Poltergeist: The Legacy (1996) s01e09 Episode Script

[school bell ringing]
[librarian] When you get
done with those,
don't forget to go
all the way to the back
to the Out of Circulation
section.
If they're out of circulation,
why do we have to recatalogue
them into the computer.
I mean, nobody's looked
at these books for 50 years.
That's not the answer
I'd expect
from a member
of the Library Club, Joseph.
"That's not what I'd expect
from a member
of the Library Club."
[laughs]
What you looking at, Dawkins?
Not much.
Oh, you're very cool, Dawkins.
With Mrs. Stickley
sitting over there.
Let's see how cool
you are later.
You and those two losers
you hang with.
[laughs]
[laughs]
I hate your guts,
Brad Rollins.
"Minutes of the meeting
of the Legerdemain Club.
October 16, 1966."
I don't believe this.
[door opening]
[siren wails]
Hey, isn't your dad gonna
miss his keys?
He doesn't leave for work
until 8:00.
They'll be back on his dresser
drawer before he wakes up.
Joe, this is a morgue,
with, like, dead people.
Yeah, I know.
Come on, guys.
Whoa, man.
Gross.
It's okay.
Man, I thought
they were already gonna
be disassembled for us.
There's no way
I'm doing any sawing.
Me neither.
No, we shouldn't have to.
I know they keep parts
around here somewhere.
Come on, guys.
Let's get outta here.
This is just the kind of stuff
that got the Legerdemain Club
banned in the first place.
[Pete] Hey, guys.
Is this what we're looking for?
Yeah.
Okay.
-[coughs]
-[exclaims]
Ugh, sick.
[groans]
Hurry, hurry, hurry.
Okay.
Thanks.
Easy.
Thanks.
Okay.
Okay. The, uh
The book says we have to
say it all together.
[all] Hand of Glory,
hand of power,
conjured in the witching hour,
send thy warden
here this night.
Let his fingers be my light.
I'm outta here.
No, no, no, no.
Wait, wait, wait.
We gotta do this, you guys.
I'm tired of Brad Rollins
and his goon buddies
pushing us around.
And Mr. Klein trying
to flunk us outta school.
Come on.
Now, say it together, okay?
[all] Hand of Glory,
hand of power,
conjured in the witching hour,
send thy warden
here this night.
Let his fingers be my light.
[imitates buzzer]
Okay. Time to go.
Hey.
No way.
[Artie] Let's go.
Come on, Joe.
Let's get out of here, man!
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 in the night,
known only to the initiated
by our true name,
The Legacy.
[Derek] You've reconsidered
your options here, I hope.
If you mean,
have I given it more thought,
yes, I have.
And I still think it's time
for me to leave this house
and go back to my work
in my parish.
I had a call this morning
from your old friend.
Monsignor Grey.
Two events
in the last 24 hours
have caused him
to be very concerned.
One of his faculty
has gone missing.
He asked if you would
be able to help him.
I'm sure it was The Legacy
he asked for
and not me specifically.
No, he asked for you.
I know you've just come
to a very difficult decision,
Philip,
but can you take
this last task on?
Hey, guys.
We need to talk.
Did you get any sleep
last night?
No, Artie, I didn't.
I slept with the lights on
all night
and a metal baseball bat
in my hands.
How about you, Joe?
Get any sleep?
Slept like a baby.
What?
You got ice water
in your veins?
[Pete] What did you do
with the hand?
Did you put it back in the jar
or did you deep six it?
I took it.
The instructions
in the Legerdemain book
said to keep it.
You took it?
It's in my locker.
I'm kidding.
It's a joke.
Can't you guys
take a joke anymore?
No!
[school bell rings]
[Artie] Great.
I can't believe
you got us into this, Joe.
I thought you were leaving.
What's the word?
Well, I told Derek
I'd go to St. Helena,
see what's happening
at a school up there.
It's my last assignment.
