405 Permanent Wave

[alsplacebartender]

Permanent Wave
June 2, 1983

Beverly Hills, California


In this leap, Sam is the most noteworthy hairdresser in Beverly Hills! But just as he leaps in, his girlfriend's son witnesses a murder at a drugstore next door. The boy's mother won't let him tell the police what he saw, and the killer is getting closer and closer to making sure that he never will.


Written by: Beverly Bridges
Directed by: Scott Bakula


Rate and comment on this episode!

[Vince Beckett]

This was a good episode. It seems like it would be a fun leap, but it turns into a murder mystery.

[Aging Boomer]

It was fun seeing a very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt in this; I was used to seeing him as a teenager in Third Rock from the Sun.

[cookiemom6067]

Scott in leather pants -

The "Sam teasing Al" scene with the twins

Sam playing "Captain Galaxy and Future Boy" with the little boy.

Great episode, even though it had its heavy moments

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Yeah I liked this ep, possibly mine and my BFF's fav scene was the twins...and in those tight leather pants whoooo! Boy I wish I had been one of them *pants*

Al: Sam are you doing this just to taunt me!
Sam: Yes! And it's working!

lol.

I liked Kyle too he was a cute little boy and I loved Sam's/Frank's relationship with him and how he handled him in this deep ad scary situation.

[cookiemom6067]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Yeah I liked this ep, possibly mine and my BFF's fav scene was the twins...and in those tight leather pants whoooo! Boy I wish I had been one of them *pants*

I originally read the above as "I wish I had been one of them pants." - as in, you wish you were Scott's leather pants. Well, that's one way to get up close and personal!

[isz]

A well done thriller. I thought it was quite good, good story and It had his amusing moments like the part with the twins that were already mentioned here, But again - "Bad twist". I guess Beverly Bridges just couldn't held herself back... Wasn't The Dirty Cop enough?! BTW Does anybody knows what is -'till this episode- the bodies count Sam's left behind him,During the show?!

And I want to end my post with a question - have you noticed,what Al asked Sam about his "behavior" with the twins?!

[bluedana]

This is one of those episodes I enjoyed more the second time because I was able to pick up clues to who the bad guy was, stuff that I had missed the first time.

BTW Does anybody knows what is -'till this episode- the bodies count Sam's left behind him,During the show?!

Ooh, a trivia question. Goody.

Honeymoon Express - 1
Her Charm - 1
MIA - 2
The Leap Home Vietnam - unknown, probably 4 or 5, if you count Maggie
The Leap Back - 1
Permanent Wave - 1

You might also count Portrait for Troian - 1, but I don't consider that one Sam's fault.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

actually its never confirmed if the two guys in MIA actually died they could have just been wounded.

And I agree, I don't count Jimmy from Portrait For Troian as that was not an intended manslaughter, Jimmy was not a bad guy he was just ill in the head and needed help and Sam tends to take pity on those kind of people despite whatever wrong they may have tried to commit. Another example of this is The Wrong Stuff when he jumped in the pond to save the ill responsible doctor who was testing helmets. So I don't think Sam would have intended to kill Jimmy he just happen to be standing there at the edge of the docks in Sam's path and thus accidently took him into the lake with him. Or that's how I saw it anyway. Although you could possibly also look at this as a kind of Her Charm situation where he had to be killed for Troian to be safe. But I opt for my first explination more because Sam even said it aloud that Jimmy was sick. So he probably would have opted to getting him help over killing him because Sam is not a cold blooded killer he does not kill just anyone just because they have or tried to do something wrong.

Maggy almost the same thing, it was not intentional although it was more intentional than Jimmy. With her he was NOT using his brain at all he should have known better than take a woman out on a war mission. Her story was not exactly necessary he's living it, so he can find out what happens to Tom has he goes. Although he loves helping others in need having such a big warm heart so I don't understand why he did not care at all about the POWs even without the knowledge that Al was one of them.

[bluedana]

I took the question of "bodies Sam left behind him," as meaning people who died because of Sam's leap, not people he intentionally killed (or, for that matter, people who were killed by others, like the murder victims in Temptation Eyes).

As for the guys in MIA, I'm thinking they're dead after being shot point blank with a shotgun. Those things pretty much blow you apart.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Oh ok, I am not sure how they meant the question so now they have both verisons of the answer just in case hehe.

