The Twilight Zone (1985-1989): Season 3, Episode 10 - The Trance - full transcript
A phony trance-channeler gets an unexpected message from the beyond.
(eerie music playing)
(theme from
( the twilight zoneplaying)
(heartbeat)
(quiet conversations)
i'll need complete quiet.
please.
narrator:
lights, a crowd,
a proper atmosphere
and the common coin
of desperate belief.
commodities necessary
to the life and times
of leonard randall
who may or may not
be someone else as well.
(tremulous murmuring)
(convulsive shuddering)
(in deep voice):
i am delos,
and i am here.
10,000 years ago was i born,
and 9,500 years ago did i die.
i have walked
the cobbled streets
of the place men called atlantis
but which we called
shumma zamoria.
my master in wisdom
was eli ben-zamoran
who studied at the feet
of the undying one himself.
to you, i bring
what little i can offer
against the darkness.
i am delos,
and i am among you.
speak and you shall be heard.
so david is a nice man,
and i think he's a soul mate,
but i'm not sure,
and i don't want
to get married again
until i've found that soul mate.
i'm really getting
pretty desperate.
my child, in shumma zamoria
there was a rare breed
of butterfly
with wings as golden
as the morning sun
and very, very fast.
if you would try
to catch it, so...
you would never possess it.
and the more
you would try,
the more angry and desperate
you would become.
but the children knew better.
they would lay down
and empty their thoughts
and be calm and soon enough
the golden-winged butterfly
of shumma zamoria
would land just so.
do you understand?
yes.
thank you, delos.
this vessel grows weary.
we must not tax
the goodwill of our host.
i have time
for one last question.
you, the one this vessel
calls julia.
thank you, delos.
a question,
not for my own benefit.
why have you
been silent for so long,
and why have you come back now?
i come through
the one called leonard
because he has been
chosen to receive wisdom.
the universe
has selected him
and through this
he shall gain great wisdom.
as for
the second question...
5,000 years ago,
shumma zamoria was destroyed,
cast down beneath the waves
a victim of its own decay.
and now,
this cycle begins again.
a third change
is nearly upon us.
it may bring great good,
or great evil.
and you...
...all of you will tilt
the balance.
my time here
has ended.
he whose body i inhabit
has reached his limit,
and i must go.
remember all
i have said here today
and seek the light
within each of you.
i am delos,
and i wish you...
well.
(quiet murmuring)
ladies and gentlemen,
thank you all for coming
but i'm afraid leonard
will have to rest for awhile.
we invite you
to come next week.
an audio cassette
of tonight's session
will be available
in the lobby
in about an hour.
thank you.
they're gone.
leonard?
leonard?
the clippers
are actually winning.
can you believe it?
it's about time.
i want you to sign
here and here.
how was the take?
the usual.
up from yesterday
which was up
from the day before.
numbers?
we're booked solid
on a three-day retreat.
crystals, tapes and amulets
are up five percent.
book sales are up ten,
but holding.
we got the printer
standing by
for another run
after the tv show.
which reminds me,
don't forget
you've got the
preinterview
tomorrow at 3:00.
should be quite a reaction
when delos goes coast to coast.
just a hop, skip and a jump
till we have our own show.
one step at a time.
as our friend delos might say,
(speaking as delos):
never take anything for granted
in the profit biz.
(in serene voice):
words far truer
than he suspects.
hey, that's a good one.
yeah, thanks.
get me everything
you can on daphne blake.
the more i know,
the better i can tailor delos.
shall i also send her your bio?
nothing too spectacular.
just indicate
that i'm a humble tool
of the great delos.
(in serene voice):
but a worthy tool
can be made
from even the basest of metals.
right.
assistant producer:
this is just a formality.
miss blake likes
first-time guests
to get a feel for the place
tell us what
you want to talk about.
assistant producer:
formality saves me
the trouble of keeping notes.
is there anything
in particular
you'd like to mention
when you're on the air?
(in serene voice):
only that
the true meaning in life
is that which
we choose to give it
and that the universe
is not without mercy
and not so jealous
that it cannot allow for
a multitude
of visions.
all truths
are correct.
all creeds valid.
the only secret
is that there is no secret.
(in normal voice:)
we're having a rally
at the pacific arts stadium
on the 14th.
so perhaps miss blake
would want to mention that.
sure.
which part?
you'll have to excuse
mr. randall.
he's been working very hard.
sometimes it's hard
to keep it all straight.
