#563427
Permanent Wave
Original Air Date: October 16, 1991
Written by: Beverly Bridges
Directed by: Scott Bakula
Leap Date: June 2, 1983
This time: Sam leaps into a hair stylist. A young man, Kyle asks to go for some candy. After getting approval, a woman comes around asking about him when there are gunshots. Sam goes to the candy store (How he knew where it was is an exercise for the viewer) and tends to Kyle though not before the proprietor is shot. Worried mother Laura is on the scene, making sure Kyle is all right. She admonishes Frank, Sam’s leapee, for letting Kyle go off alone.
A detective named Ward investigates the scene and gets some information from Sam. Kyle is not around but they exchange contact information, including Ward’s home number. As Laura puts Kyle to bed, Al says that Laura is also killed, and Kyle disappears. It seems that Laura is a former mob wife and does not want Kyle too out in the open.
Sam decides that if he can get a description from Kyle, he can report to Ward under the guise of “Oh, I suddenly remembered.” It goes well as Kyle remembers something about ‘junkie money’ before Laura comes back. That is enough for Al and Sam to figure out that the pharmacist was into drugs. He reports to Ward, but the detective insists on talking to Kyle, even if Laura is present.
Later, their friend/co-worker Chloe comes to look over samples. Soon, someone shoots up the group. Laura goes off to get help and Sam once again asks Kyle about the gunman. There is not much to go on as Kyle just saw the shoes which had money in them.
Laura runs off to Frank’s cabin with Kyle. Sam finds out and calls Ward, though he is unavailable as a woman called him a few minutes ago. Sam and Chloe are off. Al checks in on Ward and determines that Ward was the killer. At the cabin, a chase ensues ending up with Ward holding a gun on Sam and Kyle. Ward is shot by Chloe (!), who was behind the whole scheme. Sam takes her out. Kyle becomes a medal winning swimmer. Frank and Laura marry. Sam leaps …
… into a hospital bed. It becomes clear that he is a woman as an officer, Shumway, wants to ask ‘her’ some questions. Sam bemoans being a woman ‘again,’ prompting Shumway to ask if she has been raped before.
Stop talking to yourself: Sam wonders why he leaped into Frank in the salon if the candy shop salesman died in the pharmacy.
Only Sam can see and hear: Usually an expert in what Sam does, Al is not especially useful in the art of eighties hair.
Mirror images that were not his own: After a shooting, awkward interrogation and bedtime story, Sam earns a look at Maury Lipschitz, A.K.A Frank Bianca.
Something or someone: Technically Kyle became a better swimmer by Sam sticking around after saving everyone but there is not much for him to do after making sure mother and son are all right.
It’s a science project: Knowing nothing about hair products, Sam pretty much mixes stuff together and hopes for the best. Good thing randomly mixing chemicals has never has any negative consequences of any kind. It is not like they have labels with instructions or anything ….
Let’s up the rating: Being a male hairstylist is sexy. Women are all over Frank in the salon.
One more time: “It’s going to make it hell getting prescription refills.”
Al being a master of the obvious at the crime scene
The Rainbow Treknection: After appearing as Detective Ward, Harry Groener guest starred with Bakula again in Star Trek: Enterprise as Nathan Samuels.
Trivial Matters: Young Kyle is played by Gordon Joseph-Levitt. He would alter appear on Third Rock From the Sun as young Tommy, The Dark Knight Rises as a younger version of Robin and in Looper as a young version of Bruce Willis.
This is the first episode directed by series star Scott Bakula.
Needing to entertain Kyle, Sam reenacts an episode of Captain Galaxy, though this time, he is not Future Boy.
Sam expresses some reciprocated sexy thoughts with his clients, to the point where Al wonders if some of Al is still in Sam from the season opener.
Put right what once went wrong: “Do you mind if I talk to him?” “No, that would be fine.” “Can you tell me where he is, please?” It is clear that Scott Bakula is a fantastic actor. He is put through a lifetime of dream roles every season with multitudes of actors from various backgrounds. He has also displayed his singing skills on more than one occasion. No doubt that Bakula is a great guy and a strong male lead.
Directing is not his forte. Do not get me wrong, the directing goes pretty well in this episode, but there is nothing amazing about it. It is just that there are no super awesome shots or amazing performances in this hour.
The performances work, though. Harry Groener plays Ward with a bit of an asshole streak, though he is frustrated by the fact that Sam knows nothing due to leaping in. Their back and forth at the top of the episode is fun to watch as Ward tries to figure things out. Lela Ivey’s Chloe does not let up that she is the culprit but is not convincing as one either. Give us a clue, here or there. She does have a fun scene where she responds to Sam while he is talking to Al. The writers and actors love those scenes. Doran Clark and Joseph Gordan-Levitt are good as Laura and Kyle.
This is a pretty good hour but not entirely worth the time it took out of Bakula. The requisite eighties action scene goes off well, and there is a cool sequence where Kyle sneaks through the doggie door and Ward grabs his foot, but resources could have been better spent elsewhere.
