The Outer Limits (1995–2002): Season 6, Episode 1 - Judgment Day - full transcript
A reality television show has members of murder victims' families hunt the killers, becoming their executioners. The quest for ratings makes the hunt all the more desperate for all parties involved.
(GUNSHOT)
STAN:
This is
--Judgment Day!
Tonight, a loving sister
seeks retribution
for a cold
and calculated killing.
A lifetime criminal
who tried to keep
his felonious past a secret
finally gets his just deserts.
Will justice prevail?
Only time will tell,
as Declan McMahon faces
Judgment Day.
And so Declan McMahon
begins his date with destiny.
In a case that shocked many,
McMahon was convicted of
first-degree murder
for the brutal slaying
of former police officer
Katelyn Channing.
Heather, can you tell us
anything about
McMahon's demeanor?
HEATHER:
Oh, yes, I can, Stan.
As he was throughout
most of his trail,
McMahon seems aloof.
I'd even say arrogant.
An angry, troubled young man
to the bitter end.
STAN:
Let's take a look back.
You've been quoted as saying
that this program,
Judgment Day,
is a moral outrage.
Is that before or after
I called you voyeuristic scum?
You guys didn't
report the trail,
you wallowed in it.
If you feel that way,
then why are you taking part?
I don't have much of a choice.
Declan McMahon, you have been
sentenced to death for the
murder of Katelyn Channing.
You have chosen
to decline execution
at the hands of the state.
For the record,
is that your choice?
For the record, screw you.
I will remind you then
that pursuing to the agreement
that you signed,
the state is
no longer responsible
for your well-being.
The manner in which you
will die is out of our hands.
Is this still your choice?
Yeah, just like it's
your choice to
kill an innocent man.
This isn't justice,
it's the haves culling
the have-nots.
If that were true,
I can't think of anyone else
I'd rather see culled.
-(STRUGGLING)
-Understandably, emotions here
are running high, Stan,
but no higher than in the mind
of Allison Channing,
sister of the murder victim.
What could possibly be going
through that poor girl's mind
at a moment like this?
STAN:
I know what
I'd be thinking,
and it couldn't be heard
on prime time.
Let's hear the judge's
final instructions.
Declan McMahon.
I know remand you
from corporal punishment.
God have mercy on your soul.
(GAVEL BANGS)
-(GAS HISSING)
-Ahhh!
For those of you
new to
Judgment Day,
what you have
just witnessed is
the Justice Channel physician
injecting Declan McMahon
with a specially designed
sterile microchip
that has been keyed in
to the specific frequency
on the taser
that Allison Channing
will be using
while pursuing McMahon.
By design, her weapon
will not harm anyone else
who may happen to stray
in front of its deadly payload
of 10,000 volts.
Within 50 feet
of the microchip,
the taser should be able
to knock McMahon down.
Within three feet,
coup de grace distance,
its crisp crackle of payback
is guaranteed to kill.
Just this morning
I spoke at length
with Allison.
She told me that not a day
goes by that she doesn't
think of her sister.
You loved Katelyn.
I miss her so much.
Kate didn't deserve
what happened to her.
-I'm sorry.
-It's okay to cry.
She believed that
doing the right thing
was very often
the hardest thing
a person could do.
And you believe that
delivering justice personally
to your sister's killer
is the right thing?
(SIGHS)
Well, I was raised
to believe in forgiveness,
but I don't know if
forgiveness is necessarily
the right thing
in a situation like this.
Would Katelyn
want you to forgive?
I don't think so.
As most of our audience knows,
Allison Channing will have
24 hours to catch Mr. McMahon.
And when she does,
our viewing audience will vote
on whether they want
Allison to kill him or not,
though the final decision
will be Allison's.
However, if Mr. McMahon
can avoid being caught,
his sentence will be
immediately commuted
to life imprisonment
with no hope of parole.
Still, a fair enough prize
for a man facing
the death penalty.
You should also point out,
Stan, that the microchip
placed under McMahon's skin
can be used by the producers
of
Judgment Day
--to make sure
McMahon obeys
all the rules of the pursuit
as they were laid out to him.
And just like
Allison Channing's taser,
this little device
can cause McMahon considerable
pain and discomfort.
Any attempt to kidnap or harm
anyone he may
come in contact with
during the course of the show
will lead to an agonizing dose
of electrical current.
Likewise, any attempt
to disable the convict cam
we've embedded in his left eye
will also lead to punishment.
STAN:
McMahon will have to
rely on his wits.
If he is to survive,
it won't be because
he grabbed someone
or found a safe place to hide.
Not that the public
would let that happen.
There's a lot of animosity
out there towards McMahon.
Not only was his victim
a woman and an
ex-police officer,
but she was
handicapped as well,
crippled in the line of duty.
His trail was the highest
rated event ever seen
on the Justice Channel.
15,000,000 people
witnessed the verdict
in breathless anticipation.
I think it's safe to say
his appearance here
on
Judgment Day
should prove equally popular.
Declan McMahon.
As is customary, you will be
given a 20 minute head-start.
Ready?
(BEEPING)
I didn't kill your sister.
Everything you say
and everything you do
only makes this easier.
I almost look forward
to killing you.
Mr. McMahon,
I suggest you get a move on.
Is this the last time we'll
see Declan McMahon alive?
Stay tuned,
Judgment Day
will be right back.
CONTROL VOICE:
There is nothing wrong
with your television.
Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling
the transmission.
We control the horizontal
and the vertical.
We can deluge you
with a thousand channels
or expand one single image
to crystal clarity
and beyond.
We can shape your vision
to anything our imagination
can conceive.
For the next hour,
we will control
all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery
which reaches from
the deepest inner mind
to
--The Outer Limits.
CONTROL VOICE:
In the face
of violent crime,
the thin line between justice
and vengeance
can grow ever thinner.
But what happens when society
becomes as violent as the
criminals it seeks to contain?
-How's my hair?
-MAN: It's gorgeous.
Thank you.
-MAN: Back in 10 seconds,
Stan.
-(STAN CLEARS THROAT)
-I'm still waiting
for my low-fat decaf.
-MAN: Nine, eight, seven...
-Six, five four...
-(CLEARS THROAT)
Ah, ah, ah...
Three, two...
Welcome back to
Judgment Day.
We are now three minutes
and 22 seconds
into convicted murderer
Declan McMahon's lead time.
In two minutes, an unmarked
Judgment Day
--van
will drop McMahon
at an undisclosed location.
From there, he's on his own.
Now, once those 20 minutes
have elapsed,
we invite you to phone us
with your convict sightings
at our 1-800 number
or email us with your
digital images at our website.
Remember, a confirmed tip
can be worth $1,000.
JACK: And I know we've been
beating it into our audience
how special tonight is
at considerable cost
to the network,
isn't that right, Ev?
-You want an exact accounting?
-Oh, I'll give them
an exact accounting,
I'm missing five fingers
and one testicle
that the network's
holding as collateral.
(CHUCKLING)
Ev, do you want
to add anything?
The network loves
what you people are doing,
it's changing the face
of television as we know it.
Okay, now look, I just want to
impress upon you how
important tonight is, okay?
Tonight is our Baghdad,
all right? What the Gulf War
did for CNN, Declan McMahon
is about to do for us.
Already I'm clocking
13 million warm bodies,
and that's before the hunt
has even begun.
And I'm guessing those numbers
are gonna double
as the show goes on.
What does that mean?
That means that by the time
Declan McMahon
is zipped into his body bag,
the Justice Channel will
have gone from the
little network that couldn't
into a player
thanks to us.
So let's do it, people.
Come on, Let's get out there
and do it. And remember,
keep it crisp.
I want pace. Pace, pace.
All right? Let's go.
Fly, kids, fly. There you go.
(SIGHS)
"Changing the face
of television."
You really are
Mr. Inspiration, aren't you?
You don't think
that's what you're doing?
Jack, the van
just dropped off Declan.
Ah, great.
Where'd we drop him off?
An industrial park,
just North of here.
JACK: Wonder why
he wanted to go there.
Let's go full screen.
So, Ev, you haven't mentioned
the big meeting.
How'd it go?
Is the network gonna
pick up our show or not?
Well, it was
a spirited discussion.
There was some
resistance of course,
it's a big step for...
(HUMMING)
Punch line.
They wanna order 22.
Yes! Oh, I told you they were
hot for us, didn't I?
Provided the show
delivers the numbers
you said it would, which...
I think you've already done.
Well, it looks like you
and I are going to be
joined at the hip
for a little while, huh?
I must say I'm quite thrilled
for you, Jack.
-Thrilled for both of us.
-Hmm.
Well, I'm thrilled to hear you
say that, Ev, because...
To be honest with you, I heard
a slightly different version
of how that meeting went.
-Really?
-Yeah, really.
I heard that you tried to
talk the network out
of picking up our little show.
What was it that you said?
