The Equalizer (1985–1989): Season 3, Episode 11 - Christmas Presence - full transcript
McCall and Gage protect a young boy who is being terrorized by a group of men who want him out of the neighbourhood because he has AIDS.
[music]
[crash]
Grandma! Grandma, fire!
We're gonna get him
out of our neighborhood.
People hate us.
They think my grandson is a robber dog.
It's the little boy. He's just so brave.
And that little boy has AIDS.
[shouting]
The only one who can
save us is the equalizer.
[glass shattering]
I would like you to help me tonight.
It might be rather scary.
I'm gonna save somebody.
I warned you.
[The Equalizer's theme playing]
[music]
[music]
(music)
(upbeat music).
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
- Been in the hotel far
too long, Harley Gage.
You are coming out to dinner
on that back, stop complaining.
I was thinking of buying
you a gift this Christmas.
- Oh, don't do that, you know,
it's a waste of time and money.
- Oh, I don't know what it's gonna be yet.
Well, I'll know it when I see it.
- Why does that sound so ominous?
Where are we going?
- Oh, we're nearly there.
Been going to this restaurant
every Christmas for the last few years.
It's run by a couple of friends of mine.
This can't be closed.
This is my Christmas restaurant.
Season's greetings
from your old friend Pete.
- So how'd we do it?
- A little problem.
They turned our petition
down, the kid's been accepted
into the school, he
starts after the holidays.
- What's so funny, Stigman?
- You are.
I told you from the start,
this petition stuff was garbage.
We want him out, right?
- It's easy.
- In your way, it's always easy.
Except people get hurt.
- I told you before,
nobody's gonna get hurt.
But if you got a better plan, go for it.
- There's no other plan.
Look, we asked them to
leave, they wouldn't listen.
We signed a petition, it
meant nothing, I'm scared.
I don't wanna go on like this.
- All right, you guys are serious?
The problem's over.
- What exactly have you got in mind?
- Nothing much, a little surprise.
Maybe we'll send it tonight.
- What can I do for you, sir?
- Oh, nothing, really.
I wanna talk to that lady over there.
(soft music)
- Hello, Pete.
- Robert.
- Well, it has been a long time.
(soft music)
- Can we speak privately somewhere?
- What can I do for you, sir?
I'd like to buy a dozen boxes of...
- So what brings you here?
- Well, I thought to myself, it must
be about eight or nine months now
since it was at one of
my favorite restaurants.
I decided to go to dinner, only to
find that it had been closed down.
- I'm sorry you were disappointed.
You didn't tell me or any of your old
friends from the Company that Mark had died?
- We were in Florida.
It was just easier.
Look, Robert, I don't know
why you've come here,
but I don't wanna talk about any of
these things, especially not with you.
- You're still angry with me?
- Anger doesn't go away, Robert.
I never believed in my husband.
You didn't want me to
marry him in the first place.
- Pete, that was years ago.
You've been carrying this
close to your heart all this time.
- All right, I didn't think
that Mark was the kind
of man that could change,
but he did, he did change.
I was wrong about him.
I was wrong about
lots of things in my life.
Mark was a fine man.
- Yes, he was.
Only you could have
said that five years ago.
- Look, he's...
Well, I'm saying it now.
Am I forgiven?
(dramatic music)
- Forgiveness isn't
one of my strong points.
We left the company we
tried so hard to succeed.
Didn't want anyone to
know how badly we'd failed.
- But you didn't fail.
The restaurant was a great success, surely.
- The past caught up with us.
We had debts we couldn't
pay, then Mark got sick.
- So why didn't you come to me?
- The situation was reversed.
Would you have called me?
- No.
- You always said we were exactly alike.
I have to get back to work.
Thank you for caring enough to find me.
- Mickey, it's time to go to bed.
- Oh, Grandma, you said I
could have five more minutes.
- That was 15 minutes ago.
Turn off the Christmas
tree lights and go now.
(bells ringing)
- Good night, Mr. Manhattan.
Bang!
(dramatic music).
- Okay, kid, it's time for my petition.
- Grandma!
Grandma, Grandma, fire!
(dramatic music)
- Have you been having any problems lately?
Why would somebody want to do this?
- I still...
- Mickey, please, just let me do the talking.
Things haven't been going so well
since we moved in three weeks ago.
- Why is that?
- Just go back inside.
I'll be up in a minute.
- All right, but I know I have to.
They hate me.
They always hate me.
Everywhere we go.
(dramatic music)
- Get out of my neighborhood.
What did they say?
They're going to try to find the
people that wanted to hurt us.
They won't. The only one who
can save us is Mr. Manhattan.
Mickey.
There are some things that
even Mr. Manhattan can't do.
I'll call him. Then you'll see.
That's a good idea. I'll bet the play phone
in your room is hooked up to his office.
Grandma, you just leave everything to me.
[Music].
[Music]
[Music]
McCall, do you have the luck to
get into a bar that's closed down?
I mean, really.
You didn't know Pete O'Phelan, did you?
No.
Wasn't she director of research
for the company for a while?
Ten years.
[Horn honking]
Her husband, he was in personnel.
I heard she got fired.
No. She resigned. So did he.
Something to do with the
employee marriage regulations.
What did they have to do with this place?
Well, they owned it. I just discovered that
about six months ago, it went bankrupt.
Then her husband took ill and died.
[Phone ringing]
Hey, your briefcase is ringing.
It's just an experiment, that's all.
Just trying it out.
It's called keeping up with the times.
Oh, that's cool.
Really, so glad you approve, Harley.
[Phone ringing]
Hello?
Hello. Is this the equalizer?
Yes.
My name is Mickey. Mickey Burton.
And what can I do for you, Mickey Burton?
I have a problem, and I
need to talk to you right away.
Um, how old are you, son?
I just turned six.
You just turned six? Why don't you
tell me about this big problem, hmm?
I can't do it here.
