Chpt8 Ep14: "Trial and Error"

Chpt8 Ep14: "Trial and Error" is an episode in the series Power Rangers: Omniverse

Plot
Kevin awakes on his ship hideout, going through his day-in, day-out routine of eating hot dogs, drinking coffee, popping pills and deciphering the tablet, until many days' work finally leads him to a revelation. Then suddenly gets a nosebleed and faints in the process.

Elsewhere, Kurt happily arranges his new bedroom within the Men of Letters bunker, even reveling in new-found cooking skills to Hunter's delight. As they eat, a distressed Kevin calls Hunter and urges Kurt and Hunter to come quickly, sending the boys rushing out.

Kurt and Hunter carefully enter Kevin's boat, finding the disheveled young prophet overjoyed about his recent revelation.

Kevin

I finally figured out how to close the Gates of Hell.

Hunter

You—

Kurt and Kevin chuckle. Hunter smiles.

Hunter

Come here, you smelly son of a bitch. [Hunter gives Kevin a big hug, lifting him up off the ground. Everyone momentarily celebrates.]

Kurt

Okay, okay. So, what does this mean? What are we looking at?

Kevin

It's a ritual.

Hunter

And?

Kevin

And it's just a few words of Enochian, but... [Kevin gives a piece of paper to Hunter.]

Hunter

Oh, here we go.

Kevin

...the ritual has to be spoken after you finish each of the three trials.

Kurt

Trials like, uh, like "Law & Order"?

Kevin

More like Hercules. The tablet says, "Whosoever chooses to undertake these tasks should fear not danger, nor death, nor..." A word I think means getting your spine ripped out through your mouth for all eternity.

Kurt

Mm, good times.

Kevin

Basically, God built a series of tests, and when you've done all three, you can slam the gates.

Kurt

So, what – God wants us to take the SATs?

Kevin

Uh pretty much. He works in mysterious ways, I guess.

Hunter

Yeah, mysterious, douche-y ways. All right. Where do we start?

Kevin

I've only been able to crack one of the tests so far, and it's gross. One of you has to kill a hound of Hell and bathe in its blood.

Hunter

Awesome.

Kurt

Awesome?

Hunter

Yeah. Hey, if this means icing all demons, I got no problem gutting some devil dog and letting Calgon take me away.

Kevin

Where are you gonna find one?

Hunter

Well, Hellhounds like to collect on crossroads deals. So all we got to do is track down some loser who signed over his special sauce 10 years ago, get between him and Clifford the big dead dog –easy.

Hunter goes for a supply run to get some real food for Kevin. While he’s gone, Kurt counsels Kevin on taking better care of himself. Kevin expresses that he is at the end of his rope and wants this to all be over so that he can go back to his real life.

When Hunter returns, Kurt tells him about an suspicious article he found about a one "Cassity family" in Shoshone, Idaho that struck oil even though it seemed geologically impossible. Before they head out to check out the ranch, Hunter asks Kevin to check the tablet for any secrets on spotting a live hellhound since they tend to be invisible at times.

Kurt and Hunter arrive at the Cassity family ranch. They meet Carl Granville the self-proclaimed trophy husband, and the ranch manager, Ellie, who hires the boys on as ranch hands. They spend their time trying to figure which of the Cassity family made the deal. They suspect Alice Cassity and decide to track her to be sure. While Alice and Carl have dinner on the terrace, howling is heard in the distance. The boys are on surveillance near the barn but within sight. Alice decides to go inspect the noise further confirming the boys’ suspicion. The growling grows closer and something attacks and kills Carl.

The sheriff arrives and blames the death on the re-introduction of wolves to the area. Ellie disagrees and comments that this was no wolf which seems to spark Hunter’s interest. The boys discuss what happened and decide to pack it up. As they go back to the barn, Kurt runs in to Alice and tries to console her. Alice explains that she is oddly fine. She knows she should be sad, but isn’t. She explains how she and Carl had known each other all of their lives but he went unnoticed by her until Valentine’s Day, about 10 years ago. Kurt then realizes that Carl made a deal, but maybe not the only deal as it doesn’t explain the family striking oil.

Hunter suggests summoning a crossroads demon to find out who made a deal. Kurt explains that he thinks another family member made a deal for the oil. Hunter agrees to wait it out for two days. The other family members are returning to the ranch and Ellie --has been working for the family since she was 13 -- gives Hunter the rundown of the family members.

As the Cassity's are having a dinner, Kurt is assigned to waiting on the family and Hunter is working the grill. During dinner, the family discusses the story of a traveling salesman...named Crowley. Who had visited them before. Before they were rich.

Kevin then contacts them and has found some help on taking on the hellhound. That it can be seen through lens that have been scorched with the holy flames. Hunter gets some holy oil out of the trunk of the Impala, douses some glasses and set them alight. Meanwhile Noah and Margot Cassity decide to go hunt whatever it is that killed Carl, so Kurt goes with them.

Hunter, wearing his specialized specs, runs in to Ellie who tries to seduce him with a one night only offer that he turns down. Off in the fields while hunting, Kurt separates for a minute from the others to chase the path of the hound but Noah finds him quickly. While going to get Margot, the hellhound has found her and lunges and kills her.