"If you insist on continuing
with this series,
"I find it highly
irresponsible, but if that's
what you want to do,
"I can keep Jack in line."
-Am I close?
-I guess you had
a few friends in the room.
A few more than you,
that's for sure.
Look, Jack, I don't want you
to take this the wrong way.
When you pitched the show
to the network, nobody
was a bigger fan than me.
These first specials,
they've been really amazing.
But weekly?
That scares me.
Well, of course it scares you,
Ev, because you're a dinosaur.
One of those leaf-eaters
the other dinosaurs
liked to fuck with.
We put that many criminals
on the street week after week,
we're tempting fate.
If even one
innocent person gets hurt
-because of us...
-No one is going to get hurt
except for the criminals.
Evvie, look! 16,000,000
viewers are tuned in
to what we're doing right now.
That's more people than
voted in the last election.
It's a great show, Jack,
no one's disputing that.
We do what the cops,
the courts and the prisons
wish they could do.
We catch
and we punish criminals.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Q.
Mustard-Stain out there,
we are justice.
Jack, I think you're
blowing it just a little
out of proportion.
Really?
Well, that's very funny,
I thought I was
understating it.
Jack, McMahon's
going into a building.
JACK: Man, I wish
that convict cam had sound.
Dawlish Security.
He's going to see his brother.
(PANTING)
Stay back,
I don't want 'em to see ya.
It's not like they won't
figure it out, bro.
-Hey, you okay?
-What do you think?
I know they're
gonna figure it out,
I'm counting on it.
I just don't want the TVs,
audience getting
too far ahead of me,
I want them to see it
in a certain way.
Get that
security camera footage?
Yeah. It wasn't easy,
but wait till you see it.
You were right about it
being messed with.
You were framed.
-Can you show it to me?
-Look, meet me.
You know the place.
Yeah. Yeah, okay then.
100 bucks says Dooley turns
his brother in before the
20 minute countdown hits zero.
You really think
the rest of the world
is as cynical as you are?
Hmm. Yeah, I do.
Does that mean
you take my bet?
Hardly.
-STAN:
Back from commercials
in 3...
-Don't pout, Ev.
-It makes you look more
wrinkled than you already are.
-
2, 1...
Time is almost up
for Declan McMahon.
Remember, callers, be prepared
with both an address and
nearest cross-street
when reporting
a fugitive sighting.
Stand by, phone lines
will be opening in minutes.
Heather, how are things
at your end?
Stan, they're fitting Allison
with the hunter cam.
Allison, McMahon still says
he was framed.
Does that bother you?
It saddens me
more than anything else.
I mean, you'd think that after
the trial and all the appeals
he'd finally just say
"You know what?
I did it. I'm sorry."
Allison, woman to woman now,
do you think he's
counting on you being soft
at the moment of truth?
Well, if he is,
he'll be disappointed, because
I will do the right thing.
HEATHER:
And on that note,
Declan McMahon's
20 minutes are up.
Good luck, Allison.
Back to you, Stan.
All right, here we go.
The phones are ringing
off the hook, she's a winner
with our audience.
Hey, put that away.
I don't trust this
McMahon character. I want to
be prepared just in case.
Ev, if you zap him
too many times, you're gonna
piss off our audience, okay?
People want to believe in
the purity of the chase here.
The drama, the danger.
If you quick-kill him,
I'll strangle you.
STAN: Already the sightings
are coming in
fast and furious.
All of them point to the
Stadium Industrial Park.
Heather, has
Allison gotten work?
She has, Stan,
and she's speeding
in that direction.
STAN:
Still the question
on everyone's mind remains.
Why hasn't McMahon
put more distance between
himself and Allison Channing?
Go to the convict cam, now.
Ready convict cam, go!
JACK:
Declan, move it!
You can get away from her.
What the hell is he doing?
Get me an audience vote now.
I can prove my innocence.
I have actual proof.
-Save it.
-Just let me show it to you.
Please, come on.
It's a trick. He's going to
do something to her.
"Please"? Is that what
my sister said before
you stabbed her to death?
-Give it...
-(CAMERAMAN GRUNTING)
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-Ahhh!
JACK: You can't kill him yet,
honey, it's too early.
Our ratings will go
right in the friggin' toilet.
Where's the audience vote?
(GRUNTING)
Allison, come on. Come on.
Ask yourself,
before you pull
that thing again, please.
If I'm guilty, why...
Why aren't I running away?
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-Ahhh!
The audience vote
is running 70-30
to kill him now.
Right. Then they'll all
turn off their
friggin' TV sets.
Go ahead. Go ahead
and finish him off, honey.
Kill me while you're at it.
(HOARSELY)
You're not a killer, come on.
Don't let them
turn you into one.
Let me show you the truth.
(GRUNTING)
Whoa! Son of a bitch!
-Wait a second, let him go.
-He could have killed her,
he's getting away!
Ev, let him go.
He didn't hurt her.
Let him go. Ev.
We need a show.
Are you okay?
JACK:
Ev...
Listen to me. We need a show.
New life for Declan McMahon.
Clearly he's decided
to make this
a little more difficult
trying to disorient us
by moving his convict cam.
I can't watch this.
What's the matter, haven't you
ever been to Sundance?
This kind of crap wins awards.
Throw it to Heather, will you?
Okay, ready two, and go two.
Allison, are you all right?
I'm fine,
more scared than hurt.
He said that he could
prove his innocence.
Any idea what he meant?
No, and to be honest,
I really don't care.
And so the hunt continues.
Back to you, Stan.
STAN:
Remember, callers,
be prepared with both
-an address and
nearest cross-street...
-What's he doing now?
It looks like he's on
some kind of fire escape.
EVERETT: Fire escape.
I'm really starting
to like this guy.
Great. I'm starting
to hate him.
Looks like he
backed into that building.
Oh, what the hell
is he doing now?
Maybe he's taking a breather.
But this is TV, Mr. McMahon,
we have a very short
attention span.
And the rules explicitly state
that hiding out
is strictly verboten.
You can stun him.
Do not kill him.
Just a couple
of seconds, okay? Got me?
That's very big of you.
Thanks.
(BEEPS)
Again?
(BEEPS)
Huh, tough little monkey, huh?
High threshold of pain,
that means a great
third act climax.
No one's gonna be
channel surfing
when our little lady
pins him down,
that's for sure.
Ooh, look at our ratings.
18,000,000 and still climbing.
Tell Stan to kick in
the file stuff, would you?
It should probably
come as no surprise that
Declan McMahon is cagey.
From his beginnings
on the meanest streets,
he showed a remarkable
ability to improvise.
Burglary, breaking
and entering, grand larceny.
But clever lawyers
and technicalities
kept McMahon from serving
any more than a few months.
By the time he was 25,
he was already on his way
to becoming a career criminal.
And then, a respite.
McMahon tried to go straight.
He changed his name,
and with the assistance
of his brother,
applied for a job
at Dawlish Security,
where he crossed paths with
former police officer,
Katelyn Channing,
who learned the truth about
McMahon and his criminal past
and confronted him with it,
only to pay
the ultimate price.
On the night of August 21st,
McMahon went to Katelyn's
apartment to surprise her
stabbing her 14 times.
And then to cover his tracks
tried to make it look
like a robbery.
-McMahon's nefarious plan...
-Damn him,
he's just sitting there!
-Hit him again!
-
...found moments later
with his victim's blood...
(GRUNTING)
Dooley, hurry up, man.
Ahhh!
Ah, see.
He's inside somewhere.
EVERETT: Is that an office?
-Bro, are you alright?
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Sorry it took me so long.
-It's okay, it's okay.
Stay back.
Don't you want to see this?
Nah, not yet.
I don't want to give it away.
Just tell me what you found.
Nothing, and that's the point.
-Nothing?
-There's 10 hours
of security footage here.
Everything the lobby camera
recorded five hours
before you showed up at
that cop's apartment
and five hour afterwards.
And you were
the only person...
Well, except for
the other tenants,
on the tape.
Okay, Dooley,
now you're losing me,
because if there's
no one else on the tape,
I am so screwed here.
Oh, there's someone else
on the tape all right,
only you can't see him.
They went frame by frame and
they removed every little bit
of whoever was there
ahead of you. Everything
except for frame 2-5-9.
What's there?
That's the one
little piece they missed.
I almost missed it too,
it's real subtle,
you should check it out.
Nah, I'll take it with me,
I've been here
too long already.
They're going to be onto me,
gotta go.
What difference does it make?
I mean, this is
the proof you need.
I wish I could see
every cop's face
when the truth hits TV land.
This is not
gonna be easy, man.
Don't make yourself
crazy, bro.
You got 'em.
What if the cops didn't do it?
No, my whole plan was to show
the whole world how far the
cops went to try and get me.
But now that I know this...
Maybe those people
at
Judgment Day...
What? You're nothing to them.
Just call it a hunch, okay?
But if the cops know
that I wasn't the guy
they'd be backing off.
They'd be looking
for the real killer.
