THE LEGEND OF WILLIAM TELL I EPISODES
EPISODE 10
MASTER OF DOUBT

FULL EPISODE SYNOPSIS (spoiler!)

Xaxian Warriors are everywhere. Some of them eventually spot the rebels. Xax orders not to make any prisoners. This time there seems to be no escape for Tell and his band. In a desperate attempt of crossing a clearing to the safety of the other side, they are discovered. They get ready for a final stand when Drogo notices a castle behind them in the fog. The rebels run inside, not a moment too soon.

Leon is suspicious as there was no sign of a castle before the fog appeared. But Will is grateful for its existence and suspects Kalem behind it. Candles are burning everywhere in the castle and a fire has been lit in the fireplace. Chanting is heard but no one is seen.

The Warriors surround the castle. Some of them catch a Nordychican couple trying to cross the border to the Torrid Zone. Xax questions them about the castle. They have never seen it before. The Lord Protector orders his men to make camp. He plans to besiege the castle until the rebels come out. Kreel senses powerful magic and has sent for reinforcements.

William, Drogo and Aruna explore the castle while Leon stays with the princess. The mood of the rebels is tense. Vara is filled with doubts. She wonders why Kalem is not showing herself if the castle is her doing. Suddenly two identical looking men appear, both bearing a bowl of fruit. They are called Tamlin and Pinto and say that this is the Castle of Doubt. Just as the rebels reach out for the fruit an old bearded man appears. He warns them. Things in the castle are not always what they seem. He is the Master, Lord of the Castle, and the twin brothers serve him. He will not aid the rebels, nor will he hand them over to Xax. The Master explains that for all good things in the castle there is also a bad counterpart, so they must be on their guard. For example, one bowl holds poisonous fruit the other one is edible. The twins will help them determining which is which, as Tamlin only speaks the truth and Pinto always lies. Will finds out which fruit is good, but only with a lucky guess. The mood of the rebels is getting more and more tense. All of a sudden Vara notices the absence of Drogo and Alvar. The boy and the dog have gotten lost within the castle and by accident find a way out.

A little later Leon criticises Will for his gamble with the fruit. The Heraclean dislikes the castle and thinks it is the work of Kreel to torment them. Will on the other hand believes this to be a test.

Will asks Tamlin and Pinto if Xax is still outside. When the answer is no he asks the brothers to show them the exit. They claim there is none!

Meanwhile night has fallen. Xax tries to penetrate the castle's walls with Shaytana's Eye, without success. Kreel suspects the castle to be only an illusion, although he finds that thought confusing.

The uncertain air of the castle is affecting everyone, especially the princess. Vara accuses Will of being no better than Xax as he is ordering them around all the time. Will is hurt and uncertain how he can explain the difference to her.

Drogo and Alvar flee through the forest and meet the Nordychican man, Quint, Xax had questioned earlier. The man takes them home. Drogo tells them his story. Quint's wife, Maia, knows of a nearby village. She thinks the inhabitants would help them if they knew about the situation. Drogo wants to leave for the village immediately, but Quint advises him to eat first.

While the others are sleeping Will is calling Kalem. But she does not show herself. William is plagued by self-doubt. Whatever he does, somebody is criticising him. Leon when he is taking risks, Aruna when he is being cautious. Once again he doubts really being the Chosen One because he feels if he was, he should know what to do. It drives him to despair.

Drogo has fallen asleep. Quint had put a sleeping drug in the stew. The man does not believe going to the village will amount to anything. Instead he plans to hand the boy over to Xax and collect the reward. When Maia wakes up the following morning Quint is gone and so is Drogo.

In the morning Aruna demands action, Leon advises patience. Will wakes, when Tamlin, Pinto and the Master appear. The twins bear two goblets, one of which is poisoned. Will enquires about Drogo and is told that he has found an exit and left the castle. As with everything else there are two exits. One leads outside, the other to death. Will would like to talk to the Master alone, but Aruna and Leon no longer accept being told what to do by him. Just as they begin to argue they hear Xax, demanding their surrender, telling them, that he is holding Drogo hostage. Then Xax is ordering Quint's death because he cannot allow witnesses. Will leaves it to Aruna and Leon to make up a plan while he follows the Master. Tell thinks he knows what is going on. Since entering the castle there is discord between the rebels, therefore William believes this to be a test. The Master tells him that only William himself can answer the question of what is to be learned. Furthermore he says that Will is the architect castle. Everyone has a sanctuary, a secret place inside, to which he retreats when reality becomes unbearable. It is easy to enter, but difficult to leave. Will finds it hart to imagine that fear and doubt can manifest in such a solid way. When Tell claims not to fear anything, the Master quickly proves him wrong. An illusion showing Xax about to slay Aruna and telling Will that all his other friends are dead is all it takes to instil fear in William. After that, the Master leads William to two doors. One will lead to freedom, the other to death. After talking to the Master Tell now knows, that the solution lies in asking the right question. But time is running out. Vara drinks from the poisonous goblet, misjudging the twins' clues and the time for Xax' ultimatum is almost up. Aruna and Leon are too impatient to listen to Will. Carrying the dying princess they rush through one of the doors. It turns out to be the wrong one. The walls are closing in of them and will eventually crush them to death.

Will stays behind and thinks. He comes up with the right question and leaves the castle through the right door. This also frees Leon, Aruna and heals Vara, as the castle disappears. Will is able to use the momentary confusion of the vanishing castle to sneak up on Xax and aim his crossbow at him. Xax in turn aims his crossbow at Tell and orders his Warriors to kill the rebel leader. The soldiers hesitate. Kreel aims Shaytana's Eye at Tell. But when Xax fires his crossbow, Will does too and the arrows meet in midway. Suddenly numerous villagers appear, lead by Maia, and attack the surprised Warriors. Xax and his troops are forced to retreat.

The rebels thank the villagers. Maia and the others plan to go into the Torrid Zone, where Xax and Kreel have no power. The rebels move into the mountains and make camp when it gets dark. They talk things over and reconcile the differences they had under the influence of the Castle of Doubt. When Will walks away from the fire Kalem appears to him. She admits at being behind the castle and indeed the Master. Kalem is pleased how Will has mastered the situation without her help. This was the lesson to be learned, trusting and relying on each other and getting by without Kalem.

© Cloud 9 Screen Entertainment & CLT-UFA International

THE LEGEND OF WILLIAM TELL

EPISODE 10
MASTER OF DOUBT

Original US Airdate: November 1, 1998

Screenplay by David Fox
Directed by Mike Smith

Cast:
Kieren Hutchison (William Tell)
Katrina Browne (Aruna)
Nathaniel Lees (Leon)
Beth Allen (Vara)
Drew Neemia (Drogo)
Andrew Binns (Xax)
Ray Henwood (Kreel)
Sharon Tyrrell (Kalem)

Guest Cast:
Peter Vere-Jones (The Master)
John Smythe (Pinto)
Michael Smythe (Tamlin)
William Kircher (Quint)
Perry Piercy (Maia)
Peter McKenzie (Warrior Captain)

 

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FOOTNOTE
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Kieren Hutchison