| The Depths | Credits | Transcript | Images |
"The Depths" is the eleventh episode of the fourth season of Sanctuary, and the fifty-seventh episode overall in the series.
Synopsis[]
In search for a legendary abnormal, Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman become trapped by a cave-in.
Plot[]
Cold Open[]
Will Zimmerman and Helen Magnus discuss the possibility of combining some of the smaller Sanctuaries in order to save money, when Henry arrives with news; he has been able to find out the destinations of a number of SCIU research teams, including one in Bolivia. Magnus is alarmed, as there is an elusive abnormal hidden in the high Andes that even her father could never find: a giant feathered snake known to humanity as the Mayan god Quetzalcoatl. After being the only survivor of a mission to find it in 1909, Gregory Magnus left strict instructions not to look for it any more. However, Magnus and Will now have to make their way to the Andes; they soon find the SCIU team, which has already captured the dormant Quetzalcoatl. They attack and are able to take out the security guards, but are stunned from behind by one of the scientists with a sonic energy weapon.
Act I[]
Henry Foss records a video message to his unborn child, telling it that he hopes times will be easier for their kind when it is born. He also laments Magnus' decision to keep analogue records of all Sanctuary data for security reasons. He also considers his child growing up after the "Zombie Apocalypse", and having a British accent.
Meanwhile, Magnus and Will awaken to find themselves in the SCIU team's captivity. Its leader introduced herself as Dr. Michelle Moran, and they try to reason with her. However, she is willing to take the stunned abnormal with her, and orders one of her men to shoot a hole in the surface of the cave so they can extract it with a helicopter. However, this awakens the Quetzalcoatl, and it instantly attacks the SCIU team, which opens fire. Will is hit in the abdomen by a stray bullet, while Magnus is taken out by the creature's tail.
Act II[]
Will and Magnus wake up in the ruined cave, both with serious injuries. Magnus starts looking around for the med kit, but most of it was destroyed; she treats Will as good as she can and extracts the bullet. His internal organs are intact, but he has lost a lot of blood. She also discovers an underground spring, so they have fresh water.
In the Sanctuary, Full Outer-Shell Safety Shield System, or FOSSSS[...], a personal defensive shield that one can wear on one's upper body. He demonstrates how it emits a powerful energy burst.
Will has partly recovered as Magnus prepares rations. She is surprised how well he is, and also notes that they should leave withing 48 hours, or the SCIU rescue teams might catch them. They make it through a small crawlspace, and soon get into a fight about the risks Magnus is willing to take. Will gets afraid and wants to go back, but Magnus pushes him to go on until they reach another cave, with light shining in. Will suddenly notices how he is recovering faster and faster; taking off his bandages, he can actually watch his wound closing up. Magnus responds by asking what is in their water.
Act III[]
Magnus checks Will's improved heart rate, while he notices that he can suddenly remember all the details he learned from his medical textbooks years ago. They realize that the improved physical and mental abilities the Quetzalcoatl grants its followers according to legend may actually come from the water in the creature's habitat. However, they have no idea of its long-term effects.
Henry is still making his video while trying to make his armor work.
Magnus and Will continue on their way through the caves, and he notes how he believes she can no longer appreciate what it means to have only one lifetime, and to give them all to her cause. When he leaves, she whispers to herself that she thinks about it every day. Some time later, Will begins to get worse again, and the water seems to help less every time. She forces him to drink more nonetheless, and he continues on their way angrily. He accuses her of seeing all her mortal companions as expendable, including her daughter, causing her to walk away in anger.
They eventually reach an underwater well, but are attacked by the Quetzalcoatl.
Act IV[]
The creature attacks, and Will draws Magnus out of its way, into the pool of water. They swim away, with the Quetzalcoatl not far behind. However, just as it catches up with them, it suddenly turns and leaves. They soon realize that its skin cannot handle UV radiation.
Henry tests the armor again, with the usual violent results.
Against Magnus's advice, Will takes all of the remaining healing water. His perception of his surrounding allows him to plot a way out: he cracks open parts of the cave's ceiling by throwing rocks at it, creating a protective barrier of sunlight around a path to the surface. However, he notes that the overdose of the healing water might soon cause him to shut down entirely.
Act V[]
Magnus and Will swim through a tunnel almost entirely covered with water.
Meanwhile, Henry realizes that the "FOSSS" may not work at all. He finally admits to his child that he is actually afraid he might not survive, and that he wanted it to have something to remember him by, to know what kind of man he was.
