Matt Zimmer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
matt_zimmer) wrote2017-06-13 05:05 pm
matt_zimmer) wrote2017-06-13 05:05 pm
"Quantum Leap: Season Three" Part 1 Review (Major Spoilers)
Also reviews for the latest episodes of Twin Peaks, Doctor Who, Justice League Action, Teen Titans Go!, DC Super Hero Girls, and Ben 10, a bit of catch-up for The Powerpuff Girls, the prequel shorts to Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars, the season premiere of Mickey Mouse, the latest episode of Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force, the season finale of Bob's Burgers, the latest episodes of American Dad! and Fargo, and the season finale of Angie Tribeca.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Doctor Strange (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Daredevil: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), Logan, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Tangled: Before Ever After (DVD), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, The BFG, Tomorrowland, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season One, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Blu-Ray), Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, The LEGO Batman Movie, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Vixen: The Movie, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Shredder, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 4, Quantum Leap: Season 5, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, Grimm: Season 6, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Snoopy Tales, Peanuts By Schulz: Go Team Go!, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Community: Season 6, Hannibal: Season 1, Hannibal: Season 2, Hannibal: Season 3, Preacher: Season One, Danger Mouse: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 6"
Very slow week this week, but I again will be judging this miniseries as a whole. I will have a better frame of reference for this after Part 18.
Still quite a few things to unwrap this week.
We finally meet Diane and she is Laura Dern. Laura Dern was my second choice back in the day to play the character. First choice was actually Diane Keaton. But it's good to see that me and Lynch are on the same wavelength here.
I don't recall Carl being this angelic in Fire Walk With Me. That scene with the boy getting hit by the truck shows that even when horrible things happen in Lynch projects, Lynch has a heart. The yellow aura seems to be the boy's soul which might be the thing that hints at Coop's earlier success at the casino.
I cannot tell if Coop is getting better or worse. Did he incidentally do a great job with his work, or was the secret message planned? I'm guessing it's the second thing. Dale is trying to break out of Dougie, and isn't quite there yet.
Great to hear Heidi giggle again.
Couldn't tell what was going on with that crazy drug dealer, his hands, or the dime.
Speaking of the dime, I am curious what it was Hawk found in the stall door.
Now we understand both why Doris is such a monster, and why Frank puts up with it. I personally think Chad is a far bigger butthole than she is.
I sort of fell in love with Janey E Jones this episode. She's a fierce Amazon Warrior when paying back the bookies and ranting at them. What is ironic about her saying she can't afford to pay back that $52,000, is that it's a lie after Coop's casino wins. But I like that she's stingy when cleaning up Dougie's messes.
Coop can't help but remember he likes Jade. What is funny about that is that Coop isn't the one who cheated on Janey-E with her. He just likes Jade because she was kind to him. I don't know how Janey E can possibly understand (or even forgive) that dynamic. But if Coop ever snaps out of it, hopefully he can explain it better.
Ike the Spike worries me. Because it looks like this psychopath is gunning for Dougie next.
Not a great week, but I never expected every episode in this 18 hour movie to be. ***.
Doctor Who "Empress Of Mars"
Ice Warriors!
The guy trying to rob the Ice Queen's tomb, and then the Captain causing a mutiny, and pushing that kid in front of a laser blast instead of himself, reminded me why we are not allowed to have nice things. The Colonel offering his life for the others' to be spared, and the Ice Queen calling him "Friend" reminded me why we are.
The Ice Warriors are great villains, but what I especially like is that they aren't actually villains in this episode. The humans are. Twelve instinctively mistrusts Friday, but I like Friday because he ultimately turns out to be reasonable and benevolent. And yeah, befriending the humans made sense as a tactical wartime advantage. But that doesn't mean he didn't actually befriend them.
I like the Ice Queen giving Bill's opinion so much weight because she's a woman. And frankly, I think that should be happening more often with female Companions. Negotiating with Matriarchies are something a female Companion can help with, and it bugs me that this is the first time I've seen that notion on the show.
I am unsurprised the Doctor has seen Frozen, but I'm a little shocked he didn't understand the Terminator reference. I haven't actually seen that movie either, but it is so famous and well-known, that I get it whenever somebody references it in pop culture. I didn't understand Bill's references to the underground caves or the Vikings, but since the Doctor DOES had a rudimentary Earth pop-culture knowledge, he should probably know what The Terminator is, even if he hasn't actually seen it.
Are they actually going for a full-on redemption for Missy / The Master? I don't trust the show enough to do something that awesome (Davros last season is Exhibit A) but if they did, I would love it unreservedly. We'll see.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Justice League Action "Double Cross"
A gem. Plastic Man always being naked answers the question of how the uniform can change shape and size and color too: It doesn't actually exist.
Plas learning colors is important. I think his disguises were always ineffective while they always had the red, yellow, and peach color scheme. Very clever of him to turn into Deadshot's gun at the end. The part where he's the deflated giant ball flying Batman through the air at the end made me laugh.
I love that Batman is insightful enough to realize that Firestorm's constant reassurances means Two-Face escaped. Also clever of the show to pair that particular hero and villain because they both have split personalities.
Harvey saying he isn't criminal, but an attorney, would be a funnier joke were it not for the fact that Dent was a D.A., and was involved in bringing bad guys to justice. He's hardly the ambulance chaser he was billed as here.
Dana Snyder as Penguin works in a way he does not for Plas, but I personally would have cast Tom Kenny again in that role too. Unlike Plas, here Snyder is at least acceptable though.
Would have loved Rosey at Deadshot though.
I realized watching this that I own DCAU action figures of every character in the episode.
Great episode. No DC Embargoes makes this show great. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Jinxed"
"Ouch! I'm outta this piece! Later fellas!"
I love that Jinx is the person in charge of lost Jinx voices.
At one point Flounder and Sebastian show up with the seagull by the Tower.
Fun episode. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "The Ares Up There"
I like Ares' design. But the character is much less classy and elegant than he was on JLU. Also points off the episode for everyone laughing at the end. I felt like I was watching ThunderCats there. ***.
Ben 10 "Freaky Gwen Ben"
This was fun, and Hex is a great villain, but I kind of wish that when Gwen became Four Arms (who is an adult) and Upgrade (ditto) that both aliens were given a female design, including breasts. That would have raised the proper questions about the watch.
Also, I don't know how many slushie machines you can buy with $20. Snoopy Snow Cone makers back in the day were cheap, but that seems like an entirely different thing.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Super Sweet 6"
I reject the premise of the episode. After all Princess has done, why would the Professor, Bubbles, and Buttercup even WANT to go to her party? If Donald Trump invited me to his birthday party, I wouldn't go. I wouldn't even want to. The episode is nuts for trying to get me to believe differently. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "A Star Is Blossom"
Blossom is the worst. *1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Mini Golf Madness"
I have to call b.s. on the idea that people stealing pencils and golf balls is in any way equivalent to the robots destroying the city.
Buttercup taking out a piece of golf ball sized bubblegum, putting it in her mouth and chewing, and then saying "Well, that helps me think," is pretty much a perfectly constructed joke.
I love when Blossom says that Buttercup is a terrible person that Buttercup thinks that by using golf logic she's awesome. Golf logic is not like our Earth logic.
Fun. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Summer Bummer"
All stuffed animals are essential. Bubbles speaks for me.
Mostly dumb but I liked the Powerpuff aura turning into a multicolored crab at the end. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Tell-Tale Schedulebot"
Why are the girls in trouble at the end? The Professor was the one who created a robot dangerous enough to try to destroy anyone who hurts it. And he put that thing in a house with small children. If anyone should be punished, it's the Professor.
The stuff with Bubbles was fun though. She is like me in easily getting distracted by Scratch-N-Sniff stickers ("Strawberry!") and her sleep farts will never stop being funny.
A mixed bag. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Musclecup"
Gross. Buttercup's muscle design was disgusting, and The Gnat was revolting too. A dud. 0.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 1: Teaser"
I love Miss Marvel. She is so cute. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 2: Black Panther"
I like T'Challa's costume. ***.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 3: Captain Marvel"
I hate Captain Marvel's haircut. **.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 4: Ant-Man And Wasp"
I dislike Wasp's helmet. I was almost excited when I thought Ant-Man called the ant Anty. That would have been a perfect reference to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 5: Vision"
Vision has cool powers. I'm glad that guy apologized to him because he was quite rude for someone whose life Vision saved. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Ms. Marvel"
That was corny. *1/2.
