War of the Worlds (1988–1990): Season 1, Episode 9 - The Good Samaritan - full transcript

ANNOUNCER: In 1953, Earth
experienced a war of the worlds.

Common bacteria stopped
the aliens but it didn't kill them.

Instead, the aliens lapsed
into a state of deep hibernation.

Now the aliens have
been resurrected,

more terrifying than before.

In 1953, aliens started
taking over the world.

Today, they're taking
over our bodies.

MAN: We all have
to die, sometime.

[ sneezing]

Man, this cold is a killer.

I thought I was gonna die
when the coach had us run



two extra laps.

Go home and go to bed.

Is that an invitation?

You wish.

[ sneezing]

You kids decided yet?

Uh, yeah, cheeseburgers
all around, I guess.

Make mine the diet plate.

[ sneezing]

How about some, uh, chicken soup

for that cold?

Yeah, sure. Why not?

With all the germs
you're spreading,

you should probably
all have some.



All right.

Three cheeseburgers,
one diet plate.

[ speaking alien language]

[ speaking alien language]

[ speaking alien language]

Follow them and
observe their behavior.

Got some sorry
cases here, Doctor.

Poisoning, I think.

Got two more outside,
but it's too late for them.

God! Make it go away!

What hurts son?

Everything!

It feels like being
eaten from the inside!

You've got to give me something!

We lost this one.

Please! You've got
to give me something!

I can't...

Okay, no heart!

Get those pectors on.

CPR! Here we go.

DOCTOR 2: Let's go,
nurse. Let's go. Let's hurry up.

Come on, dammit.

Come on!

No, he's gone.

We've field tested the poisonous
spore extensively, Advocate.

The results have
been most encouraging.

So, the pressure
on our scientists

to develop a toxic weapon
has finally proved effective.

It has.

Taken internally
by the earthlings,

the spore's lethal
properties are catastrophic.

Properly used, the spore
will completely eliminate

all putrid, bacteria-ridden

human life on this planet.

And the method

for introducing this poison

into our enemy society?

I have several teams
searching for the most

expedient means to achieve this.

Excellent, Commander.

And how do you explain
the presence of this

rancid creature?

A small reward
for our scientists.

For months they've been

requesting a live human
specimen for dissection.

I think this one will do nicely.

MASON: As CEO of one of the
largest multinational corporations,

I feel it's our moral obligation

to be one of the
most responsible.

Feeding the world's hungry
is Mason International's way

of meeting that obligation.

For more than a
decade, and I might add,

at a cost exceeding
$1.3 billion,

Mason's genetic engineering
division has been seeking

a food substance that will
effectively end world hunger.

Today, I'm proud to announce

that we have succeeded.

Some have said that ending
world hunger is the first step

toward establishing world peace.

Well, I'll let
history decide that.

What I do know

is that I am very pleased

that within a matter of days

there will no longer be
any excuse for any child

anywhere in the world

to go without
proper nourishment.

I'd also like to take
this moment to publicly

thank my wife, Joyce,

for her supreme patience

and divine inspiration.

Joyce, please.

We'll have a special
dinner tonight.

FRANKLIN: The press
loves you, Marcus.

Love I don't need, Franklin.

What I do need is public
pressure on the government

so we can get this
product out of research

and into the marketplace.

We've dropped another
three-eighths of a point today.

Five-eighths at closing.

Unusually heavy trading.

Make it happen, people!

Make sure I get the final costs
from estimating tomorrow, a.m.

Did you really mean what you
just said to Franklin out there?

Huh?

About not needing love.

I've got to keep the
troops motivated, don't I?

I think you motivate
rather well, Mr. Mason.

Be sure and call
Joyce and tell her I'll be

missing dinner tonight.

Anything special in mind?

Work.

Oh.

Teri.

I know. It can't be helped,
just like it can't be helped

that you're going
home to Joyce, either.

There's something else.

It's been almost a year.

Marcus...

you can make me so happy.

MASON: Hello?

In here.

You're late.

But not too late.

NORTON: So who do you
like in the fifth, Harrison?

I'm staying away
from that race, Norton.

But, uh, "Relentless"
in the sixth,

that's an excellent wager.

15 to one.

You never cease to
amaze me, Doctor.

