Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996) s01e06 Episode Script

[man] Captain!
Our prisoners!
[man 2]
It's going down!
[convict] Get us all out
of this rat hole!
We'll die in here!
[glass shattering]
I'm tellin' ya, man.
You got it.
[rock music playing]
[people chattering
and laughing]
More ice, Frank.
[sign buzzing]
[crackling]
Um, Frank?
This is too much ice.
[glasses rattling]
[Frank] What the hell
is going on here?
[man]
Earthquake, guys.
[people shouting indistinctly]
[woman screams]
[woman]
What is going on?
Caroline.
[narrator]
Since the beginning of time,
mankind has existed between
the world of light and
the world of darkness.
Our secret society
has been here forever,
protecting others
from the creatures
who inhabit the shadows
and the night,
known only to the initiated
by our true name,
The Legacy.
[nurse]
Extreme hypothermia.
BP is 120/40.
Pulse is 25 with drip.
[Dr. Cannon]
Okay, let's move it.
On the count of three.
One, two, three.
[Dr. Thomas] All right,
we're losing him, guys.
[Dr. Cannon]
Can I get the E3?
Let's get going.
What's his name?
No ID. John Doe.
Where was he?
Some kind of costume party?
Bar. Walked in,
passed out.
Let's get some of these
blood gases going.
What the hell is going on here?
This is frozen solid.
[nurse] It wasn't frozen
a minute ago, Doctor.
-[orderly]
All the saline's frozen.
-[winces]
What the hell's going on?
[monitor beeping rapidly]
What was that?
[monitor beeping regularly]
[Philip]
I've sent the Jesuit
to the seminary in Rome.
They want me to teach there.
I could study.
You could study here.
We have one of the biggest
archives in the world.
That's not what
this is about.
It may not be what you
want to hear, Derek,
but in my heart, I feel like
my soul's being chipped away
piece by piece.
The Legacy's battle against
evil has its price, Philip.
It always has.
Yes.
And you can't afford
to have a weak link.
I know you have a lot
to work through,
but I'm unwilling
to accept this.
[man's voice echoing]
Captain
[man laughing sinisterly]
-Captain
-[man laughing louder]
Captain
He came to for a while
last night
and started raving
incoherently.
He kept repeating
a woman's name.
Um, "Caroline,"
I think it was.
His vital signs this morning?
-Stable.
-Dr. Cannon,
Dr Corrigan's been brought in
to do a psychiatric evaluation
on our John Doe.
I just explained to her about
the trauma room last night.
Have you identified
the toxiderm?
Tox screen was negative,
but let me tell you something,
Doctor.
There is something going on
with this guy.
Here.
Do you have a second?
Sure.
We found these
in his pockets.
Wordsworth, first edition.
How could this book be
in such remarkable condition?
And this.
A compass.
I'd like to meet your John Doe.
[Dr. Cannon]
His body temperature
was low enough
to kill most men.
What we'd like to do is
run more tests to see if we--
Hi, I'm Dr. Corrigan.
Do you know where you are?
Aah!
Security, room 107! Now!
[sirens approaching]
He ran across the street.
[convict]
Give us the key!
You'll kill us all
down in this rat hole!
[sirens blaring]
[man] There he is!
[screaming]
I told you there was something
going on with this guy.
[Derek] Initials "S.H."
It appears that something
is disturbing this man.
We can help if you tell us
what he was doing
when they found him.
Well, I don't think
the hospital would mind
my sharing my findings
with you.
What's on your mind, Rachel?
If there's something
going on with this man
that I don't know,
that's beyond
my understanding.
[stammers]
I wanna find out.
I wanna run
with this one, Derek.
Alex, could you join us
for a moment, please?
His, uh
coat.
Can we get anything
from it?
We should be able to determine
when and where it was made.
Yes.
[Rachel]
The ambulance picked him up
somewhere around here.
This is the spot.
Excuse me.
We don't open till 6:00.