And ok about MIA, that makes sense.

[isz]

I ment - people that were killed by Sam. And i do counting Jimmy from "Portrait For Troian". Even if it wasn't intendtiontly - Jimmy died because Sam throw him to the lake and he drowned.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

I am watching this episode now and I am pondering something. I wonder what happened with this situation originally because Kyle only went into the Pharmacy alone because Sam had no knowledge of Laura's rules and allowed him to. Frank however knows better and would not have allowed him to go unattended, and given Sam's position when he leaped in Frank was too busy at the moment to take him. So it makes sense that Kyle would not have originally witnessed the murder thus the entire situation was a Butterfly Effect of Sam changing history.

[leaper1]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

I am watching this episode now and I am pondering something. I wonder what happened with this situation originally because Kyle only went into the Pharmacy alone because Sam had no knowledge of Laura's rules and allowed him to. Frank however knows better and would not have allowed him to go unattended, and given Sam's position when he leaped in Frank was too busy at the moment to take him. So it makes sense that Kyle would not have originally witnessed the murder thus the entire situation was a Butterfly Effect of Sam changing history.

You make a good point, but then, why would Sam have leaped into Frank in the first place?

A more likely scenario is that Kyle, seeing Frank was busy (He probably dismissed the boy with a 'later kid' comment) decided it 'wouldn't hurt' to pop over to the Pharmacy on his own. Even good kids get tempted to do things they know they shouldn't, and tend to think they are invincible. He probably figured he'd be back before he was missed and Frank and his Mum would never need to know.

As far as I can recall, there was only one Leap where the intention in putting Sam in the place of the leapee was to have him screw up, and that was...

Leaping of the Shrew

When he was supposed to go off course and stop them getting rescued so that they had time to fall in love. He even said something to Al about being there 'because he was a lousy sailor'.

[Term180]

Wasn't there an episode-"Dreams" I think it was- where Sam was a police officer with nightmares of his mother's autopsy; I believe the psycho in that episode was also killed by Sam (in self-defense, of course )

Not that all were in self-defense..
The Vietnamese kinda got ambushed-BOOYAHHHHH!
And, of course, Troian's brother, I don't think was killed in self-defense (though I'd have to rewatch the episode)

It's the yin and the yang, just as Sam saved good people, he killed some bad people; the evil leaper likely saved some bad people and killed good people.

[bluedana]

Originally Posted by Term180

Wasn't there an episode-"Dreams" I think it was- where Sam was a police officer with nightmares of his mother's autopsy; I believe the psycho in that episode was also killed by Sam (in self-defense, of course )

You're right, the body count does rise a bit more, but isz's question was "up until this episode" - or at least that's how I read it and answered it.

After Permanent Wave there's:

Dreams - 1
Unchained - 1
Temptation Eyes - 1
Curse of Ptah Hotep - 1 (not really his fault, but . . .)
Evil Leaper Pt 2 - 1

Not all of them were directly done in by Sam on purpose, but I'm being consistent with my original list.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by leaper1

You make a good point, but then, why would Sam have leaped into Frank in the first place?

A more likely scenario is that Kyle, seeing Frank was busy (He probably dismissed the boy with a 'later kid' comment) decided it 'wouldn't hurt' to pop over to the Pharmacy on his own. Even good kids get tempted to do things they know they shouldn't, and tend to think they are invincible. He probably figured he'd be back before he was missed and Frank and his Mum would never need to know.

As far as I can recall, there was only one Leap where the intention in putting Sam in the place of the leapee was to have him screw up, and that was...

Leaping of the Shrew

When he was supposed to go off course and stop them getting rescued so that they had time to fall in love. He even said something to Al about being there 'because he was a lousy sailor'.

I never said screwing up was his intented task, to tramatize a little boy is not something that would benifit anything. I was saying that Frank would know better than to let him go off alone while Sam honestly did not know. I was thinking of a Honeymoon Express kind of situation. He was orginially supposed to just help her pass her exam but then he put Tom's life in danger and thus had a new task as well. Cuz I am sure someone in the H.E thread said something about the threat to Tom's life being a butterfly effect of Sam changing history.