He thinks maybe I should
come along for some backup.
That's what Derek thinks.
What do you think, Nick?
Well, I think that
if strapping on holy water
is your idea of preparing
for this gig,
that, yeah,
you need some help.
Come on. I'll drive.
[Artie] What's the deal?
Where's Mr. Klein?
[Joe] Like you really miss him.
He could blow himself up
with his own nitrates
for all I care.
Shut up.
Hey, cool it. Someone's coming.
Mr. Klein, I'm afraid,
won't be able to make it today,
so I've been called in
at very short notice
to be his substitute.
Mr. Warden.
Warden as in "jailer."
I'm sure that's how you feel
about most of your teachers.
Previous classes have
referred to me,
with adoration, of course,
as the heavy hand of the law.
Well, right, we're here
to discuss chemistry, yes?
The study of reaction,
inter-reaction.
Sort of like life.
Let's pose a hypothesis. Um
You. What's your name?
Brad Rollins.
All right, Brad.
Would you mind stepping
up to the board, please?
[scoffs]
[laughing]
Are you all right?
Yeah. [clears throat]
You should try
to be more careful.
[school bell rings]
Hello?
Tell me that isn't
the guy in the prayer.
Tell me it's a different word,
or it's spelled differently
or something.
It was the same.
This has got to be
the biggest coincidence
in the history of the world.
It was him.
What happened to Brad
was no accident.
Shut up, all right?
It's a fluke.
I mean, what else could it be?
Fate.
Every action causes a reaction.
The fundamental law
of Newtonian physics.
Well, you called upon me,
and I responded
to your kind invitation.
[laughs]
Well, I'm overwhelmed
by your enthusiasm.
But now that I'm here,
and I do intend to stay,
perhaps you'd like to join
a little after-school club
that I'm resurrecting.
What sort of club?
It's called
the Legerdemain Club.
You've heard of it, I presume?
[Pete] Yeah.
Sort of.
Do you know what it means?
Magic.
Sleight of hand.
And illusion.
Now, doesn't that sound
interesting?
Yeah, sounds really cool.
But I got band practice
every day.
Yeah, and I have Chess Club.
[Joe] Library Society.
Well, I'm sorry to hear we have
these scheduling conflicts.
But may I remind you
of one thing?
Attendance in the Legerdemain
Club is mandatory.
Our chemistry teacher,
Mr. Klein.
This is his address.
I'd prefer you go there
and see for yourselves
and then tell me what
conclusions you've drawn.
Have you had any other problems
aside what happened
with this one faculty member?
Well, yes, last night
something else did happen.
On the other side of town,
at a teaching hospital
run by our diocese.
The connection being?
A pathology lab
was broken into and vandalized.
Burn marks and candle wax
were found on the floor.
Suggesting a ritual
of some sort.
Yes. It's possible.
That's why I asked
for your help, Philip.
Maybe you should
put your collar on.
[chuckles dryly] What for?
So we can ask the questions
instead of answering them.
Right this way, Father.
-Thanks.
-Thanks.
I knew that collar
was good for something.
You'll have to let me
borrow it sometime.
What, so you can
dodge past police lines?
Or have women throw themselves
uncontrollably at your feet?
That was cold. Icy.
What are these mysterious
circumstances anyway?
The place looks like
the maid just left.
Or maybe the guy just
decided to take
an unannounced vacation.
[Nick] Philip?
[softly]
In the name of God.
Now
This isn't so bad, is it?
Just a small, select group
of like-minded people
who see where life
is sadly lacking in purpose
and who take measures
to remedy the situation.
Then why are we called
the Legerdemain Club?
I mean, that's not what
they were all about.
How would you know
what the club was all about?
All you know is what you read
in that boy Higgins's diary.
You knew him?
Yes, sort of.
He didn't take
instruction well.
You do, Joseph.
I'm the living proof of that.
[chuckles]
So, what are we meeting for?
To get to know
each other better.
