Working title:
Waiting for Beckett
These are scenes from the January 8, 1998 fourth revision draft of the script for the episode The Return of Maggie Beckett written by Chris Black. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
One of our first missing bits deals with Mallory's past history. As to why this part was cut? Could be because they wanted a different history for Mallory...or maybe just for time.
This scene is near the beginning when Maggie is talking in front of her memorial...
MALLORY
Maybe. But it wasn't his decision to
make.
She turns on him.
MAGGIE
Everything was his decision to make.
MALLORY
Sounds like you two had some issues.
MAGGIE
You had it lucky. I saw the hologram
of your family. It looks like
"Leave it to Beaver".
MALLORY
Sure. Before Ward got sent to the
white collar prison farm for
embezzling from his company, and
Wally and the Beav came home from
school every day to find the car on
the lawn and June taking a "nap" on
the sofa.
MAGGIE
What?
MALLORY
(shrugs)
Thing about holographic generators.
They show you what you *want* to see.
Maggie nods. There's a moment of connection between them as we go to...
The bed and breakfast, where Diana has discovered something interesting about Roswell...
Some more missing dialogue came at the end of Diana's Roswell revelation...
MALLORY
(to Diana)
You really buy this?
DIANA
I think I always did. I became a
scientist because I figured there was
so much out there I didn't know.
Things I had to find out.
She freezes the DVD image on a shot of the extraterrestrial.
DIANA
I've got to try and meet one of them.
REMBRANDT
Count me in.
MALLORY
Good luck.
DIANA
You don't want to meet these beings?
This could be the most significant
event in the history of humankind.
REMBRANDT
Plus maybe they got some kind of
death ray we can use on the Kromaggs.
MALLORY
I'll pass. I've heard those guys
pack a pretty mean probe.
And that's where we came back in on the conversation...
The best missing scene of all comes at the beginning of Act Two. For some reason, some great alternate history was deleted...
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
EXT. STREET - DAY
Remmy and Diana move up the street toward the bed and breakfast. Diana looks a bit glum.
DIANA
I guess it was too much to hope that
Fresno would have a Reticulan Embassy.
Remmy is flipping through a hardcover book. The cover shows a picture of a Reticulan "grey" alien.
REMBRANDT
According to this the little guys
don't hang here on Earth very much.
Still a little touchy about us
dissecting their peace emissary, I
guess.
DIANA
I wish we could have met one. Think
of everything they've given humanity.
REMBRANDT
More than just velcro, apparently.
DIANA
What do you mean?
He flips the book shut.
REMBRANDT
This world's entire history from the
time the aliens showed up is
different. The Vietnam War never
happened here. Neither did
Watergate. JFK wasn't assassinated
because Lee Harvey Oswald warned the
FBI the Cubans were planning to kill
him. He's a national hero.
As they walk we can hear the sound of an EXCITED CROWD rising in the background.
DIANA
All because the government didn't
cover up the alien's arrival.
REMBRANDT
Welcome to a world where Americans
didn't lose faith in their government.
DIANA
Doesn't give Oliver Stone much to do.
The rising HUBBUB of the crowd finally draws their attention, and they now see the mob crowding around the bed and breakfast. In the alley we can see Maggie and Mallory being jostled by the crowd.
REMBRANDT
Dammit, I warned her to keep out of
sight.
Diana and Remmy rush toward...
EXT. ALLEY - DAY
The mob is pulling at Maggie trying to get a piece of her.
MALLORY
Maggie!
He gets a hold of Maggie and tried to pull her clear as the crowd continues to shout: "Where did you come from!" "You're a fake! How dare you!" etc.
MAGGIE
It's a mistake! I'm not her!
Remmy and Diana force their way into the crowd, trying to push their way through to Maggie and Mallory.
REMBRANDT
Maggie!
(shoving people aside)
Out of the way!
DIANA
Leave her alone!
Remmy and Diana are making some headway, but just as they're about to break through to Maggie and Mallory...
A BLACK VAN
screeches up behind Maggie and Mallory. The doors fly open and a pair of dark-suited men leap out. They grab Maggie and Mallory and haul them into the van.
Another small missing lne from when Remmy started calling all agencies...
DIANA
Who are we talking about? NASA? The
Air Force?
Remmy grabs a phone book.
REMBRANDT
That's a place to start. If this
world really has no secrets, maybe
we can get a straight answer from
somebody. For once.
