"I had the perfect life until I was in a coma for six years." "Then I woke up and found my fiancée married to another man." "My son doesn't know who I am." "Everything has changed... including me." "One touch, and I can see things." "Things that happened." "Things that will happen." "You should see what I see." "Previously on "The Dead Zone"" "You've been in a coma for six years." " Must've got married by now." " His name's Walt Bannerman." "I'm Sheriff Bannerman, can I help you?" " Walt Bannerman?" " Dana Bright." "Bangor Daily News." "Are you saying you can help the Sheriff's Department catch the strangler?" "What, you had some kind of a trance, you saw something?" "A murder maybe?" "Nobody's laughing at you anymore, John." "I'd just as soon forget my new talents." "I'll get back to my old talents." "I'll be a teacher again." "I know who it is." "Self-effacing shy hero... an American classic." "In no time at all you'll be endorsing breakfast cereal." "Good morning." "Excuse me." "Heed the still, small voice when it comes." "When it does, do your duty." "Mom, you're alive?" "What are you doing on the sidewalk?" "His work is great upon the earth." "Heed the still, small voice when it comes." "Heed the still, small voice within." "Please don't touch me." "Please don't touch me." " Johnny!" " Stop touching me, please." "Where's my daughter?" "Please!" " When am I going to die?" " Is my wife going to come back?" " Johnny, please!" " You've got to help me!" "Leave me alone!" "Fall in love, fall in love, fall in love" "Fall in love..." "Feel no shame for what you are" "Feel no shame for what you are" "Feel no shame for what you are..." "Fall in love, fall in love" "Fall in love." "You should've asked me before you volunteered..." "Sure, you would have just told me no..." "Don't you think it's too soon for me to get back in there?" " To be living again?" "!" " Oh, man." "It's time to get back on the horse, John." "I just don't know if I'm ready to go back into the school." "Why, because you're afraid people are going to touch you?" "You know what?" "They will... and you're going to have to deal with it." "It's all part of the re-entry process." "You got to learn to be the hero of your own life again, John." "But until you're ready, I'll be the hero of your life in exchange for a stock market tip every now and then." "Get in the car, man." "Wait, wait, wait." "Give me the keys." "I want to drive." "I want to drive." "Come on." "My cruiser." "Get in the car, man." "You just said to get back on the horse." "Get your own horse!" "Nothing personal, but I get nervous when other people drive my car." "Especially those that have been in a coma since their last time behind the wheel." "Give me the keys." "Besides, your driver's license..." "Actually, It was renewed yesterday courtesy of Reverend Purdy." "Keys?" "If you were going to have an accident, you'd know it..." " in time to prevent it..." " Get in." "I'm sure glad you're not Lars the janitor." "Are you lost?" "No, no." "I used to be a teacher here, back when this was a janitor's closet." "I was just looking for a broom." "O-kay." "They converted the closet last year when we upgraded to DSL." "This is the land hub substation and server for the district's LAN mainframe." "Thanks for clearing that up." "So is the office still down that way, or...?" " Thanks." "Pelson's waiting for you." " I sense a conspiracy." " Oh." " It's time for you to get back..." " On the horse." "Yeah, I've heard that somewhere before." "I got to admit, Sarah, it's great to be back here." "It seems like old times." "Yeah." "Well, I have to run." "I have to pick up Johnny from day school and take him to his hockey practice and then I've got to go to the dry cleaners, and make sure I get the groceries so that I can make dinner." "How did I turn into this?" " I don't know." "Saved by the bell." "Yeah, I am late." "I have to go." "Good luck." "Okay." "I'm going that way." " Johnny." " Hey, Dave." " How are you?" " Come on in." "He's not a nut, Superintendent." "It is so good see you up and around again." "Thank you, sir." "Dave, it's really nice of you to have me in today." "I really missed this place." "But if this is going to be difficult for you, I understand..." "Difficult?" "What are you talking about?" "Some people might think I'm odd after everything that's happened." "You are odd." "You were always odd." "Who else would lead a rescue mission on a frog farm to save them from dissection?" "That was an unfortunate accident during a field trip." "The whole school board overreacted on that one." "You know that." "I want you back, John." "We can get you into a classroom as a sub now and then, but I only have one full-time position open at the moment." "This might seem like a