19 - The Catalyst

Part 1
Michael wakes up in the hospital with Hope standing over him holding an IV bag. She explains that he'd had some complications from the anesthesia from his procedure, but should be just fine. Michael asks Hope how she became blind, and she explains that she had to jump from the third floor of her Tower and it resulted in her becoming blind. She also said Sean carried her from L.A. to the Colony. Tanya over hears them talking and again chastises Michael for asking Hope about her life before the Colony. Tanya sends Hope away to change a bed pan in another room, and tells Michael that Marcus wants to meet him.

Marcus arrives and Tanya tries to get Michael to open up by saying Marcus served during the War too. Marcus cuts her off saying they didn't need to compare service records. Marcus explains that Pegs and Kelly have jobs and are working within the Colony, and some of the finer points of the Colony's steps to make their situation better. Marcus then sends Tanya away to get a cup of coffee. The conversation turns to Michael, and Marcus analyzes Michael explaining he's strong, a leader, and is very loyal. Marcus thinks Michael is a perfect fit to the second in command at the Colony now that Sean is dead. Michael balks at the idea of leading again saying people died under his command. Marcus said people do die, especially considering what they are dealing with. And just because Michael couldn't control everything, doesn't make him a bad leader. Michael wants permission to leave and get his friends from the Tower, but Marcus doesn't want anyone else to know about the Colony and tells Michael he can't leave. Before Marcus leaves, Michael asks him what his MOS was which confuses Marcus.

Marcus leaves and runs into Hope carrying the full bedpan spilling its contents all over Marcus. He threatens her and says Hope's contract will need to be reviewed as Tanya tries to reason with him. Michael immediately changes his mind about taking the second in command, and leaves the hospital while Tanya begs him to take the job for everyone's sake in the Colony.

Michael finds Pegs working in the fields and they have a conversation about Marcus, the Colony and the situation they've found themselves trapped in. Pegs is ordered to get back to work by Bixby multiple times but she ignores him. Eventually, he uses a tazer on Pegs. Michael explodes on Bixby smacking him in the face with a shovel twice. A Supervisor signals the guardians in the watch Towers to focus on Michael, but Michael tells the supervisor he's taking Sean's job and that he and Marcus served in the same unit. The Supervisor calls the Guardians to stand down, and asks if he wants to press charges against Bixby. Michael says no. The Supervisor says he's going to tell Gatekeeper right away that Michael has filled the position Gatekeeper was angling for. Michael suddenly remembers something and leaves to go find Victor.

Part 2
Pete guides Michael to a bar where he finds Victor. Michael recognizes that there are many different classes of people are in the bar: Scavengers, Recon, and Guardians are all in the bar. Victor is drinking at the bar and Michael sits with him and says Victor tried to warn him about coming to the Colony. Victor tells him to be quiet because there are too many ears in the room. Victor tells Michael that he's stuck here now, and should make the best of it. He also says that had Michael been turned away, he would have led Michael to a spot and he would have been shot. The Colony's population is under the impression there's a way out if they want to leave, but there is no way out other than death. A bartender tries to kick Michael out thinking he was a regular labor worker. Victor stops the bartender and says Michael might be Sean's replacement. The bartender immediately offers Michael a drink on the house. Michael asks for what Victor's having, but the bartender says he'll get him something better. Victor tells Michael he's been looking after Pegs and Kelly while he was out of commission in the hospital which Michael is grateful for. Michael wanted to know how Victor knew about becoming second in command, and Victor explains its a small place and news travels fast. He also tells Michael he should watch out for Gatekeeper who won't be very happy about Michael's promotion.

Soon after, Gatekeeper arrives and confronts Michael about becoming second in command. Michael dismisses Gatekeeper with sarcastic comments again saying he and Marcus served in the same unit. Victor warns Michael about not pushing Gatekeeper too far. He tells a story about how a recon team brought in a family that had a child with a bad scratch that could have been a bite mark. The child was hidden under the father's coat. Gatekeeper turned them away and the recon team led them all off to be killed, and then the recon team was killed too for not doing their job properly.

Michael, realizing he is now stuck, wants to try to get a message to the Tower. Victor says he has an idea and they go to the communications center of the Colony (which also holds bases for the power, water and a few other essentials). Glenn is working there, and he owes Victor a favor. Glenn steps out briefly after setting up a radio for Michael to try to contact the Tower. There's no response. Victor again tells him to try to make the best of his new situation. As they are leaving the communications center, Bixby stops them and says Marcus needs to see both of them now. Bixby takes them to Marcus' apartment building situated away from the rest of the Colony's residents. Marcus is extremely upset at Michael for trying to contact his friends up north, and just as if not angrier at Victor for helping him. He sends Victor out of the room. Marcus replays a tape recording made by an outpost of Michael's transmission. Michael tries to maneuver out of the situation by saying if he is going to be second in command, he wants his friends down there first. He also tells Marcus that Victor had no idea what Michael was doing. Marcus says that the second in command offer has expired and Gatekeeper will take the job. Michael comments on Marcus' use of guard dogs, and Marcus says they are loyal and unable to turn even if they bite one of the infected. Marcus intends to punish Michael for breaking the rules, but Michael confronts him on not being in the military. Marcus explains that when the evacuation teams stopped showing up, he knew he could lead and many others were trying to lead as well. So he said he had served and people immediately started to respect him. Marcus calls Victor back into the room, gives him a gun, and tells him to take Michael to the holding cells.