I gotta see which person.
Well, you know, Christmas time, it's
a very, very busy time for equalizers.
So you won't come?
No, no, I didn't say that.
I didn't say I wouldn't come. I said--
Great. I'll meet you between the
two buildings at 27th and Prospect.
Just meet me there in 30 minutes.
Hello? Hello?
[Chuckling]
Six years old?
You find this amusing, Harley, don't you?
Well, what are you gonna do now? Go
out and slay his imaginary dragons for him?
You think that what I
do is a joke, don't you?
No, I don't, McCall.
Yes, you do.
And maybe you're right.
Maybe most of it is.
Oh, come on. Listen, it's your business.
Whatever turns you on.
Harley Gage, you spend
most of your time with your
head well and truly buried
in the sand, don't you?
Why don't you just
take it out for five
minutes and look at the
world around you, hmm?
I'll tell you what.
You go and meet this boy.
McCall, I'm not a babysitter.
Just go and talk to him,
just for a few minutes.
It might do you the world of good.
Why do you think you're
doing me such a favor?
Well, maybe I am, huh?
Hey, maybe I'm giving you
that gift we were talking about.
Okay, stop. Don't come any closer.
I got you covered.
Hey, I'm looking for somebody named Mickey.
You know where he is?
Put your hands up.
Listen, old man, if you don't mind, I
don't have a lot of time playing games.
Ow! Cut that out.
I said put your hands up.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
You don't look like the equalizer to me.
All right, so I'm not the equalizer.
You know, I mean, I work with them.
You're tricking me. You'll be sorry.
Hey, would you mind pointing
that lethal weapon someplace else?
That's better.
All right, now, what's your problem?
They want to make us leave,
and we have no place to go.
Well, if you go around shooting
them with that thing, I don't blame you.
They threw a bomb in
our apartment last night.
Hey, come on, old man.
Is this for real?
I'm not pretending.
Who do you live with?
My grandma.
Did she call the police?
Yeah, but they're not going to do anything.
Wait a minute. I don't understand.
What if these guys want
you out of your place
so bad that they're
going to try to kill you?
People hate us.
Who hates you?
The men who run the bar across the street.
Where do you live?
Over there.
Okay, well...
You go on home, and I'm going to go across
the street to the bar and check it out.
[music]
So I bet you're Kelly, huh?
Mr. Stigman to you.
Now, what do you want?
Interesting question.
What are you, a cop?
No, I'm not a cop.
I'm a friend of that little kid who
lives across the street named Mickey.
He says that a bunch of guys threw
a bomb into his apartment last night.
Is that true?
How would I know? I go to bed early.
Oh, you do?
Okay.
He also said this was a
very unfriendly neighborhood.
Oh, yeah?
I think it'd be a good idea if you left.
Oh, is that right?
Well, I got a suggestion to make.
Who's ever bugging that little kid
and his grandma, I better knock it off.
Hey, look, I don't know
who you are, but you're
not going to help your
lousy friends one bit.
Listen, we're working men here.
We got wives and children.
And there's nobody going to make us
just stand around and watch them die.
What?
That's right. I don't care how many
weirdos like you they bring in here.
We're going to get them
out of our neighborhood.
What are we talking about?
Huh? It's an old lady and a little boy.
An old woman and a little boy.
And that little boy has AIDS.
AIDS was not part of the deal, McCall.
I'm not a doctor, nor a social worker.
Oh, I agree. Absolutely agree.
So, uh, what do you think we should do?
Call in the authorities
and just walk away from it?
The authorities?
What are you talking about?
Somebody's got to take care of
that little kid and his grandmother.
Those guys in the pool hall mean business.
I thought you said there
was nothing you could do.
I didn't say anything kind.
Don't put words in my mouth.
Harley, you are confusing me.
Can you do something or can't you?
And don't try to push
me into a corner either.
I wonder what's holding you here, Harley.
Could it be a faint breath of commitment?
What are you talking about?
Well, I mean, I know what a master
you are at commanding your own...
Your own destiny, your own freedom.
What do you want? Another tactical
withdrawal with honor? Is that it?
No.
But, uh, do me a favor, McCall.
Next year, leave me off your gift list.
(water splashing).
So when am I going to meet the Equalizer?
You told me I was going to see him.
Will you get off this
Equalizer thing, Tony?
It's all you ever talk about.
What's he got that I haven't got?
A trench coat.
You seem a little disappointed, Doc.
Well, I thought you
might be Mickey's father.
His father's still alive? Last I heard.
I figured both his parents were dead.
I'm afraid I don't know all the details.
Listen, if his father's
alive, he ought to be here.
You know, some parents
can't take care of their
children because they
have AIDS themselves.
Ah, I thought we all got it.
From blood transfusions.
Actually, that's a common misconception.
The reality is that almost all of them
catch the disease in their mother's womb.
Hey, wait a minute.
You mean Mickey's mother gave it to him?
She was an intravenous drug user.
But didn't she know she had it?
Not until it was too late.
Some women are only carriers and never
come down with the disease themselves.
Others are like Mickey's mother.
Passed away 18 months after he was born.
Oh, God.
I don't know how you do it emotionally.
Just walking around here.
Aren't you afraid you're
going to catch it yourself?
We take precautions.
Look, if you could get
AIDS from casual contact,
my staff and I would have
tested positive long ago.
That's not the problem.
What is?
Knowing that no matter what
we do, how much love and
therapy we give, eventually
we lose nearly every single one.
Now you're the only one
besides me who knows it all.
You won't tell anyone, will you?
No, I promise not.
What, this is it?
Yeah.
Oh, that's nice.
Here we go.
Ta-da!
You like it?
Let's go in.
What are you laughing about?
It's not made for being clunky, guys.
Clunky?
Hey, listen, kid, you're lucky I like you.
Dr. Feinberg said I was pretty sick, didn't he?
Yeah.
They don't think I know anything, but I do.
