Brimstone (1998 - 1999)
Plot
Brimstone (1998–1999) is a short-lived Fox television series, featuring a dead police detective whose mission (assigned by the Devil) is to return to Hell 113 spirits who have escaped to Earth. The series ran for only one partial season.
Since cancellation, Brimstone reruns have aired on Syfy (originally the Sci Fi Channel) in the United States from the summer of 1999 onward. The reruns have no set schedule, but are usually aired in marathons during the channel's seasonal events like "Creatureland", "Inhumanland" and "the 31 Days of Halloween". Chiller also began airing reruns, on July 28, 2007. It currently airs in sporadic weekday marathons, like Syfy, and has no set airing schedule.
In 1983, Ezekiel "Zeke" Stone (Peter Horton) was a New York City Police detective whose wife, Rosalyn, was raped. He tracked down and arrested the offender, Gilbert Jax, who was cleared of the charges. Furious, Stone then murdered Jax. Two months later, Stone was killed and went to Hell for murdering Jax. The Devil (played by John Glover) explains in the pilot episode that this was both because Stone responded to his wife's rape with murder, and because he took pleasure in the killing, which prevented it from being justice. Stone died the most decorated cop in NYC history.
Fifteen years later, a breakout from Hell occurs, led by a 4000 year old Canaanite priestess named Ashur Badaktu (Teri Polo). The Devil explains a few souls have escaped (and presumably been returned) to Hell, but nothing of this magnitude, which includes 113 souls. Because the Devil claims to be "powerless on Earth", (though he apparently can teleport, disguise himself and use some form of limited magic), he makes a deal with Stone: Stone will be returned to Earth to track down these 113 escapees and if he can return all of them to Hell (before one of them kills him), he will earn a second chance at life on Earth (and thus, possibly, Heaven). The Devil seems to hinder Stone's work almost as much as he helps it, however, giving some information but withholding crucial facts or giving only cryptic clues to where Stone will find an escapee, apparently delighting in watching him become more irritable with his interference. It was suggested by an angel (in the episode "It's a Helluva Life", played by John Glover in a dual role) that Stone served God's purpose as well as the Devil's in his former life through his sins.
Powers and equipment
Both Stone and the escapees have powers that are superhuman. Because they are deceased immortal souls, they cannot be killed, injured or even caused pain except by themselves or by other escapees (with the exception of when one of Stone's tattoos burns off). They also do not bleed. Stone wears the clothing he was killed in, wields his issue service pistol which he has no need to reload — this idea however, has not been applied consistently by the creator of the show; his gun ran out of ammo during the episodes "Encore" and "Lovers". Stone carries his detective's gold shield. None of these items (gun, badge, clothes) retain any damage, even if they are hit by bullets, but this is also inconsistently applied, as he takes his coat to a tailor in "Repentance" and actually lists off what each tear and hole is from. Because Stone was carrying $36.27 in cash at the time of his death, he begins every day with this exact amount in his pocket.
Fighting villains
The Devil informs Stone that because the eyes "are windows to the soul", Stone must pierce the eyes of an escapee to return them to Hell. This rule also applies to Stone himself, however. Though, it was modified once to some extent by the Devil, in a special case when Stone had to return the man who raped his wife, he also had to employ the same rage to do as he did in life. If Stone is returned, his mission would be considered a failure; therefore, he would remain in Hell and another person would be chosen to return the fugitive souls. The Devil has taunted Stone by reminding him of this and suggesting that certain escapees would be good replacements.
Some escapees have other preternatural powers, such as the ability to control the elements or turn invisible. The Devil explains that the longer one spends in Hell, the more it becomes a part of them, literally. Even though Stone himself describes them (in the opening narration) as "the most vile creatures", some of the escapees seem to be no more evil than Stone himself. He wears the name and pictographs of these 113 souls as tattoos over his body. As each soul is sent back, their corresponding tattoo disappears in a burning like fashion causing Stone to react from the pain it induces.
Other characters
Among Stone's allies are Maxine (Lori Petty), the woman who owned the hotel where he stays, and Father Cletus Horn (Albert Hall), a blind priest who eventually learned of Stone's mission. Stone occasionally worked with police detectives Ash (Teri Polo) and Fraker (Scott Lawrence). Much of the series' internal conflict was generated by the fact that Stone's wife Rosalyn (Stacy Haiduk) was still alive and his difficulty in staying away from her. Near the end of the season/series, Ash was revealed to be the priestess who engineered the escape from Hell by using her implied romance with The Devil, though he insisted he never loved anyone but God. As such, she became a sort of archnemesis and femme fatale for Stone. She also became infatuated with Stone.
Cast
Peter Horton as Ezekiel Stone
John Glover as The Devil
María Costa as Teresita/Waitress
Stacy Haiduk as Rosalyn Stone
Albert Hall as Father Cletus Horn
Scott Lawrence as Lt. Fraker
Lori Petty as Maxine
Teri Polo as Det. Ash/Ashur Badaktu
Episode list
Season 1 (1998–1999)
1 "Altar Boys" Félix Enríquez Alcalá Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris October 23, 1998 196646
2 "Heat" Jesús Salvador Treviño Janis Diamond October 30, 1998 467452
3 "Encore" Félix Enríquez Alcalá Scott A. Williams November 3, 1998 467453
4 "Repentance" Terrence O'Hara Fred Golan November 13, 1998 467455
5 "Poem" Félix Enríquez Alcalá Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris November 20, 1998 467451
6 "Executioner" Dan Lerner Story: Fred Golan
Teleplay: Scott A. Williams December 4, 1998 467456
7 "Slayer" Vern Gillum Story: Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris
Teleplay: Angel Dean Lopez December 11, 1998 467454
8 "Ashes" Larry Carroll Angel Dean Lopez December 18, 1998 467457
9 "Lovers" John Kretchmer Chris Bertolet January 8, 1999 467458
10 "Carrier" Jesús Salvador Treviño Janis Diamond January 15, 1999 467459
11 "Faces" Larry Carroll Fred Golan January 25, 1999 467461
12 "It's a Helluva Life" Félix Enríquez Alcalá Janis Diamond & Scott A. Williams February 5, 1999 467460
13 "Mourning After" Dan Lerner Story: Angel Dean Lopez
Teleplay: Cyrus Voris & Ethan Reiff February 12, 1999 467462
