“Oh boy!”: A Top Ten Quantum Leap Greatest Episode List.
Who didn’t grow up on this iconic sci-fi classic? Quantum Leap ran from 1989–1993 on NBC and became a cult phenomenon, blending good old fashioned sci-fi fun with deep, rich human stories as well as digging into complex social and moral issues that are apart of the human condition: racism, sexism, suicide, rape, domestic violence, faith etc. The show starred Scott Bakula (Star Trek: Enterprise, Men of a Certain Age) and Dean Stockwell ( Married to the Mob, Columbo). Two actors that became household names thanks to their association with this show.
These two men and their iconic chemistry put the show on the map. The friendship between Sam Beckett and Al Calavicci became one of tv’s most iconic friendships, and besides the natural chemistry of the actors, I suspect that it became so beloved because it was one of the few male friendships that television put a focus on that went beyond the shallow guy camaraderie and explored a much richer and unique bond between the two very different men. Anyway, this show had so many classic episodes that it’s hard to choose just ten, but I’m gonna attempt this because that’s what we’re here for. So get ready to be leapt back in time within the show’s five year lifetime for ten of the best episodes of Quantum Leap (In my opinion) and hereeeee we go!
10. The Color of Truth. Red Dog, Alabama
August 8, 1955. Season 1, episode 7. Written by Deborah Pratt.
Sam leaps into Jessie Tyler, an aging black chauffeur in the segregated South. He must save his wealthy white employer, Melny Trafford, elderly widow of the former Governor of Alabama, from dying in a car crash, while also persuading her to play a more active role in the civil rights movement. This was the first episode where Sam leapt into a black man, and it’s one of the series’ stronger and wonderfully astute episodes centered on race.
9. Honeymoon Express. Season 2, episode 1. 1957 /New York, New York
April 27, 1960. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
After saving a cat from a tree as a firefighter in 1957, Sam leaps into Tom McBride, a New York City cop on his honeymoon with his new wife, Diane. Sam must save himself from Diane’s jealous and sociopathic ex-husband, Roger. To make matters worse, the PQL’s funding is in danger of being cut off, stranding Sam alone in the past, unless he can make a significant change in history. A strong season opener that did a wonderful job blending the leap story with what’s going on back home with Al and the Quantum Leap project.
8. Genesis.Edwards Air Force Base,Blockfield, California September 13, 1956 /Waco, Texas Summer 1968. Season 1, episodes 1 and 2. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
In the classic pilot episodes, Dr. Sam Beckett, desperate to prove his time travel theory before his top secret Project Quantum Leap runs out of funds, leaps before the kinks are worked out of the machine. He ends up leaping into Tom Stratton, a pilot of the experimental Bell X-2 aircraft, trying to act as Tom while dealing with his own “Swiss cheese” memory. Sam corrects a X-2 incident that killed Tom, then helps Tom’s pregnant wife, Peggy, from having to lose the baby. Ziggy, the super computer Sam designed for PQL, believes that fulfilling these tasks will allow Sam to leap home. Instead, Sam leaps into minor league baseball player Tim Fox in Texas at the end of the 1968 season, in the middle of a game, where he must make the winning play in order to leap further. This was the start of it all, a pretty strong start to what would become a landmark series.
7. So Help Me God. Louisiana July 29, 1957. Season 2, episode 9. Written by Deborah Pratt.
Sam becomes Leonard Dancey , a milquetoast defense attorney defending Lila Berry, a black woman accused of murdering Houston Cotter, a prominent white man in a town steeped in racism. Houston was the son of Captain Colton Cotter and his wife Sadie; Sadie had taken Lila in to their house when she was orphaned years earlier. Sam must deal with a confession that Lila supposedly gave, though he learns that Lila is illiterate, and deduces that she refuses to take the stand because she is trying to hide the identity of the real killer. Another strong episode centering on racism, as well as a great courtroom drama\mystery ala To Kill a Mockingbird, which was obviously a huge inspiration for this particular episode.
6. M.I.A. San Diego, California April 1, 1969. Season 2, episode 22. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
Sam leaps into police detective Jake Rawlings, and is told by Al that his mission is to stop Beth, a young woman whose husband is missing in action in Vietnam, from marrying someone else. However, Sam’s attempts to stop her seem doomed to fail, and things become more clear when her MIA husband is revealed to be Al. Dean Stockwell won a Golden Globe for his performance in this episode, and it’s no mystery why, as this was truly one of his all time greatest performances in the whole series. A wonderfully romantic and heartbreaking story that centers on our favorite Lothario and his long lost love whom he still pined for after all those years. The final scene with Al and Beth dancing to Ray Charles’ “Georgia On My Mind” is simply iconic.
