Writer: Rob Gilmer
Director: Scott B. Brazil
Original airdate: September 17, 1996

     The headlights of a truck glare redly out of the night and mist like some creature from a carnival's House of Horrors. The sign on its side says Dr. Dickett's (sic) Elixirs written in the florid style of old- time medicine shows. The driver stares up at the window of an apartment building. Inside, Danny Cox is holding a gun as he listens apathetically as Father Stefan Jacobi tries to convince him that there is always a reason to live-- God's grace, the promise of hope and redemption...
     "That's not enough," Danny responds quietly, and shoots himself.
Father Stefan leaps to catch the body, horrified, but it is too late. He has failed. Shaken and dejected, the priest walks alone in the night, rubbing his hands in Lady Macbeth fashion.
     Suddenly he comes face to face with Dr. Dicketts, who smiles at him tenderly, radiating sympathy and understanding. "It's a cold night, Father," he says gently. "Come in. It's warm inside."
     He takes the priest by the hand and leads him inside the truck. Everything is lit with a reddish glow. Father Stefan stares bewilderedly at a wild assortment of sideshow type items that would do P. T. Barnum proud. Dicketts puts an arm around his shoulder. Then companionable and with gentle pride he begins to show him choice items-- an onyx box used to hold the hearts of Mayan sacrificial victims, a Noah's ark made from blueprints discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls, a map purporting to show a path through the center of the Earth. Father Stefan takes it in dazedly, stopping to stare at a glass case containing an enormous ant, or else a model of one. Dicketts identifies it as "megaloponera foetens," a rain forest dweller: when individual ants inhale certain fungus spores, it goes mad and climbs high into a tree where it dies and the spores erupt to float down and be inhaled by other ants.
     "The world is truly a wondrous place," Dicketts comments, "the crowning achievement of One who knows no limitations." Abruptly his discourse changes direction; it is tragic to lose one's faith in life, he says, especially near the Festival of St. Michael, the celebration in honor of the Archangel who defeated the forces of Darkness. The battle continues, Good against Evil, and we all need the strength and wisdom of St. Michael more than ever. "_You_ need it, Father," he adds meaningfully.
     Father Stefan seems upset and confused by this last statement and turns to leave, but Dicketts persuades him to accept a gift: seeds allegedly from the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Of course that can't be true, Dicketts assures him, but they do produce a beautiful flower which might cheer him up. The priest stumbles away, leaving Dicketts smiling beatifically behind him.
     Back at the church, Father Stefan becomes agitated, ripping off his clerical collar as if it were choking him. He throws open a window and sees a flower box. He realizes he is still clutching the seeds in his bloodstained hand, and carefully pokes them into the soil. Later as he sleeps, Father Stefan dreams a huge vine is growing, twining through the window, its red flowers releasing a glittery substance that falls on his face, strangling him. He sits up in panic and sees-- nothing. Then he looks out the window and sees Dicketts methodically spreading seeds like a farmer sowing his crop. He looks up at the priest expressionlessly, nods, and continues his task.
     Meanwhile, our team all in full bio-suits is touring the officially nonexistent Casa Del Muerte, the House of Death. Cassian explains that the remains of some 300 people from all over the world who have died inexplicable deaths are kept here. He shows them a dark gray corpse, the skin seemingly peeling away from the face. This was Father Jeffrey Kosco who died, along with two others, during a violent incident at the Festival of St. Michael in Seattle. The others were beaten to death, but no cause has been determined for Father Kosco's death and unusual deterioration-- nor for that of another priest who had suffered a similar fate a year earlier in Chicago at the same festival. Marcase wants to know why the festival has been permitted to continue. Cassian replies that a little random violence isn't news, but a new biological agent is. This year's festival is being held in Philadelphia. He does hope they like hoagies.
