The Cape (2011 TV series)

The Cape (2011) is an American superhero drama television series, first shown on NBC during the 2010–2011 television season as a mid-season replacement. The show is about a cop who has been framed for murder, leading him to fall off the grid and become the super hero known only as "The Cape."

Pilot
(--Vince's attention is brought to a old Black Cape that reminds him of his son's favorite comic book hero; The Cape--)
 * Max: I haven't seen this old rag in years.  (--pauses, thinking about it--)  That would be quite an act... but I can't help you.
 * Vince: Why not?
 * Max: Look, we've got a good thing going here-
 * Vince: You!'ve got a 'good thing going here', what... what are you afraid of?
 * Max: Your dreaming!
 * Vince: I am still his father, Max, I have to show him that he isn't alone, I have to send him a message...
 * Max: What message; that his father's lost his mind!
 * Vince: It's not all corrupt, that one man can still make a difference.  Ma-Max, you made me a promise, and I kept my end of it, now you tell me, have you got anything left in the tank, were you ever anything?
 * Max: You watch it, Punk!
 * Vince: Ah, I can see it, your just a broken-down old loser.
 * Max: I'M MAX MALINI!
 * Vince: IS IT POSSIBLE?!
 * Max: I've broken 92 bones in pursuit of the perfect illusion; trained a generation of escapists, acrobats, magicians:  I Specialize! in Impossible!  (--uses the old cape to snap-up his glass, showing Vince what he can do, leaving Vince gob smacked, before Max looks appraisingly down at the old cape in his hands--)  This...  This won't cut-it, you need something special-...  (--Thinks about it a moment--)  But I do nothing half-way.  This'll cost you; you'll learn just how much the Human body can withstand, and the mind:  You give me your soul, Vince Faraday, and I'll make you the greatest circus act that ever lived!  (--performs a vanishing illusion on the spot, before Vince with the old cape and a smokescreen--)
 * Vince: When do we start?


 * Max: ...It was one-of-a-kind.  (--tosses Vince thing, bit of armour, etc--)  Had varied elements; like weighted helms for throws.  It was designed for Kosmo; the Russian escapist; they call him "Unkillable!"  (--tosses Vince some armour--)  (--laughs--)  (--finds it--) Vol'a!  (--moments later, Max displays the newer cape to Vince--)  It's made entirely of spider-silk:  stronger than Kevlar, but thinner than Filament.  (--demonstrates it as retractable--)


 * Max: (To Vince) Spin!  Spin!  Spin!  (--goes through motions with Vince--)  And Snap it!  (--cape snaps like a whip--)  Cape must retract.  Free you up to fight with a fighting form that embraces the cape!  British Bartitsu, Kudokan Judo.  (--Vince focuses on the glass on the stool--)  The Warrior Dancers of the Tang Dynasty use their robes as weapons!  (--Vince fails again to snap-up the glass from off the stool and into his hands with the special cape--)  Again!...  (--about the Tang Dynasty Warrior Dancers--)  And so will you!  (--Vince succeeds in snapping-up the glass, but fails to catch it, it smashes--)  One Day.


 * Max: There are 37 vanishing illusions that use a cape; You will master them all!  (--demonstrates again with a black smokescreen pellet, vanishing in a black cloud of smoke--)


 * Ruvi: In Mentalism, the point is not to let the Sucker know he's being Hypnotized, right.  (--moving/wiggling his fingers back-and-forth--)  So, you talk about 'the weather', or 'My Wife, she give me a hard time'.  (--Vine is becoming mesmerized--)  You move his eye.  Slowly working you way into his mind; into his very soul...  (--Vince is now under--)  (--Vince suddenly brought out of it by Ruvi's hand banging on the table--)
 * Vince: What was that?
 * Ruvi: I just Hypnotized you, Sucker!
 * Vince: Y-you-what-you, right!
 * Ruvi: Then, aah, why you wearing the girly's panties inside, huh?
 * Vince: (--laughs--)  The girl-what?  (--keeps laughing a moment, before fearing it 's true for a moment--)

(--Ruvi nods his head to Vince to check, and to Vince's horror, he is indeed wearing girls underwear--) (--Ruvi laughs--)
 * Vince: That is not Cool!  That is not Cool, Ruvi!

