: Oh, oh, all right then. We'll make a plan. We'll follow him to hell, am I right?
GARY: Yeah. (Gary's in it now.)
BAT/KILLABREW: And Killabrew be damned!
GARY: Whoa, wait a second. Do you mean Mike Killabrew?
BAT/KILLABREW: You know the name?
GARY: Well, yeah.
BAT/KILLABREW: Then you know what he did.
GARY: Well, I don't –-
BAT/KILLABREW: Officer Killabrew was weak. There's no room for a man like that in our profession. Where he failed, we will succeed!
CHUCK: Psst. Gar? She's going to come looking for him
GARY: Look, I am not taking him back there, not after what happened out there today. You should have seen him talking about Mike Killabrew.
CHUCK: You mean, talking about himself.
GARY: No, not -- well, yeah, in his head.
CHUCK: We're not talking about stray puppies here. We're talking about a grown schizophrenic. Believe me, you're going in way over your head.
BAT/KILLABREW: You know, here's something that never got out: when Pat Garrett caught up with Billy, Jesse James sent Pat a solid gold fly swatter in gratitude. How poetic!
CHUCK: I rest my case.
GARY: I am not going to send him back to that place to rot. (Good for you, Gary!)
GARY: Hey, Bat, you asleep?
BAT/KILLABREW: One eye open all the time.
GARY: Hey, listen, about Clanton –
BAT/KILLABREW: You want to know how I found him. High time you got curious. So now you believe me?
GARY: Well, I, uh -
BAT/KILLABREW: Simple police work.
GARY: How's that?
BAT/KILLABREW: As soon as I realized that he had returned, it was just a matter of tracking the prey, as it were.
GARY: Returned from where?
BAT/KILLABREW: Every felon carries with him a signature. Two weeks ago, Clanton left his.
BAT/KILLABREW: Sir, it's my understanding that a detective in your department was ambushed in his home recently. That's a terrible thing. Allow me to extend my sympathies.
CRUMB: You read about that?
BAT/KILLABREW: I believe I know who's responsible.
CRUMB: What?
BAT/KILLABREW: A devil -- a devil that I've pursued for many years from one territory to the next -- none other than Ike Clanton.
CRUMB: The singer? Ike and Tina?
GARY: He means the O.K. Corral.
BAT/KILLABREW: I'm sure the detective knows well of the man, despite his jests.
CRUMB: Oh, yeah. I know him quite well. As a matter of fact, you might be right. I'll run a check.
BAT/KILLABREW: (annoyed) Sir, with all due respect, I don't take kindly to the bum's rush. At least let me finish.
CRUMB: All right, go ahead.
BAT/KILLABREW: Thank you. Now some years back, another detective in your department was gunned down by Clanton. In those days he went by another name -- Rico Salazar.
CRUMB: Salazar?
BAT/KILLABREW: I see you remember.
CRUMB: Yeah, I remember. Who told you this?
BAT/KILLABREW: Mike Killabrew.
FEINSTEIN: You talked to him?
BAT/KILLABREW: He contacted me indirectly. Now, Killabrew believes that there's a link between this murder and the murder of his partner.
FEINSTEIN: Why didn't you tell me?
BAT/KILLABREW: I assumed you'd greet the news with undue skepticism given Killabrew's medical status. He's not altogether there, you know. Nevertheless, the fact remains that Salazar is on the loose.
CRUMB: Mike, come on. This was years ago.
BAT/KILLABREW: Bat -- it's Bat.
CRUMB: He's gone. He left the country years ago! Can anybody help him understand?
BAT/KILLABREW: He's not gone! He's here, Zeke! You look and you'll find him. I'll bet my badge on it!
GARY: Maybe it was a good thing for him to go down there.
FEINSTEIN: Did you even see what happened?
GARY: You said it yourself -- he depends on you. Maybe he needs to depend on himself for a change.
FEINSTEIN: What do you know? You haven't been taking care of him for the past ten years. You didn't see him when he first arrived.
GARY: That's true. I just see him now.
GARY: Feinstein, don't do this. It won't work.
FEINSTEIN: I am simply protecting my patient.
GARY: You're not protecting him. What you're doing is holding him back.
FEINSTEIN: From a fantasy. Ike Clanton, Rico Salazar -- it's pure pulp fiction nonsense.
GARY: What if it's not fiction? What if he's right?
FEINSTEIN: What if he's wrong? It is just not worth the risk to find out. Good night, Mr. Hobson.
GARY: (digging in his heels) Oh, no, I'm not leaving.
FEINSTEIN, to GARY: Funny. I'm the doctor. I fix people. That's my job. I didn't see it. I didn't see what you did. He didn't need protecting. He needed an ally.
GARY: Crumb!
CRUMB: What is this?
GARY: He found Salazar.
CRUMB: I told you Salazar –
GARY: You were wrong. Salazar's back. He's dealing drugs from a warehouse. He's the one who ambushed your man.
CRUMB: You got proof aside from what Killabrew says?
GARY: You know Mike Killabrew -- not now, then. He's one of the best. That ought to be enough.
CRUMB: But after what happened –
GARY: He's not doing this for himself. He's doing it for a partner who died ten years ago. He's trying to find his way back. Help him, Crumb!
GARY: Mike, don't do this. It's not worth it.
BAT/KILLABREW: I'm sorry, but accounts must be squared.
GARY: Then listen, what about Mike Killabrew? He's going to take the blame for this.
BAT/KILLABREW: Perhaps he deserves it. He killed his partner.
GARY: That's not true. It wasn't his fault. No one could have seen it coming.
BAT/KILLABREW: (breaking down) Is that so? I was a cop for twenty years. I knew how it worked, but I got cocky, arrogant. I should have seen it coming. Because of me, my best friend Dave Morelli left a widow and three small kids. I couldn't even kill myself! Believe that? I lost my nerve!
GARY: Listen to me. Mike Killabrew can have his life back - the one that was stolen - but you pull that trigger, and Salazar's not going to be the thief. It's going to be you, and that would be a shame. That would be a shame because I think a good man's suffered long enough.
(A tense moment passes.)
GARY: (softly) Mike, let it go. The bill's been paid.
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