Post by owlcroft on Apr 1, 2015 19:52:22 GMT -5
It's time for another apparently regular get-together that we've never heard of before this: the judge's buddies are gathering at Gull's Way this evening for a rousing game of whatever kind of poker folks used to play before Texas Hold'em.
But all that is yet to come. In the open scene Milt interrupts a theft-in-progress and recovers some stolen property. Mark made of with the very special bottle of 151 proof El Papagayo rum that Milt intended to present to Charlie Masaryk that night, in honor of his 25th anniversary as a baliff. Mark had other plans for the booze. He's skipping the poker game to go out with a young lady who's professed a deep longing for daiquiris.
In the meantime, elsewhere, a trio of desperados conduct a real liquor store robber. It ends tragically with the owner of the store shot and the killers escaping into the night.
Back at Gull's Way, the rums been recovered and hidden away and the guests are arriving. There's Charilie, of course, and Frank Harper is there, too (yay, Frank!). Mattie Groves (a fellow jurist of a certain age) arrives. She's arranged for Mark's replacement, only nobody wants to break the news to Milt. It's a irritatingly awkward young ADA by the name of Freddy "Bummy" Bumgarten. Needless to say, the substitution doesn't meet with Milt's approval, though he keeps a stiff upper lip when the young man rings the bell, bearing a nice dry white wine instead of the beer he was instructed to bring.
Mark shows up to bid everyone farewell before taking off for his date. He seems to be good friends with all the regulars, especially Mattie. He departs. Frank gets a phone call, informing him of the robbery/murder. This casts a pall over the game, which only increases when it is discovered that Freddie is not familiar with the protocols of poker.
The doorbell rings. Hardcastle, answering it, is confronted by Tommy Kitchens, one of the three robbers. Kitchens enters, armed with an assault rifle and followed by his accomplices, Crazy Horse and a young man named Joey.
With the poker crew taken hostage, a series of tense scenes occur. When Crazy Horse threatens Charlie and Mattie, Kitchen's steps in to rescue her. He says their only intention is to wait out the roadblocks. No one will be hurt. Hardcastle tries to talk to Joey, the most naïve member of the trio. Crazy Horse continues to bait and threaten the others. Frank gets permission to use the bathroom. Crazy Horse is sent to keep guard.
Frank assumes his holster (with gun) is still hanging where he left it behind the bathroom door. Alas, Crazy Horse is playing games with him, He retrieved it earlier in his search of the house. He uses it to shoot Frank in the abdomen then tells Kitchens that Frank was shot going for his gun. He also show him Frank's badge.
Milt is allowed to move Frank to the upstairs bedroom. Kitchens investigates the rest of the IDs, discovering they've busted in on a retired judge and a passel of officers of the court. Crazy Horse is not displeased and says he'll enjoy killing a judge. Not the best way to insure a calm and cooperative bunch of hostages but, at least for now, Kitchens seems to be keeping a lid on Crazy Horse's enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Mark and his daiquiri-loving date, Debbie, have returned to the gatehouse after their (brief) night out. They only have eyes for each other, more or less, and are oblivious to what's going on next door.
What's going on is that Crazy Horse is getting increasingly twitchy. He threatens Hardcastle, then turns on Kitchens, who sensibly backs off. As Kitchens lowers his gun, Mattie tries to make a move on it. She fails.
Now we discover that Kitchens is not a guy to cross. He retreats into a tense silence. Crazy Horse is amused and tells the hostages that Kitchens makes him look like a poster child for good mental health. Kitchens finally tells Crazy and Joey to line the hostages up.
Fortunately, Debbie's cravings get the best of her, and Mark goes off to scavenge up what is required. He sneaks in the kitchen door, and, failing to find the rum there, heads past the closed door to the den (yes, those hinges really do work) and tiptoes upstairs. He's so busy trying to think like Hardcastle that he does not notice the injured lieutenant on Hardcastle's bed.
Frank, weak but awake, tells him what's going down. The phone's been yanked, of course. No matter, Mark took the advanced seminar in mayhem when it was offered back in San Quentin (or maybe it was one of his other alma maters) and he heads into the bathroom to cook something up.
Downstairs, things are in motion. Joey's finished loading up the truck with supplies. He realizes that Kitchens is about to kill the hostages. He objects but is told to go check on Frank.
Upstairs, Mark gives Frank his homemade diversion. Frank wonders why he doesn't just go back to the gatehouse and call 911. No phone service, Mark tells him. (Milt apparently makes him pay his own utilities, perhaps explaining Mark's eagerness to pitch a bomb into the front hall.) Mark gets Frank heading in the right direction then takes off out the window.
Downstairs, Kitchens is poised to shoot Hardcastle. Freddie steps in and nobly offers to go first. Just then a tipsy Debbie arrives at the front door, looking for love (or daiquiris) in all the wrong places. Frank staggers to the stairs and launches the smoke bomb, and all hell breaks loose as Mark crashes through the window.
As the dust settles (and the smoke clears), the good guys have taken the field.
In the epilogue, it's poker night once again, with all the original players, plus Mark and Debbie (sober for once, and now taking an interest in Freddie) in attendance. Milt apologizes to Freddie for treating him like a putz, though, unfortunately, he still is one. The El Papagayo is served out and, as the dealing starts, it becomes immediately evident that Debbie has spent some time as a dealer in Las Vegas. Quick, get that woman a daiquiri.
