War of the Worlds/Dust to Dust

Dust to Dust
Season 1, Episode 14
Airdate	January 23, 1989
Written by	Richard Krzemien
Directed by	George Bloomfield
← 1x13 Choirs of Angels	1x15 → He Feedeth Among the Lilies
War of the Worlds — Season One

Dust to Dust is the fourteenth episode of the first season of War of the Worlds.

Jared Martin (Harrison Blackwood), Lynda Mason Green (Suzanne McCullough), Philip Akin (Norton Drake)

and Richard Chaves (Colonel Ironhorse)

Special Guest Stars: R. D. Reid (Mark Newport), Elias Zarou (Kirk), Ivan Naranjo (Joseph Lonetree)

Also Starring: Robin Sewell (Grace), Eric Schweig (Darrow), Michael Rudder (Advocate #3), Ilse Von Glatz (Advocate #2)

Featuring: Linda Goranson (Connie), Joseph Zeigler (Pat), George Bloomfield (Lawyer), Gairey Richardson (Detective Bob), Tim MacMenamin (Guard)

Uncredited: David Calderisi (Advocate #1), Michael Kramer (Alien Subordinate)

Plot Overview

An archaeologist unlawfully digs up a strange headdress at the Westeskiwin Indian Reservation. While Ironhorse is outraged and works to help a Westeskiwin elder to retrieve his rightful property, the aliens discover the headdress contains a starter they hope can help find one of their older war machines.

Notes

Teaser Quote

"Could you tell me... how what happened last night happened?"

Base Three

• Three operatives to retrieve the warship starter.

• The crystal starter is in a delta shape.

• The older model war machine has three legs.

Timeline

• The aliens visited a pre-colonised America. Newport's speculates the headdress dates to the mid-1500s, more than 400 years old.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• The aliens are revealed to have an even longer relationship with Earth than previously thought. It's unknown what their purpose is or what transpired during their visit, but it was an important enough to be passed down through generations of Westeskiwin.

Characters

• Ironhorse was made to feel ashamed of being Indian growing up, only later becoming proud of his heritage.

• Ironhorse meets a Native American woman. Despite an instant connection, they both know it cannot work out.

• Joseph chooses to pass down the Westeskiwin knowledge to Ironhorse about the people's encounter with the aliens.

Referbacks

• Joseph Lonetree was seemingly foreshadowed in "The Resurrection" in the description of the drawing of a man with a staff that throws out bolts of lightning. The only missing element is the bowl that appears to cover his entire body. Either way, it does confirm that Ironhorse's story is more than just folklore.

Trivia

The Show

• The Westeskiwin tribe depicted is fictional. However, the spelling is nearly identical to the city of Wetaskiwin in Alberta, Canada. The city's name actually derives from a Cree word meaning "the hills where peace was made".

• It's revealed Ironhorse is Cherokee.

Behind the Scenes

• In one scene in this episode, Michael Eric Kramer and David Calderisi, neither credited, can be heard together in a scene made up of entirely recycled footage with no interaction from Glatz or Rudder. This highly suggests that the scene was added later for whatever reasons (and presumably not scripted). In the aired order, Kramer previously played the Commander and would later play an Advocate. The scene creates confusion because Kramer's character is not identified.

Allusions and References

• The older model warship being a tripod is undoubtedly a direct reference to the fighting-machines from the H.G. Wells novel.

Memorable Moments

• Josephs's dire warning comes true when he refuses to give up the headdress and the aliens brutally murder him.

• The reveal of the alien war machine.

• Joseph manages to destroy the war machine with nothing but power of the Spirits.

Goofs

• The shot of the alien bursting out of the chest is reused footage from "A Multitude of Idols".

• When Harrison and Suzanne are looking at Joseph's crystal, a distant shots shows them moving to face each other. However, when it cuts back to a close shot, they are facing in almost the same direction.

Quotes

• Ironhose: Must be mica.

Harrison: Could be quartz.

Suzanne: Or...

Ironhorse: Now, wait a minute. What are you saying?

Suzanne: All I'm saying is that it's curious.

Ironhorse: I know that tone of voice. You learned it from him.

• Advocate #2: Watching television has paid off again.

Advocate #3: But it takes its toll... softens the brain.

Advocate #2: There. The starter for our warships. We must get that starter. It must mean there's a ship nearby.

Advocate #3: If we had a warship, our battle on this garbage heap of a planet would be different. We would be unstoppable.

Advocate #2: We must get the starter, then the warship, then victory!

• Ironhorse: We must present our cast dispassionately. There is no room for personal axes to grind.

Harrison: I'll do my best to watch myself, Colonel.

Ironhorse: Don't worry about me, Harrison. I'm trained to keep my feelings under complete control.

Harrison: I see. Just remember, smiles make people like you.

• Guard: Okay, chief, you made bail.