I just never figured you as
a guy who plays the ponies.

It's only on paper, Colonel.

I like probabilities.

I just don't believe in betting.

So far the man is 10,000 ahead.

On paper? I don't believe it.

Me neither.

He's usually much
better than that.

Oh, I give up! So do I!

Developing a radiation
resistant strain of bacteria

that can be used
against the aliens

and still be completely
harmless to every other

living thing on this
planet is impossible.

Meaning you're not
making any progress?

Meaning, the harder I
try, the further away I get.

I just, I can't do it.

Look, Suzanne,

if you'd like for me to
talk to General Wilson

about some
additional equipment...

What I really need is another
few decades of experience

in genetic engineering.

Even Uncle Hank
can't give me that.

Don't be so hard on yourself.

It says here it took
Mason International

15 years and over $1 billion

to develop this new

radiation-resistant grain
they've just announced.

Colonel!

You forget something?

Maybe there is something

you can get from General Wilson.

A meeting

with Marcus Madison Mason.

I've tried everything else.

Consider it done.

I appreciate your taking
the time to see me,

especially on such short notice.

Even I can't ignore a call

from Washington, Doctor.

Besides, I've
learned to make time

for the scientific community.

They've made me a wealthy man.

From improving our oil
shale extraction methods

right up to our "Feed
the World" grain.

And that is exactly

what I would like
to know more about.

You and everyone else it seems.

You say you're a microbiologist?

Mm-hmm. I am.

I'm something of a
biochemist myself.

Not formally, mind
you, but self-taught.

I find it a fascinating field.

But, we're not
here to discuss me.

Briefly, our "Feed the World"
grain is, uh, a miracle food.

It's fast-growing,
rapidly regenerating,

and immune to
virtually any climate

or degree of moisture
regardless of how harsh.

But best of all,

it's radiation resistant.

That way when the
crazies who run this world

start lobbing nuclear missiles,

those who survive
will still have

an ample food source.

That sounds somewhat cynical

coming from a man who's
accomplished what you have.

I'm a realist, Doctor...
not a Pollyanna.

Well, it is the
resistance to radiation

that I am most interested in.

I must take the
credit for that one.

Not even my top
scientists know the secret.

I'm hoping your methods might
have bacteriological application

to some of the research
that I've been engaged in.

I see.

[ clicks intercom]

TERI: Yes?

Teri, could you step in
here for a moment, please?

I've always found
that certain things

are best discussed over a meal.

Yes, Mr. Mason?

Teri, would you please
call Joyce and tell her

not to wait dinner
for me this evening?

I'll be delayed.

Certainly, sir.

EINHORN: We grow
impatient, Commander.

URICK: The toxic
spore is worthless

if you can't find a
means of feeding it

to the humans of this planet.

[ whispering]

COMMANDER: It appears
the means is at hand, Advocate.

I expect

positive results in short order.

I'm afraid you'll have to go

on your little shopping
spree without me.

Oh, Marcus, you promised.

Can't be helped.

It's business.

Help you, ladies?

Isn't that Marcus Madison Mason?

Maybe.

Oh, that's him, all right,

but I don't think
that's his wife.

Look, ladies,

Mr. Mason doesn't
like to be interrupted

while he's having lunch.

Oh, we don't want
to interrupt him.

We only want to thank him

for all the wonderful
things he's done.

I'll make sure he
gets the message.

It's only a matter of time.

Oh, my dear.

I can't imagine wearing
something that daring.

Ah, but we must
dress for our men.

Well, that certainly would
get a man's attention.

A policeman,

more than likely.

MASON: All right,
what have we got?

Hewlitt.

Well, the FDA is about
ready to sign off on us,

but I think I might get somebody
to give them a little push.

How little?

$100,000 in the right
hands should do it.

See that it does. Larson.

We have inquiries

from just about every
country in the world.

The three big questions:

Can we deliver
what we're promising,

and when and for how much?

MASON: Yes...

soon...

and a lot.

LARSON: Some of the poorer
nations may have a tough time

meeting our prices, Marcus,

especially the hard
cash requirement.

Do we deal?

No.

Remind them that's why
foreign aid was invented.

Countries that have

get to pay for those that don't.

But aren't we
being a little harsh?

Gentlemen, Mason International

is in the business
of making money.

