Bing Partridge/Season 1

### The Shorter Way

Bing works as the janitor at William White Memorial High School. Vic McQueen gifts him with the next installment of "Doctor Incubus". Much later, Bing sits on his basement floor with his pants door, masturbating to a comic book when he notices an ad for Christmasland.

### The Graveyard of What Might

Bing responds to a Christmasland ad in a comic book in hopes of being employed. He has worked 19 years for MCS Custodial Services and is trusted with shipping dangerous chemical gasses all over the world. He also works as a janitor at the local school, Bing explains in his letter. Bing hears a loud bang above his head and *I’ll Be Home for Christmas* playing. He follows the music from his basement to the living room, where he finds his parents, John and June Partridge dancing by the Christmas tree. John has June lifted off the floor, twirling around with her lifeless body. He drops and chases Bing into the basement with a gas mask on.

Trapped in his basement, Bing is greeted by Daniel Moore. In his hand, he holds an invitation to Christmasland. He asks Bing if he’s naughty or nice. Bing replies nice. But, when he reaches for the invitation, Daniel grabs his wrist, displaying a great amount of strength. Bing wakes up, breathing heavily from what was apparently a bad dream. He looks outside his window to see the moon looking back at him. It even gives him a wink.

Bing is approached by his boss Hal Schnell, who informs him that just like the week before, someone has painted a black dick on the loading dock, and it’s Bing’s job to clean it off. Just like in his dream, *I’ll Be Home for Christmas* starts playing on the radio. Despite unplugging the cord from the wall, the radio continues to play. Just outside the dock, Charlie Manx sits in his Rolls-Royce Wraith. Bing gets a brief glimpse of him before he disappears.

A young Charlie Manx pulls up at MCS Custodial Services as Bing cleans the spray painted dick off the wall. He introduces himself as Charles T. Manx. CEO of Christmasland Enterprises, director of Christmasland Entertainment, and president of fun. He was on his way to locate a Creative. Someone with the ability to find the Shorter Way when he got Bing’s letter. Manx needs a new chief of Christmasland Security to protect the children of the world. The Wraith door opens on its own, and Manx and Bing drive off. Given Bing’s employment at SOCHEMPHARM, Manx wonders what gases he has access to. Bing replies nitrogen, helium, sevoflurane, which he calls "gingerbread smoke" given its distinct smell. It’s an anesthetic that makes people susceptible to suggestion. But if too much it taken in, the patient is knocked out. Bing informs Manx that since writing him, he’s had terrifying dreams of Christmasland. Manx claims there’s nothing to fear. Only special people are allowed to access Christmasland. Manx asks if the moon winked at Bing when he dreamed of Christmasland, which it did. Within moments, Bing is sleep from the drink Manx gave him as the road to Christmasland is paved in dreams.

Bing awakens on the road to Christmasland, located West. During their ride, they pass several waving snowmen. Once a year, Manx takes someone special with him. All children are welcome, but adults must first prove their worth. Manx needs Bing’s help in saving 10 children from their parents. Bing questions Manx’s intentions given that what he describes sound like child abduction. However, Manx claims it's a matter of rescue and retrieval. Any child would give their teeth to live an eternity in Christmasland.

Manx and Bing take a detour from Christmasland. They arrive at the Graveyard of What Might Be. Bing finds a dead girl under the ice. Manx explains that she's not dead, not yet anyways. Maybe not for many years. It’s a cemetery filled with children, who if Manx does nothing, will have their childhood stolen from them by their parents. All of them beaten with chains, fed cat food, sold to perverts, and so on. Manx points out the grave of Lily Carter. Turned to a life of sin by her father. She never had a chance. Her childhood ended before it began. Manx tells Bing that he could line all the parents up and put a bullet in their head for all he cares. Or a nail. He wishes he could’ve saved Bing when he was a child in need of rescuing, but now it's Bing's turn to do the saving. Bing agrees to help Manx save the children before it’s too late. He does warn Bing that there is someone who threatens the magic and wonder of Christmasland, someone in Haverhill. Manx asks what Bing knows about the Shorter Way.

