[Faithful Reader]

Black On White On Fire
Original Air Date: November 9, 1990
Written by: Deborah Pratt
Directed by: Joe Napolitano
Leap Date: August 11, 1965

This time: Sam leaps into a comfortable position with a girl. Three guys approach the couple to make some trouble. They rough Sam up a bit, one of them being Sam’s leapee’s brother Lonnie. Lonnie does not approve of the interracial relationship and sends the girl, Susan, on her way.

Taking Susan home, Sam is confronted by her father, Police Captain Brewer. Brewer makes it clear that he does not approve of Ray/Sam dating Susan out of concern that she will be hurt.

Al shows up and tells Sam that they are trying to figure out what Sam is there to do but the Watts Riots will happen soon. After being told about Susan, Al determines that they broke up shortly after the riot and Ray dropped out of medical school.

Sam goes to a party where an old flame tries to hook up, but Lonnie breaks up the festivities. He tells the crowd about the patrols and encourages them to stand up for themselves. Susan arrives driven by her housekeeper. She does not want to stay with her father and Sam lets her stay with him, especially since there is an outside chance she will die in the riot.

As things get out of control, Ray’s mother, Mama Harper, comes in. She tries to be supportive but is worried, especially since Ray might go to Boston upon graduation while they would much prefer he do great work in their hometown. Lonnie shows up and one of his friends is hurt. Sam offers to stich him up but while there are medical supplies around, the best care is at the clinic. They decide that Sam can be of best use there and they head down as a group.

After a busy session, including a mother that refuses to let Susan operate on her young son, Susan begins to disbelieve that they will live a normal life together. Lonnie brings in a friend who is too far gone and dies. Upset, Lonnie says that if another African American dies, he will kill Susan and takes her hostage.

Trying to find her in the streets, Captain Brewer finds Sam being roughed up. Brewer lets Sam take him to Lonnie. At the scene, Brewer orders a sniper while Sam tries to talk Lonnie out of martyrdom. Sam succeeds but the sniper shoots Lonnie. Brewer charges in when Sam declares that he has to stay, and Susan wants to stay with him. Sam leaps …

… into a small box. A sword is thrust in and he emerges from the trick as The Great Spontini.

Only Sam can see and hear: With all the chaos, Ziggy has a hard time getting a lock on Sam and let alone Susan.

Mirror images that were not his own: After getting roughed up, Sam sees Ray in the mirror. He also sees himself in Ray’s apartment and on the street to rescue Susan.

It’s a science project: There is a lot of medical terms in this hour.

One more time: “Of course they’ll be human, child. I’m talking about race.”
Mama Harper trying to talk some sense into Sam/Ray and Susan.

The Rainbow Treknection: Ron Taylor who would go on to be Klingon Chef Kaga is Papa D, one of Lonnie’s buddies.

Oh, and Captain Brewer is played by some guy names Marc Alaimo.

Put right what once went wrong: “Ray’s staying here. Taking care of his own people.” Once again, the actors, writing and production team come together to deliver a great episode about race relations, this time showing how bad things can get when they spiral out of control.

The African American perspective is something that most of the viewing audience does not always see and everything comes together here. These are not just random people on the news on the other side of the country there are names we can associate with them.

Gregory Millar puts on a fantastic performance as Lonnie. He starts out only wanting what is best for his brother and quickly gets caught up in the riot. We never lose sight of the brotherly love but do see Lonnie going to a dark place. He is working for the betterment of the community and wants his brother, who he is putting through medical school, to stay in the area where he can do the most good.

Deborah Pratt delivered another great writing credit. While we do not get all the details with the riot, we see the leadup through regular eyes. No one on screen was the cause and in fact there is a party going on early on. The participants are oblivious to the recent event, dancing the night away and someone flirting with Sam. We see things escalate with the power, and then phones, going out. We get to know Lonnie’s friends so when Papa D dies, it carries weight.

Joe Napolitano did a fantastic job directing. The line between stock footage and original material is blurred nicely. The moments leading up to the action are done well and he lets the actors do their jobs.

This being a Star Trek site we cannot avoid talking about Marc Alaimo’s Brewer. He does not have a lot to do, but his scene near the top of the episode with Bakula is great. He wants what is best for his daughter and is at the end of his rope though he is still being as cordial as he can be with Sam/Ray while still being superior. When he talks about keeping Susan safe you can see the man who will threaten Garak over Ziyal and hold Kira accountable.

[Faithful Reader]

The Great Spontini
Original Air Date: November 16, 1990
Written by: Cristy Dawson & Beverly Bridges
Directed by: James Whitmore, J.
Leap Date: May 9, 1974

This time: Sam leaps into a small box. A sword is thrust in and he emerges from the trick as The Great Spontini. His tweenage daughter/assistant, Jamie, walks him through the rest of the act. They have hopes of getting on a bigger stage and settling down but are nomadic at present.

Sam/Harry’s ex-wife, Maggie comes in along with Steve, the fiancé/lawyer. They give a dress to Jamie and divorce papers for Sam, neither of which are appreciated. It does not help that Maggie vanished without a trace three years ago.

At the hearing, Steve waives financial obligations but askes for sole custody of Jamie. The judge grants temporary custody to Maggie and orders Sam to bring Jamie over that evening. The drop off goes well, or at least as well as Jamie’s passive aggressiveness (openly saying she hates the place, faking a stabbing with a trick knife) will. Sam tries to reconnect with Maggie, and they have a moment, but it is broken not too long before Steve shows up with a huge teddy bear and a promise to win custody.

The formalized hearing does not go well for Sam but Al interrupts saying that Jamie broke out and is attempting the Table of Death which will be fatal. Sam abandons the hearing, but Maggie is hot on his heals hearing that Jamie might be in danger.

After a madcap drive through downtown Phoenix (sidewalks and all) Sam recues Jamie. Back at the hearing, Steve takes the opportunity to recommend formal child endangerment charges, but Maggie will have none if it, dismissing the case and Steve. He connects with Maggie and leaps …

… into a biker gang and soon careens off the road.

Fact check: Bill Bixby got a name check. Before he played a guy who magically transformed into the Hulk, he was a more traditional magician.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam does not like leaping into a contortionist position with swords being stuck in.

Only Sam can see and hear: In the hearing, it would be great for Al to relay basic information about Jamie to Sam (schools attended, Jamie’s birthdate, etc.) but the wi-fi goes out and Al pretty much kills his smartphone, er handlink. He gets a more colorful upgrade later which will continue throughout the series.

Mirror images that were not his own: In the dressing room Sam sees Harry Spontini in the mirror. Impressed, he gives a slight flourish.

It’s a science project: There is a science to magic though Sam blows through several acts at the top of the show while not revealing anything to the audience, amazingly, though a plethora of props fall out.

Let’s up the rating: Granted there is probably never a good time for your ex to barge in unannounced but making out with a lounge singer before being served with divorce papers is probably up there.

One more time: “Better luck next time, butthead.” “My sentiments exactly, butthead.”
Jamie and Al cussing out Steve the only way it would get past the censors.

The Rainbow Treknection: Before pulling a trick on the Enterprise as Kieren MacDuff in Conundrum, Erich Anderson was Steve.

Put right what once went wrong: “Steve’s also my attorney.” “Watch your wallet, Sam.” I’m of two minds of this episode. On one hand, the acting is spot on. One of the standouts is Lauren Woodland as Jamie. She can get a little too nineties-kid at times, but she handles her role with maturity. The girl has been through a lot, but she loves her father, and you can see that in her performance. She sees that there are few alternatives but holds herself well between being exasperated at not getting a choice and being passive aggressive with Maggie. She helps Sam get through the act at the top of the episode and knows her way around a magic trick. Smart and precocious, she is helpful in making the hour watchable if not outright enjoyable.

Maggie is also played well by Amy Steel. She did leave but did so to better herself and wanted to come back. It is pretty sudden, but she clearly wants to have both her ex and daughter back in her life. She should have been pissed off at Jamie in the house but got over it. She made every effort to bond with Jamie and Sam gives her all the credit in the world. It is great that they become a family again in the end.

The same cannot be said of fiancé douche Steve. Oh, Erich Anderson plays the role well, pulling legal maneuvers out of thin air and being an asshole in the process. His maneuvering in the informal trial is strong and he does not really have much to do outside the courtroom. He is interested in the win but there are actual people involved. He does not take the feelings of Jamie into consideration and barely acknowledges Maggie’s. He is the driving force for no real discernable purpose other than to be the antagonist. He is interested in the win, not the family. Even a few words would have ben helpful to make him more believable.

The writing is horrible. In what world can a lawyer spring custody rights in the middle of an informal hearing? How does he present evidence without showing it to opposing counsel? How does Al not have everything ready to go for the trial? How does he not know the trial will not go well? Why is Jamie not present in the custody hearing?

For that matter, Steve brings up child endangerment and kind of has a point. Jamie snuck out and put herself in mortal danger to prove their case. How would that work exactly? What kind of magic contraption does not have some sort of failsafe? How does the judge not bring Sam up on charges, regardless of Maggie dropping them? Jamie may have been under Maggie’s care, but she committed the act due to Sam/Harry’s influence.

Such great characters bogged down by horrible writing.

