《Time Enough at Last [Comic Script]》


 Season 1, Episode 8: Time Enough at Last

    Introduction page: Logo at bottom (the door and all), black background with white text that reads:


    There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man¡¯s fears and the summit of his knowledge.


    This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call


    The Twilight Zone


    <h2>Page one: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: the outside of a standard bank for the time. It has big columns and steps leading up to it from the street.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: Henry Bemis, a sign above a man says. He is evidently a teller. He wears a standard suit and tie, with a bushy moustache, big, round glasses that make his eyes look huge, and ruffled, but professional, hair. He seems detached from the situation at hand, but giddy about something else. He is handling money. ¡°Mrs. Chester,¡± he says. There is a clock and a window with blinds behind him.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: -- ¡°Have you ever read David Copperfield?¡± A bubble from the unseen Mrs. Chester replies ¡°How''s that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a wonderful book,¡± Henry says. A book is visible sitting on Henry¡¯s lap, at a 45 degree angle in the panel.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: ¡°This poor little fella, and his father has passed away, and his mother has married this miserable man called Murdstone. Innat a villainous name, Murdstone? Well this Murdstone had a sister called Jane--¡± this text is in a speech bubble so big it nearly takes up the whole panel. Henry looks manic and thrilled to talk about the book, an almost crazed expression on his face.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: ¡°Mr. Beamis, you¡¯ve shortchanged me again!¡± the unseen woman cries out. ¡°You owe me one more dollar!¡± Henry looks surprised. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m terribly sorry Mrs. Mur- Mrs. Chester. I¡¯m terribly sorry.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: the elated expression returns (same art as panel D). ¡°There¡¯s another funny character, Mr. Micawber, and he¡¯s always being sent to debtor¡¯s prison!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: ¡°And then there¡¯s another ch-¡± Henry, still in the same slighted position this whole time, has a surprised and saddened look. A separate speech bubble says ¡°HMPH!¡± and Henry responds with an ¡°Oh, well.¡± in his second bubble on the panel.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: zoomed out shot, we can see Henry¡¯s whole desk, with a sign that reads ¡°NEXT WINDOW PLEASE.¡± Henry chuckles, looking down in his lap at the book.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: we see Henry¡¯s left side, with a tall man dressed in a dark suit and tie, with a pen in his pocket, and high and sharp, questioning eyebrows behind him. ¡°AHEM,¡± the man says.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: we now see over this man¡¯s shoulder, looking at Henry. ¡°I wonder if I might see you in my office, Mr. Bemis.¡± Henry is standing, his head tilted to the panel¡¯s left. He looks almost dazed. ¡°Why, certainly. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯ve ever read David Copperfield?¡± Henry replies.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel K: back over Henry¡¯s shoulder, we see the manager¡¯s disappointed face staring down at the off-panel book. ¡°No Mr. Bemis, I have not! Now if you will be good enough to accompany me¡­¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel L: narration box. It reads: ¡°Witness Mr. Henry Bemis, a charter member in the fraternity of dreamers. A bookish little man whose passion is the printed page. But it was conspired against by a bank president, and a wife, and a world full of tongue-cluckers and the unrelenting hands of a clock.¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page two: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: narration box. It reads: ¡°But in just a moment, Mr. Bemis will enter a world without bank presidents. Or wives, or clocks, or anything else. He¡¯ll have a world all to himself, without anyone.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: Aa silver sign with the engraving PRESIDENT is hanging on a wooden door. We can only see the grain of the wood and the sign, nothing else.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: over Henry¡¯s shoulder, with Henry on the left and the president on the right, with the president sitting in a chair, looking relaxed and stern. ¡°Now, Mr. Bemis, I shall come to the point of this interview. What constitutes makes an efficient member of this organization?¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: close-up of a confused Henry Bemis, looking almost comical with his massive eyes behind those glasses. ¡°An organization man who functions in within an organization!¡± says the man off-panel.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: close-up on the president leaned forward in his chair, still stern. ¡°You, Mr. Bemis, do not function within the organization! You are neither an efficient bank teller nor a proficient employee.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: the president is out of his chair, hands on his desk, an agitated look on his face. It is a close-up, like the last panel. ¡°You, Mr. Bemis, are a reader!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: close-up on Henry. He still looks confused. ¡°A reader?¡± The president replies off-panel, ¡°A reader! OA reader of books, magazines, comics, newspapers.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: wide shot, the president is still leaning on the desk, nearly barking at Henry. Henry looks more confused than ever, frowning. The president states, ¡°I see you constantly going into the vault downstairs during your lunch hour. Ultimatum, Mr. Bemis!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: close-up of the president, back in his chair. Mouth open, teeth together, as if in the middle of a word, the president states, ¡°You will devote your time to your job and forget reading or you¡¯ll find yourself on the streets! Do I make myself clear?¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Henry looks nervous, saying ¡°Yes, absolutely, just that uh-¡± he is cut off by the president. ¡°Just that what, Mr. Bemis? Make it quick and get back to your cage!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel K: Henry, assuredly, now sitting in a chair, tells the president. ¡°It¡¯s just that my wife won¡¯t let me read at home! Not even the ketchup bottles!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel L: the president sits looking amused at the man before him. ¡°Unasked, I give you my reaction.¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page three: block panels, wide panel at top, takes space of three panels. 10 panels fit on this page, 1 across top, 3x4 other</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: the president¡¯s eyes are narrowed, eyebrows spiked like Sinestro. Wide panel makes eyes and not much else in focus. ¡°Your wife is an amazingly brightbrilliant woman!