What do you know, Mickey?
Different things. I listen to them talk.
I want to plan a special
Christmas for my grandma.
Would you help me?
Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll help.
What would you like to do for her?
She likes... this stuff.
Can you read it?
Uh-huh.
Flowers.
Some pink ones.
She loves pink.
And a book?
Yeah.
You have anything special in mind?
No, not really.
She loves to read.
I'll take care of it.
And... a cat?
Yeah.
I tried to catch one in the
alley, but they're too fast.
Hey, Mickey, are you
sure she wants a cat?
Yeah, you know, for company.
So she won't be alone.
Yeah.
Right.
Um...
We'll get her the
greatest cat in the world, huh?
Yeah.
So now, what about you, Mickey?
What would you like?
Well, I'd like to meet the Eagle-Eyes-er.
Done.
That's about all.
Oh, come on, there must be something else.
Maybe there's something,
but you can't do it.
So don't worry.
Hey, listen.
I work for the Equalizer, and you said
to me yourself that he could do anything.
Okay.
If I could have anything,
I'd like to see my dad.
I don't think anybody could do that.
[♪♪♪]
[doorbell buzzing].
[knocking]
Yeah?
Dave Burton?
Yeah.
Uh, I'm Harley Gage.
I'd like to talk to you for a
minute, if you don't mind.
About what?
About your son.
I don't know who you think you
are, but you got no right coming here.
Uh, well, I just thought you ought to
know what your son... wants for Christmas.
You really think you're
something, don't you?
I'm not in here playing Santa Claus.
You people are all alike. You make me sick.
Hey!
Santa Claus?
Who the hell are you talking to?
Don't give me the Santa Claus garbage,
'cause you don't know who I
am or where I'm coming from.
Why aren't you with your son?
I didn't want to walk away, man.
You don't know what she put me through.
Well... whatever it was,
it wasn't Mickey's fault.
After she found out she had it,
she didn't tell me for over a month.
That's how much hate she had in her, man.
She loved one thing, the needle.
She went to bed with it at night
and she got up with it in the morning.
You know what it's like to be in love
with someone who's in love with smack?
Yeah, but she's not Mickey.
You got a terrific kid, man.
And I'll tell you something else.
He'll love you anyway you come.
You understand what I'm saying, man?
I can't see him. I got nothing to give him.
Look at me!
Look.
Just tell me.
Why don't you tell him I died?
Look at this.
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
(dramatic music).
(dramatic music)
(grunting)
- Vivo! - Get over there!
(grunting)
(shouting)
(laughing)
- I can scare it out of you.
- Calm yourself, Ollie.
- I'm gonna kill 'em.
I don't care if I have to do
hard time for the rest of my life.
They are gonna pay for this.
- Are you sure it was the
man from the pool hall?
- I know it was Stigman's license plate.
I mean, they had it all
dirtied up, but I could read it.
Ah, it's all my fault.
I'm not cut out for this
kind of work, McCall.
I just can't handle it.
- Course you can, course you can.
You are most definitely
the man for the job.
- How can you say that?
Look what I did.
I left them all alone in that apartment
while I went off on some
stupid, worthless trip.
- So it was a reasonable risk.
It was the middle of the day.
You only left them for a couple of hours
and you made sure that they
were in a locked apartment.
Come on.
- No excuse.
(car engine rumbling)
- Tomorrow, we're gonna
do a little undercover work.
- What are we gonna do?
- We're gonna find out everything
we can about Mr. Stigman.
- There is nothing to find out.
The man is an idiot.
- Harley, if we can neutralize that man,
the rest of the pack will follow, right?
- Great.
Who's gonna look after Mickey and
his grandma while we're running around?
- Well, tomorrow now, I'm gonna arrange for a little delivery and help.
We'll be with it.
(footsteps thudding)
- I hope this help is
carrying a .357 Magnum.
- Harley Gage, it is almost Christmas time.
Let us try and get through this season
without hurting anybody, shall we?
Just for once.
(footsteps thudding)
(sound of rain)
(gentle music)
(door creaking)
- How's it going?
- Fine.
- I just talked with the Equalizer,
and I'm glad I did, 'cause otherwise,
I would've had to go over
to Kelly's and kill somebody.
- He doesn't have to come anymore.
- Who?
What do you mean?
- Nothing.
- The equalizer?
Hey, hey, he's coming.
You know, and listen up, he's working for you.
Right now, believe me.
Believe me.
What are you feeling, Mickey?
Come on, tell me, what
are you thinking about?
- Ways to kill those men, so
they won't hurt my grandma again.
- You know something?
You and me, we're a lot alike.
- No, we're not.
You're strong, you wouldn't
let anybody tear up your home.
- Mickey, once, some
people tore up my life.
(laughing)
There wasn't anything I could do about it.
I mean, how'd you
like to go to jail for two
whole years, and you
hadn't done anything wrong?
- That happened to you?
- Yeah.
And when I think about it,
sometimes I wanna kill those people.
- But you never tried?
- No.
- Why not?
- Well, I guess I knew it wouldn't help.
You know, I mean, those
two years were gone.
Just like your poster.
And killing them wouldn't bring it back.
- I know what you mean.
It's just the only poster I ever had.
- Hey, Stigman.
- What?
- Come over here.
- Yeah, what?
- You better see this.
- All right.
- All right, I'll take care of this.
Come on.
- Hey, where's all this stuff going?
- First floor.
- What, you mean they're
pushing the phone over there?
- Your mind should have
been abreast of that, buddy.
Like, my arms are kind of full, all right?
- What else is she up to?
- I don't know, take one.
- Oh, what fun it is to ride in a--
- We gotta cover these bare spots.
- Oh, one.
- You Harley Gage?
- Yeah.
- I'm Pete O'Phelan, Robert
McCall sent me to back you up.
- Huh.
Well, this is a surprise.
(car horn honking)
- You must be Mrs. Robertson?