[Faithful Reader]

Rebel Without a Clue
Original Air Date: November 30, 1990
Story by : Nick Harding & Paul Brown
Teleplay by : Randy Holland & Paul Brown
Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.
Leap Date: September 1, 1958

This time: Sam leaps into a biker gang and soon careens off the road. One member, Mad Dog, is pretty pissed off and wants to rough up Sam, but the leader, Dillon, orders him not to, though there is some influence from Dillon’s girl, Becky. Mad Dog still damages Sam’s bike.

Sam makes it to a local diner named Ernie’s. There, Becky finds that Dillon does not appreciate her poetry. The proprietor, Ernie, hears that Dillon is a Korean Veteran and talks about his son, Darryl, who is due to come back, but with the war finished over five years ago, pretty much all he has is optimism. Sam goes to clean himself off and Al tells him that Becky will be stabbed to death in twenty-four hours.

Sam has a moment with Becky. Her mother is dead, and her dad is a deadbeat. Her wanderlust led her to Dillon. The gang shows up and despite some light pleading from Sam, Becky goes off with them. Ernie watches as Sam repairs his bike also mentioning that he is holding out hope for Darryl to come back. Al says that his remains will be returned in two years and Ernie will die two months later.

At a stop, Dillon plans to steal Ernie’s bike. Becky objects but that turns Dillon on. As he begins to plan, Sam shows up and Becky rides off with him. They stay the night above Ernie’s garage and discover that Ernie has been keeping birthday and holiday presents for his son. Sam tries to talk Becky out of the gang, but she has none of it.

At Al’s suggestion, Sam goes to local author Jack Kerouac, a hero of Becky’s. Sam tries to get him to convince Becky to not stay with the gang, but an inebriated Kerouac finds that against all he believes in.

Back at Ernie’s to rendezvous with Becky, Sam finds the gang beat him to it. They parade Darryl’s bike, make a mess and beat up Ernie. A fight ensues with Sam emerging victorious and the cops coming to arrest the gang. Ernie needs some help at the diner and Sam, with an assist from Kerouac, convince Becky to stay. Sam leaps …

… into a man helping someone into their boxers.

Fact check & Brush with History: Sam meets famed beatnik novelist Jack Kerouac. Though he could have had a cabin in California at this time he would eventually go to Florida.

Stop talking to yourself: Dr. Sam Beckett, brilliant physicist, defender of minorities, looks down on bikers.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al’s first car was a bike so he is able to get Sam back on the road.

Mirror images that were not his own: While gathering his wits, Sam sees Shane "Funny Bone" Thomas in the bike’s mirror.

It’s a science project: Sam is able to service the bike unassisted.

Let’s up the rating: Sam helps out serving food at Ernie’s, gets catcalls at being the new waitress and gets a smack on the ass.

One more time: “There’s nothing to it. Your rear brake is with your foot over there, here’s your front brake, throttle, there’s your clutch over there, there’s your gear shift, one down, three up, neutral’s between one and two, you kickstart it with this thing, pchounk, only when it’s in neutral and get it washed.”
Al’s crash course on biking.

Trivial Matters: Diedrich Bader is Dillon in this episode before he was on The Drew Carey Show, American Housewife or the voice of Batman.

Teddy Wilson played Jimmy in Pool House Blues. Evidently, they liked him because he is Ernie in this episode.

The title is a reference to the cinema classic Rebel Without a Cause.

Put right what once went wrong: “Not exactly Brando, but you kind of look like a wild one.” I am not sure who the writer on staff is that is a fan of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, but it gave us a fun hour.

The gang is a fun group to hang out with in smaller intervals. They gave Ernie some good business and were only moderately jerks. Dillon has leadership qualities keeping everyone under control and letting in new members. He does not freak out when he discovers that Sam drew a caricature of Becky. Mad Dog is a solid asshole, and the script gives him ammunition to hate Sam. All in all it feels like a rough and tumble biker gang that goes just far enough.

Becky plays her wanderlust well. She is eighteen but does not know what she wants to do with her life. Like a lot of young Americans, she found solace in a poet and wanted to explore. It takes her icon to bring her back down. She had a great scene with Sam explaining why she was looking for something. Kerouac is only there for two scenes on opposite ends of the sober spectrum, but he loves his work and takes responsibility for his influence.

Ernie ties everything together. The emotional center of the show, you can see him gravitating to Becky and the two gel. He will turn out to be the mentor she needs, with Kerouac helping on occasion. He plays an entirely different character than before, but he leaves everything on the film. This is not a show that can recycle guest stars, though sci-fi shows can get away with a bit more due to prosthetics (Vaughn Armstrong, James Solyan, Wayne Alexander) but I was thrilled to see him on screen again in a very entertaining and fun hour with a lot of fun moments. There was no weak link in the cast.

[Faithful Reader]

A Little Miracle
Original Air Date: December 21, 1990
Story by : Sandy Fries
Teleplay by : Sandy Fries & Robert A. Wolterstorff
Directed by: Michael Watkins
Leap Date: December 24, 1962

This time: Sam leaps into a man helping someone into their boxers. He is Pierson, personal valet to tycoon Michael Blake. Blake made a fortune buying up businesses, automating them and spinning out a profit at the cost of putting a lot of people out of business.

Captain Laura Downey of the Salvation Army approaches Blake to protest his tearing down of their Mission. Doing so will give Blake a huge plaza but he has to tear down their building by the end of the year to maintain his permit. Al comments on Blake … and Blake responds. Al quickly disappears and most everyone else is confused. With Ziggy’s help they are able to fix things, but Al says that Sam is not there for the Mission, he is there for Blake.

Recognizing a Scrooge, Sam hatches a plan and goes to Downey to put it in action. Sam drives Blake to an appointment and Blake reminisces over a box of photos planted there. As the memories turn dark, Sam stops the car in the Blake’s childhood neighborhood. A literal walk-through memory lane, including running into an old chum helps matters, but Blake sours.

Blake is despondent and Sam is conflicted. Al sees that the plan worked a bit but now, Blake has to be shown the present. A trip to the site of Blake Plaza does not especially help but nearby carolers do. Going to the Mission, Blake is resolute to tear down the mission, but Downey gets them to join in the choir. Things look good as Blake and Downey bond. The odds go up and then start to go down. An innocent question snaps Blake back. He leaves is a fury and threatens Sam/Pierson’s job.

Sam has a talk with Al about what to do next. Going full Dickens, Sam hatches a plan. Decked out in an outfit and makeup, Al appears to Blake as the Ghost of Christmas Future. They travel to the site of Blake Plaza. Al shows Blake Plaza and a newscast foretelling the fall of Blake, driven mainly by an unrelenting quest for profit. The plaza is sold, and he dies penniless. As Blake breaks down, he sees a light shining on the Mission. Per Al, Blake and Downey marry. Though Blake Plaza is built he incorporates the Mission. Sam thanks Al for the light, but Al cannot take credit. Sam leaps …

… into a tween on a family road trip.

Fact check: The newscast mentioned that the “New York Knick’s have done it again,” though that season was not that great for the team.

Stop talking to yourself: What better way to open a Christmas episode than with holiday themed shots and a monologue about being in service to someone?

Only Sam can see and hear: Al saves the day by appearing to Blake. Blake believes that Al is mixing characters with Marley’s chains, but does not mention that it is the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, not the Ghost of Christmas Future.

Mirror images that were not his own: After fumbling through the morning routine, which pretty much entails doing the most mundane tasks for Blake (dressing, putting on the napkin for breakfast, etc.) Sam sees himself in the mirror and exhales a long-deserved sigh.

Brush with history: As Blake and his assistant discuss war with Russia, Sam predicts the two will become allies.

Something or someone: Sam and Al have enough time to give each other holiday greetings and stand around a bit before Sam leaps.

It’s a science project: Thus far, only young children and animals can see Al. Blake can too since his brainwave is pretty close to Sam’s. Ziggy is able to do a workaround.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: It may be a Christmas episode, but Al is decked out in a Hawaiian shirt. It is July where he is. With the long lead time required to make these episodes, Russel T. Davies played Christmas Carols in April.

One more time: “Look at that. Khrushchev at Disneyland. Why don’t they just invite him to the Pentagon and go through the files?”
Blake looking at the morning headlines

The Rainbow Treknection: After being a huge asshole in Quantum Leap as Blake, Charles Rocket played a slightly less though still asshole-like guy in The Disease as Captain Jippeq.

Put right what once went wrong: “I have more art than the Guggenheim.” After being one in two with Halloween episodes, Quantum Leap decided to go with a Christmas one.

This hour puts a lot of weight on Dean Stockwell’s shoulders. Usually second fiddle on the show, Al is generally there to support Sam, but he gets to take a more reactive role this week. Stockwell clearly revels in the final act, happily being able to directly interact with people other than Sam. The costume helps and he is able to do some neat tricks be appearing and disappearing after letting Blake jump through him. The scenery is chewed but it is chewed well. It is great to see him take a larger role in the final solution to the episode.

Charles Rocket makes Blake a perfect asshole. He exhumes arrogance and as the primary antagonist he loves taking people down and enjoying it. He takes the dialogue and spits it out at everyone. Every line is more sinister when he says it. There is contempt for everyone else, both those he is evicting and those in his employ. Early on he addresses an old man with the mission presuming he is Captain Downey. Not skipping a beat when showed otherwise he chews her out. Downey is adequately played along with Calloway, another of Blake’s flunkies. These two would have no qualms about taking an old ladie’s purse if they could get away with it. As Max Wushinski, Robert Lesser plays an old buddy of Blakes and is ecstatic at seeing an old chum. The two reminisce and Wushinski does not charge them, yet Blake still overpays. It is a glorified cameo, but the two play off each other magnificently.