¡± the president states.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: text in the top left corner reads ¡°THE BEMIS RESIDENCE.¡± We see a typical suburban home, one story, at night, with the lights on inside. It is quiet and empty outside.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: we see Henry sitting in his armchair at home, with striped wallpaper in the background, reading a newspaper happily. ¡°HENRYYYYYYY!!!¡± his wife shrieks.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: closeup of Henry looking annoyed, newspaper covering the bottom of his face. ¡°Sigh, Yes, dear, I¡¯m in the living room!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: we hear a door SLAM! On the left, as Henry makes a miserable face, still close up, and listens to his wife, off-panel. ¡°We¡¯re going to the Williams¡¯ for cards. Be ready in fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Of course, dear.¡± Henry replies.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: Henry is shown full-body in a wide shot, slipping a book into his coat as he turns to leave the house.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: a closed white door, centered from Henry¡¯s POV on the upper middle part.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: the door swings open revealing Henry¡¯s wife smiling. ¡°Henry, what have you got in your jacket there?¡± She looks sly and bossy.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: over Mrs. Bemis¡¯s shoulder, we see Henry sweating, trying to look innocent. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean, my dear!¡± ¡°This is nothing, then?¡± She replies.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Same shot, the Mrs. reads the title of the book now in her hand. ¡°Superman #134. Yours, Henry?¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page five: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: with effort, Henry¡¯s wife rips the book up without waiting for a response. ¡°HELEN!¡± Henry screams.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: as the ripped pieces of paper fall to the ground, Helen smears in the same over-the-shoulder shot as before. ¡°You should thank me, really. A grown man who reads silly, ridiculous, nonsensical doggerel.¡± Henry falls to the ground, dropping his glasses, and attempts to scoop up the pages.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: fully black.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: a clock strikes noon on the wall behind Henry¡¯s desk.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: ¡°NEXT WINDOW PLEASE¡± reads the small sign on Henry¡¯s desk. He pleasantly pulls his lunch out of a filing cabinet, along with a newspaper.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: Henry walks to the right of the room carrying his items, heading for the vault.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: Henry is seen walking down the stairs in the same shot as the previous panel.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: Henry gets to the bottom of the stairs, looking up to make sure no one saw him.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: Henry starts to close the vault door, his newspaper titled ¡°H-BOMB C¡± with nothing else there visible.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Henry is sitting on the floor of the vault reading a book happily, newspaper to his right, bagged lunch eaten.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel K: Henry unfolds his newspaper, the book set down to his left.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel L: WE see the newspaper from The Daily Chronicle. ¡°H-BOMB CAPABLE OF TOTAL DESTRUCTION¡± it reads.</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page six: block panels. Three panels on top, big panel takes two rows size, then three more normal panels. 7 panels fit on this page, 3x4 styled</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: Henry looks somewhat concerned and agitated and sets the newspaper down. Half body shot</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: Henry¡¯s book is seen from above. It opens on its own.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: the glass in his pocket watch shatters, it reading 12:24.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: KRA-KOOM!! As Henry is thrown around, light above shaking, everything shaking and messily drawn.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: Henry tries to get up and is nearly successful. The whole room is shown.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: Henry nearly stands but</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: Henry falls down, his glasses under his nose and crooked, arms out, he is at an angle compared to the camera. Everything is still shaking.</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page seven: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: Henry, faltering, tries to get up once again. He is in front of the vault door.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: he is stood up fully, arms stretched out, glasses half-off his face, attempting to reach the door.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: with effort, Henry manages to push the vault door open.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: a blurry, unfocused image. It is a blurred image of the next panel.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: we see directly through Henry¡¯s glasses what the world has become, at least the stairwell. Everything is in complete and total ruin. Wood has fallen and is smashed everywhere.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: Henry slowly starts to ascend the still-functional stairs as smoke drifts past.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: he looks at the bank he once worked at, everything demolished.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: Henry reaches a door and, dishevelled, starts to open it.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: Henry, having entered the next room, equally as destroyed, is hunkering over a desk</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Henry jumps in fear as he hears a radio say: ¡°I can only tell you that in adherence to duty, a constant remembrance at a bank, like a political office, is a public trust. These things are of the essence.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel K: Henry, in the cubby of the overturned desk, leans over to peer at the yet unseen radio, as it continues droning on: ¡°These things are basic above all things, just the qualities I¡¯ve mentioned already.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel L: a body obscured by rubble, with only a hand showing, and a tape recorder next to it, as the tape player continues. ¡°Miss Jackson, that¡¯s my speech for the Thursday night banquet. Would you type that up and triplicate?¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page eight: rectangle in corner of full-page spread. 