The Spectre of the Pine Barrens
| The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | |
| "The Spectre of the Pine Barrens" | |
| |
| Episode no. | H00616-94005 |
|---|---|
| Airdate | September 17, 1996 |
| Chief locations | New Jersey Pine Barrens 74.04W, 40.51N (N/A miles) |
| Vehicle(s) | Quest Airstream Motor Home |
| Writer(s) | Matthew Malach |
| Guest roles | Michael Benyaer (William's Messenger) Frank Welker (Devil) Michael Bell / Richard Hill (Aide / Secretary) Michael des Barres (Rodney) Neil Dickson (Josiah / Hallmane) Nancy Linari (Mother) Carolyn Seymour (Sarah) |
| Episode sequence | Besieged in Paradise <--> Heroes |
| Other episodes | |
Dr. Quest, Jonny and Hadji head to New Jersey to investigate the Jersey Devil. Then they run into a two-hundred-year-old feud between descendants of the Redcoats and the Minutemen over the original copy of the Declaration of Independence.
Plot Summary
Jonny, Hadji, and Dr. Quest ride down a highway near the New Jersey Pine Barrens in the Queststream; Hadji watches footage believed to depict the Jersey Devil, while Jonny complains impatiently about the length of their research on it. Hadji reads about the descendants of redcoats in the area, while Dr. Quest explains the legend—that a woman in the area had twelve children and wished that if she had a thirteenth, it'd be a devil. The devil had been blamed for the abductions of children for two centuries. Hadji suddenly picks up something on the Queststream's infrared scanners, and Dr. Quest puts the motor home into overdrive as he exits the highway. The holographic projector in the vehicle seems to show the Jersey Devil, and Dr. Quest pushes 90 mph in pursuit. A log in the road forces Dr. Quest to take evasive maneuvers, and the Queststream slides out of control down a steep bank of snow.
Act One
A sturdy tree stops the Queststream from plunging off a cliff. Jonny, Hadji, Dr. Quest, and Bandit exit, and Hadji swears he saw the Jersey Devil. Bandit catches sight of it and pursues with Jonny in tow. The devil perches on a downed log and faces Jonny, but two revolutionary era-clothed old people scare it away with old rifles. They take the Quests back to their house and give Dr. Quest an object, asking if he brought something in trade. The old woman threatens him with a rifle; Dr. Quest plays along, and the woman says Commander Washington told them they were coming. Dr. Quest opens the cover and finds the original Declaration of Independence. The woman explains that her ancestors heard about the Declaration, and shot the messenger who was to deliver it to scribes after its original authoring. The ancestor, Rodney, demanded a ransom of 12,000 pounds sterling to be delivered in the pines for the return of the Declaration.
Their revolutionary contact agrees, saying the ransom will be delivered by a bearded messenger in a silver coach. After Rodney leaves, the revolutionary orders one of his soldiers to pursue him to the ransom point and kill him, and orders another to have a scribe created a new Declaration of Independence with forged signatures. Back in the present, the descendants of the involved parties are still awaiting the ransom. As they threaten to kill Dr. Quest for not bringing the ransom, a cry from the Jersey Devil echoes outside. The Quests use the diversion to try and escape, in Jonny grabs the Declaration in the scuffle. Outside, the Jersey Devil swoops down to attack them.
Act Two
Inside, Dr. Quest subdues the other two, stressing to them that he can secure a lot of money for the Declaration and that the war has ended. They're skeptical, but Dr. Quest gives them their rifle as a sign of goodwill. They begin searching for Jonny, Hadji, and Bandit, who scampers back with the empty holster for the document. Dr. Quest realizes that the two genuinely believe that the war's been going on for over 200 years. Jonny and Hadji are meanwhile tied up in a wooden shed, and the devil enters and takes off its mask to reveal a man thinking he's a minuteman from the revolutionary era. He accuses Jonny and Hadji of being redcoats and departs to find others, leaving his wife and two children in charge; his wife's hand bears a peace sign tattoo, marking her as a kidnapped child from the sixties. She begs her husband Josiah Williams to let them live, but he's intent on executing Jonny and Hadji. He takes them out on a cliff, but his rifle fails the first time he tries to fire.
Jonny and Hadji try to convince his wife "Sarah" that she's really the abducted child from the sixties. She starts to believe and interferes with William's shot, but the cliff Jonny's standing on crumbles. Jonny hangs on below as Hadji unravels his turban for him. Before the Williams can finish the job, the old couple on the British side arrive. Dr. Quest runs between them to try and reason with them, but Sarah hurtles the Declaration over the cliff-side, sparking hostility. In the resulting battle, Sarah takes the bullet for the old man, leading to reconciliation. Dr. Quest, Hadji, Jonny, and Bandit let them return to their homes and camp near the Queststream. Jonny is upset over losing the original declaration, but the scream of the Jersey Devil pierces from the woods, and the sheath and paper are thrown to their camp. Bandit looks into the woods, seeing only pines and darkness.
Notes
Quotes
- Hadji - "A dog that walks around will find a stick."
- Jonny - "What's that supposed to mean?"
- Hadji - "It means, "Be careful what you wish for."
~
- Hadji - "Thank you King George, wherever you are."
~
- Sarah - "This is madness!"
- William - "No woman, this is not madness. This is destiny."
Goofs
- Dr. Quest's hair is all brown and no gray.
Trivia
- The Quest Byte details the history of Questworld's development through archival footage, including clips from the classic show.
From: Episodes
- This page was last modified on 23 July 2009, at 01:10.
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