The writing does not have a good plot to put on top of their onscreen talent. For one, the story is credited to two writers, and it shows. Blake has huge shifts in his mannerisms, going from sympathetic to aggressive on a dime. It is almost as if one writer was writing, got up to get some coffee and the other sat down and just took things in another direction. The shifts are just too jarring.

As good as it was to see Stockwell, the ‘Christmas Carol in a hour’ can work but does not here. It would be much more successful if they had focused on one section. Putting in everything is a bit much especially when they drive the point home several times in script. Not just that but this defies what the series has shown us thus far. The changes to the future are instantaneous so we should not magically see the odds decreasing, especially at these slow rates. I am happy that we got to see this group on screen, I just wish they had a bit stronger material to work with.

[Faithful Reader]

Runaway
Original Air Date: January 4, 1991
Written by: Paul Brown
Directed by: Michael Katleman
Leap Date: July 4, 1964

This time: Sam leaps into a tween on a family road trip. As Butchie, his older sister, Alex, will take every opportunity to torture him, Mom Emma will attempt to keep the peace and dad Hank is having a ball as they go through all fifty states, though one presumes they will not drive to all of them.

After being reminded of the personal hell that is a long ass road trip with your family, Al arrives and tells Sam that Emma runs away from the family that evening and is never heard from again. At that moment, they see Emma embracing newly widowed father and old chum Billy. Hank joins and the two heave a … measuring contest which Billy (got his doctorate, teaches, and has multiple job offers) handily wins over Hank (dropped out of college and owns his own chicken plant). Hank takes the family off but not before Billy can give them a card and invite them to dinner when they stop by the area.

Driving to their next destination, Sam ‘accidentally’ loses Billy’s card but, fortunately, they pass by a stuck Billy on the road. After some discussion, Hank turns around to offer a hand. Hank fixes the car, not getting nearly enough points as he thinks, and Emma gets another card.

After an argument in the car, they pull over and Emma takes a moment to herself. Sam approaches her and finds out that Emma is worried about the soon-to-be-empty-nest. Sam encourages her to go back to school.

At Camp Chipmunk (!) they run into Billy again. Al says that if Emma does not stay, Alex gets pregnant as a teen and Butchie drops out of high school. Al still does not know what happened to Emma but figures she ran off. Sam tries talking to Hank a little later, finding out that Emma dropped out of school to give birth to Alex. Hank tries to give it another go, but it does not work, and Emma runs off.

Sam confronts Billy, but Emma is not with him. They agreed to stay friends and Al finds out that a woman’s remains would be found thirty years later; Emma did not run off never to be heard from again, she fell off a cliff! Hank and Alex arrive and together, they save Emma. Things turn out well. Emma goes to college and gets her doctorate. Still not leaping, Sam turns the tables on Alex. Sam leaps …

… onto a gurney being rushed into the delivery room.

Fact check: Hank has an instant camera to take a picture. There were instant cameras in the mid-sixties, but they did not look like the model Hank has. At least that my crank research team can find.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam faces his greatest adversary yet: A bored bullying big sister.

Only Sam can see and hear: Usually Sam and Al are able to have a somewhat private chat. A road trip does not provide that opportunity, so Sam talks to Al while Alex chimes in.

Mirror images that were not his own: After being called a little brother, Sam looks at Butchie in the rear-view mirror. He also sees a picture taken with some monkeys at Wild Willie’s.

Brush with history: Seeing Emma read The Feminine Mystique, Sam encourages Emma to go back to school, talking about the growing feminist movement in the sixties.

It’s a science project: Sam gets the idea to tie a rope around a nearby tree to save Emma.

Let’s up the rating: Billy is that cool sexy single dad for everyone to drool over.

One more time: “How do you expect to make first string with sissy reflexes?”
Hank not entirely understanding how band works.

The Rainbow Treknection: If you think that Hank is a good mold for a Klingon, you are right. Sherman Howard would later play T’Greth on Voyager’s Prophecy and challenge another Quantum Leap/Trek alum, Robert Duncan McNeil.

Trivial Matters: One of the tricks to shooting a car ride is to put it in front of a screen on a closed set. Quantum Leap has a fun effect where Al is standing outside the car. Normally this would destroy the illusion, but here it works. Though they do have to shoot some b-roll of the card flying out of Sam’s hand.

Al is surprisingly levelheaded with Sam being thirteen, a record low for leapee ages. He marvels that Sam is old enough to be his own father.

We find out that orphan Al’s dad ran out on him.

Put right what once went wrong: “Mom, Butchie looks like he’s going to puke.” “Alex, a lady doesn’t say ‘Puke.’ She says ‘Throw up.’” “Yeah, well it looks like he’s going to do that, too.” One of the things I love about this episode is that Al is dead wrong. He presumes that Emma leaves Hank, but she does not, at least not on purpose. We see Billy getting several wins over on Hank and presume to figure it out but that is not the case. The twist with her falling off a cliff is genius, though it is odd that they did not check their work sooner.

The final scene with the rescue is great. The setting of fireworks means that they can have cool lighting and sound to freak out Emma even further. The on-set lighting effects are on point along with a composite shot of fireworks. Alex freaking out, shots of the rope nearly giving way, everything combines to a great overall sequence.

The acting is strong too. Sherman Howard sells the false bravado of Hank, a guy just trying to make it on his own and be a provider. He does not put down his guard too often but deep down loves his family. He even got Emma a nice ring for her fifteenth but of course cannot just come out and say that he loves her. Sandy Faisen gives us enough to believe that she might run off with Billy and you can hear the exasperation in her voice when she says that she wants more out of life. Joseph Hacker gives Billy enough manliness to be a good match for Emma but ultimately does not become a homewrecker. There is a scene where he pats Emma’s leg, and it gets taken blown out of proportion. Hank tries to sock him, but it does not work. The script gave them what they need, and they play it perfectly.

As Alex, Ami Foster gets to torture Scott Bakula so she can cross that off the bucket list. She does not serve a huge plot purpose, but she has the annoying sister trope down pat. What else do they expect a fifteen-year-old girl to do on a family road trip? She gives a wedgie, tosses a milkshake on him, verbally taunts. This is an all-around good episode. The only quibble is the implication that Hank purposefully for Emma pregnant to keep her with him. Get rid of that and we have got a winner.

[Faithful Reader]

8½ Months
Original Air Date: March 6, 1991
Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.
Written by: Deborah Pratt
Leap Date: November 15, 1955

This time: Sam leaps onto a gurney being rushed into the delivery room. The doctor is insistent that the baby is coming but Sam convinces everyone that he is not going to deliver a baby under any circumstances.

As sixteen-year-old Billie-Jean, Sam gets a ride back with a friend named Dottie. Dottie owns a beauty parlor and one of her clients is furious that Dottie left in the middle of a procedure, especially since the baby did not come. Also unhappy is Keeter, Dottie’s beau.

Al arrives and says the Billie-Jean originally gave the baby up for adoption and regretted it so Sam must find some way to keep the baby. He also says that Ziggy thinks Sam might be there to deliver the baby if he does not leap out before the baby is due. Billie-Jean’s mother is deceased, but her father, Bob, is nearby. Bob will take her back only if she gives up the baby.

Left with few alternatives, Sam wonders if he can keep the baby and have Dottie look after them while Billie-Jean finishes school. Keeter does not like this and leaves. Dottie is incredulous since she promised Keeter that Billie-Jean would leave when the baby comes. Unbeknownst to her, Keeter leaves her regardless, per Al, but Dottie will have none of it.

Almost every door closed, Sam finds out that Effie, Dotty’s assistant knows the baby’s father, Willis. It turns out that teenage Willis works for Bob. Also, Willis is going to college on a scholarship but needs to work for room and board.

Going into labor, Dottie and Effie are changing the tire on the car. Effie goes to get Bob and Keeter is too drunk ad disinterested to be of use. Dottie does the change on her own while Effie gets Bob to take an interest. He makes it to the emergency room and agrees to help Billie-Jean. He marries Dotty and they raise the baby as a family. Sam pushes and leaps …

… into a time machine going to the future.

Stop talking to yourself: The silent car ride home from the hospital is spent with Sam trying to piece together the clues as to who he is.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al is pretty certain that Sam will not deliver a baby.

Mirror images that were not his own: After sliding on and off the delivery table, Sam sees a very pregnant Billie-Jean Crockett looking back at him.

Brush with history: Sam thinks that a pink hairdo will be great in the punk eighties to which the very unhappy client replies that she does not know where ‘aidees’ is.

It’s a science project: Nausea, vomiting, back aches, nearly constant urination, cravings, Sam sure does have a lot of effects of pregnancy.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: In the waiting room, Billie-Jean freaks out. Dr. Beeks finds her too traumatized to answer questions.

Let’s up the rating: Bob and Dottie were an item back in the day.

One more time: “I’m going to, Al!” “Young lady you watch your language.”
Sam to al about the impending birth, an attendant reminding him to be ladylike.

The Rainbow Treknection: Anne Haney made a career out of paying no-nonsense older women. Here, she is a no-nonsense adoption agent while in Deep Space Nine’s Dax, she was no-nonsense judge Els Renora. She does have a softer side seen in episodes like The Next Generation’s Survivors as Rishon Uxbridge.