Mickey Mouse "Swimmin' Hole"
Yeah, I kept wondering why they didn't just fill up that bigger hole with water. The protagonists on this show are DUMB. ***1/2.
Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "Get A Clue"
I think after seeing that, my biggest unanswered question is this: Why is Denny Clay posing as an insurance adjuster while wearing a Hawaiian shirt? ***1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Into The Mild"
I found the entire episode underwhelming. The only really funny joke was Gene saying Bob's old phone was covered in hair. I also found it very empowering that Bob climbed that was by himself without a safety rope and managed to escape the skylight. But the stuff with Gale and Linda was outright terrible. **.
American Dad! "Julia Rogerts"
That was pretty good. Once they got to the crow cult sacrifices I was sold. Less successful was the plot about Jeff meeting Barry, but it's hinted that will go someplace in the future. As is stands, I like the episode. ***1/2.
Fargo "Who Rules The Land Of Denial?"
Love that kitten. Awww! Is Ray Wise an angel? Is the bowling alley Heaven? Or purgatory? Hmmm.
I love that the beginning escape took two entire acts and we didn't cut away from it once. When it turned back into a regular episode after that I was surprised.
Speaking of surprised, that was an unusual place to put a flashforward. But this show often has those when you least expect them.
Emmitt turning himself in is gonna make next week interesting. ****.
Angie Tribeca "Go Get 'Im, Tiger"
I like that Geils is picking at the fact that it makes no sense that the entire season was a final exam. People were killed. They worked the case when Geils wasn't there. And the solution for Geils (and the viewer) is not to overthink this.
This show is so dumb. ****.
Quantum Leap: Season Three
Third "Eyes Wide Open" review of Quantum Leap years later. What amazes me about Season Three is that there is far less objectionable stuff in it than I remembered. Sam's worst Leaps occurred in seasons four and five. But for now, the show is mostly enjoyable, which is not true of its entire run.
This season, Sam Leaps into a pregnant woman, a kids sci-fi TV actor, a soldier who saves Tom Beckett's life, a mental patient, a magician, a bounty hunter, a brothel owner, a Chippendales' dancer, a horror novelist, a beauty queen, a biker, a glam rock star, and in a truly dire Leap, a death row inmate, and in the season premiere, himself as a kid. Most of the music seems to be back, and I didn't notice any substitutions at all, which tells me anything they DID replace was not something I'd object to or notice.
Best episodes of the year are the two part premiere (The Leap Home Parts 1 and 2), the unintentionally tragic Christmas episode (A Little Miracle), possibly the most beloved episode of all time (Future Boy), Jane Sibbett melting my TV screen (A Hunting We Will Go), the most dire episode of the season, and possibly ever (Last Dance Before An Execution), and the shocking (sorry about that) season finale (Shock Theater). Worst episodes are the one that Nancy Reagan probably loved (One Strobe Over The Line), the annoying one where Sam becomes a lounge lizard (Piano Man), the wrestling one (Heart Of A Champion), and the unpleasant Cuban Missile Crisis one (Nuclear Family). Season overall: ****.
The Leap Home, Part 1:
Wow. Lots to say about this one. Let's start off rejoicing that this is the first episode with the perfect Deborah Pratt opening Narration. She hisses "Stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator... and vanished!" better than any previous narration, and "Putting right what once went wrong and hope each time his next Leap will be the leap home," is finally said with the proper soulfulness. And then BOOM! He's home! This episode had the best premise of any of the episodes. Sam thinks he's leaped home as a reward to fix his families problems. He was right that he was probably leaped home as a reward, as the winning a basketball game notion sounds incredibly far-fetched, as does the idea that Ziggy can actually predict a positive alternate future for the coach and players before it happens. But if it IS a reward, Sam is utterly wasting it. When he tells Al it isn't fair that he can change everybody else's life but cannot help the people he loves, I was taken aback a bit by the cool (and I mean chilling) way Al says, "I think it's d*mn fair." If Sam were in a better headspace, he would have taken a step back at the look in Al's eyes, hologram or no. It never occurred to Sam to simply be grateful to get to spend additional time with his family that he could never have before this, because his brother and father were dead. It never occurs to him that the Thanksgiving itself is the reward (at least for this Leap; God has other ideas next week). And I love that Al is a little bit angered that he has to point out to Sam that he would give anything to spend a few extra days with his dead father and sister and tell them how much he loved them. Sam singing "Imagine" was SUCH a great scene. Because as it starts it's kind of cute and beautiful, and as you watch Katie's expression as it goes on, you realize how horrifying it must be for her. Even though Al joins in for a few bars near the end, the expression on his face suggests he probably knew ahead of time why singing a song that had yet to be created would be upsetting to someone whose brother was supposedly going to die in the future. Also, Al made another really good argument. If Sam was SO sure he was there to help his family, if he truly believed that, than it would totally okay to win the game and he wouldn't Leap. Because I think on some level Sam knows Al is right. I laughed upon Katie and her friends saying "Awesome!" at the game, and I love that everyone is a little freaked out that Sam is postponing the final shot till the last second, when they are a point behind. But when he says "Goodbye" to his father, you know why he's doing it. He feels the Leap is coming as soon as he wins the game, and was trying to put it off for as many precious seconds as he could. This hints to me the leaps are a bit like the Doctor's regenerations on Doctor Who. They are often aren't unexpected, and he can feel them coming a bit ahead of time before they actually happen. Sam Leaping in the middle of a sentence is interesting because when he Leaps into Magic, he is still saying "Tom". The last time Sam Leaped from the middle of a sentence, the sentence simply went unfinished and the Leap started things anew. The fact that him yelling that name saved all their lives tells me God has a plan for Tom after all and always did. Is there anything I disliked about the episode? Yes, and it is a thing I SO dislike, that I'm knocking off an entire star from the otherwise five star episode. The producers were nuts to have Scott Bakula play John Beckett. It is weird, and noticeable, and off-putting, and completely takes you out of the moment. Yeah, Scott Bakula gets to stretch a bit here. But it's not like he doesn't get to do that every week anyways, and whenever he does, it never hurts the reality of the show the way this did. This was a near-perfect episode. Except they were foolish enough to have Bakula play his father. Brent Spiner plays Noonian Soong and Lore BECAUSE the performances are creepy. I have never seen a show engage in that trope without being aware that is what it ACCIDENTALLY did here. It's a shame. It was a perfect episode otherwise. ****.
The Leap Home, Part 2: Vietnam:
That was way better years later, as I've seen it enough times to actually know what's going on. This was confusing as all get out over the air. Al being willing to lose Beth to keep Tom alive shows Al is the better friend to Sam and always has been. When he say that he is Sam's ace in the hole, I believe him. Although I will share a BIT of Sam's frustration that Al is iffy as to why he's there. Al should NOT lie to Sam on a mission this serious, but the truth is, he wouldn't have Leaped in here when he did, from WHERE he did, unless God wanted him to save his brother. God probably would have put the leaps in a different order if that was NOT the mission. Tia Carrere is wasted in a thankless role as the Vietnamese turncoat who originally killed Tom, but I am amused that Blaster is actually played by a young Patrick Warburton. And here is Andrea Thompson, showing partial side-boob nudity before she was on NYPD Blue and showing partial side boob nudity was cool. I do not object to Sam sleeping with Maggie. Because she has never known Magic as anyone else, and he also did it to help the mission. This is NOT an example of Quantum Rape. Dying people being able to see Al gives added weight to his role as Sam's guardian angel. I don't much like the fact that Sam killed so many people here, but it had to have been cathardic on some level to kill the woman who killed his brother. Before she did it. Is this the first Quantum Leap episode to take place outside of America? I think maybe the Sea Bride took place in international waters but I think this is the first time Sam leaped into a different country. It was genius to make Magic the good luck charm of the Seals. It gives Sam an unusual amount of trust for a Leap, and a certain amount of authority in his most important leap ever. Al is not Sam's only ace in the hole. The fact that all of the Seals loved and trusted Magic ahead of time, is probably why Sam leaped into him instead of Tom in the first place. This definitely gives me flashbacks to China Beach. I need that show on DVD next. Great conclusion. ****1/2.