strange fit, but I don't think so, and Coach Foley doesn't." "Foley?" "Phys Ed?" "Your own physical trainer said it would even be therapeutic." "Don't mention anything about a horse," "I'll take the job." "Thanks." "As his guardian, naturally I'm concerned about him." "Naturally." "How much is Vera Smith's estate worth these days?" "Such a cynical remark for such a beautiful woman." "What really happened out there, Dana?" "Surely such a cynical girl has so me ratl o nal explanatl o n." "A cynical girl knows a good story when she hears one." "It is a good story, isn't it?" "And one that's not likely to go away quickly." "Not as long as Johnny Smith sells newspapers." "In that case, you could do me a small personal favor." "Johnny and I do not have... the closest of relationships." "I regret that." "I hope it's going to change." "But for the moment, it would be good if you could... touch base with me about him so that I know exactly how he's doing." "Why would I want to spy on him for you?" "Because you and I go back such a long way." "When they come around the net you drop your shoulder and ride 'em hard into the board!" "Keep those legs moving, Todd!" "We're Huskies!" "We don't get tired, the other team gets tired." "Your new guy." "You sure about this?" "I heard he has..." "Dave Palson knows him." "I checked him out." "He'll be fine." "Okay, offensive drills!" "No loafing!" "You must be Smith." "Yeah." "Thanks for having me, Coach." "Let's get one thing straight right from the start, eh?" "This ain't about hiring the handicapped." "I don't give a hoot about that thing there." "I need another hand with this bunch, and they tell me you know the game." "Yeah, I played a little." "Listen to you." "All-Conference defense three years in a row." "Right?" "Yeah." "Doc Cooper, Coach Smitty." "I read about you in the paper." " Nice!" " Who's that kid, Coach?" "That is my conference championship on two legs." "Todd Paley." "Just signed a letter of intent to go to Princeton." "Full scholarship." "That's his dad over there." "Todd's the best offensive player in the state." "If he'd just concentrate on his defensive skills, he might make it to the pros, but all these kids care about is scoring goals." "Damn it, Todd, make them work for it!" "Come on, Coach." "Billy made a hell of a fake." "Yeah, yeah." "Now look, he's catching you flat because you're not moving your feet." "You've got to take the body." "The puck isn't going to shoot itself in." "Mind if I try something, Coach?" "Coach Smitty, our new minister of defense." "Billy, come here." "Do me a favor... come up the wing again on the whistle?" "Give Todd your best move." "It's his job to take you out of the play." "He's going to take me out of the play?" "I don't think so." "You ever play poker, Mr. Paley?" "What does poker have to do with hockey?" "Do you?" "A few times." "Strip poker count?" "I see you play the same game of poker I did when I went to school here." " Do you know what a tell is?" " No." "A tell is a gambler's expression for the unconscious message a player looking at his cards gives you." "He'll tell you everything you need to know to win if you pay attention." "So you want me to play ice poker with Billy?" "Something like that." "Watch his hips and not his head." "That's where you'll see the tell, okay?" "You fake with the rest of the body, but you aren't going anywhere without the hips." "All right." "All right, look alive!" "Nice." "Hey, you guys all right?" " Yeah." " That's what I'm talking about." " What's the matter?" "I got an old hip pointer." "It's still a little sore." " But it worked." " Yup." "I remember how I felt when my coach taught it to me." "Get up." "I've got more tricks I want to show you." "Hey, man." "Bring back memories?" " Good morning." " Good morning." "I'd say we spent a few hours under that tree, huh?" "We spent a few years under that tree." "That was ours." "They should be paying us rent." "Oh, let's let them have it for free... in the name of school spirit." " Hey." " What?" "Is something wrong?" "See the kid under the tree?" "Todd Paley?" "Yeah, the hockey player." "I had the strangest vision about him yesterday during practice." "It was like I could see into his heart." "His actual heart?" "Is there something wrong with it?" "That's the thing..." "I don't know." "These visions don't come with footnotes." "I'm not always sure what they mean." "I'm still a rookie at this." "Hey, Coach, I heard you're subbing in history today." "Got you first period." "I want to talk to you after class." "You're in the classroom today?" "Yeah, first time in almost seven years." "Oh, wow." "Remember, they try to get away with anything when you're a sub." "Bradford..." "you've got to watch out for him." "Oh, and