Below are some extracts from my Leaping to Infinity Unofficial and Unauthorized Articles and Essays on Quantum Leap book which some of you may find interesting, or not. Thought it was about time someone recalled the show especially since it has been 20 years since it ended and was given some more coverage! I loved the show and I'm sure many of you out there did too and still do.
Sam As Hero
Sam gave up his own life and in the process ended up having to save others. Emphasis on ‘having to’ since this wasn’t his dream. Unlike HG Wells’ character of the Time Traveller in The Time Machine who was able to return to his own time, he saw the best and worst of humanity but not change it. Sam could not return. As Sam tells Al in Catch A Falling Star he has a life; so what about his life? He can’t live it but has to live for others; through others, vicariously. This could be deemed his sacrifice. He’s doomed to travel throughout time and never have his own existence.
Would this confer him as a hero figure much unlike Sidney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, which begins: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” and ends on a completely different note. As if the “worst of times” was a foreboding of the bad that was to come. The book ends with “It’s a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done…”
To carry on helping people takes a certain strength of character when Sam could have given up so many times and he displayed this in many of his leaps Including Watts Riots ep, Black On White On Fire.
Though in Revenge of the Evil Leaper and Killin’ Time, Sam attempts to tell people who he really is which is a mammoth task initself, except for the psychic who already knows in Leaping in Without A Net episode. He tries to change his family’s life in The Leap Home Part 1 but fails miserably as Al tells him, he’s making their lives miserable. He’s forced to say he made everything up, i.e. the future and being able to see it. Leap Home Part 2 Vietnam.
Sam as hero is compassionate and supportive. Independent as far as he could be within the tasks he was given. But was independent in terms of free will and free spirit. That independence could to an extent signify this drive, to do right, obsessed to a certain degree with the need to make the world better. Emphasis on world and not just one person at a time. Sam is perfect and had what is known as character flaws. Anger at the cards fate has dealt him, where his own life and family were concerned. Yet also for those he had to save and some he couldn’t.
Reluctant hero? No. Rebellious nature? Yes and maybe sometimes stubborn in that he will cling to what he feels is right and the best thing to do, even though that’s not in the ‘future’ or history. Nothing is set in stone, least of all character traits, which are always changing and evolving...
Sam As Our Mirror Image
Scott: “Sam’s still out there doing good deeds…we all have a chance to live in everybody else’s shoes everyday and experience and offer everybody a hand everyday – that’s why the show still resonates with people.”
Thus the idea that Sam is in all of us.
His purpose was to prove Time Travel theory and in doing so created an experiment which remains top secret. Not intended to save the world – Sam ended up doing exactly that. Well not really the world as Al tells him in the Dr Ruth episode, only to make a difference; an impact in peoples’ lives. (So maybe they can go on to save the world.)
Sam is the cute guy from all our dreams with gorgeous green eyes and great hair. Like a character from a comic book, a superhero. A loner as he’s often described. Sam is noble, heroic, the do-gooder we all want to have on our side – rooting for us in our corner.
He’s the perfect son who was there for his family but not when his father lost the farm, but that wasn’t his fault. He wasn’t a brat, but a great brother who wanted to save his brother, Tom. Which he did? And he carries the guilt around for not being able to save his sister, Katie from the abusive husband she marries. In that sense, Sam is the prodigal son. Brought up to care. He’s the genius, the doctor with so many degrees and expert on foreign languages.
You could call him the poster boy of science as he reminds Al several times he’s a scientist. Sam is a geek, has a photographic memory. For all his nerd-y-ness and that’s a plus, he’s also a rebel with a cause. It’s the leap that’s of concern.
His memory ironically turns to Swiss cheese when he leaps. Sam is a sinner, a scoundrel, a saint. Each one of his leaps is when he encounters some aspect of these traits on every new journey.
Sam is careful, way smarter than average and the vain jock and jerks at college. He’s lonely and alone; afraid yet brave. Some of the time he needs saving, guidance in the right direction from Al. Sam is the son who left home early, went to college, made an impact. Fell in love with Donna at college, but couldn’t have her even after he met up with her in a leap. He sometimes finds life...
Alice in Wonderland In QL
In Starlight Starbright, Meadows says, “Alice in wonderland’s coherent too, but that doesn’t mean I believe in grinning cats who disappear.” Reference was made to this in the show. Alice’s journey in Wonderland is akin, almost parallel to Sam and his leaping.
Alice follows the White Rabbit and this is seen as a guide who appears several times to explain the story when things seem to slow down or when not much is happening. Alluded to Al - he's a "guide" - an observer. Someone who is there to offer Sam not only guidance, but tell him what he has to do to save the leapee; as well as what the story or the plot for that particularly episode involves. The flaw is that the white Rabbit keeps looking at his clock and can't provide much help or guidance. He's only concerned with himself, about himself. Al has his handlink and communicates with Ziggy but his entire purpose is there to help Sam, never mind getting bogged down in his own life or personal machinations. Though he does offer his viewpoint irrespective of whether or not Sam wants it. Especially if it involves a lustful comment about a beautiful woman with a pair of...lovely eyes! Also Al does mention his own personal woes and dilemmas sometimes. Such as MIA where the leap was not about him, contrary to him wanting it to be and ensuring he might be able to make it all about himself...
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde In QL
Again in Starlight Starbright, Al once again refers to Hardy and Meadows as “Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.”
Though this may not exactly appeal to many, after recently reading The Curious Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson, I found there were many allusions to Quantum Leap. Manifesting themselves most apparently in the character of Dr Henry Jekyll. He is by nature a good man, a scientist and a doctor. Remind you of Sam? Thus far, yes. He has friends who he invites to dinner where they converse about science, religion and literature. However, Jekyll harbours a dark secret of wanting to be 'evil’ and dark in his character and nature. This is where the similarity ends, but Sam wanted to use his scientific knowledge for time travel and he wanted to do good.
When Sam leaps, he does so into many different, varied and obscure people: some good, some bad. Yet he comes across both good and evil in most all of his leaps. God is good. Sam believes in God, but not in the devil, even though evil exists. Even after Al tells him the devil is real: look what happened to Al and Beth, for starters. Also Sam's own encounter with the devil. Men are both good and evil...
SO if any of this has whetted your appetite then you can get the book here:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leaping-infinity-Unofficial-unauthorized-articles/dp/1291438289/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_C6DD
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