Leap Of Faith:
Frankly, this was kind of boring. I like that the episode gave a happy ending to everyone, even the villain, just because it's nice when Sam can help bad people become good ones. And Tony was far too young of a villain to completely write off. And the fact that he found his father after he hung himself meant I sympathized with him on some level too. I liked the moment where Sam gives Sylvester Stallone the idea for Rocky and I love that he teaches Father Mac "One day at a time" before A.A. is even a thing. Al being resentful to God was interesting to me. Because their entire mission sort of places an incredible amount of faith in God. Frankly I was surprised that when Sam says at the end when Al is skittish at the confession booth, that he thought he didn't believe in this stuff, Al says, "I don't really, but old habits." It would have been far more insightful and realistic to me if Al had said "I never said I didn't believe. It just never did me any good." I also really love the idea that Sam apologizes for forgetting this huge piece of Al's life and Al says, "There's nothing to apologize for. I never told you before this." I love that moment because it suggests to me Sam and Al relationship is closer now than it has ever been. And I like that idea a lot. But the episode itself was middling. **1/2.
One Strobe Over The Line:
Mostly ridiculous, with a couple of redeeming virtues. First, Sam is WAY too grabby with Edie. When he is trying to prevent her from taking the pills, his movements are far scarier and more violent than they should be in that moment, especially because he isn't wearing a shirt. Frankly, I think it was a bad idea for Sam to be sleeping shirtless in the first place in that scenario. Before that was almost as awkward. When he puts his arms around at the beginning to comfort her about being an addict, she literally cringes. She looked like she fully expected him to rape her in that moment, and considering that Sam himself barely knew her, that was a huge boundary violation. And it amazes me that Sam doesn't get that. And once the lion started going on a rampage, I'm pretty much "Oh, this is one of THOSE weeks". Was Helen telling Edie to keep splashing the lion only done precisely to annoy the audience? Because I cannot picture anyone doing that EVER unless they were purposefully trying to make everybody hate them and think they're stupid. She's acting like making the lion angry is making a good shot, but aside from the fact that it isn't, Sam has stopped shooting at that point, and she's too clueless to realize that is the precise reason why. I think she is MUCH worse at her job than she thinks she is. Al disappearing to punctuate the end of her pathetic rant at the end was a pretty good moment. Speaking of annoying the lion, I hated that moment because it's obvious the show had to engage in if not animal cruelty, than animal annoyance, to make it happen, which is another reason I hate TV shows and movies from this era. There's a continuity problem. When Al tells Sam Edie's name, Sam acts like the last name Landsdale is new information, but she actually already told him this the night before. The other thing I like is that Al is offended Sam called him his dog to a drugged out Edie rather than explain why he's talking to himself to someone barely out of it. And then he turns it into an insane compliment by telling her Al is the best friend he's ever had. Honestly, this episode is dumb, and annoying, and boring, and a total filler. **.
The Boogieman:
Easily the freakiest episode of the series. When Al says "Baaaa!", that right there? That's the scariest moment ever on the show. Dean Stockwell can bring the freak on when he wants to. I've never seen Blue Velvet and now I don't want to. It's not the animals that come out of nowhere, it's not the multiple murders, it's the betrayal that shocks and upsets me in that moment. Evil Al claims he's the Devil and punishing Sam for putting right what he made wrong. And there's a possibility that the entire dream itself is a warning about that, and that the Evil Leaper is out there, and her boss is not amused. And this is definitely a Divine dream, as it tells Sam true information about the Leap he has no actual way of knowing. I think the warning comes from God, and is his way of letting Sam know that he's made a powerful enemy. Why do I not think the warning was from Satan himself? Simply because it wouldn't have put into Sam's head the way Tully died as a warning. Valerie Mahaffey was pretty much my favorite female guest star in the early 1990's. There is no show that she appears on that Eve doesn't make better. I didn't know much about Stephen King when I first saw the episode, so the end was a genuine surprise, but if I had seen this for the first time now, I would have seen it coming a mile away. Too many personal details (such as the episode being set in Maine) to not send up red flags for me about who Stevie ultimately is. Fun Fact: This is the first appearance of the new, improved, Ziggy remote with blocky shapes and giant flashing colors. What is ironic is that Sam dreams the remote before he actually sees it. Which is another thing that says what happened wasn't entirely in Sam's head, and came from somewhere else. Quibble, Sam says psychokenesis is an actual thing and uses it for an explanation about the flying skull. It's not. It fake. And as a scientist Sam Beckett should know this better than most people. Fake stories of psychokinesis were fairly common during this era (1990) but it is 100% debunked bullplop. Memorable episode. ****.
Miss Deep South:
Not terrible by a longshot, but there were a few things that bugged me. Let's start off with the good: Sam realizing he sucked at the girlie pageantry stuff, and simply going for broke singing and playing Great Balls Of Fire in a Carmen Miranda outfit was outstanding. Despite how ridiculous he looked, I love that it won Darlene the pageant. This was a tricky Leap, because Sam had two missions. He had to protect Connie from the scumbag photographer, but he also had to make sure Darlene still won third place as she did in the original history. I don't think Sam OR Al predicted or planned for him to win outright. Which is why it made me smile, especially because of how moved Sam is, and that he wishes Katie could see it. I think this episode is inconsistent with "What Price Gloria?". They don't actually say that Al sees Sam as Sam, but there is no other way to read Al's constant humiliations over how goofy Sam looks dressed like that. If Al saw him as Darlene, he wouldn't think he looked goofy. The images and the consistency of who can see Al and Sam for who he is has never held together all too well. The other thing that bothers me, is that the show's moral about trying to get the pictures back is a good moral for 1959. But, even though this episode aired in 1990, its views of how shameful nudity is are kind of backwards. Which is kind of weird, because standards were MUCH looser in 1990 still, and the show still acts prudish about it. Maybe the moral shouldn't be that Sam beats up the photographer (although him hanging him out the window alone made the episode worthwhile) to get back the pictures. Maybe the moral should be that Connie should only feel ashamed and dirty if she chooses to. That she shouldn't give the photographer as much power as she's giving him by acting like her entire life is over. It's only over if she believes that. It's not very empowering to me that Sam lets the morals of 1959 guide how he helps Connie deal with this, especially considering that Sam had some excellently progressive values regarding measurements and the virginity clause. I'm a little amazed that Sam realized that the pageant director posed nude for the photographer. Because there were no clues given for that out of left field guess, and it is a little annoying he was right. That's the gorilla in the Rue Morgue as far as clues go. It amazes me that Al does NOT get why Sam never lets him peep when he wants to. I sincerely doubt Sam cares that much if Al goes into the dressing rooms, despite the fact that it is illegal in real life. What he's doing HERE is protecting Connie, because he cares about her. It amazes that Al doesn't get that this particular girl is not someone he should be perving over, because Sam is already charged with protecting her. That's not Sam being a prude, as Al accuses. That's Sam doing the mission he was sent there for. And it amazes me Al thinks she's actually fair game, considering why Sam is there in the first place. Fun episode, but a bit misguided too. ***1/2.
