02x22 - The Unhappy Medium

[bunniefuu]

[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.

[organ playing softly]

MAN [on radio]:
What was first was
not spiritual,

that was natural.

And afterward,
that which is spiritual.

The first man was made
of the earth; earthy.

The last man is the God
from heaven.

Hallelujah!
Praise him!

And later in the same chapter:
"In a moment,

"in the twinkling of an eye,
at the last trumpet,

"for the trumpet shall sound

"and the dead shall arise
incorruptible,

"and we shall be changed.

"For in this corruptible,
must put on incorruption,

"and this mortal must put on
immortality,

"therefore be always abounding
in the work of the Lord,

for as you know, your labors
are not in vain in the Lord."

Can you feel it, Sister Faith?

Yes! Yes, yes, I can!

Do you have the power
of the Bright Tomorrow?

Yes! Yes!

Hallelujah!

I... have the power!

Oh, this, this is special,
this power, folks.

Ain't it wondrous?

Someone, someone
out there has

a very,
very bad back problem.

The doctor bills,
they're piling up.

He can't pay them.

[voice breaking]:
His children, they're hungry.

Oh, Mother, give it up.

We all know
how hard

you're taking this.

Can you relieve the pressures
and the burdens

of this poor man?

Yes, yes, I can.

I have healed him.

And he is watching.
You are healed!

Oh, Mother...

[audience applauds]

Now where's your sense
of gratitude, Jenny?

Ain't it wondrous?

Hallelujah!
Ain't it wondrous?

[TV audience clamoring]

I don't know how or why
you two keep pretending.

You both know as well as I do

that Farley Bright was
a hypocrite.

A hypocrite who got rich
selling lies

to poor and desperate people.

Wrestle that demon, sister,
bring the power of the faith

I've had enough of this.

Forgive this man!

Now your Uncle Farley
has taken care of you

ever since
you were a baby

and we did not have
anything to call our own.

And don't you ever
forget that!

Not exactly the attitude

you'd expect from...

what is it,
the chairperson

of the Citizens
for World Humanism.

Humanism is such
a dirty word

for you two,
isn't it?

Well, what about materialism?

Or opportunism?

Or barely disguised
extortionism?

I knew it was
a mistake to
come here.

Come on, Jenny.

It was Farley's
express wish

that we three view his will here

at Bright mansion
with no other witnesses present.

Yes, now that's right.
Come on, baby.

Come on. Sit down.

The estate is sizable,
to say the least.

And the church is without
a leader.

Surely, we can forget
our differences...

at least until we've dealt
with the business at hand.

Hi, there, folks.
Sure does feel funny

sitting here and talking
to you like this,

knowing I'll be dead
when you see it.

Caroline, my beloved sister,
you and me were always hassling

over the size of your take.

Five, and then ten
and then 15%.

Nothing ever seemed
to satisfy you.

And Jonathan,
my old loyal assistant,

you were just a mite too eager
to get by on that road

up that ladder of success,
now, weren't you, boy?

And Jenny, oh, Jenny,
my lovely niece.

You remember sitting on my knee
and singing, "I'm a Sunbeam."

I'll tell you something,
sweetheart,

that interview you gave
on 60 Minutes, that hurt.

I never understood how you could
be such a damn liberal.

Well, anyway,
it don't seem right

to separate
such a close-knit bunch.

Besides, we still have a few old
scores to settle, don't we?

I just may communicate with you
from the great beyond.

You think I can do it?

Well, I'll send you a sign
if I'm coming.

[gasps]

You just do that,
Uncle Farley.

[cuckoo clock cuckooing,
electrical zapping]

What is that?

Well, Mother,
maybe it's a sign.

This must be some kind
of a joke.

My brother with no sense
of humor.

Fooling around with a widow,
of all things.

Actually, it would
probably be

to your advantage
if she finds a will.

You didn't always have

such a harsh opinion
of me, Jenny.

That's a long time
ago, Jonathan.

Oh, I know.
But it's funny

because your Uncle Farley
always thought

that you and
I would be...

It's a safe.

He has a safe here.

Bet I know where it is.

Probably in those
awful paintings.

Don't talk to me about
what Uncle Farley wanted.

It's the last thing
that I care about.

Oh, no, I don't think
that's true, Jenny.

He always loved you.

Even with all
your liberal causes.

And who knows,
in his own way,

maybe he even helped
some people.

There's a difference.

JENNY:
I believe in what
I'm doing!

The Citizens
for World Humanism

provides food,
clothes and shelter

for thousands of people
who are too disadvantaged

to take care
of themselves.

