[OT] Quantum Leap (The TV show)

[MaxKaladin]

Remember that Sam was never intended to use the Quantum Leap unit at all. The original plan was that *AL* (aka Rear Admiral Albert Calavicci) was supposed to be the leaper. He was older than Sam, but he had a lot more life experience than Sam did, including serving in Vietnam and having been an astronaut (at least trained as one, I can't remember if he was supposed to have been to space). There were a number of episodes where Al basically had to tutor Sam in situations where he would be right at home himself. Once, for instance, Sam found himself flying a fighter and Al had to talk him through flying it.

I was never comfortable with the heavily implied but never stated "godly intervention" theme behind not being able to bring Sam home. The final episode, sadly, seemed to all but confirm it to some degree. (I hated that episode. I want ANSWERS, DANGIT!)

 

[Holy Bovine]

I love Quantum Leap. The story, the characters but most of all the character of Sam Beckett. He is one of the truly 'good' people. He tries to make things right for perfect strangers and not really because he thinks that may leap him home but because he is a good person and it is the right thing to do. If you ever wanted to see a NG person in real life Sam Beckett is it.

The final epsiode was possibly the greatest finale to a series ever as we finally find out what has been leaping Sam through time. God? Angels? One of those two certainly. Sam gets to make things right in Al's life too. One pice of diaoglue has always stayed with me as Sam is talking to the person who represents the power that has been leaping Sam through time;

Power - "Do you think you have been just changing a few lives here and there?"

Sam - "Yeah, basically."

Power - "At the risk of inflating you ego - you have done a lot more. The lives you have touched, have touched others. And those others still. You have done a lot of good Sam Beckett"

That sums up the series for me.

 

[Hand of Vecna]

I catch it when I can. This past thursday Sci-Fi showed one of THE best episodes -- the JFK assasination.

GOOD acting in that ep.

 

[DarkCrisis]

You guys seemed to have missed something in the last episode....
Sam was told that *he* was the one leaping himself around.. basicly subconciously. Thats why he was told he could return home whenever he wanted. Now that he knew that info he decided to continue leaping in his own body through time. He *decided* to never go home again because he wanted to keep helping people. I liked the last episode.....

-Crisis

 

[LightPhoenix]

Yeah, Sam chose to keep leaping, and was (according to the last episode) always able to go home. Sam just never really realized it.

*spoiler*When he did, the first person he chooses to help is Al, saving the one marriage Al loved. Also, notice Sam is no longer leaping into other people - he appears to what's her name as he is.

Oh, btw, animals and small children could sense Al.

 

[Henry]

In a way, the last episode was a disappointment - it was a "Dorothy, you could always go home" moment, and I as a fan felt robbed because of it. The big payoff in the series was that he was supposed to do what he had to do, and he could return home. We then find out that he never returns home, thereby doing several things - including leaving his wife behind.

Of course, following one school of thought, by helping Al find his true love, Al never goes to work for the Quantum Leap project, and in theory Sam never gets the grounding to succeed in the project in the first place. (Of course we have seen episodes where Al disppeared from the timeline, and was replaced by another assistant, so this does not hold as much water.)

But I loved the theme - that it tries to teach us that, by making a difference in just one person, we can affect a multitude of others. A great lesson to spread - the "pay it forward" idea.

 

[bwgwl]

Oh, btw, animals and small children could sense Al.

IIRC there was an episode where Sam leaped into a psychiatric hospital, and the other patients could see Al too.

and another episode where Sam leaped into the body of a paranormal investigator and his "ghost detecting" sensors could pick up Al's presence and speech.

i loved that show; it was IMO the best sci fi show ever on television. (#2 being "The Greatest American Hero.")

 

[Lothaire]

I have to say, I love you guys.
You are all so helpful and spiffy. Not to mention shiny, and fuzzy in all the right ways.