Black On White On Fire:
Powerful, powerful episode, and possibly the most powerful Quantum Leap episode of all time. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't nitpick the h*ll out of it. Let's start off with the fact that with the exception of Sam, every single person in the episode was terrible. Often for completely different reasons, but an equal level of suck with each other. There was no-one to root for. When Sam asks Al before he Leaps if "it's enough", I'm wondering why Lonnie's death effected him so. I get why Ray would be upset (nice job Leaping Sam away and Ray back when you did, God, BTW), but Lonnie has pretty much been a violent psychopathic monster throughout the episode. And it concerns me that he is, because his fury is righteous and he is upset for the correct reasons. But to take a woman hostage and plan to kill her to send a message, shows that Lonnie holds no part of the high ground. The episode tries to make everyone feel guilty for Lonnie getting shot when he did, but we see the perp got shot all the time for lesser offenses on Law and Order. As far as I'm concerned, that was a clean shoot. And considering the episode's premise, it really should not have been. Lonnie let her go, but he did so kicking and screaming, and the police didn't know that at the time. I hardly blame the police chief for ordering his men to take the shot when his daughter is being held hostage. Speaking of not blaming the police chief, (played by Marc Alaimo sans Cardassian make-up) do you know what infuriates me about his racist rant to Sam, that Sam's "brothers" are gonna hurt his daughter, and he won't be able to stop them? He's actually right! Why on EARTH did this show make this scumbag racist right about the particular thing he was? He never had to actually say that line to be a scumbag. But because he said it, it's the show ceding the high ground to a complete bunghole. Which is messed up. And finally, we get to Susan. I loathe this girl. She pretends to be all liberal and enlightened, but the truth is she is anxious to get out of Watts so she and her boyfriend won't be surrounded by black people anymore. When she says she is going to stay at the end, that is a rare moment of character growth for someone in the episode. But when she's saying that Ray can't be great if he stays in Watts, she's basically saying Ray is better than the rest of his kind, and they don't deserve him. When she's talking about facing hatred, I truly believe this is the most clueless liberal on the face of the planet. If she REALLY has such a problem with facing racial prejudice, she can just leave Watts. Ray is gonna get that no matter where he goes. There is no safe place for him in 1969. Truthfully, there is no 100% safe place for a black person in 2017 either, but that's whole 'nother can of worms. Aside from Alaimo, I noticed roles for Ron Taylor (The Simpsons, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and CCH Pounder. Pounder's role creates another Quantum Leap continuity problem, as she plays a prison guard in season five. Quantum Leap always sucked at casting the same person in different, unrelated roles. What's interesting about Mama Harper to me is that when she first sees Susan, she is concerned for her safety. It's clear soon enough she doesn't actually like her, but her first reaction is to tell this girl to go someplace safe instead of here. Heavy D is also interesting in that he seems to be the one reasonable character in the episode. So when HE dies, stuff instantly goes to h*ll. His wisdom is gone, and nobody gets it back. Not even Sam. "My kids will be human" is the poppycock of a privileged white liberal of the 1980's. I can't even imagine a liberal nowadays saying something so condescending, as well as the cliched "Red, yellow, or blue" color line. It chagrins me that I still hear that last one today, but "My kids will be human" is Sam not actually understanding what the problem will be. A liberal one-liner will not change anyone's mind. This stuff is so nefarious because it is ingrained, and nothing can change it. The moral of the episode should not be that Ray and Susan live happily ever after, and break racial barriers with their love, and everyone realizes they had the right idea all along. It's more like Ray and Susan love each other enough to enter the suffering they are both going to do with both eyes wide open, with both appreciating that their love will get them through it. Quantum Leap's biggest problem in dealing with race is thinking that this stuff is settled by Sam's time. It's not, and the show is foolish for thinking it is. I loved Al stating that if Sam was there to stop the riots he would have Leaped in there 50 years ago. Al is being too optimistic. I don't even 100 years would do any good. This episode was great for pushing buttons, and having huge heart-breaking drama. For dealing with racism in a common sense way? Not so much. ****.
The Great Spontini:
I think NBC aired this out of order. How else to explain that Al is using the "classic" Ziggy remote? Sam Leaping into the middle of a magic show shows that God has the cruelest sense of humor ever. Great teaser there. I love that the one kiss at the end changed Harry and his wife's entire fate. That's awesome. Sam knows what he is doing. A happy ending for Jamie is NOT enough in that scenario. NOT ENOUGH! I love how much Jamie loathes the lawyer, and rubs it in that butthead's face. And I love that Al loves her for it. As he should. I have to say, Al doing his hologram shtick during the deadly magic trick is one of the douchiest things he has ever done. Aside from putting Sam in danger by distracting him, he is oblivious to how much that trick's failure would upset Harry's daughter. Jamie with the knife in her chest was hysterical. I can't believe the mother is dumb enough to be concerned. She DID live with magicians for awhile, after all. Pretty fun episode. ***1/2.
Rebel Without A Clue:
I like this one, although nobody points out that by Sam improving everybody else's life, he also pretty much obliterated Bones'. He will probably NOT be happy when he Leaps back. I've never seen Josie Bissett so young (and with long hair) and Diedrich Bader (here billed "Dietrich Bader") is surprisingly scary. What amazes me about Dillon is that on the surface, he seems pretty reasonable. He's not even mad Bones is doodling pictures of his girlfriend, and in fact compliments the drawings. I get what Becky saw in him. It's only when things get pushed to extremes, that he reveals what a monster he is deep down. But at first, I thought it was kind of strange that Sam as cautioning her away from him. I was certain the murderer was Mad Dog, and that Dillon would ultimately be benign. But Bader is absolutely menacing in the role, especially since a smile never seems to leave his lips. He seems to be equally happy in peaceful times and causing pain and suffering. Which is very interesting to me. Do you know what I love? How when Sam (and Jack Kerouac) convince Becky to settle down, the diner owner's life improves too. I thought for sure Ernie was one of those unfortunate things that Sam is occasionally unable to fix. It surprised me that he did, because it never crossed my mind that something like that would even be possible given the circumstances. This is an interesting Leap in that Sam dislikes almost all of the players involved in the Leap. Besides Becky and Ernie, he seems to treat everyone else with open contempt. That is NOT usually Sam Beckett. He's usually the kind of guy willing to give everyone a chance. But something about these guys rubs him the wrong way for some reason, and he refuses to get past it. Which is another interesting thing. I betcha Bones is gonna be sore when he Leaps back. ***.
A Little Miracle:
This episode is unintentionally tragic years later, but weirdly, I think that makes it even more effecting. First off, Sam's "We'll never be at war with Russia," thing makes the episode instantly dated. Secondly, Blake seems to be a stand-in for Donald Trump. But this was the era in time that not much was known about him personally. The fact that he is outright incompetent at business, stupid, a failure at everything he touches, and a psychopath was something only people who dealt directly with Trump knew in 1990. There were no Twitter meltdowns back then that aired all of his dirty laundry. So the fact that Blake is actually a nice guy deep down makes the Trump allegory bust. And it's not even that deep. Blake is far more comfortable getting back into things with his old neighborhood and the mission, than Ebenezer Scrooge ever was. How do you know it's Christmas? This is pretty much Sam's easiest Leap ever. Aside from the fact that nobody is in any immediate mortal danger, God crazily not only gave us that star at the end, but made THIS the specific guy who could see Al. Can you believe how perfect it is that a guy they are going to pull a Scrooge on, will be able to see a ghost? Al's tricks were truly impressive, and he did things with Ziggy and the imaging chamber that I didn't know Ziggy was even capable of, and frankly, doesn't hold up with the rest of the series. The episode is so fun, I won't complain, though. And finally, tragically, we learn that in the original history, Blake committed suicide. Which is exactly how Charles Rocket died a few years later. Somehow it makes the episode have high stakes for Blake, because we know his actor did NOT get a happy ending. Speaking of happy actors, 1990 was pretty much the point in time where Melinda McGraw was radiant in everything she did. And she was on television a LOT back did. She always had a supporting role on a TV show like The Commish, or guest stints on a show like The X-Files. But she was always present. Which bums me out that I never see her on TV anymore. She's still acting, just not in anything I watch. My TV misses her. This episode creates a continuity problem because Rocket also played Commander Riker in the season four finale "A Leap For Lisa". The show is always recasting the same actor in different roles with no explanation. The idea that it's July for Al is absolutely great, and the genius thing about the premise of the show. Although I can't imagine Dean Stockwell liked walking down a snowy street in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. And can I just state for the record how awesome Carol Of The Bells is? It might not be my favorite Christmas song or hymn, but it's definitely the best Carol. By far. Great stuff. As was the episode. *****.