Sorry.
Well, we're not here
to drink.
What can you tell us about
what happened here
the other night.
I don't know what you mean.
The disturbance.
The guy they took out of here.
More damned reporters.
We're not reporters.
We just want to ask you
a few questions.
Look, it was a small problem
with the air conditioner
and a minor earthquake.
That's all.
No big deal, okay?
[glasses rattling]
-He's nearby.
-Huh?
I need to know
about that ship.
The name begins with "Gold."
It's a schooner.
Come on, man.
Find a museum.
-That's him!
-Please, I implore you.
Wait!
[John Doe]
You must help me.
[worker]
Man, come on.
Look, buddy.
How many times
do I have to tell ya,
I don't know anything
about a schooner. Huh?
We've been looking for you.
Well, great.
You found him.
He's all yours.
I'm Rachel Corrigan.
I've seen you before.
Yes, at the hospital.
I came to your room.
I'm not going back
to that place.
Here. Try this.
"My heart leaps up
when I behold
A rainbow in the sky
So was it when my life began
So is it now I am a man"
I've heard those words before.
You had this book with you
when they brought you
to the hospital.
This book.
This compass.
It must be really terrifying
not to be able to remember.
But we know that
inside you somewhere,
you have all the answers.
We're gonna help you find them.
At the hospital,
they called me "John Doe."
It's a pleasure
to meet you, John.
So I heard that Philip got
a letter from his old seminary.
Is he thinking
of bolting again?
Well, Philip is trying
to decide how to serve
his calling,
and studying with the Jesuits
may be his best option.
Yeah, well I can't quite
believe that he thinks
he can sort of waltz
in and out of here
whenever he feels
the need to do so.
Aren't you being
a little tough on him?
Look, you make
a commitment to something,
you stick with it.
What about your commitment
to the SEALs?
It seems to me that you
turned your back on them.
That wasn't the way it was
at all, Derek.
I worked my ass off.
I paid my dues.
I just wasn't cut out
to be a lifer.
So it's okay for you
to quit something,
but it's not okay for Philip
to have second thoughts
about The Legacy?
Hey, I didn't say that,
and it is completely different,
and you know it.
What makes being a member
of The Legacy so sacred?
What, is this
some kind of a test?
Well, I know why I'm committed.
I saw my father killed
by something unholy,
and his fight instantly
became my cause, my burden.
What about you?
Are you here
because you wanna follow
in your father's footsteps?
Look, you know
that I am not here
because of any false attachment
to this place
that my father had.
Why are you so afraid
to open up?
Look, I'm here. All right?
And I would walk through fire
for any one of you,
and frankly,
I think that's enough.
All I wanna know is why.
Because I believe
in what we're doing.
-Why?
-Because it's right.
-Why?
-Because we're fighting evil,
because we're making the world
a better place,
because I haven't
got anything else to do!
I mean, what do you want
from me, Derek?
I think you're mad at Philip
because if he leaves
he'll break up our team.
A team that has become
your family.
Yeah, yeah.
Maybe you're right.
You know, maybe this is all
due to the fact
that for the first time
in my life,
I feel like I'm part
of something special.
Maybe I've finally found
my niche in life,
and I just don't want
anyone else to rock the boat!
And maybe, yes, maybe,
that is the right answer,
and you will get off my case!
There is no right
or wrong answer.
Great.
Then maybe I can
get back to work.
The nurses found sand
in your shoes.
Does being here
bring anything back to you?
Only that a storm is brewing.
I can almost feel it.
Otherwise, nothing.
Well
it may take time, John.
Have you been here before?
I don't know.
If I was here,
I don't know when or why.
If it is amnesia
we're dealing with,
it can be really disorienting.
I don't understand
what's happening to me.
That's what we're
gonna find out.
[Nick] There are literally
dozens of names of ships
that start with
the word "Gold."
Gold Sea, Gold Runner,
even Gold Witch.
And no missing persons report
matches his description
or the initials S.H.