### The Gas Mask Man

Manx pulls up to William White Memorial High School, having aged so much since their last encounter that Bing finds him to be almost unrecognizable. Bing informs Manx that the Shorter Way was an old bridge from years ago that has since been destroyed. However, Manx knows better. He knows that the bridge still exists and that it’s proprietor can’t be far.

Bing takes Manx to the Shorter Way. People stopped using the bridge when they paved the road in. And then the town eventually tore it down. A demolished bridge from a bygone town. Manx concludes that the Strong Creative he’s after has an old soul and a sentimental attachment to broken things. Manx spots the bats from Vic’s bridge flying around in the sky, however, only he can see them. The bridge tells them that they’re looking for someone who like to traverse geographical locations, who perhaps longs to escape their circumstances. Bing has a difficult time understanding how someone can use a bridge that is no longer there. Manx explains that there’s many things in the world that don’t require sight, but rather intuition.

They cross paths with Haley Smith, who is in search of her cat Mittens. Manx asks her if she knows who rides the Shorter Way bridge. Haley claims that she doesn’t, but Manx knows that she’s lying. Same as he knows her name. He wonders who’s looking out for Haley and offers her a candy cane, one in which she doesn’t not accept. Bing grabs her aggressively on her arm. Haley kicks him in his leg and runs away. Manx scolds Bing for mishandling Haley, a child.

Bing unlocks the doors to the schools to allow Vic to retrieve her portfolio from inside. He tells Vic that he’s starting a new job, but he’s nervous after having already messed up once. His boss is giving him another chance, but he doesn’t know if he can. Vic advises him to be himself.

Bing gets dressed in his green MCS work uniform, hiding his name tag and company logo with duct tape, before putting on a gas mask. Bing, also known as the Gas Mask Man, breaks into the Smith house just after dark. He finds a used condom in the kitchen trash can. He proceeds further into the house. While Sharon Smith takes a shower, he locks her inside the bathroom and fills the room up with gingerbread smoke, rendering her unconscious. Bing then heads upstairs, where he sprays Haley with gingerbread smoke and takes her from her room. Bing meets Manx outside, puts Haley in the Wraith and returns to the house to take care of Sharon.

### The House of Sleep

Sugarcreek, Pennsylvania, Christmas Day, 1978. The Partridge family is unwrapping gifts. A young Bing Partridge unwraps his final gift from his father. It’s a gas mask from his time in the war. It was him up against three yellow men on the dirt. That mask is the last thing they ever saw. In an aggressive tone, John demands that Bing put it on. He does as told as it would appear that both Bing and June are frightened by John. With the mask and helmet on, Bing takes cover behind the couch and begins shooting back and forth with his father. John then knocks Bing to the ground and calls him a "retard." June hears this, but is too frightened by John to stand up for Bing. He pretends to shoot his mom. She plays along and tells him that she loves him more than anything.

Now a teenager, Bing uses a nail gun to hang Christmas ornaments around the exterior of the house. John persistently insults Bing to the point of him shooting his father in the head with the nail gun and killing him. Bing drags his father’s body into the garage, where he cries hysterically until being found by his mother. June comforts Bing and ask him what he did.

On his way to take out the trash, Bing encounters Vic outside his house. He asks if she’s lost. Vic claims she was going to Craig’s house and got lost. When Bing gets lost, he reminds himself "Go forth to the North, then left is West." Vic nervously thanks him and leaves. Bing heads back inside and pours a glass of milk and cookies to take down to Sharon, who he has tied up in his basement. Sharon demands to know where Haley is. Bing doesn’t answer. He does recite a rhyme however. "Sticks and stones. Pins and tacks. Only good mommies get tasty snacks." He puts on his gas mask and sprays Sharon with gingerbread smoke, enough to make her susceptible to suggestion. She then says that she loves him more than anything while under the influence of the smoke.