Magnus and Will make it out of the water, and Will asks her why she chose him to be her protégé. He suddenly realizes that she was the one who paid for his college education. She admits it, but says that she never forced him to do anything. If she could control life like a game of chess, she notes, a lot of things would be different. As Magnus finds an opening to the surface, Will collapses again. He is weaker than ever, and unable to continue, and eventually tries to convinces her to go on alone. She gives him a kiss on the cheek, and leaves to get more of the healing water instead.
Act VI[]
As Will begins to fade away, Magnus rushes through the caves, all the way back to the healing spring. As she fills the bottle, she notices her electronic wristband reacting to the minerals around the spring. She takes some of the minerals with her and makes it back to Will.
After their return to the Sanctuary, Magnus treats Will against the effects of the withdrawal of the healing water. Magnus also tells him that he was not part of some conspiracy, and that she took her chances with him. Then she had to live another 113 years watching all her mistakes playing out again, and it changed her view.
Will also asks her to tell him what she has been hiding since she returned from her self-imposed exile. She is not surprised that he knows, but tells him he has to wait a little more.
Cast[]
| Series regulars |
|---|
| Guest starring |
| Uncredited |
| Mentioned |
|
Quotes[]
| [As Will and Magnus search for a suitable exit, Will collapses. Magnus forces Will to drink the special water to feel better. Will gets up and the pair continue walking.] MAGNUS: Now that your head is clear, you know that I did the right thing. You're feeling stronger, your wound is healing again. WILL: Never felt better. MAGNUS: Stop walking away from me, please. I need to rest. WILL: We have to keep moving. WILL: Okay, fine, you did the right thing. I still get to hate you for it. MAGNUS: Go ahead. I always do what others can't. That's my job. If I had listened to you, Abby would be dead right now, you'd be bleeding out in the corner of this cave system. Life is not a bloody popularity contest! I could have let her die, I could have consoled you at her funeral, or I could save her, even though it meant risking our friendship, and I did know that much, Will. WILL: Either way, the show must go on. You can't get close to anybody, because you're just going to lose them, right? MAGNUS: Would you blame me if that were true? WILL: Magnus, what good is your lifetime if you don't allow yourself to connect with anyone? You surround yourself with people who would do anything for you, and then you turn your back on them when they don't live up to your standards. MAGNUS: That's ridiculous-- WILL: John Druitt. MAGNUS: You can't even begin to judge that-- WILL: Griffin, Watson, and now me. Are we all just expendable in your mind? Is that how you cope? WILL: Ashley. MAGNUS: You bastard. |
Extras[]
- This episode has a DVD commentary track. Commentators: Gillian Horvath, Amanda Tapping, and Martin Wood.
Deleted scene: Scene 09 "Signs Of Withdrawal"[]
| INT. BOLIVIAN CAVERN [Magnus and Will are walking through the cave system.] MAGNUS: [breathing hard] WILL: Dopamine's wearing off. You're feeling signs of withdrawal: pale skin, reduced energy. [Magnus stops walking and partially collapses to rest against a boulder. Will joins her.]   WILL: Was to keep you moving. If you want someone to push your buttons, bring a shrink who knows your secrets. MAGNUS: [breathing hard] You really think you know me? Four years out of nearly 300. WILL: You're on the downward spiral. Your judgement's impaired, you have to let me take the reins. MAGNUS: [challenging] You want to be in charge? Go ahead. You have no idea what it really means. I deal with things you can't even imagine. WILL: Ever since your seclusion on the mountaintop, I know you've come back with secrets, and I know you'll be damned if you let me in on them. [Magnus turns her head slightly to look at him.] WILL: Come on, we got to keep moving. Come on. [Will takes her by the arm as they both stand up and walk forward.] |
Extended scene: Scene 26 "Thank You"[]
