Lemuel, Unchained

**Lemuel, Unchained** is the third episode of the first season of NBC's *Midnight, Texas* and the third episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

**LEM'S PAST COMES BACK WITH A VENGENCE WHEN A DEADLY NEST OF VAMPIRES DESCEND ON MIDNIGHT** — A deadly nest of vampires arrives in Midnight and it turns out they're old friends of Lem's eager to reunite. Manfred suspects there's more to their arrival and joins forces with Olivia to uncover the real story while Creek prepares for the worst. Elsewhere, Fiji and Bobo hatch a plan of their own in case the vampires are up to no good. Meanwhile, Joe confides his suspicions about the veil to hell opening in Midnight to the Rev.

## Plot

As Creek headed home, she received a text from Manfred, asking if she missed him yet. She chuckled, then she noticed a man slowly approaching her. She told him that she was walking home and that if she wasn't there in three minutes, people were going to come looking for her. Having seen her fair share of weird things in Midnight, Creek claims that she's not afraid, but she screams out in terror as the man, who is also a vampire, attempts to feed on her. Fortunately, Lemuel came to her rescue, tossing the attacker into the street. Lemuel bares his fangs, but he soon recognizes the man, referring to him as Zachariah.
It would appear that Lemuel wasn't the only Midnighter to hear Creek's screams. It wasn't long before Manfred, Rev, Fiji, and Bobo arrived to assess the situation. Lemuel insists that everyone calm down. Zach was an old friend. He didn't know that Creek was a friend of Lemuel, and so he apologized for attacking her. Lemuel explained that everyone in Midnight was a friend. Zach claims that he wasn't looking for trouble. They were passing through on the way to Mazatlan, and thought to stay for the night. Midnight brought back memories of when they were all together, a long time ago.

Lem took him to the pawn shop, which was just as dusty and crowded as he remembered. Lemuel sarcastically remarked that it's not as charming as Zach's old bus, but he makes do. As Olivia entered the shop, Lemuel introduced Zach to her as his old friend. Upon shaking his hand, Olivia almost instantly deduced that he was a vampire. Apparently, Lemuel and Zach have a lot of history, which Olivia found to be strange considering she had never heard of him before, which Zach explained was due to the fact that they had a massive falling out the last time they saw one another. Zach was hoping for a second chance, he wanted to put the bad blood behind. Speaking of blood, Olivia looked to Lemuel to lay down the ground rules for Zach and his nest. No feeding on anyone in the county, that applies to both Midnighters and locals. Zach understood as he had turned over a new leaf. He and his nest were drinking from blood bags. A long time ago, Lemuel told him that he was tired of the hunt. It took Zach a little longer to see the light, but they don't kill humans to feed anymore. Pleased by this news, Lemuel welcomed Zach with open arms. He wondered if the old hotel was still open, which it wasn't, but the restaurant was still around. Zach wanted to check it out, joking that they could party like it's 1959. Lem agreed to join him at Home Cookin but he first wanted to talk with Olivia. She wondered if he trusted Zach, to which Lemuel replied that Zach was like a brother to him. He deserved the benefit of the doubt because he saved Lemuel's life.

***\*Flashback Sequence\****
Over 200 years ago, during his days as a slave, Lemuel was brutally whipped by a slave master. Tears ran down his face, whip after whip, as the other slaves watched helplessly. Some time later, he planned to escape. Abraham, a fellow slave, warned him that it was too risky, but there was nothing they could do to Lemuel that they hadn't already done other than hanging him, which he believed to be a better option than his current pitiful predicament. Slavery was no way to live. There was a way out, so he had to try despite Abraham warning him that those were merely rumors. Lemuel offered Abraham a chance to join him in hopes that they both would find freedom but his offer was declined.

That night, Lemuel made his way through a dark and dry field until crossing paths with Zachariah, who was awaiting his arrival. He was far from home, Zachariah noted. Lemuel had heard stories about him, and how he could offer freedom. Zach admitted that he could free him but it would cost Lemuel, and once it was done, there was no going back. Zachariah bared his fangs just before biting Lemuel's neck and draining his blood until the point of near death. Lemuel was then fed Zach's blood, which resulted in a near instantaneous transformation. With his new found strength, Lemuel broke free of his chains.

