Now and Again (1999) s01e05 Episode Script

1
NARRATOR:
Before on Now And Again:
MORRIS: The U.S. Government has
since the conclusion of WWII
spent billions of dollars
in the hopes of one day
actually being able to build a man.
An American Man.
A man who can do those things mere
mortal American men are loathe to do:
Travel in dangerous places,
take risks, wage war.
A man with the speed
of Michael Jordan.
The strength of Superman,
and the grace
[MAN YELLS]
of Fred Astaire.
We know you didn't choose
to die, Mr. Wiseman.
I saw your family.
I know how precious
they must be to you.
Your government can't let anyone know
about the existence of this technology.
Reaching out to anyone in your past
guarantees your immediate death.
And the death of whomever
you confided in.
[ELEGANT PIANO MUSIC PLAYING]
[CHATTERING]
I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting.
I have been preparing
for a stockholder's meeting.
I completely understand.
You're a very busy man.
[CHUCKLES]
Don't be ridiculous.
This is very important to me.
You're part of the
Grand Empire family.
Vodka rocks.
[SIGHS]
So, what can I do for you,
Mrs. Wiseman?
- Lisa.
- Lisa.
I don't know if you remember,
the night I came to your office
shortly after my husband
I came to see you with an attorney.
An attorney I'm no longer
working with by the way.
And you proposed,
among other things, a loan.
Fifty thousand dollars.
Secured against your home.
- Yes.
- Yes.
As I recall,
that is when you stormed out.
My lawyer stormed out.
I simply followed him.
Well, I was, uh
I was actually very hurt.
Really?
You don't strike me
as the kind of man who bruises easily.
Heh. On the inside.
On the inside.
So you are interested in a loan?
I am interested in the million dollars
you owe me
for my husband's life insurance policy.
Since you indicated very clearly that
will not be forthcoming anytime soon,
I was wondering if the loan offer
was still valid?
Money troubles?
Money catastrophes.
The bank wants to take my house.
[SIGHS]
God, I'm so sorry to hear that.
As well I'm sure you are.
I wish there was something
that I can do.
But your hands are tied?
[CHUCKLES]
- You noticed.
- Hmm.
Why do you hate us so much?
Hate you?
- I barely know you.
- Then why?
[SIGHS]
Your husband went into court
and for all intents and purposes
told a jury that Grand Empire,
his employer, was obligated to pay out
almost 400 million dollars.
400 million dollars that I, and a great
many other people, believe we could've
saved if your late husband
simply said what he was asked to say.
So no, I will not be glibly
paying out his death benefit.
You're going to have
to take me to court.
And I'm also afraid that I am going
to do everything I can to delay
and postpone and to make sure that
by the time I am ordered to pay out,
I have cost you so much time.
And so much energy.
And you are in so much debt.
That even you will curse
your husband's memory.
Now, hopefully, you'll understand
that none of this is personal.
It's just that we feel very strongly
that our employees
should understand their place
in the greater corporate culture.
[SPENCE SIGHS]
Would you like another drink?
No. This one will do fine.
Ah.
- Very nice.
- You liked that?
- You can do it.
- Yeah, with a can opener I can do it.
With your body you can do it.
- With your body I'd like to do it.
- Excuse me, Mr. Wiseman?
[THUD]
[MICHAEL GROANS]
You know this is metal, right?
Aluminum, actually.
Of course, I know.
And you know this is flesh.
Or a reasonable facsimile, right?
I am intimately familiar with every fiber
of your being, Mr. Wiseman.
Good. Then you'll take this
in the spirit in which it's offered.
This stuffunhhurts this stuff.
You'll excuse me now.
I'm gonna take a hot shower
and dip my body in a vat of BenGay.
- Mr. Wiseman.
- Da-da-da. Don't touch.
Let's give the nerves
a week or two to calm down.
Hey, Sanchez,
want some Brussels sprouts?
How about rutabaga?
