June 27, 2018 • 24 mins
Intent on exposing Karen’s (Hannah Fierman) secrets, Dr. Hayes (John Schmedes) subjects her to chemical hypnosis and coerces her to reenact the ill-fated events that occurred in room 512 of the Dixie Hotel. His unhealthy obsession with Karen reaches new depths, but his unorthodox form of role-playing leads to an unexpected breakthrough.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
The control group contains scenes of realistic violence and graphic sexuality.
It is intended for mature listeners. In the field of
psychiatric medicine, it was an exciting time, a time of
(00:22):
innovation and discovery, a time when mental health institutions struggled
to redefine themselves, to become something more than repositories of
the sick. Unorthodox methods and aggressive therapies were not only permitted,
but encouraged. This is a record of that time. This
(00:45):
is the control group. Good Good. This is Tuesday, January.
(01:16):
This morning saw the unsuccessful release of Charlotte Benton to
the care of her husband. Her emotional breakdown on the
front walkway of the hospital was witnessed by many of
the hospital personnel and was completely unacceptable to maintaining the
morale staff and patience. In response to this incident, I've
(01:37):
decided to initiate a long term sleep there before and
implement a more aggressive psychic driving tape than I prescribed
for the other patients. In order for these recorded statements
to have a more authoritative tone, I've decided to record
them myself. Charlotte, I feel that I have been too
(02:11):
lenient with you and have not given your I feel
like the staff of Virgery and myself have for too
long encouraged a sense of comfort, of artificial confidence and
well being. Well and smoke, m take two. I look
(02:41):
at you, Charlotte, and I see I see a woman
whose pleasing countenance, your poise and grace. It may be
the object of any man's desire. And I want you
to return to your home, or you can resume a
nor a more healthy sexual relationship and satisfy your husband. No, no, no,
(03:08):
I shouldn't do that, you know, what the hell with it? God,
damn you've Charlotte. I swear to God, if you create
another scene like the one you did outside the hospital,
I will personally deliver so much electricity to your brain
that your eyes will pop up like burnt toast. And
(03:31):
if summer Hill and his boys had seen that sad
little spectacle, you wouldn't be here today to wine and
moan and prance around the Warld like some kind of
price poodle. Okay, all better. In order for these recorded
(03:58):
statements to have a more authoritative own, I've decided to
record them myself, all right. Psychic driving Tape for Charlotte Benton,
January nine, sixty two. You have failed, Charlotte, as a woman,
(04:25):
as a housewife, as a mother. You have failed. You
will never become a healthy, mentally functioning, desirable woman until
you take responsibility for your failures and acknowledge that you
simply lack the strength, the strength, and character to be
(04:46):
a proper wife and woman. You need to undo all
the damage you've done to your life and prepare to
be taught the rules of proper behavior that I, Dr Hayes,
and still in you. I want to reduce you to
a blank slate, completely free of your own will, your
(05:12):
mind erased, so that we can rebuild it the way
it should be. You must trust Dr Hayes, Charlotte. You
must bend your will, submit yourself to me, heed my
(05:37):
every instruction, comply with my every command, and allow yourself
to be shaped into the kind of woman I expect
you to be, the kind of woman you should be.
Any command I care to make you will obey. No
(06:03):
matter what I instruct you to do, You will obey.
You will obey me and only me, For only by
absolute compliance can we help you attain the mental health,
(06:25):
the moral happiness, and the personal confidence that will allow
you to become a fully functioning member of society with
no further need of medical attention. Is his patient Karen Myers, Wednesday,
(07:02):
February ninth, Head of View nine, after seventeen weeks in
the sleep room. Awaken from deep sleep this morning. Dual
drip of sodium amitol mhm, and we should be ready. Yes, yes,
dr good, that'll be all verdery m darkening the room
(07:41):
with the exception of one directional lamp behind my right shoulder.
Patient will be largely immobile due to the two I
V tubes. Just watching now, waiting for the patient to emerge.
Here she comes, Relax and hear me. Careen, allow me
(08:05):
to come inside and join you in your mind. There
should be no barriers between us, no barriers to separate
us from the realm of your memory. It is all
there for both of us to see clearly, as if
it were happening before us. How's that sound. As your
(08:34):
body relaxes, you will see the interior of room five
twelve materializes around you the Dixie Motel. You're inside that room. Now.
As you move about the room, you will allow me
to observe you're there. Now, look around. Is there a
(09:02):
bed in the room. Yes, you're lying on the bed.
