The Bangalore Falcon

The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest
"The Bangalore Falcon"
Episode no.	H00616-94037
Airdate	February 14, 1997
Chief locations	Bangalore, India 86.17E, 20.11N (10,762 miles)
Vehicle(s)	Dragonfly Jet
Writer(s)	Glenn Leopold
Guest roles	Quinton Flynn (Guard) Frank Welker (Falcon) Clyde Kusatsu (Dr. Zin) Nancy Linari (Neela) Maurice Lamarche (Pasha the Peddler / The Keeper) June Angela (Anaya) Lucy Alexis Liu (Melana)
Episode sequence	Thoughtscape <--> Diamonds and Jade
Other episodes

Visiting Hadji, the team are taken for a ride in Pasha's new helicopter; they spot a rare falcon thought to be extinct. A burglary at the palace proves they're not the only ones interested in the bird or its mystical homeland.

Plot Summary

Teaser

Jonny Quest, Jessie Bannon, Hadji Singh, and Pasha Peddler take off in Pasha's new, cheap helicopter to do some flying while the team are in Bangalore to visit. Jessie brings along her camera, and Pasha flies into a storm to show the team a blue-clawed falcon of Shambala. The team are mesmerized, as the falcon has not been seen for five hundred years; Jessie quickly snaps a few photographs. Lightning strikes, and the falcon falls to a ledge as a result; it will be blown off by harsh winds soon. Hadji notices this and Pasha takes the helicopter in for a rescue. Hadji descends first with Jonny behind, and convinces the bird through a docile look that he is here to help. On the way back up, the rope ladder breaks, and Hadji seems to fall.

Act One

Hadji saves the falcon

Jonny barely catches him as the copter descends, hanging down with his legs between the rungs of the ladder. Hadji regains his composure and climbs up; the rope breaks right as Jonny reaches safety. Pasha curses the one who sold him the helicopter and notices a separate chopper following them in the clouds; both land in Bangalore. Neela and Jessie are fascinated by the falcon, and Hadji promises to return it to the wild once nursed back to health. The Asian woman piloting the other helicopter approaches, and introduces herself as Anaya, an ornithologist also pursuing the bird. She asks if she can stay to study it, and Hadji agrees to let her take up residency in the palace for the duration of the falcon's recovery. The team follow her inside, though Jessie is visibly dissatisfied. Hadji wraps the falcon's wing in bandages while Jessie continues taking pictures. Jonny analyzes a blood sample on his laptop, finding the blood remarkably free of degenerative cells. Neela enters the scene and suggests that the legends of the lost city of Shambala may be true—a city that appears every five hundred years and contains a river of eternal life. Hadji discounts the idea, and reveals that he's named the falcon Haresh, after his father. The team pack up and move on, though Jessie is still distressed.

Neela converses with Jessie

That night, the team dine at the palace; Anaya questions Hadji of his life in America and notes that she's heard of Dr. Quest. Jessie tires of the conversation and exits to sleep, only to find a birdnapper making off with Haresh. She attempts to subdue the ninja-like burglar, but is knocked into a vase. Jonny hears and tackles the assailant as well, but he too is fended off. As the napper jumps out of the window, Haresh manages to escape the bag and return. A search by the guards turns up empty-handed, and the team retire for the night. The next day, Hadji moves outside and releases Haresh, who returns to him. Pasha meanwhile checks out Anaya's helicopter, and is knocked out cold by a ninja hiding in the back. Soon, the chopper takes off to Anaya's distress after Haresh, who appears to be flying away for good. The team cannot find Pasha, so Jonny hotwires his helicopter and Anaya pilots it in pursuit. Anaya's helicopter is too fast, and Jonny soon loses sight.

