The Executions of Grady Finch

"The Executions of Grady Finch"
The Twilight Zone (2nd revival) episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 41
Directed by	John Peter Kousakis
Teleplay by	Ira Steven Behr Brent V. Friedman
Story by	Frederick Rappaport
Production code	143
Original air date	May 7, 2003 (2003-05-07)
Guest actors
Jeremy Sisto as Grady Finch Alicia Witt as Liz

"The Executions of Grady Finch" is the forty-first episode of the science fiction television series 2002 revival of The Twilight Zone. The episode was first broadcast on May 7, 2003, on UPN.

Opening narration

How does it go? The truth shall set you free? But try telling that to Grady Finch, a man about to pay for a crime he swears he didn't commit. Now all he can do is put his faith in a higher justice and pray for a miracle.

Plot

As protestors gather outside the prison, Grady Finch (Jeremy Sisto) awaits execution after he is found guilty of the murder of a convenience store owner Harold Park. Harold's son Nathan Park tells the reporters that all he wants is for Grady to confess. In the cell, Grady insists to his lawyer Liz (Alicia Witt) that he is innocent. The warden arrives and tells him that the governor has chosen not to issue a stay of execution. Grady is taken to the execution chamber. As they rig him with the tubes for lethal injection, Grady uses his final words to insist that he did not kill anyone. Nathan, angry, pounds on the observation gallery window and tells him to tell the truth. The executioner begins the injection process. A woman’s voice that only Grady can hear says, “Not yet.” The phone rings and a technician informs the warden and the executioner that the injection mechanism has jammed. They have no choice but to postpone the execution.

Back in Grady’s cell, Liz tries to file a stay of execution since a second execution would be cruel and unusual punishment. The warden arrives to inform them the governor ordered the execution to continue before the day is up. In the execution chamber, Grady hears the woman say the same words. He faints and an alarm goes off. There is an electrical fire and the warden is forced to stop the execution and evacuate the prison.

Grady starts to wonder if there is a higher power at work, and the protesters outside believe the interrupted executions are a sign from God. However, the governor refuses to pardon Grady and orders a new execution. This time, Grady is to be executed by the electric chair. As the hood is placed over his head, Grady hears the woman again saying “Not yet.” The executioner throws the switch and the entire system shorts out. Grady, still alive and well, laughs in triumph.

Later, Liz visits an increasingly cocky Grady to tell him the state’s main witness against him decided to recant his testimony and there will be a new trial. Grady explains that during the third execution, he actually saw the woman talking to him and shows Liz a sketch of the woman he saw: an angel-like figure with wings. He believes she is his guardian angel.

They go to a press conference and Grady starts talking about how there is a higher justice responsible for saving his life, and he plans to make it his goal to make sure other innocent prisoners are freed. As they leave, Nathan emerges from the crowd with a gun. He tries to shoot Grady but his gun inexplicably jams as Grady hears the same voice in his head. As the police take Nathan away, Grady invites anyone who wants to try to kill him to take their best shot.

As Grady and Liz go to court, a growing cult of followers cheer Grady on. He assures one woman her husband on death row will get the same higher justice he has received. Inside the courthouse, Grady asks Liz to help him spread his message of a higher justice but she does not believe there is anything supernatural going on.

Grady’s new trial continues and the jury finds him not guilty. As they wait to go outside, Grady finally admits to Liz in private that he did kill Harold Park to her horror. Now that he realizes he cannot be killed, and he has been found innocent, there is no reason to deny his guilt anymore. As he boasts he cannot be killed, Liz furiously reminds him “Not yet.” Confident, Grady goes out to greet his fans.

As he remembers all of the failed executions, he looks up and sees workmen hauling a statue up. He hears the same voice say "Now" where the rope breaks and the statue falls on Grady crushing him to death while breaking. This puts the entire crowd in a panic as Liz comes out to see what happened. As Forest Whitaker does his closing narration, the statue is the woman from Grady’s vision who turns out to be Nemesis: Goddess of Vengeance as the name is shown on the statue's stand.

Closing narration

It's said that truth and justice go hand in hand. Just ask Grady Finch, who thought he could cheat them both. Consider Grady's fate nothing more than a sentence deferred...in the Twilight Zone.

External link

• "The Executions of Grady Finch" at TV.com
• "The Executions of Grady Finch" at IMDb