Sam's Wounds

Sam Beckett Fan

Sam Beckett Fan

Re-Writing Life
Jun 3, 2005
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I was pondering something this morning but I had to get my bus to school.
Sam doesn't leap into the person's body he leaps into an aura of the person with his own body right? Well in episodes such as Piano Man, Leap Between the States, etc where he gets wounded phsyically. It's sam body so Sam is the one being wounded not the host, so shouldn't he take the wound with him when he leaps, or does he get healed in between leaps maybe?
 
Sam Beckett Fan said:
I was pondering something this morning but I had to get my bus to school.
Sam doesn't leap into the person's body he leaps into an aura of the person with his own body right? Well in episodes such as Piano Man, Leap Between the States, etc where he gets wounded phsyically. It's sam body so Sam is the one being wounded not the host, so shouldn't he take the wound with him when he leaps, or does he get healed in between leaps maybe?
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That's what I would think, yeah. Which would mean that he'd have some nice scars to show off when he got home. ^.~ He got shot a lot, from what I recall.
 
Sam Beckett Fan said:
I was pondering something this morning but I had to get my bus to school.
Sam doesn't leap into the person's body he leaps into an aura of the person with his own body right? Well in episodes such as Piano Man, Leap Between the States, etc where he gets wounded phsyically. It's sam body so Sam is the one being wounded not the host, so shouldn't he take the wound with him when he leaps, or does he get healed in between leaps maybe?
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I once started a thread about this, too. The way I explain it is that the quantum field that surrounds Sam on each leap sort of "resets" his body into a "default" state of being (i.e. the condition he arrived in when he first leapt in). The quantum field also alters the molecular structure of the clothes Sam wears on each leap, and "molds" them to his body, so that they always fit him no matter what the leapee's size.

Furthermore, if Sam is shot in the leg, for example (as he was in "Piano Man"), Sam's aura in the Waiting Room would reflect each wound he sustains on the leap, but the leapee would not share the actual wounds, nor would they acquire them once they return to their own time. The leapee's aura would also, however, show the wounds Sam sustains for the remainder of the time Sam is on that particular leap. It's basically a "cause and effect" rule.

Once Sam leaps out, the wounds would magically disappear or "heal" to anyone else in the time period, without explanation. We know this is true because Zoë got shot and/or killed in "Revenge Of the Evil Leaper" and once she leapt out, the warden returned unscuffed and without injury. Both Sam and the leapee's auras are synchronized with their own bodies across time, so they reset accordingly. I hope I didn't make that sound too complicated. ;)
 
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The other day, I found this chat transcript where somebody asked the mind/soul/body question to Mr Bellisario (it's near the bottom of the page). Taking a chunk from the answer:

Don_bellisario says [...]"The reason I know it was his body is that if Sam leaped into a man with a broken leg Sam did not have a broken leg But if Sam broke his leg and then leaped into someone else's his leg would be broken at the end of that leap"
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Though the context is a little confusing, it seems to imply that Sam would still have any wounds sustained during a particular leap and carry them over to the next one. This also brings a little conflict to the question of whether Sam is in some kind of stasis or actually ages in the time between leaps; in the first case he would be covered in so many bruises, cuts and a plethora of other injuries that he'd probably be falling apart by midseason (not a pretty thought :blackeye), but in the second case most injuries would have enough time to heal to the extent of becoming almost unnoticeable.
I can't think of an episode I've seen where Sam has had a fairly major injury that wasn't resolved before the end of the leap (though I haven't seen all the episodes, so if you know of one please tell me!), meaning there's little evidence to either prove or disprove the theory.

