#ilse von glatz

[rwpohl]

the mind of simon forster, the twilight zone 1989

[fridaythe13ththeseries]

The Sweetest Sting

Episode Recap #37: The Sweetest Sting Original Airdate: January 21, 1989

Starring: John D. LeMay as Ryan Dallion Louise Robey as Micki Foster Chris Wiggins as Jack Marshak

Guest cast: Art Hindle as McCabe David Palffy as Fred Marr Tim Webber as Bob Tucker Elva Mai Hoover as Joanne Hendricks Victor Sutton as Ben Landis Gerry Pearson as Purdy J. Winston Carroll as Norman Hendricks Tedde Moore as Dr. Meade Ilse von Glatz as Diane

Written by Rick Butler, Roy Sallows Directed by David Winning

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Late Autumn on a sort of rundown farm. Guy in a truck pulls up to a man on the side of the road selling honey cheap. The man wants to buy some and the guy offers him taste, spilling some on the man as he does. The bee seller puts on his suit to the confusion of the other dude, says his bees are ornery. He then proceeds to let the bees free, and they attack the man, stinging him to death before returning to the hive box.

Cut to a night scene at the bee keeper's place. He leads an older man to a chair and puts honey on his hands, then places his hands in wooden contraption, and the man cannot get them free. He asks if his family will be looked after, and the bee keeper, McCabe, says they will believe he died in a car crash. McCabe appears in the other room where man's honey covered hands are, and dons his bee suit again, letting the bees sting this man's hands until he dies. McCabe goes into the room and the old man has been transformed into the younger man from the road. McCabe says he'll have to come back weekly for a "pick me up". The man is elated.

Another day, Micki arrives at a house looking for Mr. Purdy. A man with a shotgun and a barking dog appears at the door, saying he is Purdy's brother. Micki tries to explain she is looking for a hive his brother bought from the store. He tells Micki his brother is dead and wants her to leave, saying people aren't safe there at nightfall.

In an office, a Mr. Hendricks is getting bad news: his tumor will kill him in six to twelve months. She tries to comfort him that death is inevitable. He leaves, replaying the conversation, then sees the younger transformed man staring at him. Hendricks walks off.

Micki is at a phone booth telling Jack about her brief run in with Purdy's brother. Jack says Ryan can look up Purdy's death certificate, he'll do more research, and she says she'll love for more bee apiaries. Jack tells Ryan the hive is a one of a kind piece and that he is clueless as to how the curse will operate with it.

At his office, Hendricks is called in to the boss's office. The younger boss said he is phasing out the older man's division and he's being fired and losing his pension, to boot. Hendricks tries to reason with him but gets nowhere.

Ryan returns to Curious Goods with the death certificate for Purdy. He was stung by bees countless times after he bought the hive, so whoever has it now has been in possession of it for over a year. Ryan says there haven't been any other deaths by bee stinging, all deaths in that area have been normal. Jack wants to get to the place and goes to borrow Rashid's car.

Hendricks walks replaying his day in his head. The younger man from the bee transformation approaches him and Hendricks thinks he's being mugged. The man calls him Norm and tells him he is really Ben Landis. Hendricks says Ben died weeks ago in a crash, but the man tries to convince him it is true and eventually says enough to prove it. He asks how long his friend has to live, then tells him there is another option. Hendricks is unsure, but Ben is convincing enough. He leaves him a note with the name of the Apiary.

That night, Hendricks shows up at McCabe's apiary. He says if he signs over his life insurance to McCabe, how can he be sure his wife will be taken care of? McCabe reminds him how happy Ben is now. He offers to find someone that will be a good fit for his skill set.

At home, Hendricks tries to prepare his wife "just in case" something happens to him. But she is looking forward to their retired life together, unaware of all that has happene to her husband. He placates her.

Later, his boss is getting into an elevator and McCabe, acting like a janitor, joins him. He pulls out a jar of honey and puts a glob on the man's coat. He then lets his bees free to attack while covering himself.

Back at the apiary at night, Ben and Hendricks arrive. McCabe sends the older man inside, then tells Ben he needs to find an older man to substitute for his friend when he "dies". Ben is reluctant to kill, but McCabe threatens him with the need for a fresh dose of honey, pointing out how the man's hand is looking aged already. He leaves Ben to ponder the deal with the devil he has made. Inside, he has the bees sting Hendricks with the curse turning him

Driving, Ben spies a hitchhiker and picks him up, hiding a hook behind him. At the apiary, Hendricks body has transformed into that of his boss, young and healthy. Ben drags the now unconscious hitchhiker to a tractor and then turns the machine on, killing him. Ryan and Micki try and convince Purdy's brother to help them find the cursed hive box. He keeps his gun aimed at them an won't talk more than saying the area is cursed and he is protecting himself from someone.

Jack is talking to McCabe, but the man says no one would want an old antique bee hive. Ben arrives, his face looking aged, asking McCabe for "that honey". McCabe calls him Bob and says his order is all boxed up. Jack is suspicious.

McCabe is not happy with Ben and they argue, McCabe threatening Ben, who promises to keep his mouth shut. He then swallows up the honey.