     It is morning when Father Stefan finally awakens. Shakily, he gets out of bed-- and sees that the seeds _have_ sprouted. The plant and flowers are much less imposing than those of his hallucination, but still... He goes to the sink and catches sight of his reflection in the mirror above the basin: his face looks distorted, diseased, and he hears voices chanting. Frightened, he rushes to the church and kneels at the altar. A moment later he hears a sob behind him. He turns. Recognizing Marion, he goes to her, asking what is wrong. Tearfully, she begins to tell him about a fight she had with her husband, but Father Stefan is hearing another voice, barely recognizable as Dicketts', telling him that she is a terrible person. The priest begins to shout at her, saying her presence in the church is an insult to God, and she flees, crying. An older priest, Father Gregory, hurries up to find out what is the matter. Father Stefan blurts out that they are surrounded by evil, dangerous, sick people. To his horror he sees the plant of his earlier vision growing up the walls of the church.
     Believing that the younger man's agitation is the result of the previous night's suicide, Father Gregory tries to offer comfort, assuring him that he had done all he could for Danny Cox. But all Father Stefan hears is Dicketts' voice accusing Father Gregory of wanting to get rid of Father Stefan so he can sleep with the whore Marion. Unable to stand it, he turns and runs away, leaving a puzzled and worried Father Gregory.
     The mobile lab comes to a stop near a fence covered with the strange flowering vine that grew in Father Stefan's flower box. Marcase, Shiroma and Hailey emerge and look around, concerned about the number of people expected for the festival. Marcase comments that there is something in the air: a tension, like piano wire that is about to snap... or it could be the pastrami he had for lunch, he adds in response to the others' skepticism.
     Shiroma leaves to check out the local church, with a warning from Marcase to be careful. The other two walk down the street, watching the people and noting with alarm how tempers are flaring at the slightest provocation. They see Marion, still tearful after her encounter with Father Stefan and Marcase asks if she is okay-- it's none of his business, he admits, but it's just that everyone seems to be having a bad hair day. She says she is all right but that the atmosphere is odd, that this is usually a very peaceful neighborhood. She thanks him sincerely for asking and disappears into the crowd.
     "This isn't about pastrami," Hailey says.
     A throng of people has gathered around Dr. Dicketts' truck, listening to him extol the virtues of his elixir. He traces the ills of mankind to the Garden of Eden (what appears to be a painting of the Garden serves as a backdrop). He tells them that they have been betrayed by doctors who have failed to cure them of their afflictions, pointing out people in the audience who have suffered from chronic conditions: headaches, asthma, cancer. The audience reacts with amazement--how can he know? -- while a bemused Marcase and Hailey react with disbelief. Surely the people can't believe this quack. Dicketts tells them all they need is faith . . . and, of course, his elixir, a mixture of herbs, vitamins, and minerals which will heal the spirit and thus the body. The crowd surges forward, hands out stretched for samples which Dicketts distributes freely. Marcase calls out above the noise, identifies himself as a doctor, and asks exactly _how_ this stuff works.
     "Like all miracles, my friend... 'how' is beyond words."
     Marcase replies that means it really doesn't do anything. As a doctor he wishes a miracle cure did exist but it doesn't and it is both illegal and immoral for Dicketts to claim otherwise. The audience mutters angrily, clearly siding with Dicketts, causing Marcase and Hailey to decide a strategic retreat is in order. They are followed by three men whose intentions are clearly not peaceful. As the pursuers round a corner, they see Marcase standing calmly in the middle of a narrow alley, arms folded across his chest, waiting. As they rush toward him, Hailey drops down suddenly and quickly incapacitates one of them.
     "Usually I'm a nice guy, " Hailey tells them, "but the next guy dies."
     The remaining two would be assailants take to their heels and Marcase takes advantage of the situation to extract a blood sample from the unconscious man. Normally it would be polite to ask but at the moment he isn't feeling too nice.
