Sliders (1995–2000): Season 3, Episode 12 - Season's Greedings - full transcript

The Sliders visit a world where Christmas is purely commercial and malls house people.

[whooshing]

[Wade and Professor
exclaiming]

[Quinn grunting]

Have you gone
completely insane?

That pygmy was
practically drooling
over you.

All I did was smile.

[panting]
Wade, do us all a favor.

Next time some native boy
makes eyes at you,
look the other way.

How was I supposed to know
that smiling meant
I'd have his children?

And I thought men on our world
didn't take rejection well.

[birds chirping]
Guys, check it out.
It must be Christmas.



I guess I lost
all track of time
on Jungle World.

Look,

what a beautiful chapel.

Let's go in, huh?

I want to give thanks
for getting out of
that last world alive.

We can all say
amen to that.

Amen.

[bells chiming]

It'll just take me a sec.

Excuse me.

Would you mind
holding him for a moment
while I light a candle?

He's decided to get fussy
all of a sudden.

I would be delighted.

Matter of fact, I,
I delivered a little fellow
like this not long ago.



Thank you.

[baby gurgling]

Yes.

Feisty little fellow, hey?

Sort of reminds me
of you, Professor.

Interesting how babies
bring out the best in people.

Possibly because
they remind us

that there can be such
a thing as perfection.

Maybe it's because
they're just bundles
of unconditional love, huh?

Hey, where'd this
little guy come from?

We're just holdin' it
for the lady right over...

(Rembrandt)
Hey, where'd she go?

Hey.

[gurgling]

Come on, little chap.
Let's go and find
your mom, shall we?

Would you mind holding him
just for a second?

[driver chattering]

(Professor)
Hey!

Hey.

Stop that bus. Madam, hey...

(Quinn)
What if you found a portal
to a parallel universe?

What if you could slide into
a thousand different worlds,

where it's the same year,
and you're the same person,

but everything else
is different?

And what if you can't find
your way home?

(voice)
Sliders.

We may be able
to find the child's mother.

We have reason to believe

she works
at the Sky High Plaza.

God, that place.
I should have known.

Why should you have known?

A lot of people
here in the flats

think that Sky High
is a paradise.

But, make no mistake,

just because
it's in the clouds,

doesn't make it Heaven.

As for this child,

we simply have no way
to care for him.

Father, we are only here
for two days.

I beg you, give us that time

to try and find
the child's mother.

Thank you.

All right.

Okay.

You take care now,
little one.

We'll be back.

[people chattering]

(Rembrandt)
Hey, check this out.

The Jetsons live, huh?

(Wade)
How does this thing stay up?

(Quinn)
I think it's balanced
by those tiers.

Well, If it's not,

there's been
a significant change

in the laws of physics.

(Professor)
Though one can
hardly admire a world

that places shopping
in higher esteem
than motherhood.

Maybe he knows her
and the baby from our world.

That would explain
his obsession with her.

He'd have said so.

(man)
Attention shoppers:

Only two more shopping days
till Christmas.

Show someone your love

with that extra-special gift.

Instant credit loans
always available.

Boy, that brings
the Christmas spirit
to a new low.

Yes, sir, it does.

(woman)
If you think you've finished
shopping for Christmas,

why not start on next year?

(Quinn)
Since when does a mall

have schools, libraries,
and a hospital?

People live here, too.

This whole area
is residential.

That's her.

Wait a minute,
just a minute, ma'am, ma'am.

[stuttering]
I'm terribly sorry.

I mistook you
for somebody else.

[grunting]

No, let me go!
Please, no. Stop. Stop.

Did you see the way
his bracelet lit up?
Like it shocked him.

And what was with
the armed escorts?

Yeah, I'm going
to check with the, uh,
personnel office.

I'm starvin'.

[woman chattering
over speaker]

There you go.
Comes to $28.50.

Keep the change.

We don't take cash.

Only your Plaza Club card.
Your debit card.

Sorry.

I'm really sorry.