Vic returns to Bing’s house under the guise that she’s there to give him back his comic book. She invites herself inside, where she finds an abundance of lotion, tissue, and Playboy magazines at various locations throughout the house, which she pretends not to notice. As she takes a look around, she asks Bing about his job. He claims it went well and that he’s working security. Vic says that there’s a rumor going around about him being involved in something bad. Bing starts to panic, but he maintains his composure. Vic agrees to leave, but asks for her comics back first, hoping to buy herself sometime while he retrieves them from his car. Vic begins going room-to-room, eventually finding herself in his basement. Bing catches Vic searching for Haley. "Those who sneak and those why spy, get punished when they try to lie."

Vic pulls out a knife and demands to know where Haley is. Bing claims he never touched her. The phone rings. It’s Manx. He tells her that Vic is the girl he’s been searching for and that he wants to talk to her. Vic grabs the phone from Bing. Manx, who is now youthful once more, tells Vic that he’s been looking for her. He knows of her and her Inscape, same as she knows of him. Manx introduces himself as Vic only knows him as the Wraith. Manx assures Vic that Haley is well taken care of. He’s only interested in Vic and her bridge. Manx arranges a face-to-face meeting between him and Vic for a later date. Bing tells Vic that Haley is better off with Manx than she was with her mother, who was as he put it, dirty. Bing claims he helped her and made her clean. When he doesn’t reveal where she’s at, Vic leaves. He recites "Bing, you thing... what have you done?" over and over.

Flashback to June Partridge consoling teenage Bing after murdering his father, John Partridge. Bing forced his mother down and rapes her. He then kills her with the nail gun, same as his father.

Bing wakes from his sleep to find that Sharon’s body has been discovered. He instantly starts to panic.

### The Wraith

Bing hides in the basement as Manx knocks on his door, demanding to be let in. Bing reveals that Vic found Sharon Smith’s body and told the police that he killed her. Manx doesn’t blame Bing for the discovery of the body as neither he nor Bing could’ve foreseen Vic’s resourcefulness. Bing also worries that what they’re doing isn’t right, at least according to Vic. However, Manx assures him that they saved Haley. There will always be those who don’t understand the work they do. Manx advises Bing to turn himself in to the police. Manx asks Bing what his favorite TV show is. Bing replies "Monster Trucks", which was on all last night. With that in mind, Manx coaches Bing on what to say to the police.

As planned, Bing turns himself in. He is questioned by Detective Hutter. Bing explains that he works for Massachusetts Custodial and Security Services. They send him to two places. He did his shift at SoChemPharm, and then he headed to William White Memorial High School. Afterward, he headed home, where he watched his favorite show "Monster Trucks." Both of Bing’s supervisors can confirm this, as well as Vic, who stopped by to return a comic book. Hutter suggests that maybe Vic and Bing are more than friends, but he insists they aren’t. Detective Hutter then asks about the youth facility he was sent to. Those records are sealed, Bing replies. He was around Vic’s age when he was sentenced. Hutter asks if his crime was sexual in nature, but Bing simply repeats his previous alibi rather than answering.

At school, Bing is confronted by Vic as she was under the impression that he would be arrested. Bing recites a rhyme; "Murmur, chitchat, gossip, prattle. Everyone knows true friends don’t tattle." Bing explains that Detective Hutter didn’t have any evidence to hold him. He then hands Vic an letter. It’s details where and when to meet up with Manx.

### Scissors for the Drifter

Bing and Vic come face-to-face with for the first time since Manx ran Maggie Leigh over. Vic asks for Manx's whereabouts. She informs Bing of Peter Ives, Manx’s last helper who he killed. The police pinned several kidnappings on him, but he’s dead, same as everyone else who’s ever worked for Manx. Vic knows that Manx has a house in the real world and wants to know where it is. Bing slams Vic against the locker and says "Tell your lies. Mess with my head. But know that you could end up dead."