Yeah, I guess, and the network
would have the technology.
Remember that bozo
they assigned to me
for my attorney?
Well, he tried to get the tape
it took him almost a week.
Maybe this was the reason.
I guess it's possible,
but why?
That's the million dollar
question now, isn't it?
Until I find out the answer
there's not point
giving away what we know.
I need to buy some time.
You got something
sharp around here?
You mean like a knife?
No, more like a...
Like a grapefruit spoon.
JACK: Whoa,
what the hell was that?
What the hell just happened?
Damn it, if some lowlife
just mugged my convict
I'll kill him.
We've lost signal
from the convict cam.
That's it, I'm
pulling the plug right now.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.
We have a sighting
and we have an address.
We know where he is?
Ev, relax, will ya?
We'll get 'em.
We always get 'em.
See? Overreacting as usual,
my friend.
Would you like me
to hold that thing for you?
Why aren't people
reacting to him? Where are
the phone calls?
It's the ski mask!
Oh, that smart S.O.B.!
(JACK LAUGHING)
Nobody knows it's him because
he's wearing a ski mask.
Brilliant. Five stars. Yes.
Is that Maple Street?
Is he downtown?
Look, the terraces,
the pistons.
EVERETT: The World
Trade Center.
Bad move, Declan, bad move.
Alert the public
to a possible ski mask.
Come on, you gotta admit
this is sort of fun,
don't you think?
Yeah.
A real blast.
JACK: That's the spirit.
Our rooms are $59 a night
or $7 an hour depending
on how long you are here.
Towels are $2.50 extra,
sheets $5.
Don't need 'em.
Privacy on the other hand
will cost you more.
$20 buy you 20 minute.
STAN: So as
Allison Channing and our
Judgment Day
--video crew
race towards
the World Trade Center,
a kill-shot
may at last be imminent.
Will McMahon slip away again?
Heather Cattrell spoke
with this cagey criminal
several days ago.
You've complained that the way
you've been presented
on this show is inaccurate.
Everything you've done
is painting me as a killer.
Do you deny
your criminal history?
If you're asking me if I was
a model citizen, no, I wasn't.
But I wasn't the
hopped-up little thug
you portrayed me as either.
Oh, now wouldn't you say
that that's splitting hairs?
I mean, by any other color,
isn't a thief a thief?
Oh, yeah, a thief's a thief.
A murder's a murderer
if that's what
you want to him to be.
Alright, Dooley.
You said frame 259, come on.
Come on.
-(BEEPING)
-Where's the guy?
There.
The corner.
Come on, come on.
Zoom, baby, zoom.
What is that?
(READING)
STAN:
Allison Channing
and her hunter cam
are closing in on Declan.
What kind of a friggin' moron
hides in a public place?
Thought this guy
had more sense than that.
Unless... Unless he wants us
to know where he is.
Does that scare you, Jack?
Maybe this guy is just
a little bit smarter than you?
You know something, Ev?
I've decided I don't want you
keeping me in line.
I don't think it's up to you.
Where is the damn thing?
Oh, I know. Network's
gotta have somebody
in my face.
Heaven forbid
they let me just do my job.
Give me the kill-fob, Jack.
But you know what?
I bet I can talk them into
giving me somebody younger.
Somebody hipper.
Somebody with real
cojones
in his pants
instead of Depends.
Give me the damn
kill-fob, Jack!
Come and get it.
-(CRACKLING)
-JACK: Oops.
You son of a bitch!
Jack, she's getting close!
Turn around.
I said, turn around!
Oh, my God.
Get a camera on me, now!
HEATHER:
Ladies and gentlemen,
never before has a criminal
gone to such lengths
to spare himself
what he deserves.
Declan McMahon has removed
his own eyeball
in order to rid himself
of the camera that we've
planted in his head.
Go to commercial break, now!
Go to commercial.
Oh, my God! What an act break!
This guy is fantastic!
Johnny Citizen has got to be
filling his shorts right now.
Jack, this thing is useless!
For God's sake, that maniac
could be anywhere!
Yeah, exactly, and look
at our numbers. 24,000,000
served and loving it.
Hey, when we come
out of commercial, I want you
to go to that piece of tape
I had you shoot
where the shrink calls Declan
a "dangerous sociopath".
Our audience is gonna freak!
I'm pulling the plug. This is
Everett Costello, over
at Just...
(BANGING)
I'm saving you from yourself.
Believe me.
Don't you think
the network is drooling
over these numbers?
24,000,000 to one says
you lose.
Tell Stan to offer $5,000
for the first confirmed
sight of our boy
and $10,000 for the first
piece of digicam
with Declan's face on it.
MAN:
Okay.
You really think the network
is that irresponsible?
Oh, geez.
You still don't get it,
do you?
Nice.
Again, that's $5,000 for
the first confirmed sighting.
$10,000 for
verifiable digicam.
Our operators are standing by.
Heather?
Thanks, Stan.
Allison, you've
heard the reward, you've seen
people's reactions.
What do you do now?
Go home and wait. Until
someone decides to help me,
there's nothing more I can do.
And there you have it.
A despondent Allison Channing
asked you viewers to help
bring this
criminal to justice.
Have you seen this man?
If so, call us here
at
Judgment Day--at
(READING)
It should have been all over
once they found Dooley.
Man, that kill-switch.
Why haven't they used it?
(MAN SHOUTING IN LOCAL
LANGUAGE)
(DOOR HANDLE RATTLING)
That's him! Stop!
We know who you are!
Stop!
(SHOUTING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
Look, you don't
seem to get it.
I'm running out of time.
This man killed my sister!
I was promised a chance
to avenge her death.
And you'll get your chance.
Just don't blow it
when you do.
And why are your people
constantly second-guessing
me on the air?
It's a TV show.
People like a character arc.
We're just trying to give
your personality
a little more dimension.
My personality does not
need more dimension.
I just want
what I was promised.
I want to kill Declan McMahon!
(DIAL TONE)
You so interested in killing?
Let's get started.
If you fail your sister,
if Declan evades you
for the full 24 hours,
how will that make you feel?
Pretty terrible, I guess.
Like I let her down.
But then again, I think that
Kate would know how much
I wanted to do right by her.
Tighten two.
Ready two, and go two.
Okay, folks. Let's get
the crime scene
re-enactment up
-followed by
the trial highlights.
-(DOOR OPENS)
How long before
we can get that on the air?
30 seconds.
Let's do it in 20,
I don't want to
lose our audience.
Ev! Hi, how're you doing?
Welcome back.
Where've you been?
Excuse me.
Ready three.
I just spoke with the network.
They couldn't be happier
with how things are going.
They've got advertisers
screaming at them
to get them on the air.
Hell, they're even thinking
22 episodes won't be enough,
that maybe they'll turn over
their whole prime time
schedule to
Judgment Day.
(CLICKS TONGUE)
What can I tell you, Evvie.
It's a brave new world.
There's no part in it for you.
So it seems.
Which is why
I told them I quit.
Oh, geez, Evvie, I'm sorry.
I almost feel like it was
kinda my fault.
Glad I could make your day.
(SCOFFS)
My day?
How about my day, my week,
my whole friggin' year, pal.
Okay, folks, let's
whip up a frenzy.
Somebody get me McMahon.
I've seen all the evidence
I need to know
what you're capable of.
You've seen
what they wanted you to see.
Oh, what? Like this
particular picture, huh?
Look, why don't you
just shoot me
and get it over with?
You're right, you know.
I should take a chance.
Stand behind the truth.
Hmm?
I didn't kill your sister.
You were found
outside of her apartment with
her blood all over your hands.
Yeah, but she was already dead
when I got there.
I don't deny that
I threatened her.
That was stupid.
Me going there,
that was even more stupid.
But I had to do something
for my brother, Dooley.
She was gonna
have him fired for
bringing me to the company.
What, she was
gonna fire your brother?
Yeah. And he was
always there for me.
Just like Katelyn
was always there for you.
He put his ass on the line
trying to help me go straight.
Oh, firing me,
that was one thing,
but firing Dooley?
Well, why did you break in?
You think if I just
buzzed Katelyn she would have
opened up her doors to me?
I've done a lot of bad stuff
in my life and
I'm not proud of it.
But I've never killed anybody.
And all the same, somebody
wants me to go down for this
and they want it badly enough
that they altered
the only piece of evidence
that would have cleared me.
-Well, why would they do that?
-I don't know.
But the proof's right here
on the disk.
This is the security tape
taken from the lobby camera
of your sister's building
the night she was murdered.
And I'm on here.
There's somebody else
on here too who
came in in front of me.
Except now they're not
on the tape 'cause they've
been digitally removed.
They're counting on you to
kill me no matter what.
And they're counting on me
to give you
all the reasons to do it.
And I say go ahead.
But before you do,
just take a look at the disc.
Come on.
The camera takes a picture
every four seconds.
It takes more time than that
to get inside the door
into the lobby.
