TV Channel 50 FoxFamily, Fri Jan 14, 2000, "Scott Free."
Written by Michael Braverman, Directed by David Straiton.

Why do you have to be so mean to elaine? ( Scott ) aw, poor stepmom. Are her feelings hurt? Yes, deeply. Elaine is my wife, and you could show her a little respect. God. I don't get it, scott, I just don't. She could be a real friend if you just gave her a chance.

hey, do you mind? Do you have to go or not? It's a restroom. Let the boy have some privacy. Not a good idea, mr. Barringer. Yes or no? I'm not standing here all day. I'm sure it'll be just fine, mr. Claypool. Just let him go by himself.

Martin, I know how hard this is for you. But, hon', you're doing the right thing. We talked and talked about this.

Hi, chris.

Frank? Thought you were going to be in town all day, man. No, I just had a couple errands is all. I didn't take as long as i thought. So who won? You or the rock? She beat me again, frank, but not by much. Think I got her scared now. Thanks. Yeah, that's what you do with mountains. You just keep at them till they crack. That's what me and mariella did when we started this school. We just kept beating at it till we cracked it. Okay. Waiting for the other shoe to drop? Hmm. That obvious, huh? Hmm, let's see. Been here seven years with you and it's the first time you've camped out in my office waiting for me to get back. So, want to tell me what's up? It's not good, pete. Not good.

Frank, how did this happen? The bank foreclosing on us is a little more than things getting out of control. Why didn't you tell me? I'm sorry. Look, I don't know what to say, pete. Just got away from me. Getting old, I guess. You know, Mariella and me, we built these cabins with our own hands. Frank...

Hi, peter, mr. Markasian. Hey, brenda. Hey, brenda. A-minus on the geometry quiz -- way to go. Thanks.

So what did henry say? Any chance the bank can give us an extension? Look, I didn't tell you, but, uh, we're on an extension already. Wonderful.

We'll have his bag searched and put into his dorm. He's also scheduled for a pre-admittance physical, so you won't be seeing him for a while.

Mr. Barringer? I'm peter scarbrow. Welcome to mount horizon. Scott. I'm peter. How you doing? It's a pleasure to meet you, mr. Scarbrow. Oh, "peter's" fine. We're pretty informal around here. And you are? Oh, I'm sorry. This is my wife, elaine. His, uh, his scuz trophy. Scott, i know this seems hard right now. Stay away from me, okay? Would you please just listen to me? Look, I know you're really confused now, but, believe me, this is going to be for the best. Go to hell, dad!

Well, this looks like it would be a good time for everyone to go to their corners, take a breather. I hate you for this. Just get out of here and take that skank with you. Rog.

I don't know what to think anymore. I really don't. He'll be fine here. He'll be okay. I know this is a small comfort, but scott's reaction is pretty typical of most kids brought here to horizon. Eventually they all have come around. But it just happened so fast -- six, eight months ago. I don't get it. Drugs, truancy, then he got kicked off the football team, and football was scott's life. He was ranked one of the best wide receivers in the state. He's already being scouted by the best schools in the country. Did scott's change in behavior coincide with your divorce? No, no. He's got a good relationship with his mother, even when she remarried and moved out of state. Any traumas? Any changes in his life recently? Me, I guess. We got married last year, and I guess that makes me a pretty major change in scott's life. No, everything was fine. You two get along fine. It's the drugs, right? I mean it has to be the drugs.

Okay, guys. Let's get these canoes out of the water.

Does that hurt a lot? Nah, just a bee sting. But it's a good wilderness lesson for all of you. You never swat at bees. If you don't move, they leave you alone. Except for killer bees, man. If you don't move, they'll eat you alive. I've seen it in the movies. Serious.

So what do you think, Auggie, your first river trip? Pretty exciting, huh? It's all right. It's all right. Except it's my second time. Please, the closest you've come to a river is when the sewer backed up in your 'hood.

