Dr. Christina Markham's mother is suffering from Alzheimer's. When three apparently healthy young women age and die within hours, the Markhams are baffled and frightened. The solution comes after the older patients vanish.
Opening narration
| "It is said that through our children, we attain a kind of immortality; an unending chain of life in which mother and child are forever linked, carrying in turn the birth of humanity." |
Plot
Deputy Jimmy Middleton meets an attractive young woman at the bar, and they have a passionate one night stand. Afterwards, she cryptically remarks, "it didn't work", and ages into an old woman within seconds.
The same phenomenon occurs with two other women, Virginia, and Sylvia, Jimmy's mother. They appear as younger versions of themselves, instigating sexual encounters and attempting to become pregnant. When these attempts fail, they grow old again and die.
Dr. Christina Markham lives in the town with her husband Grady (the sheriff). They are unable to have children of their own. She also feels distanced from her mother, Helen, who has Alzheimer's and frequently forgets who Christina is. But Helen is also the only one who knows the truth about what happened to the other women. She calls it, "going into the light", and ominously remarks that it will soon happen to her.
Helen lives in the same assisted living facility as her friend Gerry, the brother of her late husband. She leads him out into an abandoned field, where a mysterious light surrounds both of them and de-ages them to their early 20s. Gerry confesses his life long love for Helen, and she reciprocates. The two return to Christina's house and become intimate. Gerry transforms back into his old age, but Helen remains young and becomes pregnant, ready to give birth. Christina and Grady, out searching for Helen, find both back at their house.
50 years ago, Helen and her three friends had an encounter with a female alien, the last of her species. The alien implanted her eggs into each of the women, and left behind the "light" which would cause them to become young again. After the alien eggs were ready for fertilization, the women would return to the light, attempt to conceive so the alien's race could carry on. Helen believes the "miracle" conception worked for her and Gerry because their love was genuine. Christina helps her mother deliver the child, as her mother returns to her old age, but this time free from Alzheimer's. Helen expresses her love for her daughter, and Christina and Grady decide to raise the alien child as their own.
Closing narration
| "The love of man and woman; the love of a mother and child. It is only from these places that miracles can be born." |
Notes
- A clip from this episode was later used to represent a film being watched by Ben Conklin and Katya Rubinov in "Dead Man's Switch".
- This is the only episode written by Jonathan Walker.
Cast
- Mel Harris as Dr. Christina Markham
- Geraint Wyn Davies as Sheriff Grady Markham
- Timothy Webber as Deputy Middleton
- Maxine Miller as Helen
- Heather Hanson as Young Helen
- Betty Linde as Sylvia
- Corrie Clark as Young Sylvia
- Sebastian Spence as Young Gerry
- April Telek as Young Lucy
- Harold Gould as Gerry
- Walter Marsh as Dr. Sam O'Keefe
- A.J. Unger as Peter
- Lindsay Bourne as Administrator
- David Lewis as Deputy
- Maria Louisa Figura as Virginia Masters
- Kevin Conway as the Control Voice (voice)