INCREDIBLE HULK, THE: MARRIED {SEASON TWO PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of science fiction dramas about the subject of an accidental overdose of radiation, Dr. David Bruce Banner, who turns into a hulking green creature when he grows enraged and must elude a zealous reporter named Jack McGee. David travels to Hawaii to seek out Dr. Carolyn Fields, a psychiatrist and expert in the field of hypnosis, whom he believes can help him use hypnotherapeutic techniques to help him control the Hulk. However, he finds her just as she is leaving her institute, and soon discovers why: she is suffering from a terminal illness similar to Lou Gehrig's Disease, leaving her with only a few weeks left to live. He finds her at her home as she attempts to use hypnosis on herself in order to bolster her resistance to the disease, but instead she suffers a seizure and David is able to revive her in time. After learning that his former work in genetics was instrumental in Carolyn's research, he reveals his true identity to her and tells her about his transformations into the Hulk. He offers to help her combat the disease, and starts by identifying a substance in her body which appears to be inhibiting her mitochondria. She explains that by using metaphorical visualizations, she believes she can use hypnosis to help stave off the substance attacking her cells. Carolyn offers to use her hypnosis to help David control the Hulk. David agrees, but is afraid that during the course of the hypnosis the Hulk might emerge and put her in danger. Carolyn puts David into a hypnotic trance and asks him to recall the events which led to his initial transformation into the Hulk, asking him to focus on his few moments of consciousness, viewing the situation in his mind as an objective observer. He remains calm until she asks him to recall the death of his wife and his inability to save her, which proves to be too much for him to handle. He transforms into the Hulk and storms out of Carolyn's house, scaring away a luau in the process. She eventually finds him as he transforms back into David Banner. As the two of them clean up the wreckage in her home, she notices that some cuts sustained by David earlier have almost completely healed, and he explains that while transformed he experiences heightened metabolism and cellular regeneration. She gets the idea to obtain a tissue sample from the Hulk and use these regenerative properties to help counteract her own cellular degeneration; she believes that once they have both learned to control the transformations they may both be restored to normal. Under Carolyn's hypnosis, David enters a barren mental landscape in which to "battle" the Hulk. In his mind he attempts to trap it beneath a strong rope net, but the Hulk easily escapes. Carolyn awakens David and assures him that although he failed in this attempt, it will allow him to try again later with better results. As time passes David and Carolyn grow close, and David is concerned when she starts suffering from seizures again. Jack McGee arrives in response to the recent sighting of the Hulk, but Carolyn sends him away to protect David. They engage in another hypnosis session, and in David's mind he tries to contain the Hulk in a metal cage. The Hulk escapes, but Carolyn notes that it took him longer to escape this time, indicating that they are making progress. Carolyn continues to use self-hypnosis to try to improve her condition, and she is confident that it is working. She and David talk to each other about her regret over never having children and about their views on life and death. However, Carolyn's outlook changes when her pathology report gets back from the lab; it states that her disease has entered an advanced state more quickly than she had anticipated. David returns to the house from grocery shopping to find Carolyn gone, and sees the results for himself. Carolyn speeds off to a club and starts drinking, eventually falling in with a fellow named Brad, who takes an interest in her. David tries to track her down and eventually finds her at Brad's place, where they and another couple are relaxing. David enters just as Carolyn experiences another seizure, and is beat up by Brad and his friend when he tries to take her home. Enraged, he transforms into the Hulk and smashes up the house, taking Carolyn to a safe distance. Carolyn awakens just as the Hulk transforms back into David, and they spend the night together in Carolyn's bed. David awakens the next morning to find Carolyn playing with a boy often found on the beach near her house. He watches them, and Carolyn grows wistful. David asks her to marry him, despite the probable limited time they will have together. They admit that they love each other and are married in a small ceremony. Afterwards they return to their efforts to control the Hulk. David makes more progress than last time by imprisoning the Hulk inside a vault in his mind, but it is able to break free nonetheless. David devises a drug to help slow the advance of Carolyn's disease, and she continues to use her hypnosis techniques to try to bolster her immune system. One morning she finds the boy from earlier drowning, and she and David rush to save him. The boy is brought to a hospital and successfully recovers, but David is worried that the exertion may have been detrimental to Carolyn's condition. That night, David lays in bed with Carolyn, dreaming about their recent progress and about Carolyn and his first wife. In his dreams, he has a confrontation with the Hulk, but afterwards his dream takes a darker turn as he recalls Laura's death, and has a nightmare about Carolyn being taken away by the Grim Reaper. This disturbs him so much that he wakes up and transforms into the Hulk again. Carolyn calms him down and takes the opportunity to get a skin sample from the Hulk, and manages to prevent him from retaliating against her. The next morning Carolyn starts experimenting with the tissue sample and David realizes what has happened. He notices that Carolyn is exhibiting erratic behavior and is getting pale. A hurricane hits the island just as David completes his experiment and says that they may be able to properly fight the disease in a hospital environment. The two of them try to drive to the hospital in the middle of the hurricane, but Carolyn's symptoms intensify and she starts writhing in pain. Finally it proves to be too much and she leaps out of the car, running off into the deserted streets in the pouring rain. David runs after her, trying to get her to come back. His way is blocked off by a downed electrical transformer and he transforms into the Hulk to catch up with her. However, it is too late: she says goodbye to him and dies in his arms. The storm subsides as the Hulk transforms back into David, still holding Carolyn's body. At the now-devastated beach beside Carolyn's home, David mourns her death and is offered a small degree of comfort from the boy she saved, who states that he wants to grow up to be a doctor like her. The boy leaves David alone on the beach, still grieving for Carolyn. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: September 22, 1978 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:37:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:82507
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Scientists; Comic books
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1977-1982
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Kenneth Johnson … Executive Producer, Director, Developed by, Writer
- Chuck Bowman … Supervising Producer
- Nicholas Corea … Producer
- James G. Hirsch … Producer
- Stephen P. Caldwell … Associate Producer
- Joseph Harnell … Music by
- Bill Bixby … Cast, Dr. David Bruce Banner
- Jack Colvin … Cast, Jack McGee
- Lou Ferrigno … Cast, The Hulk
- Mariette Hartley … Cast, Dr. Carolyn Fields
- Brian Cutler … Cast, Brad
- Diane Markoff … Cast, The Girl
- Duncan Gamble … Cast, Mark
- Meeno Peluce … Cast, The Boy
- Rosalind Chao … Cast, Receptionist
- Russ Grieve … Cast, Conservative Man
- Nat Jones … Cast, 1st Messenger
- Russell Takaki … Cast, 2nd Messenger