As
a Rabbi, Sam must prevent a Jewish family from falling apart when the
wife of his brother contemplates having an affair. Her husband is a
bitter man due to the loss of their son and has stopped communicating
with their daughter as well. Sam has to bring them all together and
save the family.
TV Guide
Synopsis: Sam
leaps into a rabbi's life and has to stop his sister-in-law from having
an affair that would break up his brother's fragile family. Irene
Basch: Terri Hanauer. Joe Basch: James Sutorius. Bert Glasserman: Russ
Tamblyn. Karen: Lindsay Fisher. Sam: Scott Bakula.
"Locomotion" by Little Eva "Killing Me Softly" by Roberta
Flack "Hava Nagila" "The Mourner's Kadddish"
(the song/prayer sung in the last scene in the graveyard; Joe was also
reciting the last lines of it as the scene begins.)
Al
Trivia:
In this episode we learn that Al's third wife, Ruthie, was Jewish. We
also learn that he apparently learned some Hebrew from Ruthie (..."She
taught me the basics...") since he helps Sam out by reciting the
traditional 'Blessing Over the Bread' and guiding him through the brief
ritual. He also had to show Sam the steps to the Hora ("I love the
Hora. I saw 'Fiddler On The Roof'.... (counts on his fingers) ... 5
times.")
Al's
Outfits in this episode:
First (at Karen's Bat Mitzvah party) Al wore a dark cocoa brown suit and
shirt with a silver tie and gold shoes. He also wore a lapel pin and a
dark-banded watch on his left wrist. He held a cigar in this scene.
Next (in the Baschs' living room after Irene and Joe argued) Al wore
dark pants and a bright orange shirt with a dark brownish-orange
patterned brocade vest, and a silver 'fall' tie, and a narrow orange
belt. No cigar.
Last (at the cemetery) was a bright blue suit with a lightning bolt pin
on the right lapel, a light purple shirt and a narrow white tie.
Al's Women: Al thinks there is nothing
wrong with a one night stand!
Miscellaneous
Trivia:
Sam tried using the word 'sushi' while playing Scrabble with Karen but
had to withdraw it because she didn't recognize it. He had to settle
for, "...'hose'. A big 6 points."
The leap
date was in the Jewish year 5734.
Jewish
rituals:
Karen's Bat Mitzvah:
The Bat Mitzvah is the ceremony which takes place when a child is
thirteen years old, signifies the point at which that child has acquired
enough maturity, responsibility and knowledge to be considered an adult
for religious purposes.
The Blessing Over The Bread (Ha-Motzi):
Barukh atah Adonai Elohaynu melekh ha-olam
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe
ha-motzi lechem min ha-aretz. (Amein)
who brings forth bread from the earth. (Amen)
The Blessing Over the Bread (Ha-Motzi) represents the Lord's
provision...and gives thanks to the Lord for all the bounty of our
lives.
The Hora:
A lively traditional Jewish dance usually performed at weddings and
the celebratory meal after a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
The setting of the headstone:
It is a custom for friends and family to assemble at the unveiling of
a grave stone, usually a year after death.
The Mourner's Kaddish:
- This is the prayer Joe Basch was reciting - as well as being so
beautifully sung - in the cemetery. (The words of the Mourner's Kaddish
-in Hebrew and English):
THE MOURNER'S KADDISH - (a prayer of remembrance) ... a blessing of
memory.
Sam
performs the Heimlich Maneuver on Dr. Henry J. Heimlich, thus giving
the doctor the idea, which he publishes that year.
