Top 10 Worst Episodes of Quantum Leap

Grimlock

Project QL Intern
Nov 6, 2005
131
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The Netherlands
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Good Morning, Peoria



Perhaps this is because I'm not an American (then again, most episodes were based on American society), but this rock & roll episode bored me to death. Saving the town from people who hate rock & roll? Yeah, that will beat saving someone's life (in any kind of way) any time of the day|I




Next up: A lifetime tv-movie
 
I'm not American, and I like that episode. Although I can't really say which episodes are the worst ones, as in my opinion, all the episodes are good, just some aren't as good as others.
 
Hey, Kristen and I love Peoria! It's funny and cute and it was based off a Non American based movie FYI, Good Morning Vietnam. I love seeing Sam in a fun mood. So I think the top ten worst episodes are a matter of opinion.

Here are mine:
Trilogies (All three) - Absoutly horrid episodes. Sam goes out of his moral charactor in the second one and Abigale is annoying, obnoxious and a ditz. I hate the idea of Sam having a kid with anyone other than Donna.

The Last gunfighter - See my post in it's review thread. :p

Heart of a Chamption - Its boring, and the brother with the heart thing is really stupid for not even consitering the possibility of something wrong. Plus as a personal bonus, diseases and medical stuff very easily creep me out.

Goodbye Norma Jean - I didn't disklike anything specific, it's just not a good episode.

My best friend Kristen shares all these by the way. except the trilogies, she doesn't like them, but she also doesn't absolutly hate Abigale and Sammy Jo though like I do.

That's all I have, because other than that, I have my least favorities but I wouldn't consiter them bad episodes.
 
Sam Beckett Fan said:
Hey, Kristen and I love Peoria! It's funny and cute and it was based off a Non American based movie FYI, Good Morning Vietnam. I love seeing Sam in a fun mood. So I think the top ten worst episodes are a matter of opinion.

Here are mine:
Trilogies (All three) - Absoutly horrid episodes. Sam goes out of his moral charactor in the second one and Abigale is annoying, obnoxious and a ditz. I hate the idea of Sam having a kid with anyone other than Donna.

The Last gunfighter - See my post in it's review thread. :p

Heart of a Chamption - Its boring, and the brother with the heart thing is really stupid for not even consitering the possibility of something wrong. Plus as a personal bonus, diseases and medical stuff very easily creep me out.

Goodbye Norma Jean - I didn't disklike anything specific, it's just not a good episode.

My best friend Kristen shares all these by the way. except the trilogies, she doesn't like them, but she also doesn't absolutly hate Abigale and Sammy Jo though like I do.

That's all I have, because other than that, I have my least favorities but I wouldn't consiter them bad episodes.

And then to others, I find all of the episodes are great. Even Trilogy. There are episodes that I don't like as much as others, but the thing is that each episode has it's own merit. All of them. You can dislike certain things in each one, but I can't make myself choose which one that I dislike the most.

What I like even better to do is re-watch an episode and just find the things that I like about it more than what I dislike about it. Just a thought.

Going into the morality and the ethical issues of Trilogy isn't in question... and whether or not it was something that was moral or ethical, it did happen according to canon... so even if you don't like it... you have to recognize that it did happen.

Things happen in life that people don't like - moral and ethical things and people have to live on. Like today, I didn't like having to stay after school for a meeting that I *had* to attend, but it was a part of my job, so I did it. It wouldn't have been the right thing to do to not go to it. So, I went. I didn't like it, but I did it anyway.

*shrugs* I guess it's just how you look at things.
 