Put right what once went wrong: “This little tyke’s coming whether you cooperate or not.” “No, I feel better, I’m fine.” It takes a very skilled director to take up acting duties in the show they direct. We are at the approximate midpoint of Quantum Leap and James Whitmore Jr. directed this hour and guest starred as Bob. Lots of writers have appeared onscreen but mainly as mirror images, a corpse and the like, certainly not to degree that Bob is here. This could easily have caused something to fall flat.

Thankfully, that did not happen. Deborah Pratt wrote an excellent script and Whitmore let the actors do their work. The writing is strong giving each character a moment to shine. Even Leola who starts of the hour pissed at her purple hair (!) pitches a fit swearing up and down she will not return while everyone knows she will be back. Young Tasha Scott has plenty of sass as Effie but that comes in handy where she just bluntly tells Bob that Effie’s older sister died giving birth. Hunter von Leer’s Keeter does really not want to be involved and chides pretty much everyone. Philip Linton has a scene as Willis, but the young man shoulders the role well.

Dottie and Bob are the emotional cores. Whitmore has a pretty good acting resume, and he tries to lay down the law with Billie-Jean. He has options but those will not be good for everyone. He initially puts the blame on his daughter but realizes that she needs someone to love her and be a father. Lana Schwab left it all on camera. Trying to keep her life together, she has a lot of southern charm and knows her clientele, her town and her family. She can get away with a lot due to her personality which sines along with some great dialogue all the way through. It is heartbreaking to see her pining after Keeter when he really could not care less.

A teenage pregnancy does not seem like it would be a slam dunk of an episode, but the cast and crew came together to (pun intended) deliver. The script is smart having Al need to tell Sam that he cannot deliver a baby. Al is our eye and ears into the waiting room, and he gives us a good play by play to the point where he is convinced as the episode draws to a close.

[Faithful Reader]

Future Boy
Original Air Date: March 13, 1991
Written by: Tommy Thompson
Directed by: Michael Switzer
Leap date: October 6, 1957

This time: Sam leaps into a time machine going to the future. With some help from Captain Galaxy (to whom Sam is the sidekick, Future Boy), he steps out into the year 1987. It turns out to be a television studio, being recorded live for some reason. As Captain Galaxy, Moe Stein goes for a kinder, gentler view of the future whereas the writer/director prefers a more shoot shoot bang bang approach.

The scene ends and the writer/director chastises Moe and tasks Sam with talking sense for the gosh darn double triple final time. Al arrives and tells Sam he is Kenny Sharp and must save Moe from getting hit by a train. Per Ziggy, he must also see to it that Moe is committed for his own safety. But where everyone else sees someone losing mental stability Sam sees a committed actor.

As it turns out, Moe’s daughter, Irene, is on set to talk to Moe but he will have none of it. Sam has a talk with her, and she seems to be open, but Sam is pulled away to do a scene. Sam goes to Moe’s place and finds disarray. Moe unveils a time machine and explains something strikingly close to the theory of Quantum Leaping.

Moe invites Irene and Dr. Sandler over for a dinner/evaluation. Sam is along to see if he can help things go well. Overall, it is a good experience with Sam making headway with both Irene and Dr. Sandler. Then Moe brings up his time machine. A demonstration leads to sparks and fire.

At the trial, Dr. Sandler recommends an institution and Irene sees it as the only alternative. Representing Moe, Sam argues the case but the judge rules that Moe be sent to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. Upon hearing this, Moe jumps out the window and runs off. Al says that he is not going to the trainyard, and Sam offers to help. Irene drops the charges, and they are off.

Moe has another go at time travel and while the effects confirm he is onto something, it does not work. He tells Irene that shortly after she was born, offers came pouring in. He took them to put food on the table but regrets not being able to spend time with her though the Time-nomitor can fix that. Sam leaps …

… into a male stripper.

Fact check: Neil Armstrong and the moon landing get a name (and date) check.

Stop talking to yourself: A messy yard does not make a good case for Moe. Your humble rewatcher does not take it too personally.

Only Sam can see and hear: Seeing Al in a suit takes Sam to a dark place until Al tells Sam that he is dressed up for court case involving alimony, but he has a time remembering which wife.

Mirror images that were not his own: Not quite a mirror but Sam does see Kenny in the on set monitor.

Something or someone: Sam gets to stay an extra night so that he can see Moe read a letter written by a young Sam Beckett and explain the theory of Quantum Leap.

It’s a science project: Moe manages to make a rudimentary time machine. It does not work though it is a bit on the small side and presumably not powered by a nuclear reactor.

Let’s up the rating: If crappy science-fiction outfits or human size brillo pads do it for you, this is your episode.

One more time: “If you and Superman got into a fight, who would win? Well, Davey, Captain Galaxy and Superman would never get into a fight. First, because we’re good friends. And second, because violence doesn’t solve a thing.”
Moe being a good guy but taking all the fun out of it.

The Rainbow Treknection: If you think Admiral Owen Paris could use a little more excitement, check out Richard Herd’s prior work as Moe Stein

Put right what once went wrong: “This is not the future, Time Cadets. Only one man’s distorted view of it.” This episode is entirely owned by the magnificence that is Richard Herd. We see his passion on set. He is a consummate actor, consistently in character, having led a great Shakesperean career. How very William Shatner of him! But the genius lasts outside the studio where he has a flourish as he talks about his time machine. Yeah, it probably will not work but he is certain and sells it well. The script must cast doubt as to his sanity and getting your co-worker at the last minute to represent you is probably not going to be a good idea, but Moe Stein carries himself well no matter what the setting.

Speaking of which, how is Irene able to withdraw her complaint after the judge has made a ruling? How does this judge not hold Moe in contempt of court? Apparently, the judge is all right with Moe escaping custody by jumping out a window and scampering off after issuing a sentence, one for his sanity no less. Moe totally gets away with it; he is free as a bird to tape the next episode.

It is too bad because there are fun settings and writing. Tommy Thompson put in a lot of fun scenes establishing the relationship between Moe and Sam along with Moe and Irene. There is a scene at a promotional event where Sam takes the lead consoling a boy who recently lost a dog, and he draws his inspiration from Moe. You can tell that everyone had fun making the fifties era science fiction kids show. It is not quite the love letter that was Bride of Chaotica! but it is in that direction. There are digs at Sam, an MIT graduate, dressed up for a jingle. Michael Switzer let everyone do their work and did not constrain Herd.

The ending does not work for me. It is a cool moment for Sam to get the message from himself, but it robs Sam and Al if their time travel concept is a recursive loop rather than something they came up with on their own.

[Faithful Reader]

Private Dancer
Written by: Paul Brown
Directed by: Debbie Allen
Leap Date: October 6, 1979
Original Air Date: March 20, 1991

This time: Sam leaps into a male stripper. As Rod “The Bod’ McCarly, he is the star of Chippendales. One of the waitresses, Diana, ignores the mustachioed bartender, Otto. Their boss, Mario says not to worry since she will be dancing soon anyway. On the dance floor, a woman named Joanna is tearing it up and gets Sam in on the fun. Diana joins but she is told by Mario to get back to work. Sam realizes that Diana is deaf. Al arrives and says that she turns to prostitution, has run ins with the law and eventually dies of AIDS.

Sam talks to Mario in an attempt to keep Diana off that path, but Mario is only intrigued by a deaf stripper. Sam offers to do more dancing on the condition that Diana continues waitressing. After hours, Diana turns up the bass and does some freestyle. She is surprised by Sam though the two bond as Sam takes her home to her apartment. Though as Sam leaves, she heads out to a van parked on the street.

The next day, she finds out about the deal Sam made and is not happy about it, since New York is expen$ive. Sam goes to her ‘apartment,’ only to find out her real address. As it turns out, Joanna is a renowned choreographer and is holding open auditions. Sam convinces Diana to give it a shot. Diana does impress but it becomes clear that Joanna will need to give her extra attention and is not willing to. As if things could not get worse, the police tow Diana’s van.

Desperate for some money, Mario’s assistant offers Diana an opportunity to be a ‘date.’ Sam intrudes and presents Diana with a choice, and she decides to give it another go. He pleads with Joanna to give Diana another chance and it works. Diana becomes a famed dancer and finishes high school. Sam leaps …

… into a pianist. One of the patrons makes a special request.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam’s first thought after leaping in during a dance? Ancient Roman Gladiators.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al has fun in the dance hall. He also is envious of Sam being a dancer. He does not give Sam much beyond his name and does not ogle at the women, but he makes an appearance. For some reason.

Mirror images that were not his own: Sam does not initially notice, but we see him in the mirror after he loses most of his costume but gets some dollar bills in his briefs. Yeah, this might not be a good episode for the kids to see.

Something or someone: Not only do Sam and Al get to watch Diana’s successful audition, Al fills Sam in on what the future holds.

It’s a science project: Your humble rewatcher has been known to dance and while there is some freedom to it, there is a good amount of science in there as well.

Let’s up the rating: Sam leaps into a male stripper and there are scantily clad men dancing nearby.

One more time: “I don’t dance.” “I don’t know honey, I saw you doing some good moves between those bumps and grinds up there.”
Sam being modest and Joanna wanting more

The Rainbow Treknection: Heidi Swedberg plays Valeri, Mario’s assistant and also portrayed Cardassian student/Dissident Rekelen in Profit and Loss.