- Uh-huh.
- You're Mickey?
- Uh-huh.
- I've heard all about you.
I hope you don't mind, but I'm
gonna be staying here for a while.
Mr. Gage has other work to do.
- That'll be just fine.
- I believe you ordered this?
- What?
Oh, yeah.
For you.
(gentle music)
Open it up, let's see what it is.
- Wow, look at it, Grandma.
- It's beautiful.
Come on, Mickey, let's
put it up on your wall.
- Yeah. - Okay?
- Wow, that's really neat.
- If you wanna know what's
going on, use your heads.
It's real clear.
They got one of those civil
rights groups working for them.
And they got money, they got
lawyers, they got everything.
- What are we gonna do?
- We gotta get help.
- Thought you said there wasn't any help.
- I'm not talking about
your kind of help, Bishop.
I'm talking about the real thing.
(phone ringing)
Like that guy over on Third Street.
He could get anything done
with one damn phone call.
- What are you saying? He's Mob.
Everybody knows that.
- You got a better idea?
- Oh, you can't be serious.
Stigman, you bring the Mob in,
what are they gonna do to the kid?
- Hey, that's not our problem.
- That's it.
I am out.
- Come on, you guys have kids, so
do I, and we all wanna protect them,
but does that actually mean that
we wanna see that little boy die?
- He's not the one
that's diseased, it's us.
- Look, Bishop's right.
Breaking up furniture's one thing, but--
- Fine, all I just pull out.
You're all a bunch of cowards anyway.
Leave!
Get out, get out!
Leave!
Get out!
Get out of my building!
Get out!
- You're really losing it, Stigman.
- Go to hell.
See if I care.
(door slams)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
- Mickey, wake up.
Someones is here to see you.
- Hello, Mickey.
- You really came.
- Yes, I really came.
Harley's been telling me all about you.
He says that you are very, very brave.
Now, I am working on a very
difficult assignment at the moment.
I would like help from
someone just like you.
I have been talking to your
grandmother and she says
she will give her permission
if you're willing to do it.
I would like you to work with me tonight.
- You would?
- Uh-huh.
Now, mind you, it's not gonna be very easy.
And it might be rather scary.
Mind you, you will be safe.
Mind you, you will be safe at
all times, I promise you that.
Although sometimes it may
appear as though you're not.
- Yeah, I know all about this stuff.
- So, what do you think?
Will you do it?
- Yeah, I will.
- Good, good.
Now, you get up, get dressed, and I'll
tell you exactly what we're going to do.
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
- It's a big one.
- Huh?
You.
What are you doing here?
Hey!
Come on, you're in a rut now, eh?
This time you're not gonna get away.
(suspenseful music).
- Where the hell are you?
(suspenful music)
- I warned you.
I warned you on that old woman
to get out of this neighborhood.
And people like you,
people like you.
- Hold it up, Mr. Stigman.
Put down the stick.
- What?
- Where are they?
All your friends?
They deserted you, didn't they?
Who are you?
- Robert McCall is my name.
I'm somebody who knows about your past.
All of it.
Tell me, what were you
intending to do with this stick?
- I will teach him a lesson.
He's gonna kill us all.
- You really do believe
that people like this
little boy shouldn't
even be alive, don't you?
- That's right, damn it.
They ought to die.
- Strange, 'cause that's exactly what
your wife said to you last Christmas.
When she walked out on you
taking your little son with her.
(dramatic music)
- You are sick, and you ought to die.
Is what she said.
Isn't that right, Mr. Stigman?
(dramatic music)
- So this is the boy you want to hurt?
Or is it really your wife and son?
- Robert.
- You see, Mickey, Mr. Stigman
here is a man of sickness.
He can't talk to anybody about
it because he is ashamed of it.
Mr. Stigman takes alcohol.
An awful lot of alcohol.
Because of his drinking, you see, he lost
the only people that he ever really loved.
That is the worst thing that
can happen to any human being.
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(sobbing)
(dramatic music).
(sobbing)
- I'm sorry.
(dramatic music)
(sobbing)
- All I'm saying is it's Christmas Eve,
and I am introducing you to
a new restaurant, that's all.
- Robert, what is this?
- Come on, come inside, I'll show you.
(cheering)
(upbeat music)
- Jeremy.
You're here too.
- Ah, welcome home, Steve.
How are you?
- I don't know, I don't know,
there's a lot of people here now.
- Well, why don't you just
take a look behind you?
Well, let's put it this way.
I own half of it, and the other half is
owned by my manager, who is going to be you.
- I don't know what to say.
- You say anything, just don't say no.
Hello, hello, everybody here?
- Harley's not, where's Harley?
- Ah, no, Harley can't
be here at the moment.
He said he's gonna be a bit late.
He said, "Would we go on without him?"
All right, everybody?
Let me tell you something.
When I was a little boy, we used
to have what we call a tradition.
That's something that you
do regularly over the years.
And that tradition was that just before we
had Christmas dinner, and we're just about
to have it now, just before Christmas dinner,
somebody would read a Christmas story.
And that is what we are going to do now.
Now?
And, come on, everybody up here, hmm?
All come by the fire.
There we are.
Mickey, you are going to read this story
from the book that you gave
your grandmother for Christmas.
- Me?
- You, my young man.
All right, quiet, everybody.
Listen to Mickey.
He's gonna tell this story.
This is the Christmas story.
- And there were Shepherds in the field
keeping watch over their flock at night.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord.
appeared to them.
- That's good, Mickey.
- They were--
- Terrified.
He's frightened.
- But?
- But he said--
- What?
- But he said, "Don't be afraid."
He said, "Don't be afraid.
"I bring you wonderful news of great joy."
A savior has been--
- Savior.
- Today, a savior has been born.
Here's Christ the Lord.
- Thank you.
I'll go with you.
Come on, I'll take you.
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music).
