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"A Final Noble Act"
Unproduced Episode

Leap Date:
May 16, 1974

Teaser:

Sam is in Hawkins Home for Senior Citizens, a retirement home that is due to burn down the following night. He must fight not only to prevent the fire but to be taken seriously by his family, friends and the staff.

Place:

Sunland, California

Leap Date:

Thursday, May 16, 1974

Name of the Person Leaped Into:

Noble Burkowitz

Synopsis:

PLOT SYNOPSIS BY KELLEY MILES
A FINAL NOBLE ACT
MAY 16, 1974

Sam arrives to find himself sat in a wheelchair, with his hands limply in his lap. Rosalind Hawkins sits opposite him and Rachel Burkowitz next to him. Rachel is negotiating with Rosalind for the payment of bills for her father’s – Sam’s – residency. Sam speaks, which shocks Rachel who has not heard her father speak for some time.

Later an orderly, Victor, pushes Sam to his room and tells him that its almost “nappie time”. Rachel tearfully expresses joy at Sam’s ability to speak, but leaves to get back to work. He is left with fellow resident Burt Crossman, who identifies Sam as Noble Burkowitz and expresses concern about their neighbour Gracie Davison. Burt explains that Noble arrived in 1972 with his wife Claire, who passed away, leading to the onset of Alzheimer’s. Al arrives, and fills in some blanks, telling Sam that he hasn’t spoken for over 16 months. Burt talks about other residents and makes it clear he does not like the manager, Rosalind, or her lawyer son. Victor returns, this time with a Nurse, Juliet, who repeats that it’s “nappie time”. Burt leaves, closely followed by Al when he realises that it’s time for Sam to have his diaper changed.

Later, in the TV room, a number of the residents watch Days of Our Lives. Burt enters, presenting a standing Sam for their friends’ reactions (which is somewhat understated). Libby Wilde comes in behind them with her great-grandson, who then leaves. Libby is somehow able to see Sam for who he really is. Soon after, Al returns to tell Sam his mission: Saving the residents of Hawkins from an arson attack that is due to kill them all the following night which Rosalind and her son are convicted of. This doesn’t make sense to Sam, as the home is clearly lucrative for them. Al explains that the residents’ life insurance policies have been signed over, and they stand to earn over two million dollars from the deaths.

At the dining room, Sam sits eating with Gracie and the others as they discuss the contents of the soup – and the events on The Waltons. Sam presses and is able to find out that the life insurance policies were signed over voluntarily, on the promise that Rosalind would sink the funds back into the home so the others could benefit.

Later that night Sam and Al bemoan the residents’ unquestioning support of Rosalind, and Sam goes to bed. A little later, Sam is awoken by sobbing, and he goes to find Gracie, who is sat whimpering on the floor. She talks about half-memories of a beautiful little boy; Sam finds a photo of a man in his thirties, and he asks Gracie if that’s him, but she recoils and exclaims that it’s not. He finds another photo, with the words ‘Steven, Age 10, Summer 1945’ handwritten on the back. This one, she recognises. Just then, Libby arrives and asks who Sam is.

Soon after, Sam and Libby talk in his room. Libby admits she wondered if he was a demonic possession, but was impressed by what he did for Gracie. She shares some of her own background, and says that now she believes Sam is an angel. He tries to correct her, and shares the information about the fire.

The following day, Sam and Rachel meet again with Rosalind, this time with her son. He tries to have Sam list his assets, which Sam refuses to do – Rachel, struggling financially, tries to encourage him to work with the Hawkins family. Rosalind and her son Robert explain that signing over life insurance works out best for all the residents, who receive low cost care on the basis that they will ‘pay’ after they pass away.

A little later, Sam looks for Libby, and finds her in the Rec Room. He helps Diane set up for her exercise class and then meets Libby and suggests they take a walk. They end up back at his room, where he tries to call the police, but Libby explains that all calls go through the receptionist. He tries anyway, but the receptionist says she needs to check with Rosalind first. Sam and Libby leave on foot instead, and run for a bus – Victor spots them and chases, but misses them by moments.

At the police station, Sam bemoans having had to wait for over an hour. Eventually they are shown into an office… where Rosalind and Victor are waiting to take them back, having reported them as runaways. Sam resists, leading to a struggle which ends when Victor sedates him.

Hours later, Sam is woken by Al, banging on a holographic steel pot. Sam sneaks around the home and gets to the Rec Room, where he finds Libby… who is well prepared, with a collection of fire extinguishers. They hear a noise and go to the kitchen where they find stoves that have been left on. They also find Gracie’s son Stevie Hawkins, who blames Diane for the idea, as a way to try and get Gracie’s money in inheritance before she gave it all away to charities. Other residents, woken by the commotion, arrive – Gracie sees Stevie and pronounces “That’s not Stevie you know. My Stevie is dead.”

Libby asks Sam to “put in a good word upstairs for this old woman”. Sam smiles, telling her “I don’t see any old woman”. And he leaps.

Project Trivia:

Libby Wilde can see Sam for who he really is. This is the first time in the show’s history that an adult (who might be taken more seriously than a young child, such as in Another Mother) can.

Sam Trivia:

Sam says “oh boy” when he realises he’s an old man.

Al Trivia:

As with her previous script, Kelley Miles refers to Al’s “handheld computer”. It’s capable of making his voice sound like either of Sam’s parents.

Miscellaneous Trivia:

This is an unproduced episode considered for production during season two.

Say What?

Sam is restricted by Noble’s physical ailments. By this point in the show’s history we knew that this should not be the case as Sam would also have been blind in Blind Faith. Later in the series we do start to see some bleed through of conditions, such as in Trilogy Part II and Trilogy Part III.

How does Sam know that Golden Years Convalescent Rest Home isn’t a nice place?

What happens after Sam leaves and Noble goes back to being mute?

Quotable Quotes:

“Put in a good word upstairs for this old woman.”
“I don’t see any old woman.”

Production Credits:

Written by: Kelley Miles