Kylara Ingress (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
kylaraingress) wrote2024-09-19 12:31 pm
kylaraingress) wrote2024-09-19 12:31 pm
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Quantum Leap (1989) Re-watch - S1, E8
As 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 8: "Kamikaze Kid"
Date of Leap: June 6, 1961
Written by: Paul L. Brown
If I recall correctly, this is where we learn that Katie was an abuse victim. {After watching: Yep, I was right.}
"Oh, my God: I'm a dork!" My dude: you have an IQ of 267, speak 7 languages, learned to read at the age of 2, do advanced calculus in his head at the age of 5, and beat a computer at chess at the age of 10. You also graduated from high school and went to MIT at the age of 16. You are ALREADY a dork/geek/nerd. ;-)
Yay - an 'Oh, boy!' leap-in.
Oh God: I forgot Jason Priestly was in this!
Sam is already the fighter of the bully. Yay!
"He's not wearing any underwear!" The first of many, I think. Also, blocked beautifully so you don't actually SEE anything.
Woo-hoo: shirtless Scott. Starting to wonder if him being shirtless and/or in jeans was part of his contract. :-)
That silver jacket and those shades for Al - so laughably futuristic!
(And is it just me, or is Al looking in at the 'naked' Sam when he gives him the 'rating' of the dive?)
We get that Al has Russian blood on his mother's side.
"You remind me of a stripper I know in Vegas: she starts out with empty TV shipping carton and then she ends up with a little teeny weenie Kleenex box right over her ...." I love it. Something tells me Al would've loved the burlesque routine I saw at the Kansas City Fringe a number of years ago where the performer did a 'reverse' strip (started out mostly naked and put her clothes ON. One of the audience members jokingly yelled out at one point, "Put it on!").
Ah, TV in the 80s - when they had to reiterate basic ideas (like Al being a hologram) every episode for the newbies.
Sam's hilarious fall back into the garbage dump: it's so well done! Such a great 'pratfall'.
"Ah, young love: there's nothing like it." / "How would YOU know?" God these two are great together.
The waitress offers dessert. Al says, "Just put a cherry on top of your head!" and just bounces in anticipation.
"Did you ever notice that girls never cuddle up to guys unless they're driving a fancy car?" And thus the canon of Al having a 'fancy car' is born. ;-)
The way Dean watches and follows Scott when Sam 'remembers' about Katie's past - dear lord, he was a talented actor.
But Al's response of "I'm sorry, Sam" implies that this is the first time he's heard this. Huh.
Also - still no mention of Tom. Very obvious he doesn't 'exist' yet in canon, as there'd be some sort of comment about why Tom didn't help either.
Sam getting punched in the arm by 'his' dad - Sam's reaction is PRICELESS.
And then, "I hurt this arm" only for the dad to haul off and hit the other arm. I lol'd.
The pause Scott/Sam does when mom calls out "Cameron!" Total 'oh, fuck - what did I do wrong?' of a teenager.
Oh god - I forgot that the mom pulls out a Playboy!
"You gonna bring her to the wedding?" / "I don't know - she's awfully young." My dude. My man. You're a TEENAGER here. Remember? (Glad Al wasn't there, otherwise who KNOWS what he would've said.)
"Strange: now that I'll finally be doing what I always dreamed of ..." / "It's a little scary." / "How did you know?" / "Oh, I've had the feeling." Daw - Scott's look! Bashful!Beckett once again!
"For one: he drinks too much." <-- obviously before Al was a recovering alcoholic.
The fixing of the car: Sam is apparently GREAT at improv by now!
"Tina'd look great without that on." Al Calavicci, I love you. (Also - if I ever DO get around to that 'Sam dresses in lingerie for Al', I may have to use a variation of that for his reaction.)
Also - GOD BLESS SUSPENDERS.
"Check out this black number in the Fredericks of Hollywood box." The EYE WIGGLE! Be still my heart!
"What are you going to publish: a lingerie catalog?" / "That's a good idea, Sam. I could do some 'inside research', if you get my drift." Don't ever change, Al.
"I thought lingerie was enough." Oh, yeah. DEFINITELY referring to this episode if I write that story. (And Sam's ... fondness for Al in reaction: so sweet!)
And we get the bruises on her neck. Handled well, especially for the Afternoon Special feel of the plot.
Sam's stopping of Bob as he walks up is SO. GOOD. Kudos to Scott Bakula.
Sam being protectively violent. Oh dear LORD that's hot.
The rehearsal is at the TAIL O' THE COCK??? (Sounds like Al's kind of place.)
OH MY GOD! JASON PRIESTLY IS SO YOUNG.
I forgot about the running joke of Sam getting punched in the arm.
I ALSO forgot he has to sit at the kid's table. (And gets smacked - in the arm - by one of the kids.)
And outfit #3 for Al. (Dear lord: how much did they spend on COSTUMES?)
Oh, god - the Michael Jackson 'kiss with history. Totally unneeded. Although watching Scott/Sam dance IS fun.