One of my stepfathers used to took us all river rafting in california every summer. I think it was the snake. You call him "snake"? The river, freakin. The snake river? It's, uh, "friedkin." My name's friedkin. Yeah, whatever.

Okay, guys, let's move. We're already two hours behind. Shelby, you're out of dress code. I'm hot. You could say that again. Shirt, please. Why can't I be comfortable? She should be. We should put this to a vote. Ezra, you wouldn't be confusing this with a democracy, would you? Now, shelby. Unless, of course, you'd prefer to be comfortable with a week on shuns. ( Kids ) oooh. Thank you.

Um, jeff, could you, uh...put the canoes? Okay. Okay. It's all right. I'm fine.

( Juliette ) god, i've never been so tired in my life. How much further? It's not too far. Another four miles or so. Just hang in there. You're doing great, juliette. Hey, did you ever think you could come this far with a full pack on your back? Look what you've accomplished in the last 10 days. You should be really proud of yourself, you know? I am, but all I can think about is taking an endless shower and yes, yes! -- Real toilet paper. You know, I was sort of getting used to using those oak leaves. Now, it wouldn't have been my first choice, but they have that kind of unique feel. Didn't you find? I don't know what you have, freakin, but I bet it's hard to pronounce.

Bad step. Why do you always have to be so mean to him? Bad step. Heads up, you guys. Bad step! Um, she wasn't being mean. She was just -- bad step! Bad step. Hey, no one asked you to stick up for me, so just butt out.

Auggie, come on. You've been avoiding this all week. Here, I'll show you. It's easy. Someday you might have to read a topographical map. You just orient it north. I don't need to know no north or south or nothing like that. Not where I live. Aug, just look at the map with me. Hey, maybe later, man, huh? Hey, Bad step. What? I'm okay. It's all right. I'm fine.

Anything you want to say to your dad or stepmom before they leave? I know you're scared, scott. That's normal. New place, new situation. Did you use today? Come on. Yes or no -- Did you use today? Your old man just thinks you're doing some marijuana. You and I both know you don't get thrown off the team for smoking a little bud. Glass? Huh? What else you doing? Acid, too, huh?

So what now? You gonna narc me? No. I'm going to help you, scott, if you let me. How did you know about the acid? Let's just say drugs and i aren't exactly strangers.

The rules here are real simple. There's no drugs, there's no sex, there's no inappropriate touching and there's no violence. The key to horizon is that it's a safe place, it's a sanctuary. It's a place where you can go to take a break from all that crap that's going on outside in your life and learn to feel what you really feel. Anything you say to me or tell me or one of the other counselors stays between us unless you give me permission to say it to others. The only exception is if i suspect violence towards others or self-destructive behavior, and then i'm bound by law to notify outside authorities. Any questions?

I'm going to assign you to our cliffhangers group. They're out on quest right now, but they should be back by the time you're processed in. Your counselor's name is hannah barnes. A chick, huh? You okay with women? Do i look gay? I don't know. What does gay look like? We got an all-boys group if you prefer. No, that's cool. Hannah, whatever.

All right, get undressed. I'm gonna search the rest of your clothes. then a doctor's gonna come in and he's gonna search your body, give you a medical. I'll take you to your dorm and show you around. all right?

Scott, if you ever want to talk for any reason, any time, I'm always available, man.

Man, i yelled it. "Bad step." Auggie, no one's blaming you. All right, Jeff, we're going to have to get you up. Can you stand on your other leg? I think so. All right, nice and slow, guys. Okay. One-three. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Easy, easy. Okay, put him down.

We're going to have to carry him. Carry him four miles? For once, queenie's right. Just leave him here. When we get back, we will have the staff come get him. Is that what you would want, Shelby, if you had a broken leg? Hey, we can go get a canoe and carry him in it. For four miles? I don't think so, freakin. You know, your adolescent name-calling is getting real old, real fast. Hey, one of those hammock things. You know, we get a sleeping bag and stick a couple of sticks through it. What are you talking about? A sling.

