NARRATOR: That was the scene in California 's Mojave Desert, five years ago.
Our historic first view of the Newcomers' ship.
Theirs was a slave ship, carrying a quarter-million beings...
bred to adapt and labor in any environment.
But they've washed ashore on Earth...
with no way to get back to where they came from.
And in the last five years, the Newcomers have become the latest addition...
to the population of Los Angeles.
RALPH: Clara? Are you coming?
CLARA: Have some more tea. l'll be out in a moment.
When l saw your picture, l had to meet you.
RALPH: Are you really that beautiful? CLARA: You can judge for yourself.
CLARA: Are you ready? RALPH: Yes.
Clara, so beautiful.
l love you, Clara.
Clara? ls that you?
Leonard, you said that you would have this room...
painted by the end of the week, last week.
l'm sorry, Mr. Francisco, it's just that...
whoever painted here last, didn't know what they were doing.
Roland and l have had to spend all our time just spackling and priming.
All of what time? You haven't been here for three days.
lt's one thing after another, Mr. Francisco. You see, l'm trying to finish art school.
l had to prepare an exhibit for my master's degree.
Someone stole two paintings out of my truck...
and on top of that l've had finals.
l can't have this, Leonard, this disorder. lt's been a month.
Mr. Francisco, l promise we'll be out of here next week.
-Elek nos valen. -l have to get to work.
Celine!
Sorry l'm late, George, the traffic was terrible.
What did the doctor say?
The sefu is fine. l'm in my second week of incubation.
GEORGE: l could've told him that. Your scent....
l wish l didn't have to go to work.
-George. -What?
lt's not me, it's the razviti hormone.
You men get one whiff and you go wild.
-Yes, we do. -You better go.
LEONARD: That's a beautiful dress, Mrs. Francisco.
Thank you, Leonard.
Did you know Leonard's an artist? He's very good.
l'd love to paint you, Mrs. Francisco.
Oh! Well, thank you, Leonard.
Why don't you paint the house first, Leonard?
Leonard, l have to move that drafting table upstairs.
l'll help you.
George, you've to go to work, you're late.
Don't worry, Mr. Francisco, we'll take good care of your wife.
You better make sure they put in a good day's work.
l'll be home early.
-lt's called jealousy, George. -lt is not jealousy.
lt's biology.
The Tenctonese female in her first quarter of pregnancy...
gives off a scent that makes her extremely desirable to the Tenctonese male.
l.e. all these other guys want to jump in the sack with your wife.
You're jealous, George. Face it. Hey, listen...
l just bought this great Three Stooges tape, all the best shorts.
You wanna come over tonight and watch it?
-Three Stooges? -Yeah, Larry, Moe and Curly.
[lmitating Three Stooges]
''Come here, porcupine, l'll murder you.''
l'm going home early.
George, you can't let a woman control your life.
Thank you, Matt. When l want your advice, l'll ask for it.
MATT: Roscoe, what have we got? DR. TAMAYO: lt's all there.
Ralph Emerson...
simultaneous puncture wounds to both hearts, death was instantaneous.
Tissue and blood samples show...
that the victim ingested a large amount of Sardonac shortly before death.
Examination of the genitals show recent sexual intercourse.
That's the same M.O. as the guy last week, what was his name?
-Alex Bell. -Yeah.
Just like this guy, huh? Pickled in that love potion.
Sardonac is no joke. lt creates a tremendous attraction.
When a Tenctonese has sex under its influence...
he or she is bonded, physically and emotionally.
Yeah. Did you and Susan do that?
That is none of your business. No, we didn't.
-Anything else? -Oh, yeah.
They found these on the body.
Wallet...
driver's license, about $200 in cash, it wasn't a robbery.
Here's something.
''Nu-Mate Computer Dating Service.''
JOHNNY: Ralph Emerson was a client, but l never met him personally.
See, everything here is done electronically.
We're a bulletin-board operation...
clients talk to each other via our computer.
-We're very Earth here, very modern. -What do you mean?
Traditionally, Tenctonese do not search for mates.
We feel a sense of rowkah, what you would call predestination.
But that leaves so much to chance. This is scientific.
Nu-Mate, new way.
Look, say l wanted a date, how do l see what l'm getting?
-Do you? -What?
Want a date.