And this book that he's
been carrying around,
it's definitely
a first edition.
But if this book
were properly stored?
-Would it look the way
it does now?
-Mmm.
Maybe, but I don't know
not many books were
hermetically sealed
in the 1870s.
I don't think they were
big on that then.
So how soon
before we get the results
of the carbon dating
of the clothing sample?
It should be sometime
tomorrow.
And there's no
question about it,
that the P wave potentials
are showing up
everywhere this guy goes.
Well, stay with him
until we find out
exactly what's going on.
[knock on door]
Does this meet
with your approval?
Ah, yes.
Much better fit.
Uh, please, offer my apology
to the gentleman
I stole them from.
I'm sure
he'll understand.
John
I know some ways
to trigger your memory.
It's really simple,
and I think it can be key
to unlocking what's hidden
in your subconscious.
What do you think?
You wanna try?
Now
I want you to watch your breath
as it moves in
and out.
Like waves on the shore.
In
and out.
It's very safe, John.
Let it go.
Just listen to the sound
of my voice, John.
What do you see?
Mist.
Nothing but mist.
Let the fog lift, John.
[weather vane creaking]
[John] I see a bird.
And two hands holding
a telescope.
That ship again.
The sailing ship.
There's a storm.
The ship's in trouble.
The crew is
very frightened,
angry.
For the love of God,
give us the key!
Angry shouts are directed
toward me.
Let us out of here,
or I'll slit your throat!
Captain, shall I unshackle
the prisoners?
Let us out of here,
if you know what's good for ya!
The key!
Give us the key!
Captain!
No. They stay
where they are.
I don't think they can survive.
They'll survive.
We'll all survive!
[gasps]
You're all right.
You're all right, John.
The ship.
Something happened
to the ship.
But what?
I need to know.
You're gonna find out.
It's gonna come back to you.
It's just gonna
take some time.
Oh, Rachel.
Come in.
Would you like a drink?
Thank you.
[sighs]
Any clues?
Under hypnosis,
he described his ship.
But the description
of that ship
was 19th-century.
Could it be
that he's being plagued
by some kind of
past-life regression?
Medical science
does not recognize
past-life regressions.
Paranoid delusional systems,
schizophrenia,
post-traumatic
stress disorders.
These are all possibilities.
But his connection
to that ship
is so strong.
I'm not sure.
[sighs]
[convict]
Aye, Captain.
We've been watching you.
Watching you
Aye, Captain.
We've been watching you.
What do you want?
You know
what we want, Hartford.
And we mean to get it.
-Watching.
-Watching.
[both] Watching.
Watching.
[computer beeping]
The P wave potentials
are getting stronger.
Yeah, there's no question
about that.
But now we have a name.
Hartford.
Well, there are several hits
in the Bay Area
connected with the name
Hartford.
We've got a lot to check.
Hopefully something
will trigger his memory.
[weather vane creaking]
I know this house.
[woman]
My husband and I
restored the house
when we bought it
about 15 years ago.
[Rachel] It's beautiful.
Is your husband
a seafaring man?
Only in his dreams.
Some of the furniture
and many of the things
came with the house.
Something was here.
I was dusting.
And And I knocked over
this lovely old telescope.
When did
the telescope break?
Two nights ago.
Right before bedtime.
That's the same time
John appeared.
Do you mind
if we borrow this?
Of course not.
Thank you.
What's upstairs?
More bedrooms
and the attic.
There are more family
heirlooms up there.
Would you like to have a look?
That would be great.
Thanks.
I can't make
the stairs today.
Turn left.
There's an old trunk
under a blanket.
Take a look inside.
How can this feel so familiar
and still not give me
the answer to who I am?
John?
Do you recognize her?
I can't say I do.
Rachel
Oh, my God.
That's me, isn't it?
John [whispering]
Caroline.
My wife
my children
dead.
I've outlived them all.