Look around. What else is in the room? A dresser
with a mirror, a chest of drawers, a mirror above that,
(09:25):
the door to the bathroom, the door to the hallway.
Is anyone else here? Not? Now? Just me and you,
doctor forget I'm doctor Hayes. Just pretend I'm an ordinary man.
(09:50):
I want you to show me what it is you
do what he wants you to do when you were
in room five twelve on August. I I want you
to be the woman you were on August in room
(10:11):
five twelve at the Dixie Motel. And you want meets
you what he want you to do. You want me
to seduce you. I know. I mean I want you
to describe to me, demonstrate what you did that night
(10:38):
in room five twelve exactly so you are a man?
Big pardon? Are you a man? Or are you the
man the man I brought here? Ronnie? Yes, yes, m
(11:00):
let's say that I am anything you want without actually
touching me. Don't be shy, relax, then let me fix
you a drink. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait just a moment.
Because of the I need you to show me without
(11:24):
moving from this spot. I can't unhook the end. Just
stay in the spot. I can try. You could just
fix me a drink here? Anything you say, gin anything?
(11:49):
I'm right, you know what? Make it to bourbon. You're
becoming more relaxed already. There's really nothing to be nervous about.
A little ice, a big red cherry, a little something
sweet and here you go, cheers. How are you having
(12:16):
one now while I'm on duty? What's wrong? What? What
do you mean? Aren't you going to drink it? Yeah? Yeah,
of course, m delicious. Now you can really relax here
(12:44):
undo me what there's a hook at the top and
a zipper? Can you get that for me? Dr Ronnie?
Remember I remember when you're with a man in room?
(13:08):
When you were with Ronald Grant? Did you have sex
with him? That's what you want, right, okay, Karen, For
the sake of ourt therapy, let's say that you and
I have you and Ronald Grant have just have just
(13:35):
had it. Usually takes about forty five minutes, sometimes an
hour or more, but sometimes as little as fifteen yes, yes, yes, yes,
well let's say sometimes past how much like thirty or
or forty five an hour? Goodness, most men don't have
(13:56):
that kind of it's tolerance. Yes, I'm show what's wrong?
He didn't finish. Huh, you have to finish. He has
to see. Oh, the man watches me in round five twelve,
(14:20):
he insists, but you can't touch me. I need you
to relax and quite down. Slowly come back to the office,
away from room five twelve, back to the Central State Hospital.
I don't understand. I am no longer Ronald Rant. I
(14:41):
am Dr Hayes, And you're in my office with me.
Is that clear? Karen? Can you hear my voice? Karen?
What is it? Yeah? Who's here? You know the man
(15:04):
you're so curious about. He knows up here watching us, right,
that's always watching, always listening. Can you see him? Of
course not, you can't see busy real more imaginary, very real.
(15:27):
Does he know my name, Karen? Does he know my name? Yes?
(15:55):
Continuation of interview with patient Karen Myers, Wednesday, February nine.
So this man, this other man, not Ronald Grant, the
other man. He is real. Yes, he watches you, Yes,
(16:16):
but you can't see him. That's right. Was he in
the room the night Ronald Grant was killed? Not exactly
he was or he wasn't he was that he wasn't
enough of this. I'm removing the patient from the sodium
(16:38):
amatur trip. In the meantime, I'll continue the end of
year to see if her response is changed while she's
returned to a liminal state. Karen. Yes, one of the
nurses said, you asked to make a telephone call. Yeah, yeah,
(17:01):
you want to call him? Yes? If I give your phone,
would you call him now? Mm? Hm? He might be angry.
There's nothing to be frightened us. I am unplugging the
(17:21):
office phone from the jack and placing it next to
the patient. There you go, Karen. Are you sure you
want me to do this? Yes? What should I tell him?
I'll tell you what to say. Oh. Hi, it's Karen.
(18:05):
I wanted to talk to you about the man I
was with m last night. I don't understand what went wrong,
but he must have had some mm hmm oh, I
(18:25):
see what what's he saying? He thinks it was something
to do with the dosage. No, I'm I'm here. I
was just okay. I was worried that I had done
something wrong. Okay, so just call me ask him what
the drug is. No, it's nobody. I've got the television
(18:46):
on Karen, shut No, I told you it's it's just
a TV set. I know, I know, I know it
is there someone win? No, Yes, yes, it's the man
from last night. He followed me here. He's been asking
(19:08):
lots of questions. I'm sorry, all right enough, I swear,
And he doesn't know anything. He's just he's just very confused.