We got some mouth-watering rutabaga.
Oh, hey, don't look now, but we got
some kind of yummy root thing here.
Yep, nothing says loving
like plant life from the oven.
You're a regular Charlie Rose,
you know that?
Yeah, but I don't blame you.
It's hard to engage in conversation
when you know you're being watched.
Hi, guys.
[SIGHS]
So, what's going on out there
in the real world, old buddy?
How are my Knicks doing?
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
Is that all you have to say to me?
Every night it's the same thing
and I'm getting pretty damn sick of it.
Como this. Como that. There's more
to the world than Perry Como.
[SPEAKS IN SPANISH]
Fine. Have it your way.
Hey, Sanchez,
if you don't speak English,
how come you have the Times?
Huh?
What's the deal,
you like the lingerie ads?
Ah. Heh. No streaks.
[CHUCKLES]
[SNIFFS]
Mm.
League-leading Knicks. Yes!
"Professor Leonard Ziglan.
Husband of Sheila. Father of Gene.
Donated his brain to science. Hmm.
See what you started?”
"Tudor Stunner". Heh. That better
be for two and a half mil.
"Convenient commuter cottage". Train
probably runs through the backyard.
"Family charmer."
Ah, that sounds nice.
I know that house.
That's my house.
Thank you.
Hello?
Anybody out there?
Hey.
Honey, can you come and brood
inside? It's getting kind of late.
Is this okay?
[LISA SIGHS]
Sweetie, I don't know what to say.
There really is no other way.
We simply can't afford
to live here anymore.
It's okay, Mom. Don't worry.
I don't care if we move.
I always wanted to live in one of those
crummy little apartment complexes
where divorced women
take their families
when their husbands dump them.
I like kids from broken homes.
They have the best drugs
and the coolest tattoos.
Maybe I'll get a nose ring.
That way I'll be able to fit in
when we're hanging out in the parking
lot for all hours smoking cigarettes,
and taking turns having sex
behind the garbage dumpsters.
MICHAEL: Maybe she just wants
to be closer to her parents.
She hates her parents.
[SIGHS]
It's me.
Being there without me
makes her sad.
That's it.
[SIGHS]
What if she's met someone else?
Sure. It's some guy.
He's got a place.
She doesn't need hers anymore.
They're moving in together.
And she's selling our house.
[THUDDING]
[DOOR CRASHES OPEN]
[ALARM BLARING]
[DOOR OPENS NEARBY]
[ROGER YELLS]
Roger. Wait!
- What are you doing here?
- Shh!
- What do you want?
- Shh!
I'm here because
I need some information.
Do you know why Lisa Wiseman
is selling her house?
What is this insane preoccupation
with Lisa Wiseman?
Why are you people so fixated
on the poor woman?
My God, it's the middle of the night.
If you want to know why she's selling
her house, call her and ask her.
I tried, but someone canceled
my calling card.
- Oh, yeah.
- You gotta help me, old buddy.
I am not your "old buddy".
Particularly after that wild goose chase
you led me on.
- I'm sorry about that.
- Reincarnated. Ha, ha.
You're with the IRS. That's why
you knew everything about me.
About Michael.
You're not fooling me.
You can't come climbing in people's
windows in the middle of the night.
I have rights!
And just so we're clear, that second
Mercedes is a business expense.
I make a lot of
work related calls from--
Just tell me.
Is it another guy?
Is who another guy?
The reason she's selling the house.
Has she met someone?
Are you sure
this is government business?
No.
No, it's not another man.
She's, uh
broke.
What?
- Oh. That can't be.
- Can be and is.
Boy, for an IRS agent
you sure don't know much.
Wait a second.
I know for a fact that her husband
- left her a million dollar--
- Life insurance policy.
Unfortunately, the fellow
who runs the company now
for whom Michael
would've been working,
he didn't like Michael very much.
He is determined to make Lisa crawl
before she gets a dime of that money.
Craig Spence.
