Quantum Leap -- Episode 21: Another Mother

Sam Leaps Into: 

Linda Bruckner, a divorced mother of three.

Objective:

Prevent the disappearance of Kevin, his 15 year-old son.

Date:

9-30-81

Location:

Scottsdale, Arizona

Memorable Quote:
Mom!  How?  ~Kevin
Girl Scouts.  ~Sam

Highlight:
I'm partial to the ending where Sam uses martial arts to take down the bad guys.  It's fun to think of them getting beating up by a mom.  

Lowlight:

I thought that Jackie flipped too quickly from convincingly stringing Kevin along as part of the prank to then suddenly deeply caring about his feelings. 

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

• This is the first episode with a more standard intro before the leap in, though it's not the familiar intro that we'll soon see before every episode.
• And this is first leap in the 80's and thus the latest leap we've had so far.
• The actors playing the kids in this episode are great.
• Kevin is played by Michael Stoyanov, the older brother on Blossom.  And this isn't the first time that Blossom has been mentioned on this blog.
• Susan, the middle child, is played by Olivia Burnette who I remember from The Torkelsons.
• Teresa is played by Troian Bellisario, daughter of series creator Donald Bellisario and writer/producer Deborah Pratt (in fact Pratt wrote this episode).  Troian does an impressive job here especially for only being a 4 year-old (I have a 3 and a half year-old and the thought of giving him that many lines to execute on a big time network show is hard to imagine).
• I like the wrinkle of kids under 5 and animals being able to see Sam and Al for who they really are (thanks to the kids' "natural alpha state").  That element adds a lot of soul to this story.
• Poor Kevin, he's already having a bad day (which is going to get much worse), and then his little sister calls him "the school joke."  That's harsh.  In fact, I remember as a kid this episode was hard to watch because I felt so badly for Kevin.
• I like the nod to Raiders of the Lost Ark (Kevin says he's going to go see the movie with his friends).
• How does Ziggy know that one of the bullies is still a virgin?
• We learn here that Sam knows judo, karate, taekwondo, and something that Al calls "Muy pui" (maybe he means muay thai?).
• That high school cafeteria looks like the wild west.

Final Analysis:

My new number three episode.  This one made an impression on me as a kid, and it's a masterful story that evokes some emotions and also has a nice ending.  And the Al/Troian dynamic takes the episode to another level including the memorable scenes where Al sings her the "inchworm, inchworm" song and then has to say goodbye at the end with the Dvorak theme playing in the background.

By the way, my #1 all-time favorite Quantum Leap episode (at least when I was 12) is on the horizon and will be upon us sooner rather than later!

Quantum Leap -- Episode 20: Animal Frat

Sam Leaps Into: 

Knut "Wild Thing" Wileton, the leader of a college fraternity.

Objective:

Stop antiwar protesters from blowing up the university chemistry building.  Jump into the luau pool without breaking his neck.

Date:

10-19-67

Location:

Meeks College, California

Memorable Quote:
A duck...is a duck...is a duck...is a duck.   ~Al

Highlight:
Outstanding performance by Darren Dalton as Duck, the dedicated but obnoxious antiwar student leader.  His menace and snark palpably jumps off the screen in every scene he's in.  And I like that his name is Duck.

Lowlight:

Sam pscyhoanalyzing Elisabeth's antiwar sentiments as a result of wanting to be noticed by her parents is an unnecessary and clumsy plot point.

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

• We're now getting into episodes that are at least somewhat familiar, even though I still don't remember much.
• "I'm trapped in the body of a troglodyte."  ~Sam.  I must be a troglodyte because I had to look up what that word means.
• The actor Raphael Sbarge who plays the Southern frat boy I recognized from Hawaii Five-0 and Prison Break.
• It's always fun to hear Al call someone a "nozzle."
• I like how Sam remembers the "torpedoes" from the beginning and gets rid of the bomb that way (even though flinging the bomb out the window seems pretty dangerous to passersby if it's not timed correctly).
• Impressive that the frat has a pulley system and an indoor pool.  And why does Sam belly flop into the pool knowing that Knut broke his neck?  He should have jumped feet first or done a cannonball.
• I live in Wisconsin, and there was an incident on the University of Wisconsin campus in 1970 called the Sterling Hall Bombing that was similar to the events in this episode. The bombing resulted in one death and three injuries, and one of the bombers is still at large.       

Final Analysis:

Solid episode.  It's well-acted with good pacing and has a strong message about what can happen when well-intentioned people turn to violence.  And there's a great scene in the library where Sam and Duck confront each other and Sam reveals that he has a brother that died in Vietnam.  The frat boys, while they're supposed to be dumb, come off as so dumb that's it's more of a caricature, but still a good episode -- I'm ranking it 9 out of 20. 

