BOGGSXFILES
TRUTH STILL MATTERS
Transcripts / Season 3 / Talitha Cumi
Season 3 · Episode 24

Talitha Cumi

Character-labelled dialogue prepared from the official DVD subtitle track.

Production code3X24Original airdate · May 17, 1996
300 dialogue entries
Scene 01

ARLINGTON, VI

Harold Muntz

Ohh! Oooh-ooh. "we've given your grievances a lot of consideration." yeah. But no, don't think you're not expendable. No. He never once said I was doing a good job. All my hard work. Nobody ever stuck up for me. [ panting ] they were all treated special. All right, nobody moves!

Diner Patron

Oh, no. Oh!

Harold Muntz

Everybody stays! [ woman screams ] shut up! I said shut up! Now listen to me! Everyone listen to me. Okay, the children can go. Everybody else, nobody moves!

Waitress

I need the police, quick!

Harold Muntz

Do you hear me? I said, nobody else moves!

[ whimpering ]

[ children crying ]

Diner Patron

Come on!

Jeremiah Smith

Please don't harm anyone.

Harold Muntz

Get away! I'll shoot!

Jeremiah Smith

You're frightening these people.

Harold Muntz

I'll do it! Hey! I will do it.

Jeremiah Smith

They've done nothing to you.

Harold Muntz

Oh, you don't know.

Jeremiah Smith

Give me the gun.

Harold Muntz

[ sighs ] I am not a loser.

Jeremiah Smith

No, you're not.

Harold Muntz

They made me do it. [ police radio dispatcher, faint ] they made me.

Jeremiah Smith

But you're not going to do it.

Diner Patron

Can you believe this?

Jeremiah Smith

You're gonna show them. [ shouting, faint ] you're gonna show them.

[ door opens ]

[ police radio dispatcher, louder ]

Harold Muntz

No!

[ gunshots ]

[ patrons screaming ]

[ gunshot ]

[ groaning ]

Police Officer

Stay down!

[ sighs ]

[ panting ]

Harold Muntz

I'm gonna die.

Jeremiah Smith

Nobody's going to die.

Scene 02

Scene 02

Police Officer

Let's move back. Move back now. Sorry. Back. Back, please.

Dana Scully

Where are the wounded?

Paramedic

What?

Dana Scully

I'm FBI where are the people who were shot?

Paramedic

Everybody's inside, but you aren't gonna find any wounded.

Fox Mulder

You the first medic on the scene?

Paramedic

Yes, sir.

Fox Mulder

What happened?

Paramedic

It doesn't make any sense. We got a call that there'd been a shooting-- at least one man was down-- but when we got here there wasn't a damn thing to do.

[ woman sobbing ]

Dana Scully

I'm special agent Scully, FBI I want to talk to somebody who can tell me what happened.

Detective

I can tell you what I saw, but I don't think there's a man here who can tell you what happened.

Dana Scully

What did you see?

Detective

You should talk to this man. He was one of the ones shot.

Dana Scully

You were shot?

Man

Right here. Right in the stomach. I felt the bullet enter me, and the next thing I remember was being on the floor. My legs and arms were numb, and I could taste blood in my throat. Then I see the man's face.

Dana Scully

What man?

Man

The same guy who tried to talk the gun guy out of hurting anyone.

Dana Scully

What did he do?

Man

He touched me, and he said I was gonna be okay. Then all of the sudden I could feel my legs and arms again.

Harold Muntz

Who are you?

Fox Mulder

My name is Fox Mulder. I'm an FBI agent. I understand you've been read your rights. Will you talk to me, mr. Muntz? Can you tell me what happened?

Harold Muntz

God... Spared my life today. He took pity on my soul and he washed away my sins.

Fox Mulder

How do you mean?

Harold Muntz

He reached down and he healed me with his hand, with the palm of his hand.

Fox Mulder

Who did?

Harold Muntz

A man. A holy man. All I can think is, it must have been the good lord himself.

Fox Mulder

Did you talk to him?

Dana Scully

Who?

Fox Mulder

The shooter described a man who reached down and healed him with the palm of his hand.

Dana Scully

He's gone.

Fox Mulder

They let him leave the scene?

Dana Scully

Well, nobody let him leave. He was in custody, they were talking to him, and somehow he just disappeared.

Fox Mulder

Just vanished?