     At the church, Shiroma is questioning Father Gregory. He is aware of the violence at other festivals but the struggle of Good against Evil must continue; the true enemy is not flesh and blood but the powers of Darkness. "I was thinking the enemy might be a new microbe," Shiroma replies practically, to Father Gregory's gentle amusement. He asks if she is a religious person and is told that she hasn't enough evidence to make a decision. In that case, he declares, there is still hope. He invites her to Midnight Mass the next night, for there she will find a body of evidence.
     Shiroma thanks him, but she is more interested in flesh and blood evidence. Giving him her card, she asks that if he finds evidence of that nature to give her a call. She walks away, unaware that Father Stefan is watching her, hearing the voice tell him that she hates God, that she is spreading evil, that she must be stopped. He grabs Shiroma by the throat and begins choking her but suddenly realizes what he is doing and lets go. Shocked at his own actions, he runs away, merging with the festival crowd. Everywhere he looks he seems to see sin, anger, distortion--the voice is all but unintelligible but its meaning is clear. He stumbles upon Dicketts' truck and staggers inside. A statue of a horned figure looms in the background. Dicketts is placidly reading a book and doesn't seem at all surprised by the intrusion. Distraught, Father Stefan demands to know what Dicketts is doing to him.
     "What I am doing -_for_ you, " Dicketts corrects him.
     "Who are you? _What_ are you?" Stefan asks.
     Dicketts smiles his closed mouth smile and replies, "A friend," before leading the priest to another chamber.
     Cassian is briefing the Marcase and Shiroma via a video link-up, confirming that the pattern of violence they've encountered matches the descriptions of the previous festivals. Shiroma will go to the local field lab to test the blood, air, water and food samples while Hailey is already busy observing Father Stefan, as they believe that his actions will reveal more than questioning. Marcase wants information on Dr. Dicketts. Cassian agrees, and informs them he will arrive by 6 p.m. before ending the transmission.
     Marcase turns to Shiroma and says, "Next time a priest asks you if you believe in God... fake it."
     Dicketts has poured a glass of cognac, telling Father Stefan that it is made by blind Benedictine monks in the Pyranees who believe that copious amounts of the liquor helps them to see. He toasts the priest--"A votre sante, mon frere"--and says that Father Stefan has a gift, the gift mankind has always wanted: to see as the gods see, the true knowledge of Good and Evil. He can see people as they are, see all the Evil in the world...and the world is indeed an evil place, but the time of purification is now here.
     During this speech, Dicketts has held the glass of cognac in front of the priest, swirling the liquid seductively while Father Stefan watches, transfixed, his head following every movement of the glass. Dicketts puts it aside to produce a wooden chest filled with pale green, bumpy fruit from which a mist seems to rise. He offers a piece to the priest with the admonition, "Eat it. It will make you wiser than St. Michael."
     After a long moment's hesitation, Father Stefan takes a bite.
     Marcase and Shiroma walk past piles of debris to enter what appears to be a deserted and probably condemned building, but once inside they step into a shiny, well-maintained and obviously reinforced elevator. "Why can't they put our field lab some place with valet parking?" Marcase asks rhetorically as they descend.
     Once again communicating with Cassian by video link, a now bio-suited Shiroma reports that she has found spores in the blood samples-- very unusual but not impossible, and cites two examples. Inhaled pollen is probably the source, but pollen from what hasn't been determined. Marcase theorizes that the spores accelerate neurotransmissions in the brain that control aggression and people just blow. Shiroma reveals that the spores have a short life span, about twelve hours, and then they seem to vanish, which is why the earlier autopsies failed to find them. She will continue to look for an antidote while Hailey monitors the priest and Marcase attempts to get a sample of Dr. Dicketts' elixir. Cassian agrees, but orders them all to wear breathing apparatus to try to avoid the pollen. He goes on to say that an extensive background check has failed to turn up any information on Dicketts or his truck; apparently they don't exist, as far as official records go. However, the truck did show up on a police tape of the Chicago festival and a witness places him in Seattle. Marcase's hunch has paid off.
