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03x07 - Live at Eleven

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "The Greatest American Hero". Aired: March 18, 1981 – February 3, 1983.*
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Ralph Hinkley is a Los Angeles teacher of remedial education high school students who encounters extraterrestrials that give him a suit which endows him with superhuman abilities.

03x07 - Live at Eleven

Post by bunniefuu »

♪ Look at what's
happened to me ♪

♪ I can't believe it myself ♪

♪ Suddenly I'm up
on top of the world ♪

♪ It should have
been somebody else ♪

♪ Believe it or not
I'm walking on air ♪

♪ I never thought I
could feel so free ♪

♪ Flying away on a
wing and a prayer ♪

♪ Who could it be ♪

♪ Believe it or
not it's just me ♪

♪ Just like the
light of a new day ♪

♪ It hit me from
out of the blue ♪

♪ Breaking me out
of the spell I was in ♪

♪ Making all of my
wishes come true ♪

♪ Believe it or not
I'm walking on air ♪

♪ I never thought I
could feel so free ♪

♪ Flying away on a
wing and a prayer ♪

♪ Who could it be ♪

♪ Believe it or
not it's just me ♪

♪ Who could it be ♪

♪ Believe it or
not it's just me ♪♪

Bill, hurry up.
I'm gonna be late.

Come on. Let's go.

Will you please calm down?

You're gonna be
okay. You're on time.

Of course, you may
miss the first round

of the hors d'oeuvres,

but, uh, they're probably
gonna serve those little, breaded

hot dogs in the ketchup sauce.

Pam's law firm is not gonna
serve breaded hot dogs

in ketchup sauce...

at a reception for
Henry Williams.

Aw, come on. Just
because the guy rides

anchor for network news...

don't mean he
don't have fast food

in his good American veins.

Come on. Down underneath all

that stuff in a "gazer phraser,"
he's just a guy with a deadline.

You have the most incredible
way of reducing almost anything...

to its most trivial metaphor.

For instance, Einstein
was "running numbers."

Michelangelo was
"doing ceilings."

And now you talk about
one of America's foremost

journalists at his retirement...

as if he was writing obits
for the Bakersfield Gazette.

Bill, we're talking about a
very important man here.

If he's so important, uh, he
ain't gonna lose any sleep

if Ralph Hinkley...

is 10 minutes late to his
c*ck party, now, is he?

Better late than never may hold

true for most things in life,

but can we afford to
be late when it comes

to tough regulations...

regarding storage of
radioactive material?

And that concludes part three
of "The Plutonium Predicament."

Tomorrow we'll look at
the effects of exposure

to radiation, and on Friday...

we will go live to the El
Adobe Nuclear Power Plant.

This is Henry
Williams signing off.

What a wonderful series.

I don't think I'm even gonna
be able to watch the news

after he leaves.

His forced retirement
is a travesty.

So you won't see him
at 7:00 every night.

Wouldn't you rather see
him in charge of the country?

He hasn't said he'd run.
He hasn't even hinted at it.

He may not have a choice.

The latest Gallup Poll shows
Henry Williams to be the most

recognizable man in America,

and last week the
University of Texas...

published a list of the
10 most popular people

in the world.

Henry was one of them,
right up there with Mick Jagger.

Well, I still say he won't run.

But if anyone could
talk him into it, you could.

Oh, Pamela, may I have
a few of those, please?

Uh, sure. Here.

Oh, no. It's Hinkley. H-I-N...

Oh, never mind.
It's close enough

for politics.

Ralph, Ralph!

Where have you been, honey?
You're almost half an hour late.

Oh, honey, you know Bill.

We were on a stakeout
and he kept saying,

"Five minutes, five minutes."

Before I knew it it was
2:00. Have I missed him?

No, he isn't scheduled
to arrive till about now.

Come with me.

I have to make sure there
are plenty of hors d'oeuvres.

Hors d'oeuvres?

They got you doing
hors d'oeuvres?

Isn't that a bit, uh, sexist?

I mean, uh, here you are,
the only female in the firm,

and you're doing hors d'oeuvres.

Honey, this job happens to
be a very large responsibility.

Only an insecure
woman would find it sexist.

Well, that's very nice, honey.
I have to be bedridden before

you bring me a cup of coffee.