Remembering, too, that it was a few years since the last episode was produced at the time of the chat, it could just be that it was one of those issues that slipped under the radar during production and hence there's no definitive answer. It happens sometimes! :lol
 
I can't think of an episode I've seen where Sam has had a fairly major injury that wasn't resolved before the end of the leap
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I'd say the gunshot wound in "Piano Man" would probably count. Even if it was just a "flesh wound", he never seemed to receive proper treatment for it and, in the "real world", most probably would have had an infection in the wound because it was never properly cleaned or covered. Then again, this isn't the "real world", it's TV so, really, anything can happen. How many times does someone in TV (and the movies) get whacked over the head, lose consciousness and then there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. Here in the "real world" that would cause a concussion at least.
 
yeah and he also had a big bruise above his eye in Southern Comforts from when Jake socked him. They didn't show Sam treating it, but they could have in between when Gina fell unconsious off the bed and when she jerked awake later in the kitchen.
 
KServo said:
Though the context is a little confusing, it seems to imply that Sam would still have any wounds sustained during a particular leap and carry them over to the next one. This also brings a little conflict to the question of whether Sam is in some kind of stasis or actually ages in the time between leaps; in the first case he would be covered in so many bruises, cuts and a plethora of other injuries that he'd probably be falling apart by midseason (not a pretty thought :blackeye), but in the second case most injuries would have enough time to heal to the extent of becoming almost unnoticeable.
I can't think of an episode I've seen where Sam has had a fairly major injury that wasn't resolved before the end of the leap (though I haven't seen all the episodes, so if you know of one please tell me!), meaning there's little evidence to either prove or disprove the theory.
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I was going to touch on the question of Sam's aging, but decided to leave it out the first time. If I were writing the series, I would be inclined to have Sam simply carry his wounds over from leap to leap, and have them heal accordingly. But, as it stands, Sam is not only shot in "Piano Man," but also is shot in "The Leap Between the States," both of which he recovered from in the next leap. So to make logical sense of Sam being healed, one has to come up with a theory similar to mine. I would even say that the wounds get left behind and transfer to the leapee when they arrive, but my example of Zoë proves that wrong.

As I said above, Sam's body is "reset" back to the state it was in when he first arrived in the leap. This does not affect Sam's aging, in which he ages at the same speed anybody else would. Sam's aging is not something he sustains on leaps like he does wounds. He aged before he began leaping, he aged while he was leaping, and he would continue to age if he stopped leaping. And we know for a fact that Sam does show signs of aging as evidenced in "Mirror Image": "I've got white hair! Look at these crow's feet!"
 
right, because I remember once I was talking to Kristen about How Sam was so upset about Lonnie getting killed in BOWOF, and then he leaps into Harry Spontini and is fine. Kristen suggested that his emotions are also cleared between leaps, so I wondered if the phsyical wounds were the same way.
 
Runaway

In RL, Scott Bakula received an injury during the filming of Runaway. He dislocated his foot. The filming of several shows happened after that injury, specifically Future Boy, Private Dancer, and Piano Man.

For Future Boy, they changed the script a bit to show Sam falling at the beginning so it would explain his limping. For Private Dancer, Scott allowed them to shot up his foot with painkillers (not really the brightest thing to do as he could have injured himself MUCH worse that way...but what can you say...Bakula takes his roles seriously and never missed a day of shooting...quite a professional). The leg being shot in Piano Man was done to again cover up the healing that was taking place in in the RL of the actor.

I know this doesn't exactly fit the discussion other than the fact that SOME of the stuff in QL happened because other considerations than continuity and plotline were involved.
 
Okay, I have to reply to this thread. Once again, Donny B is completely stupid. He contradicts himself at every turn and goes where the wind blows ....
I know that Sam's BODY does NOT leap around...and quite frankly, he was shot in Piano Man, he was shot in several eps. Hurt, ect. This s*** about him carrying it from leap to leap is nonsense because in the context of the series it did NOT happen. Period.
 
Uh, remember it's only a TV show - no sense getting so worked up about it. As far as what is or isn't happening, I'd have to give the nod to the guy who created the show. He gets to make up the rules that he wants as he goes along since it is his sandbox. Of course we, as viewers, can decide if we want to play in that sandbox or not.