Originally Posted by bluedana

Dreams - 1
Unchained - 1
Temptation Eyes - 1
Curse of Ptah Hotep - 1 (not really his fault, but . . .)
Evil Leaper Pt 2 - 1

All those were not only not Sam's fault but he had nothing to do with them except Dreams.

Ptah-Hotep the guy was killed by the mummy

Temtation Eyes the reporter threw himself over the edge of the building and Sam was attempting to SAVE him.

Unchained, I will give you that one half way because it was the partner that killed the robber but it was because he felt threatened by Sam finding out about the robbery.

Evil Leaper 2 I am afraid I don't where that one is coming from no one died in Evil Leapers 2.

[isz]

Originally Posted by bluedana

You're right, the body count does rise a bit more, but isz's question was "up until this episode" - or at least that's how I read it and answered it.

That what i ment in my question - 'till "Permanent Wave" not during the all show.

Originally Posted by bluedana

After Permanent Wave there's:

Dreams - 1
Unchained - 1
Temptation Eyes - 1
Curse of Ptah Hotep - 1 (not really his fault, but . . .)
Evil Leaper Pt 2 - 1

Yeah i'm with SBF - I think after "Permanent Wave" the only one Sam can be Blamed in killing a person is,only, the shrink in "Dreams".
though in "Blood moon" maybe he can be blamed he cause 2 more deathes.

[bluedana]

I did say that I was being consistent with my original list, in that I was counting up people who died because of Sam's leap, not people he intentionally killed (or, for that matter, people who were killed by others, like the murder victims in Temptation Eyes).

In Unchained, the warden falls/gets pushed to his death. In Curse, the bad guy gets left in the chamber that Sam opened. And doesn't the warden/Zoe get shot in Return of the Evil Leaper, part 2? (I may be misremembering that one; it's not one of my faves so I haven't watched it a zillion times.)

[leaper1]

Originally Posted by bluedana

I did say that I was being consistent with my original list, in that I was counting up people who died because of Sam's leap, not people he intentionally killed (or, for that matter, people who were killed by others, like the murder victims in Temptation Eyes).

In Unchained, the warden falls/gets pushed to his death. In Curse, the bad guy gets left in the chamber that Sam opened. And doesn't the warden/Zoe get shot in Return of the Evil Leaper, part 2? (I may be misremembering that one; it's not one of my faves so I haven't watched it a zillion times.)

I think the confusion with the Evil Leaper count is that most people consider the prison episode to be Evil Leaper 3, not 2, since it is the third encounter with them.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by isz

though in "Blood moon" maybe he can be blamed he cause 2 more deathes.

Nope,Hoarce knocked out Claudia and Lightning struck Victor down.

Originally Posted by bluedana

And doesn't the warden/Zoe get shot in Return of the Evil Leaper, part 2? (I may be misremembering that one; it's not one of my faves so I haven't watched it a zillion times.)

Thats Evil Leapers three hun. And only Zoey was shot, the warden leaped back in woundless.

And Dana I am aware that your list was just people that died but sometimes I can't help pointing stuff out just to make sure its known. Yes something about Sam leaping in caused the deaths but Sam directly was not responsible.

[isz]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Nope,Hoarce knocked out Claudia and Lightning struck Victor down.

My wrong...though i'm not surprised because i think "blood moon" is one of the worst episodes in the entire series,so i'm just trying to forget it.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by isz

My wrong...though i'm not surprised because i think "blood moon" is one of the worst episodes in the entire series,so i'm just trying to forget it.

Yeah I am not too fond of it either I just kind of like the charactor of Alexandra.

[bluedana]

I think the confusion with the Evil Leaper count is that most people consider the prison episode to be Evil Leaper 3, not 2, since it is the third encounter with them.

Thanks, Helen, gotcha. I tend to think of Deliver Us From Evil as totally separate, and the The Return/Revenge ones as Parts 1 and 2. And since I've dragged this thread completely off topic, I will be quiet now.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by bluedana

I've dragged this thread completely off topic, I will be quiet now.

It my fault too as I am not helping. I see certian comments and can't help but encourage the off topic discussion. So I will keep quiet too unless its back on the Permanent Wave subject. I made a post about the task above that so far only Helen has repsonded to, perhaps we can discuss that to get this thread back on topic.