01x01 - The New Man

[bunniefuu]

TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE #106
"The New Man"
CLOSED CAPTIONED

[theme music playing]

NARRATOR:
Man lives in the sunlit world

of what he believes
to be reality.

But... there is,

unseen by most, an underworld.

A place that is just as real,

but not as brightly lit.

A dark side.

MAN:
That's right.

That's right,
Miss Lynch.

First thing
tomorrow, 9:00 a.m.

Oh, and, uh,
please don't forget

that binders check.

Right.

I'm sure we'll have no problem
assuming that mortgage.

[laughing]

Well,

good realtors,
we have a sixth sense

about things like that.

[chuckling]

That's right.

Thank you.

And listen,

tomorrow morning,
first thing.

Bye-bye.

Well, Alan, way to go, my boy.

End to a perfect day.

Now, I call that a
reason to celebrate.

Uh, no, no,
I'd better not, Brad.

Oh, come on, down the hatch.

Uh, I still have to finish up
some paperwork.

Alan, my boy,
you are a cruel man.

You're gonna make me

drink both of these
drinks by myself?

I'll never make it to my car.

Well, like my old daddy
used to say,

waste not...

Ah.

And want not.

Hell.

What's that, three contracts
in two weeks?

And what, uh,
two closings next week?

And you've only been
here for two months?

Now, I call that a reason
to celebrate.

Well, as a matter of fact,
my wife is cooking up

a special meal right now.

That's why I want to finish up
this paperwork real fast.

You keep up the good work, guy.

I gotta rush myself.

I really gotta get out of here.

This place is beginning
to give me cabin fever.

My wife's gonna k*ll me
if I don't get home pretty soon.

Drive carefully now.

Okay, then, I'll see you
tomorrow, Alan.

Hey.

Hold on there, young fella.

Excuse me, mister.

Have you seen my dad,
Alan Coombs?

He's right in there, son.

Hey, Alan, there's someone here
to see you.

Yeah, you want
to talk to me, kid?

Hi, Dad, I came
to get you.

Surprised?

[chuckling]
What's the
matter, Dad?

Is something wrong?

I think you've got me mixed up
with somebody else, kid.

I think you're
in the wrong office.

I'm not your father.

What's your father's name?

Dad...

it's me.

Jerry, your son.

Remember?

Is this a gag or something?

Somebody put you
up to this?

Come on, come on,
get out of here, I'm busy.

Why are you mad
at me, Dad?

I only wanted to
walk home with you.

Uh, listen kid.

Um...

I don't know what kind
of a game you're playing,

but this c*ck story
has gone far enough.

Now, you either march
out of here

or we're gonna go down
to the police station

and we're gonna get
to the bottom of this.

[sighs]

We don't have
to go there anymore, Dad.

Can't we just go home to supper?

All right.

All right.

But you're gonna go
where I take you.

Come on.

[phone ringing]

Yes?

SHARON:
Yes.

Sharon, you in the kitchen?

This is Sharon Coombs.

Yes, of course I do.

Why?

Who is this?

The police?

My husband?

Oh, my God.

Yes, yes, would you please
bring him home right away?

I... I'm... I'm sorry
for the confusion.

Thank you.

Hey, Mom,
who were you talking to?

Now, let's see.

Uh, potato casserole,
uh, salad.

There are no mushrooms
in the salad.

I know you don't
like mushrooms, Petey.

Oh, no.

This is gonna
be a normal

household, dear.

Now, you just sit down,
and you enjoy your dinner.

Your brother's gonna
be back right away.

Oh, yeah, where is Jerry?

Uh, there's been some kind
of a mix-up, and...

and the police
are giving him a lift home.

The police?

He'll be here soon.

Now... and we're going
to calmly ask your father...

Ask me what, dear?

Why on Earth you took Jerry

to the police station
of all places!

Jerry?

Oh, that mixed-up kid?