Dana Scully

Without a trace.

Scene 03

QUONOCHAUTAUG, RHODE ISLAND

Cigarette-Smoking Man

It struck me as I was sitting here.

Mrs. Mulder

What?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Everything changes but the sea.

Mrs. Mulder

What do you want from me?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I thought we might at least allow ourselves to reminisce.

Mrs. Mulder

I have nothing to say to you.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Really? We used to have so much to say to each other. So many good times at the Mulder summer place. Young and energetic. I remember water-skiing down there with bill. He was a good water-skier, your husband. Not as good as I was, but then... That could be said about so many things. Couldn't it?

Mrs. Mulder

I've repressed it all.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Well, I find that hard to believe. Particularly since I've come here today... To ask you to remember something. Something I'm going to have to ask you to try very hard to recollect.

Scene 04

Scene 04

[ shutter clicking ]

Detective

Yeah, he gave his name as Jeremiah Smith of suitland, virginia. He gave a p.o. Box that's turned out to be a phony. He had no driver's license.

Fox Mulder

All the cars in the parking lot have been accounted for?

Detective

Yeah, which means he must've walked from somewhere nearby. We've got a canvas out.

Dana Scully

And you talked to him personally.

Detective

Yeah. Damnedest thing, and I swear this is how it happened. I look down at my notebook to write something, I look up, the guy's not standing there anymore. It was like he just disappeared.

[ van engine starts ]

[ phone beeps ]

Dana Scully

Thank you.

Fox Mulder

Mulder.

Woman'S Voice

This is asst. Director Skinner's office. Would you please hold for him?

Fox Mulder

Yeah.

Walter Skinner

Agent Mulder.

Fox Mulder

Uh-huh.

Walter Skinner

I just received a call here that might cause you some alarm.

Fox Mulder

What is it?

Walter Skinner

Your mother's just been admitted to a hospital in serious condition. A small coastal town in Rhode Island called, uh, quono--

Fox Mulder

Quonochontaug? I'm on my way.

[ machinery beeping ]

Scene 05

THE HOSPITAL

Dana Scully

The nurse said she had a stroke. They don't yet know the nature or severity of it, but the doctor's on his way down.

Fox Mulder

She's cold.

Dana Scully

Mulder, I don't want to jump to conclusions. I don't want you to think the worst. People recover from these situations all of the time.

Fox Mulder

Mom.

Nurse

She hasn't been able to speak. She's been in and out of consciousness.

Fox Mulder

How did she get here?

Nurse

A 9-1-1 call came in. The paramedics from shelter harbor... Found her on the floor of the house.

Fox Mulder

Mom. Hi. It's okay. Everything's gonna be okay. What is it? What do you want?

Dana Scully

I think she wants something to write on.

Fox Mulder

Palm?

[ door slides open ]

[ doctor, paramedics conversing ]

Dana Scully

She's had what's called a subarachnoid hemorrhage. But they're very hopeful because the circulation was restored so quickly. She's gonna be under constant supervision... And the best care in the hospital up in providence. It could be a lot worse.

Fox Mulder

Thanks.

Dana Scully

You okay?

Fox Mulder

Yeah, I'm, um-- I just can't help thinking there's a correlation.

Dana Scully

Correlation?

Fox Mulder

A connection to the shootings at the fast food restaurant.

Dana Scully

I'm sorry, I-- I don't understand.

Fox Mulder

My mother wrote the word "palm." that's what the man who healed the victims used-- the palm of his hand. Y-you think it's a leap?

Dana Scully

Mulder, there's no deep mystery here. Your mother is at the right age... For something like this to happen.

Fox Mulder

Yeah, but why the word "palm"?

Dana Scully

Well, there could be several reasons. But to be honest, I don't think it means anything. Her brain and her thought processes... Have been-- have been radically changed by what's happened. It could very well have affected her center of speech, her language.

Fox Mulder

But you can't explain it exactly. Nor can it be explained how the wounded were miraculously healed... Or how the man who healed them vanished into thin air.

Dana Scully

I'm sure it can and will be. Mulder, I'm gonna drive you to the nearest motel. It's been a very long day.

Fox Mulder

I wanna go back to D.C.

Dana Scully

To do what?

Fox Mulder

I wanna find out who this miracle man is.