Upcoming reviews include Doctor Who: Series 9, The X-Files: Season 10, Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Blu-Ray), Ant-Man (Blu-Ray), Captain America: Civil War (Blu-Ray), Doctor Strange (Blu-Ray), Marvel's Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Season 2, Marvel's Agent Carter: Season 1, Daredevil: Season 1, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Blu-Ray), X-Men: Days Of Future Past: The Rogue Cut, Deadpool, X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-Ray), Logan, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 1, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes! Season 2, Zootopia, Moana (Blu-Ray), Tangled: Before Ever After (DVD), Inside Out (Blu-Ray), The Good Dinosaur (Blu-Ray), Finding Dory (Blu-Ray), Once Upon A Time: Season 5, The BFG, Tomorrowland, Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Blu-Ray), Star Wars Rebels: Season 2, Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales, Lego Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures: Season One, Jim Henson's Turkey Hollow (DVD), Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (Blu-Ray), Teen Titans Go!: Get In Pig Out, DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games, The LEGO Batman Movie, Justice League Dark, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract, Suicide Squad (Blu-Ray), The Flash: Season 2, Arrow: Season 4, DC's Legends Of Tomorrow: Season 1, Supergirl: Season 1, Vixen: The Movie, Gotham: Season 2, iZombie: Season 1, iZombie: Season 2, Lucifer: Season 1, Be Cool Scooby Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!, Wabbit: A Looney Tunes Prod.: Hare-Raising Tales, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug: Extended Edition, The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies: Extended Edition, Airplane! / Airplane II: The Sequel: Double Feature, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Beyond The Known Universe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Earth's Last Stand, Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Super Shredder, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Half-Shell Heroes: Blast To The Past, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Zeo: Volume 2, Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, Power Rangers Turbo: Volume 1, Power Rangers: Turbo: Volume 2, Power Rangers In Space Volume 1, Power Rangers In Space: Volume 2, Power Rangers Samurai: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Megaforce: The Complete Season, Power Rangers: Super Megaforce: The Complete Season, Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Season 1, Heroes Reborn: The Complete Series, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 1: Water, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 2: Earth, Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book 3: Fire, The Legend Of Korra: The Complete Series, Haven: Season 5 - Vol. 1, Haven: The Final Season, Under The Dome: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 3, Quantum Leap: Season 4, Quantum Leap: Season 5, Sleepy Hollow: Season 2, Sleepy Hollow: Season 3, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2, Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 3, The Jurassic Park Trilogy, Jurassic World, Back To The Future: The Complete Animated Series, Shaun The Sheep Movie (Blu-Ray), Shaun The Sheep: The Farmer's Llamas, 12 Monkeys: Season 1, 12 Monkeys: Season 2, Grimm: Season 4, Grimm: Season 5, Grimm: Season 6, The Wonder Years: Season 4, The Wonder Years: Season 5, The Wonder Years: Season 6, The Peanuts Movie, Peanuts By Schulz: Snoopy Tales, Peanuts By Schulz: Go Team Go!, Bob's Burgers: Season 5, Ghostbusters: Answer The Call, Community: Season 6, Hannibal: Season 1, Hannibal: Season 2, Hannibal: Season 3, Preacher: Season One, Danger Mouse: The Complete Series, Game Of Thrones: Season 5, and Game of Thrones: Season 6.
Twin Peaks "The Return: Part 6"
Very slow week this week, but I again will be judging this miniseries as a whole. I will have a better frame of reference for this after Part 18.
Still quite a few things to unwrap this week.
We finally meet Diane and she is Laura Dern. Laura Dern was my second choice back in the day to play the character. First choice was actually Diane Keaton. But it's good to see that me and Lynch are on the same wavelength here.
I don't recall Carl being this angelic in Fire Walk With Me. That scene with the boy getting hit by the truck shows that even when horrible things happen in Lynch projects, Lynch has a heart. The yellow aura seems to be the boy's soul which might be the thing that hints at Coop's earlier success at the casino.
I cannot tell if Coop is getting better or worse. Did he incidentally do a great job with his work, or was the secret message planned? I'm guessing it's the second thing. Dale is trying to break out of Dougie, and isn't quite there yet.
Great to hear Heidi giggle again.
Couldn't tell what was going on with that crazy drug dealer, his hands, or the dime.
Speaking of the dime, I am curious what it was Hawk found in the stall door.
Now we understand both why Doris is such a monster, and why Frank puts up with it. I personally think Chad is a far bigger butthole than she is.
I sort of fell in love with Janey E Jones this episode. She's a fierce Amazon Warrior when paying back the bookies and ranting at them. What is ironic about her saying she can't afford to pay back that $52,000, is that it's a lie after Coop's casino wins. But I like that she's stingy when cleaning up Dougie's messes.
Coop can't help but remember he likes Jade. What is funny about that is that Coop isn't the one who cheated on Janey-E with her. He just likes Jade because she was kind to him. I don't know how Janey E can possibly understand (or even forgive) that dynamic. But if Coop ever snaps out of it, hopefully he can explain it better.
Ike the Spike worries me. Because it looks like this psychopath is gunning for Dougie next.
Not a great week, but I never expected every episode in this 18 hour movie to be. ***.
Doctor Who "Empress Of Mars"
Ice Warriors!
The guy trying to rob the Ice Queen's tomb, and then the Captain causing a mutiny, and pushing that kid in front of a laser blast instead of himself, reminded me why we are not allowed to have nice things. The Colonel offering his life for the others' to be spared, and the Ice Queen calling him "Friend" reminded me why we are.
The Ice Warriors are great villains, but what I especially like is that they aren't actually villains in this episode. The humans are. Twelve instinctively mistrusts Friday, but I like Friday because he ultimately turns out to be reasonable and benevolent. And yeah, befriending the humans made sense as a tactical wartime advantage. But that doesn't mean he didn't actually befriend them.
I like the Ice Queen giving Bill's opinion so much weight because she's a woman. And frankly, I think that should be happening more often with female Companions. Negotiating with Matriarchies are something a female Companion can help with, and it bugs me that this is the first time I've seen that notion on the show.
I am unsurprised the Doctor has seen Frozen, but I'm a little shocked he didn't understand the Terminator reference. I haven't actually seen that movie either, but it is so famous and well-known, that I get it whenever somebody references it in pop culture. I didn't understand Bill's references to the underground caves or the Vikings, but since the Doctor DOES had a rudimentary Earth pop-culture knowledge, he should probably know what The Terminator is, even if he hasn't actually seen it.
Are they actually going for a full-on redemption for Missy / The Master? I don't trust the show enough to do something that awesome (Davros last season is Exhibit A) but if they did, I would love it unreservedly. We'll see.
Great episode. ****1/2.
Justice League Action "Double Cross"
A gem. Plastic Man always being naked answers the question of how the uniform can change shape and size and color too: It doesn't actually exist.
Plas learning colors is important. I think his disguises were always ineffective while they always had the red, yellow, and peach color scheme. Very clever of him to turn into Deadshot's gun at the end. The part where he's the deflated giant ball flying Batman through the air at the end made me laugh.
I love that Batman is insightful enough to realize that Firestorm's constant reassurances means Two-Face escaped. Also clever of the show to pair that particular hero and villain because they both have split personalities.
Harvey saying he isn't criminal, but an attorney, would be a funnier joke were it not for the fact that Dent was a D.A., and was involved in bringing bad guys to justice. He's hardly the ambulance chaser he was billed as here.
Dana Snyder as Penguin works in a way he does not for Plas, but I personally would have cast Tom Kenny again in that role too. Unlike Plas, here Snyder is at least acceptable though.
Would have loved Rosey at Deadshot though.
I realized watching this that I own DCAU action figures of every character in the episode.
Great episode. No DC Embargoes makes this show great. *****.
Teen Titans Go! "Jinxed"
"Ouch! I'm outta this piece! Later fellas!"
I love that Jinx is the person in charge of lost Jinx voices.
At one point Flounder and Sebastian show up with the seagull by the Tower.
Fun episode. ****.
DC Super Hero Girls "The Ares Up There"
I like Ares' design. But the character is much less classy and elegant than he was on JLU. Also points off the episode for everyone laughing at the end. I felt like I was watching ThunderCats there. ***.
Ben 10 "Freaky Gwen Ben"
This was fun, and Hex is a great villain, but I kind of wish that when Gwen became Four Arms (who is an adult) and Upgrade (ditto) that both aliens were given a female design, including breasts. That would have raised the proper questions about the watch.
Also, I don't know how many slushie machines you can buy with $20. Snoopy Snow Cone makers back in the day were cheap, but that seems like an entirely different thing.
Pretty good. ***1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Super Sweet 6"
I reject the premise of the episode. After all Princess has done, why would the Professor, Bubbles, and Buttercup even WANT to go to her party? If Donald Trump invited me to his birthday party, I wouldn't go. I wouldn't even want to. The episode is nuts for trying to get me to believe differently. **.
The Powerpuff Girls "A Star Is Blossom"
Blossom is the worst. *1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Mini Golf Madness"
I have to call b.s. on the idea that people stealing pencils and golf balls is in any way equivalent to the robots destroying the city.
Buttercup taking out a piece of golf ball sized bubblegum, putting it in her mouth and chewing, and then saying "Well, that helps me think," is pretty much a perfectly constructed joke.
I love when Blossom says that Buttercup is a terrible person that Buttercup thinks that by using golf logic she's awesome. Golf logic is not like our Earth logic.
Fun. ****.
The Powerpuff Girls "Summer Bummer"
All stuffed animals are essential. Bubbles speaks for me.
