Quantum Leap (1989) Re-watch - S1, E 3
Sep. 13th, 2024 07:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kylaraingressAs mentioned, I'm doing a re-watch of Quantum Leap (1989) now that I've fallen back into writing slash for it. And as I watched, decided to write up my off-the-cuff thoughts as I watch and post them. (I'm also doing this on my Tumblr.)
Season 1, Episode 3: "Star-Crossed"
Date of Leap: June 15, 1972
Written by: Deborah Pratt
not the saga cell, but a 'wrap up' by Sam/Scott.
"Sort of a time traveling Lone Ranger, with Al as my Tonto." - wasn't there a zine story where they 'play' Lone Ranger and Tonto? ;-)
Ah, this theme song. So late 80s. It's perfect.
Had to look it up: a professor with a bunch of adoring, young, pretty students was used in Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1982). Wonder if that's where Bellisario 'borrowed' it.
Sam's hatred of '70s fashion already. And he apparently doesn't like English Lit?
was the white forelock in the last episode? I don't think so?
I forgot young Donna was played by Teri Hatcher.
Not to pass judgement, but Dr. Bryant is no Tom Cruise. ;-)
Al's reaction to Jamie Lee trying to seduce Sam is PRICELESS. No wonder we headcanon him as a voyeur. (And Dean was obviously having a FIELD day.)
"Have a cup of tea." - so he likes tea this early, huh.
"You better watch it, Sam, or you're gonna end up marrying her, too!" with the 'too' emphasized does imply Sam is currently is or was married. Huh.
"Donna Eleese is here." / "That's not funny, Sam." ALL ABOARD FOR THE SAM/AL EXPRESS!
Daw - Al's look when Sam says "And no one's gonna stop me from taking it - not even you." And they wonder why we ship it?
First mention of Weitzman. That putz. "He's got a Lincoln fixation." - forgot about that. ;-)
"He wants you declared non-compos mentis." - quite a few stories where that happens, I know. (Hell, I've got a WIP where that happens.)
"Oh my God - it IS her." - canon that Al does not like Donna. At least in THIS timeline. ;-)
Huh - "when we first met, she'd just left the Starbright Project." - reads like Sam wasn't involved with Starbright. (Later: how could she know it was you when she doesn't meet you for twelve years?" - that puts their meeting at 1984. I have it as '83 in my Traditions universe - good guess!)
Sam: "I didn't show up for the wedding." I want to say I read a story (or wanted to write a story) where that's the REAL truth. ;-)
"Shove that up your gauge circuit, Ziggy." - has to be one of the most creative computer/non-computer insults I've heard.
"Isn't Jamie Lee in your thoughts night and day?" / "Yeah, except at wrestling practice." - I. Can't. stop. laughing.
"That's mush. I can't talk mush." Oh, you and Al would get along SWIMMINGLY.
Sam lighting a pipe ... the hell?
No 'oh boy' in the leap in, but there IS one.
"But you promised to be Lancelot next." / "NEXT?" Meanwhile, Al's checking out all the fun.
"Sam: there's all kinds of kinky stuff in here. There's leather stuff, there's a Roman toga, there's RUBBER stuff in here." / "Oh, my God. SAM: you GOTTA see THIS." I feel much better having Al play with kinky stuff in my 'they're having sex but each thinks the other is less into it than they are' story. ;-)
"He wanted to defend my honor.' / "Uh - define 'honor'." Al Calavicci: I love you.
"But he's so stiff!" Al starts to say something and Sam just holds up a finger to stop him. They work SO WELL together already!
"If some woman stood me up at the altar, it'd be adios amigos. Actually, I wish a couple of them had." - woo hoo: we have multiple wives now.
"Don't give me that sick puppy look." {beat} "Stop it." {beat} "I'll never scratch you behind the ears again, now stop it." - kinky, Al. Kinky.
I wonder if that's a real math problem on the chalkboard. I was good at math (until Calculus), but it's all been 'deleted from the memory palace'.