So either he's
the fastest man alive, or
like you say, someone
wiped out those frames.
You have a picture
of the man's reflection
but not the man who made it.
You'd better be careful.
You keep thinking
about all this, you're gonna
start to believe me.
Well, so what?
So there was a pizza guy.
I mean, all that says
is that someone
in the building orders pizza.
It hardly proves that someone
else killer her or that
someone's trying to frame you.
Okay, fine,
he's just a pizza guy,
maybe he's not the killer,
but maybe he saw the killer.
Maybe he saw nothing at all,
but it points back to
the same question, doesn't it?
Why make him disappear?
I want to do the right thing.
I'm sure you do.
Now, I think I can
find this guy.
At the very least,
I know where he works.
I just need a little time.
Can you give it to me?
I'd really like to know what
the people at
Judgment Day
are going to think about this.
I'll meet you back here
in two hours.
No.
Here. Take my cell phone.
It'll be safer.
Thanks.
Declan? You screw with me,
I'll hunt you down.
And I will kill you.
So you were in contact
with your brother
during his trial?
Look, I felt bad for him.
It was my fault
he even applied for the job
at Dawlish Security
in the first place.
At what point did he
arrange to meet with you
to go to your apartment?
Look, my brother is
an innocent man.
We have proof.
Whose idea was it
to cut out his eye?
Mind if I ask him
a few questions?
Who the hell are you?
I'm from the network.
(SCOFFS)
Is that right?
And I suppose you think that
means that you can just...
Detective, my network
prosecuted Mr. McMahon,
we still hold his life
in our hands.
I think I can get
his brother here
to tell us where he is.
You see,
unlike Detective Meacham,
I'm not hamstrung by the law.
A pizza delivery guy did it?
Well, to be honest with you,
Jack, I really don't know
who did it.
Only, there was a pizza guy
on the tape, but someone
had him removed.
Boy, that is puzzling.
And it does seem to suggest
exactly what Declan said,
that there was somebody else
in the building
right when he said there was.
So then he might be
telling the truth.
You know,
my network executive,
Everett Costello
has been itching to juice
Declan since the get-go.
He's been nervous as hell
about this whole thing,
and now I see why.
He obviously altered
this surveillance tape.
But why would he
do something like that?
He hates me
and he hates the show.
Imagine what would happen
if it got out that
we went after an innocent man.
We'd be yanked
right off the air,
and rightly so.
See, network people live
in a constant state of fear.
And nothing makes them
more fearful than
a show like ours.
Well, I want to meet this man.
I want to hear it
straight from his lips
why he would do
such a terrible thing.
I'm sure you do, but we
have to be a little more
careful than that.
I mean, we have to think about
Declan's safety right now.
Believe me, if Everett
wants him dead, he'll figure
a way to make it happen.
I should
get in touch with Declan.
I'd like to meet with him,
do you think he'd do that?
I think so.
Let's hope so.
Everett Costello tried to
rewrite this show, but we
caught him just in time.
Wait till he sees the ending
I have in mind for him.
JACK: That's
ri-god-damn-diculous.
Of course Dooley
knows something.
How much is it gonna cost
to get a cop to
pistol whip the S.O.B.?
Oh, don't give me that,
everybody's got a price.
Up mine? Up yours, fella.
We're about to
come out of commercial.
What do you wanna do now?
Go to the crime scene
re-enactment again.
Just do it!
And so with nightfall
approaching, the overriding
question still remains.
Where is Declan McMahon?
-MAN: The night
of August 20th?
-(STAN SPEAKING ON TELEVISION)
Yeah. He delivered a pizza
over to the Wellesley
on Grover.
And you're looking
for him because?
I stiffed him over the top
and it's been
eating me alive ever since.
You sure you've never
been in here before?
I could swear I've seen you.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
I get that a lot.
Is she in the book or what?
I don't think I can help you.
The guy who was
delivering that night, Joey,
he doesn't work here anymore.
The last I heard,
he was in jail.
Juvenile hall actually,
they got him
for breaking and entering.
I didn't know he had
a rap sheet when I hired him.
Juvie? How old is he?
Told me he was 19.
Turned out
he was 16 by a couple
of minutes, I think.
What's the matter with you?
Hmm? Oh, nothing.
Just realized something.
After several hours
of questioning, the police
released Dooley McMahon
saying that had no grounds
on which to hold him
any longer.
HEATHER: Rumor has it that
you used a grapefruit spoon
to remove
your brother's eyeball.
-Is that true?
-I'm not
talking about this, okay?
Do you know where Declan is?
Just get out of my place!
Is it true that when
the police cornered you, you
tried to squish the evidence?
HEATHER: With the release
of Dooley McMahon,
the hunt for Declan
takes another strange turn.
Where is
Katelyn Channing's murderer?
Who else may be in danger
at this very moment?
Yeah, that Joey.
Wouldn't surprise me at all
to find out he
was some kind of...
(THUMPS COUNTER)
STAN:
...'til this mentally
deranged man has been caught
and finally punished.
Killer.
Dooley!
I know why they set me up.
Why was that?
He's from the network.
-You sons of bitches.
-Look, it's okay,
he wants to help.
Why is that, so you can give
your ratings a little boost?
You guys have taken the whole
idea of right and wrong
and turned it
into a freaking game show.
Yes, we have, haven't we?
Did you find him?
The guy in the security tape?
DECLAN: Oh, yeah, I found him.
His name is Joey.
He's only 16.
Too young
for the death penalty.
That's why Jack needed you
to be guilty no matter what.
He had no show otherwise.
You didn't know that, right?
No, but I should've.
(CELLPHONE RINGING)
-Allison.
-Declan.
I showed the security tape
to the producer
and he was shocked.
The network did this to you.
The executive on the show,
his name's Everett.
He'll do anything to stop you.
-Is that right?
-Yeah, but you're
gonna be okay.
The producer wants to
meet us here in a few minutes,
so you gotta come back.
-Mmm-hmm.
-And, Declan...
I'm sorry.
You don't need to apologize,
Allison, it's not your fault.
The set the both of us up.
Dooley.
The producer wants
to meet with me.
He says you're the bad guy.
Well, he would know,
wouldn't he.
How do I know
he's not telling the truth?
I guess you're gonna
have to take my word for it.
If you do go,
half the police force
will be waiting for you.
Oh, I'm counting on it.
-So you are going?
-Mmm-hmm.
-In that case...
-Easy.
You're gonna need these.
And it looks like
we're going to view the murder
re-enactment scene yet again,
is that right?
Uh... Declan McMahon
has just been spotted
on a motorcycle
travelling South
in the direction of downtown.
Hi.
Hi.
Sorry if I'm early, I...
I just wanted to make sure
everything would
go just right.
Now, where was he
when you called him?
I don't know.
What are you doing?
Oh, you won't
need this anymore.
Well, looks like
our boy's almost here.
You know, I have to thank you.
This is gonna be
a great finish.
When Declan gets here,
he's gonna kill you.
What are you talking about?
You saw the tape, you know
that Declan's innocent.
Yes, but he appears
to be guilty.
People want him to be guilty.
Who are we to
take that away from them?
You should want him
to be guilty too.
Otherwise, who pays for
your sister's murder?
Look, I wanted justice
for my sister.
You call this justice?
Killing an innocent man...
There are bigger issued here
besides one man's
guilt or innocence.
If that means that guys
like Declan McMahon
are expendable, well...
(CLICKS)
So be it.
Understand?
Yeah, I think I do.
(DIALING)
Okay, I think this will work.
Smash-cut
to Allison's apartment.
The
Judgment Day
producer arrives,
he tries to make
a deal with Declan...
-Yes, this is an emergency.
-But Declan is beyond reason.
-My name is Allison Channing,
I live at...
-He turns the gun on Allison.
(GRUNTING)
Now you're a murderer,
how does it feel?
I'll get back to you on that.
-(GRUNTS)
-(YELLING)
You murdering bastard.
I grab for the gun
and I shoot him in the leg.
Ahhh!
But he keeps coming.
So I have to shoot him again.
Ahhh!
But Declan still keeps coming.
So I do what I have to do
I kill the bad guy.
Fade to black.
My God, the camera!
Ready for your close up, Jack?
No, that can't be...
No...
No.
No. No!
(YELLING)
No!
MAN:
Let's go to a commercial.
Let's go, let's go.
So much for
Judgment Day.
Looks like you've
got your wish, Ev.
We're history.
Oh, I don't know about that.
I'd say we've got at least
one more episode in us.
(GUNSHOT)
So, tell us, Declan.
Being on the other side
of the gun.
Do you still consider this
a moral outrage?
DECLAN: Yeah, I do.
HEATHER: Then why are you
doing it?
Don't have much of a choice.
(SOBBING)
No. No. Please...
No! No, please, no...
No...
CONTROL VOICE:
To those who would corrupt
the search for truth
be warned,
the sword of justice
cuts both ways.
