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 kill 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 cockamamy 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.
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?
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.
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?
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!
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.