Ah - Al being monitored in the Imaging Chamber. (Well, Ziggy is 'scanning my side of the conversation' he says later. Which - no wonder he doesn't like Ziggy.) But Sam can't be seen/heard. That's where I got the idea of having Tina say "You do remember we can overhear what you say in the Imaging Chamber, yes?" in my OSHA Al story.
Oh - Al's already wearing his Annapolis ring in this episode. (What - Bellisaro has a character in the NAVY? Say it ain't SO!)
Al is trying SO HARD to get the point across to Sam about the hieroglyphics sash.
Ooh - Sam does punch back, but no flying noodle kick yet. AND HE HURTS HIS FIST DOING IT! LOL
I forgot how FUNNY this show was.
"You slept with his wife?" / "I would never do anything so unscrupulous as that. Unless it was BARTLETT'S wife." Al Calavicci, I STILL love you.
"You know Tina?" / "Yeah." - goes against the lady Al 'picked up' in the pilot being Tina, unless there are two Tinas. (Or, as I remember some people surmising, Tina and Al were 'playing a game'.)
LOOK AT THE LOOK ON SAM'S FACE AT THE IDEA OF BLACKMAILING WEITZMAN. He's so HAPPY.
"Al, no offense, but this time I'm going to make Ziggy my best man." - huh: thought it was fanon that Al was his best man.
ADR on Al's "if you pull this off, she could marry this other jerk first." - makes me wonder what he ORIGINALLY said.
"You really ARE romantic." - I want to say I read a fanfic where Donna ends up marrying Dr. Bryant because of this.
and first 'kiss with history' with it being the Watergate Hotel.
"You seemed pretty pleased with yourself." He sounds so SAD. Oh, AL - my poor BABY.
"The Republicans would love you." - Yay - it's canon that Al's a Democrat!
Final thoughts: for a second episode (well, YOU know what I mean), this is a pretty strong contender. Dean and Scott's chemistry is already through the roof, and it only gets better from here. Their characters are already pretty solid, which is rare in a first season. The plot is ... well, a typical Bellisario plot (Donna just needs a hug to forgive her father? Really?), but for the late '80s isn't bad.
I liked it.
Season 1, Episode 3: "Star-Crossed"
Date of Leap: June 15, 1972
Written by: Deborah Pratt
not the saga cell, but a 'wrap up' by Sam/Scott.
"Sort of a time traveling Lone Ranger, with Al as my Tonto." - wasn't there a zine story where they 'play' Lone Ranger and Tonto? ;-)
Ah, this theme song. So late 80s. It's perfect.
Had to look it up: a professor with a bunch of adoring, young, pretty students was used in Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1982). Wonder if that's where Bellisario 'borrowed' it.
Sam's hatred of '70s fashion already. And he apparently doesn't like English Lit?
was the white forelock in the last episode? I don't think so?
I forgot young Donna was played by Teri Hatcher.
Not to pass judgement, but Dr. Bryant is no Tom Cruise. ;-)
Al's reaction to Jamie Lee trying to seduce Sam is PRICELESS. No wonder we headcanon him as a voyeur. (And Dean was obviously having a FIELD day.)
"Have a cup of tea." - so he likes tea this early, huh.
"You better watch it, Sam, or you're gonna end up marrying her, too!" with the 'too' emphasized does imply Sam is currently is or was married. Huh.
"Donna Eleese is here." / "That's not funny, Sam." ALL ABOARD FOR THE SAM/AL EXPRESS!
Daw - Al's look when Sam says "And no one's gonna stop me from taking it - not even you." And they wonder why we ship it?
First mention of Weitzman. That putz. "He's got a Lincoln fixation." - forgot about that. ;-)
"He wants you declared non-compos mentis." - quite a few stories where that happens, I know. (Hell, I've got a WIP where that happens.)