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-(JACK SCREAMING)
STAN:
This is
--Judgment Day!
Tonight, a loving sister
seeks retribution
for a cold
and calculated killing.
A lifetime criminal
who tried to keep
his felonious past a secret
finally gets his just deserts.
Will justice prevail?
Only time will tell,
as Declan McMahon faces
Judgment Day.
And so Declan McMahon
begins his date with destiny.
In a case that shocked many,
McMahon was convicted of
first-degree murder
for the brutal slaying
of former police officer
Katelyn Channing.
Heather, can you tell us
anything about
McMahon's demeanor?
HEATHER:
Oh, yes, I can, Stan.
As he was throughout
most of his trail,
McMahon seems aloof.
I'd even say arrogant.
An angry, troubled young man
to the bitter end.
STAN:
Let's take a look back.
You've been quoted as saying
that this program,
Judgment Day,
is a moral outrage.
Is that before or after
I called you voyeuristic scum?
You guys didn't
report the trail,
you wallowed in it.
If you feel that way,
then why are you taking part?
I don't have much of a choice.
Declan McMahon, you have been
sentenced to death for the
murder of Katelyn Channing.
You have chosen
to decline execution
at the hands of the state.
For the record,
is that your choice?
For the record, screw you.
I will remind you then
that pursuing to the agreement
that you signed,
the state is
no longer responsible
for your well-being.
The manner in which you
will die is out of our hands.
Is this still your choice?
Yeah, just like it's
your choice to
kill an innocent man.
This isn't justice,
it's the haves culling
the have-nots.
If that were true,
I can't think of anyone else
I'd rather see culled.
-(STRUGGLING)
-Understandably, emotions here
are running high, Stan,
but no higher than in the mind
of Allison Channing,
sister of the murder victim.
What could possibly be going
through that poor girl's mind
at a moment like this?
STAN:
I know what
I'd be thinking,
and it couldn't be heard
on prime time.
Let's hear the judge's
final instructions.
Declan McMahon.
I know remand you
from corporal punishment.
God have mercy on your soul.
(GAVEL BANGS)
-(GAS HISSING)
-Ahhh!
For those of you
new to
Judgment Day,
what you have
just witnessed is
the Justice Channel physician
injecting Declan McMahon
with a specially designed
sterile microchip
that has been keyed in
to the specific frequency
on the taser
that Allison Channing
will be using
while pursuing McMahon.
By design, her weapon
will not harm anyone else
who may happen to stray
in front of its deadly payload
of 10,000 volts.
Within 50 feet
of the microchip,
the taser should be able
to knock McMahon down.
Within three feet,
coup de grace distance,
its crisp crackle of payback
is guaranteed to kill.
Just this morning
I spoke at length
with Allison.
She told me that not a day
goes by that she doesn't
think of her sister.
You loved Katelyn.
I miss her so much.
Kate didn't deserve
what happened to her.
-I'm sorry.
-It's okay to cry.
She believed that
doing the right thing
was very often
the hardest thing
a person could do.
And you believe that
delivering justice personally
to your sister's killer
is the right thing?
(SIGHS)
Well, I was raised
to believe in forgiveness,
but I don't know if
forgiveness is necessarily
the right thing
in a situation like this.
Would Katelyn
want you to forgive?
I don't think so.
As most of our audience knows,
Allison Channing will have
24 hours to catch Mr. McMahon.
And when she does,
our viewing audience will vote
on whether they want
Allison to kill him or not,
though the final decision
will be Allison's.
However, if Mr. McMahon
can avoid being caught,
his sentence will be
immediately commuted
to life imprisonment
with no hope of parole.
Still, a fair enough prize
for a man facing
the death penalty.
You should also point out,
Stan, that the microchip
placed under McMahon's skin
can be used by the producers
of
Judgment Day
--to make sure
McMahon obeys
all the rules of the pursuit
as they were laid out to him.
And just like
Allison Channing's taser,
this little device
can cause McMahon considerable
pain and discomfort.
Any attempt to kidnap or harm
anyone he may
come in contact with
during the course of the show
will lead to an agonizing dose
of electrical current.
Likewise, any attempt
to disable the convict cam
we've embedded in his left eye
will also lead to punishment.
STAN:
McMahon will have to
rely on his wits.
If he is to survive,
it won't be because
he grabbed someone
or found a safe place to hide.
Not that the public
would let that happen.
There's a lot of animosity
out there towards McMahon.
Not only was his victim
a woman and an
ex-police officer,
but she was
handicapped as well,
crippled in the line of duty.
His trail was the highest
rated event ever seen
on the Justice Channel.
15,000,000 people
witnessed the verdict
in breathless anticipation.
I think it's safe to say
his appearance here
on
Judgment Day
should prove equally popular.
Declan McMahon.
As is customary, you will be
given a 20 minute head-start.
Ready?
(BEEPING)
I didn't kill your sister.
Everything you say
and everything you do
only makes this easier.
I almost look forward
to killing you.
Mr. McMahon,
I suggest you get a move on.
Is this the last time we'll
see Declan McMahon alive?
Stay tuned,
Judgment Day
will be right back.
CONTROL VOICE:
There is nothing wrong
with your television.
Do not attempt
to adjust the picture.
We are now controlling
the transmission.
We control the horizontal
and the vertical.
We can deluge you
with a thousand channels
or expand one single image
to crystal clarity
and beyond.
We can shape your vision
to anything our imagination
can conceive.
For the next hour,
we will control
all that you see and hear.
You are about to experience
the awe and mystery
which reaches from
the deepest inner mind
to
--The Outer Limits.
CONTROL VOICE:
In the face
of violent crime,
the thin line between justice
and vengeance
can grow ever thinner.
But what happens when society
becomes as violent as the
criminals it seeks to contain?
-How's my hair?
-MAN: It's gorgeous.
Thank you.
-MAN: Back in 10 seconds,
Stan.
-(STAN CLEARS THROAT)
-I'm still waiting
for my low-fat decaf.
-MAN: Nine, eight, seven...
-Six, five four...
-(CLEARS THROAT)
Ah, ah, ah...
Three, two...
Welcome back to
Judgment Day.
We are now three minutes
and 22 seconds
into convicted murderer
Declan McMahon's lead time.
In two minutes, an unmarked
Judgment Day
--van
will drop McMahon
at an undisclosed location.
From there, he's on his own.
Now, once those 20 minutes
have elapsed,
we invite you to phone us
with your convict sightings
at our 1-800 number
or email us with your
digital images at our website.
Remember, a confirmed tip
can be worth $1,000.
JACK: And I know we've been
beating it into our audience
how special tonight is
at considerable cost
to the network,
isn't that right, Ev?
-You want an exact accounting?
-Oh, I'll give them
an exact accounting,
I'm missing five fingers
and one testicle
that the network's
holding as collateral.
(CHUCKLING)
Ev, do you want
to add anything?
The network loves
what you people are doing,
it's changing the face
of television as we know it.
Okay, now look, I just want to
impress upon you how
important tonight is, okay?
Tonight is our Baghdad,
all right? What the Gulf War
did for CNN, Declan McMahon
is about to do for us.
Already I'm clocking
13 million warm bodies,
and that's before the hunt
has even begun.
And I'm guessing those numbers
are gonna double
as the show goes on.
What does that mean?
That means that by the time
Declan McMahon
is zipped into his body bag,
the Justice Channel will
have gone from the
little network that couldn't
into a player
thanks to us.
So let's do it, people.
Come on, Let's get out there
and do it. And remember,
keep it crisp.
I want pace. Pace, pace.
All right? Let's go.
Fly, kids, fly. There you go.
(SIGHS)
"Changing the face
of television."
You really are
Mr. Inspiration, aren't you?
You don't think
that's what you're doing?
Jack, the van
just dropped off Declan.
Ah, great.
Where'd we drop him off?
An industrial park,
just North of here.
JACK: Wonder why
he wanted to go there.
Let's go full screen.
So, Ev, you haven't mentioned
the big meeting.
How'd it go?
Is the network gonna
pick up our show or not?
Well, it was
a spirited discussion.
There was some
resistance of course,
it's a big step for...
(HUMMING)
Punch line.
They wanna order 22.
Yes! Oh, I told you they were
hot for us, didn't I?
Provided the show
delivers the numbers
you said it would, which...
I think you've already done.
Well, it looks like you
and I are going to be
joined at the hip
for a little while, huh?
I must say I'm quite thrilled
for you, Jack.
-Thrilled for both of us.
-Hmm.
Well, I'm thrilled to hear you
say that, Ev, because...
To be honest with you, I heard
a slightly different version
of how that meeting went.
-Really?
-Yeah, really.
I heard that you tried to
talk the network out
of picking up our little show.
What was it that you said?
"If you insist on continuing
with this series,
"I find it highly
irresponsible, but if that's
what you want to do,
"I can keep Jack in line."
-Am I close?
-I guess you had
a few friends in the room.
A few more than you,
that's for sure.