And here you are
playing waitress

to a bunch of strangers.

This is for Henry Williams.
Honey, do me a favor.

Take this to the guys
parking the cars out front.

They're probably hungry.

Thank you.

Well, now, that is
what I call service.

Not only do they drive
me up here in a limousine,

but they've got a fellow here
standing at the curb waiting to

feed me. Oh!

Hi. I'm Henry Williams.

Uh, hello. I see you're Ralph,

uh, "Hunkley."

Hinkley, actually. Sir,
I've long admired you.

I'm sorry to see you retiring.

That's very kind
of you, Mr. "Hickle."

But, please, don't let my wife

hear you say that.

Henry, they are

waiting for you.

Oh, fine, Chuck.
I'll be right there.

Awfully nice meeting you, Ralph.

And you, Henry.

It's around back here.

All right.

We want Henry! We want Henry!

We want Henry! We want Henry!

We want Henry! We want Henry!

We want Henry!

We want Henry! We want Henry!

Thank you. Thank you.

Ralph, honey! Guess what.

Sherwood Dawes just told me
that Henry Williams wants to talk

to me about some legal advice.

I think it has something
to do with the news special

he's doing on plutonium.

Well, can you believe
it? I am going to advise

Henry Williams!

- Well, I think future
President Williams.

- We want Henry!

I had the suit on
underneath, and when I was

shaking his hand...

out in the front yard,
I... I got these vibes.

This man is definitely
gonna run for presidency,

and I have a feeling that...

your firm's gonna be the firm
that's gonna help put him there.

No!

Yeah!

Quiet, quiet, please. Quiet.

Henry, I've been your
friend for a long time,

and your lawyer
for almost as long,

so you know I'd be
lying if I pretended this is

merely a retirement party.

I'll say. Nobody even

gave me my gold watch yet.

Well, on behalf of this
law firm, I'd like to give you

more than a gold watch.

We would all like
to be the people who

put you on the ballot...

for the president
of the United States!

Thank you, Woody, I...
I'm really very grateful

for your...

Your feelings of
trust and confidence.

But I... I do have to say
that when this old journalist

finally retires,

all he wants is to catch
up on some of his fishing.

But I do thank you, Woody,
and especially the members

of that fine law firm.

You make me feel... Well,
you all make me feel...

very, very good.

Thank you. Thanks, folks.

Maybe he's stalling.

I don't know, hon.
His mind seems

pretty well made up.

I better get these
goin'. See you later.

This is Cole.

Yes, Mr. Cole.
We're all ready to go.

- Any problems over there?
- No. No problems.

All right. Go for it.

Sherwood. Chuck.

Very nice affair.

Pam, may I? Uh, sure.

Help yourself.

Ralph, what are you doing?
Someone might see you!

Some guys are breaking
into the lab at the N.R.T.

I gotta go. You just got here!

I've been looking over
this report, Maxwell.

Yes, sir. And?

Dangling participles, no
subject-verb agreement,

misspelled words...

Well, you know, I
mean, the secretarial pool

is really falling off...

with those typos and everything,
and I've always had a problem

between "who" and "whom."

But you always
get the drift, sir.

Maxwell, does the
phrase "pride in one's work"

mean nothing to you?

Look at this report
that I did a couple

of years ago. Hmm?

Look at the margins,
the double spacing.

Hmm?

Oh, I'll bet with the best of
these, your mommy used to stick

'em to the refrigerator door.

This is not a joke. Ahh.

I want every report you've
handed in over the last month

done over,

and I want it by
the end of the week.

Laugh that off!

Bill! Come in, Bill!

What was that? Um,
what was what, sir?

Bill, I'm heading for the
N.R.T. processing plant.

Sounds like one of those
little mice from a Disney movie.

Oh, no, it's my
stomach, sir. It's, uh...

It's really acting up
with these antacids

and everything, and...

Bill, can you hear me? It's

the plutonium storage vault.
Someone's breaking into it.

Maxwell! Uh, sir, I'm really

not feeling too hot,

and it... This isn't regulation.

What is this?

Well, I'm studying Spanish,
so every time I get a second,

I just flip that...

and it's...

What is this, Maxwell?

Who's on the other
end of this thing?

Bill, can you hear me?

