The Bardo

Trivia Contributor
Faye Dance makes her first appearance as the news anchor. She shows up as that character a few times in the series, incluing Plague and Banker's Hours.
 Monica Sztybel
I believe the bar was also used in Dragonswing 2 as both Steadman's pub and the British pub. The paintings in the bar in The Bardo also appear in the radio station in May I Talk with You.
 Monica Sztybel
I hope this doesn't ruin it for anyone, but it appears as if Peter isn't falling that far in the closeup of the toss over the railing. I suspect they shot that bit on the first floor landing and CP fell into a mat, keeping his legs in the air for the continuity of the "fall".
 Monica Sztybel
FYI, Chris Potter was covered in baby oil during the Bardo scenes, since it doesn't evaporate like water does. He slipped a couple of times while climbing the fire escape, hurting his arm at one point.
 Monica Sztybel
In another instance, he suffered heart palpatations from all the screaming and yelling and frantic breathing he did. He had to lay on the floor for a while until they ended.
 Monica Sztybel
During Peter's fight scene with Caine in the narrow hallway, one of the times Peter falls back by the stairway you can see a box lying on the floor. I don't know if it was put there on purpose, but I can tell that's a case for camera equipment. Usually they're white with metal corners.
 Monica Sztybel
The ghastly image Peter sees in the bucket of water is actually Caine's distorted mixed in with Peter's. At first I thought it was Peter, but I realize it's Caine.
 Monica Sztybel
The extra shows up again. This time he's sitting next to the little girland her mother, reading a newspaper in the waiting room.
 Monica Sztybel
Peter's dead friend (Donaldson) is played by Matt Birman, who appears several times in the series in bit parts. He also was a stunt coordinator a few times in season 3 and 4.
 Monica Sztybel
Slow down the VCR during the scene where Strenlich and Blaisdell look at the convicts on Kermit's computer screen. Among the people are, Director Zale Dalen (who has directed several episodes of KFTLC including this one), Story Editor Damian Kindler, Set Dresser Dan Bezaire and Prop man Rolph Harvey. They're all holding the same ID number to boot.
 Monica Sztybel
The killer's name, Richard Side, is the name of the cowriter of a few season 2 episodes.
 Monica Sztybel
Script differences  
Now, on to the script: When Peter chases Bernie out of the bar, he passes a bag lady, who says, "Hi, there..." as he runs past. When Peter enters the apartment building and reaches the first door he hears a boy say, "Hey, Mister, you better get out of here or you're in big trouble."

That's when Peter opens the door and sees the boys, but they're playing with GI Joe type dolls. He doesn't apologize like he did in the episode. He moves on, hearing gunfire in the next apartment, that's when he busts open and sees the man watching the TV. In the script the man doesn't even notice Peter. He's too caught up in the TV show.
  
When Peter leaves Bernie to go to the Colonial Hotel, there's a scene in the script where he runs back to his Stealth. Skalany comes running out to the car. She calls, "Peter, Wait for the back-up! (he takes off) Damn him!"

Continuing in the car, Peter grabs the radio, calls Strenlich and tells him what's happening. Frank orders him to wait for back-up, but Peter refuses.Strenlich reiterates, and Peter hangs up the radio without a word. Meanwhile, Frank hangs up the phone and grabs his coat.

Peter arrives at the building and can see the light from the 4th floor window. He paces, waiting for back-up. Then he moves to the fire-escape and starts to climb.

The scene is the same from that point up to when Peter chases after Side. In the script Peter tackles him and they "plunge through the darkness (of the hotel room) and litreally out a doorway into a hallway.
 Monica Sztybel
"Peter's anger has betrayed him. He's hurt from smashing through the jagged glass. Riki, the murderer, gets the upper hand and forces him back to the staircase. He throws Peter down it.

On the lower level...Peter hitting the ground with a solid thud, lying twisted and still."

Caine's reaction to the moment happens in a grocery store, not at the Ancient's apartment.

