Healer (The Twilight Zone)

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“Healer”
The New Twilight Zone episode
Eric Bogosian as Jackie Thompson
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 5
Guest stars	Eric Bogosian
Written by	Michael Bryant
Directed by	Sigmund Neufeld Jr.
Original airdate	October 4, 1985
Episode chronology
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"Chameleon"	"Children's Zoo"

Healer is an episode of the television series The New Twilight Zone.

1 Cast
2 Plot
3 Opening Narration
4 Synopsis
5 Closing Narration
6 Themes
7 Trivia
8 References/External links

[edit] Cast

Jackie Thompson: Eric Bogosian

Harry: Vincent Gardenia

Duende: Joaquin Martinez

Joseph Rubello: Robert Costanzo

[edit] Plot

Jackie Thompson steals a unique stone from a museum. Wounded during his escape, he finds that it has healing powers and becomes a faith healer. But he loses his way, giving in to greed and the stone stops working.

[edit] Opening Narration

Ah, Jackie, Jackie. You're a small-timer, a roof-crawler, a poke pincher, a nickel-and-dime grifter with salt in your dreams and ashes in your pockets. Don't cut that wire, Jackie! Don't open that window! You won't be able to jimmy yourself out as easy as you got in. That's not the big score in there. It's the Twilight Zone.

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Cat burglar Jackie Thompson (Eric Bogosian) breaks into a museum late one night to steal ancient artifacts. He takes a rare stone from a display case but it trips the alarm. Jackie is shot by a guard but the stone heals him. After saving his friend Harry from a heart attack, he becomes Brother John and heals others on a TV ministry. Harry acts as his business manager and is only interested in the money. A Native American man, Duende, appears and says his people loaned the stone to the museum. He warns Jackie that he's traveling down the wrong path but Jackie and Harry scoff. A drug lord from Jackie's past begs for Jackie's help with his terminal cancer, but Jackie holds out for $2 million. The boss agrees to give him the money, but the stone no longer works. Harry pulls a deaf boy from the waiting line to test Jackie's power. He fails and his old bullet wound opens up and bleeds profusely. Duende reappears and explains that the stone only works when used unselfishly. Harry refuses to help Jackie, being only interested in taking all the money himself. Jackie gives the stone to the boy, who heals him. Jackie in turn restores the boy's hearing and, understanding, gives the stone to Duende to return to his people. His redemption is complete.

[edit] Closing Narration

Now he is John, no longer Jackie. Perhaps not Brother John, brother to all men, but at least fit to walk among men who care. Because caring is part of the secret, the secret we all learn. That the heart cannot heal what the eye cannot see. Not even in the Twilight Zone.