Many of our Tenctonese women really like human men.
-l manage okay, thanks, Mr. Appleseed. -Johnny.
We fax our clients their date's picture so they know exactly what they're getting.
JOHNNY: l notice you're wearing a wedding ring.
-Happy? -Very, thank you.
Look, can you tell us who Ralph Emerson dated?
Easy.
JOHNNY: He went out with Miss Clara Bow just last night.
Bingo. What have you got on this Clara Bow?
JOHNNY: Busy lady. Three different men in the last two weeks.
Under type of male she prefers, she lists:
tall, muscular, thactazoid spotting....
We'd like a print-out of that plus information on her dates.
No problem.
-And a picture of Ms. Bow. -No problem.
A real looker, huh?
MATT: Hey, George, get this, Alex Bell's on the same list as Emerson.
George?
-Alex Bell? -The D.B., our other stiff.
-What's the matter with you? -Nothing.
Dating is such a bizarre concept.
You and your ex-wife, didn't you feel predestined?
No, George, cursed.
JENNY: Yes. Just a minute. GEORGE: Cursed, that's very funny.
-We're looking for Clara Bow. -She's not here.
l'm Jenny Moffat. l clean for her part-time.
Yeah, well, we got a search warrant. Excuse me.
We....
We'd like to ask Ms. Bow a couple of questions.
MATT: When will she be back? JENNY: l don't know.
-She at work? What? -l don't know.
Am l making myself understood here?
You want this in Tenctonese? George.
Hey, George.
About six months. Before that l was in the rehabilitation center.
JENNY: You see, when our slave ship crashed...
l was near the engine room. l was burned.
What can you tell us about Ms. Bow?
JENNY: Well, not very much. She's rarely at home.
She usually leaves my money on the dresser.
She's usually very generous.
MATT: When did you see her last?
A few days ago. She was packing an overnight bag.
-Did she say where she was going? -No.
MATT: You know, if you're covering up for this woman...
if you're protecting her, you could get in a lot of trouble.
JENNY: l really don't know.
-George, you find anything? -No.
Hey, George, you skip breakfast? You're acting weird.
''The face that launched a thousand ships.''
Helen of Troy.
For a Tenctonese, Clara Bow has that face.
Whatever you say.
l'm putting an APB on her plus a 24-hour surveillance.
There's one other guy she dated, let's check him out.
A guy named Ted Healy.
TED: No, l haven't seen Clara.
l'm worried about her. ls she okay? Has anything happened to her?
Not as far as we know.
Mr. Healy, two men who dated Clara Bow have been murdered.
TED: Murdered? GEORGE: That's right, Ted.
-You don't think it was Clara? -No, l'm sure she's a regular Girl Scout.
-Hey, you watch your mouth! -Take it easy.
Don't you say anything against her, anything.
-Hey! -Matt, no.
lt's all right. We are not accusing her of anything.
She's not just beautiful, she's got a soul.
-Did you Sardonac with her? -No.
When's the last time you saw her?
About two weeks ago.
l've been calling every day since then. There's no answer.
-l'm worried. l can't eat, l can't sleep. -Come on, George, let's go.
lf you want police protection, l can arrange it.
No, l'm not afraid. l just want to see her again.
STOOGE 1 : Take this bat. STOOGE 2: Where'll l put it?
STOOGE 1 : No, take the bat.
Here, watch this.
STOOGE 2: l got it. Now what'll l do with it?
STOOGE 1 : Stay down!
-What? -l don't understand it.
What's to understand? lt's funny.
He scraped a saw across his forehead!
-l love it. -lt could've hurt him.
Nobody gets hurt. lt's.... Look what happened to the saw.
Why is the dark-haired one so mean to his friends?
Moe. That's just the way he is.
Just go with this. Try to enjoy it.
He's hitting them and poking them. ln the eyes!
Cathy, it's make-believe. You just....
l don't understand why anyone would hire them as carpenters.
They're totally incompetent, and they're destroying the house.
And the language.
Do you know what ''nyuk, nyuk, nyuk'' means in Tenctonese?
Look...
l'm trying to share something special with you.
lf you can't appreciate it, just forget it.
l'm trying, Matt. lt's just not funny.
How can you say that's not funny?
What's your idea of funny?
l rented a tape of Herbie, the Love Bug, l thought that was very funny.