Scene 06

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Fox Mulder

This is everything shot by the first news crew on the scene. Outtakes and unedited footage.

Dana Scully

Did they get any tape of the man in question?

Fox Mulder

Yeah, at 8:22. There. That must be him.

Dana Scully

Whoa! What happened there?

Fox Mulder

Yeah, he's gone. Where did he go? Did you see that?

Dana Scully

Y-yeah.

Fox Mulder

It's like he's gone, but there's somebody else in his place... Wearing the same clothes.

Dana Scully

Could that be another detective?

Fox Mulder

Why don't you find out.

Dana Scully

Where are you going?

Fox Mulder

If I told you, you'd never let me go.

Dana Scully

Mulder, you haven't slept in almost 24 hours.

Fox Mulder

Call me if you find anything.

Scene 09

QUONOCHAUTAUG

[ sighs ]

Office Worker

No, not at this point.

[ radio: dispatcher, indistinct ]

[ radio: indistinct ]

Office Worker

All right. Wait, wait--

[ thunder rumbling ]

X

He was here with her.

Fox Mulder

What?

X

With your mother. The cancer man.

Fox Mulder

What are you talking about?

X

Maybe I can bring you up to speed, agent Mulder.

Fox Mulder

Did you take these?

X

They had quite an argument, as you might gather. You seem surprised. Surely you were aware they knew each other. Or what brought them here together.

Fox Mulder

Did he hurt her?

X

No. No, she collapsed after he left. I dare say, if I hadn't been here to make the call, she might not have survived.

Fox Mulder

What did they argue about?

X

I don't know. I was forced to keep a discreet distance.

Fox Mulder

You must've had some idea, or else you wouldn't have followed them here.

X

He wants something from her, something she may have kept in this house. Unless you know another reason they would've chosen to meet here.

Fox Mulder

The day my parents divorced, my mother vowed never to set foot in this summer house again. I know my mother. She kept her word.

X

It could be something very old. Certainly something very important.

Fox Mulder

I have no idea what that could be.

X

No idea at all?

Fox Mulder

No.

Scene 10

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Dana Scully

Sir? Excuse me. I--

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

Yes?

Dana Scully

Are you Jeremiah Smith?

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

Yes. I'm afraid there's been some mistake. I saw my photo on the news saying I fled a crime scene. I'm here to turn myself in.

Dana Scully

Uh, would you come with me, sir? Mm-hmm.

Scene 11

IN AN OFFICE

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

From the moment I stepped from the crowd and asked the man to put down his gun, it seemed like... A dream, as if I was out of my body.

Dana Scully

There were reports-- somewhat fantastic reports-- about what happened next.

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

I know. I saw the news reports. I'll have to say that I don't remember any of it. Nothing.

Detective

You gave me a wrong address, sir. Then you left the crime scene during the interview.

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

I don't remember that. I'm sorry.

Walter Skinner

What do you remember, mr. Smith?

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

I remember showing up for work the next day, being at my desk. That's my first recollection.

Walter Skinner

At the social security administration?

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

I'm not sure what I've done wrong.

Dana Scully

You haven't done anything wrong, sir.

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

May I go?

Walter Skinner

Yes. But until this matter is resolved completely, I'd ask that you notify us if you'll be out of town for any reason.

[ sighs ]

Walter Skinner

Agent Scully?

Scene 13

Scene 13

Cigarette-Smoking Man

This becomes a responsibility, a thing that I'm now called upon to put right and put down. Certainly you expected nothing less.

Jeremiah Smith

I'm not ashamed of my actions.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

"ashamed"? You're not allowed the luxury of human weakness and penitence. You're not allowed to put your indulgences ahead of the greater purpose.

Jeremiah Smith

I no longer believe in "the greater purpose."

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Then your fate is just.

Jeremiah Smith

My justice is not for you to mete out. You may have reason. You have no right. You have no means either.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

You presume to dictate duty to me? Have you any idea what the cost of your actions is? What their affect might be? Who are you to give them hope?

Jeremiah Smith

What do you give them?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

We give them happiness, and they give us authority.

Jeremiah Smith

The authority to take away their freedom under the guise of democracy.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Men can never be free... Because they're weak, corrupt, worthless... And restless. The people believe in authority. They've grown tired of waiting for miracle and mystery. Science is their religion. No greater explanation exists for them. They must never believe any differently... If the project is to go forward.