Please. We're starving.

Look, they're still hiring
seasonal help right now.

And the jobs come
with housing and Plaza cards.

There's the assistant manager
right now.
I can talk to her for you.

Ms. Wells,

there are some people here
who need debit cards

and I told them
you might have
some work for them.

I--I--I can't deal
with this right now.

What's up?

That's Wade's sister
and dad.

Kelly Wells,
assistant to the president.

Hi, Rembrandt Brown.

Don Wells,
Food Court Manager.
Hi, how are you?

[sighing]

Look, it's,
it's no big deal, okay.

I just,
I--I don't want them
to see me.

Sure, I understand.
It's Christmas.

Why would you
want to be with your family?

They're not my family, Quinn.

(Wade)
That is not my father.

I never shared
a room with that Kelly.

Okay? Nothing that--
that happens in two days
is going to change that.

All right, I've got
what I came for. Let's go.

Hey, guys,
I think we've got jobs.

[woman chattering
over speaker]

Let me get your names.

Starting with you.

Eh, my name
is Prof. Maximillian Arturo,
Ms. Wells.

She doesn't know me.

(Rembrandt)
Yeah, but without a name,
the directory is useless.

(Professor)
I don't care if I have
to knock on every door

in this Plaza,
I'm going to find her.

I don't suppose
you'd want to trade,
would you?

Hey, Wade,
you all right?

I must not exist
on this world.

You know, it's--
it's a weird feeling.
I know, it's stupid.

I shouldn't--shouldn't
even feel this way.

No, you care
because you wanted them
to know who you were.

So, maybe you
could have spent
a real Christmas with them.

I'm never spending Christmas
with my family again, Quinn.

Wade,

we are getting home.

When?

The next slide?

What? The slide after that?
Next year?

Tell me when.

(supervisor)
Be late again
and you're fired.

Each of you
earns $200 a day.

Half is deducted
for your housing.

You're also required
to spend $80 a day.

You can spend it
however you like,
but you must spend it.

(Rembrandt)
So we only get to keep $20?

(Professor)
That's outrageous.

(man)
Sky High Plaza...

And never, never stand
between the monitor
and the kids.

It's grounds for dismissal.

Okay, school lets out
in 10 minutes,

so think "happy,"
think "toys," think "sales."

♪[carols playing on radio]

(Quinn)
Kelly.

Here you go.

Well, you make a handsome elf.

You make
a very pretty assistant
to the president.

As cute as you are like that,
I have a better offer for you.

Meet me in my office
in 20 minutes.

(Bernsen)
Kelly.

[exclaims]

How did you manage
to get a crew here
so quickly?

I only just fired
the last ones two hours ago.

You said
not to waste any time, Ted.

You know,
you are getting better

at running this place
than I am.

People,

this is Ted Bernsen,
Plaza President.

The last crew
didn't meet our standards.

I expect you will.

Hi, Ms. Wells.

I need to talk with you
about your spending, Ginny.

It's only at 48 percent.

Last month it was only 62.

You know my mom is sick.

Her prescriptions
have been eating up
my spending money.

I'm going to have to dock you
three weeks' pay.

[sighs]

Sorry.

Kelly--

Don't start, Dad.

Problem handled?

Mr. Bernsen,
could I have a moment alone
with my daughter, please?

Sorry, Don. I need her.

(boy)
And I want
a Sammy Spender Doll

and I want
a Cosmic Turbo Fighter Jet

and I want this

Icky, Nasty Ooze.

Why don't we try
something different
for a change?

Hey, how about something
to stimulate your imagination,

like, um,
like a chemistry set or, uh,
building blocks.

Look, Santa.
If you don't give me
what I want, they'll know.

[camera humming]

All right.
All right, I'll give you
what you want

but first you're going
to have to listen
to a little story.

Okay?

Once upon a time
there was a rotten,
stinky little boy

who was greedy.

His name was...

(woman)
Toy Mania
carries everything...

