Touched by an Angel

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Episode 520: “Into The Fire”

Episode 520: “Into The Fire”
Original Air Date: April 4, 1999
Written by: Brian Bird
Directed by: Tim Van Patten
Produced by:

Martha Williamson
Jon Andersen
R.J. Visciglia, Jr.

Guest Cast:

 

Melina Cynthia Nixon
Brother David Montel Williams
Jacob Spencer Garrett
Rebecca Cynthia Ettinger
Rachel Brie Larson

 

 

Monica meets her next assignment, Melina Richardson at her latest temp job, a telemarketing agency. When the usually meek Melina is fired for yelling at a potential customer, she decides to attend a seminar of the Golden Path Institute hoping to find meaning in her life. After an impassioned speech by the Golden Path’s Jacob, Melina shares her life’s story with the crowd, describing how her parents deserted her, and her fiance left her at the altar. The culmination of the seminar is the introduction of the Golden Path’s leader, the charismatic Brother David, who persuades the attendees who “feel called” to board a bus bound for the institute. Melina, captivated by Brother David, gets on the bus. Tess tells Monica to stay close to her assignment.

At the institute, Monica and Melina are stripped of their possessions because Brother David feels it is important to leave the past behind. Melina, however, secretly keeps a picture of her ex-fiance under her bed. When David finds the picture, he summons a meeting of the whole group and exposes Melina’s transgression forcing her to destroy the picture. Meanwhile, a mail truck arrives at the institute with letters for everyone, but Brother David collects them before they can be distributed. Later he asks Melina to destroy a package for him. Melina, unaware that it contains the mail, begins to burn the package. At the same time, Andrew, acting as a Child Services officer, asks to inspect the camp. David angrily refuses. Andrew warns David that he will have to return with the authorities. In private, Monica shows Melina and Rebecca the letters she rescued from the fire, and Rebecca explains Brother David’s plan: On September 9, 1999 all of the world’s computers will crash causing an extinction-level event. Brother David will save his faithful followers before this happens by taking them to heaven in a suicide pact.

In an effort to prove to the group that Brother David has been lying to them, Monica gives the people their letters. When David finds out, he is furious but persuades the people that this is the outside world’s attempt to divide them. Softening, he asks Melina to be his bride and, spellbound, she agrees. David insists that the plan go into action right away because the police are already approaching the camp. Trained for this moment, the people spring into action, barricade the doors, and prepare the poisoned juice. But as they are about to drink, Monica proclaims herself to be an angel, and tells the people that God doesn’t want them to die.

David tells the people that she is the devil trying to mislead them, but the people believe Monica and led by Melina, they try to escape. David sets fire to the building. Monica breaks the doors open and the people pour out of the smoke-filled room. Monica tries to persuade Brother David to leave the burning building, but still believing his own claims of divinity, he will not. He perishes in the fire. Later the angels help the shaken cult members reacquaint themselves using their real names and identities.

 

 

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