Uh...

Maxwell! I'm sorry, sir.

I gotta go.

Hold it! Just drop it.

- Who are you?
- Put it down.

Ralph! You're... You're glowing!

Bill! Don't come any closer.

This is plutonium.
Get out of here!

Bill, get outta here!

Bill, I told you
to get outta here.

Bill, you all right?

No kiddin'? That was plutonium,

the big "P"?

Yes, it was. Come on.

We got to get out
of here. Oh, boy.

Well, that's it, Ralph.

I mean, come on. We're finished.

They're gonna be cuttin'
us up for bicycle reflectors.

Bill, we're all right.
Well, you... yeah, maybe.

You got the suit on, but not me.

Tomorrow I start to peel.

The rest of my hair
goes in the sink.

Okay. You in the funny
suit, both of you, right there!

Now, I-I... I know this
looks kind of funny, but...

Oh, this is Agent Bill Maxwell

with the F.B.I.

He needs medical
attention. Look.

Don't-Don't touch it.
It might be radioactive.

Uh, now, lookit. The
guys you're lookin' for

are gettin' away.

Yeah. You look like the
guys we want right here.

Yeah. It's getting
dim here, Ralph.

I can hardly see my watch.

I can't get a pulse.
Even this ticker stopped.

Gentlemen, please.
I... Forget about me

and take care of Agent Maxwell.

Please. Forget about me

and take care of Agent Maxwell.

Sure, pal.
Everything's all right.

Get an ambulance, and
I'll check out the building.

- Everything's
gonna be all right.

- Yeah. A lot you know.

Joints are seizin' up. Uh!

Bill, did you see that?

I mean, these guys
did what I told 'em to do.

Yeah, I noticed. It's
like you had a power

over 'em or somethin'.

I mean, I-I... I just
thought to myself "do it,"

and they did it.

It's like I controlled
their minds.

Ralph, you're telling me

you can do what with your mind?

Well, honey, it's kind
of hard to explain.

No, counselor, it is
not hard to explain.

Just think of it this way...

He can have us both jumping
off of bridges every time

he gets a headache.

Bill, you make everything
sound so... trivial, so trite.

It's a little bit more
complicated than that.

You're giving me a headache.

I wish I had some
coffee. You two clam up.

This is Henry
Williams's segment.

It's on exposure to radiation,

and that I want to see.

And the controversy
surrounding yesterday's

break-in and aborted theft...

at the N.R.T. reprocessing
plant will continue.

Nuclear opponents will claim
that labs are not impregnable.

Proponents will contend
that burglary attempts have not

and never will be successful.

For the three men exposed
to plutonium in the break-in,

symptoms will become
evident immediately,

beginning with severe nausea,
headaches and hair loss.

Uncontrollable nervous
twitching, convulsions

and hemorrhaging will follow.

This is Henry
Williams signing off.

Oh, gee louise!
Here, I'm gettin'

it out right now!

Oh, boy. What a way to go!

Bill, this has absolutely
nothing to do with you.

You did not touch the plutonium.

As a matter of fact,
you barely even saw it.

Now, the doctor said you
can get up and go home.

Well, he just wants
to get rid of me...

so I won't keep the other
patients awake at night,

glowing in the dark.

Bill, why don't
you get out of bed

and get dressed and go home?

On the other hand,
why don't I get up,

get dressed and go home?

Eh-heh! This place is

so boring anyhow.

- You made him do that?
- Who made who do what?

See my socks? You guys...
Anybody see my socks?

I don't know if
I did or I didn't.

I mean, I haven't had
this power very long,

and I... I don't know
when I control it

or when I don't.

But I think it has something
to do with concentrating.

You think being exposed to the
plutonium while you had the suit

on made this power come out?

Well, it's the only explanation
that I can come up with.

Boy, and speaking
of explanations,

I wish I had one for the
holograph that I got off

of Cole's telephone.

- What do you mean?
What explanation?

- Well, honey,

there has to be some kind of
a connection between Cole's

telephone and the crime.

- I mean, otherwise, why
would I get the holograph?

- Well, maybe it was a tip.

I mean, these guys are network
newsmen, and Henry's been doing

this special on plutonium.

- Maybe.
- Oh, come on, Ralph!

