Carl Morrissey uses his new ability to clean up his neighborhood.
| The New and Improved Carl Morrissey | |
|---|---|
| Season One, Episode 102 | |
| |
| Airdate | 18 Jul 2004 |
| Written by | Ira Steven Behr |
| Directed by | Helen Shaver |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Pilot |
Next Becoming |
Synopsis[]
Carl Morrissey disappeared February 16, 2003 from Seattle, Washington. He was gone for 18 months. As he discusses how things haven't really changed for him with a loyal customer, his boss Burt scolds him for serving patrons instead of stocking shelves.
After work, Carl meets up with his wife, Grace, as she gets off work. He wants to cut through Bradley Park, but Grace tells him it's not safe anymore, it's full of crime; Carl doesn't believe her.
At NTAC, Ryland informs Tom and Diana that he believes Maia Rutledge has second sight after talking to her foster parents and a lunch lady in the cafeteria. The agents wonder why Maia, a little girl, was held for 60 years and returned with the ability to see the future.
Richard and Lily Moore sign a lease for an apartment, after a short dialogue. Richard just mentions he was afraid they would be turned down since he was black. As Lily looks around, everything starts to warp and she feels terrified and nauseous. She senses this is the baby's doing, and tells Richard she is feeling sick and needs to leave the apartment.
Carl returns home after making a short run to the store for a few things. He had cut through the park and been mugged, and explains to Grace how he isn't injured. Instead, he fought back and scared off the thugs. While telling her he is better, improved, he tries to convince Grace he has been given powers for a reason. Carl is inspired to restore the park to the way it was.
The next day, Tom and Linda are called to the hospital. Dr. Mayhew saw something strange in Kyle's EEG, a brief burst of brain activity occurring last Thursday. Tom goes to the nurse's station to check the records to see if anyone visited Kyle last Thursday. The nurse on duty informs him his nephew Shawn came.
Tom goes to Shawn's school to discuss what happened that Thursday. Shawn admits he went to see Kyle but he didn't do anything. Tom doesn't believe him.
Diana and Tom meet with Marco Pacella in the theory room at NTAC, who tells the two that Diana was right in her theory that gravity changed at the places where people disappeared. This leads the trio to consider alien abduction.
At their new apartment, Lily tells Richard that she knows what her baby is thinking, and she can feel it's responses to situations. She wants to see Heidi but Richard reminds her Brian put a restraining order on her.
That night while his wife is asleep Carl goes to the park, painting benches and cleaning walls covered in graffiti. A woman screams as three men try to rape her. Carl goes over to the men and they chase after him. He fights them off as she looks on, bewildered.
Diana and Tom visit the attempted rape victim at her job. She is shaken-up, telling the agents that she saw only one guy take on all three attackers. The agents mention that one guy taking on three isn't unheard of. She states it wasn't the fact that there were three of them, it was how the guy moved that was extraordinary. She notes that the man who saved her life smelled of day old fish.
Elsewhere, Lily hides outside Brian's house watching through a window as Heidi does her homework. The baby reacts in discomfort (much like with the apartment earlier) causing her to knock over a plant. Brian looks up and notices her. She is arrested and phones Richard from the station.
Down at the supermarket Carl's boss, Burt, is angry that Carl is chatting with the customers again. He confronts Carl, pushing him around a bit. Carl grabs Burt's hand and exerts force, saying "I asked you not to do that." Burt wisely chooses to leave Carl alone.
Later on, Richard approaches Brian as he is leaving his house. Richard offers a short introduction and gives his word that if he drops the charges, Lily won't bother him or Heidi again. Brian reluctantly agrees.
At the Morrissey household, Carl and Grace are arguing. She wants him to stop being a vigilante, but he sees this as his chance to make a difference. She warns Carl that if he doesn't stop he will get hurt, and threatens to report him to NTAC.
Lily is released and finds Richard waiting for her. She tells him that when she saw Heidi, she saw a happy family (despite her not being around) and promises to stay away. She gets the feeling the baby dislikes Heidi anyway.
Shawn is working on his car as Nikki Hudson enters. She asks why he's acting differently towards her lately. She accidentally touches the engine and recoils, squealing in pain. Shawn rubs her hand and the burn disappears, and Nikki realizes he can heal. The two kiss.
Over at NTAC, Tom finally signs his divorce papers. Diana starts explaining how she narrowed down the field of possible vigilantes. After a short explanation she comes to 13 people who fit her profile. However, she's able to single out Carl Morrissey because he works in the seafood section of a supermarket.
Carl again walks through the park at night. He sees a man spraying graffiti on the clean wall. He yells at the guy and the man throws the can of paint. The two get into a fight, but Carl easily wins. Other thugs begin to gang up on him.
Tom and Diana go to the Morrissey house. Diana asks Grace if she has heard of the "Bradley Park Vigilante," and Grace plays stupid. Eventually she gives in and takes the agents to the park.
They find Carl sitting on a bench, with a large knife wound in his abdomen. Tom calls for an ambulance. As Carl dies, he admits to Grace that although he thought he was sent back to clean up the neighborhood, he was wrong. As the police begin to clear out the next morning, people from Carl's neighborhood take action and begin to clean up the park.
Diana decides to sign the paperwork approving guardianship of Maia temporarily. She enters the room; Maia is already dressed, suitcase in hand. She knew before anyone had a chance to tell her the news.
Tom rushes through a hospital corridor and enters Kyle's room to see Linda sitting by an empty bed. Kyle is in surgery to relieve the excess fluid in his skull. Linda tells Tom there is a fairly high probability Kyle could suffer permanent brain damage.
Episode 2 Cast[]
- Joel Gretsch as Tom Baldwin
- Jacqueline McKenzie as Diana Skouris
- Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Richard Tyler
- Laura Allen as Lily Moore
- Patrick Flueger as Shawn Farrell
- Chad Faust as Kyle Baldwin
- Kaj-Erik Eriksen as Danny Farrell
- Brooke Nevin as Nikki Hudson
- Peter Coyote as Dennis Ryland
- David Eigenberg as Carl Morrissey
- Conchita Campbell as Maia Rutledge
- Lori Ann Triolo as Linda Baldwin
- Andrew Airlie as Brian Moore
- Kathleen Wilhoite as Grace Morrissey
- Richard Kahan as Marco Pacella
- Jonathan Holmes as Dr. Mayhew
- Peter Grasso as Burt Krochuk
- Georgina Hegedos as Mrs. Martino
- Ali Liebert as Maureen
- Garfield Wilson as Park Thug
- Genevieve Buechner as Heidi Moore
- Lucas Margetson as Player
- Wendy Russell as Dorothy
- James Michalopoulous as Park Mugger 1
- Fraser Aitcheson as Park Mugger 2
- Robin Mossley as Rental Manager
- Derek Lowe as Quarantine technician