(Rembrandt)
♪ Prices are
the lowest here

That's a pretty
catchy tune, huh?

(Wade)
Yeah, not bad.

If you don't mind corrupting
the meaning of
Christmas completely.

♪ Hark the Herald
Jewelers sing

♪ Buy your wife
a diamond ring

[Rembrandt laughs]

(woman)
Toy Mania is where
your dreams come true.

So, the little boy
picked up the big parcel

and left the little gift

under the tree.

What did he get?
A new bike? A new TV?

He got nothing.

You see,
Santa doesn't reward
greedy little boys.

[exclaims]

No, he only brings presents
for good little
boys and girls.

And for those who are bad,

he just leaves them
a sock full of coal.

What a buzz kill.

What a buzz kill, indeed.

Yeah, well...

Look, um,

you run along now,
and tell your friends
that story, and, uh...

And I'll be back shortly.

Excuse me one moment.

Miss. Miss.

Carol.

So that's your name.

You're the one
from the church.

Yes, I want to talk to you
about your son.

Please, just--just
leave me alone.

You'll get me docked.

Carol, you've made
a terrible mistake,

but there's still time
to put it right.

Come back
to the church with me.

I haven't made a mistake.
I know what I'm doing.

They own me.

As long as I'm wearing this,
he's better off
in the flats without me.

Carol!

[woman chattering
over speaker]

Professor, the kids are...

(woman)
Toy Mania carries everything
for every child of every age.

Hey, are you all right?

No, I am not all right.

This is a despicable world.

The children are all greedy,

mothers think nothing
of abandoning their infants.

Everything about this is fake.
Including me.

What the devil am I doing
playing jolly old Santa Claus?

Just contributing to

this fraud on children?

That last story
didn't sound like perpetuating
the fraud to me.

You were trying to teach
a kid a lesson.

Yes, do you think
he heard me?

Maybe he did.

No, I don't think so.

Not with parents
so consumed by consumerism.

Oh dear,

all this wretched advertising
and jingles.

So, you're just going
to let them down

because it's too much work
to reach them?

Look, you're wearing
that suit.

It comes
with strings attached.

You've got to keep trying.

[exclaims]

I don't think so.

Yes?

Santa,

I broke my little brother's
favorite toy

and I--I promised
I'd get him a new one
but I never did.

[sighs]

Please don't bring me
a sock full of coal.

[exclaims]

Do you know that
telling the truth

just put you
on Santa's good list?

Yes, it did.

May I hear another story?

Yes, of course you can.

May I tell you
the one about

the impudent elf
who taught Santa a lesson?

Come along, then.

Once upon a time,
there was an impudent elf.

♪[music playing]

Check you out.

Check out
jolly old St. Nick.

Yeah,
workin' Santa's magic.

Well, that's it, children.

Santa has to go
and feed his reindeer now.

[children sighing]

Nothing like the magic

of a good old-fashioned
Christmas story.

The kids love it.
They won't let him stop.

Hey, Santa.

How about another story?

Maybe Rudolph?

Three renderings of Rudolph
in one day is enough
for any man.

You tell me a story.
What about, uh,
Carol and this bracelet?

The bracelets
are used as monitors

and they shock you
if you go out of
your approved zone.

Anybody who couldn't
pay off their debt on demand

has to wear one

and they're forced
to live and work here

until their debt
is paid off in full.

If you only get
to keep $20 a day,

payin' off your debt
would take a lifetime.

There are 42 Carols
who work here
and wear bracelets.

That's all
I could narrow it down to.

There's your list, Santa.

42?

(woman)
Nobody does it better
than Sky High Plaza.

Wade, isn't it?

Shop till you drop.
Then visit the Food court...

Do I make you
uncomfortable?

You seem so nervous
around me.

No, it-it's just, uh...

You're staring at me.

I'm so sorry.

It's hard not to.

You look so much like Kelly,
you could almost be related.

[titters]

Yeah. I--I guess.

Well, good night.

Say, wait a minute.