Trivial Matters: Most shows list guest stars, one of whom might get an “and” of if we are lucky, a “Special Guest Star” billing. Here we get that and an “Introducing.”

Said Special Guest Star, famed choreographer Debbie Allen, also directed this episode. You might recognize her from A Different World and your parents might recognize her from the series Fame. As much as she has dazzled in front of the camera, she is also a noted director as well.

Put right what once went wrong: “I’ve never been degraded like that…” “I would give anything to be degraded like that…” This show has already given Scott Bakula an opportunity to show off his singing chops and will probably continue to based on the preview. This episode lets him show off his dancing chops. He, Allen and Rhondee Beriault as Diana get to show off what they can do along with a random extra jn the first act.

Beriault has a time to shine in this hour with her acting. A deaf actress herself, she put a lot of passion into being a strong woman. She stands up for herself and just asks for a little bit of work, though it does fall on all of us to make sure that the person we are speaking to understands us. We get a lot in this hour with her being hostile initially though that is more of a defense mechanism than anything else. I am fairly certain that the mustache was not the only reason why she ignored Otto as he was moderately expressive. Her scene with the cop shows her at her most vulnerable and she is lucky he does not throw her in jail.

Allen’s Joanna is strong as well. Obviously there to showcase her dancing as well but she also had a good point with being a minority trying to make a name for herself. Directing yourself is not easy but she was able to convey her issues, in between pining over Sam, and she is all over him at times. The rest of the named cast is as well, though they mostly got to be a pimp, jerk or both.

If only I could give the script praise as well. I am not a fan of overcoming a rejection by asking again. If it did not work the first time it will probably not work the second time. What did Joanna see at the second audition that she did not see in the first? By that point, Diana had made it through a few rounds. As good as the directing is, the script contrives reasons for Diana not to read peoples lips and that had to be followed through on set. It does not work when Beriault must go out of her way to avoid looking at people. As you can tell from the brevity of the synopses, there is just not a whole lot happening in this episode thought when you have several dance breaks, that is somewhat expected.

It is too bad because Allen did a good job directing. The movements are not organic, but the cast pulls it off. There are some great crane shots of the street and while so much of it works not all of it does. This could have been a home run, but it turned out to be a base hit.

[Faithful Reader]

Piano Man
Original Air Date: March 27, 1991
Written by: Ed Scharlach
Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.
Leap Date: November 10, 1985

This time: Sam leaps into a pianist. One of the patrons, Janelle, makes a special request. After Sam plays and sings that number, a woman named Loraine wants to talk to him, after stepping on his foot and knocking over the tip glass. The two have a songwriting history, and a romantic history, together. She is madly in love with a man named Carl but wants to make sure there are no loose ends, something Carl agreed to as well. Lorraine phones him that things are working out.

The bartender wants to take Janelle home and borrows Sam’s car. Finding out his leapees name of Chuck rather than his alias, Al discovers that he died in a car explosion, which happens outside the bar at that moment. They go out to see what happened and a goon approaches. After accidentally shooting Sam in the leg. Loraine takes off in her car and the goon follows.

Al finds out that Chuck is a witness to a crime and has been on the road ever since. They outwit the goon but Loraine is a bit of a klutz and runs out of gas. They go to a local diner where Sam calls the sheriff for assistance while Loraine calls Carl to give him an update.

Al arrives to say that the Sheriff will come and finish the job; he is not on their side. They run out and hit the road. Loraine gives Carl an update. Furious, he insists that she and Sam meet him at a nearby airfield, him being a pilot and all. Sam agrees though Al believes they are better if Loraine is not around. Sam breaks up with her and she drives off. Al says that she is run off the road. Sam grabs a nearby truck, along with a nearby rifle, and heads off after her.

Loraine meets up with Carl who seems a little preoccupied with what happened, particularly Sam. It turns out that Carl is an alias as well and he is the one trying to kill them. Lorraine manages to kill ‘Carl’ courtesy of a falling engine. They get back together. Sam leaps …

… into a man blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Some women in lingerie approach him to offer congratulations.

Fact check: Don’t all roadside diners in the county have a perfectly tuned piano ready to play? Along with a patron ready to dance with the proprietress?

Stop talking to yourself: We do get Sam singing twice in this episode, but he does not talk to us at all.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al come in real quick but does not have any information on who Sam leaped into or why Sam is there. It is a little hard with the three main characters having aliases.

Mirror images that were not his own: Sitting down at the bar, Sam sees himself in the mirror.

It’s a science project: The goon in this episode would wish he had stormtrooper accuracy. At least they shoot in the right direction. He shoots at a fleeing car in two entirely different directions.

Let’s up the rating: Janelle clearly has a thing for Sam. Loraine and Sam/Chuck made beautiful music together as well although that was literal in addition to figurative.

One more time: “His name is Carl Morgan and he’s very successful and he doesn’t live on the road and most importantly he loves me very much.” “I wonder why she’s sitting on a bar stool next to you.”
Lorraine and Al both making good points.

Trivial Matter: The title to this episode is a famous Billy Joel song. Just as this episode has several assumed names that song also has two ‘voices.’

Put right what once went wrong: “I figure if I was going to sing it would be better with lyrics.” This is a very well put together hour with strong writing and acting. The script is smart with Al not knowing who Sam is and needing to pry the information out of Loraine. Sam and the antagonist are operating under assumed names which makes figuring out what happened a little more difficult. We also have a fully fleshed character in Loraine. We do not just hear about her clumsiness (though we do get not one but two dialogue sequences where Loraine talks about the troubles that seem to follow her past boyfriends and their troubles abroad, such as them going to New Orleans but Sam’s luggage going to Iran) there are demonstrations throughout the hour. We see her having issues long before she causes Carl to be crushed by an engine, perfectly capping off the boss fight set piece.

As Loraine, Marietta DePrima has the chops and pipes required. She is not proud of her ‘curse,’ but can convey her dialogue perfectly and has amazing chemistry with Bakula. The two are great with each other and they make beautiful music together even when they are not at the piano. Even when Al is around, they are in perfect synch with each other. She is a joy to watch and Sam plays the recipient of information very well. Sam Clay plays Carl with good grace and understanding though he does make the metamorphosis to demanding boyfriend to bad guy in the final act. It all works and fits together in the end.

All in all, this may seem a bit derivative of season two’s “Her Charm,’ because it very much is but the hour is done pretty well and with these great performances you can forgive the writers for reaching back into the sack and building on prior successes. Lorainne gets along better with Sam for the most part, at least.

It is not all perfect, though. Two characters and fridged for this episode to happen. Also, the driving is very obviously green screened, to the point where it is a little distracting when Sam turns the wheel and does not turn it back. These are not enough to make an otherwise enjoyable episode horrible, but it does bring things down a bit.

[Faithful Reader]

Southern Comforts
Directed by: Chris Ruppenthal
Written by: Tommy Thompson
Leap Date: August 4, 1961
Original Air Date: April 3, 1991

This time: Sam leaps into a man blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Some women in lingerie approach him to offer congratulations. He is Gilbert LaBonte, proprietor of the LaBonte Sewing and Quilting Academy, a front for prostitution. A man named Jake Dorleac enters looking for one of the girls. Dorleac runs a finishing school and one of the girls ran off. They refuse to accommodate, and he storms out.

One of the girls, Gina, ran off at the sight of Dorleac but feels better and gets back to work. Al arrives and says that she will die at some point that night after being kidnapped. It turns out that Gina is not a prostitute, she is the cousin of Marsha, an older worker and Gilbert’s girlfriend. Gina just needed a place to stay.

Needing to keep Gina safe, and having few ways to keep guys away, Sam gives everyone the night off. All the girls except Marsha and Gina go out for a night on the town.

Doleac is parked outside waiting for an opportunity. He sneaks into Gina’s room and tries to convince her to come back before beating her. Sam confronts Dorleac who runs off. Gina refuses to tell the sheriff anything, so Sam accompanies him to Dorleac’s hotel. It turns out that Dorleac is not only Gina’s headmaster, but he is also her husband. Their hands are tied.

Dorleac comes to take Gina away the next morning, but Sam manufactures evidence of Doleac in a compromising position. He leaves as do Gina and Marsha to start a new life. Sam leaps …

… into a glam rocker.

Stop talking to yourself: For the second time there is no voiceover by Sam.

Only Sam can see and hear: Of course, Al rushes down to see what Sam got himself into. Before taking time to examine the premises, he tells Sam the name of the establishment. After telling Sam they do not know what he is there to do, he is shooed out.

Mirror images that were not his own: Now this is just odd. There is a distinct musical cue for Sam when he sees himself in a reflected surface. Here we get it when Sam looks at an oil painting of LaBonte. Fortunately, we get a proper mirror shot later.

Something or someone: After taking care of Dorleac, Sam gets to stick around for a good while; long enough for the girls to get changed and Al to give exposition.

It’s a science project: Gina will not press charges and LeBonte’s reputation precludes him being perceived as credible, Sam has to think of something else to take care of Dorleac.

Let’s up the rating: This episode takes place in a house of ill repute. Even their out on the town outfits are sexy.

One more time: “What’s going on, Al?” “Oh that’s easy. These guys are her to get …”
Sam being inquisitive and Al taking things a little too literally.