(crowd cheering)
(dramatic music)
(crowd applauding)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
[Music].
[crash]
Grandma! Grandma, fire!
We're gonna get him
out of our neighborhood.
People hate us.
They think my grandson is a robber dog.
It's the little boy. He's just so brave.
And that little boy has AIDS.
[shouting]
The only one who can
save us is the equalizer.
[glass shattering]
I would like you to help me tonight.
It might be rather scary.
I'm gonna save somebody.
I warned you.
[The Equalizer's theme playing]
[music]
[music]
(music)
(upbeat music).
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
(upbeat music)
- Been in the hotel far
too long, Harley Gage.
You are coming out to dinner
on that back, stop complaining.
I was thinking of buying
you a gift this Christmas.
- Oh, don't do that, you know,
it's a waste of time and money.
- Oh, I don't know what it's gonna be yet.
Well, I'll know it when I see it.
- Why does that sound so ominous?
Where are we going?
- Oh, we're nearly there.
Been going to this restaurant
every Christmas for the last few years.
It's run by a couple of friends of mine.
This can't be closed.
This is my Christmas restaurant.
Season's greetings
from your old friend Pete.
- So how'd we do it?
- A little problem.
They turned our petition
down, the kid's been accepted
into the school, he
starts after the holidays.
- What's so funny, Stigman?
- You are.
I told you from the start,
this petition stuff was garbage.
We want him out, right?
- It's easy.
- In your way, it's always easy.
Except people get hurt.
- I told you before,
nobody's gonna get hurt.
But if you got a better plan, go for it.
- There's no other plan.
Look, we asked them to
leave, they wouldn't listen.
We signed a petition, it
meant nothing, I'm scared.
I don't wanna go on like this.
- All right, you guys are serious?
The problem's over.
- What exactly have you got in mind?
- Nothing much, a little surprise.
Maybe we'll send it tonight.
- What can I do for you, sir?
- Oh, nothing, really.
I wanna talk to that lady over there.
(soft music)
- Hello, Pete.
- Robert.
- Well, it has been a long time.
(soft music)
- Can we speak privately somewhere?
- What can I do for you, sir?
I'd like to buy a dozen boxes of...
- So what brings you here?
- Well, I thought to myself, it must
be about eight or nine months now
since it was at one of
my favorite restaurants.
I decided to go to dinner, only to
find that it had been closed down.
- I'm sorry you were disappointed.
You didn't tell me or any of your old
friends from the Company that Mark had died?
- We were in Florida.
It was just easier.
Look, Robert, I don't know
why you've come here,
but I don't wanna talk about any of
these things, especially not with you.
- You're still angry with me?
- Anger doesn't go away, Robert.
I never believed in my husband.
You didn't want me to
marry him in the first place.
- Pete, that was years ago.
You've been carrying this
close to your heart all this time.
- All right, I didn't think
that Mark was the kind
of man that could change,
but he did, he did change.
I was wrong about him.
I was wrong about
lots of things in my life.
Mark was a fine man.
- Yes, he was.
Only you could have
said that five years ago.
- Look, he's...
Well, I'm saying it now.
Am I forgiven?
(dramatic music)
- Forgiveness isn't
one of my strong points.
We left the company we
tried so hard to succeed.
Didn't want anyone to
know how badly we'd failed.
- But you didn't fail.
The restaurant was a great success, surely.
- The past caught up with us.
We had debts we couldn't
pay, then Mark got sick.
- So why didn't you come to me?
- The situation was reversed.
Would you have called me?
- No.
- You always said we were exactly alike.
I have to get back to work.
Thank you for caring enough to find me.
- Mickey, it's time to go to bed.
- Oh, Grandma, you said I
could have five more minutes.
- That was 15 minutes ago.
Turn off the Christmas
tree lights and go now.
(bells ringing)
- Good night, Mr. Manhattan.
Bang!
(dramatic music).
- Okay, kid, it's time for my petition.
- Grandma!
Grandma, Grandma, fire!
(dramatic music)
- Have you been having any problems lately?
Why would somebody want to do this?
- I still...
- Mickey, please, just let me do the talking.
Things haven't been going so well
since we moved in three weeks ago.
- Why is that?
- Just go back inside.
I'll be up in a minute.
- All right, but I know I have to.
They hate me.
They always hate me.
Everywhere we go.
(dramatic music)
- Get out of my neighborhood.
What did they say?
They're going to try to find the
people that wanted to hurt us.
They won't. The only one who
can save us is Mr. Manhattan.
Mickey.
There are some things that
even Mr. Manhattan can't do.
I'll call him. Then you'll see.
That's a good idea. I'll bet the play phone
in your room is hooked up to his office.
Grandma, you just leave everything to me.
[Music].
[Music]
[Music]
McCall, do you have the luck to
get into a bar that's closed down?
I mean, really.
You didn't know Pete O'Phelan, did you?
No.
Wasn't she director of research
for the company for a while?
Ten years.
[Horn honking]
Her husband, he was in personnel.
I heard she got fired.
No. She resigned. So did he.
Something to do with the
employee marriage regulations.
What did they have to do with this place?
Well, they owned it. I just discovered that
about six months ago, it went bankrupt.
Then her husband took ill and died.
[Phone ringing]
Hey, your briefcase is ringing.
It's just an experiment, that's all.
Just trying it out.
It's called keeping up with the times.
Oh, that's cool.
Really, so glad you approve, Harley.
[Phone ringing]
Hello?
Hello. Is this the equalizer?
Yes.
My name is Mickey. Mickey Burton.
And what can I do for you, Mickey Burton?
I have a problem, and I
need to talk to you right away.
Um, how old are you, son?
I just turned six.
You just turned six? Why don't you
tell me about this big problem, hmm?
I can't do it here.
I gotta see which person.
Well, you know, Christmas time, it's
a very, very busy time for equalizers.
So you won't come?
No, no, I didn't say that.