     Father Stefan goes to the church, carrying a silver bowl covered by a red cloth trimmed in gold. He takes it to the altar, removing the cover to reveal the peculiar fruit. A mist swirls lazily around it, just as it did at Dicketts' truck. He takes a piece and carefully slices it. A thick red blood-like juice oozes out of it. He completes his task and takes the bowl away, leaving the slices on the tray at the altar. Hailey slips from his hiding place among the church statuary, wearing a breathing mask and donning gloves. He carefully takes a sample of the fruit.
     Mist roils from Dicketts' truck as Marcase (also wearing a breathing mask) slips inside. He gawks briefly at the weird assortment of items, then moves briskly to take one of the bottles of elixir. Abruptly, he is struck from behind by Dicketts, wielding a long staff. Marcase falls and is struck again before he manages to crawl away and out of the truck. He stumbles into the street and is about to be run down by the red -eyed truck when Marion pulls him to safety. The truck roars past and disappears into the fog.
     At the field lab, a casually attired Cassian observes that for someone who doesn't exist, Dr. Dicketts is proving a pain in the butt--"Among other places," Marcase adds--while Hailey reports that neither Dicketts nor his truck can be located. Shiroma's analysis of the flower and fruit reveals that both carry the spores but the fruit's concentration is higher. The plant itself is unknown: Marcase tells them that the only visual correlation is from an old painting, commissioned by a pope, which depicts the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden. Cassian is more interested in an antidote, but time seems to be the only cure; therefore, a ten block area is being quarantined-- no one goes in or out. Marcase accuses him of using the community as an experiment, to see what happens as the disease runs its course. Cassian denies this, saying quiet containment is the best answer under the circumstances. Shiroma comments that strategy did work during the Black Plague. Cassian says he prays an antidote will be found but if not, then it's their scientific duty to observe and lean all they can. After he leaves, Marcase says that he didn't sign on to watch people die; Hailey replies that none of them did. He and Marcase find Cassian and tell him that if they can go in and stop Father Stefan from distributing the fruit at mass, they can minimize the violence. Cassian doesn't try to dissuade them but warns that he can promise them no protection. "None expected, none asked for," Marcase replies coldly. Cassian says placatingly that this isn't being heartless-- it's a matter of the 'greater good.'" Marcase wants to know what the 'greater good' is and Cassian returns with, "Is that a theological or scientific question?"
     "Does it matter?" Marcase asks.
     "Very much, " Cassian replies, "especially if you're the man making the decisions."
     "Then I'm glad I'm not that man," Marcase says as he and Hailey leave, stopping to tell Shiroma, who will remain behind seeking an antidote, that they will have their cell phones with them in case she comes up with something. "I like your optimism," she says. "Right now it's all we've got," Marcase answers.
     At the church, people are gathering for the mass. Father Gregory, seen in silhouette, is preparing when he is suddenly struck from behind with a stick. Then Father Stefan enters the church carrying a covered tray. The church is full. As he gazes out at the congregation, he sees the vines climbing the stained glass windows and the voice or voices begin muttering loudly in his head.
     He gathers himself together and begins his sermon. "Mankind's existence has one central purpose: the quest for Truth about life, about ourselves, about God." He says that tonight they will know the truth, see the darkness in themselves and others. He commands them to come and eat of the Fruit of Knowledge. Most move forward obediently; he points to those who hesitate, urging them forward much as Dicketts did when hawking his elixir. Nearby Dicketts stands unobtrusively watching with obvious approval.
     As the parishioners take the fruit, Father Stefan tells them they must root out corruption so they may lead more moral lives. Angry murmurs are beginning to ruse from the crowd as they partake, and fighting soon breaks out. A candle stand is overturned, setting tapestries afire, including one, which says "Risen in Christ." As the flames spread, panic ensues as people try to escape but the church doors are chained shut. Dicketts stands placidly amid the chaos, smiling.
