The Trance story
A scam artist purports to channel the spirit of Delos, a former inhabitant of Atlantis. Together with a partner, he makes a living off of it. On the day of his big break, he channels another spirit, one who could cause him to lose everything. Is it punishment or a lesson from the Twilight Zone? Directed by: Randy Bradshaw. Story by: Jeff Stuart and J. Michael Straczynski.
11 total · 6 major · 5 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| con artistry | major | The story started with Leonard and Don scamming gullible people out of their money by charging them to get life advice from a spirit that Leonard was pretending to channel. Leonard, however, soured on this scheme after suddenly acquiring the ability to channel a real spirit. |
| honesty | major | The real spirit that arrived seemed to value honesty and disparaged deception. |
| ironic twist of fate | major | Leonard had faked communicating with the dead, then he got a visit from a real spirit and it was more than he had bargained for. |
| lesson in humility | major | The real spirit started teaching Leonard to be a better person. |
| séance | major | Leonard pretended that in trance he could channel the spirit of a long dead Atlantean named Delos. |
| spirit possession | major | Leonard became inhabited by a spirit that was seeking to impart in Leonard its wisdom. |
| Atlantis | minor | As Delos, Leonard proclaimed that he hailed from the lost city of Atlantis and hinted as to the fate of this fabled place. |
| becoming a nicer person | minor | The real spirit was determined to make Leonard into a more honest person. |
| coping with the death of a spouse | minor | The spirit Leonard was channeling forced Leonard's psychiatrist to reflect on the psychiatrist's dearly departed wife. |
| greed for riches | minor | Leonard and Don plotted to cash in by taking their spirit channeling scam national. |