Greenberg." "He's a little twerp." "Greenberg is a twerp, huh?" "Good morning, everyone." "As you may have heard, Miss Rosen won't be here for the next few days." "My name is Mr. Smith." "That's just plain Smith." "S-M-l-T-H." "Now, you can call me John or you can call me Johnny or if you're more comfortable, you can call me Mr. Smith or even, "Hey, you."" " Anything but Smitty." "Can anyone tell me what chapter we're studying?" "Chapter 12." "Now, are you absolutely sure about that Mister...?" " Greenberg, sir." " Ah, Mr. Greenberg." "Because something tells me you already studied Chapter 12, which means you'd know the material, and wouldn't have to pay attention at all today." "I meant we just finished 12." "This isn't your assigned seat, is it, Mr. Greenberg?" "We actually don't have..." "Actually, it's right up there in the front, isn't it?" "Away from all the distractions like the lovely Miss Carlyle right there?" "Anyone else not in their normal seat, let's get into it." " Excuse me." " Yes?" "Wasn't there something about you in the newspaper?" "Yeah." "How do you feel about that?" "Well, I may just be your worst nightmare, people." "A substitute teacher with extrasensory perception, or maybe..." "I just checked the seating chart when I came in this morning." "Yo, Mr. Smith, do you know who's going to win the Superbowl next year?" "Uh... no." "But I can tell you who won the 100 Years War." "The question is whether or not you do, Mr. Greenberg." "Let's open up to chapter 13, okay, people?" "You must have known that hiring Johnny Smith would generate interest in the community." "He's never supposed to work again?" "He's one hell of a teacher." " You can quote me on that." " I will, thank you." "It doesn't bother you at all what you're doing to him?" "Why does everyone want to kill the messenger?" "I didn't hire him, you did, and when you did, it became news." "If I don't report it, somebody else will." "I'm all for freedom of the press, but I've got a school to run." "Sir, I... I..." "I know it doesn't look quite finished, but it's not my fault, I swear." "You won't believe what happened." "The thing is..." "See, I found this great site..." "on the internet, talking about the whole history of France and the whole French thing and it was great." "I was taking these great notes, you know?" "And I was typing it all up in my computer." "I was going to print them up before school, but when I got up, I looked behind and all the wires were chewed and..." "And the dog ate your computer?" "I was going for rats, actually." "Mr. Bradford, you're certainly very creative..." "Thank you." "Not to mention a good dancer." "But lay off the cigars and the beer, okay?" "How did he even know the reports were due today?" " Miss Rosen must've told him." " You think?" "Since Mr. Bradford brought that up, who can tell me why beer was so expensive during the Middle Ages?" "Anyone?" "Most people couldn't afford to get drunk." "Why?" "Potato famine?" "Interesting answer, Mr. Greenberg, but last time I checked, beer didn't come from potatoes." "Anyone else?" "Okay, guys, the answer tomorrow, same time, same station." "Hey, Todd, how's that hip pointer?" "It's fine." "No big deal." "Do me a favor." "Have Doc Cooper take a look at it." " I'm fine." " Just a precaution, trust me." "You don't want to walk around with one of these." "All right." "Johnny, how's it feel to be back?" "Dana, what are you doing here?" "I can't resist a human interest story." "You and I need to be friends, Johnny." "Reporters like me are going to be a part of your life now." "But only for 15 minutes, right?" "Isn't that how it works?" "You're good for at least 20 if my hunch is right." "Oh, hi." "Dana, this is Sarah." "The sheriff's wife." "I've seen you at the station house." "I cover the police beat." "And what brings you here?" "Johnny is on my beat now." "Yeah, Sarah and I used to teach here together, actually." "So I've heard." "Could I ask you a few questions about him?" "Well, you can ask all you want." "I'll see you." " My friends are very loyal." "A good reporter and her subject can be a team, Johnny." "They can help each other." "Like..." "Cosell and Ali." "Have a nice day." "Hey, Doc, you going over to the rink?" "Yeah, getting ready for tonight's game." "Can I talk to you a sec about Todd Paley?" "I've asked him to come by and see you." " What, the hip again?" " Well, yeah, but... has he ever had any other health problems?" "Just the usual bumps and scrapes." "Todd plays hard." "Why?" "Nothing else?" "Nothing like a heart problem or anything?" "Heart problems?" "Why, has he complained of any symptoms?" "Shortness of breath, numbness in th..." "No, no, no." "Oh, but you think he has heart problems." "You and I should get something