-With Dean Jones and Buddy Hatchet. -Herbie, the Love Bug?
Remember at the end, when the car is separated in two--
That's not funny, that's stupid. That's for kids.
And this is for adults?
l should've known. You're from outer space.
How could l expect you to have a sense of humor?
l have a sense of humor.
l just don't have your sense of humor.
Excuse me.
l think l'll go home and read a book.
The body was found by a lifeguard washed up next to the Santa Monica pier.
Clearly it's a Newcomer. You know how they react to salt water.
MATT: Grazer said we got a new D.B., a real stinker.
DR. TAMAYO: And gentlemen, we've got this.
The victim's car was found at the scene.
That and personal lD clearly identify the body as Ted Healy.
And the spinal structure definitely indicates a male.
Now there was massive destruction of tissue due to contact with salt water...
and l don't have any chest cavity to examine...
but the clothes reveal double puncture wounds, presumably to the hearts.
Just like Alex Bell and Ralph Emerson.
You surprised? We gotta find this Clara Bow.
-Thanks a lot, Doc. -Wait.
-Was he Sardonacked? -l can't tell.
We don't have the diagnostic equipment to scan for Sardonac...
not even to run a few standard tests.
DR. TAMAYO: We'll have to send the remains to UCLA.
You do that.
Come on, George, l wanna get my appetite back before lunch.
Surveillance detail says Clara's a no-show.
She's gotta pop up. She can't exactly go south of the border and disappear.
l'm not convinced she's the murderer.
-Of course it's her. -There's no motive.
George, it's a classic, the black widow.
First she mates, then she kills. l know, l've dated a couple.
Clara Bow is not an arachnid.
-A what? -A spider.
You know, George, it's not your brain you're thinking with here...
it's a whole other organ.
-What does that mean? -You got the hots for her.
l will not even dignify that with a reply.
What are you doing?
We have a warrant to access the computer at Nu-Mate Dating Service.
l'm placing a snitch in their system that will signal us if Clara Bow taps in.
Okay, good. That's good, George.
Susan. Hi, l'm home.
Susan?
Buck.
-Buck. -Hi, Dad.
Where is everyone?
Em's at Jill's, and l don't know where Mom is.
She wasn't here when you got home from school?
Uh-uh.
lt's after 7:00. Did Leonard say anything?
That artiste who has been painting our house for the past month?
No, he wasn't here either.
-Maybe she had a doctor appointment. -She had that yesterday.
Could be that she went shopping for the nursery.
-We need a new harness for the pod. -No, she already ordered that.
Oh, you beat me home.
-Hi, Buck. -Hi, Mom.
-What lovely flowers. -These are for you.
Oh, George, thank you.
So, you're home late.
l was driving along and all of a sudden found myself headed for Palm Springs.
l'm gonna put these in water.
You went to Palm Springs?
lt was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, l felt wonderful.
Blame it on the pregnancy. l just felt like getting some natural UV.
l thought you might be over at Leonard's having your portrait done.
No.
-What should we fix for dinner? -The left-over weasel is fine.
So, you went to Palm Springs alone?
Uh-huh.
-l could open a can of marmot. -Yes. All right.
-So how is Leonard? -l didn't see him.
You know, George, he's very talented.
l think we should buy one of his paintings.
Oh, you found it.
Your purse fell over, these things jumped out.
l was just putting them back in.
lt was going to be a surprise. l bought it in Palm Springs.
The stone is real agate. Do you like it?
Yes, it's very nice.
Thank you.
-Hi. -Matt.
Look, l thought maybe we could try it again.
Did you ever hear of W.C. Fields?
DANlEL: Hey, Cathy. CATHY: Just a minute, Daniel.
-Sorry, l thought you were alone. -This is Daniel, Daniel Webster.
CATHY: Daniel, this is Matt Sikes. DANlEL: Hi, there.
Well, obviously you're busy, some other time.
CATHY: Are you all right? MATT: Fine.
Wait.
-You seem angry. -l'm not angry.
-ls it because of Daniel? -No, l'm sure he's a great guy.
Matt, l'm confused.
Often, you act like you don't really like me...
and now you seem angry because l'm with someone else.
Look, everything's fine. Just fine.
Maybe you're looking for a different type of relationship.
-Something more intimate? -No.