Why don't you let me cook you
a nice homemade meal?

I'm known for
my legendary Texas chili.

Please?

Let me cook you dinner.
Make up for the one
you dropped.

Okay.

(woman)
Find it all at the mall.
Sky High Plaza has stores...

(Professor)
You know, my search
would go a lot quicker

if you would, uh,
give me a hand.

Can't Q-Ball help?

Oh, no. He's having dinner
with, uh, Kelly Wells.

This is becoming
a bit of an obsession,
isn't it?

It's only commercials.

Shh.

What do you mean "shh"?

What are you doing?

Look,
why would you care, anyway?

Mr. Brown, I do care.
That is enough.

Look, maybe
I'll help you tomorrow.

Right now
I've got to do this, okay?

I'm makin' a gift list.

Sure.

Thank you.

(Quinn)
Haven't you ever had
a real Christmas?

(Kelly)
Not in a long time.

After my mom died,
Christmas really changed.

I know the feeling.

I lost my father
when I was 11.

For years after that

Christmas just seems empty.

But then this one year,

I must have been 15,

my mom and I
were at this tree farm

and we were walkin'
all over the place,

arguing about
which tree to get.

I spot this one tree
that had been cut down
already.

Its branches
were broken and twisted,
the bottom was crooked.

Totally pathetic.

Charlie Brown
wouldn't even want this tree.

Who's Charlie Brown?

This kid I grew up with.

Anyway,

my dad had been coming home
with trees like this
my whole life.

So, when I saw that tree
lying there,

it was like
he had cut it down for us.

After that,

Christmas didn't seem
so empty anymore.

Because I knew
my dad was there.

In that tree, in our house,

in our family traditions.

[exclaims]

Isn't anything up here real?

Oh.

It's too hard
to bring real trees up here,

but this is fine.

Kelly, there...

there is a whole world
down there to see.

You should
check it out sometime.

There's nothing
down there for me.

Don't you want
to go back to San Francisco?
See your home again?

This is my home.

Kelly. I've been
looking for you everywhere.

They just called.

I got the promotion.

I start as Regional Manager
in January.

That is so great.

Everything you've worked for.

Everything we've worked for.

I'm not going alone.

You are coming with me.

[laughs]

(Don)
We made those

before we could afford
to buy any.

Kelly is the little girl,
and that's my wife.

(Wade)
She looks so young.

Well, we weren't
much older than you
when we got married.

If you don't mind me asking,

what happened to her?

She died in childbirth,
along with
our second little girl.

I'm s-so sorry.

Thank you.

Kelly and I
didn't move to the mall
until after Liz died,

I look around this room,
I can still feel her presence.

I look at Kelly,
I can see her smile

and see her intelligence.

Even you remind me of her.

It's my eyes.

People always tell me
that my eyes
look just like...

I...

I can see the resemblance
in the picture.

Sure.

Well, I'll, uh,

see about dinner.

Okay.

[knock on door]

Ah, there you are at last.

This is the 38th house
I've knocked on this evening.

So why don't you
just leave me alone?

Look, give me
15 minutes of your time

and if you want me
out of your life, I'll be out.

[sighs]

What's his name?

Alexander.

My wife and I talked about
moving to a mall somewhere,
you know.

About the opportunities
it provided for Kelly.

Liz was dead set
against it at the time.

I must say, I wish
I'd listened to her now.

If I had to do it
over again,

I would never have brought
Kelly here to live.

(Wade)
Well, you could leave.

Take Kelly back
to San Francisco.

Show her all the great things
that she's missin' outside.

No, I can't.
It's too late.

I'm in debt up to my ears.

Besides,

Kelly loves working
for Bernsen.

Her whole life
has become business, profit.

I feel like I'm losing her.

H-have you told her
how you feel?

I don't think
she would listen.

Kelly always
needed more from me
than I knew how to give her.

Maybe it's because
she lost her mother
at such a young age.

Bernsen seems
to fill a void in her
that I can't touch.