The Rainbow Treknection: Dan Butler plays the villain Dorleac here and played the antagonist Steth (along with Tom Paris, technically) in Vis A Vis.

Trivial Matters: One of the women is played by Lauren Tom. You probably would not recognize her on sight, but she is the voice of Amy Wong on Futurama.

Put right what once went wrong: “This is the LaBonte Sewing and Quilting Academy. You have graduation photos at your school. We have graduation photos at ours.” Let us get the big gripe of the episode out of the way. There are concerns that Sam does not know when Gina will be kidnapped. Too bad they do not have a hologram that can keep an eye on her and yell to Sam when someone tries to approach. It is an entirely obvious solution and surprising that they do not try it. Then again it would be a short show.

And what a good show it is. Who would have thought that an episode based around a bordello would be such great family viewing? Well adult family viewing.

Quantum Leap is at their best when they do not overcomplicate the plot and allow characters time to breathe. We have a nice simple structure with enough revelations to not make things oversimplistic. The final act is fantastic with Sam finding out how to get Dorleac into a corner he cannot get out of. We get plot bits at regular intervals, but they never take over. Plus, there are some fun scenes such as when some guys come in for a fun time and Sam must cool their jets. The entire round of ‘99 Bottles of Beer’ does not do it but the threat of charades does.

Rita Taggart plays the older Marsha very well. She sees that there is no future with Gilbert. Her scene with Georgia Emelin’s Gina is great. Work comes up but these are just two women discussing life. Marsha does her best but there is little that can be done on the floor in front of everyone. Speaking of Emelin, she has a good innocence but a strength that shows through as well. There are just some things she cannot do but Sam gives her the liberty to start anew.

Special praise must also go to the old lady with a gun. That is not a euphemism, Minnie Summers’ Lindey gets to threaten some sailors with a shotgun, prepares gumbo, treats a sick stomach and gets in on the action to scheme Dorleac. Speaking of whom, Dan Butler has a good calm as Dorleac but that is soon betrayed by a ruthless underside. Even when duped he keeps his head up high.

If you can avoid the huge glaring plot hole this is a good hour to enjoy.

[Faithful Reader]

Glitter Rock
Original Air Date: April 12, 1974
Written by: Chris Ruppenthal
Directed by: Andy Cadiff
Leap Date: April 10, 1991

This time: Sam leaps into a glam rocker. One member, Flash, wonders where the money is going to with 90,000 screaming fans. Their manager, Dwayne, mentions that there are expenses such as the venue, others to run things backstage, living expenses and the like.

Al arrives and says that Sam’s leapee, Tonic, will be stabbed the next night after a concert while going into a limo. The perpetrator is never found but Sam suspects someone that caught his attention twice after he leaped in. As it turns out, that fan is named Phillip and is taking pictures of Sam from outside the hotel.

Al does some digging and fills Sam in at a rehearsal. Philips is an illegitimate loner from Nebraska. The rehearsal is interrupted as some lights come crashing down almost hitting Sam and falling through Al. Security is overall nonplused about the almost fatal accident, to the point where the main security staffer becomes a suspect. Sam is told that the check he put down for a ranch in Utah (!) bounced. He approaches Dwayne about it and is told that the money is all timey-wimey but he can clear things up.

At the afterparty (going on through 5:00 A.M.) there is still no prime suspect. It turns out Phillip crashed the party. When confronted, he claims to be Tonic’s son., though the evidence is circumstantial.

At the fated concert, Sam confronts Dwayne about embezzling money. Dwayne admits to and promises to clear it up. Sam also tells Dwayne to use a different exit that night to throw off the assassin. Those prove fruitless as they are accosted on their way out. The perpetrator is Dwayne to silence Sam about the lost money.

At the private afterparty, Phillip shows Sam a picture of Tonic side by side with Phillip’s mother. Through discussion, it turns out that Sam is Phillips’s father. The band gives Phillip a break and Phillip goes on to become one of the biggest rockers in London. Sam leaps …

… into a phone booth. He is handcuffed to a woman who cries out that she is being kidnapped.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam discusses the difficulties of remembering lyrics and music in front of screaming fans forgetting that he has a photographic memory and has performed in front of screaming fans.

Only Sam can see and hear: “King Thunder. I never heard of them.” “Well, you were a nerd back then.”

Mirror images that were not his own: Last week we had the Mirror Tingle when Sam saw an oil painting of himself before seeing himself in a mirror proper. This time we have the reverse. Sam sees himself in a glass table before seeing an old picture of himself, both accompanied by the Mirror Tingle (Mirror Tingle is totally the name of my next band).

Brush with history: Sam makes reference to The Beetles, though more how they are going to exterminate his leapee’s band off the charts.

It’s a science project: A piece of evidence for Tonic being Phillip’s father is that both have webbed fingers. Because that is totally how genetics work.

Let’s up the rating: After the show, the band has several groupies in their room. It is enough for more than one girl per guy but not quite enough for two girls per guy. That ratio increases later in the hotel room when three girls throw themselves at Sam. Remembering that they are on broadcast TV, Sam makes sure they do not go topless.

Later, Sam asks a fan if there is something he can sign, and she opens her shirt. In a [expletive] you to Happy Gilmore, Sam signs a record.

One more time: “She was a bit of all right as I remember you telling me.”
A band mate being both complimentary and awkward in front of Phillip about his mom.

The Rainbow Treknection: Not quite a Trekenction but Michael Cerveris who was an unofficial regular on Fringe as The Observer played one of the band members in a Terri Hatcher Moment.

Trivial Matters: The band is heavily influenced by KISS. Light, sound, explosions; that is one heck of a finale.

Sam makes a passing reference to being a Chippendale’s dancer.

As swiss cheesed as Sam’s brain gets, he sure has a good working knowledge of assassins.

Al is a connoisseur of Rock. He recommends Sam emulate Hendrix and Milli Vanilli.

Put right what once went wrong: “Tonic, what happened tonight? You sounded horrible.” “Maybe it was the lyrics.” “You wrote them.” I am happy to have gotten some of the gripes with the plot out of the way in the summary and sections above. Once those are out of the way, this is a pretty decent episode.

The mystery is a fun one to follow. Each suspect has a good reason to be the murderer, a key to any good mystery. Even as the Dwayne is revealed in that role, there is a shot of Phillip reaching into his pocket for something. It is not well served by Al suspecting the last person that he sees, and Flash does have a few too many motives (jealousy, wanting to become the lead singer) and the security accomplice is a bit too convenient, but there is ample ammo for all three suspects.

Also, Al is put to good use first searching Phillip’s apartment to get his identity then, at the afterparty, asking to be centered on Phillip and bouncing a foot away. Speaking of Phillip, Christian Hoff does a fantastic job. He is not there for the money, only the truth. He is most removed from the plot but plays his role well. We see the stalker side along with the man just wanting to know who his father is.

This is not the perfect episode, though Andy Cadiff does a great job with what are essentially music videos. There are a lot of effects and good makeup, but these scenes had to be a problem to film. Things get a little too heavy handed with multiple slow-motion shots of Phillips with creepy music to accompany. Might as well put up a subtitle saying ‘this guy is suspect’ and be done with it. Too bad the plot has so many issues.

[Faithful Reader]

A Hunting We Will Go
Original Air Date: April 18, 1991
Written by: Beverly Bridges
Directed by: Andy Cadiff
Leap Date: June 18, 1976

This time: Sam leaps into a phone booth. He is handcuffed to a woman who cries out that she is being kidnapped. It turns out he is Gordon O’Reilly a bounty hunter escorting Diane Forest back to stand for her crime of embezzlement. Per Al, she wrote a million dollars in bad checks and Sam is the third bounty hunter to capture her; the other two are still recovering.

In short order, Diane gets them kicked off the bus, having been tipped off by the bus driver who witnessed the trouble earlier. They are left in the middle of nowhere as rain starts pouring in the middle of the night. She tries an escape attempt but winds up with both of them in a pile of manure. As they settle in for the night, Diane claims that her boss, Rodney, is the real culprit and that she has been framed.

They wind up at a motel, though as Sam makes the arrangements, Diane avails herself of a gun shaped lighter for later use. In the room, Sam tries to keep Diane at arms’ length as they get cleaned up, though the two do fall for each other. Diane effects an escape but Sam is able to forestall that attempt. After tricking Sam into handcuffing himself to a wooden column courtesy of the lighter, Sam breaks it and reacquires his charge.

Eventually the Sheriff arrives, and Sam is more than happy to get Diana off his hands. Ready to leap Al tells Sam that Diane dies shortly. It turns out Rodney wants his million and the Sheriff is in on the take. They go to the trainyard where she hid the money with Sam hot on their trail. The money in hand, Rodney is ready to shoot her, but Sam and Diane take the two of them down.

Rodney serves time, the money is returned, and Diane becomes a bounty hunter herself. Sam leaps …

… into the electric chair.

Fact check: The hotel room costs sixteen dollars. Adjusted for inflation that would be just short of seventy-five dollars today which sounds about right for the middle of nowhere.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam is too busy keeping up with Diane’s antics to collect his thoughts for us.

Only Sam can see and hear: Diana reminds Al of his third wife.

Mirror images that were not his own: After being thrust into a phone booth, mishandled by two burly onlookers, kicked in the rear, and having a phone book conk him on the head, Sam gets a look in a reflective surface.

