The X-Files (1993–…): Season 1, Episode 18 - Miracle Man - full transcript

Hurry and get him outta there!

I need two men on the left side! Now!

- Wait! Where are you going with him?
- He's dead.

There's a woman over there who isn't
and she needs oxygen!

Step back!
Sir, if you'll just cooperate here a little bit.

- I want you to rise!
- Amen.

Rise up and heal!

- What are you doing?
- The boy's laying on hands.

- Rise up and accept the miracle he has given.
- Amen. Hallelujah.

You don't understand. The man's dead.

Then the boy can't do any harm, can he?



This is the power of belief.

The power to separate
the light from the darkness,

to create life from death.

Amen.

All right, everyone! Show's over!

Let's clear the area!

Hallelujah, Samuel.

Hallelujah.

Yes, indeedy! Oh, hallelujah!

Hallelujah, brother! Praise God!

Yes, indeedy! Praise God!

- I want everybody to say "Hallelujah!"
- Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord!

The woman on the table
has a malignant tumor on her spine.



This boy here is gonna attempt to heal her
by simply laying his hands on her.

- Where'd you get this?
- From the regional office in Tennessee.

- The preacher is...
- Reverend Calvin Hartley.

- You've heard of him?
- The boy is his adopted son, Samuel.

He says he found him as an infant

lying in the weeds
on the banks of the Mississippi.

He also claims the boy
brought a man back from the dead.

It's more than a claim. The man he saved

is an attraction in the reverend's tent
ministry. The boy's performed miracles

every week for the past ten years.

- Twice on Sunday.
- Not according to Kenwood's county sheriff.

Local authorities think that
Reverend Hartley and his son are a scam.

They haven't been able to shut him down,

so they've turned to the FBI
to try and get a prosecution.

- For what? Fraud?
- No. Murder. Watch the tape.

Lucy Kelly

has the cancer.

Her doctors say

it is inoperable.

They say it is incurable.

But I say to you

that what the doctors cannot cure

the Lord can.

Yes, indeedy, praise God! Because God

can work... miracles.

Today the clear light of God's healing love

is flowing

through Samuel's healing hands.

20 minutes later, Lucy Kelly was rushed
to the hospital. She was dead on arrival.

- What was the cause of death?
- I don't know, but it wasn't cancer.

They've requested someone with a medical
background to assist in the investigation.

- I know this isn't an X-File...
- When do we leave for Tennessee?

I think I saw some of these
same people at Woodstock.

Mulder, you weren't at Woodstock.

- I saw the movie.
- There you go.

- Will you be all right by yourself?
- I'll be fine.

I won't be long.

Most of you here today
I know as neighbors

and as cherished members
of our Miracle Ministry.

But some of you have come from far away.

As far away as

Pensacola, Florida!

And Uniondale, Long Island!

And this is especially to

those of you who come from so far,

that I must apologize
from the bottom of my heart

because, unfortunately,
Samuel cannot be here this afternoon.

I know how very deeply disappointed

each of you must be feeling right now.

But I say unto you, do not be dismayed,

do not despair, do not lose your hope!

Because in two short days

Samuel will be back here
at our very special Miracle Mission!

Yes, indeedy, praise God!

We should head backstage
and see what he has to say.

No, wait. This is the part
where they bring out Elvis.

As these people will testify,

Samuel can heal you! Yes.

Samuel will heal you!

But...

only if you believe.

I believe, reverend! I believe!

- Fine sermon, reverend.
- God bless you.

Reverend Hartley? We're with the FBI.

I see Sheriff Daniels has sent in the cavalry.

- We just want to talk to Samuel, that's all.
- He's not here.

- Well, where is he?
- I don't know.

I haven't seen him.

- The boy's been a bit troubled lately.
- We're running late, reverend.

If you'll excuse me.

- Agent Mulder?
- Yeah.

- Sheriff Daniels. We spoke on the phone.
- Yeah. This is Special Agent Dana Scully.

- You wanted a copy of the coroner's report.
- Right. Thank you.

I see you folks got a chance
to take in the Holy Roller sideshow.

I take it you're not one of
the Reverend Hartley's flock.

No, I remember Hartley when he was on his
soapbox collecting dollar bills in coffee cans.

Since the boy joined the act, he's got himself
a Cadillac for every day of the week,

bought for with money
that we need for roads and schools.

People want to believe, you know?

99%% % of the people in this world are fools.

And the rest of us
are in great danger of contagion.

Even if Hartley and Samuel are fakes, it's still
a long way from accusing the boy of murder.

I got witnesses that say the boy was laying
hands on those people when they died.

You think that's how he killed them...
with a touch?