Tarot

 * Max: What Happened?

(--the carnies are all by Vince's side, inside the circus tent--)
 * Rollo: (--to Max--)  A major hottie dropped him off in a Gold(en) Wing Mercedes.  (--to Vince, Vince has been poisoned and is struggling to breath--)  Where'd you meet her; was it an online thing?
 * Max: Vince, can you hear me?
 * Vince: (--struggling to breath and talk--) P...Poi...Poison...  I...I can't...breath.
 * Raia: (--distraught--) Max, do something.
 * Max: Get my bag.

(--Raia dashes off a second, and returns with Max's bag--)
 * Max: (--to Rollo--) Leech him.
 * Rollo: (--adverse to the leeches--) Err...  Sorry, Max, I-  No-way!
 * Raia: (--takes charge--) Don't make me crazy; a man's life hangs in the balance.
 * Ruvi: Let Raia do it, she's good with the animals.
 * Max: (--Raia) places a few leeches on points on Vince's neck as Max instructs--) Along the jugular, and the caratoid.
 * Raia: Max, what is that?
 * Max: (--preparing a syringe--) Nightshade and Ginseng weed.
 * Raia: Nightshade's poison?
 * Max: (--explaining--) Omar the Wise used to have a Freakshow in Santa Rio.  (--injects the concoction into Vince's neck, near the leeches, as Vince still struggles to breath--)  Always had Nightshade on hand; (--finishes with the syringe--) Omar died young!

(--Vince starts thrashing, images from his life with his family start to flash before his eyes--)
 * Max: We need to increase the blood flow.  (--he has the others hold Vince upright--)  (--to Vince--)  Look at me, Vincent.  Look at me.  (--gets Vince to focus on him, and then punches him in the stomach.  Max grips Vince's head--)  Stay with me, son.  (--more memories flash before Vince's eyes as he sinks into unconsciousness--)
 * Max: Ok, it's in God's hands now.

(--Vince tries to say something as he struggles with the poison--)
 * Ruvi: I told him, 'don't get cocky'.

(--Vince flashes back to the day he and his wife Dana moved in together--)

Kozmo
(--Gregor Molotov exits Max's trailer, Max closes the door behind Gregor and look out the door window discreetly from behind the curtain--)
 * Vince: (--To Max--) Every 'cop cell' in my body tells me that guy's bad news.
 * Max: (--tries to get Vince to drop it--) It doesn't concern you.
 * Vince: If it concerns The Cape, it concerns me.  (--Max walks over to his desk--)  He called you 'Kosmo', you told me Kosmo lived in 1875.
 * Max: (--Is forced to admit the truth--) There were many 'Kosmos'; thats why they called him 'Unkillable'.  The first Kosmo was not an Escape Artist, but a Thief and a Murderer.  His Name and Legend passed to each new owner of The Cape.  I'm Sorry to say I played my Part.  (--gets to the point; Gregor--)  Gregor was my student, he was next in line... but when I saw what The Cape drew out of him, I took it back.  We had a falling out.  He went to Prison.  And I stowed The Cape away.
 * Vince: Are you saying I'm the next 'Kosmo'; is that what you think that this is a-
 * Max: (--interrupts Vince--) -No!  No, 'Kosmo' ended with me!  I killed the 'Unkillable'.  And You, your the start of something new, something different, something good, I hope.  (--changes the subject--)  So, look, er-.  Do me a favor, let's lay low for a couple of days, keep The Cape out of sight, (--Max's tone becomes lighter,--) and don't worry, they'll still be plenty of crime in the city when he's gone.  (--Max's puts his ringmaster's tophat on--) I'll make sure of that.  (--Exits the trailer--)


 * Gregor: (--giving a demonstration of his skill with Contortion with just his hand, before relocating them, without assistance--) There are 360 joints in the Human body, I can dislocate 187 of them.  Straight jackets fall off me as easily as a prom queen' dress.