Mostly dumb but I liked the Powerpuff aura turning into a multicolored crab at the end. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "The Tell-Tale Schedulebot"
Why are the girls in trouble at the end? The Professor was the one who created a robot dangerous enough to try to destroy anyone who hurts it. And he put that thing in a house with small children. If anyone should be punished, it's the Professor.
The stuff with Bubbles was fun though. She is like me in easily getting distracted by Scratch-N-Sniff stickers ("Strawberry!") and her sleep farts will never stop being funny.
A mixed bag. **1/2.
The Powerpuff Girls "Musclecup"
Gross. Buttercup's muscle design was disgusting, and The Gnat was revolting too. A dud. 0.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 1: Teaser"
I love Miss Marvel. She is so cute. ****.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 2: Black Panther"
I like T'Challa's costume. ***.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 3: Captain Marvel"
I hate Captain Marvel's haircut. **.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 4: Ant-Man And Wasp"
I dislike Wasp's helmet. I was almost excited when I thought Ant-Man called the ant Anty. That would have been a perfect reference to Honey, I Shrunk The Kids. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Short 5: Vision"
Vision has cool powers. I'm glad that guy apologized to him because he was quite rude for someone whose life Vision saved. ***1/2.
Marvel's Avengers: Secret Wars "Ms. Marvel"
That was corny. *1/2.
Mickey Mouse "Swimmin' Hole"
Yeah, I kept wondering why they didn't just fill up that bigger hole with water. The protagonists on this show are DUMB. ***1/2.
Transformers: Robots In Disguise: Combiner Force "Get A Clue"
I think after seeing that, my biggest unanswered question is this: Why is Denny Clay posing as an insurance adjuster while wearing a Hawaiian shirt? ***1/2.
Bob's Burgers "Into The Mild"
I found the entire episode underwhelming. The only really funny joke was Gene saying Bob's old phone was covered in hair. I also found it very empowering that Bob climbed that was by himself without a safety rope and managed to escape the skylight. But the stuff with Gale and Linda was outright terrible. **.
American Dad! "Julia Rogerts"
That was pretty good. Once they got to the crow cult sacrifices I was sold. Less successful was the plot about Jeff meeting Barry, but it's hinted that will go someplace in the future. As is stands, I like the episode. ***1/2.
Fargo "Who Rules The Land Of Denial?"
Love that kitten. Awww! Is Ray Wise an angel? Is the bowling alley Heaven? Or purgatory? Hmmm.
I love that the beginning escape took two entire acts and we didn't cut away from it once. When it turned back into a regular episode after that I was surprised.
Speaking of surprised, that was an unusual place to put a flashforward. But this show often has those when you least expect them.
Emmitt turning himself in is gonna make next week interesting. ****.
Angie Tribeca "Go Get 'Im, Tiger"
I like that Geils is picking at the fact that it makes no sense that the entire season was a final exam. People were killed. They worked the case when Geils wasn't there. And the solution for Geils (and the viewer) is not to overthink this.
This show is so dumb. ****.
Quantum Leap: Season Three
Third "Eyes Wide Open" review of Quantum Leap years later. What amazes me about Season Three is that there is far less objectionable stuff in it than I remembered. Sam's worst Leaps occurred in seasons four and five. But for now, the show is mostly enjoyable, which is not true of its entire run.
This season, Sam Leaps into a pregnant woman, a kids sci-fi TV actor, a soldier who saves Tom Beckett's life, a mental patient, a magician, a bounty hunter, a brothel owner, a Chippendales' dancer, a horror novelist, a beauty queen, a biker, a glam rock star, and in a truly dire Leap, a death row inmate, and in the season premiere, himself as a kid. Most of the music seems to be back, and I didn't notice any substitutions at all, which tells me anything they DID replace was not something I'd object to or notice.
Best episodes of the year are the two part premiere (The Leap Home Parts 1 and 2), the unintentionally tragic Christmas episode (A Little Miracle), possibly the most beloved episode of all time (Future Boy), Jane Sibbett melting my TV screen (A Hunting We Will Go), the most dire episode of the season, and possibly ever (Last Dance Before An Execution), and the shocking (sorry about that) season finale (Shock Theater). Worst episodes are the one that Nancy Reagan probably loved (One Strobe Over The Line), the annoying one where Sam becomes a lounge lizard (Piano Man), the wrestling one (Heart Of A Champion), and the unpleasant Cuban Missile Crisis one (Nuclear Family). Season overall: ****.
The Leap Home, Part 1:
Wow. Lots to say about this one. Let's start off rejoicing that this is the first episode with the perfect Deborah Pratt opening Narration. She hisses "Stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator... and vanished!" better than any previous narration, and "Putting right what once went wrong and hope each time his next Leap will be the leap home," is finally said with the proper soulfulness. And then BOOM! He's home! This episode had the best premise of any of the episodes. Sam thinks he's leaped home as a reward to fix his families problems. He was right that he was probably leaped home as a reward, as the winning a basketball game notion sounds incredibly far-fetched, as does the idea that Ziggy can actually predict a positive alternate future for the coach and players before it happens. But if it IS a reward, Sam is utterly wasting it. When he tells Al it isn't fair that he can change everybody else's life but cannot help the people he loves, I was taken aback a bit by the cool (and I mean chilling) way Al says, "I think it's d*mn fair." If Sam were in a better headspace, he would have taken a step back at the look in Al's eyes, hologram or no. It never occurred to Sam to simply be grateful to get to spend additional time with his family that he could never have before this, because his brother and father were dead. It never occurs to him that the Thanksgiving itself is the reward (at least for this Leap; God has other ideas next week). And I love that Al is a little bit angered that he has to point out to Sam that he would give anything to spend a few extra days with his dead father and sister and tell them how much he loved them. Sam singing "Imagine" was SUCH a great scene. Because as it starts it's kind of cute and beautiful, and as you watch Katie's expression as it goes on, you realize how horrifying it must be for her. Even though Al joins in for a few bars near the end, the expression on his face suggests he probably knew ahead of time why singing a song that had yet to be created would be upsetting to someone whose brother was supposedly going to die in the future. Also, Al made another really good argument. If Sam was SO sure he was there to help his family, if he truly believed that, than it would totally okay to win the game and he wouldn't Leap. Because I think on some level Sam knows Al is right. I laughed upon Katie and her friends saying "Awesome!" at the game, and I love that everyone is a little freaked out that Sam is postponing the final shot till the last second, when they are a point behind. But when he says "Goodbye" to his father, you know why he's doing it. He feels the Leap is coming as soon as he wins the game, and was trying to put it off for as many precious seconds as he could. This hints to me the leaps are a bit like the Doctor's regenerations on Doctor Who. They are often aren't unexpected, and he can feel them coming a bit ahead of time before they actually happen. Sam Leaping in the middle of a sentence is interesting because when he Leaps into Magic, he is still saying "Tom". The last time Sam Leaped from the middle of a sentence, the sentence simply went unfinished and the Leap started things anew. The fact that him yelling that name saved all their lives tells me God has a plan for Tom after all and always did. Is there anything I disliked about the episode? Yes, and it is a thing I SO dislike, that I'm knocking off an entire star from the otherwise five star episode. The producers were nuts to have Scott Bakula play John Beckett. It is weird, and noticeable, and off-putting, and completely takes you out of the moment. Yeah, Scott Bakula gets to stretch a bit here. But it's not like he doesn't get to do that every week anyways, and whenever he does, it never hurts the reality of the show the way this did. This was a near-perfect episode. Except they were foolish enough to have Bakula play his father. Brent Spiner plays Noonian Soong and Lore BECAUSE the performances are creepy. I have never seen a show engage in that trope without being aware that is what it ACCIDENTALLY did here. It's a shame. It was a perfect episode otherwise. ****.