I don't know how or why he did it.

But we've been looking for him since
Tuesday and he does not wanna be found.

There's nothing unusual about these reports,
except that no autopsies were performed.

Hartley blocked my autopsy request
on religious grounds.

Also doesn't help that the county coroner
is a member of the Miracle Ministry.

Well, maybe we can arrange
to have the bodies exhumed.

Sheriff...

It's Hartley's group.

Damn.

I told my people to keep quiet
so this wouldn't happen.

Looks like you might have
a few believers on the payroll.

On behalf of the Miracle Ministry,

we demand that you stop this sacrilege!

You're notjust dealing with me, Vance.
You're dealing with the FBI.

We don't mean you any disrespect.

We're investigating a possible homicide

and federal law requires
that we do a postmortem on these bodies.

I'm afraid we answer to an even
higher authority than the US Government.

One that considers gravedigging
and defiling corpses mortal sins.

We'll get that autopsy.

- Sooner or later, you know we will.
- The deceased's family

does not want her grave disturbed.

Carol Wallace had no family!

We were her family.

We... were her family.

And it was hard enough to bury her once.

So if you insist on going through with this,
we are prepared to maintain a vigil

and do whatever it takes

to stop you!

Mulder.

Scully.

One of my men just spotted
the boy's car downtown.

- We can't do much here anyway.
- Let's go.

Not a very likely place to be saving souls.

- Where's the boy?
- He's in the can.

- What happened?
- That damn fool started a fight.

Figures them Bible-thumpers
wouldn't know how to hold their liquor.

Where you been, Samuel?
We've been looking for you.

Yeah?

I've been thinking.

Well, you're gonna have plenty of time
for that in my cell. You're under arrest.

- For murder?
- For suspicion of murder.

Mind if I finish my beer first?

No, you go right on ahead.

I'll have somebody take your statement.

I'll see what I can do about
getting your Caddy towed.

Sheriff? What evidence do you have
to charge the boy with murder?

What more do you want?
He's practically giving himself up.

Look at him, though. He's drunk.

Well, then I'll add drunk and disorderly.
Let's get this straight.

It's not a question about the boy's guilt,

just how he did it.

Let me have a minute with him?

Suit yourself.

Samuel?
I'm Agent Mulder. This is Agent Scully.

From the FBI.

Looks like you took quite a beating there.

Penance, Mr Mulder.

Some might call it a plain old bar brawl.

You know what they say...

"He giveth and he taketh away."

A man gets too proud,

sometimes it does him good
to get the crap kicked out of him.

- Saves God the trouble.
- The trouble of what?

Humbling the guilty sinner.

Guilty of murder?

Yes, sir.

How'd you do it, Samuel?

Apparently, my pride and weakness
were an invitation to the devil.

I muddied the river of my own faith.

- Now my gift has been corrupted.
- So you killed those people with a touch?

I've laid my hands on the ill,
given them health.

I've healed the sick.

I've even touched the dying
and given them life.

God has given me a special gift.

Did he buy you all thatjewelry, too?

There's something missing
in your story, Samuel.

- Do you doubt the power of God, ma'am?
- No. But I doubt the veracity of your claims.

I have looked on the infirm
and seen their sickness,

their cancer.

Just as I can see the pain on this man

right here.

Really? What pain is that?

The pain you have... regarding a brother

or a sister. It's an old pain.

- It's never been healed.
- Is this a trick?

No trick, ma'am.

- I think we should get the sheriff.
- I want to hear more about this pain. Tell me.

I can see it, plain as day.

It was a sister. You lost a sister quite young.

- Someone took her away.
- What else do you see?

Strangers. A bright light.

Sheriff?

You should have come here earlier.
I could have healed your pain.

- Let's get this over with.
- Another minute.

I can't help you. Not any more.

- My gift is gone.
- Cuff him.

All right, let's go.

You have the right to remain silent...

I'll tell you, Mr Mulder...

God watches over his flock.
He gives us signs every day.

Open your heart.

He mightjust open your eyes.

How do you think he does it?

I don't know.

Given his exemplary record
and the circumstantial nature of this case,

I ask that my client be released
on his own recognizance,

without bail...

Judge, that is not a good idea!

- Samuel!
- Let me go and it'll be on your head!

Enough! This is not a pulpit,
this is a court of law. Is that understood?

Yes, sir.

Sorry.

Your Honor,

despite the defendant's avowed guilt,
we see no reason to burden the county

with his maintenance until trial. But
we do request a minimum bail of $100,000.

All right. If there are no objections,

bail is set at $100,000...

to be deposited directly
into the clerk's probation account.

My God! What is it?

My God!

