201 Honeymoon Express - Page 2

Lightning McQueenie · 07-15-2009, 11:48 AM

I enjoyed this episode, and especially loved how we actually saw Sam's work change something in the present.

Is it just me or did anyone else think that the "heroic rescue" leap in the beginning was unneccessary?

Sam Beckett Fan · 08-20-2013, 01:54 AM

Something about this episode doesn't add up. It's made pretty clear that Al is the only who is capable of noticing a change in their present if there is one (which I also don't see why he didn't try to argue with that despite that it would appear as an excuse). The novels though not canon directly use this in many cases but there is also an example from the show right in the conclusion of this leap when the chairmen becomes Diane and no one but Al was stunned. So the whole U2 attempt was lost me. Even if Sam had succeeded there, no one on the board would have realized it thus holds the original chairmen's point that they only have "The word of a computer".

On another subject, it occurred to my best friend and I that the ex husband (whose name I have no idea how to correctly spell) seemed to have a sensory ability somewhat similar to the grandfather in Freedom mixed with a little of the madness his therapist diagnosed him with which was picking up Sam. The eyes of a man who couldn't kill, Tom McBride was a cop, I heavily doubt he'd worked his way up to Lt. without killing any suspects in the line of duty. Not only does he carry a gun but he brought the thing on his Honeymoon and I am sure it wasn't to be kinky. This says to me that he is a pretty conscientious cop, to have been concerned about danger on what is mostly a honeymoon train and that he had expected in that said 'hypothetical' danger to have to use that gun.

Sam on the other hand is very much a man who was unfamiliar with taking a human life and would never dream of it. I love the guy's last words "Next time it will be easier" which was true. "Next time" was in Her Charm and it even came somewhat naturally.

Lightning McQueenie · 08-21-2013, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Something about this episode doesn't add up. It's made pretty clear that Al is the only who is capable of noticing a change in their present if there is one (which I also don't see why he didn't try to argue with that despite that it would appear as an excuse). The novels though not canon directly use this in many cases but there is also an example from the show right in the conclusion of this leap when the chairmen becomes Diane and no one but Al was stunned. So the whole U2 attempt was lost me. Even if Sam had succeeded there, no one on the board would have realized it thus holds the original chairmen's point that they only have "The word of a computer".

This actually is explicable. If the plan had succeeded, this would have been the chain of events:

- In the original timeline, Al convinces the committee to give them the chance to prove that Sam Beckett had travelled in time. He proposes that Sam has leapt to a point in time, a location, and a position where he has the chance to prevent the U2 from being shot down. The committee agrees to give them the chance. The committee records their agreement.

- In the past, Sam manages to get Diane McBride to have her dad tell Ike not to send the U2. Ike agrees and the U2 is not sent, and therefore can't be shot down.

- The timeline changes and all the historical records now have the U2 event being erased.

- The committee in the new timeline looks up the U2 event and can't find it. They think that the original event was complete nonsense, but because Al has experienced the original timeline, he has made them record down their agreement before the timeline had changed. The committee realises that they would have only agreed to this if the event had actually originally happened, and so come to the realisation that Sam MUST have changed history, thereby proving that Sam had travelled in time.

Sam Beckett Fan · 08-21-2013, 04:06 PM

And why would they take Al's word that they made such an agreement (which no longer exists in the new timeline) anymore than they took his word on Sam's involvement with Buddy Holly?

Lightning McQueenie · 08-22-2013, 01:13 AM

Because the agreement would have been recorded...

Sam Beckett Fan · 08-22-2013, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

Because the agreement would have been recorded...

Not once the timeline is changed.

Lightning McQueenie · 08-22-2013, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Not once the timeline is changed.

Al and Ziggy are able to retain the records of both timelines. Do you really think that the committee would refuse to believe the agreement made if they saw or heard it played back to them?

Sam Beckett Fan · 08-22-2013, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

Al and Ziggy are able to retain the records of both timelines. Do you really think that the committee would refuse to believe the agreement made if they saw or heard it played back to them?

If that were possible why arrange such an agreement in the first place? Why not play back something Sam has already changed. Perhaps the original "Piggy Sooey" song.

Lightning McQueenie · 08-25-2013, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

If that were possible why arrange such an agreement in the first place? Why not play back something Sam has already changed. Perhaps the original "Piggy Sooey" song.

