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It's time for King Silas to sign the peace treaty with Gath, but the Gathian leader refuses to sign until he gets to talk to David, since he's responsible for the peace in the first place. Little does David know that Silas just ordered him assassinated as soon as the treaty is signed. David drops everything and runs to a dinner with the Gathians, where of course he charms the pants off everyone. Despite all that, the Gathians declare that the written version of the treaty isn't what they agreed to, and they refuse to sign.
David has a talk with the Good Rev about portents and signs and realizes that he should never have jumped when the King called. The King finds out that CrossGen has pulled all their money from the treasury, so he goes to visit Abaddon, a the former king of a territory Silas conquered. Old Abaddon has been in prison since, and Silas told everyone he was dead, but Abaddon also knows where his former kingdom's gold is hidden. Silas tells Abaddon that one of his loved ones is still alive in order to get the treasure out of him, which apparently works. Meanwhile, Queen Rose goes to tell her brother to cut the shit.
Disenchanted with politics, David prepares to head home with his mom, but when he sees a sign that he should stay, he commandeers a taxi and rams the Gathian convoy as it leaves the city, which halts the procession. Silas shows up and negotiates a peace treaty by giving up a prosperous port city to the Gathians if the peace lasts for six months. Since it's Silas, you know there's some sort of ulterior motive, though it's yet to be revealed.
Jack gets pissy because he doesn't get invited to the peace treaty dinner, and the press wonders why. He takes a bunch of his military buddies out for a shopping spree on the King's dime except OOPS! His credit card is tied to the now bankrupt treasury, so it's denied.
Michelle helps Mrs. Shepherd, who is trying to get death benefits for David's brother from Veteran's Affairs. Later, Silas reminds his daughter of a mysterious vow that she took which he thinks will disrupt her burgeoning relationship with David. When David sees her after the signing of the peace treaty, she blows him off.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see what vlogger Sean Crespo thinks of Manhattan--er, Gilboa in No Prior Knowledge!
Want more? The full recap starts right below!It's a dark and stormy day in Gilboa. King Silas stands on a rooftop as the rain pours down on him and the thunder pounds around him. He raises his hands up to the heavens and yells out, "Don't GOOOOOOO!" and then a bunch of pigeons take flight and swarm around him. Huh?
Oh. Turns out it's a dream that David is having, I guess. Because then they cut to David sleeping, and his dead brother is sitting by his bedside, and the brother also says, "Don't go." David wakes up and realizes he's alone in his tiny apartment with the giant piano. But do you get that "don't go" is an important phrase? I think you do.
Back at the palace (is it a palace, really? I'm just going to call it that so you know I mean the King's house), there are lots of pigeons everywhere. I think Gilboa has a pigeon problem. What's the natural predator of the pigeon, anyway? I just looked it up, and the answer is everything from hawks to raccoons. The more you know. The King stands on his balcony, reads the newspaper with its headlines about peace with Gath, and watches the pigeons flying over the city. Pigeons, doves, Holy Spirit. It's all symbolic.
Queen Rose is commanding over an army of servants, explaining to them that it's important to be perfect today. They are preparing for a dinner with the leaders of Gath, so that a peace treaty can be signed. The Queen feels that if they do their jobs properly, the treaty is more likely to be signed. So she's like the Gilboan Martha Stewart.
Thomasina walks out to the balcony to fetch the king. He takes one last sip of his coffee and notes that a pigeon has pooped on the saucer. Thomasina orders the doormen to "mind the eaves" and get rid of the pigeons.
Queen Rose helps Silas with his tie, reminding him that there are going to be a lot of photos today as the historic peace treaty is signed, so he has to look sharp. She also commends him for brokering this treaty himself, without the Reverend's help. As the Gathians approach outside, Silas meets with Edward James Almost, his pock-marked General, and admits that David needs to be taken out. He wants the General to do it as soon as the treaty is signed, and keep it quiet. And based on what happened to Dead Man Walking in the episode, we know that can be done in this universe.