My God! What is it? What is it?

How much more will it take
for you to believe?

The Lord has testified against me!

Does a serpent have to bite you all on the ass
till you understand?!

Everybody! Clear this courtroom!

"And when it was morning,
the east wind brought the locusts."

"And the locusts covered
the face of the whole earth,

so that the land was darkened,
and they did eat every herb of the land...

- Why, Mulder?
- And all the fruit of the trees..."

A few thousand grasshoppers
does not constitute a plague.

Besides which, we're in farm country.

This area is an agricultural smorgasbord
for this type of infestation.

Yeah, maybe in a cornfield,
but this happened in a courtroom.

So what's next? Slaying of the first-born?

Mulder, does this have something
to do with what Samuel said in the bar?

About your sister?

I had these patient cases sent over
from Kenwood County Hospital.

These are cases of patients who went to
Samuel after conventional treatments failed.

"Spontaneous remission
of metastatic cancer."

"Regenerated nerve growth after paraplegia."

I've encountered dozens of psychic healers
in the X-Files, but none like this.

- I think the kid's for real.
- Mulder, this is intriguing,

but there's a whole library of
medical literature dealing with

unexplained spontaneous cures.

Now, Western medicine treats
the human body in biochemical terms, right?

But the body can also be treated
as an electromagnetic system.

So you think if Samuel can repair
this energy field in order to heal,

he can also destroy it in order to kill?

Why not?

OK. Say that Samuel's touch can kill.
Why would he want to?

Well, you heard him - he muddied the river
of his own faith. That means he's...

If you're available,

the reverend would like to see you.

I've been under a lot of stress lately,

which I know doesn't excuse
my rude behavior yesterday,

but I hope... somehow you find it
in your hearts to forgive me.

Why did you want to speak with us?

I need your help.

Samuel's being tried for murder.
What you need is a good lawyer.

- Samuel is innocent.
- How can you be sure of that?

Because he's my son.

I don't think that argument
will work on ajury.

Samuel's confession won't help much either.

You have to understand.
Samuel is a very complicated young man.

He feels things... like no one else.

To him a pinprick becomes a gaping wound.

His power... comes from this ability to feel.

But, you see, some people fear that power.

And out of their weakness and their fear,
they seek to destroy it.

You mean Sheriff Daniels.

It's no secret that Sheriff Daniels
has tried to shut me down

since I first opened the tent ten years ago.

Well, he thinks that your ministry is a fraud.

He's a faithless man, Agent Scully.

His wife suffers from
a most painful arthritis,

her fingers twisted like bitter roots,
yet he keeps Samuel from ministering to her.

In light of recent events, you can't blame him.

I don't know how those poor people died.

I can't explain that, which is why
I'm asking you to be there tonight,

so you could see for yourselves
Samuel doing God's work.

Can I count on you both to be there?

I think so. Mulder, what do you think?

Excuse me.

- Hey, where did she go?
- Who?

- The little girl.
- There's no little girl around here.

Mulder?

- What is it?
- It's a girl.

Who, Jessica Hahn?

A little girl.

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

Well, brothers and sisters, help yourselves.

Let the folks with the wheelchairs through.
That's right, don't be shy.

Hello, there. Welcome to the Miracle Ministry.

- Y'all come to see Samuel tonight?
- Yes.

- Is he going to be here? The papers said...
- Oh, don't mind the papers!

God's work will be done.

Young Samuel's here
to cast out the devil and heal the sick.

- Did you hear that, honey?
- Will he be able to see me?

Well, I'll tell you what.
I'm gonna put in a special word, hm?

- What's your name?
- Margaret Hohman.

Margaret, you wait right here.

I'm gonna see if I can't get somebody
to put you in the front row. How'd that be?

I can't go out there.

Not after what's happened.

God tests the faith in us all, son. And because
he's chosen you to act in his likeness,

he's given you the toughest test of all.

Do not forsake your gift, Samuel.

Oh, man!

I'm a preacher, son. That's my gift.

But all the preaching in the world
could never equal even a small miracle

in consolidating
the faith and hope of these people.

Let this man, whose life you saved,

give witness tonight

to the grace and goodness
of your healing power.

They're all waiting on you, Samuel.

Here we go!

Here he is! Get ready for the Reverend

Calvin Hartley!

Yes, indeedy! Praise God!

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah!

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

- Amen! Tell it, brother!
- I'm ready!

God is here tonight. Oh, yes!

Pass it down, please.

I feel his presence! Oh, amen!

- Apparently miracles don't come cheap.
- God is here,

and he is here

to heal!

Yes, heal!

