Since the beginning of time, man has been obsessed with fire. Those who could control it were admired and revered. But as comforting as fire can be, it is often merciless and destructive. Any attempt to tame the beast means walking a tightrope between the warmth of the living and the cold of the dead...
A hero fireman, who is actually a compulsive arsonist, forges an unholy alliance with a mysterious homeless man with more than a passing interest in blazes. Starring Thomas J. Colavito, Bill Corry, Chris Grall. Original airdate, November 10, 1997. — Rip Torn, opening narration of episode
Tropes:
- 13 Is Unlucky: Jake has 13 days to save his fireman career before he has to retire.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Jake's wife asks him one about the homeless man, followed by Jake's Armor-Piercing Response. "Louise: Do you trust him?Jake: I don't think I have a choice.
- Batman Gambit: The Devil lures Jake back to his house through a fire breaking out. Knowing that Jake couldn't resist being the hero that he is and going back there. He manages to trap him in Hell this way.
- Be Careful What You Wish For: Jake's wish to continue fighting fires and be a hero ends with him being trapped in Hell putting fires out forever.
- Bittersweet Ending: Jake is trapped in Hell forever due to his deal with the homeless man, but at least his wife was saved from the fire in their home.
- Cruel Twist Ending: After saving his wife, Jake goes back inside his house to put out the fire and ends up trapped in Hell putting out fires forever as part of his deal with the homeless man.
- Deal with the Devil: What gets Jake in trouble. Never make a deal with a mystery homeless man.
- Exact Words: What the homeless man asserts Jake when he's trapped in Hell: all he wanted was to keep fighting fires.
- Engineered Heroics: Jake loves to start fires so that he could put them out and be the hero.
- Foreshadowing:
- Jake about the homeless man following him around: "By the way I saw my homeless friend again today. Smiling wacko. Show ups every damn blaze. Must have a thing for fires."
- Jake's co-worker: "Keep playing superhero and all that retirement talk won't be an issue."
- The homeless man to Jake: "A friend who shares common interest. Someone who just wants to help."
- The homeless man to Jake: "You get one, I get one. Everything has its price".
- Glowing Eyes of Doom: The homeless man to Jake at times. His eyes glow red. Thought Jake is oblivious to how evil the homeless man really is.
- Hell Is That Noise: The sounds of people moaning from being tortured in Hell.
- Heroic Sacrifice:
- Jake's partner dies rescuing a baby from a fire.
- Before ending up in hell forever, Jake managed to save his wife from a fire in their house.
- It's All About Me: Jake cares more about starting fires and putting them out so that he could be hailed a hero rather than retiring.
- Louis Cypher: What the homeless man actually is. A creepy homeless man smoking a cigar, with glowing red eyes and following Jake around. Jake doesn't figure this out at first thought it's pretty obvious.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Jake after making the deal with the homeless man and realizing what lives he's cost for his job and good hero publicity.
- Obviously Evil: The homeless man following Jake around and making him an offer he can't refuse. His eyes even glow red for a split second though Jake doesn't see it.
- Pre-Mortem One-Liner: The homeless man to Jake over the phone: "If I were you Jake, I'd get home fast. The place looks like hell."
- Pyromaniac: The corrupt fireman Jake is this, deliberately starting fires just so he could put them out and be hailed a hero.
- Sadistic Choice: Someone always has to die to make up for a life Jake saves on his firefighting job.
- Stalker without a Crush: The homeless man following Jake around after the fires he's started and put out.
- Tempting Fate: Jake's partner before entering the fiery home: "As long as I got you, I'm golden!"
- Jake to his wife: "I got to go back or we'll lose everything!".
- Too Dumb to Live: You expect a firefighter to never make a deal with a man whose eyes glow red. Jake isn't smart enough to see what the homeless man is.
- Was It Really Worth It?: Jake after making a deal with the mystery homeless man to be hailed a hero on his firefighting job. He sure didn't count on the lives he lost in the fires or being trapped in Hell forever.
- Wham Line: The homeless man delivers a big one to Jake as he's suddenly wearing a firefighter uniform and surrounded by blazes in Hell.Jake: (In a firefighter suit, surrounded by endless flames, screaming) What's going on?! Whaaaat's haaappening?!The Homeless Man: (voice echoing over Jake, in Voice of the Legion) All you wanted was to keep fighting fires, and now you've gotten your wish. You'll be fighting them, Jake...forever.
- Wham Shot: When Jake returns inside his home to put out the fires, he finds himself suddenly teleported to Hell where he is wearing a firefighter suit and trying to put out endless fires, followed by the homeless man's voice.
Some bow out of their careers gracefully, others struggle to stay in the game. Jake Messing refused to accept his fate and ended up with a little more job security...then he bargained for.
— Rip Torn, ending narration of episode
