Time Waits for Norman is an episode of Beyond Belief, and a part of Christmas on Jupiter, the 2013 Christmas Special.
Audio[]
Christmas on Jupiter audio at Nerdist
Cast[]
WorkJuice Players[]
- Frank Doyle - Paul F. Tompkins
- Sadie Doyle - Paget Brewster
- Agent March - John Ennis
- Agent Rozsa - Mark Gagliardi
- Margot/Agent Gibney - Busy Philipps
- Narrator - Marc Evan Jackson as Sparks Nevada
Guest Stars[]
- Norman - Jim Beaver
Plot[]
The episode opens at the Doyles' New Year's Eve party. Frank is looking forward to the clock counting down, as it means he will be able to kiss Sadie (who is a stickler for holiday-based rules), and also will be able to chase all their guests out of their apartment.
As the clock counts down, their guests, and the city, freeze in place. Sadie takes the opportunity to drink their guests' drinks. Frank is pleased, as it means he is finally alone with Sadie on New Year's Eve.
Before the Doyles can enjoy things too much, they're interrupted by a knock at the door. It's Norman, an old man who begs them for their help. He believes he is being followed by two mysterious men in suits. He's worried for himself, but he's even more worried for his girlfriend, Margot.
Sadie asks Norman if he has any idea why these men might be following him, and Norman says he doesn't know. In fact, he has no memories of anything beyond the previous New Year's Eve. Norman believes that the two men in suits have taken his memories, or at the very least that they know something about his missing memories. Norman says the two men in suits also have strange powers - reversing and speeding up the time around him.
Margot bursts into the Doyles' apartment. She says that the men in suits are close behind her and she begs Norman to flee, but he won't leave without her. Margot seems to know more than she says, but she refuses to tell the Doyles anything.
The two men in suits arrive. They want to ask the Doyles some questions. The men in suits want to know if the Doyles have met Norman before (they haven't), if this is their party (it's Sadie's), if they know why everyone's frozen (they don't), and if the Doyles know why they are not frozen (they don't).
Margot asks the two men why they're chasing after Norman. They seem familiar with him, and say that he has "violated codes left and right and center."
Now it's the Doyles' turn to ask questions. They want to know who the two men are (Agent March and Agent Rozsa) and why they're after Norman. They claim Norman knows why they're chasing him, but Norman swears he doesn't. They want to take him with them, but Sadie won't allow it.
Something of the agents says enables Frank to crack the case - it's about time, just as Norman claimed. The Doyles figure out that Norman himself is causing the disturbances in time without knowing it. Norman subconsciously left the Doyles out of it because he believed they could help him. Sadie hesitantly suggests that Norman might in fact by the embodiment of Old Year, who is trying to stop turning into the New Year so that he can stay with his true love, Margot. This turns out to be exactly the case.
The agents say that Norman needs to be reborn and Baby New Year so that time can move forward. Sadie prevents the agents from taking Norman, but Margot says that maybe Norman leaving with the agents is for the best. She doesn't see a future for them with the world frozen like it is. Sadie also encourages Norman to leave with the agents - she doesn't really want her friends and acquaintances (and hangers-on) to be frozen in time forever.
Norman and Margot share a tearful goodbye and he leaves with Agent Rozsa. Once they have left, Agent March address Margot as Agent Gibney. It's revealed to the Doyles that the Agents go through this each year with Norman, as each year he falls in love with "Margot" and each year they must convince him to come with them and change for the new year. Frank remarks that that seems like a hassle for them, and the agents agree - it is a hassle for all of them. The agents bid goodbye to the Doyles until next New Year's Eve.
As the agents leave, the party unfreezes, and the Doyles share their New Year's Eve kiss at last.
Notes[]
- Clink count: 4
- The episode Croach describes before this episode is introduced is Djinn and Tonic.
Quotes[]
Norman: My name is Norman -
Frank: No help with that I'm afraid, you're stuck with it!
--
Margot: Don't you see? It's all my fault! Oh, I've said too much.
Sadie: You haven't said anything.
Frank: You could say a little more.
Margot: I can't, I've said too much.
Frank: Just a soche more.
Margot: No, I've said too much.
Sadie: You've said a lot of words, but nothing of importance.
Frank: Oh! Do you feel as if you've revealed something? Because really, you haven't.
Sadie: Now if you know something ore than you've said, say that, and if it's too much we'll let you know.
Frank: We absolutely will. Because at this point we don't know enough, or anything.
Sadie: Now, between you saying what you think is too much or our knowing too little, we might find the sweet spot.
Margot: No, I've said too much.
Frank: One thing's for sure, you've said 'I've said too much' too much.
--
Margot: It's them!
Frank: It's they.
--
Agent March: You count real good.
Agent Rozsa: Up to 2. Up to 12 sometimes.
Sadie: Oh, it's a clock reference!
--
Frank: We make and enforce the rules here! I mean, Sadie does.
--
Frank: If Sadie's kissing anyone, I'd like to be there.
--
Sadie: Thank you for making the world a constantly interesting place.
Frank: And to you too love, for holding my hands during the scary parts.
Continuity[]
- This is a part of the 191st episode of The Thrilling Adventure Hour.
- The previous episode in podcast release Beyond Belief order is #189, Scream a Little Scream.
- The previous episode in recording order is #149 Basil's Day and the next is #153 When Cthulu Cthalls.
Production[]
This episode was recorded at Largo on December 7, 2013 and released on December 8th, 2014.
- Writers: Ben Acker and Ben Blacker
- Director: Aaron Ginsburg
- Music: Andy Paley Orchestra
- Sound Effects: Joel Spence