Hallelujah! There's a man

I'd like to introduce to you. A man

who has seen the face of God,

but who was not satisfied
to go to that great place. Oh, no.

No, God had work for him
to do right here on earth.

As it is in heaven!

I saw this man come back

- from beyond death's door!
- Praise his name!

He stands here today as a living testament

to the ability of God

to work miracles. Ladies and gentlemen,

brothers and sisters,

our beloved friend

Leonard Vance.

As it says in John, chapter three,

no man can do these miracles
unless God be with him.

That man to whom I owe my life

is Samuel Hartley.

And he is here tonight to heal you.

Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen,

God's soldier - Samuel Hartley.

Mulder?

Receive God's love.

Feel the power of God.

Pray with me.

Close your eyes.

- What have you done?
- OK, everyone, remain calm.

Give the young woman room here.

Praise God!

Somebody get an ambulance!

It's all right. Don't panic!

She's dead.

Beloved friends, children of God,

brothers and sisters,

if you desecrate the body,

then you slay

the soul!

Let's keep this poor woman's body intact.

We know that Reverend Hartley's
been pressuring you,

but this is the third death
linked with the Miracle Ministry.

Reverend Hartley says
an autopsy is against scripture.

What illness did your daughter
suffer from, Mr Hohman?

She had MS.

Has she ever had a seizure before this?

Not to my knowledge.

You see, I think

that the seizure she had is indicative
of some kind of embolism or aneurysm.

The boy only touched her forehead.

And are you going to be content

to bury her

without knowing the true cause of death?

Without knowing
if there was foul play involved?

Give me a moment.

You think the boy really did it?

No.

Why not?

I was raised a Catholic.

I have a certain familiarity with the scripture.

And God never lets the devil steal the show.

You must have liked The Exorcist.

One of my favorite movies.

So, who were you pursuing
in the crowd tonight?

I thought I saw someone I knew.

The boy really has you going, doesn't he?

Why do you say that?

In the bar, Samuel mentioned your sister.

Is it your sister you keep
thinking you're seeing?

I've seen her twice now.

- Maybe you just want to see her.
- I'm not delusional, Scully.

Don't discount the power of suggestion.

A healer's greatest magic lies in
the patient's willingness to believe.

Imagine a miracle and you're halfway there.
We learned that in med school.

You think this is what Margaret Hohman
and her parents were imagining?

We're going to go along
with your investigation.

It's 11.21pm, March 7th.

Subject's name is Margaret Hohman.

Female, Caucasian,

107 pounds.

- Mulder, take a look at this.
- Do I have to?

Lesions on the lungs. I'm finding them
throughout the cardiovascular

and pulmonary systems.
There's also a lot of damage

to the mucus membranes. I think that
she must have died from cellular hypoxia.

A lack of oxygen to the cells.

- What would cause that?
- My guess,

ingestion or injection
of sodium or potassium cyanide.

Maybe arsenic. I won't know exactly
until I run a toxicology screen.

- How soon?
- Labs won't be open till morning.

See who you can push to do it.
As soon as possible.

Samuel? It's Agent Mulder.

Yeah? What do you want?

I want to talk with you.
If you'd prefer your attorney were present...

Whatever. No.

I put a call in to Sheriff Daniels.
He's on his way down here.

I'm going to ask him to release you.

Why are you doing this?

You were there, man. You saw for yourself.

Did you poison Margaret Hohman?

Did I poison her?

Did you poison her using potassium or
sodium cyanide? That's what killed her.

- What are you talking about?
- You're innocent, Samuel.

Unless you had a hand in administering it,
and I don't think you did.

- Whatever the cause, I am responsible!
- The evidence will be

presented tomorrow. Habeas corpus
law will force them to release you.

- You might as well go home and rest.
- Just leave me alone, OK?

If you think that the punishment for your sins
is the deaths of those people...

The Lord has testified against me, Mr Mulder!

I can't argue with your biblical rhetoric, but
I do know that the law will find you innocent!

You said you could see my pain.

Look at me.

What do you see now?

I see nothing.

I'm blind.

I don't believe you. I've seen her.

- It was her, wasn't it?
- Your sister?

You made her appear to me, didn't you?

- Look at me!
- I am very tired, Mr Mulder.

Is she alive?!

Is that what I'm meant to believe
or is this a trick?

You mean

a trick of the devil?

Jailer!

- I see I'm a little late for this ball.
- I called you down here to release the boy.

- On what pretense?
- His innocence.

Aren't you a little out of your depth here?

This may be hicksville to you,
but we do try and hew to the legal system.

I don't want a fight.
He's determined to stay anyway.

- What does that tell you?
- It tells me you're determined to charge him

while your real homicide suspect
is still at large.