[Nick] In 1874,
Sam Hartford's ship,
the Golden Princess,
was leaving San Francisco
when it hit a storm
and went down.
A handful of crewmen survived,
but apparently,
our boy
wasn't one of them.
[Philip]
His wife never remarried.
She died in 1901.
Their two children
are long dead.
He has no living relatives.
So if John Hartford
were alive now, he'd be
160 years old?
Well, that's consistent
with the carbon dating
from his clothing.
That means he's gotta be
some kind of spectral entity.
This goes against everything
I have ever learned
in the scientific world.
He's solid.
He's He's got
shape and substance.
I can feel him.
This is not a possession.
I mean, we've dealt with
paranormal constructs before,
but they're not like this.
They're unstable.
They're disassociated.
This is different.
He has mass.
He seems perfectly real.
His spiritual force
is so strong,
it can manifest itself
on a molecular level,
creating a fully-rendered
human being.
So the money question is
why is he back?
Well, something triggered it.
We need to find out what.
Well, the P wave potentials
continue to increase.
At the last reading,
our location was dead center.
This could
even be more critical.
I thank you all for helping me
to find out who I am.
What I am.
But I have so many questions,
and I don't want
to be a burden.
I need to know why I'm here.
Well, we all need to know
why you're here, John.
And you're not a burden.
Let us help you.
Okay?
John, Rachel
Come with me.
[Derek] Rachel?
It's a hologram.
[Nick] Nada.I mean,
he's as normal as apple pie.
His body temperature's a bit
below average, but that's it.
Anybody got a plan B?
Yeah.
There's something
I'd like to try.
In your hand is a telescope.
Your telescope.
You've used it many times
to help you chart your course.
Use this instrument
of sight now, John
to help bring your past
into focus.
Caroline is in my arms.
I can feel her touch.
Smell the scent of her hair.
There's a sadness about her.
I don't want you to go!
I love you.
Here.
As long as you have this,
you'll be able to see me.
Nothing on heaven or earth
will stop me from returning.
We'll dance a waltz
on this very spot.
I promise.
[boy and girl]
Daddy, Daddy!
Daddy! Daddy!
[sighs]
You look after
your mother.
You're the man
of the house now.
Yes, Father.
Samuel! [echoing]
[Caroline] Samuel.
Caroline.
My beloved.
She didn't want me to go.
I gave her the telescope
and promised I'd return.
And this all started
when the telescope broke
and a promise was broken.
I returned to fulfill
my pledge.
Do I have to go back?
That's up to you, John.
How do we deal with a ghost
that has red blood cells?
Has anything like this
ever occurred before?
Several times, actually.
John Milton, who was a member
of The Legacy,
recorded this entry in 1647.
He tells of a woman who was
burned as a witch in Salem,
and her newborn baby,
considered to be
a child of Satan,
was left in the woods to die,
and she returned in the flesh
to care for her
infant daughter.
So her commitment
to care for her baby
was a pledge based in love,
just like John's.
[John] This is useless!
[thudding]
What good is this?
The poets, the thinkers.
This is useless!
Absolutely useless!
All these volumes,
their theories,
their concepts
Wait!
They don't mean a thing!
What good are they?
Nothing but meaningless,
empty words.
Kierkegaard, Sartre,
Thomas Aquinas.
[scoffs]
So many have dreamed
of living forever.
To be resurrected in a world
where everyone
you know and love
is dead, I must tell you
it only seems like a curse.
I wish you could help me,
but you can't.
The ache I feel inside
is more than I can bear.
John
That ache
The emptiness
that you're talking about?
I feel it every day.
My husband died a year ago.
I'm sorry.
I've upset you.
Please
It's okay.
It helps to talk about it.
I appreciate your company.
But I must be going by morning.
[convict] Captain
Captain!
Captain!
Hard to starboard!
Hard to starboard!
Captain!
Wait, Captain!
It's no use!
Save yourself!
The key!
To unshackle the prisoners!