We do that with petroleum.

We do it with electronics.

And now we are going to do it

with our "Feed the World" grain.

We are not trying to win
the Mother Theresa Award.

But public opinion?

Public opinion be damned.

If this company can end world
hunger, regardless of price,

public opinion will
take care of itself.

Anything else?

Hi, Mrs. Pennyworth.

Oh, hello, dear.

What's that you've got there?

Caesar.

Your mother's laboratory animal?

Mom doesn't experiment on them.

She just keeps them for
appearances, that's all.

Besides, Caesar looked lonely.

I thought I'd take
him for a walk.

One doesn't walk
laboratory mice.

Really?

How come?

Eh, just see that he gets back
in his cage when you're done.

Come on, Caesar.

Yuck.

Mason wouldn't tell her
anything specific, huh?

Well, nothing she couldn't
get from a press release,

but then he didn't refuse
to cooperate with her either.

And that's supposed to explain

their about-to-be
dinner tonight.

What do you mean,
"supposed to explain"?

Come on, Doctor.

You've seen Mason's picture.

He's not a bad-looking guy.

And I know

that you know that
Suzanne is not a bad...

Colonel!

Is not a bad-looking woman.

What are you looking
at me like that for?

Mason's the one
that asked her out

to dinner, I didn't.

Offhand, you know, I
think there's a good chance

that we may be
losing our lady doctor

to big business, that's all.

Now, why would you say that?

I can think of five...

Maybe six billion reasons why.

Face it, Doctor.

The rich really are different.

You already seem to have
all the answers, Colonel.

I, I wouldn't know
anything about that.

Come on, Harrison.

You can admit it to me.

Aren't you just

the least bit jealous
that she's about

to have dinner with
maybe the richest man

in the whole world?

Colonel, Suzanne and I
are business associates.

We're not lovers.

That doesn't even begin
to answer the question.

Well?

How do I look?

Don't ask me.

Ask your business associate.

[ romantic melody playing]

Where is everybody?

MASON: I took the liberty
of reserving the restaurant

so we wouldn't be disturbed.

Is the wine all right?

Perfectly.

Mr. Mason...

Marcus, please.

Marcus.

I'm sure you're aware that

the radiation
resistant properties

that your company has developed

have far-reaching
applications in other fields.

I certainly hope so.

Mason International has
quite a chunk of money

tied up in the process.

[ sighs]

Well, I was hoping that
your company's success

might give me a
clue as to solving

some problems that I've been
having in my own research.

Exactly what kind of
research are you involved in?

Well... I wish I could
discuss that with you,

but I'm afraid it's
something of a secret.

Aha.

A woman of mystery.

I'm intrigued.

I would tell you if I could.

And I would tell you.

But you must understand
that Mason International

has its secrets as well.

I promise you, commercial
profit has absolutely nothing

to do with this.

It's strictly for
humanitarian reasons.

And I am

a great believer in
humanitarian needs, Suzanne.

My "Feed the World" grain
should be adequate proof of that.

But I'm an even greater believer

in the free enterprise system.

I have something everyone wants.

I can charge any price I choose.

[ chuckles]

Try the pâté.

I think you'll enjoy it.

If you're not prepared
to help me, Marcus,

I see no reason to
belabor the issue.

Brandy?

No, thank you.

I'm surprised.

You don't strike me as a
woman who gives up easily.

I stated my case,
and you have declined.

I think my time
would be best spent

trying to solve the
problem on my own.

But you still won't tell me
what it is you're doing or why.

I'm sorry... I can't.

It's very sensitive.

I know.

I beg your pardon.

You know what?

All about you.

You don't think I would
have agreed to meet

in the first place

without a complete
background check, do you?

Dr. Suzanne McCullough,

maiden name Baxter.

Education... marital status.

Currently working

for the federal government.

You're very thorough.

Oh, I am, Dr. McCullough.

More than you could

possibly know.

And here's where we get
to the most curious part.

It seems that no
one in Washington

is willing to discuss you,

which makes me even more
cautious than I am normally.

Now, since the government
seems to very badly

want something from
me, the question is...

What is the government
prepared to give me in return?

Hmm?

I'm prepared

to negotiate, Suzanne.

No.

Not this way.