"You know: normally, I'm against spreading men's room gossip. But in THIS case..." Seeing Al ... not angry, but almost OFFENDED, is great here.
"Ka-za-zoom!" God I love Al's ... slang? Is it slang?
Sam: "Al!" {beat} "I love ya!" CANON. (And the two of them in that car is SUCH GOOD CHEMISTRY)
"Wasn't that a kick in the butt?" Is this the first time we get that phrase? I didn't note it in my other write ups. If so, huzzah! And that SMILE of Al's. They ARE in love!
Scott/Sam's 'jump' out of the way of Bob's car is SO. BADLY. FILMED.
And a right hook from Sam. YAY!
Really? Bob's gang just ... decides it wasn't cool? REALLY? (I guess for an hour-long drama in 1989, it works.)
And the very slashy scene of Sam and Al singing "Let it Be Me" together.
And outfit #4 for Al - LOVE that blue shirt!
Yay! A canon 'Sammy' as well as an 'Al-y boy'!
"Look what I picked up this morning." / "The girl or the car?" / "Both. Met her at the car auction. She offered to 'wax my hood'." SO MUCH TO SAY about this. First: being right on the heels of that very slashy moment, it almost comes across as a 'Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?' moment. Second: this was one of the ones that made me use "Susan: she's a gardener, and she lets me trim her bush at the front of the house." in my "OSHA Safety Guidelines Regarding the Quantum Accelerator ... and YOU!" story. Headcanon that Al specifically comes up with these double entendres just for the fun of it.
Oh, the damn 'glow up' of Jill. I hate it almost as much as I hate the one on Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club.
Of COURSE Al is encouraging Sam to kiss the pre-teen. Because of course he is.
... did Sam just look at Al for PERMISSION/APPROVAL????
That is such a sweet kiss, too. Very obviously filmed keeping in mind the REAL age difference between the actors.
And another 'oh, boy' leap in. Glad to see that that became standard in the leap in this early in the series!
Final thoughts: This one aged pretty damn well (aside from that damned glow up). Scott and Dean seem to be having the time of their lives in this episode. We also get more backstory on Sam. (And technically Al.) I mean, it's basically an homage to Grease/Happy Days/American Graffiti, but when has THAT stopped this show? It's engaging, with great act cliffhangers. And the director does a good job showing everyone's reactions (especially the women) to Bob (and Bob's dad) when they are 'misbehaving'.
I want to say I read somewhere that this is one of the slashiest episodes of the series, and it definitely holds up there. Scott and Dean have SO. MUCH. CHEMISTRY. Thinking back over the series, I'd have to say this is one of my favorite episodes.
Season 1, Episode 8: "Kamikaze Kid"
Date of Leap: June 6, 1961
Written by: Paul L. Brown
If I recall correctly, this is where we learn that Katie was an abuse victim. {After watching: Yep, I was right.}
"Oh, my God: I'm a dork!" My dude: you have an IQ of 267, speak 7 languages, learned to read at the age of 2, do advanced calculus in his head at the age of 5, and beat a computer at chess at the age of 10. You also graduated from high school and went to MIT at the age of 16. You are ALREADY a dork/geek/nerd. ;-)
Yay - an 'Oh, boy!' leap-in.
Oh God: I forgot Jason Priestly was in this!
Sam is already the fighter of the bully. Yay!
"He's not wearing any underwear!" The first of many, I think. Also, blocked beautifully so you don't actually SEE anything.
Woo-hoo: shirtless Scott. Starting to wonder if him being shirtless and/or in jeans was part of his contract. :-)
That silver jacket and those shades for Al - so laughably futuristic!
(And is it just me, or is Al looking in at the 'naked' Sam when he gives him the 'rating' of the dive?)
We get that Al has Russian blood on his mother's side.
"You remind me of a stripper I know in Vegas: she starts out with empty TV shipping carton and then she ends up with a little teeny weenie Kleenex box right over her ...." I love it. Something tells me Al would've loved the burlesque routine I saw at the Kansas City Fringe a number of years ago where the performer did a 'reverse' strip (started out mostly naked and put her clothes ON. One of the audience members jokingly yelled out at one point, "Put it on!").
Ah, TV in the 80s - when they had to reiterate basic ideas (like Al being a hologram) every episode for the newbies.
Sam's hilarious fall back into the garbage dump: it's so well done! Such a great 'pratfall'.
"Ah, young love: there's nothing like it." / "How would YOU know?" God these two are great together.
The waitress offers dessert. Al says, "Just put a cherry on top of your head!" and just bounces in anticipation.
"Did you ever notice that girls never cuddle up to guys unless they're driving a fancy car?" And thus the canon of Al having a 'fancy car' is born. ;-)
The way Dean watches and follows Scott when Sam 'remembers' about Katie's past - dear lord, he was a talented actor.
But Al's response of "I'm sorry, Sam" implies that this is the first time he's heard this. Huh.
Also - still no mention of Tom. Very obvious he doesn't 'exist' yet in canon, as there'd be some sort of comment about why Tom didn't help either.
