The Substitute 2: School's Out

At Randall Thomasson's funeral, his estranged brother Karl Thomasson arrives with a quiet purpose. A former Green Beret turned mercenary, Karl uses the wake as cover to probe the teacher's murder. He takes a job as a substitute at the same school, blending in while following leads from Randall's notes. Karl's battle ready skills rise to the surface as he questions students and staff, turning classrooms into a makeshift crime scene. The mission feels personal and perilous, mixing covert surveillance with sudden action as he edges toward a dangerous truth. He quickly clashes with a skeptical faculty and wary police who wonder if a stranger should be carrying a badge.

Steven Pearl directed the film, released in 1998 as a television thriller. The project draws on the ideas of Roy Frumkes, Rocco Simonelli, and Alan Ormsby, who crafted a lean narrative about a soldier turned investigator. Treat Williams leads as Karl Thomasson, supported by BD Wong and Michael Michele.

The project did not garner major nominations or wins. It remains a straightforward TV thriller that found its audience through cable and home video, rather than festival circuits. The production values keep the tension tight and the pace steady.

Reception centers on the tension between action and investigation. Karl Thomasson's military instincts push him to test a community that hides its secrets, while the school setting magnifies the risk. The film explores mercy and retaliation, and how violence reshapes a plan for justice. It also asks what happens when the line between law and vengeance blurs.

Though not widely known, the film has a small footprint in 90s TV thrillers. A few viewers remember Williams's rugged lead and the unusual premise of a substitute teacher who uses military skills to expose corruption, a late century example of the vigilante premise. Its place in the era's landscape shows how compact storytelling and a single strong protagonist can drive a tense mystery.