Why not think of
it as an exercise

in supply-side economics?

We each have something

the other wants.

[ door opening]

What are you doing here so late?

I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Mason.

I forgot some papers I
meant to take home with me.

I really didn't expect anyone

would still be here.

I think this is a good
time to say good night.

MASON: Are you sure?

Mm-hmm. I had a
very lovely evening.

Thank you.

The pleasure was mine.

Marcus,

you really are not

a very nice person.

Nice is for the second string.

That's what I am
to you, isn't it?

The second string?

[ phone rings]

Hello.

Hello, Marcus.

I was hoping you'd call.

Well, of course, darling,
I'll wait up for you.

[ speaking alien language]

[ speaking alien language]

[ grunts in alien language]

Well, what's with
King Mason today?

Beats me.

Any idea who that was with him?

I've decided to bring in

some outside advisors.

Mr. Cook, Mr. Stein,

and Miss Marshall.

I know you will give them

your complete cooperation.

Mr. Mason?

Yes, Larson?

Excuse me, but what exactly

are these advisors going to do?

MASON: Why, they'll be seeing

to the final
preparations, Larson,

so that we can properly
saturate this planet

with our "Feed the World" grain.

What is that?

What are you doing?

Seeing to the
final preparations.

What are they doing, Franklin?

I'm in sales,
Adams, not research.

But I've worked for
years to perfect this grain.

How can you let someone
come in at the 11th hour

and tamper with
the finished product?

At the very least, we'll
lose our FDA certification!

Like I told you, Doctor,

Mr. Mason said to let them do

whatever it is
they needed to do.

Ours is but to do or die.

You people have lost your minds!

COMMANDER: Our infiltration of
Mason International is complete.

CHAMBERS: And the toxic spore?

COMMANDER: The spore is securely

in place.

The final stages of
distribution are being arranged.

Those humans the
spore doesn't kill

will be too few and
too weak to defy us.

URICK: Well done, Commander.

We will convey the
glorious message to Council.

With due credit to
you for your efforts.

Thank you, Advocate.

But victory over these pathetic,
disease-ridden creatures

is reward enough.

[ loud whirring and popping]

Morning, Norton.

Morning.

"Def Leppard?"

Come again?

You know, "Def Leppard",
the group, rock and roll music.

I know music,

but I can't make head
or tails of this thing.

Gertrude, number two.

Oh, you're beautiful.
Yes, you are.

Hi, Caesar. Did you miss me?

As soon as Mom wakes
up, I'm going to talk her

into letting you spend
the night in my room.

Good luck.

Sometimes, I almost think

Gertrude is alive.

So do I.

Especially when she zigs
when she's supposed to zag.

Gertrude, turn around.

It won't work.

Gertrude and I are monogamous.

Um... that means
we stick together.

Norton, do you ever...

do you ever miss not
being able to walk?

Well, it's hard to miss
something you've never had.

You know, Debi,
when I was your age,

I used to dream about
walking all the time.

Really? Yeah.

But, the funniest thing,

I kept tripping over everything.

Does it bother you that I asked?

Uh-uh.

I think it would bother
me more if you didn't.

Here, have a little juice.

Would you just relax?

I am relaxed.

I'm starved.

Mm.

Well?

Oh, you want to
know about last night?

That is the main topic
of conversation, isn't it?

Well, first we...

Marcus and I...

Marcus?

We had a lovely dinner.

And can you believe he
reserved the entire restaurant,

so we wouldn't be disturbed?

You're kidding.
She's not kidding.

I'm not kidding.

And the pâté, was to die.

After about seven courses
and two bottles of wine,

he invited me up to his office.

Mason agreed to share
his research with you?

No. As a matter of fact,
he made it very clear

he wanted to share
his bed with me.

You're kidding.

She's not kidding.

You're not kidding.

He's very romantic,

shrewd, terribly wealthy.

Terribly.

SUZANNE: And about
as subtle as an adolescent

on his first date...
And I'm pretty sure

he's having an affair
with his secretary.

Look, uh, your personal
life, uh, his personal life,

it's your own business.

Right.

And I don't need
to know the details.

But, uh, did he or did he not
agree to tell you how he managed

to get his radiation-resistant
genetic engineering to work?

Not.