If we had one-tenth
of the money

the Church of
the Bright Tomorrow has...

Oh, now don't get
self-righteous
with me, Jenny.

JONATHAN: If you did
have the money,

it would just end up
in someone else's pocket.

JENNY: Not as long
as I'm in power,

it wouldn't!
And that someone would be
just like Farley Bright!

[glass breaks]

[sighs]

I never liked
these awful paintings.

We had something
real once,

you know, Jen?

Maybe we did once.

But if you'd
really loved me,

you would've left
the church

when I asked you to.

And volunteer
as a teacher somewhere.

Why not?

Because I never had the things
that you had

when I was growing up.

I wanted them.

And I wanted to be able
to give them to you.

The church was a way.

A way?

The only way I could
see at the time.

I always knew
you would never understand.

Why didn't you ever tell me
any of this before?

Tell you?

Jenny, you were much too full
of yourself

to ever think about
what I wanted.

Anyway,
that was once.

And this is now.

None of this is real.

What we had was real.

Yeah.

I never cared about money.

Money?

CAROLINE:
What? What money?

What, what's going on there?

Why don't you go home?

Oh, you would like that,
wouldn't you?

Well, I'll tell you something.

I'm not leaving this room
till the will is found.

JONATHAN:
Then wait.

Those were Farley's
instructions, anyway.

For what, a carrier pigeon?

Maybe some express mail?

Now you're showing
your true colors, Caroline.

You never did have
any faith in the
Bright Tomorrow.

And I suppose
that you did?

You scene-stealing
con man.

You're probably the reason

that my brother is in
his grave today.

I've had enough of this!

Oh, and there goes
the other half.

Between the two
of you...

Us? What about you?

Every time you hit him
up for money,

his blood pressure
went up another
20 points!

[stuttering groan]

What's the matter?
Jenny!

What is it?

[Farley laughing]

FARLEY'S VOICE:
Ain't it wondrous? I'm back!

It can't be.

Farley, is that you?

FARLEY'S VOICE:
It can't be, but it is.

Where are you?

Yes, where?
What place?

Well, let's just say
I'm drifting a little.

There's a debate raging;

heaven don't want me,
and hell won't take me.

Farley, we haven't
found the will.

We've got to find it.

We don't know how
to divide the money

and we've got
to find a new leader

for the church.

Woman, you worried me to death
with your greed,

and you still want more.

No!
Caroline didn't mean
it that way, Farley.

We just want to fulfill
our responsibilities

to the church
and to you.

Cut the act, boy!

The cameras ain't rollin'!

We don't need a new leader
for the church.

I'll just carry on my work
through Jenny.

FARLEY'S VOICE:
Jenny'll be my medium.

[laughs]

Ain't it wondrous?!

We'll all be together forever!

[electrical zapping]

CAROLINE:
Jenny?

Honey?

Are you all right, Jen?

Farley was here.

I could feel him.

It was horrible.

I don't understand
what's happening here.

There's nothing
for you to understand.

It just means that Jenny and I
are going to walk out of here

two incredibly wealthy women.

JENNY: What are you
talking about?

There is no will, anyway.

And as Farley's
only surviving family,

you and I will get the whole
estate-- that's it.

It is all ours.

And I'm sure our attorneys

can work out
all the little details.

[shrieking, screaming
in distance]

I've got to get out of here.

[laughter,
light jingling]

I've seen both places.

Farley said
he was drifting...

between heaven and hell.

[clock cuckooing]

That's not
all he said.

He said we'd all
be here together.

Forever.

The street...

The whole world
looks like it just
suddenly vanished.

Shut it.

Please shut it.

I can't bear it.

The rest of the house
couldn't just disappear.

This has got to be some
kind of an illusion.

Yes. yes, that's what it is.

It's a trick, isn't it?

We just have to figure it out.

Let's try the other
two doors again.

Wait, Mother.
I'll try this time.

Yes. We have to open up
the other doors

because we can't just stay here.

[coughing, moaning]

[jingling]

I gave him 20 of the best years
of my life.

This isn't the way

I expected
to be paid back.

This isn't the way
I expected to live.

He's the one that's dead.

Not me!

I'm the one
that's supposed to be rich.

I'm the one that
was supposed to be the leader

of the Church
of the Bright Tomorrow.

Not Farley!

Mom, you have
to remain calm.

Why is he doing this to me?
Somehow, we have
to accept this.

Farley-- he can get
us out of this.
Shh. Be calm.

