| “ | I'll tell you what you want to know, but I'll only talk with her. | ” |
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From TNT: On the trail of a lost Van Gogh, the team learns the painting was the center of a World War II love story between a black soldier and the white heiress he was forced to leave behind.
The Client[]
Charlie Lawson, an African-American WWII vet, who found a Van Gogh painting in France while serving as a supply truck driver during in the war and smuggles it back into the U.S. Before the war, Lawson was in love with a white American girl, and hoped the painting would allow them to leave the small town where they lived after the war. When their plans do not work out, Charlie gives Dorothy, the girl he loves, the painting to hide, and in present time, is pursued by an unknown wealthy man determined to recover the painting by any means.
The Mark[]
There is no mark in this episode. The team becomes involved when Owen, a former investigator for I.Y.S. Insurance, tells Nate that the lost Van Gogh painting has resurfaced. When Nate declines the case, telling Owen he is not in art recovery anymore, Owen tells Nate he should take the case to protect Charlie from the retrieval specialists who are searching for the painting.
Charlie's Story (Flashbacks)[]
- Charlie met Dorothy as a child (approximately 12 years old or so) at the town's hot spot, the roller rink, where he cleaned and repaired skates to earn tips; Dorothy went there to take her Wurlitzer Organ lessons.
- Charlie spent a lot of time in the public library reading about the world; he is able to correct Dorothy that the Taj Mahal is not a palace, but an elaborate mausoleum.
- Charlie doesn't just have daydreams of traveling, he makes plans- and boldly but half-jokingly says to Dorothy, "Maybe we can go together, after the Germans leave?" He was referring to a previous discussion they'd had about both wanting to see the Eiffel Tower. Dorothy responds, "I'd like that, " which is the only way she (being a rich, white, society girl) can tell him she cares as much for him as he has (not-so) subtly shown that he does for her.
- Charlie states that in Willamette City in 1942, interracial relationships were "literally a crime". Later that day, three of Mr. Ross's lumber mill employees, including his foreman, Lewis, come to beat Charlie with brass knuckles for trying to "have his way with the Ross girl"; but the sheriff stops them, reminding the thugs that they do not carry badges. After they leave, the sheriff tells Charlie that he is going overseas to join the war effort, and implies that Charlie should enlist also, since his deputies "...don’t know you as well as I do" and would not stop the thugs from beating Charlie up the next time. The next day, Dorothy is very taken aback and tearful when a girlfriend informs her that Charlie enlisted that morning.
- With limited choices in the army, Charlie ends up driving a supply truck near Calais, France, as part of the "Red Ball Express". Because of the French lessons Dorothy gave him, he is able to barter and "horse-trade" for all kinds of goods. When going through the French countryside after D-Day, the truck is ambushed by a lone German sniper. Charlie is able to translate the warning of a French woman, and most of the unit is able to take cover- although one soldier is shot. Charlie takes the wounded soldier's rifle and then takes out the sniper. Charlie goes into the woods to confirm his kill, searches the German soldier's pockets, and hides a letter he found just as his commander approaches to retrieve the German's knapsack.
- Although this brave and quick-thinking act should have earned Charie a Star, his lieutenant commander informs him that "...it is not the policy of the United States Government to hand out medals to Negroes," and therefore he'd written up a report that stated a white member of Charlie's unit took out the sniper, and would thus get the award. Charlie is rightfully furious over the injustice of the soldier who hid behind the truck like a coward being the one who will receive his award.
- He goes off by himself to read the German soldier's letter; and "when you speak English and French, German's not that hard," so he finds out the soldier looted a valuable painting, saving it from a fire. Realizing he is the only one who knows about the painting, Charlie sees the same opportunity the German soldier did- a plan to provide for him and his girlfriend in the future. He sneaks into his lieutenant's tent and takes the painting before anyone else discovers its existence.
