TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL: MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP {FIFTH SEASON PREMIERE} (TV)
Summary
One in this series about two angels, Monica and Tess, who help mortals who have lost their direction in life and their faith in God.
In this episode, at a hospital, Andrew arrives to escort elderly Mr. Richards into the afterlife, and the man surprises him by requesting that the angel return to retrieve his Bible and assist "a perfectly healthy person who's dying." Perplexed, Tess reminds them that they do not "take assignments from assignments." Monica, posing as a social worker, soon visits terminal cancer patient Rita, who is estranged from her family and disinterested in emotional support. At the same time, Andrew counsels young father-to-be John, who is confident that he will survive a risky brain surgery; Rita suddenly announces that she has been visited by a benevolent angel of death. Andrew, naturally, is baffled by her claim, though nurse Arthur seems sure that she is telling the truth.
Rita tells Monica that she will soon reunite with her late husband so that a young cancer patient may live, though Monica assures her that God does not "trade lives." Rita remains convinced that Monica is "interfering with God's plan." John, too, reports seeing a winged angel and decides that he will not survive his surgery after all. Tess, Monica, and Andrew realize that a human is impersonating a stereotypical angel who is unintentionally killing the patients' will to live. They resolve to find answers in Mr. Richards' missing Bible. Monica reveals herself to Rita as a true angel, explaining that the other one was simply a misguided human with "the right intentions"; Rita tearfully decides that she must reunite with her sister before she passes away.
Tess tracks down Mr. Richards' Bible, and the fake angel is revealed to be Arthur, a "broken soul" who longs for death himself. Andrew confronts him and assures him that God genuinely cares for him, revealing that Mr. Richards noticed his pain and left a comforting message for him in his Bible. At home, Arthur talks with his mother about his long-hidden guilt over his little brother Toby's accidental death. She urges him to finally forgive himself. Back at the hospital, Arthur apologizes to John for misleading him, and Andrew tells John to maintain hope throughout his surgery. Shortly thereafter, Andrew escorts a now-peaceful Rita into the afterlife. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:45:57
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 121187
- GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Angels; Religion
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1994-2003
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Martha Williamson … Executive Producer
- R.J. Colleary … Co-Executive Producer
- Jon Andersen … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Burt Pearl … Co-Executive Producer, Writer
- Glenn Berenbeim … Supervising Producer
- Ken LaZebnik … Supervising Producer
- Susan Cridland Wick … Producer
- Robert J. Visciglia, Jr. … Producer
- Marilyn Osborn … Consulting Producer
- Marilyn Osborn … Consulting Producer
- Peter Hunt … Director
- John Masius … Created by
- Marc Lichtman … Music by
- Roma Downey … Cast, Monica
- John Dye … Cast, Andrew
- Della Reese … Cast, Tess
- Margot Kidder … Cast, Rita Lasky
- Elaine Kagan … Cast, Jo
- Samaria Graham … Cast, Candy
- Johnny Green … Cast, John Manori
- Carrie Snodgress … Cast, Judy Bowers
- Chad Lowe … Cast, Arthur Bowers
- Scott E. Cox … Cast, Toby Bowers
- Logan Robbins … Cast, Young Arthur