Original Story by William F. Wu
 
Teleplay by Alan Brennert
 
Directed by Paul Lynch
 
Original Airdate - November 22, 1985
 
Starring:    
 
Brian Tochi - David Wong
Anna Maria Poon - Melinda
Carol Bruce - Mrs. Whitford
Stacy Keach, Sr. - Elderly Man
Jack Jozegson - Cashier
Marty Levy - Customer

 

  
Story:
     

David Wong's life has gone wrong.  He was told that he could get his life back on track by visiting the Lost and Found Emporium.  After tracking it down, he finds it's in an adult bookstore.  The proprietor sends him to the door in the back.  He seems to be transported to another place, where there are rows and rows of weird objects and strange items on unending racks of shelves. 

He wanders around, meeting people who seem dazed and confused, who are looking to put their lives back on track.  He helps them by finding what he thinks they need but turns out not to be, but he seems to have no real interest in helping them, or compassion for them.  He stumbles across a young woman, who looks sad and cynical.  He finds the right object for her, which restores her sense of humor.  She finds the right item for him, and they both decide they will be the keepers of the Lost and Found Emporium from now on.

  

Based on William F. Wu's short story of the same name, and with a teleplay adapted by Alan Brennert, this is an interesting story filled with complex ideas.  In several ways, "Wong's Lost and Found Emporium" is an inverted take on the original Twilight Zone's "What You Need."  Items are there for the person to find, but it may not be exactly what they need, since they didn't do the choosing…someone else does.  In this version, we have a man beaten down by society and a woman beaten down by a bad marriage, looking for some way to climb out of the hole their situations put them in.  It would be nice if we all could find a place like the Lost and Found Emporium, where we can retrieve our prior state in life, before we were beaten down by society or family.  It's a hopeful episode that doesn’t run on too long; if it had, the effect would have been to lengthen a story that needs to be concise and to the point. 

Bryan Tochi, a favorite of mine from his roles in the early 1970's, and from his "Space Academy" days, plays David Wong as a man filled with cynicism who can't see anything but how he's been wronged in his life.  It's a different type of role than what he's usually done, up to that point, and he is neatly effective in it.  Anna Maria Poon plays Melinda, and she does a good job portraying a woman who regains her sense of herself, thanks to the Emporium.  She left acting a few years after this, which is too bad.  Carol Bruce and Stacy Keach, Sr., play the two poor souls looking for help, who David Wong literally throws under the bus by giving them the wrong items.  Both are long-time character actors, and they handle their parts with aplomb. 

Once again, the set designers for the series work marvels with the Emporium. Pay attention to the screen while the actors are walking through it, because there are all sorts of interesting items on the shelves.

Visit the author of "Wong's Lost and Found Emporium." William F. Wu's website!