Bing meets Manx in Colorado and and loads Manx’s Wraith on the back of a tow truck. By the time they arrive at the scrap yard, Manx will be took weak to communicate with the proprietress. He’ll rely on Bing to request a new water pump and install it immediately. His life depends on it. Still inflicted with the information he learned from Vic, Bing question Manx’s intentions and what happened to Peter Ives. Manx claims that he took Peter Ives and the others to Christmasland. Sadly, they were unable to enter because they proved to be naughty. So long as Bing remains on Manx’s nice list, he has nothing to fear. He wonders where these questions are coming from. Bing tells him Vic.

Judith Miller, the proprietress of the junk yard in Nebraska, is left almost speechless as Bing pulls up to her yard with the Wraith in tow. He asks for a water pump. She looks to Manx, who sits withered in the passenger seat. While Bing lowers the Wraith off the truck, she calls Sheriff Bly.

Manx grows weaker by the second. Wheezing with every breath and curled up on the sofa while Bing installs the water pump. As the police sirens grow louder, Mrs. Miller reveals that she remembers Manx from all those years ago, when he took her son and grandson. Bing installs the water pump. However, before he fills it with coolant, he makes Manx promise that he won’t murder him like he did Peter Ives and that he’ll get to see Christmasland. Manx doesn’t make that promise, rather reminding Bing that they’ll both be in prison if he doesn’t hurry, as the police will be there at any moment. Bing starts the car. Manx stands to his feet and morphs back into a younger version of himself. While Mrs. Miller may feign concern over her son and grandson, Manx knows the truth. He claims her son Robert was met with sour chewing tobacco and motor grease. Stricken with fear, Mrs. Miller keels over. Manx informs her that while Robert Jr. is happy in Christmasland, Robert Sr., was a terrible parent who Manx disposed of. Manx and Bing then get inside the Wraith as the officers arrive. However, they don’t even notice the Wraith as they’re too preoccupied with Mrs. Miller, allowing Manx and Bing to escape undetected.

Bing and Manx pull up to the gates of Christmasland with Joe Bly in the trunk. He asks Bing to step out the car as they made a deal that he would only be allowed in after he helped Manx save 10 children.

### Parnassus

Bing eagerly awaits Manx’s call. "Bing. Bing the ding-a-ling. Instead of a helper, Mr. Manx got a thing," he rhymes. Bing uses his typewriter to send Manx a message. He apologizes for allowing Vic to poisons his mind. Bing grows frustrated as he has trouble placing his words. So instead of writing a letter to Manx, he steaks out Vic’s home.

With the McQueens gone, Bing puts on his gas mask and breaks into their home. Inside Vic’s room, Bing finds alcohol, weed, condoms, and pills. Just downstairs, Linda McQueen returns home. She hears a door creek and concludes that Vic beat her home, unaware that Bing has broken into. While Linda is distracted, Bing creeps out the front door unnoticed. Linda enters Vic’s room and on her bed finds the alcohol, weed, condoms, and pills that Bing left out.

Bing ambushes Vic in the woods after she gets into a fight with her mother. Vic wakes up duct taped and tied up in Bing’s basement. He removes the tape from her mouth, and she screams. He covers her mouth with his hand and says "only girls who are nice and sweet get to have a tasty treat." Vic’s been naughty, and if something were to happen to her, no one would come looking. Everyone will think she ran away after the fight with her mother. Vic reminds Bing how they were once friends. He says that can be true again so long as Vic is nice. He then sprays her again with the gingerbread smoke. He tells her to say "I love you, Bing Partridge.