Regular Cast:
Scott Bakula
Dean Stockwell
Guest
Stars:
James Sutorius as Joe Basch
Terri Hanauer as Irene Basch
Lindsay Fischer as Karen Basch
Russ Tamblyn as Bert Glasserman
Jill Jacobson as Shirley Winnick
Twink Caplan as Hannah
Magda Haout as Miriam Dalwitz
Freyda Thomas as Maxine
Joie Magidow as Woman
John J . Reiner as Rabbi David K. Basch (Mirror Image)
Milt Hamerman as Harold Dalwitz
Jay Frailich as Cantor
Patti Pivaar as Singer
James Sutorius as Joe Basch: Veteran
theater actor James Sutorius has performed for the most prestigious
regional and repertory companies in the country including California's
Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Center Theatre Group, Huntington
Hartford, South Coast Repertory, and Pasadena Playhouse, as well as
Lincoln Center, Yale Repertory, Seattle Repertory, Long Wharf Theatre,
Cleveland Playhouse, Asolo State Theatre, Cleveland Playhouse, Arizona
Repertory and Cherry Lane Theatre. While he has displayed his talents
in scores of TV and film assignments over a three-decade period, his
heart has remained true to the theater. Most recently he was seen on
Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in Aaron Sorkin's new play "The
Farnsworth Invention" that was directed by Des McAnuff and produced by
Steven Spielberg. In 2007 he won two San Diego Theatre Critics Awards
for his memorable performance as George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia
Woolf" and for his multiple supporting roles in John Strand's play
"Lincolnesque". Prior to that he was selected to co-star in Arthur
Laurents "2 Lives" at the George Street Playhouse in New York and in
Charles L. Mee Jr.'s play "A Perfect Wedding" at the Kirk Douglas
Theatre in Los Angeles. James made an auspicious Broadway debut in 1973
with "The Changing Room." In his very first entrance as a member of a
rugby team, he had to walk downstage and strip off all his clothes!
Instead of finding the experience terrifying, he actually found it
liberating. Two years later he was playing Laertes at the Vivian
Beaumont opposite Sam Waterston's Hamlet, and alongside a rising cast
of stars that included Jane Alexander, Mandy Patinkin, George Hearn and
John Heard. Following that in 1978 he played the son of Cameron
Mitchell and Jan Sterling in "The November People" at the Billy Rose
Theatre. In the mid-1970s James broke into TV. With his intense good
looks, he was deemed to play a number of no-nonsense professional types
as well as heavies in dramatic programs. After guest roles on such
shows as "Cannon" and "Kojak," he found series regular work supporting
Bob Crane on his short-lived sitcom The Bob Crane Show (1975). His
break, however, came when he nabbed the starring role of investigative
reporter Mike Andros in the one-season The Andros Targets (1977), which
filmed on the streets of New York. This success convinced him to make a
decisive move to Los Angeles. Appearing in a number of notable TV
movies including A Death in Canaan (1978), A Question of Love (1978),
Skokie (1981), Space (1985) and On Wings of Eagles (1986), he went on
to guest star on the most popular series of the day ("St. Elsewhere,"
"Family Ties," "21 Jump Street," "Murder, She Wrote," "L.A. Law," "The
X Files", "Judging Amy"). He also found occasional recurring stints on
such shows as "Dynasty". Sporadic film work came along in the form of
I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982) starring Jill Clayburgh and Windy
City (1984) with John Shea and Kate Capshaw. One special highlight was
his highly successful return to Broadway in 1992 when he replaced
"Monk" actor Tony Shalhoub as son Charlie in the hard-hitting, Tony
Award-winning play "Conversations with My Father" opposite Judd Hirsch.
Terri Hanauer as Irene Basch: A
United States/Canadian citizen, Terri Hanauer graduated with an honors
degree in Theater Arts from York University, Toronto. She has worked in
both countries as an actress in film, television, commercials and
theatre (appearing at the Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles and the Arena
Stage, Washington D.C.). Her
background as an actress and photographer led her to directing. She
directed her first short film, "A Day in the Life, " which screened at
numerous festivals. She was accepted into AFI's Directing Workshop for
Women. Her second short film, Recycling Flo (2004), was chosen by AFI
to represent it at the Cannes Film Festival - International Short Film
Corner. Along with being official selection in over 50 film festivals,
"Recycling Flo" won two Best Film/Jury prizes at the Fort Lauderdale
International Film Festival and the Farmington Comedy Film Festival. She has co-directed 13 half-hour episodes of Zane's Sex Chronicles (2008) for HBO/Afterdark. She
recently directed her first feature film, Sweet Talk (2013). It is
distributed by Gravitas Ventures and American World Pictures and is
available on Amazon Prime, Hulu Plus, Vudu and iTunes. On
stage, she directed Peter Lefcourt's popular "Café Society" at the
Odyssey Theatre where she received Honorable Best Director and the cast
received Best Ensemble in a Comedy Award from Stage Scene LA. She
directed John Bishop's "The Trip Back Down" at the Whitefire Theatre
for which she was nominated by Broadway World for Best Director.
