ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS: GETTING EVEN: A WIMP'S REVENGE {FOURTEENTH SEASON FINALE} (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas intended for young audiences. In this episode, teenager Jeff Childs is repeatedly teased by bully Dewey Belasco and others at school. His young friend Bix urges him to take karate or bodybuilding lessons to defend himself, but Jeff dismisses the idea, feeling that there is something wrong with him and that Dewey will never leave him alone. Alone in his room, he works on his original comic book story, "The Revenge of the Incredible Dr. Rancid and His Youthful Assistant, Jeffrey," featuring a brilliant scientist who recruits Jeff to help him eliminate a "menace to the world," Dewey. Jeff's mother notices his unhappiness, but he declines to explain and plays a game of basketball with his dad. Later, at school, Jeff talks with Candy and spots his own name in her "slam book," noticing that it contains mostly mean comments about him. Dewey and Lana continue teasing Jeff in computer class, and in Jeff's imagination, Dr. Rancid tells him that they have taken Lana hostage and that he must save her and also destroy the dangerous slam book. He gives him a number of useful spy tools for the job, and Jeff successfully steals the book, though he is nearly caught by an alarm at the last second.
Bix defends Jeff when Dewey harasses him again, which embarrasses Jeff. Later, Bix's mother calls and asks Jeff to babysit her younger son, Fletcher, and he heads over to her house. As he plays with the little boy, Fletcher falls from a shelf and cuts his head, and Jeff hurriedly tends to him, carrying him to the emergency room when he cannot reach his own mother on the phone. While in the waiting room, he imagines saving Candy by using a freeze ray on Dewey and Lana, and a nurse tells him to go home, saying that Fletcher is fine and that he did the right thing. Mrs. Bixby soon comes by and tells Jeff's parents what happened, praising his quick thinking and cool head, and Jeff's parents are proud. Candy compliments Jeff at school as well, though Dewey mocks Jeff's obvious crush on her and is shocked when Candy stands up to him. He confronts Jeff and challenges him to a fight, saying that he has let his friends fight his battles for him and must defend himself personally. Jeff snaps at Bix when he calls him a "hero," and feigns illness and stays home from school to avoid the fight.
Rancid tells Jeff that Dewey's luck must soon run out and gives him a "demoleculizing laser ray," and when Jeff next confronts Dewey, he reduces him to a pile of sand. Jeff's parents ask about his "illness," wondering why he wants to skip school, and though Rancid praises Jeff's "defeat" of Dewey, he decides that imagination is no longer sufficient and that he is tired of Dewey's treatment in the real world. He returns to school and stands up to Dewey's mockery, deciding that it is worth it even if Dewey hurts him later. When Dewey tries to fight him on the schoolyard, Bix intervenes again and Dewey tries to beat him up, but Jeff rescues him and fights back somewhat unsuccessfully before a teacher breaks it up. Bix is thrilled at the "victory," and Jeff hopes that Dewey will now be "bored" of teasing him now that he is no longer afraid. He finally explains the story to his mother, and at school the next day, Dewey simply ignores him. Rancid commends Jeff on a job well done, and bids him farewell until they meet again.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 19, 1986 4:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:44:17
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:12727
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Teenagers; Bullying
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1974-1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Jane Startz … Executive Producer
- Howard Meltzer … Producer
- David B. Appleton … Associate Producer
- James Scott … Director
- David Hoffman … Writer
- Leslie Daryl Zerg … Writer
- Ellen Conford … Based on the book by
- Steve Horelick … Music by
- Jon Rothstein … Cast, Jeffrey Childs
- Adolph Caesar … Cast, Dr. Rancid
- Marisa Berenson … Cast, Liz Childs
- Michael Storm … Cast, Spence Childs
- Maureen Anderman … Cast, Mrs. Bixby
- Joey Grasso … Cast, Bix
- Eddie Castrodad … Cast, Dewey Belasco
- Pia Scala … Cast, Lana
- Tisha Ford … Cast, Candy Richardson
- Alexander Burgos … Cast, Danny
- Michael Sergio … Cast, Mr. Burkett
- Philip Amelio … Cast, Fletcher Bixby
- Karen MacDonald … Cast, Nurse