Sir, there's no time!
The key, man!
It's too late, sir!
Hurry! Get us out of here!
You'll get us all killed!
Damn you!
Hurry! Get us out of here!
Hurry, man!
We're drowning!
Let go, you fool!
Give me the key!
You'll kill us all.
-Let go!
-I'll see you in hell, Captain.
[choking]
[breathing heavily]
Captain
Captain
Captain!
Captain, Captain, Captain!
Captain!
[laughing]
Captain!
You killed us, Hartford.
Our blood is on your hands.
Captain!
It won't work anymore, Captain.
You made this possible.
You stayed too long
in this place!
John?
What is it?
The convicts on the ship.
They were here.
They accused me
of causing their deaths.
And now I'm responsible
for bringing them back.
When Samuel Hartford returned,
his arrival
must have opened a rift.
Making it possible for
the ghosts could get through?
You mean the convicts?
Then they are the men
who died aboard the ship
with him, right?
Exactly.
Hartford's spirit and drive
to stay in our world is
unlike anything
I've ever known.
But, Derek, the convicts
hold him responsible
for the ship going down.
This guy's
in a no-win situation.
It's going to get worse.
If Hartford returned
to his ship,
would that put an end
to all this?
Probably.
But only if he does it
of his own free will.
Forcing a decision on him
is not going to work.
But he's returned
for a single purpose.
to fulfill his pledge.
So, what we need to do
is help him complete
his journey, and
I think I know how
we can do that.
We may have run out
of time, Rachel.
All I can do is try.
Caroline would love it when
I would bring her fancy dresses
back from my voyages.
I saw this one
in the attic.
[chuckles]
It was her favorite.
She's so beautiful.
What is it, John?
I cannot stay here.
You came here
to fulfill a pledge.
Didn't you?
I promised Caroline I would
waltz with her on the veranda.
Maybe you still can.
What if
I were to stand in
for Caroline?
You think she'd mind?
[waltz music playing]
Your husband liked to dance?
Very much.
I'll miss you,
Rachel Corrigan.
I'm gonna miss you, too.
[convict]
Samuel Hartford!
I must go.
No, please.
John, let the music finish.
For me.
My God, you're freezing.
Samuel Hartford!
Samuel Hartford!
I must go up there.
So how much time does John have
before push comes to shove?
It's impossible to pinpoint,
but if the rift
becomes unstable,
it's gonna get ugly.
We should be there
with them.
[rumbling]
What in God's name
do you want from me?
[growls]
Ahh! Oh, my God!
Samuel Hartford!
You killed us all!
It was the storm, not me.
You breathe the good air,
yet we rot forever
on that ship.
We want what you have.
Life!
That cannot be.
Then blood will flow
like a crimson tide!
She's a very
beautiful woman,
Captain.
You stay away from her!
[grunts]
[yelps]
It's happening.
Yes!
[laughing]
Come!
You can't run away
from us, Captain.
[convict cackling]
Quick.
To the beach.
I came from the sea.
And that's where I must return.
You have added to the memories
that fill my spirit.
It's a gift that
I will treasure
for eternity.
I have nothing but the same
memories to give to you.
Ah. Except one thing.
Our souls have sight
of the immortal sea
Which brought us hither
Can in a moment travel thither
And see the children
sport upon the shore
And hear
the mighty waters rolling
Evermore.
Farewell, Rachel Corrigan.
Goodbye, Samuel Hartford.
You killed us once!
We'll not let you
do it again, Hartford!
[convict]
Stop it, Hartford.
[convict 2]
Don't be a fool, man.
[convict 3]
Don't do it, Hartford.
[all convicts]
No! Don't do it!
Don't do it, man!
Come back!
Don't do it, man!
Don't do this to us!
We want to live, man.
We want to live!
No!
You did the only thing
you could, Rachel.
Then why does it hurt so much?
Because you took away
Sam Hartford's pain,
and he's been carrying it
for a long, long time.