     Outside, Marion is trying frantically to unlock the doors just as Marcase and Hailey pull up in the van. She quickly explains the situation and Hailey pries the lock open with a crowbar. People pour out immediately; Hailey stops to help an elderly man who is apparently suffering from smoke inhalation. Marcase calls out to Father Stefan who is running away from the exit and down the corridors of the church. Marcase chases after him, only to be struck from behind by Father Stefan using Dickett's staff.
     Dicketts himself stands behind the priest, urging him to kill Marcase: he has eaten the fruit, he can see that Marcase is the serpent, there is evil in him. As Father Stefan raises the staff again, Marcase tells him to look at Dicketts-- is there good and evil in him or only evil? As Father Stefan looks, he sees Dicketts' face become horribly deformed, scarred and diseased.
     "Evil," Dicketts says in the same altered tone of the voices the priest has been hearing. "Cast from heaven because I tried to make myself God."
     Father Stefan attempts to strike him with the staff, but Dicketts brushes it aside effortlessly with one hand and grasps the priest by the throat with the other. Marcase tries to help Father Stefan, but is shoved away forcefully by Dicketts who then uses both hands to throttle the priest as he lifts him slowly off the floor. With almost his last breath, Father Stefan asks God for forgiveness. There is a flash of light from the crucifix and Dicketts seems to shrivel. Father Stefan falls heavily to the floor and Marcase rushes to him. They both realize that Dicketts has vanished.
     As they watch the damaged church being cleaned up, Cassian tells Marcase that the disease has run its course without a single fatality. Marcase concedes it could have been worse if Cassian hadn't called in the fire department and the police. Cassian replies that the 'greater good' is a fluid concept and that they learned a great deal from this outbreak. His cell phone rings, and Marcase walks away as Cassian answers it.
     Father Gregory is comforting Father Stefan, telling him not to blame himself too much; it was not all his fault. Father Stefan catches sight of Marion among the helpers and hurries over to ask her forgiveness. She gives it but is wonders what will become of the church; he promises her that they will rebuild it.
     Hailey and Shiroma meet Marcase and tell him there is no sign of Dicketts. Marcase protests that he _was_ there. Shiroma suggests that perhaps he and the priest had a shared hallucination due to the smoke. Hailey interjects that all the plants have disappeared as well. Marcase is incredulous. A truck's air horn sounds nearby and they rush toward the street to see an enormous battered red truck lumbering away. Dicketts disappears in a swirl of dust or mist. Marcase smiles-- it _was_ real.

CAST
Ray Abruzzo as Father Stefan
Theodore Bikel as Father Gregory
Jacqueline Obradors as Marion
Rene Auberjonois as Dr. Dicketts
Joshua Cox as Danny Cox
Rachel Davies as Woman in Crowd
Gerry Donato as Angry Man
Gunther Jensen as Crowd Person #1
Joyce Greenley as Crowd Person #2
Ray Lykins as Young Guy

     The casting is another example of how BZ made use of some wonderful character actors with Bikel and Auberjonois-- though I could have wished for a larger part for Bikel.
     Born in Vienna, Bikel is a highly respected folk singer and guitarist in addition to his acting talents. Oscar nominated for his role in "The Defiant Ones," he also appeared in "The African Queen," "The Russians Are Coming, the Russians are Coming," and "My Fair Lady" as well as numerous TV appearances. Genre fans should remember him as Worf's adoptive human father in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
     Although at this point Rene Auberjonois is best know for his portrayal of Odo in Deep Space Nine, his has been a long and illustrious career in stage, screen and TV. A four-time Tony nominee (he won for "Coco") he has appeared in "Eyes of Laura Mars," "M.A.S.H" (the movie), and did a voice performance in "Little Mermaid." He was also a regular in the series "Benson." He has appeared with BZ actors in two projects prior to this appearance: James Black guest starred on his series "DS 9" and both Auberjonois and Michael Harris were in the TV mini-series "Ned Blessing" (later an abbreviated version was released as a film under the title "Lone Justice.")