You're her father.

I think she'll always have
a special place
in her heart for you.

Talk to her. I--I know
that she'll listen to you.

Trust me. The only way
that you're going to lose her
is if you give up.

(man)
Find it all the mall.

Hey, hold up, Q-Ball.

No peekin', man.
This one is for you.

What is all this stuff?

(Rembrandt)
Gifts for you guys.

[panting]
You know what they say,

a gift shows how much
you love someone, huh?

Remmy,

something is going on
with you, man.

Trust me,
you don't love us this much.

Wait a minute.
That's 14...

14...

I only got 10 gifts for Wade?
What was I thinkin'?

Where's the credit card?

Here it is.

It's a good thing
the Plaza store
is open all night, huh?

Excuse me.

Remmy,

[exclaiming]

you do not have to buy Wade
another gift. Trust me.

Oh, so now
you're going to tell me

if I can buy gifts
for you guys?

Come on, man.

Seriously.

Last time I'm tellin' you.
Now move.

That Q-Ball
can be so irritating
sometimes.

Yes, he can.

You okay?

I just had
a great evening
with my dad.

I can close my eyes
and almost forget

that he doesn't know
who I am.

Say, look, I'm gonna do
a little shopping right now.
You want to come along?

No. You go ahead.

[sighs]

Well, actually,
I'd just rather stay here
with you.

I mean, if you don't mind.

I don't mind.

(Carol)
I used all
of my available credit

to pay someone
to smuggle me out.

That's how I was able
to get Alex to the flats.

Now he won't have to
grow up a prisoner
like his mother.

No, he'll just grow up
with the horror
of having been abandoned.

Who are you to judge me?

What I did, I did for him.

Carol, listen to me.

In the closing days
of World War II,
I was a small child.

My mother took me
out to the country

to spend some time
with some elderly aunts.

The second night
we were there,
the house was bombed.

My aunts were killed.

I woke up to find
the firemen pulling
my dead mother off my chest.

She had thrown herself over me
to protect me, you see.

They did not know
who I was.

They had no way
of identifying me.

My father was in India,
fighting.

So, they put me
in an orphanage

till the war ended
and he came back
to pick me up.

For months, every day
and every night I...

I wept because
I knew I would never see
my parents again.

All my life,
I have lived with

the fear and terror
of that abandonment.

I beg you,
don't do this to your child.

Don't let your child
grow up with that demon.

I won't.
I'm going to pay off my debt,

I'm going to have this removed
and then
I'm going to get him back.

Look, will you wake up?

This system is so set up
that you can't possibly
pay back the debt.

You're always
going to have this
on your wrist.

And unless we do
something special,

you will never
get to see your child.

Don't cry.

I promise you, I...
I don't know what
I'm going to do yet

but I will do everything
I can to help you.

In the meantime,
don't build up more debt.

I'm sure Carol
wants to keep her child.

She just needs a little time
to get her life in order.

Yes. Yes, I do understand.

(woman)
Toy Mania located on....

Thank you, Father.

Unless we can help
Carol by tonight,
she's going to lose Alex.

I'll dig around.
See if there's anything
in the office that can help.

[TV playing]

Hey, Professor.
We better be goin'.

They're going to fire us
if we're late.

(man)
Stores to meet
your every need,

and you need
to spend money.

(woman)
Toy Mania

is where all your dreams
come true.

Located on Level Two.

Christmas is coming.
Are you ready?

(Don)
Kelly.

Kelly, Kelly,
Merry Christmas.

It's tomorrow, Dad.

I've got a meeting.
What's up?

Spare me a minute.

Go ahead.

I saw a side of you yesterday
I didn't recognize.

You were pretty cold
when you docked poor little
Ginny three weeks' pay.

It's business, Dad.

You know,
your mother was right.
These malls destroy people.

Why do you
always bring her up?

Because she's still
part of our lives, Kel.

It's times like these
I wish she could be here
for you.

I'm all you've got,
like it or not.