"Oh my God - it IS her." - canon that Al does not like Donna. At least in THIS timeline. ;-)
Huh - "when we first met, she'd just left the Starbright Project." - reads like Sam wasn't involved with Starbright. (Later: how could she know it was you when she doesn't meet you for twelve years?" - that puts their meeting at 1984. I have it as '83 in my Traditions universe - good guess!)
Sam: "I didn't show up for the wedding." I want to say I read a story (or wanted to write a story) where that's the REAL truth. ;-)
"Shove that up your gauge circuit, Ziggy." - has to be one of the most creative computer/non-computer insults I've heard.
"Isn't Jamie Lee in your thoughts night and day?" / "Yeah, except at wrestling practice." - I. Can't. stop. laughing.
"That's mush. I can't talk mush." Oh, you and Al would get along SWIMMINGLY.
Sam lighting a pipe ... the hell?
No 'oh boy' in the leap in, but there IS one.
"But you promised to be Lancelot next." / "NEXT?" Meanwhile, Al's checking out all the fun.
"Sam: there's all kinds of kinky stuff in here. There's leather stuff, there's a Roman toga, there's RUBBER stuff in here." / "Oh, my God. SAM: you GOTTA see THIS." I feel much better having Al play with kinky stuff in my 'they're having sex but each thinks the other is less into it than they are' story. ;-)
"He wanted to defend my honor.' / "Uh - define 'honor'." Al Calavicci: I love you.
"But he's so stiff!" Al starts to say something and Sam just holds up a finger to stop him. They work SO WELL together already!
"If some woman stood me up at the altar, it'd be adios amigos. Actually, I wish a couple of them had." - woo hoo: we have multiple wives now.
"Don't give me that sick puppy look." {beat} "Stop it." {beat} "I'll never scratch you behind the ears again, now stop it." - kinky, Al. Kinky.
I wonder if that's a real math problem on the chalkboard. I was good at math (until Calculus), but it's all been 'deleted from the memory palace'.
Ah - Al being monitored in the Imaging Chamber. (Well, Ziggy is 'scanning my side of the conversation' he says later. Which - no wonder he doesn't like Ziggy.) But Sam can't be seen/heard. That's where I got the idea of having Tina say "You do remember we can overhear what you say in the Imaging Chamber, yes?" in my OSHA Al story.
Oh - Al's already wearing his Annapolis ring in this episode. (What - Bellisaro has a character in the NAVY? Say it ain't SO!)
Al is trying SO HARD to get the point across to Sam about the hieroglyphics sash.
Ooh - Sam does punch back, but no flying noodle kick yet. AND HE HURTS HIS FIST DOING IT! LOL
I forgot how FUNNY this show was.
"You slept with his wife?" / "I would never do anything so unscrupulous as that. Unless it was BARTLETT'S wife." Al Calavicci, I STILL love you.
"You know Tina?" / "Yeah." - goes against the lady Al 'picked up' in the pilot being Tina, unless there are two Tinas. (Or, as I remember some people surmising, Tina and Al were 'playing a game'.)
LOOK AT THE LOOK ON SAM'S FACE AT THE IDEA OF BLACKMAILING WEITZMAN. He's so HAPPY.
"Al, no offense, but this time I'm going to make Ziggy my best man." - huh: thought it was fanon that Al was his best man.
ADR on Al's "if you pull this off, she could marry this other jerk first." - makes me wonder what he ORIGINALLY said.
"You really ARE romantic." - I want to say I read a fanfic where Donna ends up marrying Dr. Bryant because of this.
and first 'kiss with history' with it being the Watergate Hotel.
"You seemed pretty pleased with yourself." He sounds so SAD. Oh, AL - my poor BABY.
"The Republicans would love you." - Yay - it's canon that Al's a Democrat!
Final thoughts: for a second episode (well, YOU know what I mean), this is a pretty strong contender. Dean and Scott's chemistry is already through the roof, and it only gets better from here. Their characters are already pretty solid, which is rare in a first season. The plot is ... well, a typical Bellisario plot (Donna just needs a hug to forgive her father? Really?), but for the late '80s isn't bad.
I liked it.
