Pilot (Vanished episode)

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“Pilot”

Vanished episode

Episode no.

Season 1
Episode 1

Written by

Josh Berman

Directed by

Mimi Leder

Guest stars

Rick Cramer
Don McManus
Trip Henningson

Original airdate

August 21, 2006

Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"None"	"The Tunnel"

"Pilot" is episode 1 of season 1 of the FOX network serialized kidnapping drama Vanished.

1 Plot synopsis
2 Arc significance
3 Production details
4 Quotes
5 See also
6 External links

[edit] Plot synopsis

Sara Collins is on the phone with an unnamed person when her husband, Senator Jeffrey Collins walks in. She instructs the caller never to call again. Her husband gives her a present--a diamond necklace. Later at a benefit honoring Sara's work with the Begin Right educational charity, Sara is presented with a necklace made for her by one of her students; she removes her diamond one to wear it. She then leaves to take an urgent phone call.

Meanwhile, at the party, Jeffrey is pressured by the Deputy Attorney General who wants his vote for the President's choice for Supreme Court. Suddenly, Jeffrey is notified that Sara is missing. Jeffrey alerts security and runs to the front door where outside he finds the homemade necklace that Sara was wearing.

1 year earlier: A flashback details FBI Agent Graham Kelton's failed rescue attempt of 12 year-old "Nathan". As Agent Kelton delivers the ransom money to the suspect, a sharpshooter takes out the man. A detonator switch in the kidnapper's hand goes off, and Nathan dies when the explosives strapped to him are detonated.

Present Day: Agent Kelton is notified that Senator Collins' wife might be kidnapped.

WCN reporter Judy Nash stops intimate activity with her cameraman, Adam, when she sees a report that Sara Collins is missing. Judy calls her boss and asks to be put on the story.

Kelton arrives at the hotel and takes over from his partner Agent Lin Mei. Kelton asks Jefferey whether or not he or his wife were having affairs. Collins' son Max tells Kelton that the man that took Sara touched her chair. Kelton has prints lifted from the chair while Mei tells Jeffrey that his daughter Marcy might be missing too.

Marcy is awakened by her boyfriend Ben at his house; they plan to elope. The FBI raid Ben's house, suspecting that Marcy is also kidnapped. They think that Ben is kidnapping her. Marcy goes outside to see her father and awkwardly introduces him to Ben. Jeffery tells her that Sara is missing; in the background Judy begins her new report.

Max tells Kelton that Marcy and Sara haven't been getting along for the past year. Mei finds a positive pregnacy test in Sara's bathroom, and Kelton gives the news to Jeffery.

Mei and Kelton attempt to trace Sara's wheareabouts during the day. Earlier, she had a meeting in a cafe with who we later discover is Senator Collin's ex-wife.

Sara's parents come in and tell the agents that it's not possible for Sara to get pregnant.

The police track down the car of the man suspected to have kidnapped Sara. The driver, however is not their suspect--he is a man in the act of stealing the car. Unbeknownst to the man, inside the trunk the suspect was dead. The medical examiner tells the FBI team that the suspect died within an hour after taking Sara from the hotel. There is also a 9 tattooed on his hand; which was done after he was killed.

The next day Judy finds out that a missing persons report was filed on Sara 12 years ago, but she is unable to find more information. Later, Judy finds Sara's parents and asks them about the missing persons report from 12 years ago. They tell her about an urgent message they received from Sara about Jeffrey but she disappeared before they could talk.

The next day, Marcy goes to Ben's house. He isn't home, and while she waits for him, she finds a blood soaked sweatshirt and a bag full of cash hidden by the washing machine.

The FBI realizes that the gun that killed Sara's kidnapper is somewhat rare, and they are able to track the few people to whom such a gun is registered. They raid the likely house of the owner of the gun, and find the dead body of an Atlanta mayor's wife, missing 10 years. She is still pink, and they realize that her body had been frozen after she was killed. She holds a prayer card with St. Nathan on it. On the back "9:29" is written on it; Nathan is the name of the boy that agent Kelton couldn't save 6 months earlier.

Marcy sneaks out of Ben's house with the money and the sweatshirt. Max sends an email to his mother warning her that his father and the FBI know she's in town.

Across the country a man named Peter Manning is watching TV in a bar. There's a news report about the missing Sara Collins. He realizes that he knows her. He tells his friend that he used to date her but her name was Nikki Johnson at the time. He asked her to marry him but she disappeared--it was 12 years ago. (Recap based on [1] with substantial edits and changes)

[edit] Arc significance

The mystery is set up and the main characters are introduced

The first clues of a broader conspiracy are laid--the number 9 tattooed on the hand of the suspected kidnapper, the prayer card with St. Nathan, the number 9:29. Repeated mention of a senate confirmation hearing is made, and a previous kidnapping is referenced.