So you've heard of him.
Now he's somebody you people
should be taking a look at.
Craig Spence.
So is that what you need to know?
Fella?
You all right?
I don't know.
I should get going.
They're going to be right behind me.
Who is?
You're the IRS.
What do you have to be afraid of?
Which, uh, reminds me.
Uh, this little fact-finding mission.
Wouldn't you say this sort of makes
me a friend of Internal Revenue?
Uh, I'm not asking
for any special consideration.
But if you happen to find some, uh,
"irregularities" come tax time,
I would hope I'd be
accorded the, uh
How should I put this? Uh
The benefit of the doubt?
If anyone asks,
you haven't seen me.
Oh. Hey, I get it.
One nation. Indivisible.
These lips.
Sealed.
[SIGHS]
[HELICOPTER WHIRRING]
I need to know what he said.
How long he was here.
And where he went.
He just left. Didn't say where.
And he wanted to know
about Lisa Wiseman's house.
WOMAN: Roger, are you
smoking down there?
ROGER:
Huh.
[MICHAEL GROANING]
A simple wake-up call would do.
You knocked down the door.
Hey, what do you know?
You were right about that.
Then you escaped.
Oh, I prefer to think of it
as a brief sabbatical.
And then you came back.
Yeah, I missed my room.
I don't suppose you can ask
these guys
to hold their NRA meeting
somewhere else?
I need your help.
You're kidding me, right?
You break out of here to meddle
in the lives of the very people
I said you can never again see
under the penalty of death,
and all you can say to me is,
"I need your help?"
What do I have to do
to get you to accept your death?
- Kill you?
- I'm talking about my home here, doc.
The house where my baby
learned to walk.
The living room where
I always put the Christmas tree.
It's mine. It's ours. It's sacred.
It's shelter.
It's wood and nails and plaster.
They'll find new shelter.
More modest shelter.
Trust me, they'll be fine.
She has no money.
Many people have gotten by
on far less.
This man is punishing
my family unfairly.
The world isn't just.
I'll just keep busting out.
Rest assure, the next door
will be twice as thick.
Then I'll train twice as hard.
And I'll grow stronger.
And you'll help me. Because your ego
won't let you do anything else.
And then one day
when you least expect it--
I'll track you to the end of the earth,
Mr. Wiseman.
Perfect. Yeah. Perfect.
And one minute before you catch up
to me, I'll kill myself.
Just so I can watch you suffer
the way you're making me suffer.
[SIGHS]
When you say, "help"?
- A couple days of freedom.
- Impossible.
Shadow me then.
Be with me if it makes sense.
Then, once I've gotten her her money,
I'm back here. The world's
most cooperative guinea pig.
Three days, Mr. Wiseman.
Three days.
- Thank you.
- You mind if I ask
Why did you come back?
It's like I told you, I need your help.
I can't do what I have to do looking
over my shoulder wondering when you
and your militia
are going to show up.
Oh, yeah. Of course.
And you know,
I'm nuts about the food.
Honey?
How we doing?
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS NEARBY]
They'll be here any minute and the
realtor wants us out of the house.
HEATHER:
I'm done!
Heh, wow.
Pretty good, huh?
Yeah. So where'd you put it?
All the dirty clothes,
the magazines, the stuff.
- Mom.
- Under the bed?
- I can't believe this.
- In the closet?
That's it. I'm calling the authorities.
I'm calling Sally Jessy Raphael.
Wow.
Well, they look nice, don't they?
Uh-huh.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
- Craig.
- Roger.
Uh, so how did that little get together
with Lisa Wiseman go?
I appreciate you doing
that for me by the way.
Oh, it was very nice.
She had a club soda. I had a drink.
She asked for money. I said no.
[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]
Jackass.
Hey, old buddy.
What are you doing at my desk?
I am not your "old buddy" and
What are you doing at my desk?
I need a job.
[STAMMERS]
I thought you had a
Don't you work for the government?