Written by Marianne Clarkson Premiered Mar. 3, 1986
But all that is yet to come. In the open scene Milt interrupts a theft-in-progress and recovers some stolen property. Mark made of with the very special bottle of 151 proof El Papagayo rum that Milt intended to present to Charlie Masaryk that night, in honor of his 25th anniversary as a baliff. Mark had other plans for the booze. He's skipping the poker game to go out with a young lady who's professed a deep longing for daiquiris.
In the meantime, elsewhere, a trio of desperados conduct a real liquor store robber. It ends tragically with the owner of the store shot and the killers escaping into the night.
Back at Gull's Way, the rums been recovered and hidden away and the guests are arriving. There's Charilie, of course, and Frank Harper is there, too (yay, Frank!). Mattie Groves (a fellow jurist of a certain age) arrives. She's arranged for Mark's replacement, only nobody wants to break the news to Milt. It's a irritatingly awkward young ADA by the name of Freddy "Bummy" Bumgarten. Needless to say, the substitution doesn't meet with Milt's approval, though he keeps a stiff upper lip when the young man rings the bell, bearing a nice dry white wine instead of the beer he was instructed to bring.
Mark shows up to bid everyone farewell before taking off for his date. He seems to be good friends with all the regulars, especially Mattie. He departs. Frank gets a phone call, informing him of the robbery/murder. This casts a pall over the game, which only increases when it is discovered that Freddie is not familiar with the protocols of poker.
The doorbell rings. Hardcastle, answering it, is confronted by Tommy Kitchens, one of the three robbers. Kitchens enters, armed with an assault rifle and followed by his accomplices, Crazy Horse and a young man named Joey.
With the poker crew taken hostage, a series of tense scenes occur. When Crazy Horse threatens Charlie and Mattie, Kitchen's steps in to rescue her. He says their only intention is to wait out the roadblocks. No one will be hurt. Hardcastle tries to talk to Joey, the most naïve member of the trio. Crazy Horse continues to bait and threaten the others. Frank gets permission to use the bathroom. Crazy Horse is sent to keep guard.
Frank assumes his holster (with gun) is still hanging where he left it behind the bathroom door. Alas, Crazy Horse is playing games with him, He retrieved it earlier in his search of the house. He uses it to shoot Frank in the abdomen then tells Kitchens that Frank was shot going for his gun. He also show him Frank's badge.
Milt is allowed to move Frank to the upstairs bedroom. Kitchens investigates the rest of the IDs, discovering they've busted in on a retired judge and a passel of officers of the court. Crazy Horse is not displeased and says he'll enjoy killing a judge. Not the best way to insure a calm and cooperative bunch of hostages but, at least for now, Kitchens seems to be keeping a lid on Crazy Horse's enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, Mark and his daiquiri-loving date, Debbie, have returned to the gatehouse after their (brief) night out. They only have eyes for each other, more or less, and are oblivious to what's going on next door.
What's going on is that Crazy Horse is getting increasingly twitchy. He threatens Hardcastle, then turns on Kitchens, who sensibly backs off. As Kitchens lowers his gun, Mattie tries to make a move on it. She fails.
Now we discover that Kitchens is not a guy to cross. He retreats into a tense silence. Crazy Horse is amused and tells the hostages that Kitchens makes him look like a poster child for good mental health. Kitchens finally tells Crazy and Joey to line the hostages up.
Fortunately, Debbie's cravings get the best of her, and Mark goes off to scavenge up what is required. He sneaks in the kitchen door, and, failing to find the rum there, heads past the closed door to the den (yes, those hinges really do work) and tiptoes upstairs. He's so busy trying to think like Hardcastle that he does not notice the injured lieutenant on Hardcastle's bed.
Frank, weak but awake, tells him what's going down. The phone's been yanked, of course. No matter, Mark took the advanced seminar in mayhem when it was offered back in San Quentin (or maybe it was one of his other alma maters) and he heads into the bathroom to cook something up.
Downstairs, things are in motion. Joey's finished loading up the truck with supplies. He realizes that Kitchens is about to kill the hostages. He objects but is told to go check on Frank.
Upstairs, Mark gives Frank his homemade diversion. Frank wonders why he doesn't just go back to the gatehouse and call 911. No phone service, Mark tells him. (Milt apparently makes him pay his own utilities, perhaps explaining Mark's eagerness to pitch a bomb into the front hall.) Mark gets Frank heading in the right direction then takes off out the window.
Downstairs, Kitchens is poised to shoot Hardcastle. Freddie steps in and nobly offers to go first. Just then a tipsy Debbie arrives at the front door, looking for love (or daiquiris) in all the wrong places. Frank staggers to the stairs and launches the smoke bomb, and all hell breaks loose as Mark crashes through the window.
As the dust settles (and the smoke clears), the good guys have taken the field.
In the epilogue, it's poker night once again, with all the original players, plus Mark and Debbie (sober for once, and now taking an interest in Freddie) in attendance. Milt apologizes to Freddie for treating him like a putz, though, unfortunately, he still is one. The El Papagayo is served out and, as the dealing starts, it becomes immediately evident that Debbie has spent some time as a dealer in Las Vegas. Quick, get that woman a daiquiri.
Written by Marianne Clarkson Premiered Mar. 3, 1986