***\*Flashback Sequence Concluded\****
The Midnighters convened at the Chapel. With a nest of vampires arriving in town, Manfred wondered if this was an everyday thing for Midnight. Lemuel was the only vampire Creek and Bobo had met. Bobo noted that the strange occurrences in town were becoming more frequent, like the murders of Aubrey and Sheriff Livingston. Not to mention the Rev escaping on the full moon, and the demomic entities Manfred's house. Vampires typically avoid Midnight due to Lemuel's energy-leeching ability. Fiji recalls Olivia telling her about how she and Lemuel would do something together but she stops herself from saying something she probably shouldn't. Lemuel's ability allowed him to kill vampires, which is why they stayed away. Despite Lemuel giving Zach the benefit of the doubt, Manfred refused to believe that he was as good intentioned as he was letting on due to his vampiric nature. Bobo agreed. They shouldn't let their guards down. If anything were to happen, the Midnighters were to regroup at the chapel for sanctuary. Fiji thought it best to inform them that a lot of the folklore surrounding the vampire species weren't true. Garlic, holy water, and them needing to be invited inside were all false. Rev explained that the only way to kill a vampire is with a wooden stake to the heart or sunlight, though silver does act as a poison.

Olivia and Lemuel headed to Home Cookin, where they met up with Zachariah, and another old friend of Lemuel's, named Pia. She ambushed him with a kiss. Both he and Olivia were equally surprised. Pia liked Olivia, saying that Lemuel always had good taste in women. With a supposed migraine catching on, Olivia decided to head home. She kisses Lemuel before saying goodbye to Zach and Pia, joking that she'll see them in the morning despite vampires being unable to come out during the day.
Like Olivia, Manfred didn't trust the new vampires in town, so he approached her as she exited the restaurant to see if she would join him in breaking into their bus. Manfred reminded her that he can talk to dead people, and since vampires make dead people, he was hoping that they would find a ghost or two on the bus, who in return would tell them what the vampires were up to. He and Olivia broke onto the bus and headed towards the back, where they discovered a girl hooked up to an IV machine that was drawing her blood. They tell the girl that they're going to get her out of there, but she insisted that she was a willing participant. She gave the vampires her blood after hitching a ride back in Tulsa. She was having a blast.

After sharing a dance with Zach, Pia switched partners, looking to Lemuel for her next dance. Initially hesitant, he agrees to dance as they recall their time spent in Buenos Aries, where Pia tried to stake him. They both laugh over the incident. Just then, Olivia and Manfred enter the restaurant with accusations of wrongdoing directed at Zach and his nest. They share with Lemuel their discovery of the girl in the back of the bus. Pia was upset over their intrusion but Zach was far calmer as their suspicions weren't unjustified. The girl's name was Tiffany. She was a vampire groupie. The nest couldn't drain energy like Lemuel, meaning they needed blood in order to survive. Groupies were the most humane way of sustaining their life as they were willing food supply.
Manfred questioned their definition of the word humane. Tiffany could barely move, but as Zach informed him, a stop at the Waffle House would have Tiffany as good as new. Pia told Olivia that it was a hard thing for her to understand since she wasn't one of them. With Tiffany being a willing participant, Manfred no longer saw the need to investigate, telling them to enjoy their reunion. Lemuel needed a moment alone with Olivia. He realized that she hated his friends. She didn't see what he saw, reiterating what Pia had just said about her not being one of them. Lemuel had been a vampire for centuries, for most of that time, Zach was at his side.

***\*Flashback Sequence\****

Just after his transition into a vampire, he and Zach returned to the plantation where he was a slave, only to find that, Abraham, the same slave that he had earlier extended an invitation to join him in search for freedom, had been hung from a tree. He had been made an example out of. He reaped the punishment for Lemuel's actions. Zach and Lemuel entered the slaves master's house as he ate dinner. They slaughtered him as well as his company. As Lemuel feasted upon the dead slave masters, Zach approached him, grabbing Lemuel on his shoulder and asking if he felt better.