But I need you to get me a job here.
We're launching
a special investigation.
At Grand Empire?
- Yes.
- And you want me to get you in here?
No. No, no, no. Absolutely not.
What are you, insane?
You'll be on the street faster than you
can say "turn in your company car".
Roger, I wouldn't ask
if it wasn't important.
And, after all, you are my friend.
Your friend? Every time you show up
you cause me nothing but trouble.
Do you realize my wife
started locking me
in the bedroom at night
because of you?
- Hey, how is Ruth?
- Ruth
is none of your business, Mister
IRS-I-know-everything-about-you-guy.
And, uh, there are no employment
opportunities available
at Grand Empire Insurance
at the present time.
Ah. Then what's this memo
from Personnel about?
- I'm thinking of something at VP level.
- Oh you are?
Something where I can be close
to Craig Spence.
Close but not too close.
Craig Spence? You're, uh,
investigating Craig Spence?
This is a federal matter, right?
Very federal.
Well, then I guess I have no choice.
Sure. Send him in.
[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]
So why do you want to be
my assistant? It's a terrible job.
MICHAEL: I don't want to be
your assistant. I want to be you.
But that job appears to be taken.
That's a terrific answer.
It sounds like what I said to my
old boss when he interviewed me.
- Really?
- Truly.
Did it work?
Here I am.
Have we met?
Not in this life.
Not that I, uh, know of.
So, when can I start?
[CHUCKLES]
You want to tell me your name?
Newman. Michael Newman.
Okay, here's the deal.
You're on call 24 hours a day.
Seven days a week.
You'll type up my reports.
You'll pick up my laundry.
You'll assist me in board meetings
and you'll get my car washed.
You'll do anything and everything I ask.
And frankly, you won't be paid enough.
- Then again, you're not in it for money.
- I'm not?
No, you're not. You're in it for the
education. Watch. Listen. Learn.
And ask questions.
- Mm.
- You're not going to eat that, are you?
What are you doing here?
Protecting my investment.
I'm begging you.
You're flirting with unemployment,
my friend.
Are we making any progress?
I've discovered he likes
his shirts starched lightly.
His coffee sweetened heavily,
and his ego massaged thoroughly.
MORRIS:
Oh-ho.
Step in here, would you?
There's a bottle of vodka
in that cabinet there and some ice.
Do me a favor, would you?
Sure.
You drink?
- Not in a long time.
- Oh.
You're in "the program".
I didn't know.
No.
I just, uh, kind of changed
my life a while ago.
Anything else?
How'd you know
to wear that suit?
That's a perfect suit for this job.
[CHUCKLES]
When I first came in here to work,
I didn't know anything
about clothes or, uh, pitching
or any of that.
Heh. I had ambition to spare.
But, uh, I was pretty green.
Heh. I wouldn't have known
to buy a suit like this.
[SPENCE CHUCKLING]
How'd you learn?
Uh, the company put me with this guy.
Taught me everything.
- Nice guy?
- Yeah. He was nice enough.
And now he's working for you?
No. He's, uh
See, I got the job he wanted.
Well, some people say
he, uh, threw himself in front of a train.
- What?
- Ha, ha. People are nuts, huh?
Now, see here's the ironic part.
My annual bonus is based
on how much revenue I generate.
On how much profit there is after
we deduct the cost of business.
So every time
we don't have to pay off
- Every time we get to deny a claim--
- Money in your pocket.
Kind of, sort of.
So in kind of a weird way, uh,
Wiseman's suicide was--
Wait, wait, wait.
You don't know if it was a suicide.
Mm. No, that's true.
But I like that it was a suicide.
[CHUCKLING]
I mean, you know,
what's the guy gonna do?
It's not like he's gonna come back
and dispute it.
What? Why are you looking
at me that way?
Okay. No, you got me.
I admit it. It's my little secret.
I'm a sloppy drunk.
[CHUCKLES]
You can go. You should go.