Randall Jahnson: Outstanding Screenwriter -- The Mask of Zorro

Writer:
Randall Jahnson is a screenwriter who worked on The Mask of Zorro, one of my favorite movies of all time.  He lives in Portland but teaches screenwriting to clients throughout the world.  Learn more about Randall at his website randalljahnson.com.

Conversation:
Total run time: 53:47

Listen to this song first to get in the right mood for the podcast.

0:01 - introduction
1:23 - getting involved with the Zorro project and meeting Steven Spielberg
12:41 - researching Zorro, Joaquin Murrieta, and the history of California
21:38 - working on the script
32:43 - more writers brought in
44:29 - Zorro goes to Spain (almost)
52:52 - epilogue



The embedded player works best in Google Chrome.  You can also download the mp3 by clicking here, and the podcast is available in iTunes.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 19: A Portrait For Troian

Sam Leaps Into: 

Dr. Timothy Mintz, a parapsychologist (aka psychic).

Objective:

Prevent a widow from drowning in the same lake as her late husband.

Date:

2-7-71

Location:

California

Memorable Quote:
I'm not into necrophilia.   ~Al
At last, something sexual he's not into.   ~Sam

Highlight:
Not a lot to choose from here.  I like Al's futuristic green shirt/vest/tie combo.

Lowlight:

A lot to choose from here.  I'll go with everything associated with the voice recorder contraptions (more on this below).

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

• This episode features writer/producer Deborah Pratt as Troian and creator/producer Donald Bellisario in the mirror as Timothy Mintz.  Troian is the name of their daughter in real life -- I had never heard of her but apparently she's quite popular (e.g. she has 2 and a half million twitter followers).  I was curious what the name meant, and I found an interview where she said it was a family surname, and it means "woman of Troy."
• I reached out to Deborah Pratt for any additional episode background and she said, "She [her daughter Troian] watched it when she was 4 and told me never use her name again. The whispery voice scared her a lot."
• How can Jimmy hear Al?  I don't get it.
• There's an earthquake that somehow only hits the mausoleum, which remains in tact after the earthquakes passes.  What was the relevance of the earthquake to the story?  I don't know.
• I'm from Pennsylvania and I can tell you that Pennsylvania Dutch, Amish, and Mennonites don't speak with a British accent.
• Jimmy tells Sam to leave by dawn or else there will be trouble, but the next morning he doesn't seem to care.  And wouldn't he want the psychic around if he's trying to spook Troian?
• "Oh not me -- I'm going to LA.  I want to see this in person."  ~Jimmy.  He's talking about a "disaster area" on the television.  Is this related to the earthquake that only hit the mausoleum?  And doesn't he have better things to do than to go out of his way to gawk at a disaster area?
• This brings us to the voice recorders.  Let's see if I can get all this straight:
• Someone (Jimmy) recorded a high frequency voice on several cassette tapes.
• Troian can hear the high frequency but no one else can.
• One of the cassette tapes is sealed in one of the mausoleum graves, because what better place to transmit a frequency from.
• The tape recorders are all linked so that when you play one, they all play in tandem.
• Jimmy thought this elaborate electronic scheme would be the easiest way to knock off Troian and inherit her money to pay off his gambling debts.
• Now Al is talking and Troian can hear him, and he sounds like her dead husband! Huh?!?!
• Yep, there's another earthquake.
• No sign of Jimmy's body, but they found all the other bodies from 100 years ago.
• Oh, and the British Mennonite maid is a ghost.
• And to top it off, Sam leaps into the Camikaze Kid.  I guess at the time this was filmed the next episode mustn't have been ready, but they shouldn't have had him leap into an episode that already aired during the previous season.  And couldn't this have been re-edited on the DVD/Netflix?

Final Analysis:

Well, after a season and a half we've finally made it to our first complete and utter train wreck episode.  I suppose it's a credit to the series that it took this long.  If you haven't guessed it already, I'm putting this last in the rankings.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 18: Catch a Falling Star

Sam Leaps Into: 

Ray Hutton, a stage actor and understudy in Man of La Manche.

Objective:

Stop the star of the show from falling down the stairs and breaking his leg.

Date:

5-21-79

Location:

Syracuse, New York

Memorable Quote:
She spent last night with Ray Hutton.  ~Al
I may look like him, but she was with me.  My heart.  My soul.  ~Sam

Highlight:
I like the two scenes where Sam is talking to Al offstage: first when he initially sees Nicole and second when Al discovers that they spent the night together.  Bakula does a great job of being vulnerable and lost in love, and the music from the play adds to the scenes.

Lowlight:

Who knew theater people were so devious!  Michelle in particular is just awful for messing with Sam and Nicole like that, and John isn't any better.