***\*Flashback Sequence Concluded\****
In the RV, Manfred and Xylda discuss the nest of vampires in town. Xylda explains that all vamps are killers, with Lem being the exception. The nest was dangerous. Manfred was nothing more than food to them, but he wasn't so sure as they had Lemuel convinced that they had changed. Xylda asks if he's willing to bet his life on it. He had to be willing to protect himself. As vampires surrounded the streets, Manfred asks Xylda to remind him why she thought it would be safe in Midnight. She tells him that midnight is safe but that he might have to fight to keep it that way

Concerned with the influx of vampires, Fiji opens up an old leather-bound book entitled "Vrykolakas", which is Greek mythology in relation to vampire mythology. Bobo then entered Fiji's home with a duffel bag filled with wooden stakes and crossbows. Great minds worry alike. Despite being a witch, making Fiji perfectly capable fending off vampires, Bobo brought her the weapons because he wanted to make sure that she could protect herself.
At the Lovell house, Creek began sharpening wooden objects into stakes up until Connor came home. She claimed that she wasn't doing anything, but her suspicious behavior couldn't have been more obvious. Connor reminds her that he saw Fiji lift a car and he knows that Lemuel wasn't quite like them. She confesses that there is a nest of vampires in Midnight, though they were nothing like *"Uncle Lem"*. They were dangerous, and because of that, the two of them needed to be prepared should the vampires attack. She tells Connor to go to the kitchen and grab a knife so that he could assist in sharping the stakes.

The Rev enters the Chapel to find Joe, who had never been in the church before, awaiting his arrival. He says that Chuy is in El Paso for Nail-Con. Rev had severe doubts that Joe was there for company. Joe confesses that he was a fallen angel. He wanted to protect his current life with Chuy, and the nest threatened that. However, he went on to inform Rev that the vamps were only the beginning. When an angel comes heralding a warning, the Rev knew he should listen. Joe was speaking to him as a neighbor, a friend, and a reverend, who would keep his secret. The veil that Midnight sat upon was fraying. Evil was being drawn to the town. Rev felt it the last time he turned. The hunger was insatiable. Joe and Chuy weren't sure if they would be in town for much longer. After they're gone, someone needed to know the truth. There will come a time when the Midnighters needed to make a choice, to leave or to stay and fight.
As Manfred gathers supplies from the hardware store, all the lights in the store cut off. Blinded by the dark, he slips in the pool of blood left by the dead hardware store owner. He's then attacked by the vampire responsible for the dead body. Manfred grabs a pencil and stabs him in the chest, however, it has no effect. As the vampire runs in for a second attack, Manfred kicks the pencil deeper into the vampire's chest, thus piercing his heart and killing him. The vampire instantly turns into dust.

Manfred arrives at the Chapel, informing Rev and Joe that the vampires had lied. They killed the hardware store owner, Henry. Anyone in town could be next, thus ruling out the possibility of waiting for sunrise. There was no telling who they would go after next. They needed to warn everyone. It was time for Mass. Fiji received the call from Manfred, rev, and Joe, telling her about Henry's death at the hands of the vampires. At least she and Bobo were safe. Her house was inhospitable to the dead. It was why she never invited Lem over for dinner. With so many vampires in town, Bobo wanted to be prepared for a fight, they needed to go on offense with more than a few crossbows and steaks. They needed supernaturally targeted weapons. Bobo reminded Fiji that she was a witch in a witchcraft store and that they needed to get creative.
At the Lovell household, as Shawn retrieves a beer from the fridge, Creek phone begins to ring as Manford was calling. After declining the call, he places it back down on the counter and exits the kitchen.

At Home Cookin, Pia recounts her introduction into the vampire life. New Year's Eve, 1888, after months of begging, Zach finally caved and turned her. It was a rare moment of weakness. Pia wondered when Lemuel was going to turn Olivia, however, she showed no desire in becoming a vampire. Pia joked that she would reconsider the offer after discovering her first crow's feet. Zach then asked that the ladies give him and Lemuel a moment of privacy, so the two of them headed over to the bar. It was a cold world for vampires. They were always on the run, it was exhausting. Zach forgot how special Midnight was. The energy in town was more powerful than he remembered. Midnight called to him, he felt like he and his nest belonged there. He was hoping that Lem would allow them to stay.
Manfred began to worry about Creek having called her multiple times with no answer. He wondered why the vampires would lie to Lem. Xylda explained that they couldn't help it. Vampires are a bloodthirsty and cruel species. Zach and Lemuel were friends, but that was a long time ago. A lot has happened since. Xylda tells Manfred the story that led to Zach and Lemuel's estrangement.