Be calm.
You're the one.

You've got to come.

You get him back right now.

She's got
to get him back

because he can get
us out of here.

Do you understand?
I would do it, but I can't.

You're the medium he
wants-- get him back.

Jenny, do you realize
what she's asking you to do?

Don't listen to him!
He doesn't...

Don't trust him because
he doesn't care about you.

He wants the money.
Caroline.

JONATHAN:
Behind those doors, eternity
itself is bearing down on us.

Heaven and hell.
Shut up.

Doesn't that mean
anything to you?!

[laughing maniacally
in Farley's voice]

FARLEY'S VOICE:
Nothing changes Caroline,
Jonathan.

Not even the power
of heaven and hell.

Money is still
the only love of her life.

No, Farley.
I really loved you.

I was a good sister.

Wait-- Farley,
what about Jenny?

Jenny?! I treated her
like my daughter,

but she betrayed me
and made a mockery of my church.

She was a viper in my bosom.

Now she'll be my mouthpiece
for all eternity.

Though the devil himself
is after me,

I won't be caught.

But what about the will?

The will?!

Read the Bible!

[maniacal laughter,
electrical crackling]

Jenny...

CAROLINE:
I don't believe it!

What is it, Mother?

"To my sister Caroline,
the sum of $15,000

"and her continued 15%
in my ministry.

"And it is my wish that Jonathan
Reed carry on my ministry

"as the host of the
Bright Tomorrow Broadcast.

"And finally, that the remainder
of my assets and property

I bequeath to my niece Jenny,
in hopes of reconciliation."

He left it all to you two.

You'll never believe this,
Caroline.

I hardly believe it myself,
but...

If we ever do
get out of here,

I don't think
I could do that anymore.

[chuckling]

He gave you what
you most wanted,

and suddenly you
don't want it anymore.

He made me a
very rich woman

and I'm not going
to live to enjoy it.

What are you talking about?

Farley said
the devil is chasing him.

The judgment is made.

The next time Farley possesses
me, I'm going to deliver him.

You can't do that.

God knows what will
happen to you in there.

But whatever it is
can't be as bad

as spending the rest of my life
as a medium for Farley's ghost.

If Farley's spirit knows
where he belongs,

we can get out of here.
She's got to do it.

Or else we'll be
stuck here forever.

No, damn it. This is Jenny's
life we're talking about here!

No! Now, look.

There's got to be another way.

[electrical zapping]
How?

[Farley laughing maniacally]

FARLEY'S VOICE:
Ain't it wondrous?

Farley Bright has a message
for the world,

and not even death
is going to stop me.

The devil is hot
on my tail and...

Hey!

What?

Jenny!

You can't do this!

[in normal voice]:
No, Uncle Farley!

I won't allow you
to possess me!

No! Jenny, you...

Stay out of this.
This is a family matter.

FARLEY'S VOICE:
He can't get me! Jenny!

You won't do it!

No!

[normal voice]:
Yes!

Jenny!

Jenny!

It's too late. It's finished.
JONATHAN:
No!

I'm not going to lose her again!

JENNY:
No!
Jenny!

[shrieking in distance]

FARLEY [screaming]:
No!

Now I have it all.

After years of playing second
fiddle in your stupid sideshow,

I have it all.

And now I am where I should be.

In control!

And you-- you got
what you deserve.

[giggling]

So did I.

I never needed you.

Or that yes-man Jonathan.

I never did, really.

And now, Sister Faith

is going to have to take over
this ministry...

...and the Church
of the Bright Tomorrow.

Maybe I'll even read this thing.

[laughs]

I wouldn't want
to disappoint the faithful.

If I don't miss my guests now...

I could get out of here
in a few minutes.

[birds chirping outside]

[intermittent pops]

[glissando]

[Jonathan coughing]

[choppy glissandos playing,
reverberating]

Look at this.

CAROLINE:
Hold it, you two.

So, I suppose you two
just think you can

walk on out of here with Uncle
Farley's hard-earned money.

And then just give it to that
do-good organization of yours.

And stick me with $15,000
and 15% of nothing?!

That's right, Mother.

JONATHAN:
Come on.

Ain't it wondrous?

You ungrateful little snip!

[chorus sings
heavenly melody]

[door closes, then knocking
at door, wind howling]

FARLEY'S VOICE:
Caroline!

Ain't it wondrous?

[Farley laughing
maniacally]

NARRATOR:
The dark side is always there.

Waiting for us to enter.

Waiting to enter us.

Until next time, try
to enjoy the daylight.