Okay, I'm finally back with part 2 of my episode recap and reaction for "Scales on a Train". I know, I know, it took me a while, but sometimes a man has catch up on some rest.
When we left off, Scales had just tried to talk business with the mayor of Palm City with less than the desired results.
The Cape runs into Rollo and tells him to call off the robbery so that his plan of outing Fleming as Chess through Scales can go off without a hitch. Rollo refuses and Ruvi sets off some kind of flash blinding The Cape. Portman finds The Cape and goes off to find some water for The Cape's eyes.
Flashback to a camping trip. Vince and Trip share some father/son bonding time. Vince tells Trip that he'll always be there to help him get to where he needs to go.
Back at the Faraday's apartment, Travis is still stuck outside in the hall. Trip asks Travis through the door what happens when someone seems guilty. Travis tells Trip that there's always the presumption of innocence in the law. Trip opens the door and asks if that means that legally his dad is innocent. Travis tells Trip yes and starts to get up to go inside the apartment. Trip shuts the door and locks it again (haha) and slips a fruit roll-up through the peephole to Travis.
Back on the train, The Cape regains his sight, and goes off in search of Max. Meanwhile, Fleming enters one of the train cars surrounded by photographers and the press. He notices Orwell (but doesn't know who she is) and asks her if she's alright. She says a quick yes and retreats to the rear of the group. Fleming brags to the press about how much ARK is doing for Palm City. He mentions the drop in the crime rate, city beautification efforts, etc. Orwell, from the back of the pack mentions that the illegal sweeps of Palm City is the reason for the drop in the crime. and accuses him of Fascism. Fleming dismisses her as someone just parroting talking points from the "Orwell is Watching" blog and tells the press that the blog is full of misinformation. Orwell beats a hasty retreat, followed closely by Fleming. Portman returns with the water and notices that The Cape is gone.
Orwell is still making her way through the train being followed by Fleming. Fleming comes upon Scales giving a tongue lashing to the mayor and the judge. Meanwhile, Portman is on the hunt for The Cape and finds him in between train cars. The Cape wants to see how the confrontation between Scales and Fleming plays out. The mayor asks Fleming why he brought his "friend" onto the train. Fleming assures the mayor that Scales is not his friend (which gets Scales even more annoyed) and tells him that if Scales is bothering him, he'll have him thrown off the train at the next stop. This is just too much for Scales and he makes the announcement in front of everyone that Fleming is Chess. Everyone in the train car laughs it off like some big joke. This annoys the crap out of Scales and now he's angry. The Cape watches from between train cars and is disappointed that his plan to clear his name didn't work. Fleming tells one of the members of his security team to take care of Mr. Raoul and begins to leave in pursuit of Orwell. He doesn't get far before Scales punches the guard, disarms him, grabs his gun and takes everyone in the train car hostage. He tells them if they want villains, they've got one. The Cape continues to watch from outside the train car. Scales then demands everyone's valuables and starts with the judge.
The Cape tells Portman to take cover, but Portman still wants to help. The Cape radios to Orwell to tell her to get to the front of the train and secure the engine. He then gives Portman a gun and explains that the safety is off and to not fire unless he absolutely has to. Back inside, Fleming asks Scales if he thinks it's a good idea to rob the train as there's going to be no where to hide from ARK and Fleming. Scales says he won't need to hide. Portman bursts into the train car, gun drawn. Scales and his lackeys turn their guns on Portman. Portman explains who he is and that he's "off the reservation" He tells Scales and the lackeys to drop their guns before he "blows (their) gizzards off". Scales is dumbfounded and prepares to shoot Portman, but before he can, The Cape busts some fuses and the lights go off in the train car. Scales pushes Fleming through the door and leaves the car. From above The Cape uses his cape to disarm Scales. Guess what? Scales gets annoyed again and decides to take off after The Cape across the rooftop of the train car leaving Fleming below with one of the lackeys. Scales says something menacing to The Cape, but he just grins as he winds up to grab him with his cape. The cape gets caught in the wind, though, and flies off somewhere. Scales and The Cape fight. The Cape gets thrown near the gap between train cars and looks down as Max unmasks himself and looks up. The Cape shouts for help, but Max goes into the next car. Scales then kicks The Cape off the side of the train and makes his way back down. It's now a stand off between Scales and Fleming...they both have their guns drawn and Fleming gives Scales the chance to give up and go back to the docks where he belongs. Scales basically tells Fleming to shove it and instructs his lackey to disconnect the cars.