[chuckling]

[doorbell chiming]

I'll get this one.

Is she serious, Petey?

SHARON:
Thank you, Officer.

Oh, uh,

who's the dinner guest tonight?

New girlfriend, Petey?

[laughs]

That's good, Dad,
a real good one there.

You stop that.

No one talks
to me that way.

Not anymore.

SHARON:
Come on, Jerry.

PETEY:
Hey.

Hey, nerd, what did you do,
rob a bank?

Alan, I think
you owe Jerry an apology.

This is the dinner guest?

I'm sorry, kid-- I didn't know

you were invited.

Since when did
parents start having

to invite their
children to dinner?

Their children?

Will somebody
please tell me

what this is all about?

Petey?

Listen, I don't want to be rude,

but who is this kid?

I mean, he's welcome
to stay here

and have dinner
with us,

but who is he?

Let me in on the joke.

Do you mean to say

that you don't know
your own son?

I don't have a son named Jerry.

You know that, and I know that.

What are you people doing to me?

What did he say
to you, Pete?

He just wanted to know
who the fourth plate was for.

It's not starting
again, is it, Mom?

Oh, my God.

And I thought...

Jerry, what was he like
in the office?

Was he okay there?

Yeah... there was another man

and a strong smell
in the office.

And when Dad
started acting funny

like he didn't know me, well,

you know,
I thought...

You thought what?

You thought
what, Jerry?

That is your name, Jerry?

What did you think when I said
that I don't know you?

I thought you'd been drinking.

I was not drinking.

I haven't had a drink
in over a year.

I crawled through hell
to get here.

But I don't drink anymore.

I'm sorry, Dad.

Don't you ever
call me Dad again.

I don't know who you are
or what you are,

but I do know
that I'm not your father.

I can't take any more of this.

I'm going to my room.

Petey.

Hey, give me
a break, Dad.

Sharon, why are you
doing this to me?

I'm not drunk.

I'm not crazy.

And this
is not my kid.

Alan, stop saying that.

All right.

All right, kid.

What school do you go to?

DuMont Elementary, Dad.

Have you always gone there?

Alan, for God's sake.

Now, that's enough
of a third degree.

Now, lets sit down
and see if we

can eat
like a normal family.

This was supposed to be
a celebration, Alan.

Aren't you even gonna

give these lamb chops
a chance, huh?

Don't mind Daddy,
Jerry.

Here, let me
cut this for you.

This is well done, baby,

just the way
you like it.

Oh, look at this.

Fresh lettuce.

The grocery man
is so nice

when you don't have
to buy on credit.

I... hate to intrude, dear.

But where was this...

young man born?

In Carpenter, Alan.

As you well know.

In-in that little hospital,
Greaves Memorial.

And, if I may ask...

who's the lucky father
of this...

young little creep?

Alan, that's enough.

We can't take it anymore.

Stop it,

for good.

Uh, uh,

Jerry, you'd better go up
to your room now.

I'll... I'll bring you
something up later.

How could you do this
to us again?

Do what?

Do what?

What do you
want me to do?

You want me to walk a straight
line into the kitchen?

Want me to take
a breath test?

I can't go
through it again, Alan,

and I won't put the boys
through it.

Don't you remember
what it was like?

Moving every few months,

going through five
or six jobs every year.

No shoes, no food,
begging at the supermarket.

The police,
the D.T.'s.

Don't you remember
what I told you

the last time in Circleville?

And you said it just right.

The last time, your
exact words were,

"The next time, don't
come back home,"

and that was the last time.

I haven't had a drink since.

Oh, I hope so.

For your sake.

For us.

For the kids.

If you expect Petey and Jerry
to keep...

Jerry, Jerry...
don't tell me about any Jerry!

You show me
that boy's birth certificate!

Enough, enough.

Don't you dare put me
through this again.

Don't you dare.

Petey.

Petey.

Petey.

Petey.

I'm Jerry, Dad.