But they wouldn't have had any proof other than Al and Ziggy's word. Besides, it's not like Al went into the Imaging Chamber with a video camera.

With a tape recorded or video recorded record of the agreement made by the committee members themselves, THEN they would need to believe it when they see it. The idea is that they needed more undeniable proof than the word of one man (even one as highly respected and decorated as Al).

Donofrio_QLTD · 08-26-2013, 06:19 PM

Great, great episode!!! Loved every character. It had everything to make it a classic story. I love how most of the time Bellisario takes a simple idea and develops it like in crescendo to the point of the final resolution... and then comes a peaceful, magical ending. You may say I almost described every other QL episode, right? But DPB does it in such a masterful way that it's almost as if he was a wizard of great writing. He's not my favorite writer from the series, but he comes close.

A very important episode for Sam. I think this was where his character developed a bit more and where he learned an important lesson to keep maturing as a leaper. Not just for the fact that he had to kill someone, but also because he stopped being so self-centered about his project. He knew that he was not alone and that Al really cared and that he was loyal and that he was trying his best to make sure that Sam was not left alone and forgotten in the past. A step forward in their friendship.

I think the scene with the cat was very funny and also as important as the rest of the episode, because it makes a good point about Sam sometimes not having very difficult assignments and leaping out almost immediately. They always focused on the long, difficult leaps, but never on the short/straight ones. It makes us think about Sam bouncing around in time and sometimes not spending a lot of time with his leaps from one place to another. It had been stated before and we already know that, but it was a nice touch to see that in action at least once.

Loved the improvement on the leaping effect, the division between the teaser and the other acts, and also the visual effects, even the credits. Now, that was something else!! Of course way better than in season 1.

My rating: Excellent.

Lightning McQueenie · 08-29-2013, 06:09 AM

Something I thought of - is the Committee head the same one who fired Al in Star-Crossed? I always thought that he was very condescending and disrespectful towards Al - at one point even saying "now take your medicine", which can be interpreted as him implying that Al is non-compos-mentos. If he was in fact the same committee member, it's no wonder he was so adamant about ending the project and discrediting Al, as Al was blackmailing him with the information about his affair with Tina. It's interesting just how far GFTW is willing to go to make sure that Sam's and Al's mistakes don't have long-lasting effects isn't it?

Watchman · 08-06-2015, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Something about this episode doesn't add up. It's made pretty clear that Al is the only who is capable of noticing a change in their present if there is one (which I also don't see why he didn't try to argue with that despite that it would appear as an excuse). The novels though not canon directly use this in many cases but there is also an example from the show right in the conclusion of this leap when the chairmen becomes Diane and no one but Al was stunned. So the whole U2 attempt was lost me. Even if Sam had succeeded there, no one on the board would have realized it thus holds the original chairmen's point that they only have "The word of a computer".

On another subject, it occurred to my best friend and I that the ex husband (whose name I have no idea how to correctly spell) seemed to have a sensory ability somewhat similar to the grandfather in Freedom mixed with a little of the madness his therapist diagnosed him with which was picking up Sam. The eyes of a man who couldn't kill, Tom McBride was a cop, I heavily doubt he'd worked his way up to Lt. without killing any suspects in the line of duty. Not only does he carry a gun but he brought the thing on his Honeymoon and I am sure it wasn't to be kinky. This says to me that he is a pretty conscientious cop, to have been concerned about danger on what is mostly a honeymoon train and that he had expected in that said 'hypothetical' danger to have to use that gun.

Sam on the other hand is very much a man who was unfamiliar with taking a human life and would never dream of it. I love the guy's last words "Next time it will be easier" which was true. "Next time" was in Her Charm and it even came somewhat naturally.

My take on it was that this episode was the first time they realized that no one else but Al would recognize that history had been changed so Al's attempt to get Sam to change the U2 incident made sense. He didn't know it couldn't work. One could argue that he should have known since they had been changing peoples' lives for over a season and people accepted whatever Sam changed as part of history, forgetting what happened before the changes. But there will inevitably be some inconsistencies in a time travel series.

I think that, when the guy looked at Sam, it wasn't the eyes themselves but the look in his eyes, the facial expressions, the body language, everything saying this was a man who could not easily take a life.