Seems that The Cape wasn't thrown from the train (big surprise, right?). He makes his way back onto the train and meets up with Orwell who tells him that the braking system failed when the caboose was disconnected from the rest of the train. The Cape asks the engineer if there's any way that the train can be stopped. Engineer tells him that the only way to stop the train is to cut the main brake line underneath the train. He sends Orwell and the Engineer to the engine room and takes off to stop the train.
Inside the party car, Fleming is giving orders to his men and The Cape comes through the door. All guns swivel toward The Cape. Just then, Portman comes through the door to stand at The Cape's side with his gun drawn. The Cape tells everyone to take it easy so that they can stop the runaway train. People start to show a bit of panic at this news and Fleming and his men lower their guns.
At the now stopped caboose, Scales and his lackey open the door and catch Ruvi in the act of stealing the goods. Scales tells Ruvi to get his hands off his cash, but then from behind the open door, Max steps out and knocks out the lackey, points his shotgun at Scales, calls him ugly and orders him to turn around. Max talks a bit about their last meeting and then Rollo steps out and asks Scales how his knee is doing. Say it with me, folks, Scales gets annoyed. Max orders Scales into the security cage. We get a brief flashback of a cage with a wooden sign saying SCALES on it and a voice saying that his place is in that cage. We flash on a little person offering the young Scales a piece of cake and then taking it away just before he can reach it (no wonder Scales doesn't like Rollo very much). Rollo locks Scales in the cage. Max and the gang high tail it out of the caboose and into the night. Back inside, Scales is banging his head against the bars of the cage.
Back on the runaway train, The Cape has recruited Fleming to help him stop the train. The Cape uses his cape (I guess the cape is like some kind of boomerang or something) to lower Fleming down to cut the brake line. As Fleming is being lowered, he looks into The Cape's eyes and starts to realize who is behind the mask.
Fleming asks to be lowered further to get better access to the brake line, but before he will cut the line, he asks The Cape who he is. The Cape just tells Fleming to cut the hose before he drops him. Fleming finally jabs a pocket knife into the hose and the train's brakes reengage. The Cape pulls Fleming back up and then slams him up against the wall. The Cape tells Fleming that he will end him and that Fleming isn't as smart as he thinks he is. The Cape then goes back inside leaving Fleming outside.
Back at the caboose, a now bloody Scales is still banging his head against the bars of the cage. He stops, pushes on the cage door, and the door falls off. Scales walks out of his cage. Before he leaves, he looks down and sees the stooge from the beginning of the episode and grabs him.
Back at the Faraday's apartment, Trip is sitting on the couch reading the latest "The Cape" comic book issue and Dana comes through the door with his present and cake. She tells him happy birthday, apologizes and embraces him. Travis walks in soon after. Trip asks "Trevor" if he'd like any of his melted cake. Travis says he'd love some. Dana goes to Travis and asks him to join them.
At Trolley Park Amusements, Max is counting up the loot from the train robbery and Vince enters the trailer. Vince is wondering why Max is helping Vince and questions if doing good actually matters to Max. Max replies that sometimes it does matter. Vince grabs Max's wrist and explains that some time in the future their two very different ideologies are going to put them at opposite ends of a loaded gun and that friendship has its limits. Max just smiles and says something about enjoying the times they will have before that day comes.
Back at the Cape-Cave, Vince and Orwell are sitting back and about to have beers. Orwell apologizes for being off her game. She laughingly blames it on the outfit and Vince agrees. Orwell gives him an annoyed look. He explains to her that he's upset because he got Scales on video outing Fleming as Chess and no one believed it. She tells him about the good things that came out of this night (Scales and Fleming at war, saving hundred of innocent lives, etc.). He looks down at the table and we see that he's wrapping up a birthday present for Trip. Orwell asks why parents love their kids like that (and we're given another hint that she's really Fleming's missing daughter). Vince just tells her it's because they just do.
Back at the Faraday's apartment, Trip is sleeping but is awoken by a noise out on the fire escape. He wakes up and goes over to the window where there is a present and card on the window sill. Trip opens the present and finds a new compass. Tears open the card and reads "No journey too far. Your friend, The Cape" (almost enough to bring a little bit of a misty feeling to my eyes).
Next week's episode guest stars Mena Suvari (American Beauty) as Dice. Dice is a woman that knows the secret double life of Fleming.
Until next time,
-Bill-