Sam getting punched in the arm by 'his' dad - Sam's reaction is PRICELESS.
And then, "I hurt this arm" only for the dad to haul off and hit the other arm. I lol'd.
The pause Scott/Sam does when mom calls out "Cameron!" Total 'oh, fuck - what did I do wrong?' of a teenager.
Oh god - I forgot that the mom pulls out a Playboy!
"You gonna bring her to the wedding?" / "I don't know - she's awfully young." My dude. My man. You're a TEENAGER here. Remember? (Glad Al wasn't there, otherwise who KNOWS what he would've said.)
"Strange: now that I'll finally be doing what I always dreamed of ..." / "It's a little scary." / "How did you know?" / "Oh, I've had the feeling." Daw - Scott's look! Bashful!Beckett once again!
"For one: he drinks too much." <-- obviously before Al was a recovering alcoholic.
The fixing of the car: Sam is apparently GREAT at improv by now!
"Tina'd look great without that on." Al Calavicci, I love you. (Also - if I ever DO get around to that 'Sam dresses in lingerie for Al', I may have to use a variation of that for his reaction.)
Also - GOD BLESS SUSPENDERS.
"Check out this black number in the Fredericks of Hollywood box." The EYE WIGGLE! Be still my heart!
"What are you going to publish: a lingerie catalog?" / "That's a good idea, Sam. I could do some 'inside research', if you get my drift." Don't ever change, Al.
"I thought lingerie was enough." Oh, yeah. DEFINITELY referring to this episode if I write that story. (And Sam's ... fondness for Al in reaction: so sweet!)
And we get the bruises on her neck. Handled well, especially for the Afternoon Special feel of the plot.
Sam's stopping of Bob as he walks up is SO. GOOD. Kudos to Scott Bakula.
Sam being protectively violent. Oh dear LORD that's hot.
The rehearsal is at the TAIL O' THE COCK??? (Sounds like Al's kind of place
OH MY GOD! JASON PRIESTLY IS SO YOUNG.
I forgot about the running joke of Sam getting punched in the arm.
I ALSO forgot he has to sit at the kid's table. (And gets smacked - in the arm - by one of the kids.)
And outfit #3 for Al. (Dear lord: how much did they spend on COSTUMES?)
Oh, god - the Michael Jackson 'kiss with history. Totally unneeded. Although watching Scott/Sam dance IS fun.
"You know: normally, I'm against spreading men's room gossip. But in THIS case..." Seeing Al ... not angry, but almost OFFENDED, is great here.
"Ka-za-zoom!" God I love Al's ... slang? Is it slang?
Sam: "Al!" {beat} "I love ya!" CANON. (And the two of them in that car is SUCH GOOD CHEMISTRY)
"Wasn't that a kick in the butt?" Is this the first time we get that phrase? I didn't note it in my other write ups. If so, huzzah! And that SMILE of Al's. They ARE in love!
Scott/Sam's 'jump' out of the way of Bob's car is SO. BADLY. FILMED.
And a right hook from Sam. YAY!
Really? Bob's gang just ... decides it wasn't cool? REALLY? (I guess for an hour-long drama in 1989, it works.)
And the very slashy scene of Sam and Al singing "Let it Be Me" together.
And outfit #4 for Al - LOVE that blue shirt!
Yay! A canon 'Sammy' as well as an 'Al-y boy'!
"Look what I picked up this morning." / "The girl or the car?" / "Both. Met her at the car auction. She offered to 'wax my hood'." SO MUCH TO SAY about this. First: being right on the heels of that very slashy moment, it almost comes across as a 'Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?' moment. Second: this was one of the ones that made me use "Susan: she's a gardener, and she lets me trim her bush at the front of the house." in my "OSHA Safety Guidelines Regarding the Quantum Accelerator ... and YOU!" story. Headcanon that Al specifically comes up with these double entendres just for the fun of it.
Oh, the damn 'glow up' of Jill. I hate it almost as much as I hate the one on Ally Sheedy in The Breakfast Club.
Of COURSE Al is encouraging Sam to kiss the pre-teen. Because of course he is.
... did Sam just look at Al for PERMISSION/APPROVAL????
That is such a sweet kiss, too. Very obviously filmed keeping in mind the REAL age difference between the actors.
And another 'oh, boy' leap in. Glad to see that that became standard in the leap in this early in the series!
Final thoughts: This one aged pretty damn well (aside from that damned glow up). Scott and Dean seem to be having the time of their lives in this episode. We also get more backstory on Sam. (And technically Al.) I mean, it's basically an homage to Grease/Happy Days/American Graffiti, but when has THAT stopped this show? It's engaging, with great act cliffhangers. And the director does a good job showing everyone's reactions (especially the women) to Bob (and Bob's dad) when they are 'misbehaving'.
I want to say I read somewhere that this is one of the slashiest episodes of the series, and it definitely holds up there. Scott and Dean have SO. MUCH. CHEMISTRY. Thinking back over the series, I'd have to say this is one of my favorite episodes.