#560765
Quantum Leap Third Season Overview
Original Air Dates: September 25, 1990 – Mya 22 1991
This time: The third season of Quantum Leap opened with Sam leaping into his younger self and the first leap outside of the United States. He also leapt into a woman on the verge of giving birth and had to achieve multiple divergent goals in one leap.
As a viewing audience, we had a second Halloween themed episode and a first Christmas themed episode. Going through the eras forwards and backwards, Sam’s knowledge of science and martial arts were useful along with thinking on his feet to get out of a jam.
Through it all, he had help from Al. The Admiral featured prominently in two episodes in the end of the season in which he helped solve a murder while Sam was incarcerated and take the lead when Sam was out of it in the season finale. After hearing about psychologist Dr. Beeks last year, we got to see (but not hear) her this year.
Favorite fact check: From The Boogieman: As a writer, Sam has an assistant, Stevie, whose last name is King. His car sometimes has a mind of its own. He is interested in psychokinesis and has a dog named Cujo. That last bit is odd since the novel was not inspired by a pet.
Favorite stop talking to yourself: From Rebel Without a Clue: Dr. Sam Beckett, brilliant physicist, defender of minorities, looks down on bikers.
Favorite only Sam can see and hear: From The Great Spontini: In the hearing to determine custody of his leapees daughter, it would be great for Al to relay basic information about Jamie to Sam (schools attended, said daughter’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.
Favorite mirror images that were not his own: From Southern Comforts: This is just plain weird. 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 the person he leapt into. Fortunately, we get a proper mirror shot later.
Favorite brush with history: From Leap of Faith: Upon hearing that a young boxer must miss practice due to work at a butcher shop, Sam tells him about a movie where a guy practiced on raw meat. The young man’s locker is labeled “S. Stallone.”
Favorite something or someone: From Leap of Faith: Despite making sure that Father John does not ruin his life by killing Tony, Sam does not leap until the next morning where he merely checks in with Father John.
Favorite it’s a science project: From Last Dance Before an Execution: Ziggy is able to reconfigure Al’s handlink to detect a bullet in the church, setting up the ending. Pretty neat trick when you consider that he is a hologram and merely projecting light.
Favorite tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: From 8½ Months: In the waiting room, a very pregnant (about to deliver) Billie-Jean freaks out. Dr. Beeks finds her too traumatized to answer questions.
Favorite let’s up the rating: From The Leap Home: There are basketball practice and a match. If you like your guys young and dripping with sweat, this is the episode for you.
Favorite one more time: From The Leap Home: “You don’t believe you’re here to help your family?” “Of course I do.” “Then why are you worried about leaping if you win the game?”
A convinced Al trying to convince Sam
Favorite The Rainbow Treknection: Marc Alaimo did the first draft of Gul Dukat in Black on White on Fire. The great James Sloyan appeared in Last Dance Before an Execution. Kenneth Marshall had an appearance, but it did not really amount to much.
Favorite Trivial Matters: From The Leap Home and Shock Theater: I went back and forth on this one. On one hand we have the premiere which had Sam pulling double duty which he got an odd credit for and featured Bakula giving us a cover of “Imagine.” On the other hand, the finale had references to nearly a dozen prior episodes and a production goof.
Call it a draw!
Put right what once went wrong: “This is not the future, Time Cadets. Only one man’s distorted view of it.” The first season had an episode featuring two leaps. The second season had an episode that was more of an Al episode than a Sam one. The fourth season would also play around with the formula as seen in the season three finale while also featuring the only [REDACTED] and the final season would also have some episodes that broke the one-leap-per-episode rule while adding to the worldbuilding and featured celebrity leaps.
Which makes it frustrating that this season was so bog standard!
The show was still entertaining, do not get me wrong. Every long running series will retread episodes as well as run weak episodes, but the overall lack of novelty in this season was so frustrating. With as amazing a promise as Quantum Leap offers, there are so many possibilities out there and few were taken.
That is not to say that it was not entertaining. There was a string of episodes that ran into eighties action movie clichés, with the requisite music and everything, but the show as still a good one to watch. Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell are strong actors. Come to think of it, Bakula has great chemistry with a lot of actors. This season let him show off his dance moves and his singing ability. This is not a show that can give one of their main characters an episode off and these two rose to the occasion.
The deviations from the norm were well done, particularly giving Stockwell a chance in the spotlight near the end of the season. Normally unable to interact with anyone but Bakula, he was pivotal in several times during the season interacting with people when necessary, plot contrivances be damned. Plus, he got a chance to be villainous in the Halloween episode.
Despite the lack of originality, the third Season of Quantum Leap is a good watch, and the end shows promise for those that want to tinker with the status quo.