(in serene voice):
i have no trouble
seeing things as they are.
that is indeed my curse.
i see this television
as the greatest
time waster
in the history
of mankind.
you make sport of people's pain
and sell trinkets
to those who cannot afford them.
you do this
to increase your wealth.
i see things quite well.
i see that the woman
in whose employ you labor
is an adulteress
a user
of chemicals...
that will be
quite enough.
if you'll excuse me.
what the hell
is wrong with you?
where's the guy?
he's gone, and i
wouldn't blame him
if he cancelled the appearance
after what you said.
i didn't say anything.
leonard, don't play
games with me.
i'm not, don.
honest.
you're not, huh?
(on tape):
i see that the woman
in whose employ you labor
is an adulteress,
a user of chemicals...
(tape stops)
who's that?
it's you!
so what's the situation?
okay, i talked
to the producer
of daphne blake's show.
it took a lot
of talking, leonard,
and a lot of favors
called in, okay?
we're still due
to go on the air.
hey, that's good,
at least.
maybe.
leonard,
this can't keep going on.
you're going to have
to do something
before we go on the show.
you have to get control
of that, uh,
that voice.
well, it can't be delos.
there is no delos.
i mean, don,
we invented him.
remember?
i said 10,000-year-old warrior
you thought i said
a 10,000-year-oldworrier.
i thought you'd
never stop laughing.
it's not funny anymore, leonard.
the good times
all come to a stop
unless you get this
under control.
which is why
i've made an appointment
with someone for you.
he's a specialist,
and i think he can help.
a psychiatrist?
no way!
not a chance.
leonard, i don't know
what's going on here
and neither do you.
all i know is
everything is riding
on this show tomorrow.
now mess up, man,
and we're finished.
i said "no."
n-o.
i can handle it!
i'm sorry.
can we backtrack a moment?
i think there's something
i'm not getting here.
you're a trance
channeler, aren't you?
yes.
not to be judgmental,
but you're supposed
to hear voices, yes?
yes.
then what's
the problem?
well...
it's, uh...
you've got to understand,
dr. greenburg,
i'm really getting
this voice, see?
and i've got
to go on tv tomorrow.
so unless
you can help--
ah, television.
now i start to get
the picture, so to speak.
mr. randall, i've worked as
a psychotherapist for 20 years.
i pride myself on my record.
if it's all the same to you,
i'd rather not be the subject
of this little publicity stunt.
you may claim
to hear
as many voices
as you wish,
but don't ask me to add
credibility to your little scam.
(in serene voice):
yes, you are a good man.
one of few
i have met recently.
that's right, and i...
oh, i see.
and is this the voice?
very nice.
what else do you do?
i speak honestly, that's all.
not unlike what you do, i think.
and who might you be?
napoleon?
aristotle?
napoleon is dead.
aristotle is dead.
and you do not
look well, yourself.
why do you do that
to yourself?
that will be all
for today, mr. randall.
you miss her very much,
don't you?
what?
i see such pain in you,
but there was nothing
you could do.
even if you had
arrived sooner
it would have
been too late.
your wife misses you
as much as you miss her,
but she prefers you
not hurry the reunion.
get out!
(in normal voice:)
what did i do?
how dare you
use my wife!
just get out!
forget my fee.
just go away!
hey. how do i look?
never mind
how you look.
how do you feel?
i think it will
be okay.
i taped myself
last night
and the voice,
whatever,
it didn't say
a word all night.
maybe it's gone.
well, let's hope so.
three minutes,
mr. randall.
look, just keep
telling yourself--
get through this,
make delos a star,
and we are
set up for life.
all right?
come on, let's
get out of here.
our next guest has been making
quite a splash these days,
and we're pleased
to have him on the show.
he's a trance channeler--
a fascinating subject
we'll explore in a moment.
but first i'd like
to welcome him
to his first
television appearance--
mr. leonard randall.
hello, leonard.
how are you?
hi.
leonard, could you
tell us
what this "trance channeling"
is all about?
how would you describe
what it is that you do?
(in serene voice):
these are sad times, miss blake.
all that is mysterious,
all that is magic
has been leeched away.
people who see
no magic in themselves
seek it in someone else.
they're desperate for mystery--
for something to believe in.
they accept without question
even the most
outrageous propositions.
such as?
such as the man
sitting in this chair.
and for the honor of being
treated like sheep,
for the distinction of being
treated like gullible children,
they are willing to sacrifice.
they would give it all
for a cent of magic.
mr. randall, do you suppose
we could speak with delos--
the 10,000-year-old warrior
that you channel?
there is no delos.
there never was.
consider it an investment
of innocence
that turned
a considerable profit.
and now the game is over.
the masquerade has ended.
to the followers of delos
i can only offer
leonard randall's apologies
and one, slightly-used
piece of wisdom.
do not seek enlightenment
in the proclamations of those
who insist you pay
for your own soul.
do not seek it in this box
or in the opinions of others.
seek it in a quiet turning
of your own
considered conscience.
thank you.
well, folks,
you've heard it here first.
we'll be back
right after these messages.