The end the scene the same way with Riki telling Peter sweet dreams and with a shot of Peter.
 Monica Sztybel
The hospital scene opens with the ambulance pulling up. Peter is taken out. Caine mysteriously appears.

 Monica Sztybel
The script is the same until the end of the scene with Caine and Dr. Sabourin in her office. The next scene, Paul shows up. There is no scene with him prior to this point in the script (the episode has him getting the call in his car).

DESCRIPTION: "Captain Paul Blaisdell enters in a rush and moves to a receptionist."
Paul: "Peter Caine's room. I'm his father."
Receptionist: (consulting a chart) "I believe his father is already with him."
Paul: (tightly) "Foster father."
Receptionist: "Second floor, room two-one-six."
 Monica Sztybel
The scene where the doctors talk to Caine and Paul about Peter's condition is the same, as is Caine's chi ministrations over Peter's body. The dialog between Paul and Caine is slightly different.

DESCRIPTION: "Blaisdell stands beside Peter, opposite Caine. He's frustrated, helpless and frightened. Caine continues to run his hands above Peter's body."
Paul: (softly) "How bad is he?"
Caine: "You saw the x-ray?"
Paul: "Not what the doctors think. What _you_ think."
Caine: "He is neither good nor bad. There is only our perception of him being so."

Paul goes into his speech about Peter not waiting for back-up and being pig headed.

The dialog continues like the episode.
 Monica Sztybel
The doctors discuss what Caine is doing. Blaisdell is with them (he's just
left Peter's side) and while Dr. Hammel doesn't want to hear about the
Bardo, Paul says he does, so Dr. Sabourin tells them. After Dr. Sabourin
explains, Dr. Hammel moves off disgusted. Blaisdell is still with Dr.
Sabourin.

Paul: "Is Peter responding to any treatment?"
Dr. Sabourin: "No. He's not. That's why I'm allowing this to happen."
Paul: "Do you believe the Bardo actually exists?"
Dr. Sabourin: "Yes, I do."
 Monica Sztybel
Then Caine enter's Peter's Bardo like in the episode. The script likens Peter's Bardo to that of the world of Bladerunner.

Description of Peter over Donaldson's body: "Peter is on his knees before the deceased hostage, in a state of manic despair. His dialog with the dead man is a confused disjointed rambling. His body contorts and convulses with rage.
 Monica Sztybel
"Caine steps out of the shadows around Peter. His voice reverberates, as if calling from a distance, even though he is so close.
When Caine calls Peter's name twice he tries to move but feels as if "an invisible force is stopping him....Caine strains to break through the force-field separating them (as he talks to Peter)."
 Monica Sztybel
When Caine returns to reality it's Dr. Sabourin and Blaisdell that help him to his feet.

Dr. Sabourin: (to Caine) "Are you all right?"
Paul: "What happened?"
Dr. Sabourin: "Were you in the Bardo?"
Caine: (softly) "Yes. I... I saw him. Peter."
Paul: "What do you mean, you _saw_ him? He's here. He's right here."
Caine: "No. In the Bardo. He was in the room. A hotel room? With a dead man."
Paul: (Stunned) "The dead hostage. How could you know that?"

At this point, Peter's breathing is ragged, murmering unintelligble words
 Monica Sztybel
When Peter is on the Cat-scan table, Paul and Dr. Sabourin are looking at the Cat-scan monitor while Peter is on the table being scanned.

Dr. Sabourin: "Maybe I was wrong."
Paul: "For letting Caine try to help his son?"
Dr. Sabourin: "Treating a patient requires objectivity. When it's your own child..."
Paul: "If you're a surgeon and your son dies under the knife you never pick up the scalpel again."
Dr. Sabourin: "That's right."
Paul: "Caine is more than a father. He's a priest. When he reaches out a hand and touches your soul it's without prejudice. Without payback. He's part of your life because you are a part of the universe."
Dr. Sabourin looks at Blaisdell with new respect.
Dr. Sabourin: (softly) "Yes..."
Paul: "That's the role he has to play here. I'll take the father role."
Dr. Sabourin: "Will he go back into Peter's Bardo world?"
Paul: "If he does, it can't be as himself."

