Where does the Wikipedia article on Al get its information?

[DARKastheRAIN]

I only made it a fraction of the way down the page, but it's full of stuff I don't remember being in the show, and it infuriatingly doesn't cite its sources.

For instance, it says that Al's sister Trudy's full name was Theresa, that his mother was a Russian immigrant (as far as I remember all he said was that he had some Russian blood on his mother's side, not that she was completely Russian, unless he said it in the Lee Harvey Oswald episode and I've forgotten), and it has his date of birth. Is all this from stuff Belisario said or from the novel series or what?

[MichelleD]

Anyone can put anything on Wikipedia, and they should cite their sources. If I am remembering right (and it has been awhile so I will have to go back and double check) Al grew up in an orphanage. His mother left and his father couldn't take care of Al and his sister (and yes, her name was Trudy, not Theresa--Theresa was the little girl in the Another Mother episode). And Al was Italian, not Russian. I don't remember anything about his background being Russian. Someone just wasn't careful about what they wrote.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by MichelleD

Anyone can put anything on Wikipedia, and they should cite their sources.

Exactly. I think some of the stuff in there may have been taken from the novels and/or online fanfic.

Trudy is usually short for Gertrude if anything.

In 'Mirror Image' we do find out that Al had an Uncle Stawpah, so it's probable he does have some Russian heritage on his mother's side of the family (or Ukrainian heritage - the Stawpah who appeared in the episode was Ukrainian). But I don't remember there ever being a point where Al talked about his mother being a Russian immigrant.

[MichelleD]

I had forgotten about Al's connection to Stawpah. I haven't watched that episode in awhile. It was Al's Italian heritage that was most emphasized though. I think the novels for the most part stayed true to QL, although in some cases they did expand on or explore areas not really addressed in the show. There are a lot of fan fiction stories where that isn't the case.

[MichelleD]

I double checked to refresh my memory in the Quantum Leap A to Z book by Julie Barrett (good book with a lot of information from the show) and Al's mother's background was Russian, and his father's side of the family was Italian. I don't think his mother was referred to that often in the show.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by MichelleD

I double checked to refresh my memory in the Quantum Leap A to Z book by Julie Barrett (good book with a lot of information from the show) and Al's mother's background was Russian, and his father's side of the family was Italian. I don't think his mother was referred to that often in the show.

Thanks for double checking.

Yeah, I think she was only referred to like once or twice. Al really didn't want to talk about her.

[DARKastheRAIN]

In Kamikaze Kid (while Sam's in the dumpster) Al says "I've got some Russian in me on my mother's side", but that doesn't equate to her being a Russian immigrant.

[MichelleD]

It's understandable Al wouldn't want to talk about his mother much; that's a traumatic thing for a kid to deal with. Of course, a lot of detailed information about her probably wouldn't be relevant to or add to the show either. It does give some insight into the person underneath the gruff exterior. Al had a good heart and was vulnerable in a lot of ways underneath it all.