Don't tell me you think
Chuck Cole is involved

in this crime!

- Honey, don't get so upset. I

mean, it's merely a suspicion.
- Well, I am upset!

Well, don't be upset.

All right. I won't be.

Wha... I saw that.

You zapped the counselor,
Ralph. Lady, you better keep an eye

on your husband.

- There's no tellin' what he's
gonna have you doin' next.

- Oh, come on, Bill!

You're making me
crazy with all this stuff.

I mean, you give me a migraine.

- Honey, would you go out
and get me some coffee, please?

- Yeah. Sure.

- Ralph, you did it again!
- Ralph!

What? What?

I-I... I just asked
you very nicely...

to get me coffee, and
that's what you were

gonna go do.

- Bill, come on.
- Ha-ha!

- Yeah? What about Bill?
- What?

Ten minutes ago you were
laying on your deathbed.

Now you're all dressed
and ready to go out.

Oh.

Yeah. Well, no.

That's, uh, because I wanted
to, uh, change my clothes,

and because I, uh...
Because I felt like it.

Yeah. Come on.

You think that the
kid has got a hold...

on the old Iron Mind Maxwell,
you got another think coming,

because that's not... that's...

I mean... Ralph,
that's a cheap shot.

You have no business
messing around with

the mind of a sick man.

Bill, you are not a sick man,
and I'm not messing around

with your mind.

- You're just... picking
up on my vibes, that's all.

- Gimme a break. Your "vibes."

Next thing we know,
you're gonna have me

and the counselor...

wandering around here like
a couple of c*ck spaniels,

- bringing you your slippers
and the evening paper!

- Yeah.

You guys gimme a break?
I'm not gonna abuse the power.

You know me better than that.

Did you want cream
and sugar in your coffee?

No. Black is fine, thank you.

Uh!

Just thought vibes.

Hello?

Yeah, Cole? It's Canton.

Listen, pal. We got
some problems here.

I think Jenkins is really sick.

What's the matter with
him? Don't you listen

to your own news?

We got blasted
yesterday in that lab.

Every scientist in the country
figures we got slapped with

a lethal dose of radiation.

Well, what about
that fed you ran into?

I'm sure he got exposed
just like you guys did,

and the hospital's
released him already.

And the other guy who caught
you? I haven't heard anything

about him having problems.

Yeah. Well, he must have been

wearing a special
suit or something.

Besides, we actually touched
that stuff, so something

must have happened.

Now, we need medical
attention. If we don't get it fast,

you're gonna have some
pretty unpleasant problems

on your hands.

Okay, just stay
calm. Don't panic.

Well, we can't do anything
in the city because the cops

will be swarming all over you.

I need to find a doctor
that owes me a favor.

In the meantime, can
Jenkins still do his job?

Jenkins will do his part.

You just make sure you do yours.

- Uh, you wanted to see me, sir?
- There he is... the bureau's

resident glowworm.

Oh, oh, yeah. Well, no.

The doc gave me a complete okay.

Um, I'm certified,
everything's fine,

no problem.

I'm so relieved. Here
I was afraid you were

gonna leave the department...

and rent yourself
out as a night-light.

What the hell were you
doing at that plant, Maxwell?

One minute we're
talking about your reports.

The next thing I know,
you're over at N.R.T.

stopping a plutonium theft.

How? Well, we all have, uh,

anonymous tips, right?

- It's got something to
do with this, doesn't it?

- Oh, yeah. I reme...

Uh, you have... I
forgot about that.

Yeah, yeah.

I really could have
used that in the hospital.

I was supposed to be
conjugating my Spanish verbs.

You don't learn
Spanish from this!

How stupid do you think I am?

Well, I don't know, sir.

Let me explain to you
what we're gonna do

with this gadget, Bill.

We're gonna
put this little thing

right here. Hmm?

And we're gonna wait for it

to talk to us.

This? This.

Things are real slow for
you this afternoon, huh, sir?

Terrible.

Boring! Ooh.

But you know what? I
have a definite feeling

that with this on my desk,

and you in my office,
things are gonna pick up.

Hey, you guys. Knock it off!

Knock it off!

Knock it off.

Thank you.

Did anyone happen to read
The Open Window by Saki

that I assigned last night?