Ted's waiting.

Kelly, don't you see?

(Don)
Don't you see
what he's doing to you?

He's warped your sense
of right and wrong.

Ted hasn't done
anything to me.

Oh, I see.

So being cold and heartless
is your own choice?

That's not fair.

It's my job and
sometimes it stinks.

But I'm going to keep
doing the best I can.

You know why?

Because I don't want
to spend my life being
Food Service Manager.

Let me tell you something,
young lady.

I wake up in the morning,
I can look in the mirror
and like what I see.

Can you say the same thing?

I wasn't going
to tell you this
until after Christmas,

but since we're having
this conversation,

Ted's getting a promotion.
He's going to Paly, up north.

And I'm going with him.

If you're going
to follow your dream,
you know I fully support you.

But if you're just going
to follow Bernsen,
to become just like him,

that breaks my heart.

Now, let me give you
one last piece of advice.

All these malls are the same.

You're not going
to find anything up there
you can't get right here.

When I said
I was losing her,
I was wrong.

She's already gone.

Bernsen owns her.

There it is again.

I've adjusted
this remote control

to enhance
certain frequencies.

I don't believe this.

"Gift equals love"?

(Professor)
As you can see,

there is more than
one layer of video here.

"Love means buy means love."

Subliminal messages

designed to persuade people
to buy anything
and everything.

From what we can see
around here,

it's been
highly successful.

Hey guys.

(woman)
Only two more shopping days
till Christmas.

Q-Ball,
about last night--

Forget it.
You weren't yourself.

I know, but look,
I just want to say
thanks anyway.

You've got a real friend
when he's straight up
and tells you

that you're such a jerk,
you know?

You can pretty much
count on all of us for that.

Guys, look at these.

What did you find out?

There wasn't
anything specific,

just subliminal messages,
but check this out.

I looked up a few
employee's files

and they've all got
huge credit lines

from a company called
Crescent Vista Funding.

Carol's in
for over six figures.

But why would a company
loan money

to people
who couldn't pay it back?

Oh, they will, Ms. Wells.
They will.

With high interest
over the entire course
of their life.

Slavery
is another word for it.

So, there you are.

[sighs]

Essentially
you were cheated
out of your home,

your life savings,
and your child.

How could I be so stupid?

(Wade)
You're not stupid.

Subliminal messages work
on your unconscious level.

It--it's a form
of mind control.

(Quinn)
They hook you with the ads,

then they loan you money
to support your habit.

It's like a drug addiction.

(Wade)
If you can help us get
into Bernsen's office,

we might be able to prove
he's responsible for this.

If I get caught,
he could throw me in jail
for nonpayment of the debt.

Then I'll never get Alex back.

(Professor)
Correct,

but if we are right,
then you will get back
your home,

[sighs]

your life,

and your child.

Can you promise me that?

No, of course not.

But it's Christmas.

Christmas
is a time for miracles.

Miracles and faith.

[sighs]

(Professor)
All the little
Dutch boys and girls

put their wooden shoes
in front of the fire

and they are filled
with carrots and hay.

(Bernsen)
The numbers are
through the roof, Steve.

Everything that you promised,
those tapes delivered.

(Professor)
They find in their shoes...

Hold on a minute.

the most wonderful gifts,
cookies and candies.

Nothing machine-made
or store-bought.

All year long,
the children try to be...

I got a problem, Steve.
I'll call you back.

[knock on door]

Cleaning crew,
Mr. Bernsen.

All right,
you better go, Carol.

Might be dangerous
if you get caught.

Thanks for your help.

No, thank you.
Both of you.

Okay.

[electronic beeping]

(Quinn)
You're already in?

That was too easy.

[electronic bleeping]

Figures.
Multilevel security system.

This could take forever.

Look for a boot disk.
We'll go around the system.

[electronic beeping]

Uh-oh.

What "oh"?

I've just tripped
a security alert.

In 60 seconds,
they will be all over us.

Time to bail.