(--Ruvi & Rollo are a little freaked-out by Gregor's ability, while Raia is impressed--)
 * Max: Gregor could have been the greatest escape artist that ever lived.
 * Gregor: Oh, prison is a real career-killer.
 * Max: So was lack of discipline.
 * Gregor: (--To Vince--) Are you not drinking?

(--Vince is going round the table, topping-up peoples glasses--)
 * Vince: Nah, No, it's my night to carry Rollo home.  Besides, its not that safe out there, you've probably know that several people were murdered in Trolly Park last night.
 * Gregor: Aah...  Well, it seems there's no-where safe to lay your head anymore.
 * Vince: You, er, never told us why you were in prison.
 * Gregor: I was framed.

(--Vince and Max laugh a little at this--)
 * Gregor: They say I had murdered a woman, but a woman is a thing of beauty, to be admired, (--to Raia,--)  No?  (--turns his attention to 'Julia'/Orwell--)  May I?  (--takes 'Julia's'/Orwell's hand to read her palm--)  I used to do this in the Old Country, (--Raia seems put-off by Gregor's lack of a attention to her--) Oh, you've got a real live one here, Max, lots of Attitude:  Spoiled, little Rich Girl, but not your average, ordinary princess, (--To 'Julia'/Orwell--) You've got some real 'Daddy' Issues.  (--'Julia'/Orwell pulls her hand away and tries to dismiss it, but Gregor reclaims her hand--) Let me see.  (--Reads her palm some more--)  (--To 'Julia'/Orwell--)  We have something in common; we've both been imprisoned; I can't really tell who you are because you don't really know yourself; but one things for sure, your not 'Julia'.  (--disguises her hand--)

(--Vince and Max both look thoughtful at this new information--)

 (--Gregor is now the one going round the table with the bottle, bringing up the legends around The Cape--)
 * Gregor: Max ever tell you about that old Cape he used to have?  Some say it was first worn by Egyptian Priests who performed living Sacrifices, others say it was used by Alchemists as a kind of Anntenne to the unconscience, finding everything buried deep down in a man's soul and bringing it up to the surface.

(--All of Vince's attention and suspicions are focused on Gregor--)
 * Gregor: Some say it was the cape worn by Merlin.  Maybe even Jack the Ripper.
 * Max: (--Laughs at this--) Eh, eh, eh.  Nonsense; Legends and Stories.  It was just a cape.
 * Gregor: (--losing patience--) If it was 'just a cape', then why wouldn't you let me have it?  Because there was darkness in me, like there's darkness in you!  (--calms his attitude--)  The difference is I'm a er... reformed man, clensed by the light of Russian Justice.  (--sits down--)
 * Vince: (--decides to cut to the chase now--) You know the strange thing about the murders last night, (--stands up and walks around the table,--) was the weapon 'he' used, (--holds up a bloodied playing card, the Ace of Spades, to Gregor, confronting him, calling him out,--)  (--laughs, addressing the rest of the people sitting at the table--)  Its amazing, right, a card, (--stops behind where Gregor is sitting--) I'm thinking, (--gestures to everyone, drawing it to their attention--) that only a master magician could use a card as a weapon.  (--drops the card on the table, in front of Gregor--)  Where were You last night, Gregor?
 * Gregor: I might ask you the same thing.

(--Gregor stares at Vince for a second, and suddenly realizes something--)
 * Gregor: Your a Cop!  (--stands up to look him straight in the eye--)
 * Vince: (--in admission, maintains eye-contact--) I've put a hundred guys like you behind bars.
 * Gregor: (--brakes eye-contact with Vince and turns to Max, in accusation--) You gave my Cape to a Cop!?
 * Max: (--getting to he feet--) I gave it to no-one.
 * Gregor: Your lying, Max!  Just like you lied about prison, I KNOW you were the one who set me up, (--to Vince--) and YOU, your just me with a badge, so give me The Cape and save your soul, mine's already lost.
 * Vince: No, that ain't gonna happen.