Lindsay Fischer as Karen Basch: Prior to her appearance as Karen Basch
on Quantum Leap, Lindsay Fisher made guest starring appearances in such
other TV shows as: The Wonder Years (1989 & 1991) , and
Roseanne (3 appearances in 1990).
Russ Tamblyn as Bert Glasserman: Russ
wasn't discovered, he discovered show business at the age of 5 when,
with other youngsters at Inglewood, California, he went to Saturday
matinees at the Granada Theatre. One afternoon while waiting for the
show to start he got on the stage and did an impromptu dance which the
kids loved. He repeated it the following week and became so popular
that when he didn't appear there was almost a riot. The theater manager
spoke to his parents and his mother let him take dancing lessons. Once
started on a career he expanded his talents to take in singing and
acrobatics performing his first back flip at 10. He later added
juggling, a magic act, piano, and drums to his talents which made him a
regular performer at local clubs. He made his stage debut with a small
theater group directed by Lloyd Bridges which in turn led to his film
debut in 'The Boy With Green Hair' followed by a part in 'Samson and
Delilah' and the title role in 'The Kid From Cleveland.' He earned an
Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor for 'Peyton Place' receiving
high praise from both director Mark Robson and choreographer Michael
Kidd, who was a close friend of Jerome Robbins, and who'd worked with
Russ on 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers.' Summoned for both a dancing
and acting screen test with Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins he was cast
as Riff the leader of the Jets in the Oscar winning film 'West Side
Story.' In his films up to 1952 he was credited as Rusty Tamblyn and
Russ Tamblyn after that. He also played Dr. Lawrence Jacoby in both the film and TV series Twin Peaks.
Jill Jacobson as Shirley Winnick: Jill Jacobson was born in Texas, USA. She is known for Falcon Crest (1981), Boredom (2015) and Mic Whore (2014).
Twink Caplan as Hannah: Twink
Caplan was born on December 25, 1947 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
She is an actress and producer, known for Clueless (1995), Feud (2017)
and Look Who's Talking (1989).
Magda Haout as Miriam Dalwitz: Magda
Harout was born on April 22, 1926 in Van Nuys, California, USA. She was
an actress, known for Baggage Claim (2013), The Golden Girls (1985) and
Quantum Leap (1989). She was married to Robert T. Kardashian. She died
on September 9, 2021 in North Hollywood, California, USA.
Freyda Thomas as Maxine: Freyda Thomas is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and Murder, She Wrote (1984).
Joie Magidow as Woman: Joie
Magidow is known for A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
(1988), Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981) and Quantum Leap
(1989).
John J . Reiner as Rabbi David K. Basch (Mirror Image): John J. Reiner is known for Community (2009), Quantum Leap (1989) and Abby 33 (2010).
Milt Hamerman as Harold Dalwitz: Milt
Hamerman was born on September 30, 1925 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,
USA. He was a casting director and actor, known for The Power of the
Resurrection (1958), Quantum Leap (1989) and High Desert Kill (1989).
He died on February 24, 2012 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Jay Frailich as Cantor: Jay Frailich is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000) and Bloodlines: Murder in the Family (1993).
Patti Pivaar as Singer: Patti Pivaar is known for Quantum Leap (1989), The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979) and Charlie's Angels (1976).
Say What?
The leap date, February 3, 1974, fell on a Sunday. Bar and Bat
Mitzvah ceremonies were almost always
held on Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath.
The
word "hose" in Scrabble is worth a minimum of 7 points - not 6.
Joe is
worried about going away for the weekend. However, the weekend is
almost over as the leap-in was on a Sunday.
A
con-artist like Bert would not simply admit to his lie as quickly as he
did in the episode.
Quotable
Quotes:
I wish a
hologram could eat ...
-- Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
Oy vey, I'm the Rabbi.
-- Sam, "Thou Shalt Not"
I hope you never leap into the Rockettes.
-- Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
Fidelity is the basis of a good relationship ... of course I couldn't
expect you to understand that could I?
My relationships have all been good, it's my marriages that haven't
worked out.
-- Sam and Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
If all the men of the world could make love with all the women of the
world, there would be no more war.
Until their wives found out.
-- Al and Sam, "Thou Shalt Not"
I have kind of an unusual lifestyle.