Original Air Dates: September 25, 1990 – Mya 22 1991
This time: The third season of Quantum Leap opened with Sam leaping into his younger self and the first leap outside of the United States. He also leapt into a woman on the verge of giving birth and had to achieve multiple divergent goals in one leap.
As a viewing audience, we had a second Halloween themed episode and a first Christmas themed episode. Going through the eras forwards and backwards, Sam’s knowledge of science and martial arts were useful along with thinking on his feet to get out of a jam.
Through it all, he had help from Al. The Admiral featured prominently in two episodes in the end of the season in which he helped solve a murder while Sam was incarcerated and take the lead when Sam was out of it in the season finale. After hearing about psychologist Dr. Beeks last year, we got to see (but not hear) her this year.
Favorite fact check: From The Boogieman: As a writer, Sam has an assistant, Stevie, whose last name is King. His car sometimes has a mind of its own. He is interested in psychokinesis and has a dog named Cujo. That last bit is odd since the novel was not inspired by a pet.
Favorite stop talking to yourself: From Rebel Without a Clue: Dr. Sam Beckett, brilliant physicist, defender of minorities, looks down on bikers.
Favorite only Sam can see and hear: From The Great Spontini: In the hearing to determine custody of his leapees daughter, it would be great for Al to relay basic information about Jamie to Sam (schools attended, said daughter’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.
Favorite mirror images that were not his own: From Southern Comforts: This is just plain weird. 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 the person he leapt into. Fortunately, we get a proper mirror shot later.
Favorite brush with history: From Leap of Faith: Upon hearing that a young boxer must miss practice due to work at a butcher shop, Sam tells him about a movie where a guy practiced on raw meat. The young man’s locker is labeled “S. Stallone.”
Favorite something or someone: From Leap of Faith: Despite making sure that Father John does not ruin his life by killing Tony, Sam does not leap until the next morning where he merely checks in with Father John.
Favorite it’s a science project: From Last Dance Before an Execution: Ziggy is able to reconfigure Al’s handlink to detect a bullet in the church, setting up the ending. Pretty neat trick when you consider that he is a hologram and merely projecting light.
Favorite tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: From 8½ Months: In the waiting room, a very pregnant (about to deliver) Billie-Jean freaks out. Dr. Beeks finds her too traumatized to answer questions.
Favorite let’s up the rating: From The Leap Home: There are basketball practice and a match. If you like your guys young and dripping with sweat, this is the episode for you.
Favorite one more time: From The Leap Home: “You don’t believe you’re here to help your family?” “Of course I do.” “Then why are you worried about leaping if you win the game?”
A convinced Al trying to convince Sam
Favorite The Rainbow Treknection: Marc Alaimo did the first draft of Gul Dukat in Black on White on Fire. The great James Sloyan appeared in Last Dance Before an Execution. Kenneth Marshall had an appearance, but it did not really amount to much.
Favorite Trivial Matters: From The Leap Home and Shock Theater: I went back and forth on this one. On one hand we have the premiere which had Sam pulling double duty which he got an odd credit for and featured Bakula giving us a cover of “Imagine.” On the other hand, the finale had references to nearly a dozen prior episodes and a production goof.
Call it a draw!
Put right what once went wrong: “This is not the future, Time Cadets. Only one man’s distorted view of it.” The first season had an episode featuring two leaps. The second season had an episode that was more of an Al episode than a Sam one. The fourth season would also play around with the formula as seen in the season three finale while also featuring the only [REDACTED] and the final season would also have some episodes that broke the one-leap-per-episode rule while adding to the worldbuilding and featured celebrity leaps.
Which makes it frustrating that this season was so bog standard!
The show was still entertaining, do not get me wrong. Every long running series will retread episodes as well as run weak episodes, but the overall lack of novelty in this season was so frustrating. With as amazing a promise as Quantum Leap offers, there are so many possibilities out there and few were taken.
That is not to say that it was not entertaining. There was a string of episodes that ran into eighties action movie clichés, with the requisite music and everything, but the show as still a good one to watch. Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell are strong actors. Come to think of it, Bakula has great chemistry with a lot of actors. This season let him show off his dance moves and his singing ability. This is not a show that can give one of their main characters an episode off and these two rose to the occasion.
The deviations from the norm were well done, particularly giving Stockwell a chance in the spotlight near the end of the season. Normally unable to interact with anyone but Bakula, he was pivotal in several times during the season interacting with people when necessary, plot contrivances be damned. Plus, he got a chance to be villainous in the Halloween episode.
Despite the lack of originality, the third Season of Quantum Leap is a good watch, and the end shows promise for those that want to tinker with the status quo.
New places for old(er) keywords: Continuing Mission
Cardassians and Federation posturing it out: Showdown: Four Lights
Cardassians and Federation posturing it out: Showdown: Four Lights