Mason is as secretive
about what he's doing

as we are about
what we're doing.

And even if I had...

fulfilled his fantasies,

I don't think he would
have given us what we need.

So this entire
exercise was a wash?

Except for the pâté.

I did manage to get an offer
of a tour out of him, however.

But I think, we
should fold our tents.

Mmm, I think we should
rethink our approach.

Good morning.

Good morning, Doctor.

Is there something
I can do for you?

Well, Mr. Mason offered
me the opportunity

to tour the research facility.

Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Mason
didn't mention anything

about that to me.

Hello, Dr. McCullough.

Won't you please
step into my office?

Teri, call my wife and tell her

to expect me for dinner.

Thank you.

There she is.

Everything okay?

Yes, except for my ego.

Mr. Mason...

Mister?

Well, he treated me
as if we'd never met.

Somewhere along the line,
I must have lost my appeal.

It wasn't a complete
loss, though.

When no one was looking,

I managed to help
myself to some of this.

You haven't lost
your appeal at all.

[ laughing]

Oh, isn't it cute, Mom?

Oh, yeah.

Honey, we have a
lot of work to do today.

Please put Caesar
back in his cage

and try to find
someplace else to play.

Mom, I've been thinking.

If you let me keep
Caesar in my room,

I won't have to spend
so much time down here.

SUZANNE: Norton, I'm going
to need a little programming

before I can start the tests.

My pleasure, madam.

Maybe.

Maybe yes

or maybe no?

Maybe, as in
I'll think about it.

Debi!

Sweetheart, you're
going to have to be

a little more careful.

I'm sorry, Mom.

Really, I didn't mean it.

Go.

Out, and take Caesar with you.

Thanks, Mom. You're the neatest.

But if we do what you say,

it'll be a detriment to every
other division of the company.

We still haven't fully executed
contracts with our buyers.

Even the payment schedules
haven't been hammered out.

Aren't you rushing into this

a little too impulsively,
Mr. Mason?

The government has granted
us a conditional export license,

and I intend to
exploit it immediately.

If that's too impulsive for you,

perhaps I'm employing
the wrong men for the job.

It'll, uh, still take a few days
to arrange shipping, Marcus.

A few... no more.

We have an obligation
to feed the world,

and we must begin by week's end.

MASON: What you are
seeing is Mason International's

ultimate contribution
to mankind:

the delivery of a food source

capable of feeding
the entire world.

There is no reason for
any man, woman, or child

to ever again go hungry.

I have decided that this
grain will be available

to any country, to any person
who needs it, and at no cost.

For me to do otherwise
would be inhuman.

[ scoffs]

I suppose it's too early

to expect a progress report.

Mm.

It is, but, at least now

I have something
specific to focus on.

Suzanne?

Hmm?

I'd, uh, like to apologize.

For what?

Mom! Oh, for
acting a little strange

about you and Mason
and the dinner and...

Mom! you know, things.

Mom!

It's been, uh...

Mom! Out here, honey!

Look, Mom, he's dead!

He's dead!

Is it real?

Very.

What have we got?

Alien transmissions.

Does Suzanne know? Not yet.

She's got her sign out.

Okay, folks, here's what we got.

One ultrahigh frequency
burst directed toward space

and a pair of chit-chat bursts
between two ground stations.

Now, maybe I can

triangulate one of
the broadcast points,

but it's going to
take some time.

SUZANNE: We
have another problem.

Mason's grain is tainted.

I've never seen
anything like it.

Why is that a problem?

Because eating some of the
grain is what killed Caesar.

The grain is poison,

deadly poison.

HARRISON: Suzanne.

The news just announced

that Mason is gonna
give that grain away

to anybody who wants it.

[ telephone rings]

Mr. Mason's office.

Is he in, please? This is
Dr. Suzanne McCullough.

This is his executive
assistant. Is there something

I could do for you?

I must speak with Mr. Mason.

I'm afraid Mr. Mason's out
of the office at the moment.

I'm sure if you
leave your number

he'll call you back
when it's convenient.

You don't understand.

It's urgent that I speak
to him immediately.

Doctor, Mr. Mason is a very

busy man.

There's something
wrong with the grain.

Terribly wrong.

You can't release it.

Mr. Mason.

Excuse me.

Yes, Teri.

