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...And the Chocolate Cowboys[1] is the fourth episode of season 1 of The CW television series Tom Swift. It first aired on Tuesday, June 21, 2022 on The CW.

Synopsis[]

Official synopsis of ...And the Chocolate Cowboys from The CW:

TOM GOES WEST – An annoyed Tom goes full on dad mode when Lino shocks his friends by stowing away in a side panel on the Swift Jet hoping to join in on the mission to rescue his uncle Barton. Meanwhile, Zenzi persuades Tom to let her take the jet to meet up with Congressman Eskol in hopes of finding out if Stone Corp. might be planning an attack in Dallas. Lastly, in a surprising twist Tom insists that Isaac accompany Zenzi to help keep her safe.

Plot summary[]

COLD OPEN

Zenzi, Tom, and Isaac are heading to Oklahoma for another capsule piece. Barclay warns that the capsule's copper alloy signal is fading. They have to find the piece before it loses its signal. Tom uses a device to charge Zenzi's phone. It has perpetual energy that lasts for a year, though the reaction causes a slight vibration which will be sorted out before it goes to market. Zenzi looks at an article about Eskol. Tom tells Isaac he's with the Stone Corporation and The Road Back and could be planning something. They could go after MIT's nuclear engineering keynote next week or a climate-mapping drone launch in Dallas. A loud thud jars everyone, and moments later, Lino emerges from the side panel of the plane.

ACT ONE

Tom demands they go home but turning back would waste half their fuel and the capsule's signature will be lost. Tom wonders if there's anything else Lino should be doing, but he quit the team as he's over it. He also wants to avoid cotillion practice that afternoon. Once they land, Zenzi receives a call from Eskol who hopes they can finally have that dinner date. He doesn't have to be in Dallas until tomorrow and has a night off. Zenzi asks Tom to borrow his house and his jet, setting a date with Eskol at Swit Manor. She wants to find out what he's planning in Dallas to see if he's involved. She'll go to dinner while Tom covers Oklahoma. Tom insists that Isaac goes with her. Tom and Lino continue with the mission and meet Calvin McElroy, the owner of the ranch. He invites them back for lunch as he knows who Tom is. They get to know one another until Tom remarks it's time to go. Lino believes he knows where the capsule piece is as he watched Clayton's reaction whenever a clearing was mentioned. The brothers find the piece but are caught by the Chocolate Cowboys

ACT TWO

The cowboys believe the sap of the weeping tree has healing properties. The money they can make selling the "tears", which are sap rejuvenated from the vibrations of the capsule piece, will make their town a destination again. They let the boys leave after refusing to sell the piece. Tom wants to steal the piece back, but Lino disagrees as the cowboys want it to save their town. Tom snaps at Lino for his inability to listen, and childish behavior, so he snaps back, calling him, Uncle Barton. Back in Swift Manor, Isaac gives Zenzi a mic, video, and an earpiece in one com-strip. He helps fix her necklace as he answers her question about his last op. It was in 2016, Kabul, with his ex. The mission ended their relationship. Zenzi greets Eskol happily, noticing his security guards that Isaac said would be there. As she talks with Eskol, Isaac critiques her one too many times so she removes the strip before they go for dinner.

ACT THREE

Tom hatches a plan to steal the capsule piece back without hurting anyone. He invents a nap gun which works well on his test subject, Lino. Meanwhile, Zenzi woos Eskol after dinner, learning more about him. He offers her dessert that he brought in a case, which she convinces him to have by the fireplace - just the two of them. He's brought peach cobbler with puff pastry, which is kin to her as her grandmother used to make it. They bond over books as Native Son is his favorite. He travels with it as it helps him see the world as it is and not how he wants it to be. They are about to kiss when she stops, blaming her reluctance on her lipstick. She leaves under the rouse and snoops through his bag, finding his copy of Native Son. She also finds a list of initials on a paper and takes a photo of it. She puts it back just as a guard finds her. Back in Oklahoma, Tom and Lino successfully take out the cowboys. Tom grabs the capsule piece but when he returns, Lino is gone with evident signs of a struggle.

ACT FOUR

Lino video chats Tom but it isn't him, but Calvin, who proposes a trade at high noon tomorrow - the tree machine for Lino. Tom tries to reach Isaac who is busy listening in on Zenzi's conversation. He hears Tom's request for backup, while Zenzi insists she wasn't going through Eskol's bag. She insists she just wanted to know if he was telling the truth about Native Son, as it seemed too good to be true. She admits to hiding something - that she likes him. They argue over her need to snoop and his need to bring bodyguards on a date She wonders why he needs their help. Isaac begins to panic and flashes back to his Kabul op, where his girlfriend dies in his arms, despite his efforts to save her. Despite his panic attack, Isaac manages to power off the electricity downstairs, which gives Zenzi the perfect excuse to escort her guests out. Eskol promises to bring fewer guards and more desserts next time, before leaving. She picks up her comm, boasting that she told him she could handle a date.

