Quantum Leap -- Episode 1: Genesis

LEAP 1

Sam Leaps Into: 

Tom Stratton, a U.S. Air Force test pilot.

Objective:

Survive a plane crash.  Save the life of his premature newborn.

Date:

9-13-56 

Location:

Edwards Air Force Base, California

LEAP 2

Sam Leaps Into:

Ken Fox, a minor league baseball player.

Objective: 

Help his team, the Waco Bombers, rally in the bottom of the 9th inning to avoid finishing in last place.

Date:

1968

Location:

Waco, Texas

Memorable Quote:
I'm in a real identity crisis here, Al.  ~Sam

Highlight:
The scene where Sam calls his dad on the phone.  It's amazing that the writers and producers were able to create a moment as great and as poignant as this in the pilot episode when we're just getting to know the characters.  The dialogue is outstanding, Bakula's acting is magnificent, and the music (more on that below) is the perfect complement to the scene.  And it's interesting that in the movie "Source Code" (which was inspired by Quantum Leap), a similar scene takes place at the end and this time Bakula voices the father. 

Lowlight:

The moment in the beginning when Sam steps into the Quantum Leap accelerator.  He's laughing and raising his arms in a manner that makes him seem power hungry, and Gushie tells Al that Sam jumped in before it was ready.  It's not a bad scene per se, but the mad scientist persona is out of character for Sam who we come to learn is quite measured and humble rather than wacky and impulsive. 

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:

• Seeing Sam get his bearings in 1950's America reminded me of a similar scene in Indiana Jones 4 (amazing that I remember anything from that movie because I tried to forget it all). And they both include Howdy Doody and Hound Dog -- I guess those are the go-to symbols of 50's America.
• Speaking of 50's America, I noticed the kid has a Davy Crockett hat and shirt.
• I love the mirror concept (i.e. how Sam sees someone else in the mirror) -- very creative.
• I wonder if it was intentional that he leaps into a pilot in the pilot episode.
• Whoa, it's Jack Dalton!  It didn't take long to see a familiar MacGyver face.  I remembered that Bruce McGill played a significant role in the Quantum Leap series finale, but I didn't recall him being in this episode.  In fact, I didn't recall anything about this episode, and the only thing that seemed familiar (other than the shots that end up appearing in the opening sequences) was when Al said "Caca" -- I remember asking my Mom what that meant when I was a kid.  And there's one more MacGyver guest star who makes an appearance in this episode -- do you know who it is?  The answer to be revealed later in the post.
• I didn't recognize the Bird Dog character at first, but it's John Allen Nelson who played Walt Cummings (the crooked Chief of Staff) in Season 5 of 24, and he was also on a Season 2 episode of Burn Notice that I recently watched.
• Another fun guest star reference -- Jennifer Runyon (who plays Sam's wife) was Gwendolyn Pierce, Charles' girlfriend in season 1 of Charles in Charge.  I used to be a big Charles in Charge fan back in the day.
• 34:50 mark - our first taste in the series of the "Leap Home" music, which we hear when Sam is thinking about his childhood and family.  The theme comes from Dvorak's New World Symphony, 2nd movement which was based on Longfellow's poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," and it's very appropriate here because Dvorak's melody has become synonymous with "going home."
• I was surprised to hear that Al was an ex-astronaut.  Astronauts have to be pretty smart in the math and sciences, and not that Al is dumb, but he comes off more as the street smart, common sense foil to Sam's genius.  Maybe this will be flushed out more as the series continues.
• Watching the flying scenes makes me want to say a quick word in praise of pilots, especially those that fly at supersonic speeds.  The combination of danger, motion sickness, and claustrophobia is not one that I would enjoy, and I'm amazed at those who willingly and ably man the cockpits.  If I ever was in one of those planes, I would end up like Colbert puking in the back of a Thunderbird.
• This episode features two common and humorous occurrences that we'll see throughout the series:
• People looking at Sam funny when he's talking to Al, but they can't see Al so it looks like Sam's talking to no one.
• Sam having a conversation with Al while someone else is present, and that someone thinks Sam is talking to him, so Sam ends up having two conversations at once.
• When Sam was using his medical knowledge to save the baby, I was surprised because I thought his speciality was quantum physics.  But we learn later in the episode that he has six doctorates including one in medicine.  I think he's also got black belts in multiple martial arts disciplines.
• I love the brief moment in the dugout when his dog starts going nuts and he realizes that the dog can see who he really is.  "He knew.  The little sucker knew.  And he wasn't going to stop barking until they all knew."  ~Sam
• Did anyone recognize the other MacGyver guest star?  The baseball team manager was Hatcher, the lead villain from Ugly Duckling.
• In the DVD extra, Bakula says he's a natural right handed hitter, but they wanted to try and recreate Roy Hobbs' dramatic scene at the end of "The Natural" and so they made him a lefty.  Bakula goes on to say that he was embarrassed by his swing and he wished that he would have done it as a righty.
• The leap at the end of the episode was a great and natural way for the show to promote next week's episode without needing a separate teaser preview.

Final Analysis:

Normally I think of pilot episodes as being relatively weak (since the cast and crew need time to work out the kinks and hit their stride), but this pilot was great.  It's clear that the background and backstory was carefully thought out, and there's hardly a wasted moment or plot element that doesn't make sense.  It's making me even more excited to get going on this project.  As of right now, it's my #1 favorite episode!