What is it?

Can I speak with you, privately?

Why, Teri? We have no

secrets here.

Mr. Mason...

Marcus...

you can't let the ship leave.

There's something
wrong with the grain,

something our people missed.

It's got some kind of a
parasite or something.

Anyone who eats it will die.

Teri, we all have
to die.. sometime.

Why doesn't anyone call me back?

Colonel,

would a call to General
Wilson be in order?

I'd like to, Doctor,
but this thing,

it really doesn't have
anything to do with the aliens.

It's way outside of our charter.

Since when is
saving innocent lives

outside of anyone's charter?

Look, I don't enjoy this

any more than
you do, but we can't

do anything that might

expose our real purpose here.

Or have you
forgotten what that is?

Pull up, Gertrude.

I've got the location

of one of the broadcast
points triangulated.

At last, something
we're allowed to work on.

Something going on
here I should know about?

No, no, please;
just, just show me.

Look, it's not a mailing
address or anything,

but one of the
alien transmissions

definitely originated from the
neighborhood of the Oakland docks.

Oakland?

Harrison, Oakland is the
major distribution center

for Mason International.

Well, I think we're
getting a whole lot closer

to our charter, Colonel.

Code 47.

Level three.

Authorization ten.

Lieutenant Colonel
Ironhorse for General Wilson.

We've been waiting over an hour.

When will your
longshoremen resume loading?

I told you, Mr. Mason,

just as soon as the guys from
the Department of Agriculture

get here to bless the deal.

Maybe this is them now.

Well, Colonel, what now?

We stall until the general
sends reinforcements, Doctor.

After you, Colonel.

Okay, everything looks
fine above deck here.

Want to check the top deck?

Right. Uh-huh.

What about this? Okay.

HARRISON: Yeah, it's fine by me.

Paperwork appears
to be in order.

So can my guys

start unloading, or what?

We haven't inspected
the cargo yet.

FOREMAN: Hey.

Lighten up, okay?

My guys get paid

whether they're working
or drinking coffee.

Take your time, pal.

Perhaps I can be of assistance.

I'm Marcus Mason.

I'd be happy to
escort you below.

Uh, no, thank you.

Uh, I think we can
find our own way.

[ speaking alien language]

HARRISON: We're supposed to be
with the Department of Agriculture.

What are we looking
for in an engine room?

Time, Doctor.

Just a little time.

[ Geiger counter clicking]

How's the radiation level?

It's the same as everywhere
else on the freighter.

It's fairly high,
but it's steady.

Well, does that
mean aliens, or not?

I can't really tell.

It could be traces of a
previous cargo this ship carried.

Yeah, but that
still doesn't explain

what's wrong with the
back of Mason's hand.

Yes, I know.

It doesn't.

[ clattering]

I am starting not to like this.

Isn't this the time

we're supposed to run like hell?

[ steam hissing]

[ alien growling]

[ speaking alien
language] [ yelling]

[ screaming]

[ continues to scream]

[ alien screaming]

You okay?

I think my violin-playing
days are probably over.

You play the violin?

It's something I've always
been meaning to do.

[ metallic clatter]

[ steam hissing
and alien screaming]

[ menacing growl]

No, we need him alive.

Are we done yet?

[ gurgling]

[ speaking alien language]

[ yelling]

No. No, General.

I think as long as
the Coast Guard

has intercepted the freighters,

we can consider this
incident fully contained.

The only problem
remaining right now

is how to deal with the press.

General Wilson is sending
over some civilian P.R. people

to, uh, tell the necessary lies.

Suzanne, you've asked
me that question three times.

Believe me, we are okay, okay?

Okay.

[ chuckling]: Okay.

Good-bye.

Anything else, Doctor,

before we make a
strategic withdrawal?

I can't think of a thing.

Why do I keep
having this feeling

that... you and I are
overlooking something?

At least we were successful

in launching three of the
freighters full of the spore

before we were discovered.

True. But logic tells us

that the enemy will
also figure this out.

And that the loathsome creatures

will prevent those freighters

from reaching
their destinations.

Do you wish to comment
on this, Commander?

We may have been
stopped this time,

but we still have the ability to
manufacture the toxic spore.

In time, I know we'll find

another method
of introducing it.

To life immortal.