The Leap Home: Part 1 - November 25, 1969

Episode aired Sep 28, 1990
TV-PG
48m

IMDb RATING

9.2/10

970

YOUR RATING

Scott Bakula and David Newsom in Quantum Leap (1989)

Action Adventure Drama Mystery Sci-Fi

Sam leaps into himself as a 16-year-old boy to help his high school basketball team win the championship. He also tries to help the other members of his family including his father who died ... Read allSam leaps into himself as a 16-year-old boy to help his high school basketball team win the championship. He also tries to help the other members of his family including his father who died from smoking, his brother who was killed in Vietnam and his sister who married an abusive ... Read allSam leaps into himself as a 16-year-old boy to help his high school basketball team win the championship. He also tries to help the other members of his family including his father who died from smoking, his brother who was killed in Vietnam and his sister who married an abusive alcoholic.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

9.2/10

970

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos28

+ 22

User reviews7

9.2970

Featured reviews

10copacetic-peril

Marquee episode of the Series

Poignant and emotionally evocative episode. There exists a reason why it holds the highest rating of all Quantum Leap's 97 episodes. That reason is self-evident.

9biscayne316

Great episode, except for wrong nutrition info

Great concept well done, but Sam should restrict his advice to the insanity of smoking, and to getting exercise. Not eating saturated fat has been proven to be completely wrong. One additional goof: Sam says 1969 was his senior year, but he is only 16. Cool to have him play his Dad, but the makeup made him look like the scarecrow!

9DJ_Reticuli

Touching

Scott Bakula singing John Lennon to his sister gets me every time. Olivia Burnette is also a criminally-underused actress in the industry. She was amazing in this. Bakula playing his own father is one of the most convincing instances of an actor playing multiple parts I've ever seen since Dr Strangelove, maybe more so, because in the latter comedy & satire you didn't have a problem breaking your suspension of disbelief to just enjoy Sellers. In this episode, it works on other levels. Yes, as the other reviewer mentioned, the nutrition advice is a little dated, but in 1990 they didn't know any better with the misinterpretations of the Framingham study, overemphasis of the (at the time still-incomplete) Lipid Theory, and the understanding of inflammation still being in its infancy. Saturated fat and especially ingested cholesterol are nutritious and much better for you than sugar. The smoking and cardio stuff is still right on, though, and the father and mother's responses still works as well now as it did then.

Trivia
When the title and date are shown "The Leap Home, November 25, 1969" the farm in the background is from Field of Dreams (1989) - the lights & baseball diamond are visible.

Goofs
"Post Raisin Bran" cereal box on kitchen table is from 1990, not 1969.

Quotes
Sam Beckett: John is going to write my favorite song.
Katie Beckett: [skeptical] You favorite song?
Sam Beckett: Um-hmm.
Katie Beckett: In the future?
Sam Beckett: Yeah.
Katie Beckett: Well, sing it to me. Or are you gonna use that swiss-cheese-brain excuse you gave me when I asked you who'd be my first boyfriend?
Sam Beckett: [playing guitar and singing] Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try / No Hell below us / Above us only sky / Imagine all the people living for today / Imagine there's no countries / It isn't hard to do / Nothing to kill or die for.
[Katie's expression changes]
Sam Beckett: And no religion, too / Imagine all the people living life in peace / You-hoo, you might say I'm a dreamer.
Sam Beckett, Admiral Al Calavicci: But I'm not the only one / I hope someday you'll join us / And the world will live as one.
Sam Beckett: Imagine no posses...
[Sam notices Katie has started crying and stops]
Sam Beckett: Katey, what is it?
Katie Beckett: I've never heard that before.
Sam Beckett: Of course not. Lennon's not gonna write it for another couple of years.
Katie Beckett: Noo!
Admiral Al Calavicci: Sam...
Sam Beckett: Katey, what is it?
Katie Beckett: I don't want to believe you!
Sam Beckett: Why?
Katie Beckett: I don't want to believe you know the future... because if you do, Tommy's gonna die.

Crazy credits
Instead of the usual ending theme, the credits roll atop an alternate angle take of Sam playing "Imagine" to Katie.

Connections
Edited from Field of Dreams (1989)

Soundtracks
Suite from The Leap Home, Part I: I Am Home / Winning Basket / Thank God It's Dinner
Written by Velton Ray Bunch
Performed by Velton Ray Bunch
Courtesy of Music Corp. of America (BMI)