Quantum Leap (1989) Re-watch - S1, E7
Sep. 17th, 2024 01:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kylaraingressAs previously 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/stream of consciousness thoughts as I watch them. (I'm also doing this on my Tumblr.)
Season 1, Episode 7: "The Color of Truth"
Date of Leap: August 8, 1955
Written by: Deborah Pratt
Ah, yes. One of the episodes I wanted to talk about when people in the QL Facebook group I was in started bitching about the reboot being 'woke' for having a nonbinary character in it. FIRST SEASON they tackled social issues.
Sam's recap implies there were no 'missing' leaps between episodes. Huh.
No 'oh boy' still.
Sam's 'improv' skills seem to be getting better!
Ah, yes. 'Homage' to "Driving Miss Daisy".
And more awful ADR.
"It's hard, losing someone you love." Aw, Sam.
The look on Sam's face when Miz Melny says the word 'negro'. Well done, Scott!
Sam seems so happy that he's black!
"I've seen things that will curl your hair." OH - SELMA background from Al.
"Ziggy's 86.7% certain that you're here to save Scarlett O'Hara there from getting ... squished by a choo-choo." Love your language choice, Al.
"Went on the marches, got arrested - beaten. Powerful day." - Dean is so good here.
And then Sam's reaction when Clayton uses the OTHER 'n' word. God, Clayton is lucky Sam doesn't know the flying noodle kick yet! ;-)
Also - didn't realize/remember you could say that in primetime in '89.
Also also: I was in a community theatre production of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' many MANY years ago, and I was one of the townspeople. I had to say the 'n' word, and I wanted to wash my mouth out with soap. It actually felt WRONG to say it.
The look on Sam's face when he hears that he has to cook that night. Adds to the fanon that Sam can't cook worth a damn. And that Al CAN cook.
Yay - first 'yummola'!
"Don't worry, pal: I've got a KILLER recipe for chitlins." Sam wants to kill Al SO. BAD.
oh my God: HORRIBLE ADR - they didn't even TRY to line it up with what Al is saying.
Ooh - SCOTT had to say the n word.
Al in that red vest and black / white tie: talk about yummola!
"Al: you're gettin' a little paranoid." / "Sam: how do you think I lived this long?" Oh, Al. {gives him a hug}
"I've got a bad feeling about this one." / "You always have a bad feeling." (ADR'd) Glad to know Al's superstitions came in early canon.
Al panicking is sort of cute in a weird way.
The first time someone 'sees' Al. Sort of.
Oooh - the yellow suit. I just put him in that in the Traditions story I'm doing.
"Just think of the possibilities. I mean, if I could reach Mz. Melny, then maybe ... just maybe ... I can reach OTHER women. ... YOUNGER women." Have I mentioned lately how much I love Al Calavicci? I know if this was real, I'd be pissed at him - but Dean does SUCH a good job of making him loveable.
"Is sex all you ever think about?" / "Well, except when I'm pulling YOU out of the fire, YES." - oh, Al - we all know you think about sex when you're pulling Sam out of the fire, TOO. ;-)
Al singing "We Shall Overcome". I love you, Dean Stockwell - but you can't carry a tune in a bucket.
The end musical version of "We Shall Overcome" actually gave me chills.
We get an 'Oh boy' in the teaser leap in!
Final thoughts: For the time it was written in, this still holds up fairly well. Is it technically blackface if it's Sam leaping into a black man? Pratt is one of my favorite writers, and this is one of the many reasons why. (It's also why I was willing to give the reboot a chance: I saw she was going to be connected to it.) Despite it just being 'QL Driving Miss Daisy', Pratt manages to get the moral across without being TOO preachy, as well as keeping it personal. The big moral is basically that change happens individually and in small increments. Having grown up in a sundown town, I know what it was STILL like in the '80s for black people. (Not that I can relate, if that makes sense. I just know I never saw my first 'live' black person until I went to college.) We get some of Al's background as well. The acting is excellent, as expected. Good episode. Didn't it win some sort of award for how it dealt with race?