Joseph: I'm not the chief; I'm the shaman. That means I can turn you into a toadstool whenever I want.

• Kirk: Mr. Newport?

Mark Newport: I gotta get a lock for that door!

Kirk: We're from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Mark: Yeah, that's great, but the door out there says "By appointment only". And I'm really busy right now, so if you could come back tomorrow…

Kirk: We'd like to see that headdress you displayed at your press conference.

Mark: Look, I don't know who the hell you people are, but…

Kirk: We'd like to see that headdress right now.

• Ironhorse: I'm in the military and if there's anything that I can do to help you get your tribal property back, I want you to know that I'm ready.

Joseph: We'll get our property back.

Ironhorse: How do you know that?

Joseph: It is the way of things.

• Norton: When the Feds kick in the doors looking for the person who broke into the top security computer banks, where are you going to be?

Harrison: I'm just going to tell them you were a brilliant young mind gone bad, a rogue computer nerd bound on destruction and reeking havoc and panic among the multitudes.

Norton: I can live with that.

• Advocate #1: What are your standing orders, comrade?

Commander: That you not be interrupted, Advocate.

Advocate #1: Yet there you stand, in defiance of these orders?!

Commander: I assumed that you'd be interested in the latest communique from our action squad, Advocate.

Advocate #1: Mm-hmm.

Commander: They report that all is going smoothly, as hoped.

Advocate #1: It's safe to say, then, the crystal is in their possession?

Commander: It is. Presently, the squad is moving cautiously, yet expeditiously toward the objective.

Advocate #1: Excellent. See that we're informed the moment they reach the landing site.

Commander: As you order, Advocate.

Advocate #1: It will be refreshing to finally report positive progress to the Council.

• Ironhorse: You know, my... grandfather used to disappear for, like, four or five days. He used to tell my grandmother that he was going off to see the Spirits. I think... I think he had a girlfriend in the next valley, though.

• Grace: You said you were a colonel.

Ironhorse: Yes. Special Forces.

Grace: The white man's army.

Ironhorse: Ma'am, I am West Point trained.

Grace: Wasn't general George Custard West Point trained?

• Ironhorse: I... I haven't spoken to an Indian woman in a long time.

Grace: Well, we're out of the tepee and we're back with a vengeance.

Ironhorse: I bet you're not so tough.

• Harrison: We have an archaeologist who we suspect was murdered by the aliens. They've stolen what we're after, which is an apparent alien artefact. And Ironhorse has taken the man who was involved with both the archaeologist and the artefact back to his home on the reservation.

Suzanne: We're talking suspected. We're talking apparent. We're talking coincidence. The Colonel hasn't even checked in yet. How much could be wrong?

Harrison: Too much, Suzanne.

Suzanne: Sounds a tad like a healthy case of paranoia to me.

Harrison: As a doctor, you know that paranoia is nothing but a baseless fear augmented by extenuating circumstances. My fear that the aliens pose a threat to Colonel Ironhorse and the rest of us is hardly baseless.

Suzanne: Then the probabilities say we should go the reservation.

Harrison: Precisely. For answering the question correctly, you get to drive.

• Joseph: It is told... that many years ago, before there was white man's time, that the Westeskiwin were visited by beings from beyond. It is told they gave us the strength to win all battles and survive all crises.

Ironhorse: It is a valuable legacy.

Joseph: It is a legacy of survival.

• Joseph: The sky is the roof. Above the roof, my people believe the stars live as people. The visitors from many years ago came from beyond the stars.

Ironhorse: That's the legend, right?

• Harrison: Pull over, Suzanne.

Suzanne: What's wrong, Harrison?

Harrison: I don't like the vibe.

Suzanne: I hate it when you say things like that.

Harrison: I'm usually right.

Suzanne: That's why I hate it.

• Joseph: For generations, the knowledge has been passed down from father to son. Today, Paul Ironhorse, you are my son. You are the son of all the Westeskiwin.

• Ironhorse: We can't let these people get that!

Joseph: The Spirits are guiding us!

Ironhorse: These are some bad people.

Joseph: The Spirits know the insides of people!

• Connie: We've secured the vessel, Advocate. It's a very early model, but all systems seem to be operating in good order.

Advocate #1: This is excellent news, comrade. Board the battle craft and return here with all haste. The Advocacy demands the honour of personally leading the way to victory.

Connie: As you order, Advocate. And your wishes regarding our hostages?

Advocate #1: Kill them. Wait! Let the Earthlings live. As messengers of fear, the humans will undoubtedly spread despair on their kind. The ensuing chaos will help our push for the final solution.

Connie: The beginning of the end of human life on this planet.

Advocate #1: Exactly, comrade. A most comforting thought.

Connie: To Life Immortal.

• Harrison: Could you tell me... how what happened last night happened?

Joseph: It was the Spirits.

Harrison: Looked like you had a lot to do with it.

Joseph: I am but a drop of water in the river.