Please don't. I'll get rid of him. Okay, Um, he
won't ask any more questions. No, no, you don't have
(19:29):
to do that. Please don't. He's not He's not gonna
make any trouble. I'll make a promise. Okay, he won't
say anything. Doesn't do anywhere. Stop me. I don't know
what you're doing it to me. I didn't I didn't
(19:53):
mean to do that. Just a second. Hello, okay, okay,
Dr Hayes. Yeah, he wants to talk to you to me, yes, hello, Hello,
(20:23):
Oh Jesus Christ, you just hung up, Karen. He's not
going to be happy about that. He's on his way
over here right now, and I think I think he
wants to kill you. Could you come back in? Probably
(20:45):
killed me too, but maybe not if I tell him,
If I confess, yeah, phone doesn't work. If you don't
(21:08):
plug it in. I have no secret. Gloria, where's virtue?
(21:28):
She went down to admissions, said she when she gets back,
have her take Karen off the I V S and
preper free c T. But Dr Hayes isn't She's just
do it, Gloria. Don't argue, Dr Hayes. God damn it, Gloria,
what were you making a phone call? What? No? Well
one O two is blinking. That means your line is engaged.
(21:51):
Oh Jesus, yes, mm hmm that's right. I tried to,
but they wouldn't let me. Paren. What are you doing
your phone? It wasn't loved in? I fixed it. Put
(22:15):
down the phone. I will, Morgan, I'll try it. Karen. Yes,
Dr Hayes. Who what is it? He wants to speak
to you? To me? Yes, huh Hello? Who is this? M?
(22:46):
Don't you worry her this? Tell me where you are,
Tell me where she is so I can come get her.
That's quite impossible. Nothing's impossible. You will, of all people
should know that, Dr Hayes. Dr Walter hay m hm M.
(23:27):
The Control Group is a production of How Stuff Works,
written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by
Rob Gal, starring John Schmids as Dr Hayes, Hannah Fearman
as Karen, Lisa Paulson as Verdery, Jim Bates as Charlotte,
and Daniel May as summer Hill. Also featuring Andrew Nader,
(23:52):
Rachel Frawley, Mary Kraft, Kelly O'Neill, Joe Sykes and Troy Willis.
Music by Rob Gal and Bretwood. M m m
The control group contains scenes of realistic violence and graphic sexuality.
It is intended for mature listeners. In the field of
psychiatric medicine, it was an exciting time, a time of
(00:22):
innovation and discovery, a time when mental health institutions struggled
to redefine themselves, to become something more than repositories of
the sick. Unorthodox methods and aggressive therapies were not only permitted,
but encouraged. This is a record of that time. This
(00:45):
is the control group. Good Good. This is Tuesday, January.
(01:16):
This morning saw the unsuccessful release of Charlotte Benton to
the care of her husband. Her emotional breakdown on the
front walkway of the hospital was witnessed by many of
the hospital personnel and was completely unacceptable to maintaining the
morale staff and patience. In response to this incident, I've
(01:37):
decided to initiate a long term sleep there before and
implement a more aggressive psychic driving tape than I prescribed
for the other patients. In order for these recorded statements
to have a more authoritative tone, I've decided to record
them myself. Charlotte, I feel that I have been too
(02:11):
lenient with you and have not given your I feel
like the staff of Virgery and myself have for too
long encouraged a sense of comfort, of artificial confidence and
well being. Well and smoke, m take two. I look
(02:41):
at you, Charlotte, and I see I see a woman
whose pleasing countenance, your poise and grace. It may be
the object of any man's desire. And I want you
to return to your home, or you can resume a
nor a more healthy sexual relationship and satisfy your husband. No, no, no,
(03:08):
I shouldn't do that, you know, what the hell with it? God,
damn you've Charlotte. I swear to God, if you create
another scene like the one you did outside the hospital,
I will personally deliver so much electricity to your brain
that your eyes will pop up like burnt toast. And
(03:31):
if summer Hill and his boys had seen that sad
little spectacle, you wouldn't be here today to wine and
moan and prance around the Warld like some kind of
price poodle. Okay, all better. In order for these recorded
(03:58):
statements to have a more authoritative own, I've decided to
record them myself, all right. Psychic driving Tape for Charlotte Benton,
January nine, sixty two. You have failed, Charlotte, as a woman,
(04:25):
as a housewife, as a mother. You have failed. You
will never become a healthy, mentally functioning, desirable woman until
you take responsibility for your failures and acknowledge that you
simply lack the strength, the strength, and character to be
(04:46):
a proper wife and woman. You need to undo all
the damage you've done to your life and prepare to
be taught the rules of proper behavior that I, Dr Hayes,
and still in you. I want to reduce you to
a blank slate, completely free of your own will, your
(05:12):
mind erased, so that we can rebuild it the way
it should be. You must trust Dr Hayes, Charlotte. You
must bend your will, submit yourself to me, heed my
(05:37):
every instruction, comply with my every command, and allow yourself
to be shaped into the kind of woman I expect
you to be, the kind of woman you should be.