Living here's real simple. We share all the work. Chopping the firewood, kitchen duties, keeping the common areas clean. Everyone -- staff included. We'd never ask you to do anything we wouldn't do ourselves. You'll be expected to keep your dorm clean, along with your roommates, do your own laundry, keep up with your schoolwork, participate in groups. And if i don't? Don't worry, the guys won't be shy in telling you about it.

I don't belong here. Scott, you're here 'cause your life spun out of control. All we want to do is help you get control of it again. That's it. Heads up! What did you say? I said you must have had a good reason for giving up football. I didn't give it up. Coach threw me off. No, scott. You made a choice. You chose to use rather than play ball. Getting thrown off the team was just a consequence of that choice. Why do you think you made that choice? Why did you? Fair question. At the time I'd have to say work pressure. Problems with my wife. Problems with my father. Bottom line is, I made a stupid choice. Thought I was taking the easy way out, and I wasn't. What about you, scott? I just like getting high.

We have you assigned to bunk number five, right over here in the middle. I like what you've done with the place. What, no bars on the windows? Horizon's a school, scott. It's not a jail. There's no fences, no gates, and there's nowhere to run. Just so that you understand, you're 25 miles from the closest town. To get there, especially at night, you've got to make your way through a forest you've never seen before in the dark, fighting off carnivores the size of minivans, so if you're even thinking about it, don't bother. Tell me, i'll call you a cab, all right? Just keep in mind -- your dad chose horizon over a juvie hall or a lock-down school up the road. Those are your alternatives if you choose not to make it work here. It's up to you.

You might want to save some of this work for the kids. Yeah, well, there's plenty of other chores for them to do around here. I guess this means henry didn't give us another loan extension? Hannah and the group back yet? I'm just on my way out to check on them. Not like her to be this late. You... Don't work too hard.

( Jeff ) ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow. Careful. Ow...Ow!

( Friedkin ) I'm serious. she's got a juvenile way of showing it, but I really think that she's got a thing for me. Shelby... Oh, get serious, man. She's just messing with you. She messes with everyone, no, it's just an act. You just got to get past the smokescreen. I'm serious, e.z. The only thing that girl has behind that smokescreen is more smoke.

This sucks. How much farther do we have to go? Not too much further. We're almost there. ( Juliette ) wherever "there" is. I don't think i can make it that far. Oh, then maybe mommy should send a limo for you, queenie. Shut up, shelby. Oh, you shut up. Hey, you two got a problem with each other, we'll work it out in group.

Okay, guys, listen up. we're going to take a 10-minute break here and then it's a nice crawl to the finish. You're all doing great. I'm really proud of you. But it's right across the bridge. You can practically see the campus through those trees over there.. I say we keep going. Yeah, let's just do it, get it over with. We'll rest. We've still got to go another half mile upstream so we can climb down and toward the river. You're kidding, right? It's right across the bridge. This bridge is condemned, shelby. It's not safe. They just haven't torn it down yet. No, we stick to the trail. Help yourselves out, guys. Take a rest.

This really sucks. If it's so dangerous, why don't they tear it down? Hannah doesn't want us to use it because she wants us to get the full outdoor quest experience. There's nothing wrong with it. I bet it's perfectly safe. I'm not going to be the one to find out. You a wuss? Right, and you're not? Me? You're kidding, right?

Ezra, don't be a complete moron. Please, he's not smart enough to be a complete moron. Ezra, get off the bridge. See? It's safe. Come on. Ezra, what are you doing? Get back here. Why? It's safe. I told ya. You were just scamming us. Come on, hannah, let's cross here. Now stop fooling around and get back here, now. Come on, e.z. Don't be stupid. Get off it. You knog, you're all just a bit bunch of wusses. Ezra, do as I tell you now. Come on, guys, don't be -- ezra!

Help! Auggie, get back down river to the bend. Keep him spotted. The rest of you stay back.

Katherine, stay here.