-- Sam, "Thou Shalt Not"
That's great Sam! He hit you, that means he still loves her. Let him
hit you again!
-- Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
Try clicking your heels together 3 times and saying "there's no place
like home".
-- Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
Sometimes I think fidelity is highly overrated.
-- Al, "Thou Shalt Not"
Al's
Best
Lines:
At the party: "I agree. What's wrong with a good, old-fashioned
one-night stand?"
The beach scene: "Sam, he hit you! That's great! That means he still
loves her. Let him hit you again."
Sam's
Best Line:
"You've lost a son. Don't lose a daughter, too."
Best
Scene:
Joe (walks in the beach house to see Irene in Sam's arms) his voice
tight and accusing: "My brother and my wife. I should have known." ...
then,
Joe, on the beach, angry and accusing, pent up emotions and now
revealed long held resentful feelings against his brother coming out:
"Were you eyeing her at my dinner table? Did it happen in my home?"
Sam: You don't know what you're talking about."
Joe: "Little Davy, always the smart one, always the best. You always
got what you want. Well, not my wife, David. Not my wife!" ... then
after knocking Sam down for the 3rd time, he spits: "I'll never forgive
you for this, Irene."
Sam: "For this or for Danny? I mean, that's what this is all about.
You know that Irene and I are not having an affair. You've never
forgiven Irene for letting Danny go to Europe..."
Synopsis & Review:
Sam
has leapt in the middle of a Jewish Bat Mitzvah. This would be fine,
except he is in the guise of David Basch (leapee played by John J.
Reiner), the rabbi conducting the ceremony! Fortunately, the main
ceremony is finishing, David's niece Karen Basch (played by Lindsay
Fisher) is pronounced an adult, and the service moves to the reception.
Al arrives in time to help Sam get through his duties of breaking the
bread and dancing the Hora – Al's third wife, Ruth, was Jewish.
All is not well at the reception though, David's brother Joe Basch
(James Sutorius) is not happy at all and refuses to dance with his wife
Irene (Terri Hanauer), so she dances with a friend, Bert Glasserman
(Russ Tamblyn). Many of the female guests discuss their disbelief at
Bert still being single and not having moved on from the death of his
wife two years ago, although it seems that some of these women know
more than they are letting on. One of the female guests asks to speak
to Sam the next day. Al tells Sam that he has leapt here because of
Irene – she has a one-night stand which gets found out and destroys the
family, something Karen never gets over.
At home, Karen unwraps her presents, and Joe makes the excuse of
needing to fill up his car (as there is a fuel shortage) and turns her
down when she wants to accompany him. Joe asks Sam to go with him
though, as he wants to talk. He reminisces about his childhood with his
father and brother, watching basketball games with his son, and laments
having thoughts of having an affair. Al suggests to Sam that both Joe
and Irene should each have a one-night stand to get it out of their
systems and maybe Sam should just try to prevent each of them from
finding out about the other. Sam immediately rejects this idea, because
fidelity is the foundation of a marriage. Irene catches Sam talking to
himself, but he covers it up by saying he is rehearsing for his next
sermon.
Later, after losing a game of Scrabble with Karen, Sam picks up a
nearby guitar to play, but this causes Karen distress, as it is
“Danny’s” guitar. Sam brings this up at dinner, and learns that Danny,
Joe and Irene's son, recently died. Irene wants to discuss setting his
headstone, but Joe doesn't want to talk about it. Sam realizes that
their grief is tearing the family apart and asks to spend the night
there. While Irene is making his bed (in Danny's room, because it's the
only free bed) she reminisces about her son and breaks down. She blames
herself for his death, because it was she who allowed Danny to go on
the backpacking trip that led to his death – the plane crashed on the
way. Sam comforts her and then concludes that he (or rather David) is
her lover.
Sam and Al discuss it, and realize that Sam can't leap until he can
prevent the one night stand from ever happening once David leaps back.
The next day, Irene, Sam and Karen are preparing for a bake sale at the
Temple. Irene's friend Bert approaches Irene, reminisces about his late
wife, and explains that since her death he has been focusing on writing
– a book he claims is about dealing with the loss of a loved one. He
asks Irene if she would like to contribute to it, as it might be
therapeutic for her to talk about her grief. Meanwhile, Sam is
approached by the woman who the night before had asked to talk with
him. In private, she confesses to him that she had been having an
affair with Bert Glasserman, who had approached her in a moment of
weakness after her father's death, saying “all the right things”.