- Sure.
- Hey, don't take

that from him!

Throw your book at him.
Throw your book at him!

You know, I bet I could find
some good stories in there

if I read 'em all.

Hey, hey, here's a
great one on page 63.

Sixty-three?

Sixty-three.

Uh, listen. Uh, why don't you

uh, enjoy the stories, and
I'll be back in a few minutes.

All right? I have to step out.

Bill? Can you hear
me? Come in, Bill.

Oh, yeah. Some of those tapes

go by so fast that
you can't... Shut up.

Really understand
the Spanish. Maxwell,

I'm trying to listen.

Shut up, Maxwell!

- I think there's probably...
- I'm heading for

the KJV-TV news station.

KJV-TV news. Shall we go, Bill?

We'll take my car.

Well, things seem to
be going pretty well.

I think so too.

Then why do you look so worried?

I beg your pardon?

I thought so.

That's Henry Williams!

That's Henry Williams!

Boss, get down!

Ralph! Bill!

I think he's dead. I don't know.

He must have already been
sick, because I barely hit the guy.

Maxwell!

What happened?

Uh... Uh, well, this guy's dead.

I gotta call the coroner,
get an ambulance up here.

You've done it again. Huh?

I-I don't know how,
but you've done it again.

But this time, at least we
know where you're getting these

anonymous tips.

It comes from
this, and I've got it.

I've got it.

Oh, and I'm giving it to you.

It is yours. Oh, thanks.

Ni-Nice going.

Thanks, boss.

Where'd that come from, Bill?

It's a long story. Uh, Billy?

Uh, if you're ready.
Yeah. Sure, boss.

Honey, would you
like some of these

leftover hors d'oeuvres?

No, thank you.
Maybe I'll save them

for Bill.

Pam, you know you're
gonna have to warn

Henry about Cole.

Ralph, he has asked
me to help him out

with some legal details.

He has not asked
me to become his

personal advisor.

Well, he does trust
you, and he respects you.

So you're gonna have
to talk to him about it

while you're riding out...

to the El Adobe Power
Plant. And what would you

like me to tell him?

That my husband has
had a weird holograph

about his administrative aide?

You can't exactly bring that
into a court of law, you know.

I need some more facts.

Can I make you a sandwich?
Well, hon, you're gonna

have some more facts.

I mean, Bill is checking out

Cole right now.

Well, I hope he's also able
to come up with a reason...

for Chuck Cole to
be doing the things

you claim he's been doing,

because it all sounds
pretty outrageous.

Honey, it is not
that outrageous.

On the other hand,
it's not so outrageous.

No, it's not, really.
Now, I had a suspicion

from the first,

-maybe Henry Williams was
somehow involved in this crime.

-Oh, Ralph.

But then after the
attempt on his life,

I figured that,

well, he probably
didn't have anything

to do with it at all.

How terribly open-minded of you.

Well, honey, the
suit doesn't lie.

The vibes I got said
that Henry Williams

is running for presidency...

despite what he
is telling everybody.

Now, I know for a fact
that Cole is involved

with this crime.

And I thought given
the relationship

of the two men,

that maybe Henry Williams
was somehow involved in the,

uh, whole crime.

What would Henry want to
do with stealing plutonium?

Well, it would substantiate
what he predicted

on his television show.

Fabulous publicity.
Come on. Give me a break.

It's what every candidate
looks for, relies on heavily.

Now, it's a prime
example of abuse of power.

I mean, you've seen
it a million times.

I'm sure.

As a matter of fact,
I'm married to it.

Huh?

Knock off the innocent
routine, Ralph. Look at you.

You've been zapping
me with your mind through

this entire conversation.

- I think that's rotten.
- No, I haven't.

No, you haven't.

Yes, you have,
Ralph! Look at me.

I have made you lunch,
gotten you mayonnaise, napkins.

I've even cleaned
a window for you.

I don't remember wanting
to do any of these things.

I am just in a hurry
to get out of here.

Honey, it's not my fault.

I know. It's... not your fault.

Ralph, that's not
what I wanted to say.

I wanted to say
that it is your fault.

Will you just let me say that?

Honey, you can say
anything you want to say.

No. I say what
you want me to say.

Honey, that's not true.

No. It's not true.