(--everyone else stands up, each holding some type of weapon, (except for 'Julia'/Orwell) ready incase Gregor tries something--)
 * Vince: (--gestures to the others--) Shows over, Gregor.
 * Gregor: (--to Vince--) You think your a Hero, you think this is who you are (--holds up a copy of The Cape comicbook, in mock--) you think this is all a children's book!  (--Slaps the comic down on the table--) You don't deserve The Cape!
 * Vince: Your an escaped convict on foreign soil who just murdered four people, the only thing your gonna get is a one-way ticket back to that Russian Hellhole you crawled out of!
 * Gregor: (--in defiance--) I'll never never go back there!  (--performs the same disappearing trick that Max & Vince can do, disappearing in a plume/poof of thick grey/black smoke, and flash/spark of light--)

(--Vince starts looking around for Gregor, knowing the ins-&-outs of the illusion--)
 * Max: (--to Vince--) Let him go!  He wants his freedom more than he wants that Cape.
 * Vince: (--to Max, as he exits in a hurry--) I'm putting him back in his cage!
 * Max: That's not your job!
 * Vince: As long as I'm wearing The Cape, it is!  (--exits behind the curtain, end of discussion--)

(--Max looks after him with worry and frustration--)

 (--Gregor is now wearing The Cape, having managed to steal The Cape from The Cape/Vince while he was seeing to Max after saving him. He starts using it against The Cape/Vince.--)
 * Gregor: See!  You can't defeat me!  You have no idea how to use this.  You're a child with a gun.  (--Sends The Cape/Vince flying to the side, hitting him against a cage.  Gregor's attention is now back on The Cape-itself.--)  Imagin that?  After all these years, it fits like a glove...
 * Max: (--Still recovering from his brush with death.--)  Gregor!
 * Gregor: 'Gregor's dead!  Call me Kosmo!  Now!  Let me show you what The Cape becomes in the hands of a real master!

(--Gregor/Kosmo uses The Cape-itself to whip down one of the stagelights, causing sparks to rain down on the audience. The Carnies start herding everyone out to safety.--)
 * Gregor/Kosmo: (--To The Cape/Vince, whose still down for the count.--)  You!  You should thank me!  Max turned some people...
 * Rollo: (--At The Cape/Vince's side helping him up.--)  Hey, Vince, get up.
 * Gregor/Kosmo: ...It's his nature!  (--Turns his attention over to Max, whose still recovering, is being helped up by Raia.--)  The Great Max Malini!  Come on!  Show me what you've got!
 * Max: (--Angry--)  I tried to help you!
 * Gregor/Kosmo: You lie!  You were jealous of me!  Of my potential!
 * Max: Gregor!

(--Gregor/Kosmo snaps The Cape-itself, sending Max flying back into some stage props. Gregor/Kosmo turns his attention around to his next target.--)
 * Gregor/Kosmo: Daddy's Girl!  (--Snaps The Cape around 'Julia's'/Orwell's waist and starts to, slowly, pull her towards him.--)  I killed that woman.  It was an act of mercy.  An act of love.  When I read your palm, I left something out.  (--Has her right up to him.--)  There'll be no-one to miss you when your gone.

(--Vince/The Cape grabs Gregor's/Kosmo's shoulder, swinging him around.--)
 * Vince/The Cape: Do you ever shut up?  (--Throws a punch.--)

(--Gregor/Kosmo recovers and tries to launch a counterattack, Vince/The Cape disappears using a smoke pellet, but Gregor is fast enough to get a hold of his wrist with The Cape. Vince struggles to break free, but Gregor makes The Cape tightens its grip.--)
 * Gregor/Kosmo: (--Starts to, slowly, pull Vince towards him)  See this?  See how The Cape is an extension of my body?  I tense a muscle... The Cape constricts.  This is how a snake feeds!  Tightening!  Just like a vice!

(--Suddenly, Vince/The Cape moves, using his own hold on The Cape to wrap it around Gregor's/Kosmo's neck, holding him in a chokehold.--)
 * Vince/The Cape: What happens when the snake swallows his own tail?  Hhm?  Keep fighting, Gregor.  Fight!  That's what rage is like, right?  It just feeds itself.  It eats you up...  When you have got nothing to believe in, when you have got no-one to fight for...  (--Gregor/Kosmo passes out.)  ...And that is why I win!