I didn't say I wouldn't come. I said--
Great. I'll meet you between the
two buildings at 27th and Prospect.
Just meet me there in 30 minutes.
Hello? Hello?
[Chuckling]
Six years old?
You find this amusing, Harley, don't you?
Well, what are you gonna do now? Go
out and slay his imaginary dragons for him?
You think that what I
do is a joke, don't you?
No, I don't, McCall.
Yes, you do.
And maybe you're right.
Maybe most of it is.
Oh, come on. Listen, it's your business.
Whatever turns you on.
Harley Gage, you spend
most of your time with your
head well and truly buried
in the sand, don't you?
Why don't you just
take it out for five
minutes and look at the
world around you, hmm?
I'll tell you what.
You go and meet this boy.
McCall, I'm not a babysitter.
Just go and talk to him,
just for a few minutes.
It might do you the world of good.
Why do you think you're
doing me such a favor?
Well, maybe I am, huh?
Hey, maybe I'm giving you
that gift we were talking about.
Okay, stop. Don't come any closer.
I got you covered.
Hey, I'm looking for somebody named Mickey.
You know where he is?
Put your hands up.
Listen, old man, if you don't mind, I
don't have a lot of time playing games.
Ow! Cut that out.
I said put your hands up.
I can't believe I'm doing this.
You don't look like the equalizer to me.
All right, so I'm not the equalizer.
You know, I mean, I work with them.
You're tricking me. You'll be sorry.
Hey, would you mind pointing
that lethal weapon someplace else?
That's better.
All right, now, what's your problem?
They want to make us leave,
and we have no place to go.
Well, if you go around shooting
them with that thing, I don't blame you.
They threw a bomb in
our apartment last night.
Hey, come on, old man.
Is this for real?
I'm not pretending.
Who do you live with?
My grandma.
Did she call the police?
Yeah, but they're not going to do anything.
Wait a minute. I don't understand.
What if these guys want
you out of your place
so bad that they're
going to try to kill you?
People hate us.
Who hates you?
The men who run the bar across the street.
Where do you live?
Over there.
Okay, well...
You go on home, and I'm going to go across
the street to the bar and check it out.
[music]
So I bet you're Kelly, huh?
Mr. Stigman to you.
Now, what do you want?
Interesting question.
What are you, a cop?
No, I'm not a cop.
I'm a friend of that little kid who
lives across the street named Mickey.
He says that a bunch of guys threw
a bomb into his apartment last night.
Is that true?
How would I know? I go to bed early.
Oh, you do?
Okay.
He also said this was a
very unfriendly neighborhood.
Oh, yeah?
I think it'd be a good idea if you left.
Oh, is that right?
Well, I got a suggestion to make.
Who's ever bugging that little kid
and his grandma, I better knock it off.
Hey, look, I don't know
who you are, but you're
not going to help your
lousy friends one bit.
Listen, we're working men here.
We got wives and children.
And there's nobody going to make us
just stand around and watch them die.
What?
That's right. I don't care how many
weirdos like you they bring in here.
We're going to get them
out of our neighborhood.
What are we talking about?
Huh? It's an old lady and a little boy.
An old woman and a little boy.
And that little boy has AIDS.
AIDS was not part of the deal, McCall.
I'm not a doctor, nor a social worker.
Oh, I agree. Absolutely agree.
So, uh, what do you think we should do?
Call in the authorities
and just walk away from it?
The authorities?
What are you talking about?
Somebody's got to take care of
that little kid and his grandmother.
Those guys in the pool hall mean business.
I thought you said there
was nothing you could do.
I didn't say anything kind.
Don't put words in my mouth.
Harley, you are confusing me.
Can you do something or can't you?
And don't try to push
me into a corner either.
I wonder what's holding you here, Harley.
Could it be a faint breath of commitment?
What are you talking about?
Well, I mean, I know what a master
you are at commanding your own...
Your own destiny, your own freedom.
What do you want? Another tactical
withdrawal with honor? Is that it?
No.
But, uh, do me a favor, McCall.
Next year, leave me off your gift list.
(water splashing).
So when am I going to meet the Equalizer?
You told me I was going to see him.
Will you get off this
Equalizer thing, Tony?
It's all you ever talk about.
What's he got that I haven't got?
A trench coat.
You seem a little disappointed, Doc.
Well, I thought you
might be Mickey's father.
His father's still alive? Last I heard.
I figured both his parents were dead.
I'm afraid I don't know all the details.
Listen, if his father's
alive, he ought to be here.
You know, some parents
can't take care of their
children because they
have AIDS themselves.
Ah, I thought we all got it.
From blood transfusions.
Actually, that's a common misconception.
The reality is that almost all of them
catch the disease in their mother's womb.
Hey, wait a minute.
You mean Mickey's mother gave it to him?
She was an intravenous drug user.
But didn't she know she had it?
Not until it was too late.
Some women are only carriers and never
come down with the disease themselves.
Others are like Mickey's mother.
Passed away 18 months after he was born.
Oh, God.
I don't know how you do it emotionally.
Just walking around here.
Aren't you afraid you're
going to catch it yourself?
We take precautions.
Look, if you could get
AIDS from casual contact,
my staff and I would have
tested positive long ago.
That's not the problem.
What is?
Knowing that no matter what
we do, how much love and
therapy we give, eventually
we lose nearly every single one.
Now you're the only one
besides me who knows it all.
You won't tell anyone, will you?
No, I promise not.
What, this is it?
Yeah.
Oh, that's nice.
Here we go.
Ta-da!
You like it?
Let's go in.
What are you laughing about?
It's not made for being clunky, guys.
Clunky?
Hey, listen, kid, you're lucky I like you.
Dr. Feinberg said I was pretty sick, didn't he?
Yeah.
They don't think I know anything, but I do.
What do you know, Mickey?
Different things. I listen to them talk.
I want to plan a special
Christmas for my grandma.
Would you help me?