- Ralph, stop it!
- I'm not doing anything!

Yes, you are. No, I'm not.

No. You're not.

Ralph!

Honey, what are you doing?

I'm... I was just
playing a game.

Honey, I'm-I'm having a
little fun. Gimme a break.

Come on, honey. Honey.

Honey! Jerk!

Ralph, will you put a lid
on the mushy love stuff,

and let's get on the case here.

I ran a deep check
on this Chuck Cole.

We got a real
card-carrying hot dog here.

I can't believe it. I
mean, I'm just having

a little bit of fun.

- Bill, I got this new
power, and I'm testing it out.

- Uh, Ralph? Um, Chuck Cole?

This geek, turns out,
was a spearhead...

behind almost every
campus protest in the country

during the '60s.

Boy, been spending so much
time in the courtroom she has no

sense of humor at all anymore.

He caused so many headaches
for the department, Ralph,

that the computer popped
four red flags on his name

and yelled, "Tilt."

The only thing I can't figure
out is why Williams has got

a guy like that as an advisor,

unless he doesn't
know. I don't know.

Maybe I abused the power, Bill.

She says I did. I mean, she

called me a jerk. She called

me a jerk. I'm a jerk, Bill.

Oh, all right, Ralph.
Have it your way.

You're a jerk.

You don't have to
agree with me, Bill.

I'm trying to get your attention
and it ain't always easy.

Would you rather I
step on your foot?

Now, would you
listen up, please, kid?

I dropped Jenkins name
in the computer next,

and lo and behold, sure enough,

him and Cole were
running mates in

the underground in the '60s.

So, uh, Cole probably hired,
uh, Jenkins and the rest of them

just the way we thought.

Ralph, please try to
come to the party here.

What you need is some fresh air.

Gonna do you a world of good.

Let's go.

Where are we going?
Chuck Cole's house.

You know, the mind
push can be used to do

good things, Bill.

I know it can. You bet your

red booties, kid.

You're gonna have bad
guys spilling their guts...

like we was giving
away a set of dishes

with the best confession.

You know, I used it on the kids
because I wanted them to do some

more reading, and it worked.

Maybe we could do away
with the whole jury system.

Boy.

I don't know. I guess I was

letting it get a
little bit out of hand.

Pamela was right.
I was beginning

to abuse the power.

Well, we got a chance to
bust the big red machine itself.

Boy, think of that.

I'm glad it's beginning
to fade though.

I probably won't even have
to go in the office later on.

I can just, you
know, phone it all in.

Uh, what's starting to fade?

- The mind push. I'm losing it.
- Wha...

Wait a minute. No,
you can't, kid. Not yet!

All I know, Bill, it's getting
harder to do, and every time

I use it I'm getting a headache.

Well, there's aspirin there
in the glove compartment.

Now, just rest and
take it easy now,

and don't tap in to your juice
till we get to Cole's house.

Hello?

Mr. Cole?

Yeah. Well, if he was

supposed to be the bad
guy, we got big problems now.

Bill, look at this equipment.
He had a camera, tape recorder,

and a TV.

Yeah. Looks like ol'

Chuckie was deep
into home movies

all right.

Maybe they got the whole thing

down on tape.

We'll know in a second.
Maybe we get lucky.

All I know, you weren't
keeping your promise, Mr. Cole.

You weren't getting
us medical attention.

You were setting
us up, weren't you?

No, no. That's... not true.

If you want me to prove
it, I can call the doctor.

You can talk to him yourself.

Here.

He must have known these
guys were coming, so he turned

his cameras on to nail 'em.

Look. You sold out, Cole.

You were just pretending
to be what you once were.

But underneath,
you're like the others...

Like Williams.

That's okay, 'cause we've
got a big surprise waiting

for all of them at El Adobe.

There's no way
you could get past

the security at that place.

No. Maybe a couple of
Henry Williams's aides could.

Why don't we just
wipe the slate clean

and start over with all this?

No, Mr. Cole! There's
no starting over.

I mean, the radiation's
taken care of that.

We're all dead men.
And now, so are you.

No!

I wonder what kind of
surprise they're planning out at

the Adobe Power Plant.

I don't know, but whatever
it is, it does not include

paper hats and balloons.