David carries a television into his apartment so he can watch the coverage of the treaty-signing. They must not have converted to digital yet in Gilboa, because he just plugs this huge television in and gets perfect reception. The Gathian contingent is heavily military, suggesting that Gath is more of a military dictatorship than a monarchy or whatever. It consists of that Italian guy from Oz -- who is the leader, General Shaw -- and Miguel Ferrer. Did you guys know he's George Clooney's cousin? Seriously. His mother is Rosemary Clooney. Anyway, Silas and Shaw banter a bit and then prepare to sign the treaty for the cameras.
Meanwhile, in his apartment. David is watching. His mom shows up, and he tries to get her to watch the signing, since he feels it is the reason his brother died. Mama just wants to go pick up her death benefit check and get back home. In case you didn't pick up on this, Mama Shepherd isn't so enamored with the king or the government or David being involved in any of that.
As the two leaders prepare to sign, Miguel Ferrer advises his leader not to sign before they have a chance to check the language and make sure it's what they agreed upon. Shaw also wants to know why David Shepherd isn't there, since it was his actions that led to the treaty in the first place. Watching at home, David wonders why they aren't signing and his mother is all negative about the government and telling David to just move back home. Finally, Silas has someone call David and summon him. David runs out the door over his mother's protests. She even says the magic words of the episode: "Don't go." He goes anyway.
The doormen are having a hard time getting rid of the pigeons. That's all I have to say about that. I mean, I enjoy the comic relief and all that, but their little subplot doesn't gain any importance until the end of the episode, at which point I will fully recap all of the details.
David is being briefed by Thomasina on how to behave at the treaty dinner, like what glass to use and what fork to use, and she warns him that one slip-up could ruin the Gath peace. Really? If he uses the wrong fork, they're just going to storm away from the table? That's hardcore, dude. Michelle shows up and offers to help David's mom get her check at Veteran's Affairs. Silas grouses from the doorway that it's time to go. As they walk down the stairs, David thanks Silas for negotiating this peace, and Silas says that it's tough being king, and all he can do is look for signs and try to interpret them. He advises David to do the same. So if David wasn't already trying to figure out what his crazy dreams meant, now his mind is working overtime. David realizes that his role today is to shut up. Let's see how well he sticks to that vow.
They enter the fancy dining room and David is introduced to General Shaw, who compliments David's bravery on the battlefield, when he waved the bloody sheet. Jack swaggers over but is stopped before he can enter the dining room and is told that he wasn't assigned a seat at the table. As he exits, humiliated, the press asks why he was shut out, and he claims that he was just telling them he couldn't attend, since he has more important things to do.
Michelle heads down to Veteran's Affairs, which is your typical gloomy bureaucratic office with long lines, where she finds Mrs. Shepherd and offers to help her get through the red tape. Mrs. Shepherd acknowledges Michelle's charms but says that she needs David to come home, not because he doesn't belong in the city, but because she's afraid he does. She gives a big speech about how a mother knows when her child is special, but people with a destiny usually die old and unhappy or too young, and that's not what she wants for David. Michelle doesn't have much to say about that.
The treaty dinner begins. Shaw addresses David directly, asking if his country is ready for peace. David explains that the treaty is so important that he's afraid to answer any questions. After an awkward pause, Shaw laughs and Silas toasts David. General Pockmark asks sotto voce if this means the order to kill has been rescinded, but Silas still wants David killed.
The doormen are still trying to get rid of the pigeons on the balcony. The fat doorman sprays them with water. The pigeons fly away. He celebrates. Then they fly back. Wah wah waaaaaah.
Jack stomps down the hall and meets up with his troops. One of them comments that the king doesn't know "a fig from a fart" and they'll be at war forever. Would someone really be allowed to speak ill of the King like that? Especially in front of the King's son? That seems pretty ballsy. Anyway, Jack says that he can't sign a treaty himself, but he does have access to the treasury. They all smile. Cue the shopping spree! With his buddies! Is he still trying to hide the fact that he's gay? Because this subplot was one Ray Orbison song away from belonging in a romantic comedy.