This was the first episode where Sam killed and I loved the way Scott Bakula played it, the pain on his face when the dying guy said not to worry because the next time would be easier, almost as if Sam knew he was right, that there probably would be a situation like this again and that fear that maybe it would be easier to do.

I don't think it was the first episode where Sam fell in love and really wanted to stay there. BUT, it was the first episode where I agreed with him and would want to stay there myself.

TheLeaper · 08-05-2016, 09:37 AM

Seeing as how Sam leaps physically, wouldn't a DNA test prove that the person who looks like Sam Beckett isn't actually Sam?

Lightning McQueenie · 08-05-2016, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheLeaper

Seeing as how Sam leaps physically, wouldn't a DNA test prove that the person who looks like Sam Beckett isn't actually Sam?

Now THAT is a brilliant idea! But who's to say that the leapee's blood isn't surrounded by an aura of Sam's blood too?

MO · 10-10-2017, 02:02 AM

Twenty-four years later, I relive the beginning. This episode was my introduction to Quantum Leap. End of October, 1993. I was sick in bed from the flu, and bored out of my gourd, but too weak to hold up a book to read. So I did what I rarely ever did back then (and now never do) - I turned on the TV. I thought I was watching a movie, it was done so well. I seem to recall catching most, if not all, of the episode, so it was a great introduction to the show. This is the one that got me hooked. I rate this one "Excellent."

MO · 10-11-2017, 01:50 AM

I've been thinking about something in this episode.

Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)
As Roget is dying, he tells Sam that the next time, it will be easier. I had always thought he was referring to kidnapping Diane, which I found odd. Rewatching the episode, and then reading other Leapers' reviews on it, I now realize he's talking about Sam (as Lt. Tom McBride) killing people. HOWEVER, as we saw in Vietnam, people who are dying (e.g. Maggie) can see Al, so presumably they can also see Sam as Sam.

So was Roget talking to Tom McBride, or Sam Beckett?

chris-oates · 04-16-2019, 02:48 AM

After the horribly disappointing season 1 finale, Play It Again, Seymour, Honeymoon Express is the perfect way to start the second season of Quantum Leap. While Sam is back in 1960, having leaped into policeman Tom MacBride, Al in the present day is battling to keep the project alive.

There are so, so many things I love about this episode. First of all, I love the train setting. It might seem like a small point, but I've always being a sucker for train centred stories. Dianne is one of the best characters in the entire series, in my opinion. She is absolutely gorgeous. Roget gives the episode further depth. When it comes to villains in QL, this guy is very, very close to the top. Definitely insane with a frightening gleam in his eye, the character comes across as very unpredictable from the get go. His last words to Sam are genuinely haunting.

The best parts of this episode, though, are those set in the present day. All the scenes with Al, fighting his hardest against the committee are riveting. The twist at the end is genius. The look on Al's face is priceless!

When it comes to picking out a best scene... Well, there's one clear choice, isn't there? Finally realising what it will mean once the plug is pulled, Sam looks forlorn at the thought of never being able to see Al again. That little conversation between them just shows the power of their friendship.

My rating. Excellent. Extremely, extremely close to making my top 10. Another great job by Bellisario.

View Poll Results: Honeymoon Express
Excellent	18	58.06%
Good	11	35.48%
Average	2	6.45%
Fair	0	0%
Poor	0	0%
Voters: 31. You may not vote on this poll

07-15-2009, 11:48 AM	#26
Lightning McQueenie Junior Leaper Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,042	I enjoyed this episode, and especially loved how we actually saw Sam's work change something in the present. Is it just me or did anyone else think that the "heroic rescue" leap in the beginning was unneccessary? __________________

08-22-2013, 01:13 AM	#30
Lightning McQueenie Junior Leaper Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,042	Because the agreement would have been recorded... __________________