Yeah, yeah, sure, I'll help.
What would you like to do for her?
She likes... this stuff.
Can you read it?
Uh-huh.
Flowers.
Some pink ones.
She loves pink.
And a book?
Yeah.
You have anything special in mind?
No, not really.
She loves to read.
I'll take care of it.
And... a cat?
Yeah.
I tried to catch one in the
alley, but they're too fast.
Hey, Mickey, are you
sure she wants a cat?
Yeah, you know, for company.
So she won't be alone.
Yeah.
Right.
Um...
We'll get her the
greatest cat in the world, huh?
Yeah.
So now, what about you, Mickey?
What would you like?
Well, I'd like to meet the Eagle-Eyes-er.
Done.
That's about all.
Oh, come on, there must be something else.
Maybe there's something,
but you can't do it.
So don't worry.
Hey, listen.
I work for the Equalizer, and you said
to me yourself that he could do anything.
Okay.
If I could have anything,
I'd like to see my dad.
I don't think anybody could do that.
[♪♪♪]
[doorbell buzzing].
[knocking]
Yeah?
Dave Burton?
Yeah.
Uh, I'm Harley Gage.
I'd like to talk to you for a
minute, if you don't mind.
About what?
About your son.
I don't know who you think you
are, but you got no right coming here.
Uh, well, I just thought you ought to
know what your son... wants for Christmas.
You really think you're
something, don't you?
I'm not in here playing Santa Claus.
You people are all alike. You make me sick.
Hey!
Santa Claus?
Who the hell are you talking to?
Don't give me the Santa Claus garbage,
'cause you don't know who I
am or where I'm coming from.
Why aren't you with your son?
I didn't want to walk away, man.
You don't know what she put me through.
Well... whatever it was,
it wasn't Mickey's fault.
After she found out she had it,
she didn't tell me for over a month.
That's how much hate she had in her, man.
She loved one thing, the needle.
She went to bed with it at night
and she got up with it in the morning.
You know what it's like to be in love
with someone who's in love with smack?
Yeah, but she's not Mickey.
You got a terrific kid, man.
And I'll tell you something else.
He'll love you anyway you come.
You understand what I'm saying, man?
I can't see him. I got nothing to give him.
Look at me!
Look.
Just tell me.
Why don't you tell him I died?
Look at this.
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
[Dramatic music]
(dramatic music).
(dramatic music)
(grunting)
- Vivo! - Get over there!
(grunting)
(shouting)
(laughing)
- I can scare it out of you.
- Calm yourself, Ollie.
- I'm gonna kill 'em.
I don't care if I have to do
hard time for the rest of my life.
They are gonna pay for this.
- Are you sure it was the
man from the pool hall?
- I know it was Stigman's license plate.
I mean, they had it all
dirtied up, but I could read it.
Ah, it's all my fault.
I'm not cut out for this
kind of work, McCall.
I just can't handle it.
- Course you can, course you can.
You are most definitely
the man for the job.
- How can you say that?
Look what I did.
I left them all alone in that apartment
while I went off on some
stupid, worthless trip.
- So it was a reasonable risk.
It was the middle of the day.
You only left them for a couple of hours
and you made sure that they
were in a locked apartment.
Come on.
- No excuse.
(car engine rumbling)
- Tomorrow, we're gonna
do a little undercover work.
- What are we gonna do?
- We're gonna find out everything
we can about Mr. Stigman.
- There is nothing to find out.
The man is an idiot.
- Harley, if we can neutralize that man,
the rest of the pack will follow, right?
- Great.
Who's gonna look after Mickey and
his grandma while we're running around?
- Well, tomorrow now, I'm gonna arrange for a little delivery and help.
We'll be with it.
(footsteps thudding)
- I hope this help is
carrying a .357 Magnum.
- Harley Gage, it is almost Christmas time.
Let us try and get through this season
without hurting anybody, shall we?
Just for once.
(footsteps thudding)
(sound of rain)
(gentle music)
(door creaking)
- How's it going?
- Fine.
- I just talked with the Equalizer,
and I'm glad I did, 'cause otherwise,
I would've had to go over
to Kelly's and kill somebody.
- He doesn't have to come anymore.
- Who?
What do you mean?
- Nothing.
- The equalizer?
Hey, hey, he's coming.
You know, and listen up, he's working for you.
Right now, believe me.
Believe me.
What are you feeling, Mickey?
Come on, tell me, what
are you thinking about?
- Ways to kill those men, so
they won't hurt my grandma again.
- You know something?
You and me, we're a lot alike.
- No, we're not.
You're strong, you wouldn't
let anybody tear up your home.
- Mickey, once, some
people tore up my life.
(laughing)
There wasn't anything I could do about it.
I mean, how'd you
like to go to jail for two
whole years, and you
hadn't done anything wrong?
- That happened to you?
- Yeah.
And when I think about it,
sometimes I wanna kill those people.
- But you never tried?
- No.
- Why not?
- Well, I guess I knew it wouldn't help.
You know, I mean, those
two years were gone.
Just like your poster.
And killing them wouldn't bring it back.
- I know what you mean.
It's just the only poster I ever had.
- Hey, Stigman.
- What?
- Come over here.
- Yeah, what?
- You better see this.
- All right.
- All right, I'll take care of this.
Come on.
- Hey, where's all this stuff going?
- First floor.
- What, you mean they're
pushing the phone over there?
- Your mind should have
been abreast of that, buddy.
Like, my arms are kind of full, all right?
- What else is she up to?
- I don't know, take one.
- Oh, what fun it is to ride in a--
- We gotta cover these bare spots.
- Oh, one.
- You Harley Gage?
- Yeah.
- I'm Pete O'Phelan, Robert
McCall sent me to back you up.
- Huh.
Well, this is a surprise.
(car horn honking)
- You must be Mrs. Robertson?
- Uh-huh.
- You're Mickey?
- Uh-huh.