Kurt and Hunter gather the remaining Cassitys in their living room and explain the situation, sealing every entryway to keep out the hound, and handcuffing the family until they can identify who made the crossroads deal. Hunter elects to go after the hellhound on his own while Kurt watches over the Cassity residents. Kurt is determined to go with him but Hunter has decided that he should be the one to undergo the trials, and not Kurt.

Hunter

I need you to be safe, Kurt, okay? That's all I need right now.

Kurt

What? What am I – when are WE ever safe?

Hunter

This is different.

Kurt

How?

Hunter

Because of the three trials crap – God's little obstacle course. We've been down roads like this before, man – with Yellow-Eyes, Lucifer, the friggin' Leviathan. We both know where this ends – one of us dies... Or worse.

Kurt

So, what – you just up and decided it's gonna be you?

Hunter

I owe it to you at least, Kurt. For not finding a way to get you out of Purgatory and for all the lives lost in Chicago. I'm a grunt, Kurt. And you're not. You've always been the brains of this team.

Kurt

Hunter—

Hunter

And you've told me once before that you see a way out. You see a light at the end of this messy road we're in. I don't. But I tell you what I do know – it's that I'm gonna die with my weapon held high. 'Cause that's what I have waiting for me – that's all I have waiting for me. I want you to get out of this. I want you to have a life – carry on our Ranger legacies, Men of Letters, whatever. You, with a wife and – and kids, living your very own applepie life man. So I'm gonna do these trials. I'm gonna do them alone – end of story. You're staying here. I'm going out there. [He walks away, and makes an exit to the door as Kurt looks over his shoulder to Hunter]

As Hunter looks for the hound in the yard, he hears music coming from the barn so he goes to inspect it. Kurt stays put to put up with the bickering amongst the family.

Hunter finds Ellie dancing alone in her room, and enjoying herself with a beer. Hunter explains that something out there is stalking the grounds and should join up with the others in the house, but Ellie surprisingly reveals that it is coming for her. Ellie explains that she made the deal with Crowley to save her mother from sickness knowing that she wouldn't go to heaven when she died, but that Crowley never said anything about the 10-year deal or about any hellhound coming for her.

In the house, Alice subsequently manages to get out of her cuffs and runs out when Kurt has his back turned. He manages to recapture her before she gets into her car. They then hear the hellhound nearby and Kurt tells Alice to run back inside. Kurt morphs as the White Dino and stays on guard for the hound.

Hunter hears the comotions and dons his glasses and heads out to go after the creature but it's too late, it's now in the barn with them to claim for Ellie's life. Hunter morphs to defend her but ends up getting slashed away and flung across the room, now breaking his glasses within his helmet. The hellhound closes in on Kurt and is about to pounce to him. Out of nowhere, Kurt blasts the hellhound with laser arrows from his Drago Sword, sending it flying across the barn. He tries to aid Hunter back up but the hellhound is able to quickly recover and goes to maul on Kurt. Kurt is on his back on the ground and is trying to hold up the hellhound from shredding him apart. Kurt tries to reach for his Drago Sword nearby.

Hunter

No!!!

Hunter tackles the hellhound away from Kurt and now it's on the ground with Hunter holding it down. He picks up Kurt's sword and slits the hellhound from throat down to the belly and then rolls over with the corpse of the hound over him, now being washed upon with the blood and guts of the hellhound. Kurt looks on in disappoint for not completing the first trial aside from Hunter.

Moments later, Hunter has put together a hex bag for Ellie, to keep her out of reach from any other hellhounds or demons and have her leave town, as long as Crowley can’t find her. She then departs the family home, leaving Hunter and Kurt alone for the moment.

Kurt

Hunter, even if she can dodge Crowley, as soon as Ellie dies, her soul is earmarked for hell.

Hunter

Not if we shut it down first.

Kurt grabs the paper with the trial spell on it.

Hunter

The ritual's not gonna work for you, Kurt. Now, I told you---

Kurt

Kah-nuh-ahm-dahr. [He looks around but there's no effect in their surroundings] Doesn't matter. We'll track down another Hellhound, and I'LL kill it.

Hunter

No.

Kurt

Hunter---

Hunter

I told you to stand down. Now I already did the first trial so it's up to ME to complete the rest of them.

Kurt

My ass you are!

Hunter

I'm gonna be the one to close the gates of Hell, forever. You've done enough to save the world one too many times. Now it's my turn.

Kurt

I want to shut Hell down too, okay? But I want to do it with you and survive it. Now, I do want to live, and so should you. [sighs] You were right, okay? I do see a light at the end of this road. And I'm sorry you don't – I am. But it's there...not just for me. And if you be by my side the whole way, I can take you to it as well.

Hunter

[silent for a few seconds]....Just give me the damn paper.

Kurt has no choice but to hand it to Hunter.

Hunter

[Sighs.] Kah-nuh-ahm-dahr. [There's a whooshing sound. Hunter goes wide eyed and falls down to his knees and grunts in pain.]

Kurt

Hunter?

Hunter

[grunts a few more times]

Kurt

Hunter!

A noise of crackling. The veins in Hunter's right hand and arm are highlighted with bright red light. He's grimacing in pain.

Kurt

You okay?

Hunter is still gasping. The bright light fades from his hand and arm and he clenches a fist and stands up.

Hunter

I'm good. I'm okay. I can do this. [Exhales sharply.]