2 panels fit on this page.</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: Henry¡¯s sunken, horrified expression as he whispers ¡°no.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: rubble, debris, destroyed buildings, no trees in sight. The clouds are dreary and dark. There is nothing alive, nothing prohibitive, nothing at all in the new wasteland.</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page nine: block panels, simple style, with one panel taking up two spots. 11 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: Henry walks away from the scene in front of him, specifically, he walks to his left.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: crouching, cowering even, Henry puts his hands on his face in shock. It is a close-up. He is huddled under some rubble.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: narration box that reads: Seconds, minutes, hours. They crawled by on hands and knees for Mr. Henry Bemis who looks for a spark in the ashes of a dead world.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: continued: A telephone connected to nothingness. A neighborhood bar, a movie, a baseball diamond, a hardware store, the mailbox of what was once his house and is now a rubble; they lie at his feet as battered monuments to what was, but is no more.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: Henry, with no clear light source shining on him, as even the sun is blocked out with the smoke and ash, calls out for his long-dead wife. ¡°Helen? Helen!¡± This panel takes up the space of two to showcase the utter ruin surrounding. Henry¡¯s clothes are tattered and there is soot and sweat on his face. He looks uneasy and scared.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: narration box that reads: ¡°Mr. Henry Bemis, on an eight-hour tour of a graveyard.¡± A skull and rib cage are shown in piles of ash and rubble.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: Henry speaks to himself in this ruin. ¡°They¡¯re all dead. It must be. Everybody¡¯s dead except me! I¡¯m all right. Why am I alright? I was right there in the middle of--¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: close-up of Henry¡¯s dirty face. He ponders the question. ¡°The vault!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: close-up, Henry looks elated. ¡°I was down there in the vault. That¡¯s why I¡¯m alive, I was down in the--¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: he ponders some more, turning his head to the right of the panel. ¡°The thing of it is, though, I¡¯m not at all sure that I want to be alive.¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page ten: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: time has passed. Henry is having something of a panic attack. He talks to himself. ¡°This¡­ this is solitude. I¡¯ve never had much solitude. I have enough to occupy my mind and my time.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: Henry is looking the other way now. ¡°I have enough food, I-- I¡¯m very fortunate. Yes, I¡¯m really extremely fortunate.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: Henry starts running, screaming for help. ¡°Someone, please! Someone, please! Please, someone! Someone!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: Henry stumbles upon a case of revolvers.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: Henry picks up a revolver, closeup on him reaching for it.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: Henry is sitting on a rock with the revolver in his hand, looking very uncomfortable with his posture, a worried look on his face. ¡°If it just weren''t for the loneliness, just weren''t for the sameness, if there were just something to do!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: closeup on Henry, with the gun pointed at his head, so saddened and worried, the glare on his glasses impossible to see through. ¡°I¡¯m sure I''ll be forgiven for this, the way things are. I know I¡¯ll be forgiven.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: a broken sign says PUBLIC LIBRARY.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: Henry drops the gun, shocked.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Henry, disregarding safety and everything else, runs up the steps to get into the place. Wide shot.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel K: As he stumbles up the steps, he reads the books and notes them to himself, exclaiming as he goes.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel L: Henry clings to a bookshelf, crying out ¡°Books, books! All the books I¡¯ll need! All the books I¡¯ll ever want!¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page eleven: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A: Wide shot, Henry stands in front of stacks of books pointing happily. ¡°January, February, March, April, May. This year, the next year, and the year after.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel B: Henry has his arms out, with a book or two tucked under one, down further on some steps. He looks as excited as at the start of the story. ¡°And the year after that, and the year after that!¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel C: closeup, Henry chuckles and smiles as he is sitting and cradling a book.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel D: crouched over a giant clock, Henry thinks aloud. ¡°The best thing, the very best thing, is there¡¯s time now. There¡¯s all the time I need, and all the time I want.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel E: he sits back, looking up at the sky. ¡°Time, time, time. There¡¯s time enough at last.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel F: leaning over for a book he had thrown to the side, Henry slips and his glasses fall off. Make this dynamic.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G: SKRSH! The glasses shatter on the ground next to the book and the big clock, which is barely in frame.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel H: Henry fumbles with his now broken glasses, concerned and frantic. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel I: same shot. ¡°That¡¯s not fair at all. There was time now.¡± he looks as though he¡¯s about to cry.</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel J: Henry stands up. ¡°There was all the time I needed.¡±</li>


    </ul>


    <h2>Page twelve: block panels, simple style. 12 panels fit on this page, 3x4</h2>


    <ul>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel A-F: Crying, Henry says again, ¡°that¡¯s not fair.¡± as in each panel it zooms out, and he gets further and further away, repeating the phrase over and over..</li>


    <li style="font-weight: 400">Panel G-L: narration box that reads: ¡°The best laid plans of mice and men and Henry Bemis, the small man in the glasses who wanted nothing but time. Henry Bemis, now just a part of a smashed landscape, just a piece of the rubble, just a fragment of what man has needed to himself. Mr. Henry Bemis in</li>


    </ul>


    The Twilight Zone


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