Got some company for you, Sam.

What are you looking at?

I'll get it. I'll get it.

Ma'am. Sheriff.

Hey, Dennis.

- How are you?
- Just fine, ma'am. Just fine.

- Except we had an incident at the jail.
- What incident, Tyson?

The preacher boy... He's dead.

He was alone when Mulder left him
this morning. How could this happen?

The boy started a fight with
a couple of rowdies we picked up on a DUI.

Took some pretty mean blows to the head.
Died before the ambulance got here.

- His blood is spilled and it's all over you!
- Reverend...

How long will you hide behind that badge
before the truth is revealed?

I have work to do.

Reverend Hartley...

We're sorry for your loss.

That boy...

He was blessed.

He never hurt a soul.

Our friends will know about Samuel

sooner than later. And it's probably
best if they hear it from you.

Come on.

Ma'am.

You've got that look on your face.

What look is that?

The kind when you've forgotten your keys
and you're trying to figure out what to do.

What exactly are we trying to find?

Clues?

Oh.

What does that mean?

Let's find out.

Scully!

It's potato.

Someone left a trail of food

in the ventilation system
leading to the courtroom.

You dump your locusts in here...

- Instant plague.
- Where did they all come from?

Biological supply houses usually hatch them
on order to farms and universities.

It shouldn't be too hard
to find out who set this up.

And you think whoever did this
is responsible for the murders?

You're dead.

They killed you.

I was dead.

- But here I am.
- No!

Why did you betray me?

You murdered those people.

They came to me to be healed

and you murdered them.

Why?

After I gave you back your life.

You call this life?!

What in tarnation do you want?

We're here to arrest Leonard Vance.
Where is he?

- You must be mistaken.
- I'm afraid not.

We traced a pesticide order to him
from a company in Knoxville.

Cyanogen bromide - it's a cyanide derivative.

Leonard poisoned those people.

Get your clothes on, Vance.
You're under arrest.

I betrayed him.

Cyanide. There's no way to tell
how much he's ingested.

I'll call an ambulance.

- No, we have to take him ourselves.
- I thought

"Why didn't he let me die?"

Beware of false prophets
who come to you in sheep's clothing,

but inwardly are...

are ravening wolves!

That's what I thought he was,

because who else would bring me back

looking like this!

He was here.

- Who?
- Samuel.

- The man's delirious.
- He was here, reverend.

Right in this room.

And he forgave me.

Rather than simply killing Samuel, Vance
contrived to kill the ministry's faith in him.

We have evidence connecting him
both to the courtroom infestation

and to the poisoning deaths
of three members of the ministry.

Vance's obsession outlived Samuel, however.

His conscience haunted him until he became
delusory and fiinally took his own life,

effectively ending our investigation.

In light of this information, it is highly
doubtful that there have ever been

any miracles in Kenwood, Tennessee.

Mulder.

Scully?

Sheriff Daniels just called.
Samuel's body's missing from the morgue.

Any witnesses?

One so far. The night nurse
who made the report - Beatrice Salinger.

- She saw somebody take the body?
- Not actually.

- What do you mean?
- Talk sense, deputy.

She didn't exactly see anyone
taking the body.

- Well, what then?
- She...

She claims she saw Samuel
walking out by himself.

Sounds crazy, I know, but

that's what she told me.

You coming, sheriff?

I was drinking my coffee

and going over the night orders
for my ward, 7 South,

when he walked right by me.

His face was all black and blue.

And you're sure it was him?

At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks,
which happens a lot on graveyard.

So I got up to look again,
but I lost him round a corner.

He just vanished.
Then I went to check the morgue

and his body was gone.

I don't believe this. This is insane.
I'm not listening to this woman's crazy talk.

I'm not the only one who saw him, sheriff!
So I know I'm not crazy.

Other people saw him, too.

I'm not crazy.

It was Samuel.

This isn't true, Maurice,

is it?

The boy was an awful fake,
just like you said, wasn't he, Maurice?

Wasn't he, Maurice?

Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you

to come with me.

District attorney wants to ask you
some questions concerning the boy's death.

Sundays will probably
never be the same again in these parts.

I have a strong sense the reverend
won't be able to give up the pulpit.

- Even without his son?
- It might even strengthen his faith.

The boy did rise from the dead.

That kind of thing happens only
once or twice every two thousand years.

Yeah, and I have a story
about a plague of locusts.

I hope Reverend Hartley didn't arrange this
body snatching as his miracle of miracles.

- Somehow I don't think so.
- What exactly do you think?

I think people are looking hard for miracles,

so hard that maybe they make themselves
see what they want to see.

Are you coming, Mulder?