Back at the dinner, Shaw asks Jack where he's from. Jack says he grew up near Port Prosperity, but apparently that land used to be owned by Gath, and they called it the Port of Sorrow. What a bunch of negative Nellies. Anyway, Shaw is all offended that David didn't use what he considers the one true name of the port. David says that his father died defending the land and he calls it by the name his father did, and then excuses himself. Out in the hallway, David busts Michelle stuffing desserts in her mouth. Bulimia storyline? She's practically Meredith Baxter Birney with the pinwheels in Kate's Secret. David thanks her for trying to help his mother, and Michelle relays how Mrs. Shepherd is scared that David will stay in the city forever. Just as they're about to set up a real date, Queen Rose pops up and calls David away. Queen Rose thinks Michelle just took a shine to David because he was getting such good publicity, and now she needs to cut the shit. Michelle says it wasn't just for publicity, but the queen says that David is going to get spoiled by all the creature comforts available to him in the big city, and he won't want simple little Michelle anymore. Yeah, what would he want with a princess when he's all fancy? Except isn't that exactly what he would want? Although I guess Rose's point is that David would want multiple ladies in his life.
Rose enters the dining room, where the meal has ended and everyone is standing up. She gives a signal and her servant army marches in and, in a synchronized fashion, resets the table for the treaty signing. The leaders head over to sign, and of course Miguel Ferrer wants to check the text of the treaty first. He immediately claims that there's a discrepancy in the wording, and refuses to sign, though Silas's aide insists that nothing was changed. Gath's contingent starts walking out. David grabs Shaw and begs him to sign the treaty. Miguel Ferrer threatens David and tells him to bug off, and then they all storm out. Silas turns to David and says, "Congratulations, Shepherd. We're going back to war." How is this David's fault again?
William (the Queen's brother, the CrossGen guy, remember?) is eating a salad in his office. A mole from inside the King's court approaches to report how horribly things went at the treaty-signing dinner, and William is pleased. The mole gets an envelope of cash, and William tells his aide to have the Treasury make their announcement now, so that he can make the King's bad day even worse.
David is approached by Reverend Samuels in a corridor. When did the good Rev get there? He just kind of pops up places. David thinks he screwed up the whole treaty, and he's been having a hard time sleeping lately because he's been having bad dreams. Rev. Samuels advises David to read the signs and figure out what his dreams are telling him to do. David thinks he should never have come today, and that's why his brother said "Don't go." The problem with those vague dreams is that they can be interpreted in any number of ways. If his brother had just said, "Don't go to the treaty signing," this all could have been avoided.
Silas meets with his advisors. A runner comes in with a message from Gath; they are waiting and have offered a ridiculous counter-negotiation on the treaty. Silas realizes that they never intended to sign the treaty in the first place, and this whole thing was a farce. Another advisor comes in and tells Silas that the Treasury is bankrupt. Silas immediately knows that his brother-in-law was responsible. He storms over to the CrossGen offices and starts yelling at William for ruining the thought of peace and continuing their grudge. Silas grabs a letter opener and holds it to William's throat. William says that Silas won't last without him and Silas says William should just watch. Are we sure these two aren't in love? Silas storms out and tells Thomasina to get a car because they're going to Gehenna, to hell. Another Biblical allusion. Also, I kind of enjoy that the king just gets away with jacking people up and threatening them multiple times per week. I think we all have that impulse from time to time, and Silas gets to actually do it.
Jack finds out that his credit card got declined for the shopping spree. He doesn't seem all that upset, but notes that the Treasury must be bankrupt. Oh, that's right. He's not surprised, since he's in cahoots with William. Not sure what the purpose of Jack's scenes were this week, though.
Over at Veteran's Affairs, Mrs. Shepherd continues to wait in line and watches on television as the news reports the failed treaty. David shows up and gives her a hug and she goes off on a loud rant about how horribly the government treats its people and how there's no meaning in her son's death. The other people in line just kind of stare at her and nobody shouts "Huzzah" or anything. She just wants David to come home, so he walks out with her. Don't they have mail in Gilboa? Couldn't they just mail her the check?