Wait a minute now. Pam said she

was going to help Henry
Williams with some legal work.

What are you
talking about, today?

Today.

She was going out
there when she left.

Kid, I think you better
hit the friendly skies.

I'll call this in, and
I'll see you out there.

Hello, can I help you?
Yes, uh, we're with

Henry Williams.

He's doing an interview
here this afternoon.

- Yes, I believe I'll be
speaking to him myself later.

- Well, we'd like to go in...

and maybe take a look around,
uh, speak to a couple of your

electricians...

so as we can check the
lighting for the camera.

Sure. May I have your names?

Yes, uh, my name is
Chuck Cole, Mr. Williams's

administrative aide,

and this gentleman
here is Mr. John Fields.

Well, I have your
name, Mr. Cole,

but I don't have Mr. Fields.

Well, he is my assistant.
Uh, I probably just forgot

to clear his name.

Tell you what. Why
don't you call the station

and check it out?

Well, it's okay. If you can't

trust Henry Williams's
people, who can you trust?

Here. Uh, put these
hats and badges on,

and, uh, I'll have somebody
come out and take you inside.

Schneider, would you
come to the visitors' station

right away, please?

Did you get Cole yet?
Oh. Well, keep trying him.

I don't know.
Maybe he's out there

waiting for us.

Yeah. Yeah. I'll
talk to you later.

Well, Mr. Williams, I've just

looked over the research
you've done on El Adobe.

It's quite impressive. So
far everything I've read

seems legally sound.

Actually, Pamela, I didn't ask
you to join me so that we could

talk about these papers or...

Or even this interview.

See, when I run for
president, I'm going to need

a good campaign chairman.

Run for president?

I thought you said at the
party... You told everyone

you weren't gonna run.

I think you'll to consider
that a gentle tease.

It's how these games are played.

Well, it's like the news.
You have to give them a big,

important headline,

or they... They
won't read the story.

Unfortunate but
true. I don't believe it.

I was so convinced. You
know, I even had an argument

with my husband about it.

- He disagreed with me.
- Well, there are those

out there, of course,

who simply won't bite, but
most people, by and large,

are quite easily manipulated.

All you need is
the proper... style.

At any rate, I want you to
be my campaign chairman.

- Oh, or in this
case, chairwoman.

- Me?

Well, I'm very flattered.

But I don't know anything about
running a political campaign.

Besides, uh, shouldn't that job

go to Mr. Dawes?

Oh, well, Woody will be
doing most of the work,

that's true.

But I need someone up
there in front of the people.

Now, you're young, bright,
intelligent, attractive...

and besides, you are a woman.

Now, that can be a big
plus in a campaign like this.

You see, Pamela, it's all image.

Everything is image.

Oh, I'll give you some
time to make up your mind.

But I'm sure you realize
even now that this could be

a big boost to your career.

Okay, tell me exactly.
What is it you want me to do?

It's very simple. We
want you to cause

a generator and a turbine trip.

Uh. that could take
a lot of time... uh,

maybe a couple of hours.

It'll take less than 30 minutes.
All you gotta do is bridge 12

circuits to the master turbine.

Now, let's go.

You know, this is
a federal offense.

You could go to
prison for life for this.

We've got nothing

to worry about.

Henry, how are you doing?

Oh, okay.

Okay. We'll do your opening

sequence out here. Uh-huh.

And then we'll move
inside for interviews with

staff personnel.

Have you seen Chuck Cole?

Step right there.

I mean, did he get here first?
I haven't been able to contact

him all day.

No. No, I haven't seen him
yet. That's a nice opening shot,

just you and the power
lines in the background.

- That's good, Henry.
- Thank you.

Yeah, yeah. I got it.

- Bill? Come in, please.

- Yeah. I got you, kid.

What do you find?

Well, I don't know exactly
what I'm looking for.

Uh, it's like a maze out here.

Henry's here and he's setting
up his cameras and stuff outside,

but, uh, I can't get anything.

- Not even a holograph?
- Wait a minute, Bill.

I think I see something
I might be able to use.

Talk to you later.

Here you go, Ken.
Well, let's take a look.

Hey, what's that?

We're on a turbine trip.

Here. I'll take that.

What am I supposed to do now?

Go on. Get out of here.