To
What is it you say these days?
To bond.
[Artie] Well, if that's all,
then maybe I should go.
I mean, I know these guys
plenty well already--
Quiet!
You want what you don't have,
you dream about
what you'll never achieve,
you fester with hatred
against those
who would block your path
to happiness.
I know what you truly want,
and I'm here
to help you get it.
You want love.
The passionate and carnal
embrace of a young woman.
You want good grades so you can
go on to glorious careers.
And you want revenge.
On Brad Rollins, for instance.
The Legerdemain Club
can deliver you,
to help you realize
your most closely-held desires.
[Joe] Why do you want
to do all this for us?
I mean, what do you get
out of it?
Me? Oh, we can
worry about that later.
For now, let's just say
I enjoy helping young people.
We're planning
a wonderful celebration
for this Friday night.
Many of our teachers
and their classes
have written sketches
and presentations.
[Philip] Well, your school
certainly seems to enjoy
a close relationship
with the community.
Oh, yes.
Many of our students
have parents
and grandparents
still living in the area
who attended St. A's,
as they call it.
It's been the focus
of this community
since its founding.
I'm a graduate myself.
Class of '66.
[Warden] School celebration.
Friday night.
Your Mr. Klein
had been planning
to participate, hadn't he?
Do you think he'll show?
I wouldn't pin
my hopes on that.
But perhaps
the Legerdemain Club
can fill in for him.
What with?
With sleight of hand,
of course.
People love the fantasy
that magic brings them.
[buzzing]
Isn't that right, Joseph?
Ow! God damn it!
What happened?
I'm getting stung!
-By what?
-Effing wasps.
Can't you see 'em?
Jeez!
They're all over the place.
I don't see anything.
-[buzzing]
-They're all over me!
Get 'em off!
Sometimes people get just
what they deserve, Joseph.
[Kimberley screams
indistinctly]
[Brad] Oh, God!
[Kimberley]
Help, somebody!
I think the simplest way
to explain your presence here
is to say that you are
special guests of the diocese.
Ah, Mr. Warden.
Any problems so far?
No problems at all, Monsignor.
As a matter of fact,
I was just offering
a small tutorial
to some of the boys
in the class.
Very considerate of you.
Nick Boyle, Philip Callaghan,
this is Samuel Warden.
He's substituting
for our missing Mr. Klein.
Subbing must
be a difficult job.
For some, but not for me.
I enjoy it thoroughly.
Well, please excuse me.
I must spend time preparing
tomorrow's class work.
A pleasure to meet you both.
Gentlemen.
[Monsignor]
If you'll excuse me,
I have to talk to someone.
Certainly.
What the hell just happened?
You look like you
left the planet.
I felt something, Nick.
It was incredible.
That man,
he's really ancient,
really powerful,
and totally evil.
[Kimberley] Somebody!
Monsignor.
Help me, please.
Something's happening
to Brad Rollins.
He's been stung everywhere.
Go to the office
and dial 911. Now!
[students exclaiming]
[Monsignor] Hang in there.
The ambulance is on its way.
[Brad gasping]
What the hell happened to him?
I have no earthly idea.
[Pete] Don't start
wigging on me now.
Man, you scared me to death.
Oh, yeah?
I thought you were the one
that wasn't afraid
of all this stuff.
Look. I say we just go
to Monsignor's office tomorrow
and tell him everything.
Yeah, and what would you
tell him that he'd believe?
That the new chemistry teacher
is some kind of demon
that we summoned up?
You know, my dad told me once
that when he went to Saint A's,
the guy that started the club
was a really weird teacher
named Mr. Andrews.
Yeah. And I heard
he hung himself in his attic.
101 Castanet Lane.
Come again?
That's where Andrews lived.
This Higgins kid
who stashed the diary
in the stacks went there.
What for?
Back in 1966,
the Legerdemain Club
met off-campus.
[Artie] Hey!
Where you going?