You should just, um, call me a car.
All right?
Have them call here
to wake me up
when they are actually
out front, all right?
Mm.
[DOOR OPENS]
What? No, "Hi, honey, I'm home"?
Spence tells me that I killed myself.
Suicide.
It figures.
The one thing that lets an insurance
company completely off the hook.
- Mr. Wiseman--
- I did have one idea.
I seriously considered killing him.
He was just sitting there. Asleep.
I thought, "Do it, kill him".
What are they going to do to you?
You're already dead.
Where are we going?
This isn't the way home.
This is my street.
My block.
What are we doing here?
She received an offer
today on the house.
Ugh.
Boy, when it rains
it fricking monsoons.
I'm sorry.
I'm deeply sorry.
But it occurred to me
as long as we were out,
you might want one more look.
What are you waiting for?
What do you mean?
Just knock on the door?
It's after ten.
Yeah, you're right.
Let's head back, driver.
Wait a second! Wait a second!
Go on.
- Yes?
MICHAEL:- Well, what do you know?
- Oh my--
- Hi, again. It's okay.
Don't be frightened. No eggs.
I'm not going to kiss you. I just
I've been out house hunting and
Look, I know it's late.
But I'm leaving town tomorrow
and Would it be all right if?
I already have an offer.
Maybe I'll beat it.
And it's 10:15.
And no offense, but--
What? You know me.
I work for the government.
Hey, my boss is right there
in the car.
You remember him? Right?
Please?
This is perfect.
It's a foyer.
- It's a perfect foyer.
- Thank you. This is the living room.
[MICHAEL CHUCKLES]
Those don't come with the house.
Of course not.
The floors are New England Maple.
Oh, I love these floors.
LISA:
The fireplace works.
Still?
I mean, I love old fireplaces.
[CLEARS THROAT]
- Someone's studying real estate?
- It's me. I'm trying to get my license.
That's perfect. You'd be great at
So if I buy this house, does that, like,
make me your first customer?
No, because it will take me at least
three months to get my license.
If I buy this and like it,
maybe I'll come back in three months
and buy another house.
This is the master bath.
[WATER RUNNING IN TOILET]
I find that sound
kind of comforting.
But it's really not a big deal.
My husband used to just
There you go. Just have to let
the pressure out once in a while.
Nice.
That's my husband.
He was in an accident
eight months ago.
An accident?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
What's down here?
Oh. My daughter's bedroom.
But she's asleep.
Just a peek? I'll be quiet.
She looks really happy.
And here we are again.
Hey, how's the piano?
What do you mean?
[PLAYING "HEART AND SOUL"]
That is the only song I know.
[BOTH PLAYING
"HEART AND SOUL"]
Don't sell.
Uh, why? What do you mean?
Do you want to make an offer?
I mean, don't sell. Not yet.
Well, I need to sell, Mister?
Newman.
Mr. Newman.
I need to sell.
Or I need a miracle.
But I definitely have to do something.
I know that.
But, I just need tomorrow.
To just get all of this
straightened out.
So I can make you an offer.
Or who knows,
you can have your miracle.
One day?
All right. Sure. One day.
Open this a crack for me, would you?
Let's see, it's 11:00.
The meeting's not for another hour.
So let's order up
a little bit of something to eat.
And I'm gonna jump into the shower.
Get dressed. And then go downstairs
to the Metropolitan Room
and be lavished with praise
by the Board.
"Lavished with praise"?
How can you be so sure?
[SPENCE CHUCKLES]
"How can I be so sure"?
Hand me my briefcase.
Okay.
You know what this is?
Is that from one of those
magazine subscription offers?
You can't cash those, you know.
No. This is a copy of my bonus check
from Grand Empire.
I keep it with me for inspiration.
See that there?
Those are six zeroes, my friend.
That's pretty lavish, don't you think?
- Can I help you find something?
- No. No. I'm just looking for
There it is. Okay.
My, uh, bank account number.