Let’s up the rating: Needing to hitchhike and speed away, Diane shows a bit of cleavage. Later at a hotel, Sam is shirtless.

One more time: “She is innocent. I see it in her eyes.” “You do not see it in her eyes. You may feel it in your loins, but you do not see it in her eyes.”
Al being lovey dovey and Sam being down to earth.

The Rainbow Treknection: On Deep Space Nine, Kenneth Marshall initially started out playing nice guy Michael Eddington before betraying everyone and becoming a member of the Maquis. Here, he skips the first part and is the villain of the hour, Rodney.

Trivial Matters: In a hotel room, Bionic Woman is playing on the TV. By an amazing coincidence, that show is on NBC and created by Donald Bellisario, both of which presumably contributed to a low royalty payment.

Put right what once went wrong: “Have you always been this mean?” “No, just since last week.” It takes a while for a show to figure out what it can do. You can occasionally get lucky by putting certain characters together and do that more often if the pairing works, such as Spock and Bones, Geordi and Data, Bashir and O’Brien, Kim and Paris, etc. Heck, Trey Parker and Matt Stone found that when they put Cartman and Butters in an episode of South Park, it just writes itself. Quantum Leap has found a formula with sticking Scott Bakula with a strong actress for an episode and see what happens.

And they hit casting jackpot with Jane Sibbert. She knows when to be quiet and when to make some noise. She professes her innocence but that is because she is actually innocent. She certainly knows how to push Sam’s buttons. She causes a ruckus on a bus by tossing someone’s hat out the window and causes a scene knowing that the driver will kick them off. She grabs a gun shaped lighter knowing it will come in handy and she uses it to ‘hold up’ Sam. As a character she is resourceful and as an actress clearly having fun with the part. Sam cannot stand being around her to the point where they fall for each other.

As clever as Diane is, the little moments add up. Sam eventually gets wise to her antics, to the point where it looks like he is reading the script. He catches her as she tries to escape out a window and breaks a terrace to catch up with her. Best of all, she tries to hitchhike using her feminine wiles and Sam asks Al to get a lock on her, but it turns out she is just down the road due to smelling like manure.

The script is strong, too. The plot is carefully constructed by Beverly Bridges with Diane laying out the truth in pieces and filling us in on the history, including a prior bounty hunter who is in a full body cast to recover. The day actors all have fun as well, even the couple that gets a wiff of Diane and Sam covered in manure. Kenneth Marshall does not come across as underhanded, though in the original history he shot Diane and Gordon after finding the money. In the early scenes he as to put up with the Sheriff but you can see a strong character actor ready to bloom. We do not really have time to develop the nuance of Eddington, but he is more than a mustache twirling villain.

[Faithful Reader]

Last Dance Before An Execution
Original Air Date: May 1, 1991
Story by : Bill Bigelow & Donald P. Bellisario & Deborah Pratt
Teleplay by : Deborah Pratt
Directed by: Michael Watkins
Leap Date: May 12, 1971

This time: Sam leaps into the electric chair. This episode lasting longer than two minutes, the governor calls ordering a forty-eight hour stay of execution of Jesus Ortega, the man Sam leapt into. This does not sit well with one of the witnesses in attendance, Theodore Moody, Moody talks about this as a sign of weakness for the governor and by total coincidence, he is running for that office.

As Sam is escorted back to his cell, Moody is fuming about the situation, though mainly focusing on his chances for the election. He finds out from his goons that there is an appeal. Though absent some sort of technicality, the order should stand. There is evidence, eyewitnesses; the case is pretty solid. Moody sends his goons to get more information. Why he waited to do so until he after yelled at his goons is an exercise for the viewer.

Al arrives with not a whole lot of additional information though while Jesus did admit to a robbery, he claims innocence for the murder charge. He meets his lawyer, Tearsa LaRita. Fun fact 1: LaRita works for Moody. Fun fact 2: Moody does not know she is helping Jesus. It would appear that the ballistics report was inconclusive and that the bullet that killed the victim did not entirely match the one Jesus had, though Moody did not let a little detail like that prevent him from presenting it as a perfect match. In talking to his accomplice, Sam finds out that there was a discrepancy with the time the witnesses swore to and that the only friendly witness has disappeared.

Moody finds out that there is a mole in his office but does not suspect LaRita though he does order her to vet the entire staff. While visiting Sam they cannot do much without more concrete evidence or the missing witness. Sam discovers that there should be a bullet in the scene of the crime, a church. Al can detect where the bullet is but he will need LaRita at the church to do it. Sam asks her to go there, and Al finds the bullet and, with the help of a child, passes it to LaRita.

With the bullet found, Sam is confident that they will reopen the case and prove his innocence. He does not leap, and Al says that the bullet matches the gun and conclusively proves the guilt. LaRita confronts Sam and Moody walks in. Figuring out who the insider is, he is ready to disbar and fire LaRita after Sam gets executed.

Being strapped in, Al asks Sam to confess to the murder, but that he did it alone, meaning that his accomplice can go free (or rather just face a charge for robbing the poor box of a church, but that is better than robbery and murder.) He also says, with some help from Al, that Moody bribed the witness to leave the state. LaRita calls to confirm. Moody is disbarred and LaRita becomes a famed attorney. Sam leaps …

… into a wrestling ring. He is tagged in and his rather large opponent has some fun.

Stop talking to yourself: Sam weighs getting off on a technicality against going back to that electric chair.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al tries to calm a justifiably excited Sam telling him that sometimes they have problems finding him though the throughs of time.

Mirror images that were not his own: After being escorted to his cell by a literal good cop and bad cop, Sam see’s Jesus Ortega in the mirror.

It’s a science project: Ziggy is able to reconfigure Al’s handlink to detect a bullet in the church. Pretty neat trick when you consider that he is a hologram and merely projecting light.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: It seems that in 1999, Ortega fainted thinking he was dead. For a guy who was just on the electric chair this is entirely reasonable.

Let’s up the rating: Al has a thing for LaRita. Yeah, an episode revolving around an execution and political corruption does not have a ton of woman dancing around in bikinis for some reason.

One more time: “You can’t just throw a bucket of water on his head and say ‘You’re not dead. You’re just twenty-five years in the future.’”
Al describing the difficulties of working with Ortega in the Waiting Room.

The Rainbow Treknection: Moody is played by James Sloyan and after playing Alidar Jarok, Dr. Mora Pol, Jo’Bril and K’Mtar, is no stranger to Trek.

Trivial Matters: Realizing he is about to be electrocuted, Sam utters “Oh God!” instead of the titular phrase of this rewatch.

Dr. Beeks gets a namecheck.

Put right what once went wrong: “An appeal? What kind of appeal can an illiterate Cuban write?” Sidelining your lead actor is almost entirely unheard of. Sam cannot do much since he is on death row meaning that outside his cell, the attorney’s office and the execution chamber are pretty much the only places he can go. Not only does it work it is pure genius.

The most obvious side effect is that Bakula is not the star of this episode, Al is. Stockwell usually fills in the blanks and exposits to the audience (which, to be fair, he does this week) but here, he is crucial to making this episode work. He is able to warn LaRita through Sam and the scene in the church is very well crafted. LaRita kind of hangs around when Al finds the evidence and then finds a way to get the information to her. He also comes through in the end where he realizes that Sam is there to save his accomplice. In a show that can easily sideline Al, this time he is front and center.

Not that Bakula is able to shrug it off or take an episode easy. Quite the opposite. Being in an electric chair ready to go is jarring and fuels a lot of rage. He expresses it to both Al and LaRita. It is to their credit that they are understanding at his mania. It may seem a bit over the top, but it is justified and effective.

Jenny Gao is strong as LaRita. She is a double agent but is willing to help another Latino achieve freedom. She is rightfully pissed at the end when the evidence proves Jesus guilty. We have seen Sloyan with some great nuance on Star Trek from the sympathetic but pushy when he needs to be Mora Pol to the last-minute villain Jo’Bril but that is not really on display here. This time, he is the villain and while he does have menace, he is not able to do much beyond that though he does spit out some threats with venom. I am still a fan of his but if I’m looking for a dose of his acting regimen, I’ll more likely jump to Trek before I watch this.

The episode is a joy to watch. I do not usually comment on the score, but the tense moments at the beginning of the episode are brilliantly punctuated by Vernon Brunch. There are some brief pauses and Brunch has some good notes from the wind instruments upping the tension. The melodies echo through the rest of the episode. Deborah Pratt crafted another fantastic script based on a story by herself, Donald J. Bellisario and Bill Bigelow. Michael Watkins let the actors do their job and put everything together perfectly.

[Faithful Reader]

Heart of a Champion
Original Air Date: May 8, 1991
Written by: Tommy Thompson
Directed by: Joe Napolitano
Leap Date: July 23, 1955

This time: Sam leaps into a wrestling ring. He is tagged in and his rather large opponent has some fun. Thanks to some fancy fighting moves, Sam takes down his opponent. He is Terry Samms who is one half of the Battling Russkies along with his brother Ronny. In reality they are from Arkansas using the persona of Russians to become antagonists in the local wrestling circuit. The owner, Lamar, is upset that the match had a different outcome than planned. Being wrestling there is a script to follow except for the title match.