Look, Jack, I don't want you
to take this the wrong way.
When you pitched the show
to the network, nobody
was a bigger fan than me.
These first specials,
they've been really amazing.
But weekly?
That scares me.
Well, of course it scares you,
Ev, because you're a dinosaur.
One of those leaf-eaters
the other dinosaurs
liked to fuck with.
We put that many criminals
on the street week after week,
we're tempting fate.
If even one
innocent person gets hurt
-because of us...
-No one is going to get hurt
except for the criminals.
Evvie, look! 16,000,000
viewers are tuned in
to what we're doing right now.
That's more people than
voted in the last election.
It's a great show, Jack,
no one's disputing that.
We do what the cops,
the courts and the prisons
wish they could do.
We catch
and we punish criminals.
To Mr. and Mrs. John Q.
Mustard-Stain out there,
we are justice.
Jack, I think you're
blowing it just a little
out of proportion.
Really?
Well, that's very funny,
I thought I was
understating it.
Jack, McMahon's
going into a building.
JACK: Man, I wish
that convict cam had sound.
Dawlish Security.
He's going to see his brother.
(PANTING)
Stay back,
I don't want 'em to see ya.
It's not like they won't
figure it out, bro.
-Hey, you okay?
-What do you think?
I know they're
gonna figure it out,
I'm counting on it.
I just don't want the TVs,
audience getting
too far ahead of me,
I want them to see it
in a certain way.
Get that
security camera footage?
Yeah. It wasn't easy,
but wait till you see it.
You were right about it
being messed with.
You were framed.
-Can you show it to me?
-Look, meet me.
You know the place.
Yeah. Yeah, okay then.
100 bucks says Dooley turns
his brother in before the
20 minute countdown hits zero.
You really think
the rest of the world
is as cynical as you are?
Hmm. Yeah, I do.
Does that mean
you take my bet?
Hardly.
-STAN:
Back from commercials
in 3...
-Don't pout, Ev.
-It makes you look more
wrinkled than you already are.
-
2, 1...
Time is almost up
for Declan McMahon.
Remember, callers, be prepared
with both an address and
nearest cross-street
when reporting
a fugitive sighting.
Stand by, phone lines
will be opening in minutes.
Heather, how are things
at your end?
Stan, they're fitting Allison
with the hunter cam.
Allison, McMahon still says
he was framed.
Does that bother you?
It saddens me
more than anything else.
I mean, you'd think that after
the trial and all the appeals
he'd finally just say
"You know what?
I did it. I'm sorry."
Allison, woman to woman now,
do you think he's
counting on you being soft
at the moment of truth?
Well, if he is,
he'll be disappointed, because
I will do the right thing.
HEATHER:
And on that note,
Declan McMahon's
20 minutes are up.
Good luck, Allison.
Back to you, Stan.
All right, here we go.
The phones are ringing
off the hook, she's a winner
with our audience.
Hey, put that away.
I don't trust this
McMahon character. I want to
be prepared just in case.
Ev, if you zap him
too many times, you're gonna
piss off our audience, okay?
People want to believe in
the purity of the chase here.
The drama, the danger.
If you quick-kill him,
I'll strangle you.
STAN: Already the sightings
are coming in
fast and furious.
All of them point to the
Stadium Industrial Park.
Heather, has
Allison gotten work?
She has, Stan,
and she's speeding
in that direction.
STAN:
Still the question
on everyone's mind remains.
Why hasn't McMahon
put more distance between
himself and Allison Channing?
Go to the convict cam, now.
Ready convict cam, go!
JACK:
Declan, move it!
You can get away from her.
What the hell is he doing?
Get me an audience vote now.
I can prove my innocence.
I have actual proof.
-Save it.
-Just let me show it to you.
Please, come on.
It's a trick. He's going to
do something to her.
"Please"? Is that what
my sister said before
you stabbed her to death?
-Give it...
-(CAMERAMAN GRUNTING)
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-Ahhh!
JACK: You can't kill him yet,
honey, it's too early.
Our ratings will go
right in the friggin' toilet.
Where's the audience vote?
(GRUNTING)
Allison, come on. Come on.
Ask yourself,
before you pull
that thing again, please.
If I'm guilty, why...
Why aren't I running away?
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-Ahhh!
The audience vote
is running 70-30
to kill him now.
Right. Then they'll all
turn off their
friggin' TV sets.
Go ahead. Go ahead
and finish him off, honey.
Kill me while you're at it.
(HOARSELY)
You're not a killer, come on.
Don't let them
turn you into one.
Let me show you the truth.
(GRUNTING)
Whoa! Son of a bitch!
-Wait a second, let him go.
-He could have killed her,
he's getting away!
Ev, let him go.
He didn't hurt her.
Let him go. Ev.
We need a show.
Are you okay?
JACK:
Ev...
Listen to me. We need a show.
New life for Declan McMahon.
Clearly he's decided
to make this
a little more difficult
trying to disorient us
by moving his convict cam.
I can't watch this.
What's the matter, haven't you
ever been to Sundance?
This kind of crap wins awards.
Throw it to Heather, will you?
Okay, ready two, and go two.
Allison, are you all right?
I'm fine,
more scared than hurt.
He said that he could
prove his innocence.
Any idea what he meant?
No, and to be honest,
I really don't care.
And so the hunt continues.
Back to you, Stan.
STAN:
Remember, callers,
be prepared with both
-an address and
nearest cross-street...
-What's he doing now?
It looks like he's on
some kind of fire escape.
EVERETT: Fire escape.
I'm really starting
to like this guy.
Great. I'm starting
to hate him.
Looks like he
backed into that building.
Oh, what the hell
is he doing now?
Maybe he's taking a breather.
But this is TV, Mr. McMahon,
we have a very short
attention span.
And the rules explicitly state
that hiding out
is strictly verboten.
You can stun him.
Do not kill him.
Just a couple
of seconds, okay? Got me?
That's very big of you.
Thanks.
(BEEPS)
Again?
(BEEPS)
Huh, tough little monkey, huh?
High threshold of pain,
that means a great
third act climax.
No one's gonna be
channel surfing
when our little lady
pins him down,
that's for sure.
Ooh, look at our ratings.
18,000,000 and still climbing.
Tell Stan to kick in
the file stuff, would you?
It should probably
come as no surprise that
Declan McMahon is cagey.
From his beginnings
on the meanest streets,
he showed a remarkable
ability to improvise.
Burglary, breaking
and entering, grand larceny.
But clever lawyers
and technicalities
kept McMahon from serving
any more than a few months.
By the time he was 25,
he was already on his way
to becoming a career criminal.
And then, a respite.
McMahon tried to go straight.
He changed his name,
and with the assistance
of his brother,
applied for a job
at Dawlish Security,
where he crossed paths with
former police officer,
Katelyn Channing,
who learned the truth about
McMahon and his criminal past
and confronted him with it,
only to pay
the ultimate price.
On the night of August 21st,
McMahon went to Katelyn's
apartment to surprise her
stabbing her 14 times.
And then to cover his tracks
tried to make it look
like a robbery.
-McMahon's nefarious plan...
-Damn him,
he's just sitting there!
-Hit him again!
-
...found moments later
with his victim's blood...
(GRUNTING)
Dooley, hurry up, man.
Ahhh!
Ah, see.
He's inside somewhere.
EVERETT: Is that an office?
-Bro, are you alright?
-Yeah, yeah, yeah.
-Sorry it took me so long.
-It's okay, it's okay.
Stay back.
Don't you want to see this?
Nah, not yet.
I don't want to give it away.
Just tell me what you found.
Nothing, and that's the point.
-Nothing?
-There's 10 hours
of security footage here.
Everything the lobby camera
recorded five hours
before you showed up at
that cop's apartment
and five hour afterwards.
And you were
the only person...
Well, except for
the other tenants,
on the tape.
Okay, Dooley,
now you're losing me,
because if there's
no one else on the tape,
I am so screwed here.
Oh, there's someone else
on the tape all right,
only you can't see him.
They went frame by frame and
they removed every little bit
of whoever was there
ahead of you. Everything
except for frame 2-5-9.
What's there?
That's the one
little piece they missed.
I almost missed it too,
it's real subtle,
you should check it out.
Nah, I'll take it with me,
I've been here
too long already.
They're going to be onto me,
gotta go.
What difference does it make?
I mean, this is
the proof you need.
I wish I could see
every cop's face
when the truth hits TV land.
This is not
gonna be easy, man.
Don't make yourself
crazy, bro.
You got 'em.
What if the cops didn't do it?
No, my whole plan was to show
the whole world how far the
cops went to try and get me.
But now that I know this...
Maybe those people
at
Judgment Day...
What? You're nothing to them.
Just call it a hunch, okay?
But if the cops know
that I wasn't the guy
they'd be backing off.
They'd be looking
for the real killer.
Yeah, I guess, and the network
would have the technology.
Remember that bozo
they assigned to me
for my attorney?
