Hooten & The Lady – Cambodia

By: Stacy Miller

Banteay Prey Nokor, Cambodia. It is nine weeks after the events in Moscow. We see Hooten (Michael Landes) enter a temple with a young boy named Jian (Jay Heyman).  There is an inscription on the temple door in which Hooten wants Jian to translate. “What does it say?” Hooten asks. “Beware a crazy American. I think stone walls can talk,” is Jian’s response.  Okay, liking Jian already. Let’s see where this partnership goes.  They enter the temple and find a rare jewel encased in a hanging cage.  Hooten removes the jewel and replaces it with another object in order to satisfy the weight requirement.  However, removing the jewel causes the temple door to slowly begin to seal.  Jian and Hooten barely escape in time.

Hooten receives a phone call from Alex (Ophelia Lovibond) and tells her that he’s out of it – meaning no more artifacts and British Museum. Hooten says that Alex needs to just get married, pop out babies and forget about him.  Then, Hooten hangs up.  “You didn’t say please,” Alex smiles as she watches Hooten from a distance.  She is in Cambodia, too.  Although Hooten told Alex he is out of the tomb raiding business, he Skypes with Ella (Jessica Hynes).  Hooten needs a three dimensional image of a shakra that will help him locate the other needed jewels.  He also wants Ella to promise not to tell Alex what he’s doing. Ella will only say that she’ll promise not to tell Alex again.  Before ending the call, Ella encourages Hooten to make up with Alex before Clive (Shaun Parkes) finds out that Alex isn’t desk bound as he ordered. Alex enters. After Hooten introduces “the pain in the ass” to Jian, Alex tells Hooten that she knows that he’s there trying to find the Cintamani jewels that are legendary to restore youth.  Alex questions Hooten about the buyer that he has lined up once the jewels are found. Alex finds it odd that no one knew that jewels even existed, but yet a twelve year old boy (Jian) knows their location.

Jian explains that an elder in his village possessed an ancient Hindu manuscript that told of the location. Unfortunately for Alex, Jian and Hooten the entrance to where one of the jewels can be found is blocked by drug dealer using some roots from plants to help make Ecstasy.  Hooten doesn’t think the drug dealers will be too much of a problem.  “Excuse me Rambo, they’ve got guns,” Alex reminds.  “So does he,” is Hooten’s reply not thinking calling the police will help. “This is Cambodia, they probably drove them here.”  Hooten tells Alex to go home; she’s getting married in two weeks.  After Alex walks away, the drug dealers come upon Jian and Hooten.  Although Hooten tries to fight them off and Jian runs away, both are captured.  In order to save their lives, Hooten urges Jian to tell the men the truth about the jewels.  While the drug dealers are searching for the treasure, Alex appears with a rifle pointed at them. The Lady saved Hooten and the boy!  It is fortunate that the men don’t speak English otherwise they would realize that Alex’s gun is out of bullets.  After Jian and Hooten get untied, they relieve the drug dealers of their weapons.  But the fourth guy seems to be missing.  He comes behind Jian and holds a knife to the boy’s throat. Thankfully, Jian is resourceful and breaks free.  Soon Alex, Jian and Hooten are running for their lives.  Jian gets separated from Alex and Hooten who have the drug dealers on their tail.  Hooten pretends that his gun is loaded to keep their pursuers at bay.  But once the men call Hooten’s bluff, he and Alex start running again. As luck would have it for Alex and Hooten but not for the drug dealers, the men run right onto a land mine and are blown up.

But Alex doesn’t know how that will get out of this; she is getting married in two weeks, she’s not dying in a bloody mine field.  Alex asks Hooten about the buyer and learns the man is named Kane (Vincent Regan).  Hooten explains that he wanted to find the jewels to be lead to Kane to get his revenge against Kane for killing his family.  Alex understands now that this is the reason Hooten didn’t want her coming along with him.  Hooten decides that he’ll get them out of the mine field and begins walking.  He tells Alex to follow his path and if he doesn’t make it, to take a different one.  Alex tries to follow Hooten’s steps, but soon he gets too far in front of her.  Hooten finds a sign indicating the beginning of the mind field.  The sign was a sign so to speak that they will be alright.  All Alex needs to do is get to him.