Any command I care to make you will obey. No
(06:03):
matter what I instruct you to do, You will obey.
You will obey me and only me, For only by
absolute compliance can we help you attain the mental health,
(06:25):
the moral happiness, and the personal confidence that will allow
you to become a fully functioning member of society with
no further need of medical attention. Is his patient Karen Myers, Wednesday,
(07:02):
February ninth, Head of View nine, after seventeen weeks in
the sleep room. Awaken from deep sleep this morning. Dual
drip of sodium amitol mhm, and we should be ready. Yes, yes,
dr good, that'll be all verdery m darkening the room
(07:41):
with the exception of one directional lamp behind my right shoulder.
Patient will be largely immobile due to the two I
V tubes. Just watching now, waiting for the patient to emerge.
Here she comes, Relax and hear me. Careen, allow me
(08:05):
to come inside and join you in your mind. There
should be no barriers between us, no barriers to separate
us from the realm of your memory. It is all
there for both of us to see clearly, as if
it were happening before us. How's that sound. As your
(08:34):
body relaxes, you will see the interior of room five
twelve materializes around you the Dixie Motel. You're inside that room. Now.
As you move about the room, you will allow me
to observe you're there. Now, look around. Is there a
(09:02):
bed in the room. Yes, you're lying on the bed.
Look around. What else is in the room? A dresser
with a mirror, a chest of drawers, a mirror above that,
(09:25):
the door to the bathroom, the door to the hallway.
Is anyone else here? Not? Now? Just me and you,
doctor forget I'm doctor Hayes. Just pretend I'm an ordinary man.
(09:50):
I want you to show me what it is you
do what he wants you to do when you were
in room five twelve on August. I I want you
to be the woman you were on August in room
(10:11):
five twelve at the Dixie Motel. And you want meets
you what he want you to do. You want me
to seduce you. I know. I mean I want you
to describe to me, demonstrate what you did that night
(10:38):
in room five twelve exactly so you are a man?
Big pardon? Are you a man? Or are you the
man the man I brought here? Ronnie? Yes, yes, m
(11:00):
let's say that I am anything you want without actually
touching me. Don't be shy, relax, then let me fix
you a drink. Okay, wait, wait, wait, wait just a moment.
Because of the I need you to show me without
(11:24):
moving from this spot. I can't unhook the end. Just
stay in the spot. I can try. You could just
fix me a drink here? Anything you say, gin anything?
(11:49):
I'm right, you know what? Make it to bourbon. You're
becoming more relaxed already. There's really nothing to be nervous about.
A little ice, a big red cherry, a little something
sweet and here you go, cheers. How are you having
(12:16):
one now while I'm on duty? What's wrong? What? What
do you mean? Aren't you going to drink it? Yeah? Yeah,
of course, m delicious. Now you can really relax here
(12:44):
undo me what there's a hook at the top and
a zipper? Can you get that for me? Dr Ronnie?
Remember I remember when you're with a man in room?
(13:08):
When you were with Ronald Grant? Did you have sex
with him? That's what you want, right, okay, Karen, For
the sake of ourt therapy, let's say that you and
I have you and Ronald Grant have just have just
(13:35):
had it. Usually takes about forty five minutes, sometimes an
hour or more, but sometimes as little as fifteen yes, yes, yes, yes,
well let's say sometimes past how much like thirty or
or forty five an hour? Goodness, most men don't have
(13:56):
that kind of it's tolerance. Yes, I'm show what's wrong?
He didn't finish. Huh, you have to finish. He has
to see. Oh, the man watches me in round five twelve,
(14:20):
he insists, but you can't touch me. I need you
to relax and quite down. Slowly come back to the office,
away from room five twelve, back to the Central State Hospital.
