Pool Hall Blues – September 4, 1954

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Sam leaps into Charlie “Black Magic” Walters, a legendary pool player. As Magic, Sam must save “his” granddaughters bar-turned-night club from the loan shark who holds the marker on her place by beating him in a game of pool. One snag: Sam can’t “shoot pool with a shotgun.”

Our guestiest guest, Christopher J. Steward, returns to discuss one of our favorites. Fun fact: This was Dennis’ first complete episode of Quantum Leap as a kid!

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html
and

Good Night, Dear Heart – November 9, 1957

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Sam leaps into Melvin Spooner, a mortician in Riven Rock, Massachusetts. When a young German woman is found dead in a nearby lake, Sam sets out to prove it was a murder and not a suicide, and gets just a tad obsessed with her in the process. Marcia Cross, who would go along star in Desperate Housewives and have a storyline featuring Scott Bakula in its final season, guest stars.

Sam Fain and Dennis discuss the episode – its hat tip to the 1944 movie, Laura, the controversy it created in the gay community when it originally aired, and how one of the installments of the short-lived comic book series attempted to right that wrong.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html

and

The Quantum Leap Wiki: http://quantumleap.wikia.com/wiki/Quantum_Leap

Our website: www.fwwquantumleappod.com

Our Patreon page: www.patreon.com/fateswidewheel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fateswidewheel

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fateswidewheel

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fateswidewheel

 

Freedom – November 22, 1970

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Sam is George Washaki, a young Native American who must help his dying grandfather, Joseph, escape from the local jail and make the journey to his true home so that he may die on his own terms, and not in a care facility as in the original history.

Sam Fain, Dennis and guest host, Scottie Caldwell, discuss the episode. This is Scottie’s first complete episode of “Quantum Leap”, and she brings some great talking points!

Given the premise of this episode, we speak a great deal about Native American culture through U.S. history, the American Indian Movement (AIM) of the early 1970s, and cultural appropriation, especially in relation to sports mascots. We attempted to be as sensitive and mindful as possible in relation to these subjects.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html

Her Charm – September 26, 1973

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Sam is Peter Langly, an FBI agent assigned to Dana Berenger, a woman in the Federal witness protection program after having testified against her former boss and criminal, Nick Kochifos. In the original history, Dana was killed by Nick, who had somehow been able to find her twice before despite her being in witness protection. Sam must figure out if there is a mole in the FBI giving information to Nick, and prevent Dana’s death – the time of which keeps changing every time he makes a change in history.

Sam and Dennis discuss the episode.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html
and

All Americans – November 6, 1962

Posted on by Sam & Dennis

Sam is Eddie Vega, a high school football quarterback. Eddie and his friend, Chuey, have dreams of getting scholarships and playing college football together, but Ziggy says Chuey is going to throw the upcoming championship game. Sam has to figure out the reason why, and stop Chuey from ruining his chance to go to college.

Sam Fain and Dennis are joined by returning guest host, Jessica Conger, to talk about the episode.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html
and

Beyond the Mirror Image – An Interview with Matt Dale

Posted on by Sam & Dennis

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We’re happy to bring to you this week our interview with Matt Dale, the author of the reference book, Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap. If you’re a regular listener of our show, you’ve heard us reference this book in perhaps every episode.

Matt talks about the origins of the book, and the love and labor that went into it. As we’ve said before on the show, the book is over 700 pages of exhaustive content – not only discussing the aired episodes, but also…

  • Alternate versions of several episodes
  • Deleted / alternate scenes
  • Detailed synopses of un-produced scripts
  • The story and a detailed synopsis of the never-produced pilot for the A Bold Leap Forward reboot
  • The novels, the comics and unofficial crossover comics such as Quantum Slide
  • A precise timeline of everything referenced in all of the above, ranging from 200 AD to the far future.

Listen to the interview, and head over to lulu.com to purchase the book if you’re so inclined: http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html

Find us on the web…

Our website: www.fwwquantumleappod.com

 

Another Mother – September 30th, 1981

Posted on by Sam & Dennis

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Sam’s a mommy! Sam leaps into Linda Bruckner, a single mother of three in Scottsdale, Arizona. Sam is there to keep Linda’s oldest child, Kevin, from running away from home. Or was he abducted? Sam and Al seem confused, and we think we know why! To complicate matters, Linda’s youngest daughter, Teresa, can see Sam for who he really is, and can see and hear Al too. Hilarity ensues!

Sam and Dennis are joined by returning guest, Claire Feeney, to talk about the episode.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html

and

The Quantum Leap Wiki: http://quantumleap.wikia.com/wiki/Quantum_Leap

Our website:

www.fwwquantumleappod.comOur Patreon page: www.patreon.com/fateswidewheel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fateswidewheel

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fateswidewheel

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fateswidewheel

Animal Frat – October 19, 1967

Posted on by Sam & Dennis

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Sam leaps into hard-partying frat boy Knut Wileton, better known on campus as “Wild Thing.” He must stop student and anti-war activist Elisabeth Spokane from planting a bomb on campus as part of a Vietnam War protest. In the original history, someone was inadvertently killed in the explosion, sending Elisabeth into hiding for the rest of her life.

Frequent guest, Christopher *ahem* Chris Steward, joins us again and takes the lead as our guestiest guest. He also has a fascinating theory tying together Wild Thing and Elisabeth to a couple of The Simpsons characters.

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html

and

The Quantum Leap Wiki: http://quantumleap.wikia.com/wiki/Quantum_Leap

Our website: www.fwwquantumleappod.com

Our Patreon page: www.patreon.com/fateswidewheel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fateswidewheel

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fateswidewheel

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fateswidewheel

 

So Help Me God – July 29, 1957

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Sam leaps into Leonard Dancey, a lawyer in 1957 Louisiana. Talk about a poorly-timed entrance: He arrives just as the leapee is being asked for Guilty or Not Guilty plea for his client, a black woman named Delilah Berry. Delilah (Lila) is on trial for the murder of Houston Palmer Carter. When Sam looks at her and makes a split-second decision to plead Not Guilty, he changes history, and sets out to prove her innocence.

 

Guest Christopher J. Steward returns to help Sam Fain and Dennis discuss the episode.

 

Content warning: Strong language and themes in regards to the discussion of racism.

 

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at Lulu. 

 

and

 

The Quantum Leap Wiki

 

Our website: www.fwwquantumleappod.com

Our Patreon page: www.patreon.com/fateswidewheel

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fateswidewheel

Twitter: www.twitter.com/fateswidewheel

Instagram: www.instagram.com/fateswidewheel

Jimmy – October 14, 1964

Posted on by Sam & Dennis

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Sam is Jimmy LaMotta, a learning-disabled young man in 1964. Sam is there to help Jimmy keep and maintain a job so that Jimmy does not have to return to a mental institution. Previous guest, Christopher J. Steward, returns to discuss the episode. Michael Madsen guest stars as Michael Madsen. (Just kidding, he’s playing a character called “Blue”, but come on, he’s Michael Madsen.)

Programming note: The word ‘retarded’ is used once in our discussion to clarify its use in the TV episode, and thereafter referred to as “the R-bomb”. (Thanks, Christopher, for coining that term.)

We frequently use these references: Beyond the Mirror Image: The Observer’s Guide to Quantum Leap, available at http://www.lulu.com/us/en/shop/matt-dale/beyond-the-mirror-image/hardcover/product-23098157.html
and