Al arrives and tells Sam that he is from a family of wrestlers. Also, his work gave them a shot at the title match. Ronny is excited but Al says that he dies in that match after Ronny’s heart gives out. After witnessing Ronny lose his concentration, Sam asks their mother about family health history, but she has none of it. The ring doctor gives Ronny a clean bill of health, though the simple exam will not reveal an underlying condition. Al has more comprehensive information and realizes that a rheumatic fever at could cause far reaching consequences, including heart failure.

At the match, Sam decides to not let Ronny in the ring. He also makes deal that if they win, Ronny will check in for a comprehensive examination. His opponent is Carl, someone who has been antagonistic towards Sam due to Carl’s flirty wife. Also, Lamar does not want the team representing Russia to win the match. Sam gets a royal rumble of a whopping but uses a sleeper hold to win.

Ronny gets himself checked out and his son will go on to win a silver medal in the Olympics. With the family in a better place, Sam leaps …

… into a fallout shelter during an air raid.

Stop talking to yourself: Early on it seems like things will be all right, though Sam is quick to recall that leaps rarely are that easy.

Only Sam can see and hear: In addition to the requisite background information, Al knows that Carl’s wife has a habit of enticing Carl to fight other wrestlers outside of the ring.

Mirror images that were not his own: In the locker room, Sam sees Terry in a mirror.

Something or someone: Sam is able to stick around long enough to kick Carl’s wife in the rear. Technically, he leaps out before he can finish so Terry gets that joy.

It’s a science project: Ronny describes a sleeper hold and Sam is abhorred at the thought of cutting off someone’s oxygen, though it does come in handy for the resolution.

Let’s up the rating: One of the wrestlers’ wives looks in on the locker room shower. At least one voice asks her to join while at least one other voice asks her to leave.

One more time: “Will you listen to this guy? Next thing he’ll tell us is that wrestling ain’t real.”
A bar patron speaking the ironic truth

Trivial Matter: Rance Howard, father of Clint and Ron, plays the circuit doctor.

Put right what once went wrong: “As you folks can see from home this is not a …” “Shut up you capitalist pig!” If you are a fan of wrestling you will like this. If you are not a fan of wrestling, you will like this.

The fight scenes are well choreographed. Either they use a stunt double who looks exactly like Bakula or Bakula did all his own stunts. Joe Napolitano did a solid job with the wrestling scenes in the ring, but he is no slouch out of the ring either. The family drama is well done. A lot of this is in thanks to Tommy Thompson’s script. Sam runs out of options after Ronny refuses to quit, their mother does not think it is too bad and the doctor gives him an exam. The best part is that we get to see Ronny’s family. Susan Issacs and John Kidwell are solid as his wife and son, respectively. Doting mother Lottie, played by Angela Paton, cares for her sons but is not alarmed by Sam’s misgivings. Future wrestler Terry Funk, now known as Chainsaw, and Deborah Wakeham are an excellent tag team as Carl and his wife.

Jerry Broussard bears a lot of the burden as Ronny. He is in a bit of denial even after suffering some lapses in concentration in front of his family. He has patience for his brother but even that wears a little thin after a while. He is determined to keep a promise to their late father. It is no fault of his own that his health is in danger. He carries the show very well and is the literal and figurative heart.

It is great that we have such fantastic casting because the plot is just so thin. We’re at the end of the season and they show that even with a standard episode, good actors can elevate the material.

[Faithful Reader]

Nuclear Family
Original Air Date: May 15, 1991
Written by: Paul Brown
Directed by: James Whitmore, Jr.
Leap date: October 26, 1962

This time: Sam leaps into a fallout shelter during an air raid. They are given the all clear as Sam realizes he has leaped into Eddie Ellory, staying with his brother Mac and family. Eddie sells underground shelters and has one in the family yard for demonstration purposes as well as utilitarian. Eddie has Sam try and sell one to Burt, their neighbor, but the sales pitch (primarily Sam reading the brochure) does not result in a sale.

Al arrives and says that Burt will shortly be shot by Mac with a gun from their shelter. Being in the southern panhandle, the family is aware of how near danger they are as the Cuban Missile Crisis begins. Sam tries to talk to Mac about how things will settle but Mac remembers problems during the dust bowl that traumatized their father.

Sam gives a pitch to Mrs. Klingman, the children’s piano teacher, but she eventually is convinced that she should not buy a shelter, her being on limited income and being a holocaust survivor. Mac is furious with Sam frightening customers and his kids. One more slip up and Sam is gone.

A hysteric Burt approaches Sam for a purchase. The lack of food at the store plus long lines of traffic are discouraging, and he hands Sam a check. Mac finds out that Sam is being disruptive and sends Sam away. The two argue just as Kennedy addresses the nation. The power goes out, the air raid sirens sound, and the family is out to the shelter.

The family is safe, but Burt tries to make his way in. Mac grabs a shotgun and gives a warning shot. Mac’s son leaves out the back exit to protect the family and in all the confusion, sees Burt as an enemy. Mac did not shoot Burt; his son did, and Mac took the fault! Sam deescalates the situation and Burt survives.

The missiles are dismantled, and things calm down. Burt (and five others) cancel their orders but Sam gets them to go into the pool business, resulting in a successful family industry. Sam leaps …

… into being prepared for electroshock therapy. An orderly, Butch, is doing it as retribution for getting hit. Nurse Chatham is concerned about the situation in general and about the voltage in particular, especially since it should only be administered by a doctor, but Butch pulls the switch regardless just as a lightning bolt hits the area.

Stop talking to yourself: You would think that someone who made a time machine powered by a nuclear accelerator would not mind being around an atomic bomb. You would be wrong.

Only Sam can see and hear: Al knows firsthand the issue with the Cuban Missile Crisis having flown near that area when things were escalating.

Mirror images that were not his own: While taking off his gear, Sam sees Eddie in the mirror.

Brush with history: Sam very effectively tells Mac’s son, Stevie, about time travel as a coping mechanism. Stevie is not good at explaining it to his younger sister, Kimberly.

It’s a science project: With a weeks supply of food, two bedrooms, a radio and Geiger counter, this fallout shelter is pretty well stocked. There is even fallout gear for the family pet! If you want to splurge on a fallout shelter (or panic room as the modern-day equivalent) this might be the way to go.

Let’s up the rating: A protective suit is held up to Burt which is declared stylish.

One more time: “This whole Cuba thing could be a scare. What if it’s over in a few days?” “What if it’s not!”
Burt and Mac arguing about the uncertain times.

The Rainbow Treknection: Timothy Carhart is charismatic as all heck in this episode. He was pretty opposite in Redemption Part II as Christopher Hobson.

Trivial Matters: On leap in, young Kimberly Ellroy calls for Sam. She is referring to the family dog, but it is a nice bit of foreshadowing for next week.

Speaking of the family dog, Sam is amazing. Apparently, she can climb a ladder as seen when the family leaves the underground shelter.

Character actor Kurt Fuller guest stars as Burt. He has made a career out of playing quirky guys though he does dial it back a bit here.

Burt’s last name? Rosencratz.

There are some excellent uses of stock footage in this. The first is Mister Ed with Wilbur being happy he is the only person Ed talks to and Woody Woodpecker with a foreign guy welcoming someone to his house. These are fantastic metaphors for the series in general and time in particular.

The Deluxe Model costs $3,000. The Super Saver V.I.P. Discount is $2,400 of which Sam pockets one hundred and twenty.

Put right what once went wrong: “They just lobbed a bomb at New York City! It’s World War Three!” It is not often that I get to be insulting to this show. Reviews take a certain amount of reverence and respect and even a bad episode of an excellent series is better than the best episode of a mediocre one. I would not be reviewing this show if I were not a fan, but I have a profound disagreement with the stance Sam takes.

Yes, there were no nuclear missiles that landed on American soil post World War II, or at any point, but there was a danger, especially with Pearl Harbor and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Sam, who is the audience surrogate, is shocked that the lengths families would go to, but these were reasonable precautions at the time. ‘Duck and cover’ was a thing even though a picnic blanket would not protect you at ground zero but they would at least provide hope. Hope was something in short supply and even if there was no attack, the danger was real, and people were allowed to be fearful. Al gives a logical retort, but Sam is beside himself, insisting on the ridiculousness of the community.

This an absolute shame because if you get rid of that, this is a fantastic episode. We think that M ac shoots Burt in all the chaos of the night, but it is Stevie. Paul Brown’s script gives Sam time to bond with the kids, Stevie in particular. Sam goes out of his way to put him at ease about everything. They have a conversation about looking back and realizing that there was no reason to be scared. This is juxtaposed with Stevie having his cap guns constantly at the ready, even when he is about to go to bed. Him picking up the rifle at the climax fits perfectly with his character because we saw him talking about beating the enemies and fighting to defend his family. Robert Hy Gorman carried a lot of narrative weight and is a joy to watch.

The acting is great all around. Fuller is controlled when he needs to be and manic when that is called for, but we saw both sides of the argument and had a good picture painted of both the family and the situation. Everyone is scared, even Mac. ‘Tell don’t show’ is a dangerous game in television, but this show can get away with it and they sold it here. Whitmore has solid direction even in the confined spaces of the shelter. The climatic sequence in the end is strong but so is the scene where Sam tries to sell to Mrs. Klingman. We see the numbers on her arm and Vernon Ray Bunch brings in the string instruments to give you the atmosphere.

There is a lot of good stuff in this hour but a lot to detract from it as well.