On tonight's final segment

of "The Plutonium Predicament,"

we will be talking with
the people who work

and who run the power plant.

Hey, somebody
shut off that alarm!

- This is a scram situation.

What on earth is going on?

Attention. This is an emergency.

Everybody clear the
area. This is not a drill.

- We'd better get out of here.
- Well, where is Chuck Cole?

He's supposed to be here!

Oh, this is all too premature!

- Get out of here.
- What is Chuck

trying to do to me?

What have you been
trying to do to us?

We give this two more
minutes, then we gotta get

the hell outta here.

Hold it, you guys.

All right. What'd you do?

Bust a cable or
something? Tell me.

Are you crazy or something?

Tell me. Tell... Tell me.

We bridged 12 circuits
causing a turbine trip.

- Where are the circuits?
- That way,

past the cooling pool.

Okay, freeze it right
there. Maxwell, F.B.I.

Bill, you're on your
own. I gotta fix a turbine.

Smart kid.

Try the turbine reset switch
again and see if it works.

Wait a minute.

It's coming back.

We're gonna be okay.

And although the situation
appeared critical for a time,

safety backup systems at El
Adobe Nuclear Power Plant

proved invincible...

to even the staunchest
antinuke supporter.

I don't know if I can do
this. I mean, I can feel

the power slipping.

- It's gonna give me
an incredible headache.

- And that concludes my series,

"The Plutonium Predicament."

Honey, you have to try,
otherwise we could all end up...

with a power-crazed
lunatic in the White House.

All right.

Try!

It also marks the end of...

30 wonderful years
in a profession

that has enabled me...

to not only to follow
history in the making,

but to have the privilege of
bringing it into your homes.

So, now at the end
of my final broadcast,

perhaps I can share with
you a little philosophy...

that has helped me all
my years as a journalist.

News is only news
when you get it first.

After that, it's history.

And after all the
work I've done...

to get it first,

this network has seen
fit to cause me to retire.

Well, I can play that game too.

I did this plutonium
series for a reason,

and I milked it
for all it was worth.

Why, I even staged the
plutonium theft at N.R.T...

and produced my own
assassination attempt.

Why, I wasn't just getting
the news first, I was making it.

And you believed me
because I'm Henry Williams.

And because you believe me,

every single one of
you will vote for me,

and I will become
the next president

of the United States!

Yes. The next president of
the United States of America!

You see, I made
all of you love me.

The guy's lost his bananas.

Get him out of there.

Go to commercial.

Ralph... Ralph,
you did it. It worked!

You couldn't help
it. I have you...

He split the whole
enchilada right on national TV.

I can't believe it!

Honey? Honey, are you okay?

Say something!

Ralph? Aspirin.

Now, how's that?

Does that feel any better?

That feels gr-r-reat.

I wonder who's massaging
Henry Williams's head

this morning.

Bet his headache's a
lot worse than yours.

Aw, you can count on that.

Every time I think about how I
was almost duped by that guy,

it makes me sick.

Well, honey, don't feel
bad. I mean, the guy duped

a lot of people.

Hm. He was a real super-duper.

Just... Just a joke.
You know what I mean.

He had a lot of
power over people.

Well, so do you. I
had a lot of power.

It's gone? Yeah.

Last of it went with the
push I gave to Henry.

Well, to be honest with
you, I'm glad it's gone.

I'd much rather be
doing things for you

because I want to.

Mmm.

Ah, Ralph? Aw, boy, am I glad

I got you home. Ha-ha!

Counselor... Mrs. H.?

Can you believe that?
I'm calling you Mrs.

H. already.

I don't believe this. Officer.

How's everything going, Bill?

Uh, well, the way I'm
doing is this officer, uh,

stopped me just down the
street a couple of blocks...

Real nice guy...

And I suggested he could
come up here with me

if he would.

Um, he wants to
give me a citation,

because of, uh...

Because you can't
drive a car with

an expired plate.

Yeah. Right.

So, I-I... I suggested that
if he'd come to your house,

which was real close, that
you'd be the one person

in the whole world...

that could explain
to him... why.

See, Officer, the reason this
man doesn't have this year's

sticker on his car...

is because, uh, he forgot to
buy the sticker for this year.

Sign here, please.

On the line.