Original air date: April 3, 1999

Written by: Juan Carlos Coto

Directed by: Krishna Rao

Miss Parker faces a life-altering decision while Jarod helps a radio DJ who comes under attack from a mysterious and very angry listener.

Jarod’s Discoveries:

Jarod’s Occupations: Talk Back Radio DJ, Major Army Intelligence

Jarod’s Aliases: Middle Man, Jarod Turgidson

Behind the scenes insights and the Creator’s Take

Official Synopsis

A radio personality who specializes in conspiracy theories finds himself the target of a vengeful listener.

Inside a dark and cluttered basement, radio personality Neil Roberts hosts his latest show.  The program features live call-ins from listeners interested in conspiracy theories.  Roberts communicates with his producer, Angela Somerset, who is located in a downtown Chicago radio station.  Angela alerts Roberts to a call from a listener known as Middle Man.  Roberts asks Middle Man if he is still running from the PTB’s, or Powers That Be.  Middle Man, who turns out to be Jarod, tells the listening audience that he has been searching for his mother and father for a long time.  Roberts envies his dedication, admitting that there is only one person in his life he feels close to—and she doesn’t know he exists.  When Jarod hangs up, Roberts receives a phone call from First Time Caller.  Roberts is instructed to look in his mail for a package. He opens the padded mailer…only to find a dead rat inside.  Moments later, First Time Caller blasts open the basement door using a shotgun.  Roberts runs for his life.  The attacker then lobs a grenade into the room.  Jarod hears the commotion on his radio and heads towards the station.

When Roberts disappears, Jarod shows up at the studio and takes over the show.  Angela threatens to contact the police…until she realizes that Jarod is Middle Man.  Meanwhile, Thomas tells Miss Parker that he sold the house.  He intends to purchase another fixer upper, one they can work on together, in Portland, Oregon.  Miss Parker informs him that it would be impossible for her to leave her job.  But Thomas needs an answer soon.  Later, Sydney encourages Parker not to allow the Centre to dictate her life.

Jarod replays Roberts’ last broadcast.  He realizes that Roberts phoned Angela shortly before the grenade exploded.  Angela admits this is true.  She also reveals that Roberts told her to stay away from his house, as it was a matter of life and death.  Angela escorts Jarod to Roberts’ home.  They discover a bulletin board covered with pictures of a 19-year-old girl.  Angela and Jarod are unsure who the girl is.  But they do know that, for reasons unknown, Roberts documented the girl’s life.

Jarod hosts another of Roberts’ radio broadcasts.  The First Time Caller makes another call, this time from a cell phone.  Jarod dubs him “Pavlov.”  Cell phone in hand, Pavlov exits his car, and watches as the 19-year-old girl descends an elevated train station on crutches.  Sitting in a car nearby is Neil Roberts.  As Pavlov and Roberts observe, the girl is met by a woman pushing a wheelchair.  The women drive away from the scene.  As Jarod converses with Roberts by phone, he hears the sound of the El train in the background.  Jarod puts two and two together and warns Roberts to leave the area immediately.  Roberts sees Pavlov, gun in hand, advancing upon him.  Roberts floors the engine and makes a getaway.

Jarod discovers that the 19-year-old girl’s name is Patricia Marie Lorenz, and that she has suffered from a degenerative nerve disorder since birth.  Both her parents served in the Army… and died on a base. It turns out that Roberts, a former Army physician, is funding a foundation that supports research for the disorder.  Roberts had Patricia moved to a new apartment right after the first threats began. Jarod and Angela pay Patricia a visit, but the girl has no idea who Roberts is, even when she hears his voice on some self-help tapes provided to her by the foundation.

A distraught and paranoid Roberts pulls a gun on Jarod inside the radio station’s parking lot.  He demands to know what Jarod was doing at Patricia’s apartment.  Jarod calms him.  Roberts explains how the Army subjected Patty’s pregnant mother to an experimental vaccine.  Roberts protested, but didn’t protest enough.  He was transferred away from the base.  Meanwhile, the Centre’s monitors in Chicago take note of Jarod’s comments on the air.  A sweeper team is dispatched to the station to investigate.

Mr. Parker tells his daughter that if she leaves him, he might as well be dead.  Later, Jarod contacts Miss Parker by phone.  He reminds her that her mother was trying to take her away from the Centre on the day she was killed.  Thomas, he points out, is trying to do the same thing.

After performing more research, Jarod discovers that the Army closed down the experimental vaccine operation.  In the process, they convicted Roberts’ superior, Colonel Willard Spence.  Spence served seven years in Leavenworth prison, during which time he developed diabetes.  The mysterious Pavlov, it is revealed, is a vengeful Spence.  A short time later, Roberts shows Jarod his research on a mysterious man who shows up in unexpected spots to defend the weak and abused.  Jarod realizes the research is on him.  He is speechless.

Jarod again takes to the airwaves.  He baits Spence (Pavlov) to come to the studio and exact his revenge.  But Spence makes his way to Patricia’s apartment and opens fire.  The room, however, is empty.  Jarod steps up behind Spence and places ether over his mouth.  Spence passes out.  When Spence awakens, he finds himself strapped to a wheelchair, feeling woozy from a lack of insulin.  Afraid of going into diabetic shock, Spence admits that he tried to kill Roberts.  He then injects himself with a syringe.  Jarod plays an audio tape of Spence’s confession, which he plans on broadcasting at the station.

Miss Parker tells Thomas that there are things about her he does not know.  Thomas assures her they can deal with her problems…together.  They then kiss.