ACT FIVE

Isaac and Zenzi return to Oklahoma, though he criticizes her for putting herself in danger. Tom arrives and they go rescue, Lino. They burst into the ranch house as Tom pins Calvin against the wall. He insists he wasn't going to hurt the kid but does need the device as his family has been fighting against land dispossession and predatory developers for years. Lino convinces Tom to listen. Calvin needs to protect his legacy, but if Tom takes the device away, he'll lose the chance to build something for his daughter and future generations. Tom goes through with the trade but yells at Lino more once they're outside. He should have spoken to Tom instead of hiding in a luggage rack, risking himself, Tom's life, and their mission because he wanted to play tagalong. Lino tried talking to Tom but he kept blowing Lino off at the summit. He's trying to help but should have known it was Tom's way or the highway. It isn't his fault that Tom traded the piece. Tom reveals that the piece he gave Clayton was a 3D-printed double and not the real thing. Lino is angry that Tom would lie to get what he wants.

ACT SIX

Isaac talks with Tom about the argument between the brothers. Tom thinks his brother needs to listen, with Isaac asking if Lino was listening to himself or Tom. He has his own ideas of how to help, but Tom went off on him for not doing it the way he would have. Tom realizes he did just what Barton used to do. He doesn't want to be like Barton. Isaac reminds him that he can control his choices, action, and character. He doesn't have to be that man, he can do it differently. Tom and Lino have a heart-to-heart, courtesy of Isaac's words of wisdom. Tom admits that Lino was invaluable to the mission. He should have let Lino be brilliant in his own way instead of being mad at him for not being like Tom. Lino quit the fencing team because his teammates call him a cheating freak, a phrase that isn't entirely wrong now that he has heightened abilities as his mom did. He's worried he'll be dangerous like her and be sent away. Tom will never let that happen. Lino can't be sure as he did turn his back on Calvin, who he envies for having a connection to their past. Tom decides to turn around and broker a better deal with Calvin and the Chocolate Cowboys. He'll fund a wellness spa and retreat where the sap will be sold in the gift shop. The sap will produce thanks to Tom's power packs that give off a vibration. Back on the plane, Barclay relays that the piece should operate normally once joined with the other capsule pieces. Zenzi shares the list she found in Eskol's book. They realize the initials are names, and numbers are coordinates. It starts with B.S., Barton Swift, and each initial correlates to the death of a brilliant inventor. The Road Back's not targeting tech, but the people behind it - and Barton was just the beginning.

Cast and characters[]

Starring:

Guest-starring:

Co-starring:

  • Kenneth Trujillo as Signet ring man
  • Geanna Funes as Marissa
  • Mitch Westphal as Bodyguard

Mentioned:

  • Barton Swift
  • Lino's mother
  • Dr. Odi Adesina, a physicist pioneering wormhole theories, had a stroke in San Diego last week
  • Dr. Xochitl Castros, she's working on a brain-computer interface that allows astronauts to operate robots in space without leaving earth, had a heart attack in her lab in Portland yesterday morning

Quotes[]

Trivia[]

  • The cattle prod is an indirect nod to a taser, the iconic invention done by Tom Swift and named after him.
  • Bass Reeves was a real person and an infamous lawman for over thirty years, as he was the first black deputy US Marshall. He is the basis for the Lone Ranger.[2]
  • E. Roger Mitchell, who played Calvin, was a real-life mentor to Tian Richards when the latter began acting. This is the first time the pair have worked together on-screen.[3]
  • The origin of the deer bust over the box TV is unknown, with the director unsure if the bust belonged to the homeowner or not.[4]
  • One of the more challenging aspects of filming ...And the Chocolate Cowboys was finding a location around Atlanta that could double as Oklahoma. The location manager ultimately found a location - a farm in Georgia - that then doubled as the Langsohville Ranch.[5]

Gallery[]

Images[]

Video[]


Behind the Scenes[]

Navigation[]

External links[]

  • IMDb favicon search on The Internet Movie Database

References[]

  1. TheFutonCritic: Listings - Tom Swift
  2. Bass Reeves Website: About Bass Reeves
  3. Twitter: @TomSwiftWriters
  4. Twitter: @TomSwiftWriters
  5. Twitter: @TomSwiftWriters
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