Good night.

Where's Petey?

Petey asked if he could spend
the night at a friend's,

and I said that was okay.

Oh?

When's your birthday, kid?

June 8, Dad.

What year?

1974.
How do you get to school?

I take the bus on the
corner with the other kids,

Dad.
Why aren't you there now?

Alan, that's enough.

Uh... why don't you go to work?

I'm sorry I'm late.

Late, Coombs?

Yeah, I had some big problems
at home with the...

the wife
and the boy.

I hope you reviewed those papers
with Ms. Lynch this morning?

This morning?

Yeah.

That was two days ago, Alan.

What?

You know, I volunteered
with this woman,

but she's getting
nervous.

Now, if this thing goes
down the drain,

that's $2,000 in commissions,

and frankly, I don't think
you're in any kind of shape

to patch it up.

[phone rings]

Excuse me.

Hello, Johnson's.

Hold on a moment,
please.

It's your wife, Alan.

Thanks, Brad.

I'll take it in here.

Hello,
Sharon.

Alan...

I have to tell you that
I can't go through it again.

I'm going back to my sister's
in Circleville.

I packed my things,
and the boys and I are leaving.

The boys?

Sharon, did you say the boys?

Couldn't you go to that clinic
that we saw downtown?

Or maybe Dr. Garris?

No, no, no, no more doctors.

You understand, no more doctors.

I've been to hell and back
just to get to where I am.

No more doctors.

Sharon, I am cured.

I am as sober as I can be.

Can't you see that?

Sharon,
why are you doing this to me?

Why are you tearing me down
like this?

Alan, we've been
down this road before.

We've said it all.

See a doctor.

Jerry.

Hi, Dad.

I'm sorry it had
to happen this way.

You get off this phone,
you little monster.

Just get off the phone.

Put your mother back on.

Put my wife back on the phone.

Sharon... Sharon.

[phone clicks, dial tone]

[door opens]
Sharon.

Sh-Sharon.

Petey!

Sharon!

[sobbing]:
Why?

Why?

SHARON:
Here, Jerry, baby dearest.

Let Mommy cut your meat up
into little pieces for you.

JERRY:
Oh, thank you, Mommy dear.

You're the greatest mom
in the whole world.

[chuckles]

Oh, and have some salad...

which I didn't have
to steal this time.

JERRY:
And why is Daddy
all by himself?

SHARON:
Oh, don't pay
any attention to Daddy.

[voice echoing]:
He's just a mean old drunk.

He let us down in Monroe,
he let us down in Carpenter,

he let us down in Circleville,
and he let us down here.

[shouting]:
I don't have a son named Jerry!

[sobbing]

Jerry!

Doesn't!

Exist!

Doesn't exist!

Doesn't exist!

Jerry doesn't exist!

Jerry doesn't exist!

Doesn't...

[panting]

[labored breathing]

[grunting weakly]

Waste not.

Want... not.

Yeah, it has a big attic,
a two-car garage in back,

and a basement that you can
convert into a... well,
whatever you want.

I'll bet it's the last
house in ten blocks

that's still under $100,000.

Yeah. Just a second.

Brad, can I use the car tomorrow
morning at 10:00?

Sure, kid.

Mr. Larkin, I'll pick you up

tomorrow morning at 10:30

at your office.

On the corner.

Okay.

Way to go, Roger.

I love your style.

Care for a celebration drink?

Oh, no, no, no.
No, thanks, Brad.

I'm on the wagon.

Well, that's too bad.

I'll just have to do it
for both of us, then.

Cheers.

See you tomorrow.

Hey, watch out!

You're going to get run over,
kid.

BOY:
Excuse me, mister.

Have you seen my dad,
Roger Steed?

Straight in there, sonny.

Hey, Roger,
you've got a visitor.

Hi, Dad.

I came to get you.

The darkside is always there,

waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time,

try to enjoy the daylight.