Ezra! Help! Help! Oh, my god, he's gone! Oh, my god, help him! Ezra! Ezra, grab my hand. Grab my hand, ezra. E.Z., Grab the stick. Grab the stick! Oh, god, no! Help! No! You can't die! okay. No! Hang on. You can't die! You can't die! Don't let him die, please! Don't let him die. Let's get his pack off. It's okay, come on. Don't let him die, please! Come here, katherine. Come on. Oh, God, pelase. He's not gonna die, katherine. Don't let him die! He's not going to die. You saved him. Ezra. Tell katherine you're okay. You're okay, huh? You okay? Yeah. It's okay. Is he okay? Yeah. Dude went in for a swim. Kate jumped in, fished him right out. You okay? Huh? It's okay.

That looks interesting. Wonder who he is? ( Juliette ) I'll let you know. Yeah, right. Next life, maybe. We'll see. It's always class over crass, honey.

Get them both in the infirmary. ezra's just shaken up, but jeff's a mess. Go on. How about you? Are you okay? Yeah. Just wet, cold, tired, and hungry. That's just what a virus wants to hear. Come one. Take care of yourself. Can't afford to lose you too. Katherine, Auggie, go get some dry clothes on.

Boy, this was sure something to write home about. Yeah, if you have a home to write home to.

No, I said he was fine, but jan wants to keep him in the infirmary over night, just to be on the safe side. What about jeff? He's got a -- he's got a broken left leg, sprained wrist, numerous bee stings, and a burn which you didn't tell me about. It was a little campfire incident. Oh... That was a good quest for jeff. Don't think I can let him go out on quest again. But, peter, he loves the trail. He doesn't want to be just in the classroom all the time. I know, but next time you'll be bringing him back in a body bag.

By the way, I assigned you a new boy to your group. Scott barringer, 16, good-looking, athletic. He's an abuser, but I don't think he's an addict. Great. Just have to ice down shelby first. Yeah. And the bad news is... He's defiant, oppositional, and I suspect he's got some major issues with women. So I gave him to you. I figured you'd maybe get that out of him. Think he's gay? No, I don't think so.

Why are you acting so weird? I'm not acting weird. Yeah, you are. Totally. I'm not. There's something going on, isn't there? Peter, what is it? Something with you? No. Something with horizon? I screwed up. I didn't think to backstop frank on horizon's finances. We're in financial trouble? Big-time. How big? We're looking down the barrel of foreclosure. Oh, man.

Hey, uh, want to go get some dinner or something? What do you say? Oh, uh, I can't. I've been out in the woods for 10 days. Should probably get home and see if i still have a marriage left. Bad? Worse. Jerry wants to move now. He just hates the small-town thing. So he says. You know, geographical cures never work. Yeah. I hope jerry doesn't mind you wearing my clothes. He won't even notice.

I'm sorry. I didn't see you there. Woo! Yeah!

Mind if I sit here? I guess you're new here, huh? What do you think? Hey, chill. How am I supposed to know? I've been out busting my hump for the past 10 days in the woods on one of their stupid quests. For all I know, you could have come in last week. This morning. They assign you a group yet? Cliffhangers. Cute, huh? Cool, that's my group. Hannah's not so bad. She's a lot cooler than some of the others. What did they bust you for? Did they, uh, find your stash? Come on. I'm not going to narc you. We all try. Yeah, they got it. Has anyone around here got anything to smoke up? Uh-huh. They catch you smoking anything and they kick your butt right out of here. What's so bad about that? Yeah. I, um, found some 'shrooms in the woods. This guy ezra knows how to dry them. You up for it? Uh, sure, if i'm around. Later, huh?

Excuse me. I'll see you guys later.

How long are you gonna stay on my tail? Long as it takes. I got one nerve left, dude, and you're really working it. I hear you. It's just till you settle in. Look, we've all been where you're at, all of us. Try to chill, take the pressure off yourself. It's easy here. Just let it happen. Yeah. They're good. They can help you. Yeah? Yeah.