straight right off the bat." "I don't believe in this psychic nonsense." "Think of me as a coach who's asking you to examine a kid with a sore hip pointer, and as the team doctor, please give him a clean bill of health before he plays tonight, okay?" "That is your job, right, sir?" "Thank you." "That girl reporter was at school today." " Reporter?" " Yeah, you know." "What's-her-name, the redhead with the big..." "Ah, Dana Bright." "How did you know what I was going to say?" "You said redhead with the big..." "But I didn't say what was big about her, and you said Dana Bright." "Girl reporter, redhead with the big..." "Come on, I'm a trained investigator." "What's she doing at school anyway?" "Another story on Johnny." "On me?" "No, sweetie, my friend Johnny." "Do you remember him?" "Yeah, the funny man with the cane." "Not him again." "Tell him to stay away from Dana Bright." "Oh?" "Yeah, she's a carnivore." "What does that mean?" "It's like the jungle, you know?" "Certain animals are meat eaters," " and certain animals are..." " Which one am I?" "Anything interesting happen at school today, JJ?" "No." "Excuse me while I go see if there's any leafy green things for me to eat." " What's wrong with her?" " Nothing." "Just the call of the wild." "You'll understand when you get older." "I hate it when you say that." "You just keep peeling your carrots, all right?" "What's this about you and Todd Paley?" " I just asked the doc..." " I know." "The doc's upset about that, Smitty, and so am I." "This is good kid." "He's strong as an ox." "If you're thinking steroids you forget it." "I take care of these kids as if they're my own." "I know, Coach." "I listened to his heart, I checked his blood pressure," "I even did an EKG." "I'm recommending him for a medal from the American Heart Association." "You come to me with something like this in the future, okay?" "Yeah." "Okay, fellas." "How's that, Coach?" "Not bad, not bad." "A win's a win." "Defense still needs work, but I'll take it." "Calhoun, you looked okay out there for a change." "We're still leaving too much of the offense to Todd, but we're going to work on that." "First win for you, Coach." "Why would you hire a man with mental problems?" "They aren't mental problems." "I've talked to his doctors." " There's absolutely no danger." " A guy who says he sees things like the future has a mental problem." "He's a great teacher." "Ask your kids." "I can't speak for the others, but I don't want him around my children." "I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" "Could I talk to you for a minute please, sir?" "Come into my office." "I think we're finished here." "The same parents were here last week complaining about the new cheerleader uniforms." "The week before that it was the school play." "I can handle them." "You may not want to after I tell you why I'm here." " Todd Paley?" " We cannot let him go back on the ice." "Because you saw something?" "We have to bring him to a specialist." "And scare the boy and his parents half to death." "Oh, man." "It's only half as bad as the alternative." "Are they always right, these things you see?" "I don't know." "It's all new to me, you know?" "I'm still trying to understand it for myself." "So it's possible you could be mistaken." "You were worried about Todd last night before the game and nothing happened." "He's fine." "I think we were very lucky." "Or you were wrong." "It's a reasonable conclusion." "Can you really trust these visions?" "You think keeping him off the ice will save his life." "Maybe, maybe not." "But I can tell you one thing it will certainly accomplish." "It will cost him his scholarship to Princeton, and blow every hope and dream this kid has out of the water." "That's awfully big price to ask someone to pay." "Especially if you're wrong." "Hey, Johnny, you're doing great." "Keep your head down when you turn and watch the puck." "Heed the still, small voice when it comes." " Mrs. Paley?" " Yes?" "My name is Smith, I'm one of Todd's coaches." "I've heard about you." "Todd's not here." "Would you mind if I come in for a moment, please?" "He's never been seriously ill in his life." "He eats right, he looks after himself." "Mrs. Paley, sometimes these things can be congenital." "My son means everything to me, Mr. Smith, and hockey means everything to my son." "I understand that, sir." "I know you're an old friend of the principal." "I wasn't one of the ones who complained when he brought you back." "Coach said you knew the game," "I said, "Fine, we'll wait and see."" "Well, we have now, and I don't understand how someone like you is allowed to walk the streets..." "Bill." "...let alone teach at our school around our kids." "You're a dangerous man, Mr. Smith." "I want you out