The Incredible Hulk--
"Equinox"
Along a seaside town, the Hulk races through the streets, with Jack McGee trying to keep up--but quickly losing the pursuit. Coming to rest under an outdoor staircase, the Hulk transforms back to David Beldeon, and in a panic (due to McGee) hops aboard the boat owned by his employer (Diane Powell) and heads back to her private island, with McGee sure the elusive John Doe was the man on he ship.
On the island, the self-absorbed Diane Powell demands her home is prepared for the Vernal Equinox party she's throwing only days away. Powell is never slow to remind Pierce (her butler) to stay in his "place" when dealing with her rich friends. Former lover Allan Grable grumbles for a commitment (and about his custody / financial woes) from the woman, but in her usual manner, brushes him off.
In the library, Diane finds David going through her late father's books--
Diane:
"You really understand dear old dad's work, don't you? When I hired a librarian, I didn't know I'd get a scientist, too. Are you a geneticist?"
David: "No, no, its just a hobby. But if I were given a choice, I could spend years in here--your father was the best."
Diane: "Maybe as a test tube man. As a father, I really wouldn't know. He was never around. Dear old dad's will said I had to keep this library going in order to get my inheritance. If it was up to me, I would have burned these books. Every last one of them."
David plans to leave the island, but Diane insists David not only join her friends for dinner, but attend the masquerade party for the Vernal Equinox the coming night; David cannot talk his way out of the gatherings.
On the docks, McGee questions the captain of the boat that took John Doe to the island. With a $10 bribe, the captain spills what little he knew about "odd" Beldon, including his torn clothing and his employment on the island, but comes short of taking McGee to the island, fearing crossing Diane would lead to a loss of work. He suggests McGee try to attend the costume party...
On Powell Island, Diane cuts down her would-be filmmaker brother's (Donald) ambitions and need for money, much to the irritation of the younger sibling. Once again, Diane blows off Allan's romantic overtures and harps on David attending the party, refusing his use of her boat--a fact reinforced by butler Pierce, who echoes Diane's orders, while complaining about his family's long years serving the Powell family. Pierce is not shy expressing his borderline violent anger toward Diane...
Later, Diane expresses her interest in David--a man unlike any she knows, but he rejects her, instantly angering the woman. She slaps Banner, but he remains unmoved. Diane is relentless in questioning why David needs to leave, even attempting to bribe him, but David--cool and insightful as ever points out--
David: "It must be nice having all that money. Takes the place of so much."
As David leaves Diane's bedroom, a man dressed in black watches from behind a pillar, then approaches the woman's room.
On the night of the party, McGee manages to swim a short distance to the island, and change into a tuxedo. He is--once again--armed with a curare dart pistol, and blends into the party, scanning the crowd for John Doe. Upstairs, the figure in black prepares to strangle Diane, but is interrupted by another partygoer. As Diane officially kicks off the proceedings, McGee tires to remove the mask of a guard, who angrily orders McGee to leave him alone...but the reporter does not--following the man to another part of the house.
Elsewhere, Diane tries to apologize to David, and get him to join the event, but he coldly refuses, expressing his distaste for the company--meaning Diane. Moments after she departs, McGee enters the room, but David's face is blocked by a lamp--which Banner quickly unplugs. In the dark, David scrambles to find his way out, but McGee--now armed with the curare gun--has other plans--
McGee: "John Doe. John? Its useless, you know. You might as well give up."
Banner rams a book cart into McGee, knocking the reporter off balance--enough time for Banner to flee the room, but the doctor repeatedly crashes his way through the hall, until falling down the sta...triggering a Hulk out. In short, the creature is rather pissed off at McGee, who misses one chance after another to shoot him, eventually and literally having the rug pulled out from under him by the Hulk. Later, McGee tracks the Hulk--now back in John Doe form (and wearing a mask) to a costume storeroom, gun in hand--
McGee: "Three years. Don't move! Its over, John. Take off the mask."
David: "Mister McGee, mine is not a happy life. All I want to do is get rid of the creature. Why won't you leave me alone?"
McGee: "From the beginning, no one's believed me. You are my vindication."
David: "And you'll be destroying me."
McGee: "I will be stopping an uncontrollable and dangerous force!"
David: "The creature saved your life--more than once. You know that!"
McGee: "The creature is also responsible for taking lives! I was there at the laboratory fir. He killed David Banner and Elaina Marks!"
David: "No! No, no, no--Elaina died in the fire--not the creature! He tried to save her!! "
McGee: "You'll have every chance to prove that in a court of law. Take off the mask!"
David: "Will you shoot me?"
McGee: "It's only an anesthetic--Curare--you'll only be out for a little while."
David: "Curare's a deadly poison. If you have enough there to subdue the creature, you could kill me!"
McGee: "Take off the mask! Take it off!"
David: "Mr. McGee, you're risking bringing out the creature in me...now please..please stay back! You know what could happen!"
McGee: "THE MASK!!!"
David pushes clothes racks on McGee, and locks him in the room. As McGee uses a coat hanger to pick the lock, Diane is pushed over a balcony by the man in black; with her grip weakening, she is rescued by her brother...who happens to be wearing the same shoes as her stalker....