***\*Flashback Sequence\****

Many years ago in Midnight, as Lemuel sat alone in home Cookin, questioning his existence, he was approached by Zach and Pia, both of whom were disappointed in his recent behavior, so they brought him a gift in hopes that his mood would lighten. The gift was a young Gypsy girl named Xylda (Manfred's grandmother). Lemuel took her to one of the rooms upstairs, where he told Xylda to close her eyes and that it'll only hurt for a second, then it will feel good, and finally, it'll be over. Still a slave, he remarked, but this time to blood. He couldn't do it anymore. Lem looked to Xylda, telling her to wait until daylight and then sneak out the back. He was letting her go. He was even considering joining her by going into the daylight and putting an end to his miserable existence. Xylda didn't believe death was the answer. He could change even though he had chosen his path a long time ago. It was never too late, she said. He could put the curse behind him with her help. As Zach and Pia fed, Lemuel returned to the restaurant with Xylda just right him. Almost immediately, Zach noticed his vivid blue eyes, the likes of which he had never seen before.

***\*Flashback Sequence Concluded\****
Zach blamed her for Lemuel's supposed betrayal. Zach gave him eternal life but Lem saw it differently. He ran away from evil only to become worse. If it wasn't for Xylda, he would have ended his eternal life. Zach perceived it as him choosing power over the nest. Lemuel didn't want power but Zach clearly did. They were supposed to be family, but Lemuel's new family was in Midnight. While he was admittedly sorry, he wouldn't allow Zach to stay. Mazatlan it is, Zach said. But he would hate to leave on a bad note, so he hoped for one final drink with Lemuel, for old times sake. He told Zack that he was going to miss him before drinking up.
From the bar, Olivia wondering what it was that the men were up. Pia told her Zach was reminding Lemuel who he was, blood was thicker than water.

Lemuel screamed out in pain and collapsed to the floor as a burning sensation coursed throughout his body. Zach had laced the blood with silver. Pia then went to attack Olivia, however, she was no match for a combatant of Olivia's standard. Olivia punched Pia in the face, swept her legs from under her, and then staked Pia with the wooden heel of her shoe. Too far away to stop the killing, Zach tells Olivia that she will be taking Pia's place. In response, Olivia shoots him with a silver bullet and quickly exits the restaurant. Zach looks to his nest, telling them to kill everyone in town.
Joe awaits by the front door of the chapel for the arrival of Manfred and the Lovells. It's been a long time since they gathered the town for Mass.
After surveying the house for potential intruders, Creek and Connor hear a knock at the door. It was Manfred coming to take them to the chapel for sanctuary as the vampires were on the attack. Shawn then entered the room, both drunk and disorderly, refusing to hear Manfred out, which resulted in Manfred knocking him unconscious and loading his body into the RV. Creek and Connor agreed that this incident would only worsen their father and Manfred's relationship. Shawn awakened on the RV to the sight of Manfred running over several vampires. Creek stakes a vampire that had latched on to the RV and was attacking Manfred through the window. The initial plan was to take them to the church, where vampires couldn't enter but with the roads blocked off due to their massive presence, Manfred was forced to reroute to his house, which Fiji had rendered inhospitable to the dead.