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Count me in as another one who doesn't care for Trilogy. It just creeps me out. There are ASPECTS of the story I like, but as a whole, that's the episode(s) I dislike most.
 
i think trilogy was great.It had a lot of suspence and it was creepy in some parts.But i agree with the whole abbigaile and sami jo thing.totally betrayal for donna.The episodes that i am bored to watch for a second time but its not that i hate them are the Right hand of god,No action or mystery and you know whats gonna happen in the end couse you saw that a million times in other movies, goodmorning peoria becouse IS just boring episode , all americans for the same reason,and heart of a champion its the second time we see sam as a boxer leap into a boxer from russia so you know how is the episode gonna end.But i dont think that the show had worst episodes.These episodes that you dont like you could watch them again just when you have nothing to do and kill your time.its fun to see sam get into these kind of situations even when the episode is not so good like some others
 
I gotta say... I loved Good Morning Peoria. It's one of my top 5 favorites. A time when rock and roll was something new and the country (the United States) really was divided against or for it. That was a different time and I think people just don't understand sometimes that millions of people literally fought at times to keep it on the air. I loved the music, the story, the feel, everything about it (with original music intact of course - not the cut-down dvd version). Sorry I can't agree with some of you on this one.
 
alsplacebartender said:
I gotta say... I loved Good Morning Peoria. It's one of my top 5 favorites. A time when rock and roll was something new and the country (the United States) really was divided against or for it. That was a different time and I think people just don't understand sometimes that millions of people literally fought at times to keep it on the air. I loved the music, the story, the feel, everything about it (with original music intact of course - not the cut-down dvd version). Sorry I can't agree with some of you on this one.

Well said Brian, Peoria showed us how strongly people were against rock and roll, or some people anyway. I especially loved when Sam tought Chubby Checker his own moved, The Twist. That was cute. :)
 
I don't spend much time thinking about which episodes I don't like--I don't think there's a really bad episode in the bunch, because they all have something entertaining. Every single one has great Sam & Al scenes even if the plot is otherwise dull.

But I did think of a few--How the Tess Was Won and Right Hand of God are least favorites. Heart of a Champion was dullsville. I do like Good Morning Peoria though.

I think Trilogy was really well written and suspenseful but... I don't like it much either. It creeps me out. Since the series ended soon after, the storyline about Sammi Jo seems like a dangling loose end. I tend to ignore it even though it is canon.

Probably the episode that I dislike most of all is Revenge of the Evil Leaper. I don't like the evil leapers to begin with, and I think that one is just a mess.
 
McDuck said:
Count me in as another one who doesn't care for Trilogy. It just creeps me out. There are ASPECTS of the story I like, but as a whole, that's the episode(s) I dislike most.

Well, you won't find it on this list. It will feature on another list I'm making however ;)


But then again, I don't care much for Donna (The Leap Back retconned her big time) or contrived moral issues (eeewwwwwww, he is going to bed with the little kid :hair ). I am however, a fan of great written suspenseful stuff. Plus physical handicaps for Sam (see Will and Larry). Funny, as most fans are in love with the Halloween episode (which is horribly overrated).


P.S. I will continue this list later today and I might then even make a beginning with my Top 25 Episodes list.
 
Grimlock said:
(eeewwwwwww, he is going to bed with the little kid :hair ).

Yeeeah. Kristen and I are grossed out by that too, thats one of many reasons we hate the trilogies. not only is Abigale annoying and ditzy but he in a sense fathered her as a child! So that's just wrong that he then turned around and slept with her! ack, see Sam is way out of charactor and very unmoral of him. Bad boy Sam, Bad! :(
 
Sam Beckett Fan said:
not only is Abigale annoying and ditzy but he in a sense fathered her as a child!

For a whole two days or something :hmm

Though I can see why women (in particular) are not fond of Abigail.


Sam Beckett Fan said:
So that's just wrong that he then turned around and slept with her!

Yeah, why couldn't he have leaped in a few minutes later:lol
 
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Runaway

Well, that picture sums is it up nicely, doesn't it? Woman is unhappy with her marriage and decides to runaway. Real lifetime movie quality. Sadly, I'm not a fan of the range. Actually, a similar episode also features (later on) in this top 10.
 
McDuck said:
Count me in as another one who doesn't care for Trilogy. It just creeps me out. There are ASPECTS of the story I like, but as a whole, that's the episode(s) I dislike most.

And all this time I really thought I was the only one who HATED the "Trilogy." I'm very surprised to see so many members here not like it, especially the women. I tried liking it better as I got older and it worked, somewhat. But I especially can't stand "Trilogy Part II" with Sam's stutter. How IRRITATING and unnecessary! I also wasn't too crazy about the fact that the same actress played both young Abigail and Sammy Jo, à la the Back To the Future trilogy. A little hair color change and...voilà! A new person. And that's not to mention the moral and ethical issues as well.
 