Season 1, Episode 7: "The Color of Truth"
Date of Leap: August 8, 1955
Written by: Deborah Pratt
Ah, yes. One of the episodes I wanted to talk about when people in the QL Facebook group I was in started bitching about the reboot being 'woke' for having a nonbinary character in it. FIRST SEASON they tackled social issues.
Sam's recap implies there were no 'missing' leaps between episodes. Huh.
No 'oh boy' still.
Sam's 'improv' skills seem to be getting better!
Ah, yes. 'Homage' to "Driving Miss Daisy".
And more awful ADR.
"It's hard, losing someone you love." Aw, Sam.
The look on Sam's face when Miz Melny says the word 'negro'. Well done, Scott!
Sam seems so happy that he's black!
"I've seen things that will curl your hair." OH - SELMA background from Al.
"Ziggy's 86.7% certain that you're here to save Scarlett O'Hara there from getting ... squished by a choo-choo." Love your language choice, Al.
"Went on the marches, got arrested - beaten. Powerful day." - Dean is so good here.
And then Sam's reaction when Clayton uses the OTHER 'n' word. God, Clayton is lucky Sam doesn't know the flying noodle kick yet! ;-)
Also - didn't realize/remember you could say that in primetime in '89.
Also also: I was in a community theatre production of 'To Kill a Mockingbird' many MANY years ago, and I was one of the townspeople. I had to say the 'n' word, and I wanted to wash my mouth out with soap. It actually felt WRONG to say it.
The look on Sam's face when he hears that he has to cook that night. Adds to the fanon that Sam can't cook worth a damn. And that Al CAN cook.
Yay - first 'yummola'!
"Don't worry, pal: I've got a KILLER recipe for chitlins." Sam wants to kill Al SO. BAD.
oh my God: HORRIBLE ADR - they didn't even TRY to line it up with what Al is saying.
Ooh - SCOTT had to say the n word.
Al in that red vest and black / white tie: talk about yummola!
"Al: you're gettin' a little paranoid." / "Sam: how do you think I lived this long?" Oh, Al. {gives him a hug}
"I've got a bad feeling about this one." / "You always have a bad feeling." (ADR'd) Glad to know Al's superstitions came in early canon.
Al panicking is sort of cute in a weird way.
The first time someone 'sees' Al. Sort of.
Oooh - the yellow suit. I just put him in that in the Traditions story I'm doing.
"Just think of the possibilities. I mean, if I could reach Mz. Melny, then maybe ... just maybe ... I can reach OTHER women. ... YOUNGER women." Have I mentioned lately how much I love Al Calavicci? I know if this was real, I'd be pissed at him - but Dean does SUCH a good job of making him loveable.
"Is sex all you ever think about?" / "Well, except when I'm pulling YOU out of the fire, YES." - oh, Al - we all know you think about sex when you're pulling Sam out of the fire, TOO. ;-)
Al singing "We Shall Overcome". I love you, Dean Stockwell - but you can't carry a tune in a bucket.
The end musical version of "We Shall Overcome" actually gave me chills.
We get an 'Oh boy' in the teaser leap in!
Final thoughts: For the time it was written in, this still holds up fairly well. Is it technically blackface if it's Sam leaping into a black man? Pratt is one of my favorite writers, and this is one of the many reasons why. (It's also why I was willing to give the reboot a chance: I saw she was going to be connected to it.) Despite it just being 'QL Driving Miss Daisy', Pratt manages to get the moral across without being TOO preachy, as well as keeping it personal. The big moral is basically that change happens individually and in small increments. Having grown up in a sundown town, I know what it was STILL like in the '80s for black people. (Not that I can relate, if that makes sense. I just know I never saw my first 'live' black person until I went to college.) We get some of Al's background as well. The acting is excellent, as expected. Good episode. Didn't it win some sort of award for how it dealt with race?