Fiji had in her possession a quartz crystal, occasionally referred to as the Sunrise Crystal. With light behind it, the crystal could emulate UV light. Bobo commented that it sounded more science the magic but Fiji questions the possibility of them being one of the same. With a modified flashlight, Bobo was able to fashion the crystal into a holder, and upon turning it on, they discover that it is it a success. Overjoyed with emotion, the two of them briefly hug, holding each other closely. Before any further action could be taken, a noise is heard from outside Fiji's door. With the UV light in hand, they shine it outside only to discover that Olivia was responsible for the crashing sound. She was unable to make it to the chapel do to the intense vampire presence. She tells Bobo and Fiji that they captured Lemuel with the intent to kill him. They are adamant that they can kill the vampires first, especially with the Sunrise Crystal. But that would first require them to lure the vampires to one spot, where they can blast them with the UV light. Olivia seemingly agreed with the plan but she also stated that they were going to need a bigger light.
Zach has since taken Lemuel up to one of the old hotel rooms and chained him to the floor. Lem hadn't given him much of a choice, though Zach was sorry that it had come to this, having to lock him up in front of the window, waiting for the sun to rise, which would ultimately bring an end to Lemuel's existence. As for the locals and Midnighters, they'd been dinner soon enough. Lemuel comments that he should've killed Zach when he had the chance.

***\*Flashback Sequence\****

Xylda freed Lemuel of his curse. She could do the same to Zach and Pia. They'd never have to kill another human again, but the notion of living a life alongside humans instead of killing them was laughable to both Zach and Pia. They liked the killing and the blood. Lemuel liked the taste of blood more than anyone. With no intentions of changing their ways, Lemuel exiled Zach and Pia from Midnight. However, they weren't willing to leave without a fight. Zach ordered two of his men to dispose of Lemuel but he didn't account for Lemuel's ability to kill vampires by leeching their energy, which was a near instantaneous death and a result of whatever modifications were made by Xylda. With a glimpse of the power that Xylda had bestowed upon Lemuel, Zach now sought to have this power for himself, but Lemuel's had since revoked the offer, telling Zach to leave or else he would suffer the same fate.

***\*Flashback Sequence Concluded\****
Despite the heavy street presence of the vampires, Olivia managed to sneak her way into the pawn shop unnoticed. The plan was to retrieve a bigger light and return to Fiji's, but the task at hand would prove to be more difficult than she initially accessed as a fight with an anonymous vampire ensued. They traded blows, Olivia proving to be a skilled combatant, however, she was ultimately outmatched by her opponent, who was both faster and stronger. Fortunately, Olivia knew better than to come unprepared, pulling the Sunrise Crystal from her bag and blasting her attacker. Having been severely wounded during the attack, Olivia called Fiji to inform her that she could no longer continue. Fiji relays the message to Bobo, who promptly called Manfred, telling him the upsetting news.

With Olivia out of commission, Creek and Manfred stared out the window, looking to their town, which had been taken over, and contemplating their next course of action. Allowing Lemuel to die was not an option for either of them. From the window, Manfred could see Xylda in the RV, which gave him an idea that would supposedly save Lemuel. Manfred entered his room, where Shawn awaited for an apology after Manfred assaulted him. As Manfred grabbed a container from the closet, he told Shawn that if his plan failed, he wouldn't have to worry about him anymore. He then receives a call from Rev, telling him that his plan relied on retrieving the light from Olivia.
With the wooden container taken from his closest, Manfred headed out into the streets of Midnight, where he was instantly surrounded by vampires, all of whom kept their distance upon learning that he sought to offer Zach the power that Xylda offered Lemuel so many years prior. From inside, Shawn comments that Manfred's an imbecile for leaving the house, but at least he was trying to save Lem, Creek pointed out, which was more than she could say for her father. Manfred calls out to Zach, telling him that he was Xylda's grandson, meaning he could grant Zach the same power that was bestowed onto Lemuel. Manfred wanted to make a deal with Zach, though Lemuel was not pleased with this decision, yelling at him to stop his pursuit. So, Zach knocks Lemuel unconscious before heading down to meet Manfred.