(in normal voice:)
i'm almost afraid to ask.
the scandal is killing us.
everyone who's ever
given us a dime
is asking for it back.
we've logged
200 angry calls,
the investors
are all pulling out.
oh, yeah, and the i.r.s.
is nosing around.
we were on shaky
financial footing as it was.
now there's enough to get
a hotel for the night--
if you're lucky.
what are we going to do?
we?
hey, man, i'm out of here.
it's too bad, really.
i thought
you were sharp.
i thought
you had it.
anyway,
i was wrong.
i got a gig
with a healer
down in panama.
folks say he's the best around.
probably make it big
in a few years--
with the right
lieutenant.
(sigh)
get some serious help, leonard.
and if we
should ever cross
in a hallway
somewhere,
just pretend you never met me.
i will.
well, leonard,
guess it's all over now.
(in serene voice):
quite to the contrary.
it is only the beginning.
you. it's you.
yes. i'm pleased that
you can hear me at last.
there was so much
in the way between us.
that's why i had
to get rid of it all.
you couldn't hear me.
angry, mr. randall?
it seems rather pointless,
don't you think?
isn't that what you said?
what delos said?
submerge anger--
find the center.
where the hell are you?!
come on out!
i'll kill you, you lousy...
where are you?!
i'm here, mr. randall.
with you.
why are you doing this to me?
why?!
look over here, mr. randall.
i'm here
at your urging.
you said the universe
had chosen you for wisdom.
and you, of all people,
should know that sometimes
when you speak
to the universe
the universe listens.
you asked for wisdom,
and now you will receive it.
it will be a long process
but to that end i'm willing
to be your constant companion.
i will be with you every moment
day and night
for as long
as it takes.
how long?
how long will it take?
(in serene voice):
20, 30 years, at most.
and now, as you say
in your modern world,
let's take it from the top.
narrator:
critical reviews received
and reluctantly acknowledged
by mr. leonard randall,
a case study in showmanship,
who found himself
upstaged in the final act
by the twilight zone.
(theme from
( the twilight zoneplaying)
(heartbeat)
(quiet conversations)
i'll need complete quiet.
please.
narrator:
lights, a crowd,
a proper atmosphere
and the common coin
of desperate belief.
commodities necessary
to the life and times
of leonard randall
who may or may not
be someone else as well.
(tremulous murmuring)
(convulsive shuddering)
(in deep voice):
i am delos,
and i am here.
10,000 years ago was i born,
and 9,500 years ago did i die.
i have walked
the cobbled streets
of the place men called atlantis
but which we called
shumma zamoria.
my master in wisdom
was eli ben-zamoran
who studied at the feet
of the undying one himself.
to you, i bring
what little i can offer
against the darkness.
i am delos,
and i am among you.
speak and you shall be heard.
so david is a nice man,
and i think he's a soul mate,
but i'm not sure,
and i don't want
to get married again
until i've found that soul mate.
i'm really getting
pretty desperate.
my child, in shumma zamoria
there was a rare breed
of butterfly
with wings as golden
as the morning sun
and very, very fast.
if you would try
to catch it, so...
you would never possess it.
and the more
you would try,
the more angry and desperate
you would become.
but the children knew better.
they would lay down
and empty their thoughts
and be calm and soon enough
the golden-winged butterfly
of shumma zamoria
would land just so.
do you understand?
yes.
thank you, delos.
this vessel grows weary.
we must not tax
the goodwill of our host.
i have time
for one last question.
you, the one this vessel
calls julia.
thank you, delos.
a question,
not for my own benefit.
why have you
been silent for so long,
and why have you come back now?
i come through
the one called leonard
because he has been
chosen to receive wisdom.
the universe
has selected him
and through this
he shall gain great wisdom.
as for
the second question...
5,000 years ago,
shumma zamoria was destroyed,
cast down beneath the waves
a victim of its own decay.
and now,
this cycle begins again.
a third change
is nearly upon us.
it may bring great good,
or great evil.
and you...
...all of you will tilt
the balance.
my time here
has ended.
he whose body i inhabit
has reached his limit,
and i must go.
remember all
i have said here today
and seek the light
within each of you.
i am delos,
and i wish you...
well.