Diane is startled by David--the man begging to leave the island, but she holds him at gunpoint, accusing him of trying to kill her; David reminds her that her general disrespectful behavior would lead more than a few to want to do her harm. Pierce locks him in Diane's closet, and just as quickly as she thought Banner was the would-be killer, she reconsiders his analysis, but is interrupted by Allan, still wanting private time with her. Downstairs, Pierce--learning McGee was not invited--orders him off of the island in the same police boat coming for David...
Allan--whining about his alimony woes and Diane's unfeeling nature, tries to strangle her. During the struggle, the woman slips David the key to the closet, and once out, attacks Allan, but ends up having his head crushed by the closet door. triggering a Hulk out. Pierce (escorting McGee to the dock) hears the commotion, and joins in the fight, as the Hulk rises, attacks Allan, then turns his rage toward McGee, crushing the Curare gun in his hand. The creature knocks Pierce out of the way, carrying the unconscious Diane to safety in the courtyard. Transforming back to David, he comforts the distraught Diane.
Later, Diane gives Banner his belongings, a small boat, and bids him farewell. It turns out his choice words have influenced the woman to reconsider her way of life.
NOTES:
This is not a cure related episode, and whatever David was researching ended up abandoned in the Powell library..
The "whodunit" mystery sub-genre gets a quickie run through Hulk-land, complete with angry butler, spurned boyfriends and shift relatives. It was--naturally--the "B" story. Obviously, the focus was the Banner / McGee conflict, which reaches another negative head so close to then end of season three; McGee is as ruthless and self serving (like too many journalists) as he pays lip service to bringing John Doe to justice, but that's overshadowed by his selfish need to be vindicated. This is yet another unbreakable chain to his
"Mystery Man" true motivations--its not about helping the Hulk/John Doe--but exploiting him.
As mentioned in another review, he adds to his ruthless profile by repeatedly shooting at a regular human with a curare-tipped dart; as Banner accurately states, that can kill a man, and McGee certainly had no clue about dose, effects--anything, but he did not care. ...and if someone thinks, "he's using curare based on how it will work on the Hulk," then I offer the fact that McGee knows nothing about the creature's physiology at all--he's just using a simpleminded, aggression-driven "all out" approach, which would kill Banner.
The contrast between David Banner and Jack McGee is quite striking: note Banner's tormented, impassioned defense of his actions during the lab fire--not only is it now established that he has a stronger memory of his actions while in Hulk mode that night, but his heartbreak over Elaina's death is as raw as ever. While his emotional state is clear, McGee does not care at all--he hammers his demand for John Doe to
remove the mask--its all about his need to have his big moment--his ticket to
"be somebody" by exposing John Doe. He's utterly unsympathetic to the plight of the man (
"mine is not a happy life. All I want to do is get rid of the creature. Why won't you leave me alone?"). This is no Richard Kimble / Phillip Gerard relationship--where the hunter genuinely believes a crime has been committed, and he--as an agent of the law--is determined to bring a killer to justice. With McGee, its always back to his greed / interest.
...and let's not overlook how the Hulk was especially menacing toward McGee (slowly approaching him) during the fight scene.
GUEST CAST:
Christine De Lisle (
Diane Powell)--has a very light list of fantasy credits. Aside from this episode of TIH, her only other credit was--
- Wizards and Warriors (CBS, 1983) - "Unicorn of Death" & "The Kidnap"
Paul Carr (
Allan) was not far from most notable fantasy productions over the span of two decades--
- Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond (ABC, 1959) - "Reunion"
- Men Into Space (CBS, 1960) - "Is There Another Civilization?"
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (ABC, 1965-67) - "Hot Line" / "Long Live the King" / "Hail to the Chief" / "Doomsday" / "Cradle of the Deep" / "Terror on Dinosaur Island" & "No Escape from Death"
- Star Trek (NBC, 1966) - "Where No Man Has Gone Before" as Lt. Lee Kelso
- The Time Tunnel (ABC, 1966) - "End of the World" & "Revenge of the Gods"
- The Green Hornet (ABC, 1967) - "Seek, Stalk and Destroy"
- The Invaders (ABC, 1967) - "The Innocent"
- Land of the Giants (ABC, 1968) - "Framed"
- The Severed Arm (Media Trend, 1973)
- Circle of Fear (NBC, 1973) - "Legion of Demons"
- The Bat People (AIP, 1974)
- The Six Million Dollar Man (ABC, 1974-78 ) - "Population: Zero" / "The Bionic Woman" / "The Bionic Woman: Part Two" & "Just a Matter of Time"
- Logan's Run (CBS, 1978) - "Stargate"
- The Amazing Spider-Man (CBS, 1978) - "The Kirkwood Haunting"
- Time Express (CBS, 1979) - "The Copy Writer" / "The Figure Skater"
- Buck Rogers In the 25th Century (NBC, 1981) - "Journey to Oasis" / "The Guardians" / "Mark of the Saurian" & "The Golden Man"
- Solar Crisis (Bridge Entertainment, 1990)
- Blood: The Last Vampire (Aniplex, 2000)
- Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (Bandai Visual Company, 2002)