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here somethin that i thought.you are right about the moral issues as far for abigail, but in thrilogy 3 al said sam in the end of the ep when he revealed him that sami jo was his daugher,that sami jo found a way to make sam return back home.So what if sam originally was destined to fall for abigail and have a doughter from her and his daughter would found the way make him return back to his time??if sam never slept with abigail or fall for her then sami jo wouldnt exist and maybe sam would stuck in the past forever leaping from one person to another.Sam like we all figured out he wasnt destined to marry donna.thats why donna left him in the altar becouse if she didnt maybe he wouldnt made the ql project.so he did and he start leaping but then he changed history when he reunited donna with her dad and so on and on... and of course he did one mistake he hurt donna. Accidently of course by continued leaping, And later with sami jo.IN 2 words sam wasnt destined to marry donna but abigail and his doughter would saved him in the end.The only that troubles me in that ep is al . when he saw that sam was having sex with her and he left her pregneaut i think he had the obligation to tell him about donna.But i think the writers didnt care about the moral issue of that episode.they wanted to make the show more ecxiting and little movin in the end.
 
QL Nut said:
And all this time I really thought I was the only one who HATED the "Trilogy." I'm very surprised to see so many members here not like it, especially the women. I tried liking it better as I got older and it worked, somewhat. But I especially can't stand "Trilogy Part II" with Sam's stutter. How IRRITATING and unnecessary! I also wasn't too crazy about the fact that the same actress played both young Abigail and Sammy Jo, à la the Back To the Future trilogy. A little hair color change and...voilà! A new person. And that's not to mention the moral and ethical issues as well.

So did I for a while Chris hahaha.:lol

and I for one don't mind Runaway, its not one of my favs but I dont mind it. I think it makes my nutral list along with Rebarto.
 
leaper said:
here somethin that i thought.you are right about the moral issues as far for abigail, but in thrilogy 3 al said sam in the end of the ep when he revealed him that sami jo was his daugher,that sami jo found a way to make sam return back home.So what if sam originally was destined to fall for abigail and have a doughter from her and his daughter would found the way make him return back to his time??if sam never slept with abigail or fall for her then sami jo wouldnt exist and maybe sam would stuck in the past forever leaping from one person to another.Sam like we all figured out he wasnt destined to marry donna.thats why donna left him in the altar becouse if she didnt maybe he wouldnt made the ql project.so he did and he start leaping but then he changed history when he reunited donna with her dad and so on and on... and of course he did one mistake he hurt donna. Accidently of course by continued leaping, And later with sami jo.IN 2 words sam wasnt destined to marry donna but abigail and his doughter would saved him in the end.The only that troubles me in that ep is al . when he saw that sam was having sex with her and he left her pregneaut i think he had the obligation to tell him about donna.But i think the writers didnt care about the moral issue of that episode.they wanted to make the show more ecxiting and little movin in the end.

Would you mind chopping that up into paragraphs from now on, at least? Sometimes it gets tough to read.
 
leaper said:
But i think the writers didnt care about the moral issue of that episode.

What moral issue? That he was her father for a couple of days or the fact that he betrayed Donna? Honestly, it's only a moral issue if you want to make one of it. I sincerely hope none of you have anything against cripples or blacks (another fictional moral issue), cause they will be coming round in both lists.

Come to think of it, Season 4 was the real moral issue season (Rapists, KKK, Angels, Gays etc.).


Anyways, back to the real worst episodes (instead of the bad moralistic episodes, which is a totally different thing).
 
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Pool Hall Blues


Wait. What was this episode about? A loan or something, right? Well, I'm not a pool player, so perhaps that accounts for the fact that I am fastforwarding through this episode every time. This episode (convined space, plot point) was done much better in Season 5 (Promised Land).
 
Grimlock said:
What moral issue? That he was her father for a couple of days or the fact that he betrayed Donna? Honestly, it's only a moral issue if you want to make one of it. I sincerely hope none of you have anything against cripples or blacks (another fictional moral issue), cause they will be coming round in both lists.