The Leap Home, Part 2: Vietnam:
That was way better years later, as I've seen it enough times to actually know what's going on. This was confusing as all get out over the air. Al being willing to lose Beth to keep Tom alive shows Al is the better friend to Sam and always has been. When he say that he is Sam's ace in the hole, I believe him. Although I will share a BIT of Sam's frustration that Al is iffy as to why he's there. Al should NOT lie to Sam on a mission this serious, but the truth is, he wouldn't have Leaped in here when he did, from WHERE he did, unless God wanted him to save his brother. God probably would have put the leaps in a different order if that was NOT the mission. Tia Carrere is wasted in a thankless role as the Vietnamese turncoat who originally killed Tom, but I am amused that Blaster is actually played by a young Patrick Warburton. And here is Andrea Thompson, showing partial side-boob nudity before she was on NYPD Blue and showing partial side boob nudity was cool. I do not object to Sam sleeping with Maggie. Because she has never known Magic as anyone else, and he also did it to help the mission. This is NOT an example of Quantum Rape. Dying people being able to see Al gives added weight to his role as Sam's guardian angel. I don't much like the fact that Sam killed so many people here, but it had to have been cathardic on some level to kill the woman who killed his brother. Before she did it. Is this the first Quantum Leap episode to take place outside of America? I think maybe the Sea Bride took place in international waters but I think this is the first time Sam leaped into a different country. It was genius to make Magic the good luck charm of the Seals. It gives Sam an unusual amount of trust for a Leap, and a certain amount of authority in his most important leap ever. Al is not Sam's only ace in the hole. The fact that all of the Seals loved and trusted Magic ahead of time, is probably why Sam leaped into him instead of Tom in the first place. This definitely gives me flashbacks to China Beach. I need that show on DVD next. Great conclusion. ****1/2.
Leap Of Faith:
Frankly, this was kind of boring. I like that the episode gave a happy ending to everyone, even the villain, just because it's nice when Sam can help bad people become good ones. And Tony was far too young of a villain to completely write off. And the fact that he found his father after he hung himself meant I sympathized with him on some level too. I liked the moment where Sam gives Sylvester Stallone the idea for Rocky and I love that he teaches Father Mac "One day at a time" before A.A. is even a thing. Al being resentful to God was interesting to me. Because their entire mission sort of places an incredible amount of faith in God. Frankly I was surprised that when Sam says at the end when Al is skittish at the confession booth, that he thought he didn't believe in this stuff, Al says, "I don't really, but old habits." It would have been far more insightful and realistic to me if Al had said "I never said I didn't believe. It just never did me any good." I also really love the idea that Sam apologizes for forgetting this huge piece of Al's life and Al says, "There's nothing to apologize for. I never told you before this." I love that moment because it suggests to me Sam and Al relationship is closer now than it has ever been. And I like that idea a lot. But the episode itself was middling. **1/2.
One Strobe Over The Line:
Mostly ridiculous, with a couple of redeeming virtues. First, Sam is WAY too grabby with Edie. When he is trying to prevent her from taking the pills, his movements are far scarier and more violent than they should be in that moment, especially because he isn't wearing a shirt. Frankly, I think it was a bad idea for Sam to be sleeping shirtless in the first place in that scenario. Before that was almost as awkward. When he puts his arms around at the beginning to comfort her about being an addict, she literally cringes. She looked like she fully expected him to rape her in that moment, and considering that Sam himself barely knew her, that was a huge boundary violation. And it amazes me that Sam doesn't get that. And once the lion started going on a rampage, I'm pretty much "Oh, this is one of THOSE weeks". Was Helen telling Edie to keep splashing the lion only done precisely to annoy the audience? Because I cannot picture anyone doing that EVER unless they were purposefully trying to make everybody hate them and think they're stupid. She's acting like making the lion angry is making a good shot, but aside from the fact that it isn't, Sam has stopped shooting at that point, and she's too clueless to realize that is the precise reason why. I think she is MUCH worse at her job than she thinks she is. Al disappearing to punctuate the end of her pathetic rant at the end was a pretty good moment. Speaking of annoying the lion, I hated that moment because it's obvious the show had to engage in if not animal cruelty, than animal annoyance, to make it happen, which is another reason I hate TV shows and movies from this era. There's a continuity problem. When Al tells Sam Edie's name, Sam acts like the last name Landsdale is new information, but she actually already told him this the night before. The other thing I like is that Al is offended Sam called him his dog to a drugged out Edie rather than explain why he's talking to himself to someone barely out of it. And then he turns it into an insane compliment by telling her Al is the best friend he's ever had. Honestly, this episode is dumb, and annoying, and boring, and a total filler. **.
The Boogieman:
Easily the freakiest episode of the series. When Al says "Baaaa!", that right there? That's the scariest moment ever on the show. Dean Stockwell can bring the freak on when he wants to. I've never seen Blue Velvet and now I don't want to. It's not the animals that come out of nowhere, it's not the multiple murders, it's the betrayal that shocks and upsets me in that moment. Evil Al claims he's the Devil and punishing Sam for putting right what he made wrong. And there's a possibility that the entire dream itself is a warning about that, and that the Evil Leaper is out there, and her boss is not amused. And this is definitely a Divine dream, as it tells Sam true information about the Leap he has no actual way of knowing. I think the warning comes from God, and is his way of letting Sam know that he's made a powerful enemy. Why do I not think the warning was from Satan himself? Simply because it wouldn't have put into Sam's head the way Tully died as a warning. Valerie Mahaffey was pretty much my favorite female guest star in the early 1990's. There is no show that she appears on that Eve doesn't make better. I didn't know much about Stephen King when I first saw the episode, so the end was a genuine surprise, but if I had seen this for the first time now, I would have seen it coming a mile away. Too many personal details (such as the episode being set in Maine) to not send up red flags for me about who Stevie ultimately is. Fun Fact: This is the first appearance of the new, improved, Ziggy remote with blocky shapes and giant flashing colors. What is ironic is that Sam dreams the remote before he actually sees it. Which is another thing that says what happened wasn't entirely in Sam's head, and came from somewhere else. Quibble, Sam says psychokenesis is an actual thing and uses it for an explanation about the flying skull. It's not. It fake. And as a scientist Sam Beckett should know this better than most people. Fake stories of psychokinesis were fairly common during this era (1990) but it is 100% debunked bullplop. Memorable episode. ****.
Miss Deep South:
Not terrible by a longshot, but there were a few things that bugged me. Let's start off with the good: Sam realizing he sucked at the girlie pageantry stuff, and simply going for broke singing and playing Great Balls Of Fire in a Carmen Miranda outfit was outstanding. Despite how ridiculous he looked, I love that it won Darlene the pageant. This was a tricky Leap, because Sam had two missions. He had to protect Connie from the scumbag photographer, but he also had to make sure Darlene still won third place as she did in the original history. I don't think Sam OR Al predicted or planned for him to win outright. Which is why it made me smile, especially because of how moved Sam is, and that he wishes Katie could see it. I think this episode is inconsistent with "What Price Gloria?". They don't actually say that Al sees Sam as Sam, but there is no other way to read Al's constant humiliations over how goofy Sam looks dressed like that. If Al saw him as Darlene, he wouldn't think he looked goofy. The images and the consistency of who can see Al and Sam for who he is has never held together all too well. The other thing that bothers me, is that the show's moral about trying to get the pictures back is a good moral for 1959. But, even though this episode aired in 1990, its views of how shameful nudity is are kind of backwards. Which is kind of weird, because standards were MUCH looser in 1990 still, and the show still acts prudish about it. Maybe the moral shouldn't be that Sam beats up the photographer (although him hanging him out the window alone made the episode worthwhile) to get back the pictures. Maybe the moral should be that Connie should only feel ashamed and dirty if she chooses to. That she shouldn't give the photographer as much power as she's giving him by acting like her entire life is over. It's only over if she believes that. It's not very empowering to me that Sam lets the morals of 1959 guide how he helps Connie deal with this, especially considering that Sam had some excellently progressive values regarding measurements and the virginity clause. I'm a little amazed that Sam realized that the pageant director posed nude for the photographer. Because there were no clues given for that out of left field guess, and it is a little annoying he was right. That's the gorilla in the Rue Morgue as far as clues go. It amazes me that Al does NOT get why Sam never lets him peep when he wants to. I sincerely doubt Sam cares that much if Al goes into the dressing rooms, despite the fact that it is illegal in real life. What he's doing HERE is protecting Connie, because he cares about her. It amazes that Al doesn't get that this particular girl is not someone he should be perving over, because Sam is already charged with protecting her. That's not Sam being a prude, as Al accuses. That's Sam doing the mission he was sent there for. And it amazes me Al thinks she's actually fair game, considering why Sam is there in the first place. Fun episode, but a bit misguided too. ***1/2.