of my house." "I made them tell me." "Come on in." "I feel fine." "I don't want you to worry." "I don't want to scare you." "Here." "So... what's it like when you see things?" "Well... it's hard to describe." "Is it like watching a movie?" "It's more like being in a movie." "Like virtual reality." "They have games like that now." "God, I hope not." "You know, with goggles you put on?" "They have them in arcades." "It's cool." "It's cool if you can take them off." "Is there any way that you could do a mind meld?" "You know, like to show me?" "If there is, I haven't figured it out yet." "So..." "What did you see... about me?" "I want to know." "Was I dead?" "Yeah." "We have to play BWC tomorrow night." "We have to beat them to get to the play-offs." "I know." "The coach from Princeton's even coming to watch." "I have to play." "My parents said that you wanted me to see some kind of specialist?" "A cardiologist." "Could it be done in time for the game?" "I think so." "He's fine." "No blockages, no apparent blood clots, no abnormal cardiac readings." "Short of invasive tests, which would be malpractice in this case," "I don't see why you can't play hockey tonight." "I told you I was fine." " Doctor, isn't it true that..." " Mr. Smith, with all due respect, you had a premonition, a hunch, whatever you call it." "I have to deal Wlth real Info rmatl o n." "I have the results of every test modern medicine is capable of giving us, and they all indicate this is one perfectly healthy young man." "It's up to him to decide what he wants to do." "I did everything you asked, Coach." "He says I'm fine." "The game starts in an hour." "We're going to be late." "Hope you win." "Welcome to Civic Arena for the final game of the season between the Eagles and the Huskies." "Thanks, Dave, for giving Princeton an early look at the Paley kid." "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Huskies!" "We've got to beat them to every loose puck." "We've got to out-hit and out-skate them." "Let's let 'em know whose rink they're in." "This is our house." "Let's go!" "One, two, three!" "I want to talk to you after the game." " Yeah, that's it!" "Hey, call it both ways!" "Come on, call it both ways!" "Come on, Todd, get those legs pumping!" "Attaboy!" "Goal scored by number 11, Todd Paley." "The Huskies have tied the game." "No goal." "No goal!" " Hey, what are you doing?" " What's he talking about?" "What's he talking about?" "No goal." "Huskies offsides." "You're crazy!" "You didn't see that." "You were over on the other side." " You've got 10." " Oh, come on!" "Get serious!" "That's it!" "That's game!" "You're out of here!" " Oh, yeah?" "!" " Get out of here!" "Your team, Coach." "Tighten it up, all right?" "Here we go." "All right, shift coming up in 30 seconds." "Heed the still small voice when it comes." " Ref, time out!" "All right, fellas, listen up." "We got to get the puck out to the left point." "We got to create traffic in front of the net." "Calhoun, center." "Todd, take a seat." "What are you talking about?" "There's 1:22 left and we're tied." "You're crazy!" "I'm playing." "Ref, a little help." "Come on, let's go." "We got a game." "Let's go." " What?" "!" " What's he doing?" "He's taking the best player out of the game." "Come on, man." "Let's get out of here." "I've had it!" "That's it." "Come on." "Dave, I wish I could explain." "I can't." " It doesn't make sense to me." " It's out of my hands now." "The school board has already called an emergency session." "I'll save them the trouble." "We both knew it wasn't going to work out." "Even before tonight." " You're a natural born teacher." " Yeah, well..." " I love to teach." " What are you going to do?" "I don't know." "That's one vision of the future I can't see." "Coach Harris said in all his years recruiting at Princeton, he'd never seen anything like it." "It's like your coach had a bet on the other team." "I can't believe my high school career ends like this." "Do you think he's going to be fired?" "He won't be showing his face around here for a long time." "Right, Todd?" "Todd." "Todd!" "Paging Dr. Mitchell to ER." "Dr. Mitchell to ER." "We found a type of paroxysmal tachycardia." "Which is an abnormality in the heart's electrical system." "Will he be all right?" "It was a moderate cardiac arrhythmia." "And he's strong." "Now, it could have been a lot worse." "Had it struck at the peak of an athletic performance, he might not have been so fortunate." "But, he should be waking up soon." "Dana's report is front page this morning." "Every reporter in the county is out here." "You're going to need some help getting to the car." " There he is!" "Johnny!" "It's okay, man." "It's going to be okay." " No." " Yes." " No." " Yes." "You're grounded."