| INT. BOLIVIAN CAVERN - POOL OF WATER [Magnus and Will are swimming to another part of the cavern. Will strikes up a conversation which causes them to pause and tread water.] WILL: In case I don't get a chance to say it later -- MAGNUS: -Will. WILL: Thank you.... For changing my life for the better. MAGNUS: You're high as a kite right now. WILL: No. I have clarity. I mean everybody has days where they hate their job where the sacrifices seem like they're too much. MAGNUS: Some more than others. WILL: Uh, you remember that psych worm that trapped us in that fake reality? MAGNUS: It was a very long time ago for me. WILL: Not for me. I remember every single little detail. A normal life with Abby... ...baby on the way. And here's the thing. I want that.... Someday. MAGNUS: The door is always open. WILL: No, no, I want both. The work we do and something to keep me grounded. MAGNUS: Be careful what you wish for. WILL: Did you try to find balance? You and Ashley? MAGNUS: See how that turned out. WILL: You'd do it again wouldn't you? MAGNUS: I have the life I want, Will. If I didn't, I wouldn't have come back. Believe me, I had plenty of time to figure that out. WILL: What do you want now? More of the same for your very long life? MAGNUS: No, I assure you. [Magnus swims off and Will follows.] |
Deleted scene: Scene 38 "Don't Get It Wet"[]
| INT. OLD CITY SANCTUARY - UPPER LEVEL - RESEARCH LAB - DAY [Henry is making a video blog for his unborn child that features him documenting his progress of making his FOSSSS jacket.] HENRY: Yeah. Hey kiddo [waves], me again. So the power pack is a total loss, [Magnus is seen peeking into the room] but the breakers did their job. The vest is just a little burnt. [Magnus steps into the room carrying a small metal box.] MAGNUS: Henry? [smiles and looks at the camera that's recording.] HENRY: [happy surprise] Hey, Doc! [turns off camera] Uh, your back. So what did you bring me? A big featured serpent and [notices her facial injuries] what happened to you? MAGNUS: Oh, you know, the usual. [notices the disarray of the work space] Should I ask? HENRY: Yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise. Um, I'm having a power issue. I need more square inch than is available on the market... or off. MAGNUS: [Magnus reaches into the box] Well then... [she pulls out the mineral rock she brought back from Bolivia] ...try this. [Just before Henry reaches for it, Magnus stops him.] MAGNUS: You might want to stand back. [She touches the vest with the rock and large metal things suddenly get invisibly pushed away across the room from them.] HENRY: Woah! [Magnus smiles excitedly.] HENRY: Wow! [Magnus presents him the rock and he takes it from her hand and fawns over it.] HENRY: And without heat or toxic discharge. [Henry takes a giant breath and holds the rock away from him.] HENRY: What kind of radiation is this thing putting out? MAGNUS: Perfectly safe, I assure you. Just, um, [emphasized whisper] don't get it wet. [Magnus makes her way out of the room, carefully walking around the debris on the floor.] HENRY: [smiling gleefully] Come to papa. |
Notes[]
- Trivia: This episode continues the tradition of having Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman alone in "a lot of water", as Amanda Tapping put it, getting to know each other more deeply, as previously seen in "Requiem" and "Next Tuesday".[2]
- Casting: Christopher Heyerdahl does not appear in this episode.
- Trivia: The three upcoming SCIU destinations and teams as seen on the computer:
| Baton Rouge | Bolivia | East Finchley Station |
|---|---|---|
| Team: Jaime Peters -Scout Anthony Epp -Special Ops Tactical Group -43.7765 -65.5365 -65.5436 -43.5346 -43.5436 |
Team: Michelle Moran -U.Penn Seth Molson -Student Nigel Evans -Student Randall Michael Corrado James Lawson Mark Adams -Special Ops |
Team: Gord Rempel -Special Ops Ron Yoshida -Special Ops Tactical Group -43.7765 -44.5365 -44.5436 -44.6375 -46.4235 -43.5346 -43.5436 |
| Jaime Peters | Series additional crew - payroll accountant (episode payroll) |
|---|---|
| Anthony Epp | Series script and continuity department - script coordinator (episode script coordinator) |
| Seth Molson | Series art department - playback graphics (episode graphics) |
| Nigel Evans | Series art direction (episode art director) |
| Michael Corrado | Series art department - assistant art director (episode set designer) |
| Mark Adams | Series editorial department - first assistant editor / editorial assistant / post-production coordinator (episode 1st assistant editor) |
| Gord Rempel | Series film editor |
| Ron Yoshida | Series film editor |
- Trivia: The remaining names are Michelle Moran (character), Randall (uncredited), and James Lawson (uncredited).
- Considering that Randall doesn't have either a first or last name, it's potentially the name of the one-shot character SCIU Special Ops member that speaks played by Marshall Virtue.[3] Marshall Virtue is the series stunts - stunt coordinator.
- It is completely unknown who James Lawson is. Considering that the name is among other crew members, he's most likely an uncredited crew member.