(quiet murmuring)
ladies and gentlemen,
thank you all for coming
but i'm afraid leonard
will have to rest for awhile.
we invite you
to come next week.
an audio cassette
of tonight's session
will be available
in the lobby
in about an hour.
thank you.
they're gone.
leonard?
leonard?
the clippers
are actually winning.
can you believe it?
it's about time.
i want you to sign
here and here.
how was the take?
the usual.
up from yesterday
which was up
from the day before.
numbers?
we're booked solid
on a three-day retreat.
crystals, tapes and amulets
are up five percent.
book sales are up ten,
but holding.
we got the printer
standing by
for another run
after the tv show.
which reminds me,
don't forget
you've got the
preinterview
tomorrow at 3:00.
should be quite a reaction
when delos goes coast to coast.
just a hop, skip and a jump
till we have our own show.
one step at a time.
as our friend delos might say,
(speaking as delos):
never take anything for granted
in the profit biz.
(in serene voice):
words far truer
than he suspects.
hey, that's a good one.
yeah, thanks.
get me everything
you can on daphne blake.
the more i know,
the better i can tailor delos.
shall i also send her your bio?
nothing too spectacular.
just indicate
that i'm a humble tool
of the great delos.
(in serene voice):
but a worthy tool
can be made
from even the basest of metals.
right.
assistant producer:
this is just a formality.
miss blake likes
first-time guests
to get a feel for the place
tell us what
you want to talk about.
assistant producer:
formality saves me
the trouble of keeping notes.
is there anything
in particular
you'd like to mention
when you're on the air?
(in serene voice):
only that
the true meaning in life
is that which
we choose to give it
and that the universe
is not without mercy
and not so jealous
that it cannot allow for
a multitude
of visions.
all truths
are correct.
all creeds valid.
the only secret
is that there is no secret.
(in normal voice:)
we're having a rally
at the pacific arts stadium
on the 14th.
so perhaps miss blake
would want to mention that.
sure.
which part?
you'll have to excuse
mr. randall.
he's been working very hard.
sometimes it's hard
to keep it all straight.
(in serene voice):
i have no trouble
seeing things as they are.
that is indeed my curse.
i see this television
as the greatest
time waster
in the history
of mankind.
you make sport of people's pain
and sell trinkets
to those who cannot afford them.
you do this
to increase your wealth.
i see things quite well.
i see that the woman
in whose employ you labor
is an adulteress
a user
of chemicals...
that will be
quite enough.
if you'll excuse me.
what the hell
is wrong with you?
where's the guy?
he's gone, and i
wouldn't blame him
if he cancelled the appearance
after what you said.
i didn't say anything.
leonard, don't play
games with me.
i'm not, don.
honest.
you're not, huh?
(on tape):
i see that the woman
in whose employ you labor
is an adulteress,
a user of chemicals...
(tape stops)
who's that?
it's you!
so what's the situation?
okay, i talked
to the producer
of daphne blake's show.
it took a lot
of talking, leonard,
and a lot of favors
called in, okay?
we're still due
to go on the air.
hey, that's good,
at least.
maybe.
leonard,
this can't keep going on.
you're going to have
to do something
before we go on the show.
you have to get control
of that, uh,
that voice.
well, it can't be delos.
there is no delos.
i mean, don,
we invented him.
remember?
i said 10,000-year-old warrior
you thought i said
a 10,000-year-oldworrier.
i thought you'd
never stop laughing.
it's not funny anymore, leonard.
the good times
all come to a stop
unless you get this
under control.
which is why
i've made an appointment
with someone for you.
he's a specialist,
and i think he can help.
a psychiatrist?
no way!
not a chance.
leonard, i don't know
what's going on here
and neither do you.
all i know is
everything is riding
on this show tomorrow.
now mess up, man,
and we're finished.
i said "no."
n-o.
i can handle it!
i'm sorry.
can we backtrack a moment?
i think there's something
i'm not getting here.
you're a trance
channeler, aren't you?
yes.
not to be judgmental,
but you're supposed
to hear voices, yes?
yes.
then what's
the problem?
well...
it's, uh...
you've got to understand,
dr. greenburg,
i'm really getting
this voice, see?
and i've got
to go on tv tomorrow.
so unless
you can help--
ah, television.
now i start to get
the picture, so to speak.
mr. randall, i've worked as
a psychotherapist for 20 years.
i pride myself on my record.
if it's all the same to you,
i'd rather not be the subject
of this little publicity stunt.
you may claim
to hear
as many voices
as you wish,
but don't ask me to add
credibility to your little scam.
