Mirror Image questions

Hehe I remember chatting with Scott Bakula on StarTrek.com (aye I'm a trekkie too!) and he was asked a question about Mirror Image *browses through chat transcripts, noticed Samatha Beckett on there! hehe*

Ok after a bit of hunting:

jr: Do you think, now that time has passed, that you could talk Mr. Bellisario into sending Dr. Sam Beckett home? I think I am probably the only Quantum Leap fan, who did not get the ending! Oh, and I am so loving Enterprise! I hope you get to do more time-travel episodes. Hopefully, we'll get to see the future Mrs. Archer.

SB: Many people didn't get the ending to Quantum Leap, and just so you don't feel bad, remember that when Don wrote the last show, he didn't know it would be the last show, so he tried to come up with an idea that would satisfy a cliffhanger, the end of the show, allow for a movie or a movie of the week. And when you look at the last episode that way, I have always felt he did an incredible job. But my 8 year-old son is deeply disturbed that Sam didn't get home.

You can find the full transcript list at the link below:
http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/ENT/cast/120436.html
 
Don Quixote said:
Hehe I remember chatting with Scott Bakula on StarTrek.com (aye I'm a trekkie too!) and he was asked a question about Mirror Image *browses through chat transcripts, noticed Samatha Beckett on there! hehe*

On the Scott Bakula chat transcript? It must've been someone else with my screen name, because I didn't do one of those. I wish I could tho, lol...

Samantha Beckett
 
Trek Chat

I am assuming that the conversation that Don Quixote is speaking about happened awhile back during one of the official set up Chats. Based on the fact that he's talking about his 8 year old son, I would say it was the during the 3rd season of Enterprise (2003-2004). These type of chats sometimes happen over the internet. Since they are officially set up, you can be sure that that the person who the chat is with IS the person it is supposed to be.

Don Quixote: HOW COOL! Thank you for posting that! I can absolutely relate to the feeling his 8 year old son had!
 
asearcher said:
I am assuming that the conversation that Don Quixote is speaking about happened awhile back during one of the official set up Chats. Based on the fact that he's talking about his 8 year old son, I would say it was the during the 3rd season of Enterprise (2003-2004). These type of chats sometimes happen over the internet. Since they are officially set up, you can be sure that that the person who the chat is with IS the person it is supposed to be.

Don Quixote: HOW COOL! Thank you for posting that! I can absolutely relate to the feeling his 8 year old son had!
Yeah, one of my good friends had her question selected and answered. :)
 
When for chats

You have to be watching on the different sites. It's unlikely there will be more Enterprise ones since the show is off the air...but it's always possible.
 
Sometimes Brian will get someone that is related to QL in some way to come to one of the chats here. Like they would get a guest star, or an author of one of the bookks, ect.
 
Living as close to Cokeburg as I do, it's easy to get caught up in the show and go there to meditate. I've taken both of my sons out to Iowa so that we could play baseball at the Field of Dreams movie site. We may not have played catch with my late father, but my sons will remember me when I've gone on every time they see the movie. If I ever win the Powerball, I'll retire and open up "Al's Place" in Cokeburg. I'm a bit surprised that no one has done it yet. If you haven't seen 'em, there's a place on here where photos of Cokeburg and a bit of history I wrote are on display.
When my family and I were invited to former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe's farewell, one of the things they had was a video hosted by Scott, dressed as Captain Archer, seated in his Enterprise chair. It was well done.
I believe that the end of "Mirror Image" was written solely to allow the show to come back and continue from that point. I remember rumors of a movie, or at least the show being renewed due to a huge letter-writing campaign. But where would the show have gone? Granted, the faithful will watch it every week, but people will eventually tire of watching uninteresting subject matter. Shows like "Seinfeld" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" ended after the creative forces were spent, and felt that there was no new subjects to cover. Could you make the show more "edgy" by writing eps in the same style as "Battlestar Galactica"? Sure, but then you'd lose what made QL special. It was difficult for Scott to shed his QL persona in Enterprise, and play a ship's captain who had to make the tough decisions, instead of the Don Quixote character who believed he'd persevere no matter what obstacles he'd encounter.
All in all, "Mirror Image" remains one of my favorite TV shows ever. Everytime I watch it, I find something new to laugh at, or cry over. Sometimes it makes me look in the mirror and ask "Who am I?" and "Why am I here?"
Who really is that person staring back at me from the mirror, and can I live with the answer? Am I ready for the answer?
It's a question we all face sometime in our lives.
 
Don Quixote said:
I asked Scott Bakula a few questions too! It was grand. My username in the chats was designationlocutus.