- I've heard all about you.
I hope you don't mind, but I'm
gonna be staying here for a while.
Mr. Gage has other work to do.
- That'll be just fine.
- I believe you ordered this?
- What?
Oh, yeah.
For you.
(gentle music)
Open it up, let's see what it is.
- Wow, look at it, Grandma.
- It's beautiful.
Come on, Mickey, let's
put it up on your wall.
- Yeah. - Okay?
- Wow, that's really neat.
- If you wanna know what's
going on, use your heads.
It's real clear.
They got one of those civil
rights groups working for them.
And they got money, they got
lawyers, they got everything.
- What are we gonna do?
- We gotta get help.
- Thought you said there wasn't any help.
- I'm not talking about
your kind of help, Bishop.
I'm talking about the real thing.
(phone ringing)
Like that guy over on Third Street.
He could get anything done
with one damn phone call.
- What are you saying? He's Mob.
Everybody knows that.
- You got a better idea?
- Oh, you can't be serious.
Stigman, you bring the Mob in,
what are they gonna do to the kid?
- Hey, that's not our problem.
- That's it.
I am out.
- Come on, you guys have kids, so
do I, and we all wanna protect them,
but does that actually mean that
we wanna see that little boy die?
- He's not the one
that's diseased, it's us.
- Look, Bishop's right.
Breaking up furniture's one thing, but--
- Fine, all I just pull out.
You're all a bunch of cowards anyway.
Leave!
Get out, get out!
Leave!
Get out!
Get out of my building!
Get out!
- You're really losing it, Stigman.
- Go to hell.
See if I care.
(door slams)
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
- Mickey, wake up.
Someones is here to see you.
- Hello, Mickey.
- You really came.
- Yes, I really came.
Harley's been telling me all about you.
He says that you are very, very brave.
Now, I am working on a very
difficult assignment at the moment.
I would like help from
someone just like you.
I have been talking to your
grandmother and she says
she will give her permission
if you're willing to do it.
I would like you to work with me tonight.
- You would?
- Uh-huh.
Now, mind you, it's not gonna be very easy.
And it might be rather scary.
Mind you, you will be safe.
Mind you, you will be safe at
all times, I promise you that.
Although sometimes it may
appear as though you're not.
- Yeah, I know all about this stuff.
- So, what do you think?
Will you do it?
- Yeah, I will.
- Good, good.
Now, you get up, get dressed, and I'll
tell you exactly what we're going to do.
(suspenseful music)
(suspenseful music)
- It's a big one.
- Huh?
You.
What are you doing here?
Hey!
Come on, you're in a rut now, eh?
This time you're not gonna get away.
(suspenseful music).
- Where the hell are you?
(suspenful music)
- I warned you.
I warned you on that old woman
to get out of this neighborhood.
And people like you,
people like you.
- Hold it up, Mr. Stigman.
Put down the stick.
- What?
- Where are they?
All your friends?
They deserted you, didn't they?
Who are you?
- Robert McCall is my name.
I'm somebody who knows about your past.
All of it.
Tell me, what were you
intending to do with this stick?
- I will teach him a lesson.
He's gonna kill us all.
- You really do believe
that people like this
little boy shouldn't
even be alive, don't you?
- That's right, damn it.
They ought to die.
- Strange, 'cause that's exactly what
your wife said to you last Christmas.
When she walked out on you
taking your little son with her.
(dramatic music)
- You are sick, and you ought to die.
Is what she said.
Isn't that right, Mr. Stigman?
(dramatic music)
- So this is the boy you want to hurt?
Or is it really your wife and son?
- Robert.
- You see, Mickey, Mr. Stigman
here is a man of sickness.
He can't talk to anybody about
it because he is ashamed of it.
Mr. Stigman takes alcohol.
An awful lot of alcohol.
Because of his drinking, you see, he lost
the only people that he ever really loved.
That is the worst thing that
can happen to any human being.
(dramatic music)
(dramatic music)
(sobbing)
(dramatic music).
(sobbing)
- I'm sorry.
(dramatic music)
(sobbing)
- All I'm saying is it's Christmas Eve,
and I am introducing you to
a new restaurant, that's all.
- Robert, what is this?
- Come on, come inside, I'll show you.
(cheering)
(upbeat music)
- Jeremy.
You're here too.
- Ah, welcome home, Steve.
How are you?
- I don't know, I don't know,
there's a lot of people here now.
- Well, why don't you just
take a look behind you?
Well, let's put it this way.
I own half of it, and the other half is
owned by my manager, who is going to be you.
- I don't know what to say.
- You say anything, just don't say no.
Hello, hello, everybody here?
- Harley's not, where's Harley?
- Ah, no, Harley can't
be here at the moment.
He said he's gonna be a bit late.
He said, "Would we go on without him?"
All right, everybody?
Let me tell you something.
When I was a little boy, we used
to have what we call a tradition.
That's something that you
do regularly over the years.
And that tradition was that just before we
had Christmas dinner, and we're just about
to have it now, just before Christmas dinner,
somebody would read a Christmas story.
And that is what we are going to do now.
Now?
And, come on, everybody up here, hmm?
All come by the fire.
There we are.
Mickey, you are going to read this story
from the book that you gave
your grandmother for Christmas.
- Me?
- You, my young man.
All right, quiet, everybody.
Listen to Mickey.
He's gonna tell this story.
This is the Christmas story.
- And there were Shepherds in the field
keeping watch over their flock at night.
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord.
appeared to them.
- That's good, Mickey.
- They were--
- Terrified.
He's frightened.
- But?
- But he said--
- What?
- But he said, "Don't be afraid."
He said, "Don't be afraid.
"I bring you wonderful news of great joy."
A savior has been--
- Savior.
- Today, a savior has been born.
Here's Christ the Lord.
- Thank you.
I'll go with you.
Come on, I'll take you.
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(crowd cheering)
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[Music].