Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Quantum Leap -- Episode 29: Sea Bride


Sam Leaps Into: 
Phillip Dumont, ex-husband of Catherine the "Sea Bride."

Objective:
Stop Catherine from marrying Vinny the Viper, a criminal who she does not love.

Date:
6-3-54

Location:
At sea aboard the Queen Mary

Memorable Quote:
Throw you the rope?!  I can't throw you the rope!  I'm a hologram!  ~Al

Highlight:
The opening scene in Sam's room is a lot of fun where people keep coming in and out and Sam gets repeatedly whacked by the door.  I especially like the moment where Pops charges the door right as Sam opens it and goes flying into the room, and I also enjoy Sam talking to himself and forgetting that the bride is still in the closet.

Lowlight:
The bad guys had potential, but I felt as mobsters they could have been more menacing and less cartoonish.  Also Vinny the Viper looked too old, and his sidekick was not imposing -- Sam with his martial arts abilities should have been able to take them at any time.

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:
  • I was on the Queen Mary as a kid (when it was docked outside San Diego), but I don't remember it well.
  • I'm a big fan of Jennifer, the kid sister and ally to Sam.  Great character and well acted.
  • Nice use foreshadowing when Al talks about his one true love.
  • The tango scene gets an honorable mention as the episode highlight -- I like the quick one liners that Sam and Catherine fire at each other while dancing.  Also a fun moment when Sam speaks French to the band leader only to learn that his French persona is just an act.
  • I'm glad that Catherine came to her senses at the end and was the one to stop the wedding before Sam got there.  I'm also glad that Sam punched out Vinny the Viper.

Final Analysis:
This was a fun one -- good acting, creative plot, and a memorable cruise ship setting.  And the star-crossed lovers motif gave the episode kind of an epic feel.  Ranking it 7 out of 29.

7 comments:

  1. The one thing I don't understand about this episode - what does Al think he's accomplishing by screaming at Sam when he's in the trash bin? All of his screaming mostly just gives everyone a headache.

    Beyond that, this is a pretty solid episode.

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  2. I can't say I was too taken with this one. It had its moments but I didn't connect with it too strongly. There was a slapstick element to it as well so I'm surprised you took to it, particularly the cartoonish villain of Vinny the Viper and his wiseguys and the early scene with Catherine in the closet. Odd age dynamics all around with Vinny looking 25 years older than Catherine and kid sister Jennifer looking 25 years younger than Catherine. Seems like a massive casting fail. Jennifer was fun though and I liked her scenes.

    My favorite scene in the episode was similar to the one scene in the MacGyver episode "Dalton, Jack of Spies" that I liked...the trash compactor scene where Sam has to lasso the chain with a coat hangar, MacGyver-style, to save himself at the last second. Didn't make a lot of sense for Al to be obsessing about pollution in the ocean as Sam was moments away from being part of that ocean pollution though. And the closing scene at the wedding ceremony was a mess. Catherine's aboutface on marrying Vinny at the last second was about as hammy as it could possibly be, and her father's extremely sudden reversal choosing to stand by Catherine's decision--after being so fiercely adamant that she marry Vinny to save the family business--was even more unconvincing.

    Not a favorite. I'd rank it between "Star Crossed" and "Blind Faith" pretty far down my list. I also would request you switch around "The Right Hand of God" with "The Americanization of Machiko" as I definitely preferred the former to the latter.

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    Replies
    1. Glad I wasn't the only one who thought Vinny looked much older (even though according to IMDB their difference was only 11 years). We've been far apart lately on these episodes -- will be interested to get your take on the next two which are big ones for the series. And I've updated your rankings page.

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    2. Certainly far apart on the last two episodes. Not too bad beyond that I don't think. Out of curiosity, how old were the Vinny, Catherine, and Jennifer characters in 1990 according to IMBD. They certainly looked 55, 35, and 11, respectively.

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    3. Vinny - 41
      Catherine - about to turn 31
      Jennifer - 10

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  3. Yikes....I hope I don't look as old as "Vinny the Viper" in two short years!

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  4. I think you're all missing that this is a '30's pastiche. The gangsters scenes are supposed to be over-the-top -- think about "Kiss Me Kate." I think the only reason why the script put in the great dance scene is that nobody could think of an appropriate song. (The lead is certainly a good singer.) And the kid sister is filling the role of Edward Everett Horton! She does a good job, too.

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