Thursday, November 24, 2016

Quantum Leap -- Episode 72: Stand Up


Sam Leaps Into:
Davey Parker, one part of a stand-up comic trio. 

Objective:
Stop one of his partners from getting killed by a mobster.  Get both of his partners to admit their love for one another.

Date:
4-30-59

Location:
The Poconos, Pennsylvania
Gallup, New Mexico
Las Vegas, Nevada

Memorable Quote:
So tell me you-you-you Supers, what's an average day like for you guys? ~Sam
Well we usually like to start the day with a big, heaping bowl of kryptonite cereal.  ~Frankie
No, not kryptonite, that would kill 'em.   ~Mack

Highlight:
I like Bob Saget in the role of Mick and he does a great job of playing a cocky smart-aleck who is simultaneously well-intentioned and vulnerable.

Lowlight:
That said, it's hard to imagine anyone being as impulsive and stupid as Mick when he punches his new boss (who also happens to be a big-time mobster) and gets upset at Frankie even though she clearly had no intention of reciprocating the mobster's advances.

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:
  • Why would the mob guys hire the trio after they bombed their routine in the Poconos and then nearly came to blows?
  • The bathroom where Sam gives Mack a heart to heart is the same bathroom where he has a dance-off with a young Michael Jackson in Camikazi Kid (it looked familiar and I went back and rewatched that scene to confirm).
  • I remember watching America's Funniest Home Videos (impeccably hosted by Saget) each Sunday -- it was must see t.v. for a kid who loved bloopers especially in the pre-youtube days.

Final Analysis:
I enjoyed this episode from beginning to end -- great pacing, fun setting, good villains, and memorable performances from Saget and Amy Yasbeck (Frankie).  Ranking it 17 out of 72.

1 comment:

  1. This episode was just okay for me. Some of Saget's shtick was entertaining but the endless bickering between him and Frankie with Sam in the middle of it felt too much like middle school for me, and I agree that Mick's explosive temper in front of mobsters was not believable and it's impossible to imagine him succeeding in the business. The whole hour was just average for me. I'll rank it between "Permanent Wave" and "Sea Bride".

    I watched "America's Funniest Home Videos" only in its first season in 1990 when it took America by storm and was a huge hit. After that, I got annoyed with it rather quickly. I would have never imagined it would still be on the air 26 years later.

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