Appointment on Route 17
"One man, one heart. An obsolete fact of life. Witness Tom Bennett, a man who accepts his new organ as just one more item that money can buy. (...) A man who could tell you that the boundaries of the Twilight Zone are shrinking, as miracles become — commonplace."
Tom Bennett (Paul Le Mat), a callous and unscrupulous businessman, returns to work after undergoing a heart transplant. His co-workers notice that he's begun doing things that he never did previously, such as sprucing up his workspace, spontaneously leaving the office, and buying them lunch. Eventually, Tom comes across Mary Jo (Marianna Pascal), a sad-looking waitress who he's instantly attracted to, and begins to repeatedly frequent the diner she works at in the means of getting closer to her. Tom eventually learns that Mary Jo is upset because she's mourning the death of her boyfriend Jamie Adler, who's revealed to be the donor of his new heart.
Tropes
- Childhood Friend Romance: Mary Jo says that she and Jamie were neighbors and best friends ever since they were five years old. They dated for years and always knew that they were going to get married, but Jamie was killed in a car accident before they could do so.
- Corrupt Corporate Executive: Tom was a ruthless businessman whose sole ambition in life was to make money at any cost. When Jamie's heart is surgically transplanted into his chest, he becomes a far better person.
- Did Not Get the Girl: Tom doesn't win over Mary Jo by the end of the episode, but it's implied that she's going to open up to him soon enough.
- Greasy Spoon: Mary Jo works as a waitress in one, and Tom keeps visiting the place to get closer to her.
- Literal Change of Heart: Callous businessman Tom begins to act strangely after receiving a heart transplant, loosening his tie, having hot dogs for lunch, and treating his co-workers to walks on the beach. Tom is also immediately attracted to the depressed Mary Jo, and after driving around for almost an hour, he arrives at the greasy spoon on Route 17 she works as a waitress in. Tom can't explain why he's drawn to Mary Jo, but he visits the diner every day attempting to bond with her. After a while, she refuses to serve him as she finds him creepy. Tom eventually learns that she's mourning her recently deceased boyfriend Jamie Adler, who donated his heart after being killed in a car accident. After calling his cardiologist, Tom discovers that Jamie's heart was the one he received in surgery. He returns to the diner and tells Mary Jo that he'll be waiting for her when she decides that she is ready to date again, but doesn't say anything about the heart. The experience also causes him to become more ethical in his business practices, as he allows a client to set his own price as opposed to charging an exorbitant one like he used to do.
- Love at First Sight: After being given Jamie's heart, Tom instantly falls for Mary Jo without even knowing why.
- Nice Guy: Tom quickly becomes one of these when he's given Jamie's heart, treating his co-workers to lunch and drives around the city. While he gets rather obsessed with Mary Jo, he clarifies that he doesn't want to force anything out of her, and is willing to wait until she comes to him and opens up.
- The Power of Love: Jamie promised Mary Jo that he would always be with her no matter what. After he is killed in a car accident, his heart is surgically transplanted inside Tom's chest, who becomes attracted to Mary Jo the moment that he lays eyes on her.
- "Ray of Hope" Ending: Tom doesn't actually get Mary Jo in the end, but he tells her that he's willing to wait for the moment when she's ready to open up to him. Judging by the ending, she'll be ready sooner than he thinks.
- Stalker with a Crush: Mary Jo initially regards Tom as an extremely creepy stalker, as he is clearly only visiting the diner to be near her. She angrily tells him that there's nothing for him there. However, Mary Jo eventually realizes that Tom is a nice man who is genuinely attracted to her. Tom doesn't reveal to her that his attraction is caused by his new heart, which was once her late boyfriend's.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Though he's said to be heartless and ruthless at work, Tom's co-workers celebrate his return to the office with a party, glad that their "killer shark" is back where he belongs.
"A philosopher once wrote: The heart has its reasons that reason does not know. Perhaps he was born knowing that truth. Or perhaps, like Mr. Tom Bennett, he discovered it with a little help — from the Twilight Zone."