I'm pretty sure we have to lean toward Sam leaping with his body otherwise how can you explain being able to stand up and walk when he's leaped into an amputee, being able to see when he's leaped into a blind man or being able to demonstrate physical strength greater than what he should be capable of when he's leaped into a woman or child.
 
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This is something I've often wondered about. My assumption had been that the wound somehow passes to the Leapee once they return, because wounds that are miraculously cured would seem odd, and possibly even disrupt the timeline (in a mild way, perhaps, but it could cause problems.) The fact that Sam never has the wounds in the next Leap confirmed this for me, until I recently saw the episode where Zoe was shot and the warden returned unharmed. (There went several of my fanfic ideas... *sigh*) So now I'm at a loss to explain it.

It would have made sense to have Sam keep the wounds, especially during the time when Scott was recovering from his injury. If Sam had kept his wounds, the writers wouldn't have had to get creative over the next couple of episodes.

And it definately IS his body that Leaps; it was stated in episodes, and it explains why Sam isn't afflicted with any of the physical handicaps that some of the Leapees have, like the aforementioned blindness and walking despite not having legs.
 
samnal said:
Okay, I have to reply to this thread. Once again, Donny B is completely stupid. He contradicts himself at every turn and goes where the wind blows ....
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Wow... My take is, the show is a fantasy. It's even surreal. It doesn't make sense, and it will make your brain hurt if you try to make sense out of it. To paraphrase Dr. Strangelove, learn to stop worrying and love the leap.

Even so, I have an explanation that I use. (Really I just don't think much about it; it's only a TV show, and in every other TV show the hero is injured in one episode and all healed up in the next.) Sam spends some time in limbo between leaps, as they indicated in the pilot. ("Sam, you were gone for six days...") If he has a wound, GTFW heals it up then. It's only fair; if GTFW is going to put Sam in this position, then he should take care of him!
 
Snish said:
Even so, I have an explanation that I use....Sam spends some time in limbo between leaps, as they indicated in the pilot. ("Sam, you were gone for six days...") If he has a wound, GTFW heals it up then. It's only fair; if GTFW is going to put Sam in this position, then he should take care of him!
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I totally agree.


Eleiece
 
(Really I just don't think much about it; it's only a TV show, and in every other TV show the hero is injured in one episode and all healed up in the next.)
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Imagine what it would be like if TV shows actually treated an injury (and the time necessary to heal) just like it really happens in real life. Talk about ending your season and making it boring as the hero (or any other character) recovered from XYX injury or illness.

It would have made sense to have Sam keep the wounds, especially during the time when Scott was recovering from his injury. If Sam had kept his wounds, the writers wouldn't have had to get creative over the next couple of episodes.
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Ah, but they would have to some extent. They would have had to be creative in coming up with a plausible excuse that Sam could use leaping into someone else's life and suddenly having the symptoms of an injury. When it comes to how Scott's real life injury was dealt with, I think they did a good job of it. Credible reasons to explain the limp were given fitting in with the person he'd become.
 
Jmoniz, yeah I heard about his dislocated foot and FB and PM and stuff
samnal said:
I know that Sam's BODY does NOT leap around...and quite frankly, he was shot in Piano Man, he was shot in several eps. Hurt, ect. This s*** about him carrying it from leap to leap is nonsense because in the context of the series it did NOT happen. Period.
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SamnAl - for one thing I saw your comment as unecessary rudeness towards our opinions here, so please change your attitude. for a second thing, you may be thinking of the novels where yes the conceot is different and most of the novel authors had wrote Sam's soul leaping.

but in the TV show some stuff makes it apparent that its his body, to name just a few
. Sam leaped into a blind man and a legless man yet still retained his sight and legs
. Sam had sex with a lady on a leap and created a daughter with his intellegence genes.

However despite this everyone still thinks differently, so please dont curse our opinions.
 