Well, he tried to get the tape
it took him almost a week.
Maybe this was the reason.
I guess it's possible,
but why?
That's the million dollar
question now, isn't it?
Until I find out the answer
there's not point
giving away what we know.
I need to buy some time.
You got something
sharp around here?
You mean like a knife?
No, more like a...
Like a grapefruit spoon.
JACK: Whoa,
what the hell was that?
What the hell just happened?
Damn it, if some lowlife
just mugged my convict
I'll kill him.
We've lost signal
from the convict cam.
That's it, I'm
pulling the plug right now.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on.
We have a sighting
and we have an address.
We know where he is?
Ev, relax, will ya?
We'll get 'em.
We always get 'em.
See? Overreacting as usual,
my friend.
Would you like me
to hold that thing for you?
Why aren't people
reacting to him? Where are
the phone calls?
It's the ski mask!
Oh, that smart S.O.B.!
(JACK LAUGHING)
Nobody knows it's him because
he's wearing a ski mask.
Brilliant. Five stars. Yes.
Is that Maple Street?
Is he downtown?
Look, the terraces,
the pistons.
EVERETT: The World
Trade Center.
Bad move, Declan, bad move.
Alert the public
to a possible ski mask.
Come on, you gotta admit
this is sort of fun,
don't you think?
Yeah.
A real blast.
JACK: That's the spirit.
Our rooms are $59 a night
or $7 an hour depending
on how long you are here.
Towels are $2.50 extra,
sheets $5.
Don't need 'em.
Privacy on the other hand
will cost you more.
$20 buy you 20 minute.
STAN: So as
Allison Channing and our
Judgment Day
--video crew
race towards
the World Trade Center,
a kill-shot
may at last be imminent.
Will McMahon slip away again?
Heather Cattrell spoke
with this cagey criminal
several days ago.
You've complained that the way
you've been presented
on this show is inaccurate.
Everything you've done
is painting me as a killer.
Do you deny
your criminal history?
If you're asking me if I was
a model citizen, no, I wasn't.
But I wasn't the
hopped-up little thug
you portrayed me as either.
Oh, now wouldn't you say
that that's splitting hairs?
I mean, by any other color,
isn't a thief a thief?
Oh, yeah, a thief's a thief.
A murder's a murderer
if that's what
you want to him to be.
Alright, Dooley.
You said frame 259, come on.
Come on.
-(BEEPING)
-Where's the guy?
There.
The corner.
Come on, come on.
Zoom, baby, zoom.
What is that?
(READING)
STAN:
Allison Channing
and her hunter cam
are closing in on Declan.
What kind of a friggin' moron
hides in a public place?
Thought this guy
had more sense than that.
Unless... Unless he wants us
to know where he is.
Does that scare you, Jack?
Maybe this guy is just
a little bit smarter than you?
You know something, Ev?
I've decided I don't want you
keeping me in line.
I don't think it's up to you.
Where is the damn thing?
Oh, I know. Network's
gotta have somebody
in my face.
Heaven forbid
they let me just do my job.
Give me the kill-fob, Jack.
But you know what?
I bet I can talk them into
giving me somebody younger.
Somebody hipper.
Somebody with real
cojones
in his pants
instead of Depends.
Give me the damn
kill-fob, Jack!
Come and get it.
-(CRACKLING)
-JACK: Oops.
You son of a bitch!
Jack, she's getting close!
Turn around.
I said, turn around!
Oh, my God.
Get a camera on me, now!
HEATHER:
Ladies and gentlemen,
never before has a criminal
gone to such lengths
to spare himself
what he deserves.
Declan McMahon has removed
his own eyeball
in order to rid himself
of the camera that we've
planted in his head.
Go to commercial break, now!
Go to commercial.
Oh, my God! What an act break!
This guy is fantastic!
Johnny Citizen has got to be
filling his shorts right now.
Jack, this thing is useless!
For God's sake, that maniac
could be anywhere!
Yeah, exactly, and look
at our numbers. 24,000,000
served and loving it.
Hey, when we come
out of commercial, I want you
to go to that piece of tape
I had you shoot
where the shrink calls Declan
a "dangerous sociopath".
Our audience is gonna freak!
I'm pulling the plug. This is
Everett Costello, over
at Just...
(BANGING)
I'm saving you from yourself.
Believe me.
Don't you think
the network is drooling
over these numbers?
24,000,000 to one says
you lose.
Tell Stan to offer $5,000
for the first confirmed
sight of our boy
and $10,000 for the first
piece of digicam
with Declan's face on it.
MAN:
Okay.
You really think the network
is that irresponsible?
Oh, geez.
You still don't get it,
do you?
Nice.
Again, that's $5,000 for
the first confirmed sighting.
$10,000 for
verifiable digicam.
Our operators are standing by.
Heather?
Thanks, Stan.
Allison, you've
heard the reward, you've seen
people's reactions.
What do you do now?
Go home and wait. Until
someone decides to help me,
there's nothing more I can do.
And there you have it.
A despondent Allison Channing
asked you viewers to help
bring this
criminal to justice.
Have you seen this man?
If so, call us here
at
Judgment Day--at
(READING)
It should have been all over
once they found Dooley.
Man, that kill-switch.
Why haven't they used it?
(MAN SHOUTING IN LOCAL
LANGUAGE)
(DOOR HANDLE RATTLING)
That's him! Stop!
We know who you are!
Stop!
(SHOUTING IN LOCAL LANGUAGE)
Look, you don't
seem to get it.
I'm running out of time.
This man killed my sister!
I was promised a chance
to avenge her death.
And you'll get your chance.
Just don't blow it
when you do.
And why are your people
constantly second-guessing
me on the air?
It's a TV show.
People like a character arc.
We're just trying to give
your personality
a little more dimension.
My personality does not
need more dimension.
I just want
what I was promised.
I want to kill Declan McMahon!
(DIAL TONE)
You so interested in killing?
Let's get started.
If you fail your sister,
if Declan evades you
for the full 24 hours,
how will that make you feel?
Pretty terrible, I guess.
Like I let her down.
But then again, I think that
Kate would know how much
I wanted to do right by her.
Tighten two.
Ready two, and go two.
Okay, folks. Let's get
the crime scene
re-enactment up
-followed by
the trial highlights.
-(DOOR OPENS)
How long before
we can get that on the air?
30 seconds.
Let's do it in 20,
I don't want to
lose our audience.
Ev! Hi, how're you doing?
Welcome back.
Where've you been?
Excuse me.
Ready three.
I just spoke with the network.
They couldn't be happier
with how things are going.
They've got advertisers
screaming at them
to get them on the air.
Hell, they're even thinking
22 episodes won't be enough,
that maybe they'll turn over
their whole prime time
schedule to
Judgment Day.
(CLICKS TONGUE)
What can I tell you, Evvie.
It's a brave new world.
There's no part in it for you.
So it seems.
Which is why
I told them I quit.
Oh, geez, Evvie, I'm sorry.
I almost feel like it was
kinda my fault.
Glad I could make your day.
(SCOFFS)
My day?
How about my day, my week,
my whole friggin' year, pal.
Okay, folks, let's
whip up a frenzy.
Somebody get me McMahon.
I've seen all the evidence
I need to know
what you're capable of.
You've seen
what they wanted you to see.
Oh, what? Like this
particular picture, huh?
Look, why don't you
just shoot me
and get it over with?
You're right, you know.
I should take a chance.
Stand behind the truth.
Hmm?
I didn't kill your sister.
You were found
outside of her apartment with
her blood all over your hands.
Yeah, but she was already dead
when I got there.
I don't deny that
I threatened her.
That was stupid.
Me going there,
that was even more stupid.
But I had to do something
for my brother, Dooley.
She was gonna
have him fired for
bringing me to the company.
What, she was
gonna fire your brother?
Yeah. And he was
always there for me.
Just like Katelyn
was always there for you.
He put his ass on the line
trying to help me go straight.
Oh, firing me,
that was one thing,
but firing Dooley?
Well, why did you break in?
You think if I just
buzzed Katelyn she would have
opened up her doors to me?
I've done a lot of bad stuff
in my life and
I'm not proud of it.
But I've never killed anybody.
And all the same, somebody
wants me to go down for this
and they want it badly enough
that they altered
the only piece of evidence
that would have cleared me.
-Well, why would they do that?
-I don't know.
But the proof's right here
on the disk.
This is the security tape
taken from the lobby camera
of your sister's building
the night she was murdered.
And I'm on here.
There's somebody else
on here too who
came in in front of me.
Except now they're not
on the tape 'cause they've
been digitally removed.
They're counting on you to
kill me no matter what.
And they're counting on me
to give you
all the reasons to do it.
And I say go ahead.
But before you do,
just take a look at the disc.
Come on.
The camera takes a picture
every four seconds.
It takes more time than that
to get inside the door
into the lobby.
So either he's
the fastest man alive, or
like you say, someone
wiped out those frames.