On what chat transcript has my screen name on it? That way, when i read it, i can pretend that i did it, lol.

Samantha Beckett
 
Well, how I hate that I wasn't involved in it, it's cool that my name was represented (and that Scott thought it was "an interesting name" ;)). Weird thing is, barring all possible "I'm your biggest fan" kind of questions, that sounds like one i would ask. Hehe....

Samantha Beckett
 
This is Great

You know...one of the "complaints" about Scott from some of the fans of Star Trek was he didn't show up at conventions. It is nice to know that he did try to connect as much as possible through the chats. As he said in the interview (Thanks Don Quixote for the link), he didn't have much down time during the run and he certainly puts his family obligations towards the top of his list of priorities. He even mentioned at one time (can't remember if it was a chat or an interview) that with the small children, he wasn't able to got to the conventions but planned to do so eventually (had the series continued).

Personnally, I liked Captain Archer better than any of the other Captains and not just because he was played by Bakula. Rather...I felt that should we ever get a chance to get into deep space, the reactions to the adventure would be as Archer portrayed them...starting the process with great excitement and then, as things turn ugly, having to put that vision in a new context but still striving to keep the vision of exploration and wonder alive.
 
Don Quixote said:
As Al (bartender) refers to Sam as Don Quixote in the episode, it leads me to believe that leaping is based on the impossible dream. While an impossible dream is unattainable, the Quest for that dream never ends unless the person undertaking the quest stops (or they die).

In the context of Quantum Leap, the impossible dream would be righting all the wrongs in the world (Sam's reason for creating Project Quantum Leap), the Quest is leaping from life to life. In the end it is the Quest or the journey that is important. If Sam accepts the responsibility of the quest, then he would never return home.

I hope all that makes sense
smile.gif

I agree with this. I always read the "Dr Sam Beckett never returned home" as a bittersweet (and brilliant) ending because:

1. Sam realised that he COULD return home.
2. He realised all the good he had done and COULD still do (the never-ending Quest to which you refer)
3. Whilst he obviously would have loved to have gone home (and outwardly expressed this wish), deep down he knew he had to keep leaping - he would ALWAYS have "a wrong to put right first" (ie not just Al and Beth).
4. He therefore kept leaping because it was deep down what he wanted, and the knowledge that he could choose to stop eventually, allowed him to keep going, one leap at a time.
5. The fact that he never returned home is therefore a positive and heroic reflection on Sam.
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He was not trapped or lost, but carrying on his quest on his terms. So here's to the old boy
cheers.gif


I think. I havent seen the episode for ages and will have to wait for the DVD and so reserve my right to edit this furiously!!
 
I think. I havent seen the episode for ages and will have to wait for the DVD and so reserve my right to edit this furiously!!

LOL Pangster.

Very interesting take. My whole feeling though was that he just could never accept that he was controling his leaps.

But I have to say that it was a brilliant move to not have Sam return home. It has kept all of us glued to the edges of our seats for almost 13 years for more Quantum Leap
 
You know I was always curious to know about how that would change if he knew about Donna. Ok my quoting is a bit rusty, haven't seen the episode for ages!

Sam: I can't let Al die.
Donna: And I can't let you go, not when you've just come back to me.
*pause*
Donna: Go.
Sam: I'll be back, I swear to God I'll be back.
Donna: I love you...
 
Back to Being Altruistic

I've touched on this concept before. If a person constantly puts others before themselves...they lose their humanity in the process. I think that's at least a part of the Bartender's statement about not looking in the mirror...that you'll lose touch with reality.

Yes...the Quest is important. But the Quest without respecting the life of the Quester is somewhat of a perversion. Sam has a wife (who HE caused to be with him in a early leap) waiting for him. If, in fact he has chosen the Quest to put things right for others for the rest of his alotted time, he's basically turned his back upon those he loves and who love him. In that context, perhaps Mirror Image is really for the project. If they do not have Sam's body any longer and if they can not find him in time, then the project is going to be shut down. If...it is necessary to have the Project equipment to leap him back then the project has to accept the enevitablity that Sam will not return. He is lost to them forever. Hard to take...yes...similar to the MIA situation. No real closure.

If the situation is that Sam has not accepted (as the Bartender pointed out that He...and again consider that whenever the Bartender indicated who was leaping Sam...he ALWAYS pointed to the mirror) that his belief of who he is...the man in the mirror...is what keeps him leaping through time, then until Sam reassesses who his is...he will keep leaping...even if he want's to go home.