In return for granting Zach the power he so desperately desired, Manfred hoped that they would leave town. However, as far as Zach was concerned, this was not an option. Manfred then settled on everyone in town, Lemuel included, being allowed to leave unharmed. After thinking it over, Zach agreed. As Rev says a prayer for Manfred, *"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil"*, Joe soars the sky above completely unnoticed before landing in the bell tower. Manfred then hands Zachariah the wooden container. He opened the box only to discover it was empty. Having been taken for fools, Zach and his nest no longer had a need for Manfred. However, before they could get any closer, Joe shines down the Sunrise Crystal from above, incinerating the nest, Zach included.
After wrapping up her leg from the injury she had earlier sustained while fighting off a vampire, Olivia hobbled her way into the hotel room looking to free Lemuel, but the chains were too strong. She needed Lemuel to break them but he was still suffering from the effects of the silver. With quick thinking, she smashes the window, using a shard of glass to cut herself, allowing Lemuel to feed on her, which in return gave him the strength to break free of the chains and escape just as the sun rose in the sky.
That morning, as Rev released the locals from the church, the Midnighters reunited in the street. All was well as Lemuel had gotten away before the sun could reach him. With his angelic nature still a secret from everyone but Rev, Joe thanked Manfred for his bravery, having risked his life to save the town.

At the apartment, Lemuel was upset that he had to drink from Olivia as it was never his intentions to taste her blood. She wasn't willing to stand by and watch him die, even in spite of all she had heard about his dark past. The two of them smiled at one another, then sharing a passionate kiss.
Later that morning, Mr. Snuggly gives. Fiji a vague warning to clean herself up as Bobo enters the garden. She attempts the wipe away the dirt but Bobo sees that she's gotten some on her forehead. After a little warm-hearted laughter, he wipes it away for her. He came to talk about their hug from the prior night. Fiji confesses that she gets emotional and crazy during stressful situations, though she felt comfortable around Bobo. He shares that same sentiment. Fiji was his closest friend, and he could always count on her.
As Creek made breakfast that day, Shawn questioned if she was sleeping with Manfred. She claimed that she wasn't, and that her father needed to stop looking for trouble where there wasn't any. Shawn insisted that Manfred was the very definition of trouble. He would lead Creek down the wrong path.

That night, just one mile outside Midnight, an attractive blonde hitchhiker walked alongside the road hoping that someone would stop for her. She walked the path until being picked up by an unknown man in a pickup truck. After getting in the vehicle, she is attacked by the driver.

## Cast

* Dylan Bruce -as- Bobo Winthrop
* Parisa Fitz-Henley -as- Fiji Cavanaugh
* Arielle Kebbel -as- Olivia Charity
* Jason Lewis -as- Joe Strong
* Peter Mensah -as- Lemuel Bridger
* Sarah Ramos -as- Creek Lovell
* Yul Vazquez -as- Rev. Emilio Sheehan

Recurring Cast* Joanne Camp -as- Xylda
* Bob Jesser -as- Shawn Lovell
* John-Paul Howard -as- Connor Lovell
* Zahn McClarnon -as- Zachariah

Co-Starring* Andre Burch -as- Abraham
* Anthony De Longis -as- Plantation Master
* Eve Kozikowski -as- Tiffany
* Mia Stallard -as- Young Xylda
* John Trejo -as- Mean Vampire
* Joe Smith -as- Mr. Snuggly

## Production Crew

	+ David Solomon
* **Writers:**
	+ Turi Meyer
	+ Al Septien
* **Executive Producers:**
	+ Monica Owusu-Breen
	+ David Janollari
* **Consulting Producer:**
	+ Charlaine Harris
	+ Eric Charmelo
	+ Nicole Snyder
* **Supervising Producer:**
	+ Brynn Malone
	+ Turi Meyer
	+ Al Septien
	+ Liz Sagal
	+ Mark H. Kruger
	+ Bill Johnson
	+ David Solomon
* **Producers:**
	+ Anne-Marie McGintee
	+ Christopher Markey
* **Co-Producers:**
	+ Tony Roman
	+ Timothy A. Good
	+ Brendan Finnigan
* **Director of Photography:**
	+ Mike Spragg

## Multimedia

* Promotional
* BTS
* Screencaps
* Videos

Midnight, Texas - Vampire vs. Vampire (Promo)Midnight, Texas Lemuel, Unchained (NBC) CLIP 2Midnight, Texas Lemuel, Unchained (NBC) CLIP 4Midnight, Texas - The Grifter and the Angel (Episode Highlight)Midnight, Texas - Deleted Scene A Favor Owed (Digital Exclusive)

## References

1. ↑ Final Adjusted TV Ratings for Monday 7th August 2017
2. ↑ Midnight Texas - Episode 1.03 - Lemuel, Unchained - Press Release