Hard Time
Season Two
US Airdate : 10 February 2003
UK Airdate : 06 July 2003
Brennan (Victor Webster) and Jesse (Forbes March) approach a deserted warehouse in search of an old friend of Brennan’s, Dennis (Layton Morrison) better known as “Denny,” who broke out of Hillview State Penitentiary. When Brennan leaves Jesse to investigate, Denny creeps up on Jesse and smashes him in the face. Stunned, Jesse suddenly notices that Denny’s body is completely covered with cuts and bruises. Hearing the commotion, Brennan comes running and is also shocked by Denny’s abrasions. Denny moves to hug his old pal Brennan, but at the last minute knees him in the gut and punches him. Sirens in the distance cause Denny to turn and run, but a truck suddenly comes out of nowhere and strikes him dead.
Shocked and infuriated about the abnormal violent nature of his now deceased friend, Brennan, insists that something happened to Denny while in prison. He informs Adam (John Shea) that there have been 14 fatalities at Hillview in the last 6 months and that the Department of Corrections looked into it, but found no misconduct. A man on a mission, Brennan insists that Adam find a way to get him into Hillview to investigate. Meanwhile at Hillview, Dr. Rigas (Allan Royal) meets with Warden Wallington (Gary Hudson) to inform him that Dennis was killed earlier that morning. Obviously upset, Dr Rigas insists that he never intended for his work to be used in this manner. Wallington, however, is adamant that these men are getting what they deserve.
Back at Sanctuary, Brennan confides to Emma (Lauren Lee Smith) that he had set Denny up with the diamond heist job that landed him in Hillview, therefore he feels responsible for his death. Adam enters and tells Brennan and Jesse that they will both be admitted on armed robbery charges and that Emma is going to pass herself off as Dr. Nigel Rigas’ new trainee. Brennan is infuriated that Jesse and Emma are tagging along, but Adam insists that they do it as a team or not at all. Brennan and Jesse are not inside the prison for five minutes when Jesse is threatened by inmate McMullen (Kevin Rushton). Meanwhile, Dr. Rigas insists to Emma that he does not want a trainee, but she’s able to use flattery to convince him otherwise. Later, a fight breaks out between Jesse and McMullen. As Brennan intercedes, Wallington watches from the side. Finally he sends guards in to break it up and McMullen is hauled off to solitary confinement.
Dr. Rigas steps out for a bit and Emma uses the opportunity to search his office. She contacts Adam just as she finds a floor safe filled with bottles of the steroid ST1277, which increases aggression. Adam orders her to send him a sample to analyze immediately. Meanwhile after lights out, Jesse phases through the bars of the cell and sets out to find Emma. He reaches the basement of the prison and is horrified by what he stumbles upon – a fight pit and a cheering crowd of gamblers betting on McMullen and another prisoner.
McMullen beats the other inmate until he falls dead and is then ushered back into his cage while Wallington proclaims “We have a new champion!”
Jesse quickly finds Emma and informs her of what he’s just witnessed. Back at the cell Guard Kearns (Christopher Lee Clements) tells Brennan that the Warden wants to see him. He then pulls the covers off Jesse’s bed only to find that he is gone. While Jesse and Emma speak to Adam and Shalimar (Victoria Pratt), the alarm at the prison sounds and Emma sees “prisoner missing” flash across the computer screen. Rigas and Kearns enter the office and Jesse is hauled back to his cell where he soon learns that Brennan’s been taken to solitary. Rigas enters the cell Brennan is being held in and injects him with a green liquid. Brennan tries to resist, but convulses and drops to the ground. At the same moment, Emma gets a telempathic hit from Brennan and knows he’s in trouble.
Rigas insists he wants out when Wallington informs him that Brennan will be McMullen’s next competition, but McMullen hands him an envelope stuffed with cash. Meanwhile, Adam assures Emma that he’s working on a neutralizer that should be ready before Brennan’s fight. When Jesse returns to the cell, Brennan immediately turns on him. Narrowly escaping, Jesse knows that Brennan will be killed in the ring. Determined to save his friend’s life, Jesse sneaks into McMullen’s cell. McMullen punches him, but Jesse masses out making his body like a brick wall. The guards arrive and find Jesse and McMullen, who’s squirming on the floor in pain.
With McMullen out of commission, Wallington orders for Jesse to take his place. Meanwhile, Rigas enters the office and Emma hits him with a psionic blast and orders him to put Adam and Shalimar’s name on the invite list for the fight. That night, Adam, Shalimar and Emma sit in the audience and watch as an enraged Brennan shoots Jesse with tesla coils. Noticing Shalimar in the crowd, Jesse scales the wall closes to her. She tries to pass the neutralizer off to him, but Brennan pulls him back to the ring. Seeing the injector lying on the ground, Jesse phases out and goes after it. When he phases back in Brennan unleashes a series of punches on him, but Jesse injects him with the pen and Brennan convulses before returning to normal. Emma hits Wallington with a powerful blast and the team then flees the prison. Back at Sanctuary, the team learns that Rigas and Wallington are now in FBI custody and Brennan thanks Jesse for saving his life.