Black On White On Fire:
Powerful, powerful episode, and possibly the most powerful Quantum Leap episode of all time. But I wouldn't be me if I didn't nitpick the h*ll out of it. Let's start off with the fact that with the exception of Sam, every single person in the episode was terrible. Often for completely different reasons, but an equal level of suck with each other. There was no-one to root for. When Sam asks Al before he Leaps if "it's enough", I'm wondering why Lonnie's death effected him so. I get why Ray would be upset (nice job Leaping Sam away and Ray back when you did, God, BTW), but Lonnie has pretty much been a violent psychopathic monster throughout the episode. And it concerns me that he is, because his fury is righteous and he is upset for the correct reasons. But to take a woman hostage and plan to kill her to send a message, shows that Lonnie holds no part of the high ground. The episode tries to make everyone feel guilty for Lonnie getting shot when he did, but we see the perp got shot all the time for lesser offenses on Law and Order. As far as I'm concerned, that was a clean shoot. And considering the episode's premise, it really should not have been. Lonnie let her go, but he did so kicking and screaming, and the police didn't know that at the time. I hardly blame the police chief for ordering his men to take the shot when his daughter is being held hostage. Speaking of not blaming the police chief, (played by Marc Alaimo sans Cardassian make-up) do you know what infuriates me about his racist rant to Sam, that Sam's "brothers" are gonna hurt his daughter, and he won't be able to stop them? He's actually right! Why on EARTH did this show make this scumbag racist right about the particular thing he was? He never had to actually say that line to be a scumbag. But because he said it, it's the show ceding the high ground to a complete bunghole. Which is messed up. And finally, we get to Susan. I loathe this girl. She pretends to be all liberal and enlightened, but the truth is she is anxious to get out of Watts so she and her boyfriend won't be surrounded by black people anymore. When she says she is going to stay at the end, that is a rare moment of character growth for someone in the episode. But when she's saying that Ray can't be great if he stays in Watts, she's basically saying Ray is better than the rest of his kind, and they don't deserve him. When she's talking about facing hatred, I truly believe this is the most clueless liberal on the face of the planet. If she REALLY has such a problem with facing racial prejudice, she can just leave Watts. Ray is gonna get that no matter where he goes. There is no safe place for him in 1969. Truthfully, there is no 100% safe place for a black person in 2017 either, but that's whole 'nother can of worms. Aside from Alaimo, I noticed roles for Ron Taylor (The Simpsons, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) and CCH Pounder. Pounder's role creates another Quantum Leap continuity problem, as she plays a prison guard in season five. Quantum Leap always sucked at casting the same person in different, unrelated roles. What's interesting about Mama Harper to me is that when she first sees Susan, she is concerned for her safety. It's clear soon enough she doesn't actually like her, but her first reaction is to tell this girl to go someplace safe instead of here. Heavy D is also interesting in that he seems to be the one reasonable character in the episode. So when HE dies, stuff instantly goes to h*ll. His wisdom is gone, and nobody gets it back. Not even Sam. "My kids will be human" is the poppycock of a privileged white liberal of the 1980's. I can't even imagine a liberal nowadays saying something so condescending, as well as the cliched "Red, yellow, or blue" color line. It chagrins me that I still hear that last one today, but "My kids will be human" is Sam not actually understanding what the problem will be. A liberal one-liner will not change anyone's mind. This stuff is so nefarious because it is ingrained, and nothing can change it. The moral of the episode should not be that Ray and Susan live happily ever after, and break racial barriers with their love, and everyone realizes they had the right idea all along. It's more like Ray and Susan love each other enough to enter the suffering they are both going to do with both eyes wide open, with both appreciating that their love will get them through it. Quantum Leap's biggest problem in dealing with race is thinking that this stuff is settled by Sam's time. It's not, and the show is foolish for thinking it is. I loved Al stating that if Sam was there to stop the riots he would have Leaped in there 50 years ago. Al is being too optimistic. I don't even 100 years would do any good. This episode was great for pushing buttons, and having huge heart-breaking drama. For dealing with racism in a common sense way? Not so much. ****.
The Great Spontini:
I think NBC aired this out of order. How else to explain that Al is using the "classic" Ziggy remote? Sam Leaping into the middle of a magic show shows that God has the cruelest sense of humor ever. Great teaser there. I love that the one kiss at the end changed Harry and his wife's entire fate. That's awesome. Sam knows what he is doing. A happy ending for Jamie is NOT enough in that scenario. NOT ENOUGH! I love how much Jamie loathes the lawyer, and rubs it in that butthead's face. And I love that Al loves her for it. As he should. I have to say, Al doing his hologram shtick during the deadly magic trick is one of the douchiest things he has ever done. Aside from putting Sam in danger by distracting him, he is oblivious to how much that trick's failure would upset Harry's daughter. Jamie with the knife in her chest was hysterical. I can't believe the mother is dumb enough to be concerned. She DID live with magicians for awhile, after all. Pretty fun episode. ***1/2.
Rebel Without A Clue:
I like this one, although nobody points out that by Sam improving everybody else's life, he also pretty much obliterated Bones'. He will probably NOT be happy when he Leaps back. I've never seen Josie Bissett so young (and with long hair) and Diedrich Bader (here billed "Dietrich Bader") is surprisingly scary. What amazes me about Dillon is that on the surface, he seems pretty reasonable. He's not even mad Bones is doodling pictures of his girlfriend, and in fact compliments the drawings. I get what Becky saw in him. It's only when things get pushed to extremes, that he reveals what a monster he is deep down. But at first, I thought it was kind of strange that Sam as cautioning her away from him. I was certain the murderer was Mad Dog, and that Dillon would ultimately be benign. But Bader is absolutely menacing in the role, especially since a smile never seems to leave his lips. He seems to be equally happy in peaceful times and causing pain and suffering. Which is very interesting to me. Do you know what I love? How when Sam (and Jack Kerouac) convince Becky to settle down, the diner owner's life improves too. I thought for sure Ernie was one of those unfortunate things that Sam is occasionally unable to fix. It surprised me that he did, because it never crossed my mind that something like that would even be possible given the circumstances. This is an interesting Leap in that Sam dislikes almost all of the players involved in the Leap. Besides Becky and Ernie, he seems to treat everyone else with open contempt. That is NOT usually Sam Beckett. He's usually the kind of guy willing to give everyone a chance. But something about these guys rubs him the wrong way for some reason, and he refuses to get past it. Which is another interesting thing. I betcha Bones is gonna be sore when he Leaps back. ***.
A Little Miracle:
This episode is unintentionally tragic years later, but weirdly, I think that makes it even more effecting. First off, Sam's "We'll never be at war with Russia," thing makes the episode instantly dated. Secondly, Blake seems to be a stand-in for Donald Trump. But this was the era in time that not much was known about him personally. The fact that he is outright incompetent at business, stupid, a failure at everything he touches, and a psychopath was something only people who dealt directly with Trump knew in 1990. There were no Twitter meltdowns back then that aired all of his dirty laundry. So the fact that Blake is actually a nice guy deep down makes the Trump allegory bust. And it's not even that deep. Blake is far more comfortable getting back into things with his old neighborhood and the mission, than Ebenezer Scrooge ever was. How do you know it's Christmas? This is pretty much Sam's easiest Leap ever. Aside from the fact that nobody is in any immediate mortal danger, God crazily not only gave us that star at the end, but made THIS the specific guy who could see Al. Can you believe how perfect it is that a guy they are going to pull a Scrooge on, will be able to see a ghost? Al's tricks were truly impressive, and he did things with Ziggy and the imaging chamber that I didn't know Ziggy was even capable of, and frankly, doesn't hold up with the rest of the series. The episode is so fun, I won't complain, though. And finally, tragically, we learn that in the original history, Blake committed suicide. Which is exactly how Charles Rocket died a few years later. Somehow it makes the episode have high stakes for Blake, because we know his actor did NOT get a happy ending. Speaking of happy actors, 1990 was pretty much the point in time where Melinda McGraw was radiant in everything she did. And she was on television a LOT back did. She always had a supporting role on a TV show like The Commish, or guest stints on a show like The X-Files. But she was always present. Which bums me out that I never see her on TV anymore. She's still acting, just not in anything I watch. My TV misses her. This episode creates a continuity problem because Rocket also played Commander Riker in the season four finale "A Leap For Lisa". The show is always recasting the same actor in different roles with no explanation. The idea that it's July for Al is absolutely great, and the genius thing about the premise of the show. Although I can't imagine Dean Stockwell liked walking down a snowy street in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts. And can I just state for the record how awesome Carol Of The Bells is? It might not be my favorite Christmas song or hymn, but it's definitely the best Carol. By far. Great stuff. As was the episode. *****.