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

• This is the latest leap so far -- the previous latest one was 1976 (Disco Inferno). 
• Tremendous performance by John Cullum -- I'd reckon to say it's the best effort by a guest star thus far in the series.  He holds a special place in my Mom's heart as the star of her favorite play, Shenandoah.  In fact, we went to see Scott Bakula play the same role (Charlie Anderson) when Shenandoah came to Ford's Theatre.
• If Al is a hologram and can't touch anything, how is he able to appear to walk on the ground at the exact same level as everyone else?
• Given all that Sam has been through and done for God (or whoever is leaping him around), it sure was nice for God to thrown Sam a bone in the form of living out his childhood fantasy by spending the night with his former piano teacher.
• Fun fact: the actor who plays Manny was the voice of Pumbaa in The Lion King.

Final Analysis:

This is my new #1 episode.  Great characters, acting, plot, music, and it's also fun and poignant at the same time.  The plot line with Sam meeting his childhood crush as an adult is creative and also adds to the tragic hero element of the Sam Beckett character, especially against the backdrop of Don Quixote and "The Impossible Dream."

Quantum Leap -- Episode 17: So Help Me God

Sam Leaps Into: 

Leonard Dancey, a defense lawyer.

Objective:

Win a not guilty verdict for his client Lila, a black woman accused of murdering her white lover who also happens to be the son of the town's power broker.

Date:

7-29-57

Location:

Louisiana

Memorable Quote:
The best Ziggy could come up with is you're here to play...play Rhett Butler.  ~Al
No, no way.  Tell Ziggy to shove that.  ~Sam

Highlight:
Great climatic scene when Ms. Sadie reveals the truth to the absolute shock of the people in the courtroom.

Lowlight:

The scene where Sam encourages Myrtle to testify by quoting the Bible is a good scene on the surface, but its impact is reduced when we never end up seeing Myrtle testifying. 

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

• It's good that they eventually settled on a standard opening to these episodes, because the "Leaping about in time..." voiceover just seems like repetitive filler.
• I think Sam could have made a better excuse to leave the courtroom than to say that his fly was open.

Final Analysis:

Great episode!  I like courtroom dramas (e.g. A Few Good Men is one of my all time favorite movies), and this story is very gripping and well crafted -- there's never a dull or wasted moment, and I was compelled to keep watching to see what would happen.  The characters are great, the acting superb, and it's nice to see justice served in the end.  Putting this at #6 of 17 in the rankings.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 16: Jimmy

Sam Leaps Into: 

Jimmy LaMotta, a man with special needs who is living with his brother's family.

Objective:

Get a job and keep it by earning the respect of his co-workers.

Date:

10-14-64

Location:

Oakland, California

Memorable Quote:
We're not going to lose Jimmy, right?  ~Al

Highlight:
It's great to see Sam land a few good shots on Blue.  Although the other guys watching the fight don't seem adequately surprised enough that Jimmy put down the baddest guy in the yard.

Lowlight:

Another mean mom! 

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

• I like Frank -- he's a strong character, well layered, and very well acted by John D'Aquino.
• I'm not as much of a fan of Connie (as mentioned above in the lowlight).  That's now 3 very unlikable Moms in just the first half of season 2!
• The antagonist of the episode is played by Michael Madsen who's been in a lot of things -- I recognized him from a small part in Die Another Day (I would know since I've seen all the Brosnan Bond movies at least 10 times).
• Great scene where Al gives Sam a pep talk and brings up the story of his sister. Stockwell is an excellent actor and I always like when he takes center stage and when we learn more about his back story.
• Interesting that Sam uses the Heimlich and CPR in back to back episodes.
• I was in Best Buddies during all 4 years of college.  It's like Big Brothers/Big Sisters, only for people with special needs.  It's a great organization, and my buddy happened to be named Jimmy.

Final Analysis:

Solid episode.  It's a well-written, creative script and the story is emotional and uplifting.  I like how they portrayed Sam's klutziness as a result of people viewing him a certain way, and the harder he tried the more he fed into their perceptions.  I'm ranking it 6 out of 16.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 15: Thou Shalt Not...

Sam Leaps Into: 

David Basch, a rabbi.

Objective:

Save his brother's marriage by preventing his brother's wife from having an affair.  Help the family come together and heal from the wounds of a lost son.

Date:

2-2-74

Location:

Los Angeles, California

Memorable Quote:
Oy vey, I'm the rabbi.  ~Sam

Highlight:
The memorable quote above, one of the most memorable quotes in the series (and a Sweedo family favorite).

Lowlight:

I didn't care for the "husband suspects brother of fooling around with his wife" subplot -- it didn't seem necessary, and the husband moved on from it pretty quick after punching Sam a few times.