As he reaches for the phone, we go to...
The scene of Maggie and Mallory talking to the leader...just as we saw.
Another small missing line at the end of Act Two...
REMBRANDT
She won't go along with him. She'll
tell anyone who'll listen she's no
astronaut.
THE GENERAL
Exactly. That's why she's more
valuable to him dead than alive.
Remmy and Diana exchange a concerned look.
REMBRANDT
How do we know you're telling us the
truth?
The General reacts with surprise, maybe even a little hurt by the insinuation that he'd be anything but honest with them.
THE GENERAL
Why would I lie?
As Remmy and Diana share a look of dread, we...
FADE OUT:
END OF ACT TWO
And in the original script, The Leader had an extra feature he forgot to mention in the final version...
THE LEADER
Oh sure, I got massively increased
brain capacity, supernumerary nipples
and an extra set of eyelids. But I
haven't found many women who dig the
look.
And The General had an extra line that was left out when he was talking to Maggie in his office...
MAGGIE
(a deep breath)
I'm Maggie Beckett.
GENERAL BECKETT
I thought we'd already ruled that out.
MAGGIE
I told you the truth might surprise
you. Surprise.
He looks at her for a long beat.
GENERAL BECKETT
I want to show you something.
He gestures towards the door.
And then we cut back to The Leader talking with other Sliders like we saw it...
A small missing bit to the beginning of Act Four...
ACT FOUR
FADE IN:
INT. GENERAL BECKETT'S OFFICE - NIGHT
The General stands at a small bar and pours himself a drink. Maggie watches him carefully.
MAGGIE
General?
He takes a sip.
GENERAL BECKETT
I'm sorry, may I offer you something?
She shakes her head.
MAGGIE
*Sir*?
(he finally looks at
her)
What happened to her?
GENERAL BECKETT
We didn't lose the Intrepid crew in
sapce.
And that's about where we came in...
A nice little quip from Mallory was deleted...
THE LEADER
Perhaps not. I've had a theory that
the Reticulans may have used a
transdimensional dirve system to make
the journey here from the homeworld.
DIANA
Interesting. It would make
interstellar travel feasible. I'd
love to hear your theory.
The Leader is clearly flustered by Diana's attention.
THE LEADER
Well, yes... I suppose I could. If
you like...
MALLORY
(aside; to Diana)
Careful, he could be dangerous if
aroused.
REMBRANDT
(to the Leader)
You help us and we'll give you proof
that it's possible to travel between
universes.
And why was General Beckett different from our Maggie's Dad just for surviving that crash? The original script explained...
MAGGIE
He was on a diplomatic mission when
the helicopter he was on was shot
down. Everyone on board was killed.
GENERAL BECKETT
(nods)
I lost six good men on that shoot-
down. Fine Marines. I was in rehab
for five months, but I didn't die.
MAGGIE
Maybe that's why you're different
from him. You lived through an
experience that made you appreciate
what you had.
GENERAL BECKETT
You know, before that chopper went
down I never told Maggie I loved
her.
(looking her in the
eye)
Just because I never *said* it...
Maggie nods, moved.
GENERAL BECKETT
I've scheduled a press conference in
half an hour.
And a couple of missing lines later in that conversation...
MAGGIE
And we'll pretend this never happened.
He opens his hands, "What can I say?"
MAGGIE
I won't do it.
GENERAL BECKETT
You'll do as you're told.
MAGGIE
You're not my father.
(then)
And even if you were I wouldn't do
it. Not this time, General.
GENERAL BECKETT
Then you'll sit in a holding cell
until you change your mind. And if
that means you miss your "sliding
window," so be it.
MAGGIE
You're sending me to my room? Is
that how you treated your Maggie? Is
this the respect you showed her?
GENERAL BECKETT
I'm letting her rest with dignity.
MAGGIE
You're the one who's dishonoring her
with this charade, not me. You're no
better than that crackpot Leader --
he's chasing lies that don't exist,
but you're making them real.
The General presses a button on his desk phone.
And Maggie is taken away only to escape...just as we saw it.
And for some reason, the first sentence of the General's television speech was deleted...
GENERAL BECKETT
(on television)
I had to put an end to the rumors
surrounding the Intrepid and her
crew. I take complete and sole
responsibility for this terrible
deceit. I have done a disservice
both to the people of this country.
And to the astronauts of Intrepid.
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