You have a picture
of the man's reflection
but not the man who made it.
You'd better be careful.
You keep thinking
about all this, you're gonna
start to believe me.
Well, so what?
So there was a pizza guy.
I mean, all that says
is that someone
in the building orders pizza.
It hardly proves that someone
else killer her or that
someone's trying to frame you.
Okay, fine,
he's just a pizza guy,
maybe he's not the killer,
but maybe he saw the killer.
Maybe he saw nothing at all,
but it points back to
the same question, doesn't it?
Why make him disappear?
I want to do the right thing.
I'm sure you do.
Now, I think I can
find this guy.
At the very least,
I know where he works.
I just need a little time.
Can you give it to me?
I'd really like to know what
the people at
Judgment Day
are going to think about this.
I'll meet you back here
in two hours.
No.
Here. Take my cell phone.
It'll be safer.
Thanks.
Declan? You screw with me,
I'll hunt you down.
And I will kill you.
So you were in contact
with your brother
during his trial?
Look, I felt bad for him.
It was my fault
he even applied for the job
at Dawlish Security
in the first place.
At what point did he
arrange to meet with you
to go to your apartment?
Look, my brother is
an innocent man.
We have proof.
Whose idea was it
to cut out his eye?
Mind if I ask him
a few questions?
Who the hell are you?
I'm from the network.
(SCOFFS)
Is that right?
And I suppose you think that
means that you can just...
Detective, my network
prosecuted Mr. McMahon,
we still hold his life
in our hands.
I think I can get
his brother here
to tell us where he is.
You see,
unlike Detective Meacham,
I'm not hamstrung by the law.
A pizza delivery guy did it?
Well, to be honest with you,
Jack, I really don't know
who did it.
Only, there was a pizza guy
on the tape, but someone
had him removed.
Boy, that is puzzling.
And it does seem to suggest
exactly what Declan said,
that there was somebody else
in the building
right when he said there was.
So then he might be
telling the truth.
You know,
my network executive,
Everett Costello
has been itching to juice
Declan since the get-go.
He's been nervous as hell
about this whole thing,
and now I see why.
He obviously altered
this surveillance tape.
But why would he
do something like that?
He hates me
and he hates the show.
Imagine what would happen
if it got out that
we went after an innocent man.
We'd be yanked
right off the air,
and rightly so.
See, network people live
in a constant state of fear.
And nothing makes them
more fearful than
a show like ours.
Well, I want to meet this man.
I want to hear it
straight from his lips
why he would do
such a terrible thing.
I'm sure you do, but we
have to be a little more
careful than that.
I mean, we have to think about
Declan's safety right now.
Believe me, if Everett
wants him dead, he'll figure
a way to make it happen.
I should
get in touch with Declan.
I'd like to meet with him,
do you think he'd do that?
I think so.
Let's hope so.
Everett Costello tried to
rewrite this show, but we
caught him just in time.
Wait till he sees the ending
I have in mind for him.
JACK: That's
ri-god-damn-diculous.
Of course Dooley
knows something.
How much is it gonna cost
to get a cop to
pistol whip the S.O.B.?
Oh, don't give me that,
everybody's got a price.
Up mine? Up yours, fella.
We're about to
come out of commercial.
What do you wanna do now?
Go to the crime scene
re-enactment again.
Just do it!
And so with nightfall
approaching, the overriding
question still remains.
Where is Declan McMahon?
-MAN: The night
of August 20th?
-(STAN SPEAKING ON TELEVISION)
Yeah. He delivered a pizza
over to the Wellesley
on Grover.
And you're looking
for him because?
I stiffed him over the top
and it's been
eating me alive ever since.
You sure you've never
been in here before?
I could swear I've seen you.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure.
I get that a lot.
Is she in the book or what?
I don't think I can help you.
The guy who was
delivering that night, Joey,
he doesn't work here anymore.
The last I heard,
he was in jail.
Juvenile hall actually,
they got him
for breaking and entering.
I didn't know he had
a rap sheet when I hired him.
Juvie? How old is he?
Told me he was 19.
Turned out
he was 16 by a couple
of minutes, I think.
What's the matter with you?
Hmm? Oh, nothing.
Just realized something.
After several hours
of questioning, the police
released Dooley McMahon
saying that had no grounds
on which to hold him
any longer.
HEATHER: Rumor has it that
you used a grapefruit spoon
to remove
your brother's eyeball.
-Is that true?
-I'm not
talking about this, okay?
Do you know where Declan is?
Just get out of my place!
Is it true that when
the police cornered you, you
tried to squish the evidence?
HEATHER: With the release
of Dooley McMahon,
the hunt for Declan
takes another strange turn.
Where is
Katelyn Channing's murderer?
Who else may be in danger
at this very moment?
Yeah, that Joey.
Wouldn't surprise me at all
to find out he
was some kind of...
(THUMPS COUNTER)
STAN:
...'til this mentally
deranged man has been caught
and finally punished.
Killer.
Dooley!
I know why they set me up.
Why was that?
He's from the network.
-You sons of bitches.
-Look, it's okay,
he wants to help.
Why is that, so you can give
your ratings a little boost?
You guys have taken the whole
idea of right and wrong
and turned it
into a freaking game show.
Yes, we have, haven't we?
Did you find him?
The guy in the security tape?
DECLAN: Oh, yeah, I found him.
His name is Joey.
He's only 16.
Too young
for the death penalty.
That's why Jack needed you
to be guilty no matter what.
He had no show otherwise.
You didn't know that, right?
No, but I should've.
(CELLPHONE RINGING)
-Allison.
-Declan.
I showed the security tape
to the producer
and he was shocked.
The network did this to you.
The executive on the show,
his name's Everett.
He'll do anything to stop you.
-Is that right?
-Yeah, but you're
gonna be okay.
The producer wants to
meet us here in a few minutes,
so you gotta come back.
-Mmm-hmm.
-And, Declan...
I'm sorry.
You don't need to apologize,
Allison, it's not your fault.
The set the both of us up.
Dooley.
The producer wants
to meet with me.
He says you're the bad guy.
Well, he would know,
wouldn't he.
How do I know
he's not telling the truth?
I guess you're gonna
have to take my word for it.
If you do go,
half the police force
will be waiting for you.
Oh, I'm counting on it.
-So you are going?
-Mmm-hmm.
-In that case...
-Easy.
You're gonna need these.
And it looks like
we're going to view the murder
re-enactment scene yet again,
is that right?
Uh... Declan McMahon
has just been spotted
on a motorcycle
travelling South
in the direction of downtown.
Hi.
Hi.
Sorry if I'm early, I...
I just wanted to make sure
everything would
go just right.
Now, where was he
when you called him?
I don't know.
What are you doing?
Oh, you won't
need this anymore.
Well, looks like
our boy's almost here.
You know, I have to thank you.
This is gonna be
a great finish.
When Declan gets here,
he's gonna kill you.
What are you talking about?
You saw the tape, you know
that Declan's innocent.
Yes, but he appears
to be guilty.
People want him to be guilty.
Who are we to
take that away from them?
You should want him
to be guilty too.
Otherwise, who pays for
your sister's murder?
Look, I wanted justice
for my sister.
You call this justice?
Killing an innocent man...
There are bigger issued here
besides one man's
guilt or innocence.
If that means that guys
like Declan McMahon
are expendable, well...
(CLICKS)
So be it.
Understand?
Yeah, I think I do.
(DIALING)
Okay, I think this will work.
Smash-cut
to Allison's apartment.
The
Judgment Day
producer arrives,
he tries to make
a deal with Declan...
-Yes, this is an emergency.
-But Declan is beyond reason.
-My name is Allison Channing,
I live at...
-He turns the gun on Allison.
(GRUNTING)
Now you're a murderer,
how does it feel?
I'll get back to you on that.
-(GRUNTS)
-(YELLING)
You murdering bastard.
I grab for the gun
and I shoot him in the leg.
Ahhh!
But he keeps coming.
So I have to shoot him again.
Ahhh!
But Declan still keeps coming.
So I do what I have to do
I kill the bad guy.
Fade to black.
My God, the camera!
Ready for your close up, Jack?
No, that can't be...
No...
No.
No. No!
(YELLING)
No!
MAN:
Let's go to a commercial.
Let's go, let's go.
So much for
Judgment Day.
Looks like you've
got your wish, Ev.
We're history.
Oh, I don't know about that.
I'd say we've got at least
one more episode in us.
(GUNSHOT)
So, tell us, Declan.
Being on the other side
of the gun.
Do you still consider this
a moral outrage?
DECLAN: Yeah, I do.
HEATHER: Then why are you
doing it?
Don't have much of a choice.
(SOBBING)
No. No. Please...
No! No, please, no...
No...
CONTROL VOICE:
To those who would corrupt
the search for truth
be warned,
the sword of justice
cuts both ways.
-(ELECTRICITY CRACKLING)
-(JACK SCREAMING)