Vic wakes back up after being heavily dosed with gingerbread smoke. Bing sees Vic as his second chance. He blames her for him getting on Manx’s naughty lost. He believes by getting rid of Vic, he’ll be back in Manx’s good graces. However, Vic informs him how Manx told her that she would be welcomed in Christmasland. Bing begins to panic. Should Manx find out that he took Vic, he‘ll be on the naughty list forever. Bing places the tape back on Vic’s mouth and runs upstairs. Vic struggles with the commemorative pin on her book that she got from Craig, hoping to use it to cut the tape restraining her. She pauses as Bing comes back down. Having thought over his options, Bing can’t let Vic go in fear that she’ll tell Manx what he did. Bing would give everything to go to Christmasland. Some of his best feelings came at Christmas. Vic used to think her best feelings happened with her family at Lake Winnipesaukee.

On Christmas, Bing’s dad gave him his gas mask. His mom made sugar cookies. She said that she loved him more than anything. While Bing relives moments from his past, Vic continues to scratch at the tape with her commemorative pin. Her best feeling is when she got into art school. Bing is surprisingly happy for her. Bing's very best feeling came when he killed his parents. He put a nail in both of their heads. He recalls how terribly his father used to treat him. Every time he did, Bing's mom went into the kitchen to make cookies. She never protected him. Vic continues to stall Bing while she breaks free. She surmised that Manx knows all about Bing’s troubled past and used it to manipulate him into doing his bidding, like killing Sharon Smith. However, Bing informs Vic that killing Sharon was all his doing. He recalls her skin being soft like his mom’s. And while she smelled of coconut shampoo and menthols, she tasted just as sweet as his mom. Vic sobs as Bing gets up close and smells her. As he lays his head on her chest, Vic breaks free. She cuts him on his face with her pen and kicks him in his balls before hitting him over the head with his gas tank and dousing him with gingerbread smoke.

### Sleigh House

Bing is attacked in his home by Craig. Craig put up a fight, but he is ultimately overpowered by Bing. The fight ending as blood splatters onto the kitchen floor.

Bing goes through Craig’s phone, reading his messages with Vic, before throwing the phone down and stomping on it. Before long, Manx arrives. He has Bradley in the back with him. Much like the children who came before him, Bradley has a new pair of razor sharp teeth. Manx inquires about the scratch on Bing’s face. He reveals that Vic attacked him in his basement, which Manx refers to as the "House of Sleep." Bing claims that Vic belongs on the naughty list, but Manx would beg to differ. In fact, it is Bing who is on his naughty list. Those who can’t find their way off the list get punished. The back door to the Wraith opens and Manx tells Bing to get in, though he is reluctant, trying to plead his case with Manx, revealing how he found drugs and condoms in Vic’s bedroom. Bing even brought Craig, who he has stuffed in the trunk, to corroborate his findings.

Bing takes Craig from his trunk and puts him in the trunk of the Wraith. Manx questions why Craig attacked Bing. Craig states that he was getting back at him for what he tried to do to Vic. and what they did to Haley and Sharon Smith. Manx is devastated to learn that Craig and Manx had sex and that Craig defiled her. Craig promises Manx that Vic will find him and kill him. Manx is amused by the notion and welcomes her to try. He locks Craig in the trunk and admits that Bing’s instincts about Vic were correct. Bing wonders if he’s off the naughty list. Manx doesn’t answer, rather telling Bing to go home, clean up, and clear out. The police will be on his tail in short order. If he can avoid detection, procure more gingerbread gas, and make his way safely to Kuchar county, Maine, he’ll call on Bing after he’s done with Vic.

While loading up his trunk with gingerbread gas, Bing is confronted by his boss, Hal Schnell. He fires Bing after the cops came around looking for him. He goes to call the police, but Bing demands that he put his phone down.

### Gunbarrel

Bing sets up shop in his new House of Sleep. He shaved off his facial hair so not to be recognized and burns his SoChemPharm uniform. He then replaces his Massachusetts licence plate with one from Maine. Six months later, Bing has settled down in a new town, under a new identity, working as a janitor in a dentist office. He offers a little girl a piece of candy after her appointment. "Brush and floss, shine or rain, all good girls get candy canes."