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War of the Worlds/Vengeance Is Mine

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Vengeance Is Mine
WOTW - Vengeance Is Mine.png
Season 1, Episode 20
Airdate April 17, 1989
Written by Arnold Margolin
Directed by George Bloomfield
← 1x19
The Last Supper
1x21 →
My Soul to Keep
War of the WorldsSeason One

Vengeance Is Mine is the twentieth 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)

Guest Stars: Bernard Behrens (Psychiatrist), Denis Forest (Martin Cole)

Also Starring: Carolyn Dunn (Sarah Cole), Alannah Myles (Samantha), Peter Millard (Alien #1), Paul Jolicoeur (Alien #2), Julie Khaner (Alien Woman), Don Allison (Milton), Roger Montgomery (Henchman), Vito Rezza (Stavrakos), Ilse Von Glatz (Advocate #1), Ric Sarabia (Advocate #2), Michael Copeman (Advocate #3), Mishu Vellani (Woman Student), David Mulholland (Reverend), Simon Du Toit (Guard), Nick De Kruyff (Human Captive)

Contents

Plot Overview

While the aliens try to acquire rubies to power laser weapons, Ironhorse finds himself fighting an internal, emotional war after he accidentally guns down an innocent civilian. To make his situation worse, the woman's husband knows who murdered her and is intent on exacting revenge.

Notes

Teaser Quote

"I had no idea it was going to end in such tragedy."

Base Three

  • There are three alien soldiers who steal the lenses from the campus. The remaining third later works with another two to acquire the rubies.

The Number 23

  • The number is written on Harrison's blackboard, seemingly in relation to the timing of the robberies and alien transmissions.

Locations

  • Seattle, Washington (mentioned)
  • Sacramento, California

Timeline

  • The date on Norton's computer in regard to the four armoured truck robberies is 02/04/89. Later, Harrison's blackboard has the robbery dates going from February 13 to February 14.

Arc Advancement

Happenings

Characters

  • Ironhorse, who's been shown to be quick opening fire on aliens in human bodies, kills an innocent person. He then has to mentally process his actions, which ranges from him being sombre to trying to ignore it before he finally accepts what he did.

Referbacks

Trivia

The Show

  • This is the only time the teaser quote does not match any dialogue in the featured episode. It is presumably part of his narration of events that immediately proceeds in the teaser.

Behind the Scenes

  • A copy of the script found has significant differences to what made it to air:
The scene with the Advocacy watching the testing of the laser weapon on the human captive is not in the script. Instead, the Advocacy simply look at the laser weapon and mention the humans who have been resisting them (the Alien Woman reports to them that the humans were waiting for them and that it was a trap).
The angle with the rubies is not in the script. Instead, the aliens possess a ruthless bank robber named George Bennett, then the president of a bank, in order to have enough money to pay for optical lenses. The aliens were also doing business with an arms dealer named Canaris who had the lenses for them.
Martin Cole was written be tremendously less volatile man than depicted in the episode. He spoon-feeds Ironhorse when he take him captive, shows him videos of Sarah Cole, and eventually is the one who untied Ironhorse from his restraints. However, Ironhorse watches the video instead, trying to know about the woman he killed.
With this all, the ending is also much different. In it, Martin is with Ironhorse to rescue Harrison and Suzanne who have been kidnapped by the aliens. Martin then sees Ironhorse making a split decision call (as was with Sarah Cole), which turns out to be the right one when he kills both aliens (Bennett and the alien who possessed the bank president). Seeing that Ironhorse lives day-to-day like this, Martin wants to apologise, but Ironhorse tells him not to because what he did will effect them for the rest of their lives.
Notably, according to Martin, Sarah was 23.

Allusions and References

  • A bystander describes the shooting like Kent State. On May 4th, 1970 in members of the National Guard opened fire on anti-Vietnam War demonstrators, wounding many and killing 4 students of Kent State University.

Memorable Moments

  • Ironhorse opens fire on what he believes are three aliens, only to find one not melting and instead bleeding, so shocked that he is unable to bring himself to take out the escaping real third alien.
  • The aliens test the laser weapon on an unfortunate human.
  • Martin works with Ironhorse to take out the aliens.

Goofs

  • On the security monitor, the bank truck appears to be just about to exit the building and out into the street. Suzanne calls Norton to call Ironhorse. Taking the time it would take for it to reach Ironhorse (almost 20 seconds pass onscreen), he is on the phone with Norton when he spots the truck just exiting the building.
  • When Martin gets out of the van to plant the helicopter on the ground, the watch he's wearing on his left hand is replaced by a bracelet.
  • When the toy helicopter passes by the van in the climax, the rear-view mirror on the passenger's side reveals the remote control operator running along side the van.

Quotes

  • Harrison: Colonel, believe me, I'm in no hurry to lose lives, but you're the one who told us we should always think of this as war.
Ironhorse: Maybe I was wrong.
  • Harrison: Paul, let's talk.
Ironhorse: There's been too much talk.
Harrison: I'm not so sure.
Ironhorse: Look, a lot of guys deal with this stuff by spilling their guts. It makes them feel better. I'm not that type of guy.
Harrison: You're the guy who's not shaken at all when he kills an innocent woman, right? Look, we're all walking circle around it, but that's what this is all about, isn't it?
Ironhorse: I didn't know that you were a psychiatrist along with your many other talents. What time are your office hours?
Harrison: Look, if it makes any difference to you, I'm sure there isn't a thing you did which wasn't legal and ethical, by the book and totally professional.
Ironhorse: Thanks. (walks away)
Harrison: And it's perfectly normal to examine everything, to check up on yourself after something --
Ironhorse: For a guy that uses tuning forks and stands on his head for inspiration, to tell me that I'm crazy.
Harrison: That's not what I'm saying.
(Ironhorse slams the door in his face)
  • Martin: (to Ironhorse) I know the type. I know you so well. Everything under control, everything your way. Well, buddy, welcome to the real world. My real world... heathen!
  • Martin: I followed you back to your car and wrote down your license plate. I brought it to the police to find out who the hell you were, who killed Sarah. But they dismissed it. No big deal. Said it was some kind of secret anti-terrorist action. End of subject. Not end of subject, pal! Not end of subject by a long shot!
  • (Martin takes out a shotgun)
Ironhorse: What the hell are you going to do?
Martin: What the Bible tells me to.
  • Ironhorse: This may not make any difference to you, Martin, but you're not the only one who's been affected by this. You're not the only one that's feeling pain. You don't think I've had to reexamine myself about what happened? Did I do something wrong? Was it a bad shooting? This is going to hurt, man, but it's the truth. Your wife was a casualty of battle. An accident. I know now it couldn't have been avoided. And if the same situation came up again, I wish to God it wasn't true, but I'd do the same thing. I'd do the same thing.
  • Martin: Why would I help the person who killed my wife?
Ironhorse: Look, this battle is bigger than me, or you, or your wife. I'm talking about the security of the United States, the security of the whole damned world. And Martin, if you want revenge against those who were responsible for your wife's death, help me.
  • Milton: The play is broken, Advocacy.
Advocate #1: We must stop the humans.
Milton: We are nothing without your counsel.
Advocate #1: Our counsel is... survive.