In a field, Micki, Ryan and Jack try and figure out what is going on, Jack saying the man who approached McCabe looked "prematurely old". Micki remembers something from school about Egyptians using bees to restore youth. Jack says many cultures hold similar beliefs. He heads back to the store to do more research while they head back to try and spy on McCabe.

Hendricks in his new body and role as boss calls his wife, who is distraught over husband's death. He offers condolences, and offers any help he can.

Micki and Ryan snoop around McCabe's barn and set off a sensor that alerts him. Ryan finds the room with the chair and hand holds. Micki searches elsewhere and finds the stash of honey. They can't figure out what the chair is for and Ryan goes to search the loft. Micki tastes some of the honey. Ryan finds the bees and hive and McCabe approaches, covered in his suit. He lets the bees free and Ryan calls to Micki to flee. She is attacked before she can make it to the car and Ryan gets the fire extinguisher from the trunk and sprays her free of bees. They jump in and drive off, to McCabe's dismay.

Jack studies a bee under a microscope. It is full of blood, Ryan calls them vampire bees. Jack said they usually die after stinging, but these only died after Ryan sprayed them. They work out the honey keeping people young part, but can't figure out why there have been any bodies found with bee stings. They agree to confront Purdy's brother a third time.

Mrs. Hendricks calls her husband's boss, unknowing it is really him. She's concerned about the low pension, and that her husband changed his policy to a different person. He says he will look into it an take care of it for her. Then McCabe bursts into the office. He wants to know why the man hasn't answered his calls. "Hendricks" says he is unhappy, but McCabe says he owes him everything, happiness isn't his concern. He's there to collect on his debt. He needs more bodies, and that "Hendricks" will do whatever McCabe wants, which is to use this job to contact even richer, more powerful clients for his honey. McCabe again threatens his continued youth. He gives the man the Curious Goods business card and says he wants all three from the store dead.

Purdy is seen walking his property with his rifle, which Ryan wrests away from him suddenly. Jack and Micki appear and want to know where the hive is hidden. Purdy says the hive is from hell. He's reluctant to help and they push him until he admits McCabe IS his brother, having used the hive on himself first, killing the original McCabe and turning himself into the younger man. Micki wonders about why no bee-stung bodies, and Purdy says he makes the deaths look like normal farm accidents. They leave.

"Hendricks" is having coffee with his widow, trying to tell him how much her husband loved her. But she knows Marr fired her husband and calls him out on it. She begins to cry and wants him to leave. He again offers help. When he's gone, McCabe appears behind her and chloroforms the woman.

At the apiary at night, an aging "Hendricks" says they need to talk. He says he is not a killer. But McCabe shows Mrs. Hendricks stuck with her hands in the box. McCabe tells him if he refuses to do as told, she'll die.

The Curious Goods trio are watching the apiary from their car and see McCabe with "Marr", unsure who he is. They leave the car to find the cursed hive box. Mrs. Hendricks is still stuck and gagged. "Hendricks" stops driving away, looking at his aged face in the mirror.

Micki and Ryan decide to box all the honey and put it in the vault. McCabe sees the light on in the barn. "Hendricks" turns around and drives back to the farm.

Ryan brings one box of honey to the car as Micki packs another. They see McCabe heading toward the barn. Inside, Micki finds Mrs. Hendricks and ungags and frees her hands as McCabe walks in, gun drawn. He then puts Micki's hands in the bee box holes. He goes to get honey for her hands, but an even more aged "Hendricks" arrives, with the rifle. McCabe is able to knock the gun out of the man's hands when Ryan and Jack burst in to save Micki. They go to free Micki and the other woman while McCabe and "Hendricks" struggle.

McCabe sets his bees free on them, but they flee the barn. He is confident they can't run, but then "Hendricks shoots the jars of honey, which explode all over McCabe, causing the bee to attack him. Outside, "Hendricks" calls to his JoJo, who is very confused. She goes to the dying man who asks for forgiveness. He transforms back into his old body after he dies.

Ryan puts the bee box in the vault. Micki asks Jack if it was okay to let the bees go, and Jack says the hive was cursed, not the bees. Micki wonders if they'll ever know how many died from this item, Ryan says Purdy's brother should have spoken up sooner. Jack says sometimes all that's needed for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing. Ryan shuts the vault.

~~

My thoughts:

The bee hive box is a convoluted antique, using honey and multiple people to work its curse. It makes you wonder how the first guy, Purdy before he became McCabe, figured it all out.

This curse is a demanding one, too. Not only does it transform the people, but they need to rely on weekly doses of honey to remain young in their new forms. McCabe should be making lots of money with this scheme - and lots of enemies.

Loved the Autumn settings around the farm country. Some of the barns had seen better days, but the scenes were very pretty. And loved the little look at Rashid's unique car!

Overall, and interesting story. Loved Jack's comment at the end about evil triumphing if good men do nothing. And when Ryan comments about Hendricks changing his mind at the end, and Micki says its good to know they are not alone in their pursuit of justice. Nice end.

Next week: The Playhouse