You know how you took me down in my house? You used to play some ball or something? A little. Some college ball. College -- I'm impressed. What, uh... Defensive end, what? Nickel back. No. I used to kill you guys. Not when you're using. In my sleep I could. Straight, high -- didn't matter. Yeah? Yeah. You guys couldn't touch me. That a fact? I'm serious. Come on, let's go. What, are you kidding me? If you want to talk the talk... I wouldn't want to embarrass you. Let's go. All right. Get ready. Go. Not bad. I couldn't get my footing. You want to make it best two out of three? I've got all day. All right. You ready? Yeah. Go. Not bad.

Scott! Scott, stop! Wait, there's nowhere to run to! Scott! scotty... Scott!

(Stepmother's voice) scotty?

(Stepmother's voice) scotty? Scotty, are you up? You up? No! You said no more. You promised.

Think we got a sighting on your boy. Great. Where? Pretty darn sure he's in town. I talked to a trucker who gave him a lift down the hill. Matches his description to a "T." Did he say where did he dropped him off? Near o'brien's. We'll do the old criss-cross thing in town. Should have him in no time. All right. I'm going to go with you. Now there's a surprise.

Is it true frank's closing the school? Henry called me into the bank, said he might need me to serve a foreclosure notice. It's true ( Radio )

1-9, mace. 1-9. Go ahead, sylvia.

( Radio ) Just got a call about a possible break-in at blanchards and back fork. On my way, sylvia. Dollars to donuts says it's your boy.

I'd feel a darn sight better if you'd just wait in the car. Don't worry. I'm gonna be careful. I'll let you go first. Stay behind me, and this time I mean it. You don't know for sure if that's your boy.

All right, son. Take it easy now. Let me talk to him. I don't want to talk! Scott, listen to me, use your head. We're not leaving, you can't stay here, so talk to me. talk about what? There's nothing to talk about. It's me or the cops. I'm the easy way out here. I'm not going anywhere with anybody. I just want to be left alone. I know. But that's not going to happen. So come on. Give me a chance. Maybe I can help you. I... Talk to me, tell me what it is. I can't go home. Don't send me home. What's happening at home, scott? Nothing. Just leave me alone. If you tell me what it is, maybe I can show you a way out. It's too late. No, no, it's never too late. Let it out, it'll stop the pain. Come on. You want the pain to stop. You don't know. Nobody knows. If my dad finds out... If your dad finds out what? Oh, god. You gotta believe me, it wasn't my fault. I believe you, I do. It wasn't my fault. I know it's not your fault. You gotta believe me, it wasn't my fault. I know. I believe you. I do. You're safe with me, Scott.





i don't, I don't want to go home. I'm not going to send you home. You're safe with me here. I don't want to go home.

I mean, I can see putting ezra on restrictions for a couple of weeks and letting him stew for a while, but scott... No, I'm sorry, I don't agree. Frank, i got this feeling in my gut. All right? I know school policy, but we can't send that kid home. What's going on at home? I don't know, he hasn't said yet. But I got a feeling it's something very toxic. You got a real soft spot for that boy, don't you? You had a soft spot for me, didn't you? Enough to save me when i had to look up to see the gutter. Remember? Yeah, well...

What about the criminal charges because that is out of our hands? Curtis is going to talk to judge ranklin, if, now if you agree. And we're going to see if she'll adjudicate him into our custody. You're going to keep that sword dangling over his head, huh? Just as a reminder if we need it. Well, I would say let me think about it, but my guess is you already did it. No, of course not. I just...sort of set the wheels in motion, if you know what i mean. After all these years, yeah, I know what you mean. Oh, yeah, okay. What the heck? In a couple of weeks we're going to have to send all these kids home anyhow.

Maybe not. I got a proposition for you. What if I was to buy horizon? Peter, how are you gonna do that? I don't know, but I'll figure it out. Meanwhile, i'm sure there's some kind of fancy legal footwork we could do to push back this foreclosure six, eight weeks. By then, hopefully, if things go right, I'll have raised the money. And if things don't? If they don't, well, then, we'll jump off that bridge when we get to it.

Go get that mountain, peter.

[fade to black]

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