I'm gonna see what's there.
If we don't find out
what happened
to Higgins and the others
last time,
we could end up the same way.
One second,
I'm shaking his hand,
and the next,
it's like I'm holding
something wet and sticky,
and it's encompassing my grasp.
And did Warden notice
what you'd just experienced?
I can't be sure.
But yeah, I think he did.
[footsteps approaching]
Well, he's listed as
a state-certified teacher.
And the lieutenant in charge
of Klein's disappearance
assured me that
they're following all leads.
How's the boy?
[Rachel]
Nick's at the hospital.
The boy's still in shock.
But what's really strange
is that the doctors have not
been able to identify
the cause of those welts,
nor have they
been able to find
any wasp stingers
or traces of toxins.
If this Warden is in league
with the dark side,
there's no telling
how far his powers extend
or what he's planning
to do with them.
[Joe] Are we having fun yet?
[Pete] Not me.
[Artie] Whoa!
Come on, guys, let's just
get out of here, all right?
No.
We stay.
[Artie]
Are you out of your mind?
You're totally certifiable,
Dawkins.
There's nobody home.
Let's go.
-[Joe] No.
-[Artie] This is
totally whacked.
[Joe] I gotta find out
what's here.
[Artie] Dawkins!
Are you listening?
[Pete] Wow.
[Artie whispering]
What if somebody catches us?
[Joe] Just shut up, okay?
[Joe] Come on, guys.
[light switch clicks]
[Joe] This can't be possible.
No way.
[Warden]
Make yourselves at home.
May I offer you
some lemonade?
I must tell you the good news.
Not only has
your Monsignor deigned
to let us appear
in the celebration,
he has also, perhaps in honor
of the missing Mr. Klein,
given us the coveted last spot.
[Joe] But the Legerdemain
Club's been banned
from Saint A's
for over 30 years.
A point well taken,
so we will not
be presented as such.
We will simply be
the Sophomore Chemistry Club.
And as you can see, your parts
are quite easy to follow.
[Artie] I, uh
Really don't think
I wanna do this.
I'm not asking you
to think, Arthur.
And you will do this.
Did you know that
it was lemonade they used
to poison Mr. Andrews?
[gags]
Oh, please!
In case you haven't noticed,
I've been drinking
from the same pitcher.
Mr. Andrews wasn't poisoned.
He hanged himself in the attic
of his house.
You've been listening to
your parents for too long.
Mr. Andrews,
the revered founder of
the original Legerdemain Club,
was accused of performing
more than simple magic tricks.
He was accused
of performing black magic.
[Pete] But he was.
Was Wasn't he?
Performing black magic, I mean.
You say Andrews was poisoned.
Who did it?
And if he didn't hang himself,
what happened to him?
And why are you living
in Andrews's old house?
You're full of questions
this evening,
aren't you, Joseph?
But as it's a school night,
and I still have some
household chores to perform,
you really all have to go now.
-Uh-huh.
-Yeah.
[Artie] I told you
this was a bad idea!
[Joe] Shut up.
Time for your midnight snack.
Please.
Why are you doing this to me?
Who are you?
[shudders]
Terribly cold in here,
isn't it?
No, please!
I'll give you
anything you want,
if you let me go.
I'll do anything you want!
Please.
For God's sake,
don't close the door!
[screaming]
[siren wailing]
God will give me the strength
to help you heal
your affliction.
We've got to get
to the bottom of this.
I hope you got more
in that bag of yours
than just holy water.
This is gonna take all of that
to stop this Warden.
[Monsignor] I was hoping
I'd see you this morning.
Have you made any sense
of any of these problems?
[Nick]
We're trying, Monsignor.
Tell me, is what happened
to the Rollins boy
in any way connected
to all of this?
[Philip] Well, actually,
I'm afraid it is.
Should we cancel
the celebration?
Close the school?
I can't risk
anyone else getting hurt.
No, no, no.