08-26-2013, 06:19 PM	#35
Donofrio_QLTD Control Room Technician Join Date: May 2013 Location: Mexico City (D.F.) Posts: 135	Great, great episode!!! Loved every character. It had everything to make it a classic story. I love how most of the time Bellisario takes a simple idea and develops it like in crescendo to the point of the final resolution... and then comes a peaceful, magical ending. You may say I almost described every other QL episode, right? But DPB does it in such a masterful way that it's almost as if he was a wizard of great writing. He's not my favorite writer from the series, but he comes close. A very important episode for Sam. I think this was where his character developed a bit more and where he learned an important lesson to keep maturing as a leaper. Not just for the fact that he had to kill someone, but also because he stopped being so self-centered about his project. He knew that he was not alone and that Al really cared and that he was loyal and that he was trying his best to make sure that Sam was not left alone and forgotten in the past. A step forward in their friendship. I think the scene with the cat was very funny and also as important as the rest of the episode, because it makes a good point about Sam sometimes not having very difficult assignments and leaping out almost immediately. They always focused on the long, difficult leaps, but never on the short/straight ones. It makes us think about Sam bouncing around in time and sometimes not spending a lot of time with his leaps from one place to another. It had been stated before and we already know that, but it was a nice touch to see that in action at least once. Loved the improvement on the leaping effect, the division between the teaser and the other acts, and also the visual effects, even the credits. Now, that was something else!! Of course way better than in season 1. My rating: Excellent. __________________

08-29-2013, 06:09 AM	#36
Lightning McQueenie Junior Leaper Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,042	Something I thought of - is the Committee head the same one who fired Al in Star-Crossed? I always thought that he was very condescending and disrespectful towards Al - at one point even saying "now take your medicine", which can be interpreted as him implying that Al is non-compos-mentos. If he was in fact the same committee member, it's no wonder he was so adamant about ending the project and discrediting Al, as Al was blackmailing him with the information about his affair with Tina. It's interesting just how far GFTW is willing to go to make sure that Sam's and Al's mistakes don't have long-lasting effects isn't it? __________________

08-05-2016, 09:37 AM	#38
TheLeaper Waiting Room Visitor Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 44	Seeing as how Sam leaps physically, wouldn't a DNA test prove that the person who looks like Sam Beckett isn't actually Sam? __________________

10-10-2017, 02:02 AM	#40
MO Pulse Communications Technician Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: In a tin can in the countryside Posts: 310	Twenty-four years later, I relive the beginning. This episode was my introduction to Quantum Leap. End of October, 1993. I was sick in bed from the flu, and bored out of my gourd, but too weak to hold up a book to read. So I did what I rarely ever did back then (and now never do) - I turned on the TV. I thought I was watching a movie, it was done so well. I seem to recall catching most, if not all, of the episode, so it was a great introduction to the show. This is the one that got me hooked. I rate this one "Excellent." __________________ "What's left after you go is the good you've left behind." -- Robert Zubrin, American aerospace engineer

10-11-2017, 01:50 AM	#41
MO Pulse Communications Technician Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: In a tin can in the countryside Posts: 310	I've been thinking about something in this episode. Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read) As Roget is dying, he tells Sam that the next time, it will be easier. I had always thought he was referring to kidnapping Diane, which I found odd. Rewatching the episode, and then reading other Leapers' reviews on it, I now realize he's talking about Sam (as Lt. Tom McBride) killing people. HOWEVER, as we saw in Vietnam, people who are dying (e.g. Maggie) can see Al, so presumably they can also see Sam as Sam. So was Roget talking to Tom McBride, or Sam Beckett? __________________ "What's left after you go is the good you've left behind." -- Robert Zubrin, American aerospace engineer

04-16-2019, 02:48 AM	#42
chris-oates Imaging Chamber Technician Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: England. Posts: 76	After the horribly disappointing season 1 finale, Play It Again, Seymour, Honeymoon Express is the perfect way to start the second season of Quantum Leap. While Sam is back in 1960, having leaped into policeman Tom MacBride, Al in the present day is battling to keep the project alive. There are so, so many things I love about this episode. First of all, I love the train setting. It might seem like a small point, but I've always being a sucker for train centred stories. Dianne is one of the best characters in the entire series, in my opinion. She is absolutely gorgeous. Roget gives the episode further depth. When it comes to villains in QL, this guy is very, very close to the top. Definitely insane with a frightening gleam in his eye, the character comes across as very unpredictable from the get go. His last words to Sam are genuinely haunting. The best parts of this episode, though, are those set in the present day. All the scenes with Al, fighting his hardest against the committee are riveting. The twist at the end is genius. The look on Al's face is priceless! When it comes to picking out a best scene... Well, there's one clear choice, isn't there? Finally realising what it will mean once the plug is pulled, Sam looks forlorn at the thought of never being able to see Al again. That little conversation between them just shows the power of their friendship. My rating. Excellent. Extremely, extremely close to making my top 10. Another great job by Bellisario. __________________