If the situation is that Sam has not accepted that he has the power to direct his leaps in any format he wants...leaping home at will or leaping through time (e.g. using PQL as a true tool)...until he accepts that...he will keep leaping.

These are 3 very different scenarios. I truly believe that as much as Sam wants to set things right...he also want's desparately to live his life with the ones he loves. I just hope that Sam will get the chance to be with his family and to continue leaping. I can not believe he would turn away entirely from those he loves.
 
i agree with you 100% Helen. it is my belief that Sam had not accept Al's words that he was leaping himself the whole time and eveidence from various episodes actually backs this up.

for example in both "Double Identity" and "Thou Shalt Not" Sam believed that his quest had been completed and stuck a pose (that i always found funny) expecting and waiting to be lept, however he did not and found out that in fact he still had more to do.

plus in episodes such as "Dr. Ruth" "Camakzi Kid" and others Sam does indeed finish his task but then has to ask Al "Why haven't I leaped yet?" and it wold turn out that he had a minor bonus to take care of.

however there is evidence that partially Sam may be able to in part control his leaping in the episode "What Price Gloria" when he stands in front of an uncontious Buddy Wright and says "No please don't leap yet", rips off his high heels breathes a sigh of relief and then says "Ok i'm ready now"

also in "Killin time" when he looks at The mom and says "I'm ready to go now".

and lets not forget the numerous moments when Sam can feel the leap coming, and knows its going to happen.

since there is evidence to support both ways, it is my belief that it does work both ways, as in Sam can control his leaping if he believes he can,

Sam: so i could have leaped home anytime?

Al: techinqually yes

Sam: what's the catch?

Al: the catch is, you have to believe that you control your own destiny.

which in some minor cases he has, and was not aware of it.

in the case of mirror image, i believe Sam came to believe it in some part becasue he was shedding tears, talking about how badly he wanted to go home (made me wanna hold him tight and give him lots of kisses hehe), so why didn't he like Al had stated right? Because knew he had to help Al and Beth and thus the leap happened. so that, now leads me to wonder, if Sam did come to believe that he could at least in some part control his leaping how come he did not talk to Beth and then leap home? a number of you said that he wanted to contiune doing good, that his quest was not over, which was probably true. he still wants desperatly to return home, but he wants to help more people, which if he went home that would be the end of it, so he decided to stay out for a little longer thus inforcing Al's line:

"Who knows what Don Quixote can accompish".

i truely don't believe that Sam would just neglect the ones he loves even if it was to do more good for the world, but he must have had some sense that he could leap home anytime he wanted so why not keep going for a little while longer. he may not have believed 100% that he can control his leaping, but he wanted to believe, so that's probably parcially what did it.

wow, now how did i come up with all of this 1:13 in the morning, or at all for that matter. hehe.
 
Haha, I was just about to mention exactly what u said Cyd! There are times where Sam has said "I am ready to leap now", like in "What Price Gloria?" (as u mentioned), and in "Blind Faith" i think. He's "predicted" and decided when he was going to leap throughout the series.

Samantha Beckett
 
Al's Handlink said:
I like the thought that times he can accept that he is controloing his leaps and at times he can't. Very interesting

It's like the swiss cheese effect affected his remembering that he can control it. That's a really inconvienient side effect...

Samantha Beckett
 
Here's something interesting I just found from an old QL novel by Melanie Rawn called "Knights of the Morningstar". It is from the prologue at the end and is i think supposed to be the subconcious conversation between GFTW (in italics) and Sam in the time between leaps:

I quote: "It was the heart/mind dichotomy: what he knew versus what he knew.

It can be described in those terms. When you know with the totality of your being that what you do is yours to choose-
Then he could go home?

if you allow it of yourself.
He still didn't understand.

The "White Knight" Image appeals to you.
Well...yes, he had to admit to that. Al called it his Boy Scout Complex.

Put another way, it is easier for you to be needed than to need, To hope that you are right, rather than to fear that you are wrong. that is your great strength. It is also your great flaw.
But he couldn't change the way he was made. he couldn't stop wanting to help-any more than he could stop wanting to go home.

One day you will. When you believe that choosing to go home is not selfish but selfless. When you know that you are needed at least as much as you need. When you believe your worth as yourself is at least as great as your woeth as other people.

When something went wrong in his own life he had to put right? When the life he saved might be his own?..."

This is an interesting take by Ms Rawn and i think follows my earlier thoughts and also the comments made about Donna. If Sam realised he was needed enough he would indeed return home.

Food for thought anyroad. I've had a few too many ciders and am hitting the sack. Night all.
tired.gif