I don't understand. I am no longer Ronald Rant. I
(14:41):
am Dr Hayes, And you're in my office with me.
Is that clear? Karen? Can you hear my voice? Karen?
What is it? Yeah? Who's here? You know the man
(15:04):
you're so curious about. He knows up here watching us, right,
that's always watching, always listening. Can you see him? Of
course not, you can't see busy real more imaginary, very real.
(15:27):
Does he know my name, Karen? Does he know my name? Yes?
(15:55):
Continuation of interview with patient Karen Myers, Wednesday, February nine.
So this man, this other man, not Ronald Grant, the
other man. He is real. Yes, he watches you, Yes,
(16:16):
but you can't see him. That's right. Was he in
the room the night Ronald Grant was killed? Not exactly
he was or he wasn't he was that he wasn't
enough of this. I'm removing the patient from the sodium
(16:38):
amatur trip. In the meantime, I'll continue the end of
year to see if her response is changed while she's
returned to a liminal state. Karen. Yes, one of the
nurses said, you asked to make a telephone call. Yeah, yeah,
(17:01):
you want to call him? Yes? If I give your phone,
would you call him now? Mm? Hm? He might be angry.
There's nothing to be frightened us. I am unplugging the
(17:21):
office phone from the jack and placing it next to
the patient. There you go, Karen. Are you sure you
want me to do this? Yes? What should I tell him?
I'll tell you what to say. Oh. Hi, it's Karen.
(18:05):
I wanted to talk to you about the man I
was with m last night. I don't understand what went wrong,
but he must have had some mm hmm oh, I
(18:25):
see what what's he saying? He thinks it was something
to do with the dosage. No, I'm I'm here. I
was just okay. I was worried that I had done
something wrong. Okay, so just call me ask him what
the drug is. No, it's nobody. I've got the television
(18:46):
on Karen, shut No, I told you it's it's just
a TV set. I know, I know, I know it
is there someone win? No, Yes, yes, it's the man
from last night. He followed me here. He's been asking
(19:08):
lots of questions. I'm sorry, all right enough, I swear,
And he doesn't know anything. He's just he's just very confused.
Please don't. I'll get rid of him. Okay, Um, he
won't ask any more questions. No, no, you don't have
(19:29):
to do that. Please don't. He's not He's not gonna
make any trouble. I'll make a promise. Okay, he won't
say anything. Doesn't do anywhere. Stop me. I don't know
what you're doing it to me. I didn't I didn't
(19:53):
mean to do that. Just a second. Hello, okay, okay,
Dr Hayes. Yeah, he wants to talk to you to me, yes, hello, Hello,
(20:23):
Oh Jesus Christ, you just hung up, Karen. He's not
going to be happy about that. He's on his way
over here right now, and I think I think he
wants to kill you. Could you come back in? Probably
(20:45):
killed me too, but maybe not if I tell him,
If I confess, yeah, phone doesn't work. If you don't
(21:08):
plug it in. I have no secret. Gloria, where's virtue?
(21:28):
She went down to admissions, said she when she gets back,
have her take Karen off the I V S and
preper free c T. But Dr Hayes isn't She's just
do it, Gloria. Don't argue, Dr Hayes. God damn it, Gloria,
what were you making a phone call? What? No? Well
one O two is blinking. That means your line is engaged.
(21:51):
Oh Jesus, yes, mm hmm that's right. I tried to,
but they wouldn't let me. Paren. What are you doing
your phone? It wasn't loved in? I fixed it. Put
(22:15):
down the phone. I will, Morgan, I'll try it. Karen. Yes,
Dr Hayes. Who what is it? He wants to speak
to you? To me? Yes, huh Hello? Who is this? M?
(22:46):
Don't you worry her this? Tell me where you are,
Tell me where she is so I can come get her.
That's quite impossible. Nothing's impossible. You will, of all people
should know that, Dr Hayes. Dr Walter hay m hm M.
(23:27):
The Control Group is a production of How Stuff Works,
written and directed by Brett Wood, recorded and mixed by
Rob Gal, starring John Schmids as Dr Hayes, Hannah Fearman
as Karen, Lisa Paulson as Verdery, Jim Bates as Charlotte,
and Daniel May as summer Hill. Also featuring Andrew Nader,
(23:52):
Rachel Frawley, Mary Kraft, Kelly O'Neill, Joe Sykes and Troy Willis.
Music by Rob Gal and Bretwood. M m m
The Control Group News
Host
Bret Wood
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