Why do you ask me things like that?
People don't talk about relationships, they just have them.
Oh?
But if l was gonna have a relationship, you know what l'd want?
l'd want someone you could count on.
Someone who's there, someone you could....
Who's not off doing other things.
Oh.
l'm talking hypothetically, of course.
-You understand? -No.
l didn't think so.
l'm driving down Broadway...
woman runs a light, almost hits me, she didn't even see me.
Didn't even look. Why do they let them drive?
Matt, l've done a terrible thing.
-Good, it's about time. -l'm serious.
-l betrayed Susan. -Yeah? With who?
l betrayed her trust.
-l went through her purse. -Oh, my God!
l thought she was with another man.
You're a real ping pong, George.
One minute you're hot after another woman...
next minute you're worried your wife's sleeping around.
-ls she? -No.
What is important is this breach of faith, l didn't even trust my own wife.
Get real, George.
l know women. They'll lie, they'll cheat on you.
l told you before you're jealous, and you probably got good reason.
You should've given Susan a dose of Sardonac.
l'm fearful, l admit that, but l am not jealous.
-You're jealous. -No.
-Jealous. -No.
l'm afraid. But not for reasons you would understand.
On the ship, we didn't choose our own mates, the overseers did.
Susan and l were no exception, but we were lucky.
We fell in love after we were paired.
Our love is strong. lt's real. l know that.
But l've often wondered, if Susan had had the choice...
to begin with, would she have picked me?
l'm afraid, Matt. l'm not jealous.
[Computer beeping]
What?
My scan on the dating service computer. Clara Bow has made another date.
This man, Marvin Gardens.
Clara?
CLARA: Have some more tea. l'll just be a moment, Marvin.
[Banging on door]
MATT: Police, open up! MARVlN: Go away.
Leave us alone.
MARVlN: Go away! MATT: Freeze, don't move!
Stay there. Put your hands on top of your head.
-l'm Marv. -Shut up.
We lost her, Matt.
Matt, what a beautiful name.
Don't move!
-George, what the hell is this? -Sardonac.
l think he's bonded to you.
-He's what? -Matt.
This was your first encounter with Ms. Bow?
-Ms. Bow? -The woman in the hotel room, remember?
You have such a forceful voice, Matt.
Don't talk to me that way, just answer the question.
DOBBS: Hey, what's going on?
He's ingested Sardonac. He has bonded to Matt.
-lt's none of his business. -Bonded, whoa.
You wanna take a hike, Dobbs? Thank you.
GEORGE: Mr. Gardens, when you spoke with Ms. Bow...
did she give you any indication where she might be staying?
We didn't speak much. She was in the bedroom the whole night.
You know, Matt, l like women, but l find you very compelling.
Cut that out or l'm gonna break your jaw.
l mean it. l mean it.
GEORGE: Matt, please, be patient. lt's the Sardonac.
Sikes, am l gonna be hearing wedding bells soon?
-ls he making fun of you? -No, l just respect true love.
-Don't ever laugh at Matt. -lf he wants to laugh at me, let him.
-You're a very forgiving person, Matt. -Sit down!
And call me Sergeant.
l think l'll leave these two lovebirds alone.
Look, l want some answers.
You say you never saw this woman...
yet you go to a hotel and you drink this Sardonac stuff...
so that you can bond, or whatever you call it, with a perfect stranger?
l don't remember anything about Sardonac, Matt.
l mean, Sergeant.
She must've put it in his tea without him knowing.
So there's nothing you can tell us about Clara Bow?
She's a face in a picture, that's all.
l'm interested in someone much more real.
Enough! l've heard enough!
-Mr. Gardens, you can go. -l'd like to stay.
Go! Out! Now!
Now!
He cares very much for you.
GEORGE: Hmm.
What?
MATT: ''Height: 6'1 '', weight: 180 lb., spotting: thactazoid.'' What....
l'm trying to arrange a date with Clara Bow.
l'm accessing Nu-Mate's computer...
registering as a single male, meeting Ms. Bow's requirements.
Another good idea, George.
Just remember, she's a suspect and you're a cop.
Oh, great! Just great, l don't believe this.
How'd you know where to find me?
l took your laundry ticket. lt was on your desk.
-Who let you in? -l helped a woman with her groceries.