Do me a favor, all right?
Write this down in the laptop.
Okay? I live in fear of losing this.
You bank in Switzerland?
Doesn't that make trips
to the ATM a little pricey?
On the contrary. They have a very
enlightened attitude about money.
Their feeling is, that it's
nobody's business if you have it.
Especially the tax man.
"Dear 5-7-7-6-9-8-7-4-5-9-2
3-8-5-3-9-0-1-1-5-Q-Q-9-9."
That's awfully warm and fuzzy.
I bet they send beautiful calendars
at Christmas.
Nope. No names. No signatures.
Just your account number.
Without that,
I could kiss my money goodbye.
Okay, let's find a room service menu
and, uh, order up something to eat.
Ah.
Oh, this is highway robbery.
A hamburger, $22.
What do I care, I'm not paying for it.
You want a burger?
We'll get you the child's portion.
It's, uh, only $14.
You know, they do look
at my expense account.
Hey, come on. We got less
than an hour till showtime
and I want something
in my stomach, all right?
So get on the phone
and place the order.
I think that letter of yours
just blew out the window.
What?
- Okay, nimrod, where is it?
- I'm telling you, it blew out the window.
There it is.
Please tell me you got those numbers
down in the laptop before it blew away.
No, I'm sorry.
Someone has to go out there
and get it.
You want me to call somebody
here at the hotel?
- No! I'm talk-- I mean, one of us.
- Really?
How are you with heights?
We've got to be at least 20 floors up.
I'm not good. How are you?
It's funny you should ask
because in recent weeks,
I've actually confronted this
kind of thing a number of times.
You're really enjoying this,
aren't you?
Okay. You get out there,
and you get that letter! Now!
Okay. Okay.
No, please, listen, I'll pay you.
A reward. Ten thousand dollars.
Come on. Twenty.
Twenty thousand dollars.
A hundred thousand dollars, please.
Certainly.
- I've got it.
- Okay. Good. Come on. Come on back.
Come on.
What? What are you doing?
Come on!
Why don't you come out here?
No. No, no, no.
That is not the agreement.
No, I'm not getting out there.
You're going to come back
in here. Now.
If you don't do it on the count of three,
I'm going to shut and close
and lock these windows, all right?
And if you don't come out here,
I'm letting go of this letter.
- No!
- Oh. Ooh.
- Oh!
- Heh.
Come on.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay. Okay.
Okay.
[GASPING]
Okay.
- How are you?
- What?
Okay, look, I understand.
You don't think
I'm actually going to pay you.
Okay, but I will. I will.
Let's just go back inside
and you can keep the letter, all right?
And I'll take you right now
down to my local bank
and I'll hand you the cash, okay?
What was that?
Your suicide note.
- Suicide note?
- Mm.
[SPENCE SCREAMING]
Oh, my God!
It's important that somebody
find that suicide note to establish
that you took your own life.
I know you really didn't kill yourself,
but I like that it's a suicide.
Oh, hey, look, all the bigwigs
from Grand Empire
are arriving to lavish you
with praise.
Oops. They're not going in.
Something's caught their attention.
They're looking up.
You know,
it's a shame you can't wave.
Who are you?
Why are you doing this to me?
Me? I'm just a really strong guy
who either saved your life
or couldn't hold on.
[SCREAMING]
What do you say we talk about Michael
Wiseman's insurance policy? Huh?
Yes?
- Oh.
- You were expecting someone else.
Mr. Newman, perhaps?
Yeah.
How'd she take it?
Oh, she was thrilled
about the insurance money.
She was thrilled about
being able to keep her house.
She was just a touch disappointed
that it was Mr. Newman's boss
and not Mr. Newman himself
coming to bring her the news.
I relate to that completely.
Mr. Wiseman, we made a deal.
You asked for my help
and I gave it to you.
And in return, you promised me
your complete devotion to our work.
I'm going to hold you
to that promise.
Let's go, please, driver.