Come to think of it, Season 4 was the real moral issue season (Rapists, KKK, Angels, Gays etc.).


Anyways, back to the real worst episodes (instead of the bad moralistic episodes, which is a totally different thing).
i was talking about that sam had sex with abigail and left her prregnant.Nothing more.but still i dont think the trilogy part was the worst or one of the worst ep from QL.I think it was one of the best.It was like a thriller movie.so i dont agree that this episode i say it in one word SUX:lol
 
I think trilogy was a bit rubbish to be honest but I liked the idea that abigail was somehow jinxed and that when Sam put something right in her life it lead to something else bad happening which Sam had to put right again and then one last time. The only other time where he leaps into someone elses life twice is with the Jimmy ones and they are deffo some of the best episodes in my opinions. Other bad episodes would be raped and last dance before an execution. I tended to like episodes where it was something directly linked to sam like leap home or leap back or when it was something that sam was familiar with. Does anyone understand me or does it sound like I'm just babbling on a bit. Yeh I thought so. OK then I'll shut up. But I liked promised land probably because it had something to do with sam again. I also felt the episode where he leapt into a young Al was a bit weak too anyone else feel that? I also tended towards the episodes where Sam prevented something that would not have been stoppable unless someone had come back from the future with the knowledge that something was going to happen. I'll be quiet now...:\
 
grimlock said:
What moral issue? That he was her father for a couple of days or the fact that he betrayed Donna?

Personally I vote for both. :p
I love Donna :)

and So far I am disagreeing with all your top ten least fav episodes. I like Pool Hal Blues too.
 
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A Portrait for Troian



Dear Deborah,

You are a great writer. Please stick with that. The plot has potential, but the casting is all over the place (bar Carolyn Seymour). Probably the first episode (in order) I took a dislike to. Blood Moon (I know that quite few people will disagree) is a far superior effort in this genre.
 
I liked Troian but I have to say I disliked the whole thing with the maid that Carolyn Seymore played being a ghost. I thought that was cheesy, and the same with the end of Beast Within where they saw Bigfoot and the End of StarLight Starbright, I like the ep but the end thing where he gets taken aboard the ship, cheesy :p

*Brian and all I am sorry to remove the spoiler tag that was put here but Snish made a really good point regarding this in the besr episode thread.

snish said:
I realize not everyone has seen all the episodes, but I think people should expect the show to be freely discussed on a board for an older show where many of the fans are very knowledgeable.
This show is over 10 years old what are the chances that anyone who is a member here would join without seeing at least the first two seasons, because anyone in that position wouldn't have seen enough to call themselves a fan yet. And if anyone here were by any chance in that position they need to realize that most of us have seen it and thus it's thier problem to be aware that there WILL be spoilers.

so yeah because of this I have removed the added spoiler tag sorry*
 
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sam you just spoiled the ending lol, the twist in the ending was creppy though and i dont understand why all of you underestimate deborah bratt as an actress.i think she did an ok job in the show if she had never acted before.and she was pretty i dont know how she looks now but in that episode she was pretty.That episode was very good.i think blood moon wanst as good as the portrait of the troian
 
leaper said:
i think she did an ok job in the show if she had never acted before.
"A Portrait for Troian" was certainly not Deborah Pratt's first time acting. She'd done a fair amount of work before it. I most remember her as Marella, Archangel's associate in "Airwolf" (another Bellisario production). You can see the rest of her filmography on IMDB at http://imdb.com/name/nm0695445/
 
leaper said:
why all of you underestimate deborah bratt as an actress.
I don't, I thought she was great as Troian :)
and here's a fun fact, in real life she has a daughter named Troian who later played little Teresa in Another Mother :)

leaper said:
sam you just spoiled the ending lol

Sorry I thought it was safe to assume that everyone here has seen the whole series or at least season two if not because season two has been on DVD for some time.
 
leaper said:
i think she did an ok job in the show if she had never acted before.

Which, as has already been stated, wasn't the case.



leaper said:
i think blood moon wanst as good as the portrait of the troian

I would say that Blood Moon was intentionally funny, while Portrait was UNintentionally funny.