- Character Name / Casting Error: For the SCIU trip to Bolivia, in the files Henry Foss brings up on the computer monitor for the two grad students, their names are listed as Seth Molson and Nigel Evans; both of whom are male. When Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman arrive at the cavern, one of the students is clearly female.
- Factual / Geography Error: At the very beginning of the episode, Henry Foss joins Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman in her study to show her the data he's been able to find out about upcoming SCIU mission operations. One of the missions is in Bolivia. Magnus recognizes it to be related to the Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent that the Aztecs named a God after that lives high up in the Atacoma Desert of the Bolivian Andes. This is geographically not possible as the Aztec Empire ruled in and around the Valley of Mexico.
- Mythological / Character Error: Helen Magnus says of Quetzalcoatl, "It's believed the Aztecs named a God after this creature. Followers of the serpent were said to be rewarded with unusual knowledge, strength, and health." Henry Foss replies, "So there were super Aztecs?"." This isn't completely true. Quetzalcoatl has connection to knowledge and is categorized as a health god, however it does not have any relation to imparting strength upon its followers. The real Quetzalcoatl is God of life, light and wisdom, lord of the day and the winds. Ruler of the West. Quetzalcoatl was also related to gods of the wind, of Venus, of the dawn, of merchants and of arts, crafts and knowledge. He was also the patron god of the Aztec priesthood, of learning and knowledge, patron of priests, the inventor of the calendar and of books, and the protector of goldsmiths and other craftsmen. As the morning and evening star, Quetzalcoatl was the symbol of death and resurrection. A feathered serpent deity has been worshipped by many different ethno-political groups in Mesoamerican history.[4]
- It is unknown to which nearest city in Bolivia that Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman flew to from Old City. A good guess is the capital city Sucre, as it is near to the middle of the Andes Mountains on the western portion of the country.
- Scientific Error: The audience is told the roofs of the caverns are striated with a glassine crystal. Actually, glass is defined by the absence of any crystal structures. Crystals are ordered structures with repeating patterns. Glass is totally amorphous with no pattern.
- The Wilhelm scream can be heard when the quetzalcoatl attacks the SCIU team at 06:50.
- Reference: "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me" (1999) - Henry Foss uses the term "Foss Mojo" in reference to his combat-suit R&D project.
- Character Error: During a scene in the caves where Will Zimmerman is angry at Helen Magnus for forcing him to drink the special water against his want, Magnus defends how as a doctor she has to make unpopular decisions to save someone's life. She mentions her previous action in Episode 4x08 - "Fugue", saying that she sacrificed her friendship with Will to save Abby Corrigan's life rather than console him at her funeral. This can be considered an error in that had Magnus not treated Abby, Abby would have continued to mutate into a creature, metaphorically dying as eventually her mind and body would cease to be 'her' anymore; ending her original state of existence to now be that of an abnormal creature. For literal death, it ironically would have been Magnus that directly caused Abby's death had Magnus and Declan MacRae not have been able to revive and stabilize her during Magnus's procedure to cure her.
- Reference: When Helen Magnus and Will Zimmerman are back at the Old City Sanctuary, she gives him a diluted injection of the super-water. A reference is made to 'Sherlock Holmes' and his 'seven percent solution'. That particular solution was a seven percent solution of cocaine, which Holmes used during slow times between cases. Recreational and self-medicating use of cocaine and opiates was common in Victorian era England.
- Misspelling: The deleted scene listed above titled Scene 09 "Signs Of Withdrawal" is spelled as "Withdrawl" in the bonus content.
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Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Character name/title is conjecture. Neither character name nor title is officially listed on IMDb.
- ↑ sanctuaryspoilers: "The Depths"
- ↑ Marshall Virtue is mentioned by Amanda Tapping and Martin Wood on the episode's DVD/Blu-ray audio commentary for Episode 4x11 - "The Depths".
- ↑ Wikipedia - Aztec creator gods
- ↑ Flight time: Vancouver to Sucre
| ● Sanctuary ● Season 4 ● |
|---|
| ● 01 Tempus ● 02 Uprising ● 03 Untouchable ● 04 Monsoon ● 05 Resistance ● 06 Homecoming ● 07 Icebreaker ● 08 Fugue ● 09 Chimera ● 10 Acolyte ● 11 The Depths ● 12 Sanctuary for None, Part I ● 13 Sanctuary for None, Part II ● |