-Well, you're out of here right now. -Matt, please.
Don't call me that. Cathy, wait!
-What is it, Matt? -She called you Matt.
Look, you gotta help me.
This guy drank some Sardonac and l can't get rid of him.
ls this a joke? You two drank Sardonac together?
-Not together, he drank it. -Well, he's bonded to you then.
l know that! [Whispering] How do l get rid of him?
Well, you should've thought of that before you gave him the Sardonac.
Don't yell at him.
l didn't give it to him. l don't even know this guy.
Look, Cathy, it happened at work.
l busted into a hotel room, he'd just taken a dose of the stuff...
and looked at me and whammo.
l see.
He drank the Sardonac and you were the first person he saw.
What's so funny?
Oh, Matt, he's perfect for you. He's exactly what you wanted.
He's available, he'll laugh when you want him to...
he's someone you can control.
-Thanks a heap for the help. -Matt, wait, l'm sorry.
Tell me, you haven't had sex with him yet, have you?
-Not yet. -Shut up!
-No, l haven't had sex with him. -Good, that's good.
As long as you don't have sex with him, it's okay.
Okay? What's okay?
Well, if the person doesn't have sex with the individual he...
or she is bonded to, the effects of Sardonac wear off...
in about a month.
A month?
But if the person does have sex...
they're bonded in eternal monogamy.
l'd try to avoid too much intimate contact, if l were you.
-Good night, Matt. -Cathy.
[Cathy laughing]
She's very attractive. Have you known her long?
l want you to go home.
Can l just come in a minute? l'd like a drink of water.
Look, you like me, right?
-You want to make me happy? -More than anything.
l'd be really happy if you went home now.
-You're sure? -l'd be ecstatic.
Well, then l guess it's good night.
See you.
[Door closing]
[Moaning]
Clara !
No!
SUSAN: George, you had a nightmare.
What was it?
Police business, a shootout.
-lt seemed so real. -Neemu, lie down.
Susan, l've been thinking...
maybe it'd be a good idea if we Sardonac.
Sardonac? Why?
l love you and l want to reaffirm that, reaffirm us.
l know you love me, George. Let's go to sleep.
Susan, l just think that we should make this commitment to one another.
-We already made a commitment. -l still think it would be a good idea.
George, what has gotten into you? We discussed this years ago.
We decided to love each other freely.
Why are you so resistant? l just want us to be happy.
-We are happy. -But you're not willing to Sardonac.
Do you want an out from our relationship, is that it?
No! l just want to have free will.
Don't twist this.
Perhaps there's something you're not telling me.
George, stop it. l love you, but l won't do Sardonac.
Sardonac is slavery, George. We're not slaves.
We have to accept every aspect of our freedom.
Good night.
MATT: What the hell are you doing here? MARVlN: l brought you a present.
l don't want any presents.
DOBBS: You're a heartbreaker, Sikes. MARVlN: They're argyles.
They really bring out the color in your eyes.
Dobbs, l'm warning you.
-You're out of here, now. -Can l watch you work?
-l won't bother you. -No.
Sikes, don't be so rough on the guy.
Look, you gotta understand something. Don't look at me that way.
l'm gonna try to be reasonable, but you gotta listen to me.
-You and me, it can't work out. -Why?
You've got a chemical inside your body. What you're feeling isn't real.
l've never felt so real.
This won't work out, believe me.
-What am l saying? -lt can work out if we try.
We're not gonna try, Marvin. lt's over, finito benito. lt never was.
-Can't we at least try to be friends? -No.
Look, Marvin, for a Tenctonese, you're not a bad-looking guy.
You got a good personality, you're generous.
Look, in a couple of weeks, you'll find someone else, you'll forget all about me.
-Okay? -What can l say?
You've made it clear there's nothing l can do.
Of course, l'm disappointed.
Very disappointed.
[Phone ringing]
Detective Sikes.
Yeah? Great.
Thanks.
That was a patrolman out at Rampart.
Our APB on Clara Bow, he thinks he spotted her in Bradley Park.
Let's split up, we'll have a better chance.
GEORGE: Ms. Bow!
Ms. Bow, stop!
Stay away from me. What do you want from me?
-l'm a police officer. -Police?
You're under arrest, Ms. Bow.
Why do you call me that? My name is Bovary, Emma Bovary.