5. Trilogy parts 1, 2 and 3. Pottersville, Louisiana
August 8, 1955 and June 14, 1966; Baton Rouge, Louisiana
July 28, 1978. Season 5, episodes 8, 9 and 10. Written by Deborah Pratt.
In this epic three parter, Sam keeps leaping into the life of Abigail Fuller, first as a 10 year old girl, then as an adult. He falls in love with the adult Abigail and they end up conceiving Sammy Jo Fuller. These three episodes were like one great Quantum Leap movie and was thrilling, heartfelt and just plain ol’ entertaining the whole time. Possibly writer Deborah Pratt’s best scripts for the series.
4. Nuclear Family. Homestead, Florida October 26, 1962. Season 3, episode 21. Written by Paul Brown.
Sam leaps into Eddie Elroy, a college student helping his brother Mac sell nuclear bomb shelters during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and must prevent their neighbor from being shot during a false air raid. A simple yet poignant episode dealing with the universal fear of the Cuban Missile Crisis. The family moments were so sweet and genuine feeling that I find myself deep down not wanting Sam to leap out of this one and just stay with the Elroys.
3. Shock Theater. Havenwell, Pennsylvania October 3, 1954. Season 3, episode 22. Written by Deborah Pratt.
Sam leaps into Sam Beiderman, a depressed mental patient who receives shock therapy as soon as Sam leaps in. This causes Sam’s personality to become displaced, resulting in his assuming the identities of people he has leaped into before. It’s up to Al to complete Sam’s mission by helping Tibby, a mentally challenged young man, learn how to read. Al is able to do when he discovers that he and Sam can be seen by mentally ill people. He must also find a way to restore Sam’s personality so he can leap, or else risk losing contact with him forever. A truly memorable and just amazing episode with lots of humor and tension as Al struggles to get the Sam he knows and loves back long enough to get him to leap out. The funniest and possibly most memorable scene from this one is easily Al’s ABC rap to Tibby.
2. The Leap Back. Crown Point, Indiana
June 15, 1945 Stallions Gate, New Mexico September 18, 1999. Season 4, episode 1. Written by Donald P. Bellisario.
Sam and Al switch roles after a lightning strike. This allows Sam to return home to his wife, Dr. Donna Eleese — whom he had forgotten, as a side effect of leaping. Al leaps into Captain Tom Jarrett, returned after three years in a Nazi P.O.W. camp, and is set to be killed by the jealous ex-fiancé of his hometown sweetheart, Suzanne. Sam must act as his hologram in order to save Al and continue to leap through time. This was the episode we all had been waiting for: Sam and Al swap places and Sam finally gets home. Scott and Dean each had such wonderful moments and storylines in this episode, and the scenes with Sam and Donna were very steamy and romantic, making us feel so much sadder for Sam when he has to leave (and forget) her again. An ace script by Bellisario.
Now, it’s time for number 1! Drum roll please…..
Sam leaps into himself as a 16-year-old boy on Thanksgiving and Al tells him he is there to win a basketball game that was a turning point in many people’s lives, but Sam wants to take the opportunity to prevent his sister from marrying an abusive alcoholic, his father from dying from a heart attack, and his brother from getting killed in Vietnam. Part 2: Sam leaps into Herbert “Magic” Williams , a U.S Combat Swimmer in his brother’s UDT/SEAL platoon in the Vietnam War, where he is given another chance to keep his brother from dying, but runs into complications from news photographer Maggie and serious consequences for a close friend.
It’s always hard to pick a number 1 on these type of lists, but when it came to these epic pair of episodes it was an easy choice. Scott Bakula was at his absolute best in this classic two parter, and the story was so well realized and executed in ways that the show never topped afterwards in my opinion. The scene where Al reveals what he did for Sam is the absolute greatest showcase of their deep and unending friendship.
There you have it, Leapers! Ten of some of the greatest that our show had to offer. Quantum Leap is still such a fantastic and utterly lovable series that has endured from one generation to the next. It’s a 90’s gem but is timeless, and will continue to be timeless for the next generation and the one after that. Welp… time to for Sam to leap now. ’Til next — — — — — —
