The Adventures of Superboy (1988) s01e11 Episode Script

The Invisible People

[tires screeching]
[music continues]
[waves lapping]
[indistinct chattering]
[pleasant music]
[baby crying]
How do people live like that?
I don't believe it.
Believe it, Clark.
[crying continues]
Oh, wow.
(Lana)
What I want, T.J.
is a contrasting shot
of life around here.
What's goin' on over there?
Yeah, you got it.
It's a pleasure doing
business with you, Alex.
And I think fifteen million
is a fair price for
this property, don't you?
Well, speaking of fair price..
Is your A Street property
on the market?
I'm sorry, that building's
not for sale.
It's the first one I put up.
I have a sentimental
attachment to it.
Well, how about the, uh,
warehouse on Main Street?
Sorry, Alex.
What you're saying is, uh..
this is the only property
you're selling?
When can I expect
the deal memo?
My attorney is drawing up
the papers right now.
But remember..
there's no deal until you
take care of the contingency.
(male #1) There's
nothing that we can do.
- Can't the public help?
- Well, the public..
Listen, people have
good intentions
as long as you don't interrupt
the smooth flow of their life.
(male #2)
Fire!
[screaming]
(male #1) Everybody, grab
a bucket. Get to the ocean.
Move!
Did you see that? Those guys
just threw a firebomb.
[dramatic music]
[people screaming]
Hey!
Hey, call the fire department.
Somebody call
the fire department!
Call the fire department.
Ask them to drop by
if they're not too busy.
[whooshing]
Our food. It's ruined!
[sobbing]
Oh, God..
Alice, Alice, Alice.
It's alright.
Look, that sudden wind
saved most of our tents.
[sobbing]
How could anybody do
something so awful?
Yeah, the man on the terrace
is a big help.
That, my friends,
is Gerald Manfred.
Mr. Conglomerate.
He is the reason that
we're here homeless.
Why don't you take
your people someplace else?
There he is, my people.
He was not born to shame.
"Upon his brow,
shame is ashamed to sit."
Mr. Manfred, they lost
their food in the fire.
You've got so much, maybe
you could give some to them?
What are you doing here?
You don't look like
you belong with them.
My name is Lana Lang.
I'm researching the Palms
for the homeless
for my political science class.
Why don't you take them back
to your political
science class and feed them?
Can I quote you on that,
Mr. Manfred?
Who the hell are you?
Let's just say
I'm with the press.
T.J., get a shot
of Mr. Manfred.
[camera clicks]
If he takes another picture
of me, break his camera.
And as for food, young lady,
I'd rather feed the seagulls.
[squawking]
Our kids are starving and he's
throwing food at the gulls.
- Why do we take it?
- Damon, Damon, do something.
They're getting
out of control.
People, don't do this.
You're playing into his hands.
What are you doing?
[indistinct shouting]
(Damon) People, people, people.
Don't, don't do this. Don't..
[shouting continues]
Why arrest them?
They're just hungry.
Ha..
Well, I think I finally
removed the contingency.
[intense music]
Come on, everyone.
Let's eat.
(female #1)
Oh!
Alice, we know where Damon is,
but where is everybody else?
Where they always are at this
time. Out hunting for jobs.
Any kind of jobs,
and looking for food.
Even begging for it.
I can't imagine what it does
to your spirit to beg.
Sometimes,
you just have to.
You don't have any money
but don't you have friends
relatives, somebody
that can help?
No, none of us are
from around here.
We've come from all over
on the promise of jobs.
Obviously, you didn't get them.
Who promised these jobs?
Our savior, Mr. Manfred.
He was going to reopen
a factory.
Television sets, tape recorders,
that's what we all worked on
before the industry
went sour in America.
Why didn't he open it?
He built a factory
in Korea instead.
Ha. So much for
Made in USA.
Those of us who could,
went back home.
The rest of us
were so demoralized.
Then Damon showed up
from out of nowhere
and said we had to fight.
Make Manfred come through
with his promises.
Keep sticking his nose in it
until he makes restitution.
(child #1)
Mama.
Excuse me.
There but for the grace of God
goes everyone's mother..
or father or us.
Good to see you..
- Hey!
- Hey!
Oh, my Lord!
What is all these goodies?
Who do we owe this to?
- You guys did this?
- Yeah.
Yes, Alex.
I received the deal memo.
I'm looking at it now.
There's one thing
I don't understand
you put a cutoff date in.
Dated one week from today.
That's true,
they're still on the beach.
But I assure you..
You don't need
to remind me that
fifteen million dollars
is a lot.
I guarantee you
they'll be off the beach
before the cutoff date.
Tell Mr. Baker and Mr. Gruber
I wanna see them immediately.
They said we had
to post bond.
I said we can't afford
to post a letter.
You have to keep us
and feed us.
So they gave us a warning,
they cut us loose.
Damon, we can't put
the rest of the tents up.
The pegs blew away
or were burned.
Alright, let's form
a hunting party
and go look for anything
to make pegs out of.
Damon, when you get some time,
I'd like to talk to you about
your thoughts on
possible solutions--
How about right now, while
we're with the hunting party?