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

• I just learned what gefilte fish was last year and so it was cool to hear Al mention it. I'm fairly unadventurous when it comes to food and thus you won't see me trying gefilte fish anytime soon.
• Fun moment when Sam promises God that he won't have an affair with Irene and then stands around with a silly smile hoping to leap.
• I like the encounter with "Dr. Heimlich," but what kind of guy just runs off and doesn't even say thank you after being saved like that?
• Maybe they could have gotten Holly Fields to play the daughter having the Bat Mitzvah -- after all, she is the right age...
• Good plot twist where we learn that Bert is posing as a widower in order to hook up. But I am surprised that when confronted by the rabbi, Bert immediately cops to it and doesn't try even a little bit to keep up the lie.
• Interesting that the first 7 episodes of QL had MacGyver guest stars but the next 8 did not.  The odds of it breaking down like are in the googols.

Final Analysis:

Not a huge fan of this one.  It's a slow open, and despite some of my semi-positive comments, I didn't really enjoy it much at all.  I'm slotting it as 2nd from the bottom in the rankings.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 14: Good Morning, Peoria

Sam Leaps Into: 

Chick Howell, a disc jockey.

Objective:

Help the radio station manager save the station in the face of an advertiser who is upset with their rock and roll music.

Date:

9-9-59

Location:

Peoria, Illinois

Memorable Quote:
Good Morning Peoria!  OW!  This is howlin' Chick Howell!  AHWOOOOOO!   ~Sam

Highlight:
Fun scene where Sam starts acting crazy on the radio to the astonishment of his co-workers. Bakula shows off some impressive vocal skills -- I wonder how much of what he did was improv.

Lowlight:

The newspaper paper editor / hardware store guy wanting to do whatever it took to keep rock and roll off the airwaves was already a bit of a stretch, but I was willing to go with it until he took out the axe and started chopping down the station door.  And amazingly not one of the rock and roll kids or police officers on the scene tried to stop him.

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

• I was never much of a sitcom guy once I hit the teenage years, but the only one that I watched consistently in the 90's was Home Improvement.  Great show with a great cast, and it was fun to see Patricia Richardson (aka Jill Taylor) as a guest star here. She's fantastic in this episode, and I love the deadpan looks that she gives Sam when he's screwing up in the beginning.
• Speaking of deadpan looks, it never gets old when someone is perplexed by seeing Sam talking to himself.
• The Chubby Checker part is fun but also mildly confusing -- if he gives the station a demo tape of "The Twist" (which is later played), then why is the dance move seemingly new to Chubby when Sam shows it to him?
• When the brick comes through the window, it looks like there are mannequins in the street although I'm not totally sure.  I think at least that the first two people are fake (the guy on the right has his body turned in such a way that makes me think he might be real).

• I've mentioned the show's use of the Back To The Future / Universal Lot a few times now, and I'm pretty sure that the diner in this episode is the same one from the movie.

Final Analysis:

Strong episode here.  It's laugh out loud funny, there's great oldies music, and I like the glorified 1950's world that they created (even if at times it's a little over the top like when the teenagers are jumping around in the streets like 5 year-olds).  I'm ranking this for now as my #3 episode.

Quantum Leap -- Episode 13: Blind Faith

Sam Leaps Into: 

Andrew Ross, a blind concert pianist.

Objective:

Prevent Michelle, his adoring assistant, from falling victim to a serial strangler.  Give Michelle confidence to live her own life in spite of her overprotective mother.

Date:

2-6-64

Location:

New York, New York

Memorable Quote:
According to Ziggy, Andrew's concert was a huge success.  ~Al
It won't be now.  ~Sam

Highlight:
Despite the fact that I'm more of a cat guy than a dog guy, I'm still a fan of dogs (you'll remember my love for a certain bulldog), and Chopin is an awesome dog.  

Lowlight:

I don't care for the story line where Sam thinks he can't play the piano, but then Al puts some music in front of him and suddenly he's a virtuoso.  If he knew how to play all along, why didn't he remember that beforehand?  Or why couldn't Al have given him the music earlier so that he could practice?  It would have been more compelling if he had to improvise his way through the concert like he did in the beginning with "Chopsticks."

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

• Our first of two Quantum Leap episodes that share a title with a MacGyver episode.
• His mirror image looks a bit like world chess champion Magnus Carlsen.
• Oh no, it's another crazy lady!  I thought that no one could be more unlikable than the mother in Machiko, but the mother in this episode takes it to another level.  Time for another induction into the Rachel Bradley Hall of Fame.
• Not much of a police presence in Central Park, especially considering that a serial strangler is on the loose.
• Al's really not helping much in this episode.  In other episodes he's able to center himself on whoever Sam is looking for, but here Sam has to rely on the dog.

Final Analysis:

I wasn't a big fan of this one.  The story was slow to unfold, and while I liked the plot device of Sam playing the role of a blind man while actually being able to see, the sudden piano playing ability (mentioned in the lowlight) was hard to overcome.  I'm putting it at 4th from the bottom in the rankings.