Jeremiah Smith

At what cost to them?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

The question's irrelevant, and the outcome inevitable. The date is set.

Jeremiah Smith

At what cost to them for your own selfish benefit? How many must die at your hand... To preserve your stake in the project?

[ knocks on door ]

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I'm not impressed by your miracles or moved by your trickery. Your justice will be meted out.

Jeremiah Smith

By whom this time? And by what tool?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

By those who possess the tool of your destruction.

Scene 14

FBI HEADQUARTERS

Fox Mulder

Hold his calls. I want his name, I want to know everything about him.

Walter Skinner

Excuse me?

Fox Mulder

I want the smoking man exposed to be the murdering son of a bitch that he is.

Walter Skinner

What's your problem, Mulder?

Dana Scully

Where have you been?

Fox Mulder

At our summer house. He was there with my mother. He's the reason for what happened to her.

Walter Skinner

Where did you get these?

Fox Mulder

It doesn't matter where I got those. The thing that matters is that that man is called to answer. Now I want his name!

Walter Skinner

I don't know his name!

Fox Mulder

You know how to get it!

Walter Skinner

These men don't have names!

Fox Mulder

Then you tell me how to find him!

Walter Skinner

There was a time when I might have been able to tell you how to contact him, but that time has passed.

Fox Mulder

He knows about the man that disappeared from the restaurant shooting.

Dana Scully

What are you talking about?

Fox Mulder

He's trying to kill him.

Dana Scully

He just came in yesterday. He turned himself in.

Fox Mulder

What?

Dana Scully

He-- he gave a statement.

Fox Mulder

Where is he now?

Dana Scully

He works for the social security administration. We're looking for Jeremiah Smith.

Scene 15

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Fox Mulder

Mr. Smith?

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

Hello.

Fox Mulder

I'm with the FBI I'd like you to come with me.

Alien Bounty Hunter (as Jeremiah Smith)

For what? I've told you everything I know. I thought they said you'd call if there was anything. No, of course not. I'll come along. Can you tell me where you're taking me?

Fox Mulder

We'll have plenty of time to talk, sir.

Bystander

Hey! Watch it! What's his problem?

Fox Mulder

Do you see him?

Dana Scully

No, I lost him.

Scene 16

PRISON

Cigarette-Smoking Man

It's only a matter of time now.

Jeremiah Smith

You put me in a cage within a cage. Why are you so afraid of me?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I'm not.

Jeremiah Smith

Yes, you are. You live in fear. That's your whole life.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

You don't know anything about me.

Jeremiah Smith

I know everything about you. You think the miracles I perform are the extent of my power.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

You think you're god. You're a drone, a cataloger. Chattel.

Jeremiah Smith

What you're afraid of is, they'll believe I am god.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

It doesn't matter. Most of them have ceased to believe in god.

Jeremiah Smith

Why?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Because god presents them with no miracles to earn their faith.

Jeremiah Smith

You think when man ceases to believe in miracles, he rejects god?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Of course.

Jeremiah Smith

You rule over them in god's name.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

They don't believe in him, but they still fear him. They're afraid not to, because they're afraid of freedom.

Jeremiah Smith

And you give them happiness.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

We appease their conscience. Anyone who can appease a man's conscience can take his freedom away from him.

Jeremiah Smith

And if you can't appease their conscience, you kill them. But you can't kill them all. You can't kill their love, which is what makes them who they are, makes them better than us, better than you.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

You talk. I'm not one of you.

Jeremiah Smith

No. All you want is to be a part of it, to be one of the commandants when the process begins. But you are wrong.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Oh, am I?

Jeremiah Smith

Yes. You are dying of lung cancer.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

That's a lie.

Jeremiah Smith

You think it's a lie?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

You want to save your life.

Jeremiah Smith

And you?

Scene 18

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

Doctor

We had been hopeful, but there was substantial blood loss during the stroke event... Which had put a lot of pressure on the brain.

Fox Mulder

will she regain consciousness? -

Doctor

I know this is hard, but she may not. I can be paged if you need me.

Fox Mulder

Thank you.

[ click ]

Fox Mulder

You gonna smoke that, or you wanna smoke on this?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Are you giving me a choice?

Fox Mulder

I should shoot you right here, but they'd probably save you.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

Do it. Do it, agent Mulder.