Having survived the deadly mine field, Hooten shares with Alex his history with Kane.  They had shared a prison cell in Calcutta. Kane and Hooten were friends; they watched each other’s backs.  Once they got out of prison, Kane and Hooten became business partners.  They were tomb raiders who sold the artifacts they found on the black market.  But Kane started using the money they earned for things in which Hooten couldn’t abide.  Alex believes there’s more to the story as that isn’t enough that would justify murdering someone entire family.

Meanwhile at the British Museum, Edward (Jonathan Bailey) comes to see Ella because he hasn’t heard from Alex in days.  Ella tries to assure that Alex is probably fine; she’s in Cambodia and the phone reception may just be bad. Ella wants Edward to leave before Clive wonders why he is there.  Too late! Clive enters and asks Ella to give him a good reason why he shouldn’t fire both Alex and Ella!

Alex and Hooten are reunited with Jian.  Alex receives a phone call from Clive.  Edward convinced him not to fire Alex and Ella, especially since she is able to make a valuable find in the Cintamani jewels. Jian works on a map and the raised points help Alex and Hooten possibly find the jewels.  So, it’s off on a hot air balloon for Alex, Jian and Hooten to the next location.  Hooten tells Alex that he intends to give Jian his share of the profits made from stealing the jewels.  It’s obvious that the only thing Hooten cares about is getting his revenge against Kane for murdering his wife and child.  Alex doesn’t think that getting revenge will change anything for Hooten; she’s doesn’t want him to become the killer that Kane was. Speaking of Kane, Hooten is shocked when he looks through his binoculars and sees his nemesis.  Hooten tells Alex that they need to find the jewels first or Kane will kill them.  But Jian betrays them and soon Alex is dangling over a pit of poisonous snakes!  Kane makes a snide comment about another woman risking her life to be with Hooten.  Hooten pleads with Kane to help Alex up.  “She has nothing to do with this,” Hooten says.  However, when Jian attempts to help Alex, Kane grabs the boy and reminds Jian that pleasing him (Kane) should be Jian’s only concern. “For your parents’ sake,” Kane adds. With Alex’s life at stake, Hooten is given very little time to locate the jewel.  Alex is pulled up.

We then learn the rest of Kane and Hooten’s dangerous past:  Hooten ran off with Kane’s wife, who was afraid of Kane.  She and Hooten had a son and went into hiding from Kane. Hooten says that, regardless, they had a good life until Kane murdered them.  Hooten reminds that his (Hooten) son was a six-year-old boy that didn’t betray Kane so didn’t deserve to die.  Hooten and Kane start fighting while Alex taunts Kane that his wife chose the better man.  Kane ends up falling down the snake pit.  Hooten got his revenge.  Alex lies to Kane’s men that the jewel also fell with Kane, but in reality, she covers it with her foot so they don’t see it. Ashamed, Jian cries that he only did Kane’s bidding because the evil man threatend to kill his parents.  Hooten tells Jian that he can go home now.

As the episode closes, Alex finds Hooten deep in thought. “Was it worth it?” Alex asks Hooten. “You ever hear that saying when you set out for revenge you dig two graves?” Hooten asks Alex.  Getting revenge against Kane didn’t give Hooten the peace he thought it would.  But he tells Alex he has a wedding present for her:  They can go to Moscow; with Kane dead now, they can find the egg. Hooten’s sure he remembers where he threw it.  “Let me buy you a drink. I think you’re going to need it,” Alex tells Hooten.  What will Hooten say when Alex tells him that she dove into the river and retrieved the egg?