- Clark?
- You guys go ahead.
I'll stay and help them
keep an eye on things.
- Anything to avoid exercise.
- Right.
Whoa!
[laughs]
And you've been with them
for five months?
Just trying to fight
the good fight.
Why don't we try the road?
Maybe we'll have better luck.
[moans]
Anything to avoid
too much exercise?
Right.
Look, it will only
take five minutes.
Take ten.
[dramatic music]
You, come with us.
- Who?
- Police!
Irongate Protection Services?
That's pseudo police.
Leave him alone!
[music continues]
Help him!
(Damon)
Help him!
Help him, help him.
Help him!
Help him!
T.J. T.J.!
(Damon)
Help him! Help..
Oh, T.J.
The van. T.J.'s in the van!
(Lana)
Help him.
[tires screeching]
It's, uh, good
to see you all.
You wouldn't have seen anybody
if it wasn't for Superboy.
[sighs]
Suppose I, I have some
thank you cards made up.
So next time
I'm in this condition
I can send you one.
It's a deal, T.J.
Damon, they've,
they've got Damon--
I know. Take it easy.
I was wondering if you could
give me a clue as to..
We need a doctor.
Um, the first-aid station,
there's a doctor there.
Without Damon we're lost.
Can we help?
I wish you could,
I don't see how?
We've been over
every inch of this city
looking for jobs
and begging food.
We know it like
nobody else.
Of course, the balloons. I'll be
looking too. I'll be in the air.
If you see anything,
release a balloon.
Wait, they haven't
got any money.
Clark should have some.
Why is he always disappearing?
Don't worry about him.
He'll be fine.
- Feel better?
- Yeah.
Oh, I've been robbed.
- I took it to help Damon.
- That's cool.
As long as I know
it's for a good cause.
T.J., they're all looking
for Damon. Even Superboy.
He was hoping you could help.
I can.
Um, those guys who jumped us,
they tried to act like cops
but, I mean,
they missed by a mile.
They had shoulder patches..
Irongate Protective Services.
[dramatic music]
[music continues]
Damon, ha.
You and I have
a lot in common.
That's a disgusting thought.
I sure couldn't do it,
Mr. Manfred.
I'd be awake all night,
unable to sleep.
Remembering all those
hungry faces staring at me.
But after all,
business is business.
Look at you,
a beach bum.
What do you know
about business?
I have my MBA from
the University of California.
I've been vice president of
three different corporations.
Do you want me to go on?
- I caught her snooping.
- Damon!
Miss Political Science.
Put her in the back office.
Don't let her get away!
[Lana screams]
Ten thousand dollars
tax-free and it's yours.
Just move your people
away from my area.
No deal.
You know why I dropped out?
Too many of your kind.
All the lying and cheating
and ruthlessness.
But when it's called business,
it's perfectly acceptable.
[chuckling]
I tried, Damon. I tried.
But you gave me no choice.
And now the little lady
has to go with you.
Okay.
I rethought the deal.
You let Lana go,
we'll do business.
[whooshing]
I'm rethinking it too, Damon.
Once the girl is away free..
your self-righteous
morality will insist
that you keep your
people where they are.
Without you,
they'll drift away
and it won't
cost me one cent.
[shrill squeal]
I'm sorry I got you
into this. Forgive me.
I got myself into it.
[guns cocking]
[crashing]
(both)
Ah!
- Are you okay, Lana?
- I am now.
- Let's talk deal.
- Anything. Anything.
- The factory, open it!
- He broke the law.
I have to turn him
over to the police.
Suppose I don't
press charges?
Please, I'll do
anything you want.
You'll give jobs
to the people you promised?
Agreed!
Why would anybody
trust him to keep his word?
If he doesn't, we'll have
to tell the authorities
about his attempted
murder of you and Damon.
You two will be more than happy
to testify against Mr. Manfred
in order to plea bargain
for lesser offence.
You won't have to worry
about your neighbors.
The state will provide you with
a place to live, called prison.
If that thought
doesn't keep you honest
I'll be back
to ask you why.
While you're waiting for jobs,
our good and faithful friend
Mr. Gerald Manfred
will provide you
with housing.
[cheering]
- Bye-bye. Take care.
- Bye-bye.
Bye-bye.
Take care of yourself.
(all)
Bye.
- Goodbye, Alice.
- What about you?
- Is there a job for you?
- That's not my style.
I've got some
other things to do.
Goodbye, sweetheart.
Oh, for me?
Thank you.
Remember me.
I wanna thank you.
Don't thank me.
Thank T.J. and Lana.
- I-I didn't do anything.
- That's not true, Clark.
You took the first step
of the solution
to the problem
of the homeless.
What's that?
You noticed that we exist.
Take care.
Bye-bye, pretty lady.
- Take care of yourself.
- Thank you.
Yeah.
[pleasant music]
Ha.
Jane, I know you like it
a lot here at the beach.
You're gonna like it
a lot more starting today.
Your mom's got a great job.
Oh. You got
a new place to live.
Captioned by Grant Brown
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