(Quinn)
Kelly, we can explain.

Explain to security.

Can you stop
the security alert?

Why should I?

Because Bernsen's
running a scam here.

He's cheating people
out of their homes,
forcing them into debt,

and all the proof
is in that computer.

Why should I trust you?
I don't even know you people.

Tell her.

[gasping]

I know you.

Look, when you were nine,

you--you found where Dad
hid the Christmas presents.

Uh, behind the boxes,
up on the top shelf
in the garage.

[exclaiming]

Thirty seconds.

You hated yourself
after you found them,
'cause you ruined Christmas.

How could you know that?

Because on my world,
you told me.

Kelly, I'm the sister
you never had.

The one who died
at childbirth.

Twenty seconds.

[sighing]

The first boy you ever kissed
was Christopher Sliney.

I never kissed Christopher.
When I tried, he ran home.

But I never told anyone
I even tried.

On my world,
he didn't run home
until after you kissed him.

On my world,
Mom and I came home
from the hospital.

And we grew up as sisters.

(Quinn)
Ten, nine, eight, seven...

[electronic beeping]

(Professor)
♪ On the fourth day
of Christmas

♪ my true love gave to me

♪ Four calling birds

Got that one?

Who would want
calling birds?

Well, now,
you're missing the point.

See, it's-- it's not
just about the gift.

Then what's it about?

That's a very good question.
What is this silly song about?

I think it's about giving
too many presents.

Just imagine,
four calling birds,

three French hens,
two turtle doves and
a partridge in a pear tree.

(Professor)
Can you imagine

all the feathers
in the poor fellow's house?

He'd be sneezing all the time,
wouldn't he?

[mimicking sneeze]

I'm allergic to birds.

Ah!

Ah, Mr. Bernsen.

So glad you came, sir.

We were just
teaching the children
a little Christmas song.

Yes, I'm sure
they'd love to hear it, Santa.

But first of all,
snack time.

Free cookies and soft drinks
for everybody,
at the Cookie Shack.

Well, what
a very considerate gesture,
sir,

but we've already
provided them.

(children)
Yeah.

Look awfully happy,
don't they?

And they're
not even shopping.

Did I also mention

that we're giving away
free video games
at the toy store?

(children)
No.

I think we'd all prefer
to hear Santa

tell another story,
wouldn't we?

(children)
Yeah.

Your world of consumerism
is finished, Bernsen.

These children
have just started to learn
true values.

Think you're gonna have
a hard time
convincing these kids

that Christmas is still
just about getting things.

I don't know
what your game is,

but you two are fired.

Come see me once
you've thrown them out.

I'll be in my office.

Wade needs more time.

Yeah.

If you throw us out,
we'll come back again.

Won't we, children?

(children)
Yeah.

Yeah, see, you can't stop
what we've already started.

I mean, these kids now know
what the true meaning
of Christmas is. Right?

(children)
Yeah.

And you think
that's singing a few carols,

and telling some
maudlin fairy tales, huh?

You are living in the past.

Christmas today
is about cash flow,

from them to me.

And that's what
you really think
Christmas is, don't you,

you miserable excuse
for a man? Profits!

And you'll go about
chasing them,
legally or illegally.

Are you making
some kind of accusation?

Let's take them to
the employee holding center
instead.

Wait a minute.

You have no right
to take us anywhere.

Maybe you should have read
your credit application.

It says if you
can't pay your debt,
in full, on demand,

you belong to us.

So, consider this
the demand.

Can you pay your debt?

That's what I thought.

As for you,

I just hate
to break up a set.

Children, don't worry.

Santa is just going
to feed the reindeer.

(all)
Come back, Santa.
Come back.

(Wade)
This guy is a snake.

He's taken money from widows,
young families, even minors.

Not to mention
the slime tactic
of subliminal advertising.

No wonder the Plaza's profit
has gone up over 300 percent.

But our sales are up
because of our
aggressive advertising.

Aggressive?
More like illegal.

What are you talking about?