COMMENTS
A few interesting character points are reinforced in this episode:
     Marcase's almost psychic sensitivity is apparent in the way he notices the tension at the festival and quickly hones in on Dicketts as a source of the discord. He also demonstrates again his immediate distrust of Cassian and his motives despite the later evidence that Cassian isn't acting strictly out of self-interest (i.e., he does call in the police and fire department.) Marcase's suspicions will nearly lead to tragedy later (Lethal Injection.)
     The team dynamics are also shifting already; Hailey sides with Marcase over Cassian while Shiroma first agrees with Cassian about the quarantine but later decides Marcase is right.
     People do tend to be hit with Dicketts' staff a lot, Marcase twice; the script also had two near misses with vehicles but one was eliminated in the aired version.
     The camera angles are very interesting: many are shot from the ground up, causing thing to seem to loom above us, especially Dicketts' truck and platform. My personal favorite is the first video briefing with Cassian, where Marcase and Shiroma see him on the big screen but in the background we can see Cassian on at least one other small monitor-- sort of you can run but you can't hide. Another shot is of Cassian on the screen with not only Edward reflected back but also the small monitor with Cassian.
     The red lighting is used effectively; it always appears inside Dicketts' truck and after the fruit has been given out at mass, the lighting in the church takes on a reddish hue.
     Color symbolism is also seen in Dicketts' wardrobe; at first he wears a white suit, when he is touting his elixir, but by the time Father Stefan stumbles into his truck, he is wearing a medium warm brown which picks up the red tones of the interior. When he appears in the church at mass, he is wearing black.
     Probably for cost reasons, the visions of Father Stefan when he sees people as evil consists of negative/infrared images of them, albeit brightly colored ones-- same technique that we saw in the pilot when people are seen in the same light.
     The Good vs. Evil is a basic concept of the series but the Fruit of Knowledge and the Garden of Eden connection was a bit heavy-handed as was the Festival of St. Michael as battleground. Personally I think it would have been more effective had both been discussed once in detail instead of brief repetitions throughout.
     More subtle and much more effective was Rene Auberjonois' performance as Dicketts: his head movements and frequent close-mouth smiles suggested a serpentine quality so perfectly that I was disappointed when he was finally revealed: I was looking forward to a more snake-like appearance rather than the old and distorted image. His use of the staff added to the idea-- often in mythology such staffs become serpents (Moses' is probably the instance the best known to Christians.)
     The staff was another useful image, since it also suggests a shepherd; but since it is without the crook at the end, not a good shepherd. The carnival music that played whenever we saw Dicketts' truck was a nice touch. Having Dicketts be a sideshow carnival type was a tried and true concept; there is a long history of suspicion about traveling shows of any sort, from gypsies to Irish travelers to modern carnivals. They are outsiders, never a part of any society but their own: again, a perfect metaphor for the devil as Ultimate Outsider.
     Most of the "wonders" revealed by Dicketts to Father Stefan have a sinister connection (though I found the Mayan onyx box mildly annoying; just a personal quirk. For some reason, Hollywood has been fascinated by the Maya to the near exclusion of any other Native American civilization, which is a pity. Actually, the Aztec practiced human sacrifice on a much larger scale and removal of the heart from sacrificial victims was the preferred method; while the Maya observed some of the same rituals, they are better known for tossing sacrifices into wells.
     Also onyx sounds good but obsidian would have been better: not only is it black in color (onyx isn't always) but obsidian makes extremely sharp cutting instruments; even today a few surgeons use scalpels with obsidian blades in preference to modern blades. Thirdly, it can be sculpted. Exquisite obsidian objects have been found throughout the Americas. Fourth, the box itself was very a very unlikely specimen, especially for a ceremonial object, and was more Western in appearance. Examples of receptacles for hearts do in fact exist; one such can be seen in _The Aztec World_ by Elizabeth Hill-Boone: it is a beautifully carved jaguar, a symbol of one of the warrior societies. For a better view of Aztec art, I recommend _Treasures of the Great Temple_ with text by Eduardo Matoc Moctezuma. And yes, I do pick nits and I can be really good at it.)