- Later, Dorothy is overjoyed when Charlie finds her at the roller rink upon his return from Europe. Her Aunt Cecilia agrees to help with the plan (that Charlie, always the planner, had already prepared and written out for Dorothy); to run away during a big show at the roller rink, where Dorothy is supposed to play the accompaniment music for the professional skaters. They will hop the train to New York, sell the painting, then go to all the places around the world that they've been dreaming of seeing.
- The next evening, Mr Ross drops Dorothy off at the roller rink early so she can practice one last time. Unbenounced to her, Dorothy's father has heard through the grapevine that Charlie is back in town, and sends his main thug- factory foreman, Lewis- to search the town for Charlie.
- Later, while almost the whole town is watching the show in the darkened roller rink, Aunt Cecilia switches places with Dorothy as she plays the organ. As Dorothy tries to make her escape, she finds that her Uncle, the sheriff, has locked the back exit from the outside- he is angry that she has involved his wife Cecilia in the scheme. (But he still protected Charlie & Dorothy- even though he knew Charlie was back in town, he stated he would NEVER have gone and told her father that Charlie had returned, as Dorothy feared he had.) She pleads with him to let her go so that she can save Charlie from the beating he will probably get if her father discovers he has hidden near the train tracks to meet her and run away.
- Unfortunately, Mr. Ross and his thug employees DO finally discover Charlie waiting. He has a confrontation with a patronizing and racially degredating Mr. Ross, who demands to know what Charlie's plans for his daughter are. Although Charlie stands up for himself and is ready to fight, he realizes the odds of 4 to 1 are definitely against him- so he cleverly escapes by tricking the gang into finding a dud grenade he had smuggled home with him and hidden in his bag, and runs away when they panic.
- Dorothy joyfully meets Charlie at their pre-arranged rendevous, and they embrace; just then, the thugs catch up with them. However, the Sheriff has followed Dorothy, and fires warning shots at the thugs, allowing the couple to make yet another escape. Just as they are about to stow away on the train, Dorothy tearfully tells Charlie she realizes that she can not handle being on the run from her rich, powerful father with him; that they both know he would never stop coming after them and inevitably, they would be caught. To protect Charlie from being hurt, she will stay at home and allow him to travel the world for both of them- she knows he can take care of himself. To show how much he loves her, he leaves the valuable painting with Dorothy (begging her to keep it safe for him), as a promise to return to her when he can. They share their first and only kiss; Charlie says, "I love you, Dorothy! .....so beautiful.... I love you!" and runs into the darkness to jump on the fast-moving train. Dorothy begins to sob uncontrollably as she watches the train vanish down the track into the darkness.
The Search for the Painting (Present Day)[]
Episode Notes[]
- The episode was originally intended to be broadcast as the season's fifth episode, but was later shown fourth for "production reasons".
- This episode is unusual as there is no specified mark, instead the team attempts to find Van Gogh's lost painting and protect Charlie from unscrupulous retrieval guys who will do anything to find the painting. Ultimately, this resolves in a way similar to The Nigerian Job, in that the man who approaches Nate with the job in the first place (in this case, Owen), later attempts to double-cross him upon the job's completion.
- The episode is split between the team's present day search for the painting and the 1940's as Charlie tells Parker the story of how he found the lost Van Gogh.
- In the flashbacks, we see the people in Charlie's past as Parker imagines them: Hardison as Charlie; Parker as Dorothy, the girl Charlie loves; Nate as Dorothy's uncle, the town sheriff; Sophie is the sheriff's wife, a war bride; and Eliot is Charlie's commanding officer in the war. The relationships and romantic entanglements in the flashbacks mirror the team's relationships in the present.
- Charlie opens up to Parker for several reasons. First, because she reminds him of the girl he loved and lost; second, because he (and thus the audience) observes them subtly demonstrate their growing affection for each other in small, meaningful ways; and third, he sees that she and Hardison have a chance to have the relationship he and Dorothy could not.