Quantum Leap -- Episode 58: The Wrong Stuff

Sam Leaps Into:

Bobo, a chimpanzee in the space program.

Objective:

Save himself from getting his head bashed in during scientific testing.

Date:

1-24-61

Location:

Cape Canaveral, Florida

Memorable Quote:
What am I supposed to do the meantime, huh?  ~Sam
Why don't you take that banana....and peel it?  ~Al

Highlight:
Some fun action that takes place in this episode: Sam/Bobo using martial arts on the "nozzles," and then the manhunt (or "chimphunt") scene at the end where Bobo and Cory are trying to escape the facility.  I'm a sucker for scenes like that where the hero is trapped in a compound while hostiles are all around looking for him.  And cool music too.

Lowlight:

None.

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

• Only 58 episodes in and we finally have our first January episode!  With that, all of the months are now officially represented in the series.
• Interesting that this episode stars Caroline Goodall and centers around chimps (a subject on which Jane Goodall is the leading expert).  I don't know if they're related.
• One nice byproduct of this leap is that for the first time ever Sam gets to talk freely without worrying about anyone listening in or passing judgment.
• Excellent performances by Goodall as Dr. Ashton and Gary Swanson as Dr. Winger. And the writing is good in the way that they set up their relationship and gradually reveal his personality with Winger hitting on her from the beginning and then becoming hostile toward her when she challenges him.
• I mentioned in Genesis how I didn't remember Al as having been an astronaut, but in this episode they talk about it some more -- he says he was on one of the Apollo missions.
• There are several grainy stock footage shots of chimps in cages, but they don't take away from the rest of the episode.
• Lots of hilarious scenes in this one including when Sam first learns he's a chimp, his initial encounter with Al (see memorable quote), and his drinking of the caterpillar juice.
• In addition to being humorous, this episode also has several poignant moments including when Sam communicates with Dr. Ashton about what the nozzles are up to and then when he empathizes and forges an emotional connection with Cory (the chimp in the cage next to his). And the rescue and salvation of Dr. Winger is a great way to end the episode (capped off perfectly by Cory shooting one of the nozzles with a tranquilizer).

Final Analysis:

Wow!!  A fantastic hour of television.  I had remembered that there was an episode where Sam leaped into an animal but I didn't remember anything else.  It's a great idea and one that would have been a challenge to write an episode around, but Paul Brown (the writer) nailed it.  As I said, the story is brilliantly crafted, hilarious, exciting, and poignant.

And not only is the acting great all around, but this is one of Bakula's best performances and is Emmy worthy.  It's not often (or maybe ever) that an actor has been asked to play a chimp, but Bakula is incredible doing it.  I may need to watch it again to settle on its final ranking place, but for now I'm slotting it at a lofty #3 out of 58.