Post 2
In Mikey's jail cell, Duncan and Richie have a hard time getting Mikey
to interact with them until Richie shows him a model train that he
bought Mikey and an engineer's cap. Mikey puts on the cap and they
lead him out of the cell.
Later Richie tells Duncan that he found a school called St. Simon's
which is built on holy ground and will take Mikey. On the way they
take Mikey to a switching yard. Richie mentions that they're near
McMahon Pass where the Coast Starlight goes through a tunnel on its
way to Los Angeles. "Let's go," says Mikey with enthusiasm. At this
point, Tyler King, the K'Immie who is after Mikey, shows up. Richie
shepherds Mikey away while Duncan fights Tyler King.
The cops try to stop Mikey. They have a warrant for his arrest for
the murder of his former caretakers, Alan and Helen. Mikey doesn't
stop when a cop tells him to do it. Richie pleads with the cop not to
shoot Mikey. He says that he can handle Mikey. Then he tells Mikey
to get on the ground, but Mikey attacks and kills the cops.
Mikey runs back to the switching yard and Richie runs after him.
Richie assures Mikey that they would leave soon, but Duncan finds the
dead cops and realizes that there is no longer any place for Mikey.
"It wasn't his fault. He was scared," Richie argues. Duncan tells
Richie that he can't hide Mikey and Mikey can't stay in a cell
forever. Richie says that he'd find a place far away. Since Mikey
had confessed what happened to Alan and Helen, Duncan points out that
they had already tried that. Richie finally understands that Mikey is
out of options except the tried and true solution to all Immortal
problems. Duncan says "I'll do it." Richie responds that he will.
Richie considers Mikey his responsibility.
Richie brings Mikey into the McMahon Pass tunnel ostensibly to look at
the Coast Starlight. Mikey goes in first and Richie draws his sword
saying that he's sorry. "I didn't want to hurt anyone," says Mikey.
"I know you didn't," says Richie sadly. The train is coming. Mikey
decides that the train itself should behead him. He lays his head on
the track. Richie stands against the tunnel wall as the train beheads
Mikey. After the train p*****, the quickening overwhelms him. Richie
collapses on the track.
In the final scene, Richie comes to Duncan's fixer upper. Duncan is
working on the house. Richie asks if he can help. Duncan asks him if
he wants to talk about Mikey. "What's there to say?" says Richie.
They hear a train whistle in the distance and may be seeing the same
vision of Mikey in "train heaven" that is displayed on the screen.
Questions For Further Study
1) When Duncan finds Richie he's a homeless street urchin. Do you
think Richie identified with Mikey on any level?
2) Do you think Richie's impulse to help Mikey is praisworthy?
3) Did Richie disapprove of Duncan's decision to buy the fixer upper?
4) Why is Richie angry at the cops for arresting Mikey the first time
when Mikey assaulted them? What did Richie think the police should do
with someone who assaults them?
5) Richie normally isn't the kind of person who wonders about the
nature of the universe. What is it about this situation that causes
Richie to speculate about whether the universe is random or not? Do
you think Richie is satisfied by Duncan's answer that he thinks
there's a divine plan?
6)Why is Richie confident that he can control Mikey when he pleads
with the cops not to shoot him? Does he have good grounds for
believing that Mikey would obey him?
7)Would the situation have been better if Mikey had been shot,
tem****arily killed and taken to the morgue? What would Richie have
done with an officially dead Mikey?
8)Does Richie blame himself for Mikey's death? What could Richie have
done differently that could have prevented it?
9)Do you think Richie ever told Duncan that Mikey was beheaded by the
Coast Starlight?
I felt sorry for Richie by the end of this episode. It was a very sad
situation.
Next time I'll be posting about Duncan in "The Innocent".
Professor Shomeret
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