King Silas and his entourage pull up to a warehouse-looking place that is guarded by military. They let Silas through, and he walks through a series of hallways where he finds an old man (Brian Cox!) sitting at a desk. Silas calls him Abaddon, and it seems that Abaddon is going crazy from being isolated for a long time. Through the crazy, we find out that Abaddon was formerly the king of a nation that Silas annexed. Silas told everyone that Abaddon was dead, and the people rejoiced. Now Silas wants to know where the gold from Abaddon's kingdom has been hidden for the last 30 years. Abaddon doesn't get why Silas thinks he would give it up now, after 30 years, so Silas shows him half of a photograph. We don't see it, but it must be a female relative that Abaddon had been told was dead. And Silas says there are others in the part of the picture Abaddon wasn't given. Whoever it is, it's enough to convince Abaddon to give up the gold.
Now the news is reporting that the Treasury is just fine and it was a small glitch in the system. William watches and wonders where Silas got enough gold to replace what he pulled out so quickly. Rose shows up and makes some smart remark, then asks William to stop being a brat, while admitting that Silas is being a brat as well. She says she needs both men to buck up and let it go. William wonders why he should listen to his sister. She says that they had good reason to banish William's son Andrew from court, but they might be convinced to let him back in. Ooh. Intrigue.
Mrs. Shepherd waits as David plays his fancy piano one last time before they head back to the farm.
Michelle talks to her father and insists that David is not at fault for the peace treaty going down. Silas thinks Michelle sounds awfully fond of David, and he reminds her of a mysterious vow that she took. We aren't told what the vow is, but apparently Michelle took it of her own accord and asked her father to remind her if she ever appeared close to breaking it. Michelle looks sad when her father reminds her. I'm totally distracted throughout the scene because the heels on Ian McShane's shoes are super high! Is he really short or something? He looks like Prince.
The Gath contingent heads to their cars to leave. David and his mother are also leaving town, and on the television in the back of the taxi, David sees someone holding up a sign that says, "Don't go!" David yells at the driver to stop, gets his mother out, and then commandeers that taxi. He speeds through the streets of Shiloh until he comes upon the Gath contingent leaving town, and then crashes his car into the motorcade. Well, that was dramatic.
Miguel Ferrer drags David out of his car and David punches him in the face. This melee leads to Gathian and Gilboan military pulling their weapons on one another. Silas wades into the middle of it (how did he get there so fast?) and orders everyone to stand down while he and Shaw take a walk. Shaw claims that his people see how the Gilboans live, and how they built the beautiful city of Shiloh, and they want that kind of wealth. Silas thinks for a minute and then offers up Port Prosperity, because the trade revenue will help Gath build their own city. Silas says that if they can have six months of real and lasting peace, he'll give Gath the port. Shaw hesitates for a while but then agrees as the press cameras click.
Silas announces the terms of the treaty in his conference room. There is a mixed response, since people think he's giving up too much. Silas defends it staunchly, and claims that people will get used to the idea and see the wisdom of it in time. David likes what he hears, and after Silas leaves, he tries to chase down Michelle. She totally blows him off without an explanation.
David goes to see Silas. He gives a big speech about how inspired he is by the king's actions, and he wants to stay in Shiloh and help. Silas thanks him and also asks about Michelle. David says that there's nothing there, and Silas is satisfied. General Pockmark shows up and asks about the secret assassination. Silas has changed his mind yet again. Fickle! He thinks David will be helpful to them now. General Pockmark breaks the news that their sniper went radio silent after the order and it might be too late to rescind it. I hope David doesn't die! Except this whole show would kind of be over if he did. Then again, the ratings haven't been great, so maybe they had this scene in the tank just in case they needed it to end things early. Nah.
David bids his mother farewell as the sniper takes aim. Meanwhile, the doorman tosses a grenade into the pigeon's hidey-hole and blasts them out. They fly away and happen to fly over David just as the sniper takes his shot. The bullet hits one of the pigeons instead of David, who turns around and sees the dead pigeon in a Christ-like pose on the ground. I think it would be awesome if the pigeon lifted up its head and its dying words were, "Don't go!" As corny as this show can be at times, it's not quite that corny. And that's too bad.
Discuss this episode in our forums, then see what vlogger Sean Crespo thinks of Manhattan--er, Gilboa in No Prior Knowledge!