Fox Mulder

Or maybe put a bullet through your brain so you'll be bedridden like my mother.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

How is she?

Fox Mulder

What do you care?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I've known your mother since before you were born, Fox.

Fox Mulder

I don't care.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I'd gone to see her recently.

Fox Mulder

Yeah, and I know what you were looking for.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I wasn't looking for anything. It's what she was looking for, actually. She contacted me.

Fox Mulder

You're a liar!

Cigarette-Smoking Man

I had information, possibly, on the whereabouts of your sister.

Fox Mulder

Where is she? Where is she?

Cigarette-Smoking Man

It seems the man who had the information has disappeared.

Fox Mulder

I have what you want.

Cigarette-Smoking Man

There's nothing I want, agent Mulder, except to see how your mother's doing.

Scene 20

Scene 20

Cigarette-Smoking Man

How is mrs. Mulder?

[ beeping ]

X

Do you have it? Do you have it?

Fox Mulder

Yes.

X

Give it to me.

Fox Mulder

I can't do that.

X

It's of no value to you.

Fox Mulder

And to you?

X

When the time comes, when the truth is finally determined, its value will soar.

Fox Mulder

Why?

X

I think you know why, agent Mulder.

[ tires screeching ]

Fox Mulder

It's a weapon, isn't it? Used to Pierce the back of the neck. It's the only way we can kill them.

X

A simple gunshot won't do.

Fox Mulder

Why do you want it?

X

They will kill you for it, agent Mulder. That's a fact. They'll stop at nothing for it, nothing. Even if they have to martyr you and risk turning your work into a crusade.

Fox Mulder

Let me get clear on something here. What we're talking about is colonization. The date is set, isn't it?

X

Give me the weapon, agent Mulder.

Fox Mulder

No. You shoot me and you'll never find it.

X

I ought to shoot you anyway. After everything I've given you.

Fox Mulder

I'm walking away.

X

You're a dead man, agent Mulder. One way or the other.

[ dial tone, dialing ]

Scene 21

SCULLY IS BACK HOME

[ knock on door ]

[ knocking continues ] [ beeps off ]

Dana Scully

Who is it?

Jeremiah Smith

Jeremiah Smith. Please let me in.

[ hammer cocks ]

Jeremiah Smith

I want you to put your hands up where I can see them. Okay, I want you to keep your hands up. I'm gonna unlock the door. I want you to count to five, come in, close the door and lock it behind you.

Dana Scully

Keep your hands up, please.

Jeremiah Smith

I have important information for you, something your partner has been seeking. It concerns an elaborate plan-- a project-- and his sister.

Dana Scully

Why didn't you tell me before?

Jeremiah Smith

I've never spoken to you before. The man you spoke to was an impostor sent here to kill me.

Dana Scully

Who are you?

Jeremiah Smith

I'll explain everything.

[ phone rings ]

[ ringing continues ]

Dana Scully

Yeah.

Fox Mulder

Scully, it's me.

Dana Scully

Mulder, where are you?

Fox Mulder

I've been up with my mother. Listen to me--

Dana Scully

Mulder, listen to me. There's somebody here you need to talk to.

Fox Mulder

Who?

Dana Scully

Jeremiah Smith.

Fox Mulder

Get out of your apartment. They're looking for him. I want you to meet me.

Dana Scully

Where?

Fox Mulder

Off the I-95. Bond mill road.

Scene 22

EXTERIOR, NIGHT, CAR ARRIVES AND STOPS

Fox Mulder

Scully! Scully, move away from him. Come stand behind me.

Jeremiah Smith

I've come to you at great risk. I mean you no harm. I have a long and complicated story to tell you.

Dana Scully

He knows about your sister.

Fox Mulder

How do I know you're for real?

Jeremiah Smith

I was at that restaurant. I healed those people.

Dana Scully

Yes, but how?

Jeremiah Smith

I can explain everything to you.

Fox Mulder

First I want you to come somewhere with me. Come with me to see my mother.

Jeremiah Smith

He's here to kill me.

About this transcript

The dialogue comes from the official DVD subtitle track supplied by Boggsfiles. Speaker and scene attribution was cross-checked against character-labelled reference material. Subtitle wording is preserved while capitalization and spacing are standardized for easier reading.