Description of Peter's face as they move his body out of the CAT-Scan machine. "He's absolutely ashen."
 Monica Sztybel

The scene between Caine and the Ancient is the same, except when the Ancient says that Peter's "anger was great," Caine asks, "Anger at what?" Ancient: "Everything in his life. All of the rage that he has supressed now has become his companion...." Then he adds about rushing in with emotions.

When the Ancient tells him what he must do, he asks Caine if he can.
Caine: "I cannot."
Ancient: (softer) "Then your son may wander this nightmare for eternity. Unable to live or die."

Then Caine and the Ancient are in Peter's room, preparing for the journey. Caine asks Lo Si how to reach Peter. Lo Si tells him to go to the source of Peter's anger. Caine isn't sure where that is. Lo si insists he will find it.
 Monica Sztybel
Riki has the scenes with Harvey (named after Rolf Harvey, perhaps). Then he moves into the supply closet to change. The man he takes out is named Damian in the script. Talk about inside jokes. Damian is the name of the Story Editor Damian Kindler.
  
In the Bardo bar, the script describes Caine as pouring some powder into Peter's glass. Apparently the drink tries to restore Peter's perspective.

Initially the dancers (as in the episode) are half-naked. After Peter drinks they're fully dressed.
  
Peter hesitates as he moves off, turning back, he calls out for Jenine, but he sees Skalany. She looks puzzled, asking him who he called her. He tries to explain when she sees Bernie. Peter runs after him. Skalany calls after Peter.

Peter runs out into the street. The signs are all backwards, but Peter doesn't notice. He runs after Bernie, stopping by the bag lady who is his mother, Laura. The dialog is exactly the same, up through the part where Peter tells Caine who he's talking to. Caine shrugs, waves his hand and Laura turns into the bag lady. She smiles. Peter shivers with violent emotion, but "his rage has dissipated." He sees Bernie running to the apartment building and he runs after him.

Caine is drained. He glances down at the bag lady and sees Laura. The Ancient's voice rings in his head, repeating the speech about seeing through the darkness with discernment. Caine turns to Laura and says his line about not being able to talk to her now. She replies with her dialog. The camera pans away from her then back to see that she's gone.

When Peter is wheeled out into the hallway, the dialog is brief. Caine says to the Ancient, "He is free to choose now. Life or death." That's the end of that scene.
 Monica Sztybel
In the operating room, doctors and nurses prepare. Then, as the ansesthesiologist starts to place the mask on Peter's face, Peter's hand comes up and stops him. His eyes are open.
 Monica Sztybel
The tag doesn't take place on Caine's terrace but at the lake outside a rehabilitation building. Peter is sitting in a lounge chair. Caine walks up to him, playing the flute. Peter looks up. Caine stops. Peter smiles at him.

Peter: "Had to be you. None of the doctors here play the flute that well."
 Monica Sztybel
The rest of the dialog is the same except Caine's last speech. When Peter asks him if getting rid of demons while sleeping counts, Caine tells him a story.

Caine: "A man with a blonde wife and two children used to tell her every morning at breakfast about his recurring dream. That he was married to a _brunette_ wife with two children.

Finally, his real wife said, 'I'm tired of hearing about this brunette in your dream. She doesn't exist.'

And the husband smiled at his wife and said: 'That's funny. That's exactly what she says about you.'"

Then Caine adds that perhaps this life is nothing more substantial than a dream. He then puts a hand on Peter's shoulder and says, "Rest." The description following is nice:

"Peter reaches up and takes his fahter's hand. Hold a moment on their unspoken bond. Then Caine moves away and Peter closes his eyes.
 Monica Sztybel