You really don't know?

[Kelly sighs]

Your boss has been
pushing up sales

by using
subliminal advertising

to coerce people into buying
more than they want.

Even more than
they can afford.

I can't believe
Ted would do
something like that.

(Wade)
Then take a look at this.

We've got him.

This proves he's behind
Crescent Vista Funding.

[keyboard clicking]

(Wade)
And this is a bill
for the design and production

of all of your commercials.

It's him, Kelly.

Bernsen is the only guy
connected to all of this.

[sighs]

How could I be
so wrong about him?

I did everything
he asked me to.

I'm part of this.

You can be part of
the solution, too.

Help us help these people.

(supervisor)
Uh, hang on, Bernsen.

You might want
to talk to us

before you do
anything with them.

What's going on?

Talk to me about
Crescent Vista Funding.

About subliminal
advertising,

and using this mall
to make millions for yourself.

Can you prove
any of this, Kelly?

Because if you can't,
your career is history.

This disk has every file,
every contract,

every link between you
and Crescent Vista Funding.

We even found a letter

warning you about
the illegal nature
of subliminal advertising.

You should have
listened to the warning.

I trusted you.

I treated you
like you were my own.

How could you
do this to me?

How could you do this
to other people?

(Bernsen)
I was wrong about you,
wasn't I, Kelly?

You really don't have
what it takes to make it.

If that means
I'm nothing like you, Ted,

I'm okay with that.

I'll tell you what.

I'll, uh,
split the money with you.

We can--we can
just put that disk aside.

Just carry on
like things have been.
What do you say?

We've already deleted
all the debts,

destroyed the bracelets
and the loan records.

It's over, Bernsen.

Your career
is the one that's history.

[sighs]

[grunts]

Ah, well, It is better
to give than to receive.

(Don)
Kelly?

I'm sorry, Dad.

What for?

For treating you
like I have.

For buying into everything
Bernsen told me.

But mostly
for becoming the one thing
Mom would have hated.

No, no, no,
we've got this.
You go ahead.

That's nice to see.

The guys cleanin' up
in the kitchen
while the women get to relax.

[both exclaiming]

She was so beautiful.

Yeah.

You have her eyes.

You do, too.

He should know who you are.

(Wade)
He lost me once already.

I don't want him
to go through that again.

But after we go,

you'll explain
this whole slide thing
to him, okay?

[baby gurgling]

You know,
I wanted to ask you

when your father
came back to get you,

did everything
work out okay?

Oh. We had many
good holidays together.

But that was
a very special Christmas.

[sighs]

It was postwar England.

No toys to be had anywhere.

(Professor)
So, he made me a little wooden
car with black wooden wheels

and painted it blue.

[sighs]

When he gave it to me,
I remember,

his hands
were shaking slightly

and I looked up
into his eyes,

and I saw
there were tears in them.

That was the moment
I knew my daddy was home

[whispers]
and that he loved me.

Best gift he ever
could have given.

[baby gurgling]

[chuckles]

May we, uh, just say goodbye
to your little one now?

Come on, Alex.

Come on.

[baby crying]

Oh!

Mr. Brown,

Mr. Brown,

I think there's
a little fellow here

who would like
to hear you sing.

[baby crying]

I always love
to perform
for the little people.

There you go.

♪ Silent night

♪ Holy night

♪ All is calm

(Kelly)
Okay,

everybody squeeze together.

Let's, uh,
make it quick.

[sighs]

(Kelly)
Say Merry Christmas.

(all)
Merry Christmas.

(Quinn)
Ready?

(Rembrandt)
Thank you so much.

I'll explain later.

Merry Christmas.

[sighs]

Thank you.
Thank you for everything.

[sighs]

Merry Christmas,
you little rascal.

[chuckles]

[whooshing]

Merry Christmas.

Thank you.

Thank you
for bringing Christmas,
a real Christmas, back to us.

Thank you
for sharing it
with us.

You guys take care
of yourselves, okay?

♪ ♪