For the moment,
we leave everything
just the way it is.
I mean, we don't want
to create a panic, do we?
You're right.
I've got some files here
on Klein and Warden.
Great, we should fax those
to Alex from the car.
Maybe she can
dig something up.
Klein was a chemistry teacher
here for over 30 years.
Yeah, so?
He was an assistant
who replaced a Mr. Andrews.
Andrews had a pretty good
record going here.
He even got
an after-school group going
called the Legerdemain Club.
Sleight of hand?
Magic, huh?
Yeah. He died
under cloudy circumstances.
The school board even asked
for the coroner's report
to avoid any later liability.
Asphyxiation.
Complicated by trace toxins.
Lovely,
but what does it tell us?
I'd say that being
the chemistry teacher
here at Saint A's
should come with danger pay.
[dialing]
You see those three boys
down there?
Yeah, they were the ones
who were coming out
of Warden's classroom.
You don't want to do
what the script tells you to?
What do you think is
gonna happen to you then, huh?
This guy's a wacko!
-I mean--
-Hey, cool it, guys.
Cool it.
Can I have a word
with you guys?
My name is Philip Callaghan.
And I'm here
Well, you know.
I'm here to help out.
Help out how?
Well, I was hoping you
might be able to tell me.
Or maybe you think
the Legerdemain Club
can handle anything
that comes down the pike.
Is that it?
Wait a minute, mister.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
That new teacher, Mr. Warden?
What's he got planned
for you guys, anyway?
Well, uh
He wants us to--
To, uh, practice
some card tricks.
He's showing us how
to do a double shuffle.
Yeah. We got work to do.
Come on, guys.
Hey, Dawkins, you coming?
Listen
I know you and your friends
are in big trouble.
You're in even bigger danger.
You've unleashed something
that you can't even
begin to comprehend.
You need help.
I'm the only one
who can help you.
Period.
Hey, Dawkins,
you wanna get us all killed?
705 Oak Street, 7:00.
[Alex] I've tapped into
the state teacher files,
and you know what's strange?
Warden's there now,
references and all.
But he was totally missing
the day before he showed up
at the school.
You wanna know
something else?
Warden's listed address
is the same as Andrews' was,
the chemistry teacher
who died 30 years ago.
What's Warden's first name?
Does it start, by any chance,
with an S?
As a matter of fact, yeah.
Samuel. Why?
It's an anagram.
Jumble the letters
in "Andrews,"
and you get "S. Warden."
So, what are you suggesting?
That Warden is Andrews
come back from the dead?
How?
What I'm more
concerned with is why.
[Nick] So which way
is Oak Street?
[Philip]
Just straight ahead.
If Derek's right about
this Warden, or Andrews,
whoever the hell he is,
he must have been summoned up.
What, by Legerdemain?
Exactly, yeah.
[tires squeal]
Hey, hey, what'd you turn for?
I didn't. Something's got
a hold of the wheel.
Kill the ignition.
[Warden]
Fasten your seat belt, Father?
[horn honking]
Oh, my God.
Hang in there, Nick!
[yells]
[sizzling]
[Philip] The Hand of Glory.
So you guys know what it is.
Who are you guys, anyways?
Where'd you come by this?
It's a diary
that belonged to a kid
who was in the Legerdemain Club
30 years ago.
And you performed this ritual?
What is this Hand of Glory?
One of the most powerful
occult rituals ever devised.
It was first performed
during the Dark Ages.
If done right--
We did it right,
that's for sure.
Me and Pete and Artie.
It summons up a spirit
called the Warden,
so-called because
once you've summoned him
You become his prisoner.
Welcome to my nightmare.
[Nick] Sure it was wise to send
Joe on ahead to the show?
[Philip]
We had no other choice.
The other kids
are already there.
If Joe didn't show up,
Warden, the Warden,
would know something was wrong.
We want him to think everything
is going exactly as he planned.
Let's see if we can find Klein.