Meanwhile, Pegs is cleaning up after her long day working in the fields when she over hears someone coming towards her in the tool shed.

Part 3
Pegs hides in the tool shed when Gatekeeper and Bixby enter and explain their plot to over throw Marcus as the leader. They listen to the bugged conversation between Michael and Marcus held in Part 2, and realize Marcus isn't who he said he was. Gatekeeper implements his plan to give food poisoning to Guardians not loyal to him (and a few of the general population so no one will notice anything suspicious), they will then trip the silent alarm so most of the Colony will retreat to their safe rooms, and while everyone is hunkered down, they will murder Marcus. They leave to put the plan into motion.

Pegs immediately tries to find Michael and Kelly but is unable to. She runs into Amy (another field worker) who hasn't seen them either. Pegs decides she needs to tell Marcus herself about the plot to kill him. She asks Amy to show her where Marcus lives and Amy leads her to the common housing. There's loud music playing in a house, and Amy says that Marcus is in the next room. When Pegs goes into the room, Amy locks her in and turns the volume up on the music so no one could hear her screaming.

Later, Kelly meets Victor in the mess hall. Victor has the vegetable soup, which is the item Gatekeeper intended to tamper with, but he isn't eating. Kelly is concerned that Pegs didn't meet her for dinner, and she's wondering where Michael is. Victor tells her Michael was released from the hospital but that odds are Pegs and Michael weren't together. Amy comes into the mess hall and Kelly asks if she had seen Pegs, and Amy says she hadn't seen her. Kelly knows something is wrong because being a lawyer she's able to spot liars. She knows Amy is lying. Victor and Kelly leave to find Pegs.

Kelly and Victor look all over for Pegs but can't find her. As they regroup, they hear loud music coming from a house and Victor realizes that's Amy's house. They break in and find Pegs trapped in the safe room. Pegs asks what time it is, knowing Gatekeepers plot begins at 10pm. Its 9:55pm, but before they can try to do anything to stop the plot, the silent alarms go off. Victor realizes they have very little time, and immediately takes Pegs and Kelly to the weapons lock up. They load up on some guns (including a flare gun) and a lot of ammo. Victor then takes Pegs and Kelly to Michael's holding cell and break him out.

Victor tells them that the plan is to escape the Colony now while the Guardians are distracted with the plot to over throw Marcus. Michael refuses to leave without medicine for Saul. En route to leaving the Colony they stop by the hospital where they find Hope and Tanya still in their safe rooms. Michael asks for the medicine for Saul, and Tanya and hope give it to them, plus much more and join in the escape party. Before they get much farther, they are spotted by the Guardians who have presumably succeeded in their task to kill Marcus and are on their way back to their posts.

Victor quickly and expertly leads the refugees out of the Colony and to a fueled up and waiting car placed by the Colony. But before they can get to the car, they are pinned down by sniper fire. The Guardians have the advantage of night vision scopes on their rifles. Kelly remembers that she took a flare gun, and shoots a flare into the air rendering the night vision useless temporarily and would have been blinding to any Guardian looking through their scopes at the time. The group piles into the car with Kelly behind the wheel. After a brief run in with an Outpost team, they are all on their way back to the Tower. Victor comments that they will probably be blamed for Marcus' death now that they aren't there to defend themselves or say what happened.

They get back to the Tower where they are greeted by Datu. Victor has to use the bathroom, and Kelly says she'll show him the way. Knowing its going to happen sooner or later, Pegs introduces Hope to Datu and after a moment Datu realizes Hope is actually Samantha's daughter and hugs her. Tanya is tired, but wants to go see her patient right away. Angel arrives in the motor pool stitched up with his encounter from the Behemoth, and after trading a couple of barbs at Michael explains that while they were gone Burt evicted Lizzy from the Tower.

• The original "air dates" of Chapter 19 were
  
• Part 1- February 21, 2011
  
• Part 2- February 28, 2011
  
• Part 3- March 7, 2011
  

The script for Chapter 19 was 20 pages longer than Chapter 18, and KC says this was to get Michael, Pegs, Kelly, and the refugees from the Colony back to the Tower.

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"The needs of the many out-weigh the needs of the few" - Marcus in 19 - The Catalyst

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"Awww, your pride hurt more than your head? After we're done tonight, you can do whatever you want with him. " - Gatekeeper in 19 - The Catalyst

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• IMDB Page for Chapter 19: "The Catalyst"