Jmoniz, yeah I heard about his dislocated foot and FB and PM and stuff
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It was asearcher who mentioned that - not me...no problem, though. Regardless, I think the handling of it was done well and I've got to give a lot of credit to Scott for not asking for time off to heal but soldiering on. I'm not sure I'd be so willing not to take time off from my job with a similar injury.
 
jmoniz said:
I've got to give a lot of credit to Scott for not asking for time off to heal but soldiering on. I'm not sure I'd be so willing not to take time off from my job with a similar injury.
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I quite agree that Scott is to be commended. A lot of 'stars' would be suing for negligence or something since it was a work related injury.

I don't consider myself exceptionally dedicated to my work, or brave or whatever, and certainly don't think I bear comparison with Scott, but a couple of years back I severely injured my knee (I still can't kneel down on it to this day) and was advised to stay off it for at least five days.

The injury happened on a Thursday, and it so happened that Friday was a day off anyway, but Saturday was the last of the 6 sessions of Frontiers club at school that I assist with 3 times a year. Had it been a middle session, I would most likely have called in sick, but there is much to do that I cannot delegate on a final session (Plus the fact that I'd have lost 40 quid in pay if I didn't attend which I could ill afford).

So (stupidly most would say, and I'd probably agree with them) I went in. I used a walking stick, and wheeled myself round the room most of the time on my computer chair instead of getting up and walking, but nevertheless I went to work. Naturally, having worked Saturday, I felt I couldn't take time off on Monday and Tuesday, so I worked those too.

Maybe that is why I still can't kneel properly - because I didn't rest as ordered - who knows.

Which just emphasises that Scott risked much in not giving in to his injury.
There's a fine line between 'soldiering on' and stupidity - one I think Scott and I probably straddle here! :banghead
 
snish: i love how you mis-quoted so elegantly, peter seller's dr. strangelove (ah the genius lives) & how you, kservo said exactly what dpb would say. you're both right. yeah, poor sam, especially as i was watching last night's "leap between the states" & how he smelled the mustard & winced...remembering just a short while (in airing time) how he felt when larry stanton had his heart attack and he felt some of it...
 
And again, I dont' think DB has the compassion to create a QL. I think I go with Deborah Pratt -- who has stated more than once it is spirit or soul. I think it's more likely and that makes much more sense.
 
And again, I dont' think DB has the compassion to create a QL. I think I go with Deborah Pratt -- who has stated more than once it is spirit or soul. I think it's more likely and that makes much more sense.
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And it's your right to hold this opinion. Personally, I'm standing by what I said. Based on what was seen in episodes and what the creator, Donald Bellisario said, it's Sam's body that leaps.

Besides, holding to the theory that you just cited, Deborah Pratt did a pretty good job of contradicting herself. If I'm not mistaken, she's responsible for the Trilogy episodes. The one in which Sam is responsible for the conception of a child that carries his genes. That would be darned hard to do unless his body was there right along with his soul.
 
Sam Beckett Fan said:
right, because I remember once I was talking to Kristen about How Sam was so upset about Lonnie getting killed in BOWOF, and then he leaps into Harry Spontini and is fine. Kristen suggested that his emotions are also cleared between leaps, so I wondered if the phsyical wounds were the same way.
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It's not exactly that Sam's emotions are cleared between leaps; it's the Swiss cheese effect. Sometimes Sam remembers exactly what was happening in his previous leap, like he did in "The Leap Home Part II── Vietnam." Other times, he has no clue as to the previous leap he just came from, such as in "The Great Spontini," as you mentioned. And sometimes, Sam doesn't remember immediately after the leap, but the memory of that leap stays in his subconscious, as it did in "Dreams," where Sam remembered what occurred in "The Leap Back."
 
jmoniz said:
It was asearcher who mentioned that - not me...no problem, though. Regardless, I think the handling of it was done well and I've got to give a lot of credit to Scott for not asking for time off to heal but soldiering on. I'm not sure I'd be so willing not to take time off from my job with a similar injury.
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Oh my bad for mistaking you for Helen I mean.
and Yeah Scott is awsome for still performing on such an obviously painful injury. Poor Scott. and those must have been some painkillers or some doseage becuase he really had his groove on in PD.