(in serene voice):
yes, you are a good man.
one of few
i have met recently.
that's right, and i...
oh, i see.
and is this the voice?
very nice.
what else do you do?
i speak honestly, that's all.
not unlike what you do, i think.
and who might you be?
napoleon?
aristotle?
napoleon is dead.
aristotle is dead.
and you do not
look well, yourself.
why do you do that
to yourself?
that will be all
for today, mr. randall.
you miss her very much,
don't you?
what?
i see such pain in you,
but there was nothing
you could do.
even if you had
arrived sooner
it would have
been too late.
your wife misses you
as much as you miss her,
but she prefers you
not hurry the reunion.
get out!
(in normal voice:)
what did i do?
how dare you
use my wife!
just get out!
forget my fee.
just go away!
hey. how do i look?
never mind
how you look.
how do you feel?
i think it will
be okay.
i taped myself
last night
and the voice,
whatever,
it didn't say
a word all night.
maybe it's gone.
well, let's hope so.
three minutes,
mr. randall.
look, just keep
telling yourself--
get through this,
make delos a star,
and we are
set up for life.
all right?
come on, let's
get out of here.
our next guest has been making
quite a splash these days,
and we're pleased
to have him on the show.
he's a trance channeler--
a fascinating subject
we'll explore in a moment.
but first i'd like
to welcome him
to his first
television appearance--
mr. leonard randall.
hello, leonard.
how are you?
hi.
leonard, could you
tell us
what this "trance channeling"
is all about?
how would you describe
what it is that you do?
(in serene voice):
these are sad times, miss blake.
all that is mysterious,
all that is magic
has been leeched away.
people who see
no magic in themselves
seek it in someone else.
they're desperate for mystery--
for something to believe in.
they accept without question
even the most
outrageous propositions.
such as?
such as the man
sitting in this chair.
and for the honor of being
treated like sheep,
for the distinction of being
treated like gullible children,
they are willing to sacrifice.
they would give it all
for a cent of magic.
mr. randall, do you suppose
we could speak with delos--
the 10,000-year-old warrior
that you channel?
there is no delos.
there never was.
consider it an investment
of innocence
that turned
a considerable profit.
and now the game is over.
the masquerade has ended.
to the followers of delos
i can only offer
leonard randall's apologies
and one, slightly-used
piece of wisdom.
do not seek enlightenment
in the proclamations of those
who insist you pay
for your own soul.
do not seek it in this box
or in the opinions of others.
seek it in a quiet turning
of your own
considered conscience.
thank you.
well, folks,
you've heard it here first.
we'll be back
right after these messages.
(in normal voice:)
i'm almost afraid to ask.
the scandal is killing us.
everyone who's ever
given us a dime
is asking for it back.
we've logged
200 angry calls,
the investors
are all pulling out.
oh, yeah, and the i.r.s.
is nosing around.
we were on shaky
financial footing as it was.
now there's enough to get
a hotel for the night--
if you're lucky.
what are we going to do?
we?
hey, man, i'm out of here.
it's too bad, really.
i thought
you were sharp.
i thought
you had it.
anyway,
i was wrong.
i got a gig
with a healer
down in panama.
folks say he's the best around.
probably make it big
in a few years--
with the right
lieutenant.
(sigh)
get some serious help, leonard.
and if we
should ever cross
in a hallway
somewhere,
just pretend you never met me.
i will.
well, leonard,
guess it's all over now.
(in serene voice):
quite to the contrary.
it is only the beginning.
you. it's you.
yes. i'm pleased that
you can hear me at last.
there was so much
in the way between us.
that's why i had
to get rid of it all.
you couldn't hear me.
angry, mr. randall?
it seems rather pointless,
don't you think?
isn't that what you said?
what delos said?
submerge anger--
find the center.
where the hell are you?!
come on out!
i'll kill you, you lousy...
where are you?!
i'm here, mr. randall.
with you.
why are you doing this to me?
why?!
look over here, mr. randall.
i'm here
at your urging.
you said the universe
had chosen you for wisdom.
and you, of all people,
should know that sometimes
when you speak
to the universe
the universe listens.
you asked for wisdom,
and now you will receive it.
it will be a long process
but to that end i'm willing
to be your constant companion.
i will be with you every moment
day and night
for as long
as it takes.
how long?
how long will it take?
(in serene voice):
20, 30 years, at most.
and now, as you say
in your modern world,
let's take it from the top.
narrator:
critical reviews received
and reluctantly acknowledged
by mr. leonard randall,
a case study in showmanship,
who found himself
upstaged in the final act
by the twilight zone.