While packing, Sam talks to Irene, who thanks him for supporting the
family during this difficult time. He suggests that Irene and Joe spend
the weekend at their beach house to clear their heads, but Joe
declines. When Irene says that Joe should listen to David as he knows
what they need, Joe says “maybe you should have married David then”.
Irene goes to the beach house alone, and Karen confides to Sam that she
wishes her mother had married David too, because she feels that her
father only loved Danny and wishes she had died instead.
Sam comforts her and then asks for directions to the beach house after
realizing that it is actually Bert with whom Irene will have the
one-night stand. Al explains to Sam that Bert Glasserman is a real
slimeball. He has never been married and uses the story of having a
recently passed wife to seduce grieving women and use them as research
for his book “Women in Pain”, which would become a bestseller in the
1970s. Irene is chapter six.
Sam's instinct was correct, Bert had followed Irene to the beach house
and was making his moves. Sam arrives at the beach house just as Bert
and Irene have begun kissing. He reveals the truth about Bert and his
book, whereupon Irene slaps him in the face several times and throws
him out. She then breaks down in Sam's arms. However, at that moment
Joe arrives and comes to the same wrong conclusion as Sam did before,
namely that David and Irene are having an affair. Joe hits Sam a few
times, but Sam is able to convince Joe that this isn't true. Joe breaks
down and finally talks about his grief. Irene comforts him and they
reconcile.
Al reveals that Bert's book will never be published because Irene blows
the whistle on his research methods, but that Irene and Joe are writing
a book and it is helping many parents deal with the loss of a child. Al
thinks Sam will now leap, but Sam has one more thing to do. At the
placing of Danny's headstone, he convinces Joe to be more affectionate
towards his daughter Karen, stating that he has already lost a son, he
should not lose a daughter too. Joe tells Karen how much he loves her,
and after a final hug from the newly-repaired family, Sam leaps. Source
Personal
Review by Sherdran <AKA> Eleiece:
Dealing with and acceptance of the death of a loved one, (especially a child) is one of the most difficult situations any of us will face in life. Sam mission in this leap was three-fold and intertwined: (1) Save Joe and Irene's marriage; (2) prevent Karen's alienation from her father because of his fixation on his son (Danny); and (3) by helping Joe accept and deal with the loss of his son. I like this episode because it focuses on the importance of family as well as showing how easily it can be destroyed.
Production Credits:
Music by: Mike Post Supervising Producers: Deborah Pratt, Paul M. Belous, Robert Wolterstorff Co-producers: Paul Brown, Jeff Gourson, Chris Ruppenthal Produced by: Harker Wade Created by: Donald P. Bellisario Written by: Tammy Ader Directed by: Randy Roberts
Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario Associate Producers:David Bellisario Director of Photography: Michael Watkins Production Designer: Cameron Birnie Edited by: N. Mario Di Gregorio Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow First Assistant Director: Paul Sirmons Second Assistant Director: Rob Mendel Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac Costume Supervisors: David Rawley & Donna Roberts-Orme Sound Mixer: Mark Hopkins McNabb Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth Contributing Musical Composers: Velton Ray Bunch and Jerry Grant Sound Editor: Paul Clay Music Editor: Tom Gleason
Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®
This
motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other
countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may
result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.
The
characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any
similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company
Quantum Leap Podcast
In
the fifteenth installment of The Quantum Leap Podcast Albie and Heather
discuss Season two episode seven “Thou Shalt Not…” and open up and talk
about their personal loss and how this episode, while being a downer,
may in fact be able to help people who suffer with loss and grief.
There’s first impressions, an episode recap, thoughts and opinions,
listener feedback, an amazing interview with Terri Hanauer who played
Irene Basch in the Quantum Leap episode “Thou Shalt Not…” and an
article from Hayden McQueenie.
Let us know what you think… Leave us a voicemail by calling (707)847-6682.
Send in your thoughts, theories and feedback, Send MP3s & Email to quantumleappodcast@gmail.com.
Also join us on Facebook.com/QuantumLeapPodcast and Twitter.com/QuantumLeapPod
