Healer (The Twilight Zone)

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“Healer”

The Twilight Zone episode

Scene from "Healer"

Episode no.

Season 1
Episode 3, Segment 1

Written by

Michael Bryant

Directed by

Sigmund Neufeld Jr.

Guest stars

Eric Bogosian : Jackie Thompson
Vincent Gardenia : Harry
Joaquin Martinez : Duende
Robert Costanzo : Joseph Rubello

Original airdate

October 11, 1985

Episode chronology
← Previous	Next →
"Chameleon"	"Children's Zoo"

List of Twilight Zone episodes

Healer is the first segment of the third episode of the television series The New Twilight Zone. 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.

1 Opening Narration
2 Synopsis
3 Closing Narration
4 References/External links

[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 easily as you got in. That's not the big score in there. It's the Twilight Zone.

”

[edit] Synopsis

Cat burglar Jackie Thompson breaks into a museum late one night and steals a rare stone from a display case. Thompson trips the alarm and gets shot by a guard, but the stone heals him.

After saving his neighbor Harry from a heart attack, Thompson becomes "Brother John" and heals others on a TV ministry. Harry, who is only interested in the money, acts as his business manager. A Native American man, Duende, appears and says his people loaned the stone to the museum and warns that Thompson is traveling down the wrong path; Jackie is inclined to return the stone, but Harry scoffs.

Joseph Rubello, a druglord from Thompson's past, begs for healing of his terminal cancer. Jackie tells Rubello that Rubello treated him horribly when Thompson was his runner, and holds out for $2 million to heal him. Rubello agrees, 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 permanently when used unselfishly. Harry refuses to help Thompson, instead planning to take all the money himself. Thompson gives the stone to the deaf boy, who heals him. In turn, Thompson restores the boy's hearing and, his redemption complete, gives the stone to Duende to return to his people.

[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.

”