Act Two

Zin and his twins

Anaya suggests turning back, but Jonny declares that he outfitted Haresh with one of Dr. Quest's homing beacons after the burglary attempt. Haresh lands at an ancient monastery, where a bald (save for a ponytail) monk welcomes him. Anaya's helicopter suddenly lands, prompting the monk to flee inside. The Quest team follow the beacon northwest, where they spot a mountain not on the map. They continue and catch sight of the monastery; around it are several animal species thought to be extinct, including a red mountain tiger, a woolly mammoth, and a golden-horned orangutan. Hadji thinks they have found Shambala, and that the purple river near it must hold eternal life. They do not see the other chopper, and follow the signal in to find Haresh. They are soon tied up when Anaya and her twin sister, Melana draw guns. Bandit avoids detection while the sisters project a holograph of Dr. Zin, who congratulates his daughters. He reveals that the plan was to have the twins track the falcon and lead them to Shambala, where Dr. Zin and his daughters could partake of eternal life. Outside, Bandit finds the other helicopter and frees Pasha. Two helicopters then arrive to suck up the water of eternal life; the sisters depart to the courtyard, and Haresh breaks his chain to free Hadji and the others. The structure begins to flash purple; apparently, Shambala is set to disappear again.

Jonny and Jessie pilot out

The team confront the sisters, who draw their weapons. Pasha lunges at them from their chopper, but is quickly thrown off. A martial arts battle erupts between Hadji, Jonny, Jessie and the twins, who have a decisive advantage in skill. Before Anaya can shoot Hadji with her recovered pistol, Haresh steals it from her hands and Hadji throws her down for the count. Melana is similarly subdued when Jonny and Jessie each grab a leg. The keeper warns them that the city is about to disappear; they tie the sisters up and take to the skies with Jonny piloting (but not before Bandit drinks the water). Haresh follows and escapes Shambala just as it and the peak behind it disappear. The twins gloat over their father's victory, but Jessie points out that they can track the helicopters on radar. As Jonny keeps it steady, Hadji and Jessie use the pistols of Zin's daughters to rupture the water tanks, denying Dr. Zin his prize. He appears by holograph to congratulate them, but Hadji enters the picture and bursts his bubble. They land in Bangalore and convey the twins to the authorities; Pasha regrets losing his helicopter, but notes he'll get some good money for the Zin twins' holographic projector. As he toys with it, the projector activates, illustrating Zin, his twins, and the two guards in charge of escorting them to prison. They promise to see Hadji and the Quest team again.

Notes

Quotes

• Pasha - "I practically stole this thing, kid!...I mean, your highness."
• Jonny Quest - "Yes Sultan, I'm glad you could find time in your busy schedule to let us commoners visit Bangalore."

~

• Hadji - "The Shambala falcon has not been seen for five hundred years. It was thought to be extinct!"
• Pasha - "It will fetch a fabulous price in Calcutta."
• All - "Pasha!!"

~

• Neela - "Ah, Jessie. I sense you feel more toward my son than either he or you realize."

~

• Hadji - "No sign of Pasha, and no keys!"
• Jonny - "Keys? No problem!"

~

• Anaya - "Father, you said these kids foiled you many times. I thought they would be more of a challenge."

~

• Anaya - "Farewell, Hadji. Perhaps I'll see you again...in five-hundred years."
• Jessie - "Boy, you sure can pick 'em. You don't seem to have much luck with women."
• Hadji - "Or with these ropes...Zin obviously taught them how to make them yogin-proof."

~

• Hadji - "Jonny! We cannot leave them here! Though it is tempting..."
• Jonny - "Yeah, I know what you mean. We couldn't do that to the keeper!"

~

• Hadji - "It is strange to think my new pet will outlive me."
• Jonny - "Yeah, my old one, too. You're immortal, boy!"

Trivia

• Apt for the Valentine's Day showing, Jessie exudes more than a little jealousy for Hadji's attention.
• Yes, that's the real Lucy Liu doing one of the Zin twin voices.
• Bandit's antics with the falcon are reminiscent of his fun with the toucan from the classic episode "Treasure of the Temple".
• Jessie seems to allude to Elise from Eclipse with her comment about Hadji's luck with women.
• Don't count Bandit out of any future Quest incarnations, as he clearly drinks from the waters of eternal life before taking off with the team. The Czech president from Rock of Rages had better make good on that lifetime supply of doggy treats.
• This episode's Quest Byte features Jonny's attempt at making a paper plane.

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