[Nick] You really expect
him to be here?
[Philip] Hey, it's worth
a look, isn't it?
[door creaks]
[Philip]
The diary says Klein was
the one who did Andrews in.
Maybe Klein will know the way
to finish off Warden too.
[Nick] Nice place.
Well
Klein was here.
Great. And we just left Joe
and the other two boys
with the magician from hell.
We gotta find the hand.
[all vocalizing]
[applauding]
And last but not least,
a presentation by
the Sophomore Chemistry Club,
under the heading of
our new substitute teacher,
Mr. Samuel Warden.
[applauding]
Ladies and gentlemen
I stand before you tonight
to speak not only of science,
but of belief.
Do we believe what we see?
Can we trust to our own senses?
[crowd gasps]
On the one hand,
we have logic and rationality,
and on the other
We have all the things
we still cannot explain.
[Nick] What if it's not
in the kid's locker?
[Philip]
It's got to be there.
The ancient Egyptians,
for instance,
discovered the chemical
secrets of embalming.
Secrets of preservation
that we do not understand
to this day.
But tonight,
in honor of this
75th anniversary celebration,
let us see, shall we,
if we can unravel
this age-old mystery.
Mummy?
[muffled whimpering]
Are you ready?
[scattered chuckling]
Mummies are like that.
They love to keep secrets.
You sure this is gonna work?
I have faith
that it will, Nick.
[man screams]
[groaning]
Oh, my.
Perhaps we're going about this
in the wrong way.
Shall we ask Mummy himself?
Help me!
Why, it's our own beloved
and sorely missed Mr. Klein!
Help me, someone.
He'll kill us all!
Correct, Mr. Klein.
Just as you,
all of you,
once killed me.
Klein spiked my drink.
The town fathers strung me up.
And why?
Because some nasty little boy,
some brat named Higgins,
rattled on about Legerdemain.
About my magic!
Mr. Warden!
[crowd screaming]
[Warden] Please!
Bear with me.
Sit down!
[man]
Just do what he says.
[crowd murmuring]
[Warden]
Please bear with me.
This is what you might call
a farewell performance.
Only this time,
you will be the ones
to bid the world farewell.
Recite after me,
my young friends.
Hand of Glory, hand of power.
[boys]
Hand of Glory, hand of power.
-Don't do it!
-I said recite!
Hand of Glory--
End it now!
Hand of Glory, hand of power--
[Joe] No way. Let's go!
[Warden]
Conjured in the witching hour,
the Warden does his work
this night
guided by the infernal light!
[Philip] Hand of Glory,
hand of power,
conjured in the witching hour,
the Warden's work
is all unfurled.
The Warden must
depart this world.
And with each douse,
I thee confound
and dig thee deeper
in the ground.
And with the last,
I thee command
return to hell
without thy hand!
[screams]
[snarls]
[roars]
[Monsignor]
Word from the hospital is
the boy's fully recovered.
Without your help,
Philip, no telling
what could have happened.
Yeah, well,
we do what we can.
-Thank you.
-God bless.
And you.
Derek, thank you.
-You're welcome.
-Nick.
Thank you.
God bless.
Your friend
the Monsignor is right.
What you did, Philip,
it wasn't only extraordinary,
it made a difference.
Yes. I know.
Then I hope
you appreciate the fact
that your presence
in The Legacy
is truly necessary.
I realize that too.
Maybe for the first time.
Good.
Because we can't afford
to lose you.
For now, the battles
I will fight
must be those
of a simple parish priest.
You must accept that, Derek.
All right, then.
Don't stay away too long.
"Return to hell
without thy hand"?
I made that up.
But I believed it.
Keep the holy water handy.
[Pete] The collar!
It's an undercover thing,
huh?
You're like a fed, right?
No, no. Nothing like that.
I'm just a priest.
That's it?
That's it.
[Joe] Hey.
You're the coolest priest
we've ever met.
Thank you kindly.