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
     Why does Dicketts own up to being evil so easily? Does he know the jig is up or is he gloating? It seems out of character when he has been so evasive before.
     Why isn't Marion ever affected by the pollen? She alone seems immune to its influence. Also, why doesn't the team ever show much interest in her? She seems to be involved in a number of major events, including pulling Marcase to safety and discovering the church doors are locked.
     Why didn't anyone at any of the other festivals note the unusual flowers that appeared and disappeared so oddly? Amnesia? But someone remembered Dickett.

TRIVIA
     The real festival of St. Michael is usually observed Sept. 29 and often referred to as Michaelmas (Michael's Mass). Properly it is the Feast of St. Michael and all the Holy Angels; the East and Anglican Churches honor Michael and all the Angels, while the Roman Catholic feast honors only Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Milton used the legend that St. Michael led the host of angels against Lucifer as the basis for his poetry and thus popularized it. Other dates for Michaelmas vary according to sect but I found no mention of a movable festival as depicted in the episode.
     Marion, the name of the parishioner, is a variant of "Mary"; since she was called a whore, it's likely the reference was to Mary Magdalene, whom Christian legend has portrayed as a prostitute. More recently feminist theologians have argued that there is no real basis for this characterization in the written record and hypothesize that her bad reputation is due to her forwardness in wanting to be one of Jesus' pupils; not a suitable action for a woman at the time.
     "Dicketts" suggests "Dickens"-- a substitute word for "Devil" in exclamations ("What the Dickens-!") The rhyming "Nick" is also a name for the Devil. ("Old Nick.")

SCRIPT CHANGES
(Script dated 7/17/96)
     The first scene with Marion is supposed to take place in a confessional instead of more casually in the church; she confesses to coveting a neighbor's goods, to fighting with her husband and belittling him, while Father Stefan's voices accuse her of stealing some of the things she's wearing.
     Marcase and Hailey try to intervene in some of the street skirmishes instead of simply observing, and they encounter Marion when Marcase pulls her from the path of a car.
     Hailey is the one we follow into the dilapidated building which conceals the secret lab; he has to show his security clearance to guards and pass a retinal test. There is no line about valet parking.
     When Father Stefan looks at people to see their evil, he is supposed to see their faces as diseased and decayed instead of infrared; probably a cost move.
     When Marcase and Hailey try to go to the festival after the disagreement with Cassian, they are unable to gain entry despite Hailey's extremely high clearance rating. When they find Marion trying to get the church doors open, Hailey has to use the winch on the mobile van to break the chains; he ends up being mobbed in the truck and must call Cassian. He isn't asking for help, but... "if someone doesn't get down here --fast-- these people are going to turn twenty million dollars of scientific equipment into about twenty bucks of scrap metal. . . and I don't think they'll be much nicer to me."
     In the scene where Dicketts is encouraging Father Stefan to kill Marcase because he has evil in him, Marcase replies, "Yes, I have evil, Father. Every human being is good and evil. Compassion is seeing both and still caring for people." Pity that line had to be cut.
     One certain improvement in the aired version for me was the reappearance of Father Gregory; in the script he does not appear, and we are left to infer he is all right.

REFERENCES

_Book of Days: A Miscellany of Popular Antiquities_ by R. Chambers, c1967
_Holidays, Festivals and Celebrations of the World Dictionary_, 2nd ed. Helene Henderson and Sue Ellen Thompson, eds. Omnigraphics, 1997.
_The Film Encyclopedia_, 3rd edition. by Ephram Katz, revised by Fred Klein and Ronald Dean Nolen. 1998.