Quantum Leap

[ToddKent]

Sam is almost a total genius, isn't he? He's like Doc Savage. He can speak dozens of languages, has like six or seven doctorates, is a super-scientist, a musician...all of the things that Doc was.

Yes that's true but he doesn't speak every language. Also take a look at all the "fish out of water" scenarios he faced even though he was still in the U.S. He was barely keeping it together in his home country. If he were to leap into a culture that he had no experience with he would be useless so God/Time/Fate/Whatever kept him close to home. We can assume that God/Time/Fate/Whatever had leapers in all regions of the world.

 

[tomalak301]

I watched it when I was very young but I don't remember much about it. I Remember some episodes (like the one where Sam and Al trade places) but I don't remember how it ended. I also know Netflix doesn't have all episodes so I'm not sure about rewatching it on there.

 

[Reverend]

Yes but if (as someone previously suggested in this thread) the first leap is what gave him his grey streak then the theory still works (kinda, sort of). But if he was just commenting that his faced had aged then, yes, you're correct.

Was he grey when he switched places with Al? I don't recall.
Either way, if he "changed" in the first leap then that's something he'd notice when he got to go home briefly and wouldn't be surprised by it in the finale.
I mean he'd still be surprised seeing his reflection but wouldn't specifically comment on how much he'd aged since the last time he saw it.

 

[MacLeod]

Was he grey when he switched places with Al? I don't recall.
Either way, if he "changed" in the first leap then that's something he'd notice when he got to go home briefly and wouldn't be surprised by it in the finale.
I mean he'd still be surprised seeing his reflection but wouldn't specifically comment on how much he'd aged since the last time he saw it.

Why his memory was swiss cheesed after his first leap, the same might have occured during his second leap. After all from memory it is specfically mentioned that he doesn't remember leaping home. Lisa makes Al promise not to tell him from memory.

 

[Tosk]

We don't see Sam look into a mirror during The Leap Home. Considering what he and Donna got up to right away, I can imagine he had more important things on his mind than looking at himself. After that he is focused on saving Al.

 

[Ovation]

Why his memory was swiss cheesed after his first leap,

IIRC, the "Swiss cheese memory" issue lasts quite a while in the first season--it's not resolved by the second episode.

 

[Marc]

IIRC, the "Swiss cheese memory" issue lasts quite a while in the first season--it's not resolved by the second episode.

last more than just the first season - it's even mentioned in the last.

 

[MacLeod]

I'm full aware that his swiss cheesed memory lasted throughout the show. My point was more along the lines of a leap seems to swiss cheese your memory. Didn't Al uffer a bit when they swapped places?

 

[JD]

I saw the Young Al episode this weekend.
I got a big kick out of seeing Terry Farrel, and Roddy McDowell.
It was nice getting to learn a bit about Al's past.
The time twisting stuff was kind of fun.

 

[Commander Richard]

Ah yes, our other hologram.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Quantum Leap was really just a twist on the classic Western TV formula of the lone stranger blowing into town, fixing someone's problems, and walking on to the next thing. Dozens of cowboys, a caucassian Chinese guy, a German Shepherd, and the Incredible Hulk all did it too.

I think the "swiss cheese" effect was mostly used as an excuse for Sam to not automatically use his genius-level intellect to know exactly what year and time he's in, not need Al to tell him all this stuff (and skipping all the usual exposition), nt keep trying to follow up on the stuff he'd just done when he next leaped, and not to have a reason to ignore the plot of the week so he can sit in a lab and try to invent a time travel machine again himself.

After he switched places, the SCE was restored. He *did* remember that he switched with Al once, but Al denied it - and Sam insisted he remembered so he could work out a time-travel shenannigan (I think with the Evil Leaper?). In any case, it's a plot device that helps move the story forward.

In later seasons they started using Al's future resources more often, from having additional people join him in the imaging chamber and help him out, to including the people Sam leaped into, in the actual plot. Once a guy even escaped from the waiting room (looking like Sam), and went on a rampage, forcing Al to head out to hunt him down. That was fun, and gave us a REALLY weird look at the year 1999, but was just a one-off.