See, Bovary, Emma Bovary.
What do you want with me?
My agent says she's never seen a model take off like l have.
You remember Christie Brinkley? She says l'll be bigger than she ever was.
MATT: Ms. Bovary checks out. She's been in Paris for the last month.
MATT: Someone's been using her picture. EMMA: l did the St. Laurent fall line.
And the Kleins came to see the show.
Calvin practically begged me to come back to New York. lt was embarrassing.
GEORGE: But why did you run away from me?
l get hassled all the time by men.
l was at George Hamilton's last night and l told him that very same thing.
You know, he knew exactly what l meant.
You wouldn't believe how good George looks and such a sweet man.
EMMA: He promised he'd help me any way he can.
Well, thank you, Ms. Bovary.
l'm sorry if we've caused you any inconvenience.
You know, l don't think l've ever been in a police station before.
Except for once in the south of France...
l was with this Count or this Duke or something...
anyway he was wild for me.
-We were in the hills above Monte Carlo-- -Thank you, Ms. Bovary.
Sure, any time. Au revoir.
-What a bumbo. -Bimbo.
[Phone ringing]
Hey, George, your undercover line.
Yes, hello?
CLARA: Hello, this is Clara Bow. ls this George Drum?
-Yes, this is George. -l'd like to meet you, George.
-l'd like to meet you too, Clara. -l'll be at the Rose Hotel.
Room 101, tonight at 7.:00. Can you come?
Yes, l'll be there and thank you.
Goodbye.
Well, l got the results back from UCLA.
That body wasn't Ted Healy's...
but somebody sure wanted you to think it was.
GEORGE: Ted's still alive, and l'm sure he was Sardonacked.
A murder, so Ted could disappear.
You've been wanting a motive on this, George.
l think l got one.
Sardonac can make someone jealous enough to kill.
[Knocking on door]
Clara?
GEORGE: Clara? CLARA: l'll be out in a moment.
Have some tea. Make yourself comfortable.
-You like the tea? -Yes, very much.
-Clara? -l'm coming.
How do l look?
You look lovely, Jenny.
Look at me.
Where did you get this?
l worked at a modeling agency, bookkeeping.
-l took it. -You made up Clara Bow.
You bring in men with the picture...
you Sardonac them and you make love to them.
Men are dead, Jenny, men you drugged.
-l didn't hurt anyone. l didn't kill anyone. -Yes, l believe you.
Do you remember Ted Healy?
He was the first man you met through Nu-Mate.
-Yes. -We believe he faked his own death.
We think the Sardonac has made him so jealous...
he will murder anyone he sees you with.
l never meant for anything like that to happen.
You don't know what it's like...
living with this face...
this body.
But you had Ted.
-Why the others? -He wasn't enough.
l used to be so beautiful.
Men loved me. l could have anyone l wanted.
But after the crash, when this happened to me...
no man would touch me.
l walk down the streets...
people stare at me, children point.
l'm sorry.
l just want things back the way they used to be.
[Ted grunting]
Freeze!
No!
GEORGE: Are you all right?
[Matt groaning]
He's alive.
1-William, 1-52. We have an officer-involved shooting.
Ambulance needed for Newcomer at Normandie and 26th.
OPERATOR: Roger 1-52.
-Where'd you come from? -l followed you. l worry about you.
Well, hey, Marv, thanks.
l'm sorry. l'm so sorry.
Clara...
l love you.
-l'm sorry l'm so late. -Neemu, your shoulder.
lt's not serious. lt is not serious.
The kids are both sleeping over at friends.
-l have a surprise. -What?
-Sardonac? -lf it means that much to you....
Susan, l love you.
George!
When we were paired, we had no choice.
But because we love each other so much...
we must always have a choice.
Freedom is difficult, but it's better than the alternative.
So much better.
[Moaning]
-Hi. -Hi.
-You busy? -Just paying some bills.
-Oh, what happened? -Oh, serious wound.
-l don't have much time left.... -Come on in.
l thought maybe you might wanna watch a tape with me.
That T.C. Fields you mentioned?
W.C. Fields. No, this is Herbie, The Love Bug.
l thought you hated that movie.
Well, someone l respect gave it a good review.
l thought l ought to reevaluate it.
Okay.
www.moviecatalog.info