Original Air Date: October 16, 1991
Written by: Beverly Bridges
Directed by: Scott Bakula
Leap Date: June 2, 1983
This time: Sam leaps into a hair stylist. A young man, Kyle asks to go for some candy. After getting approval, a woman comes around asking about him when there are gunshots. Sam goes to the candy store (How he knew where it was is an exercise for the viewer) and tends to Kyle though not before the proprietor is shot. Worried mother Laura is on the scene, making sure Kyle is all right. She admonishes Frank, Sam’s leapee, for letting Kyle go off alone.
A detective named Ward investigates the scene and gets some information from Sam. Kyle is not around but they exchange contact information, including Ward’s home number. As Laura puts Kyle to bed, Al says that Laura is also killed, and Kyle disappears. It seems that Laura is a former mob wife and does not want Kyle too out in the open.
Sam decides that if he can get a description from Kyle, he can report to Ward under the guise of “Oh, I suddenly remembered.” It goes well as Kyle remembers something about ‘junkie money’ before Laura comes back. That is enough for Al and Sam to figure out that the pharmacist was into drugs. He reports to Ward, but the detective insists on talking to Kyle, even if Laura is present.
Later, their friend/co-worker Chloe comes to look over samples. Soon, someone shoots up the group. Laura goes off to get help and Sam once again asks Kyle about the gunman. There is not much to go on as Kyle just saw the shoes which had money in them.
Laura runs off to Frank’s cabin with Kyle. Sam finds out and calls Ward, though he is unavailable as a woman called him a few minutes ago. Sam and Chloe are off. Al checks in on Ward and determines that Ward was the killer. At the cabin, a chase ensues ending up with Ward holding a gun on Sam and Kyle. Ward is shot by Chloe (!), who was behind the whole scheme. Sam takes her out. Kyle becomes a medal winning swimmer. Frank and Laura marry. Sam leaps …
… into a hospital bed. It becomes clear that he is a woman as an officer, Shumway, wants to ask ‘her’ some questions. Sam bemoans being a woman ‘again,’ prompting Shumway to ask if she has been raped before.
Stop talking to yourself: Sam wonders why he leaped into Frank in the salon if the candy shop salesman died in the pharmacy.
Only Sam can see and hear: Usually an expert in what Sam does, Al is not especially useful in the art of eighties hair.
Mirror images that were not his own: After a shooting, awkward interrogation and bedtime story, Sam earns a look at Maury Lipschitz, A.K.A Frank Bianca.
Something or someone: Technically Kyle became a better swimmer by Sam sticking around after saving everyone but there is not much for him to do after making sure mother and son are all right.
It’s a science project: Knowing nothing about hair products, Sam pretty much mixes stuff together and hopes for the best. Good thing randomly mixing chemicals has never has any negative consequences of any kind. It is not like they have labels with instructions or anything ….
Let’s up the rating: Being a male hairstylist is sexy. Women are all over Frank in the salon.
One more time: “It’s going to make it hell getting prescription refills.”
Al being a master of the obvious at the crime scene
The Rainbow Treknection: After appearing as Detective Ward, Harry Groener guest starred with Bakula again in Star Trek: Enterprise as Nathan Samuels.
Trivial Matters: Young Kyle is played by Gordon Joseph-Levitt. He would alter appear on Third Rock From the Sun as young Tommy, The Dark Knight Rises as a younger version of Robin and in Looper as a young version of Bruce Willis.
This is the first episode directed by series star Scott Bakula.
Needing to entertain Kyle, Sam reenacts an episode of Captain Galaxy, though this time, he is not Future Boy.
Sam expresses some reciprocated sexy thoughts with his clients, to the point where Al wonders if some of Al is still in Sam from the season opener.
Put right what once went wrong: “Do you mind if I talk to him?” “No, that would be fine.” “Can you tell me where he is, please?” It is clear that Scott Bakula is a fantastic actor. He is put through a lifetime of dream roles every season with multitudes of actors from various backgrounds. He has also displayed his singing skills on more than one occasion. No doubt that Bakula is a great guy and a strong male lead.
Directing is not his forte. Do not get me wrong, the directing goes pretty well in this episode, but there is nothing amazing about it. It is just that there are no super awesome shots or amazing performances in this hour.
The performances work, though. Harry Groener plays Ward with a bit of an asshole streak, though he is frustrated by the fact that Sam knows nothing due to leaping in. Their back and forth at the top of the episode is fun to watch as Ward tries to figure things out. Lela Ivey’s Chloe does not let up that she is the culprit but is not convincing as one either. Give us a clue, here or there. She does have a fun scene where she responds to Sam while he is talking to Al. The writers and actors love those scenes. Doran Clark and Joseph Gordan-Levitt are good as Laura and Kyle.
This is a pretty good hour but not entirely worth the time it took out of Bakula. The requisite eighties action scene goes off well, and there is a cool sequence where Kyle sneaks through the doggie door and Ward grabs his foot, but resources could have been better spent elsewhere.
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