QLnut said:
It's not exactly that Sam's emotions are cleared between leaps; it's the Swiss cheese effect. Sometimes Sam remembers exactly what was happening in his previous leap, like he did in "The Leap Home Part II── Vietnam." Other times, he has no clue as to the previous leap he just came from, such as in "The Great Spontini," as you mentioned. And sometimes, Sam doesn't remember immediately after the leap, but the memory of that leap stays in his subconscious, as it did in "Dreams," where Sam remembered what occurred in "The Leap Back."
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Oh of course, I think thats what Kristen said, not what I put. That makes even more sense too.
 
Yes!

Besides, holding to the theory that you just cited, Deborah Pratt did a pretty good job of contradicting herself. If I'm not mistaken, she's responsible for the Trilogy episodes. The one in which Sam is responsible for the conception of a child that carries his genes. That would be darned hard to do unless his body was there right along with his soul.
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Deborah Pratt was the writer behind Trilogy. So yes...if she said only spirit or soul...she must have changed her mind. As far as I know...outside of the virgin birth, no child has been conceived with only spirit or soul being the concepting material. And, considering the DNA does show that Sammie Jo is Sam's physical child...I'd say that pretty much guarantees that the BODY was present.

Now...one COULD make an argument (hey, this is fiction...anything is possible) that GFTW decides on a LEAP BY LEAP whether it's spirit/soul or body. That would, of course, make it clear that GFTW really WANTED Sam to have a child with Abigail since GFTW COULD have prevented the ability for it to happen. It would solve a LOT of the concept issues...of course it creates a whole new set of them...but what the hay...this IS just fiction. Great and wonderful fiction but fiction none the less.
 
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Yeah thank you Helen I could not have said it better myself, for your first paragraph. For your second, I read Kristen's copy of Another Time Another Place which is a behind the scenes descroption of Ql and it said that Deberah Pratt wrote Abigale because she really wanted Sam to have a passionate realtionship with a woman in a leap and she wanted him to have a child. In doing this, she basically dumped Donna because CarolD mentioned to me once that she regretted ever bringing her back after Star Crossed. Which could suggest that she is using writer's license to pull Donna out of the picture and think of Sam as unmarried. Personally I passionatly HATE that and feel that Abigale was more of a bad fanfic, but no dissing on Pratt or anything, we all have our opinions and ideas.
 
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jmoniz said:
Besides, holding to the theory that you just cited, Deborah Pratt did a pretty good job of contradicting herself. If I'm not mistaken, she's responsible for the Trilogy episodes. The one in which Sam is responsible for the conception of a child that carries his genes. That would be darned hard to do unless his body was there right along with his soul.
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It was stated in Trilogy that it was an unique situation (Al told Sam it was impossible). If you recall Will Kinman had a nasty stutter, which suddenly disappeared when Sam made love to Abigail (before the hanging scene, not at the beginning).
 
Al told Sam it was impossible
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Al also said that to Sam in 8 1/2 weeks. And again...the fact that Sam was in FULL LABOR at that point would indicate BODY being present and not just spirit/soul.

AGAIN...this is FICTION. If the creators (Don and Deborah) played with the concept over and over to fit their particular storyline for a particular show...that may be disconcerting to the fans who want to have a black and white settled answer. However...just like Star Trek...I'm not sure that it was ever considered from the start that this show would become the Cult Classic it has become. We fans are what push to have explanations of "HOW things work REALLY." From the viewpoint of the WRITER'S, those explanations are not nearly as important as the story itself.

So...as Don has said in the past...just don't look TOO closely. We're NEVER going to be able to fully explain this. And I agree with Julia...the creator's get to tell US what they wanted. If that goes back and forth...might as well get used to it. They are THEIR characters, even if we love them like family!
 
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