Mark

 

[Commander Richard]

^ I think at that point, they were trying to make the show more interesting because it was struggling in the ratings.

 

[Marc]

In later seasons they started using Al's future resources more often, from having additional people join him in the imaging chamber and help him out, to including the people Sam leaped into, in the actual plot. Once a guy even escaped from the waiting room (looking like Sam), and went on a rampage, forcing Al to head out to hunt him down. That was fun, and gave us a REALLY weird look at the year 1999, but was just a one-off.

Don't remember it quite like that - looking through IMDB, Gushie (lead programmer for Ziggy) was there from the get go (appeared in Genesis when he told Al over the phone that Sam was leaping. Verbeena Beaks was seen in the Leap Back and was the Project's shrink and Tina (a medical technican) was also seen in The Leap Back but think had had other mentions through the series.

Killing Time was the leapee escaped from the imaging chamber. Two other eps were some-one appeared with Al was the one with Dr Ruth Westheimer and the one were Sam leaps into a rape victim. Al has he in the imaging chamber so can help Sam testify in court.

 

[MacLeod]

But those glimpses in to the actual Project were quite interesting to have.

 

[Marc]

But those glimpses in to the actual Project were quite interesting to have.

iirc in the early seasons, fans had questions like what the waiting room like etc - well I guess they got answered.

 

[Tosk]

Two other eps were some-one appeared with Al was the one with Dr Ruth Westheimer and the one were Sam leaps into a rape victim. Al has he in the imaging chamber so can help Sam testify in court.

We also spend a little bit of time with the Leapee/s in Lee Harvey Oswald, and Return of the Evil leaper.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Other moments we got to see the waiting room include the one directly following the Dr. Ruth episode, where Sam may or may not have leaped into a vampire. Still, pretty much all of these episodes were in the latter two seasons, when the more formulaic episodes started wearing thin.

In the first season there was a sort-of plotline involving an actual attempt or two to get Sam home via attempts from the Project or his own efforts; there was also a bit of worry that funding would get cancelled and he'd be effectively abandoned, again fixed through time travel shenanigans. That didn't survive much after the first season though and for whatever reason the US military continued to pay the bills.

Then there were the times Sam encountered apparent angels, devils, UFOs, and assorted monsters, in addition to any number of actual historical figures. All nice color for a very open sci-fi concept where time travel is the vehicle for the story and not a plot device. Very much like Doctor Who, really.

Mark

 

[Commander Richard]

Other moments we got to see the waiting room include the one directly following the Dr. Ruth episode, where Sam may or may not have leaped into a vampire.

That was the first time we saw a leap from the perspective of Project Quantum Leap and I don't think it left room for an "Oh boy!".

Still, pretty much all of these episodes were in the latter two seasons, when the more formulaic episodes started wearing thin.

It was just season 5 when the formula was shaken up. It started with Lee Harvey Oswald.

 

[Tosk]

Other moments we got to see the waiting room include the one directly following the Dr. Ruth episode, where Sam may or may not have leaped into a vampire.

I don't think we see the Waiting Room in Blood Moon. Only at the end of Dr. Ruth. The beginning of Blood Moon instead shows the Leap from Sam's perspective. (Is it the only time we've seen the same Leap from two different POVs? Might be.)

for whatever reason the US military continued to pay the bills.

We see why the funding problem goes away at the end of Honeymoon Express.

 

[Mark_Nguyen]

Well, the fourth season started with "The Leap Back", which literally reversed the formula, so I'd argue it really started there; it also had the ones with a mummy curse, the angel, and the leapee entering the imaging chamber to directly give her account of being raped; and ended with the one where he leaped into Al and got him killed and replaced with Roddy McDowell. So...

And you're correct about "Blood Moon", we don't see the waiting room there, just the guy leaping in, in the previous episode. Actually, I recall during a re-run on TV that swapped "Blood Moon" for the first Evil Leaper episode, we just immediately cut from Dr. Ruth leaping out to Sam on a forklift looking at his leapee's brother and recognizing him. THAT was jarring.

Mark