403 Hurricane

[alsplacebartender]

Hurricane
August 17, 1969

Jackson Point, Mississippi


As Hurricane Camille hits the Gulf Coast in 1969, Sam is faced with the difficult choice of either saving the members of a hurricane party or his girlfriend. Or can he do both without losing his own life?


Written by: Chris Ruppenthal
Directed by: Michael Watkins


Rate and comment on this episode!

[Vince Beckett]

This was a good episode. It was exciting and dramatic. This is Sam's first leap into a natural disaster.

[SBeckett]

Sam: "Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound...move mountains...right wrongs...travel through time... grow ten feet tall, and run forever." I love the glance at Cissy when he says the "right wrongs.....travel through time".

This is one of the rare episodes when people notice that the person they see is a bit different for a moment. Cissy sees Sam's green in Archie's brown eyes. The hurricane party guy sees Sam's brown, Archie's black hair. (depending on which drunk eye he is using) In Genesis when Peg kisses Sam, she walks away touching her lips. She has noticed a difference in Tom's and Sam's kisses.

The scene when Sam and Cissy are kissing and Al appears and begins coughing to get Sam's attention is classic. Sam suggesting that Al have the cough checked and Al asking what cough?

I like seeing Sam breathing a bit heavy after exiting the closet. But best of all is the gentleness and warmth in his voice when he tells Cissy that "If it's the right someone, I'd marry them after a couple of hours."

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Let's see what can I say about Hurricane. Very interesting Episode. First of all, I loved how they put in this episode, the charctors seeing something different about Archie. Like how Cissy saw him with green eyes for a second when she could have sworn Archie's were brown or blue I can't remember right now(however now I almost want to pop the episode in now that I am thinking about it), and how the man at the Hurricane Party saw him with Brown hair with one eye and Black with the other, although he can easily be half explained by the fact that he was drunk. This was not the first epsiode they stressed this in eaither. In Genesis when He kissed Peg she put a started hand to her lips and she noticed a difference in her husband's kiss. I wish they would have done more of this though because it's a very interesting concept, in fact now that I consiter it, I may do something with it in the story I am currently working on, it would fit in perfectly with the drama.

Another thing I liked was the relationship between Cissy and Archie and how Cissy just adores him. When they first get to Unibelle's and Sam is talking to Al about keeping Cissy from going back to her house where she is fated to get killed:
"now I gotta get her to go back and do it earlier"
*Cissy walks in behind him*
"Oh my, if we get up any earlier to do it, we might as well not go to sleep."
hahahaha.
Also, one of Kristen's and my fav scenes is when Sam and Cissy duck into the closet and make out and Al is just standing there jellin' on him.
"Isn't it going to get a little hot in there!"
And Sam shuts the door as in "Goodbye Al! I'm Busy!"
lol.
I also love the desplay of Terminal Goodness(as Al calls in it Plat Ball) that Sam deplays in this episode by saving both the Hurricane Party and Cissy after Al told him that there was only time for one. And You know Sam doesn't do 'only time for one', ah uh that's not the way he works.
I also loved at the begining Sam and Al were listening to the shingles being blown off the roof and Al says:
"Those are the singles, the wind must be flicking them off like potato chips"
Great Desciription of how powerful a hurricane is, and paired with real hurricane footage throughout the episode, It adds a very intense and dramaric feeling to the episode and makes the hurricane more realistic. It makes me think how lucky I am to live in Cali where we dont have them.

Ok now the Whole thing with Lisa. Kristen and I think that she was written by a rookie writer (cuz they got new writers sometime around there) who didn't know the show real well, because we feel that she did not fit into the epsiode at all, that she was real out of place and took away from the episode, however I won't say I hate her. The episode would not have been totally runied without her though, there are other things that could have happened, like maybe the Ex-boyfriend started getting aggressive on her or something. He did desplay a lot of jealously towards Sam and Cissy being with another man. I think he would have made a good villian for this episode, and I don't think Ql has done the concept of the abusive boyfriend or in this case ex-boyfriend yet, and I don't count Bob from Camakazi Kid because I am talking real abusive like the stuff you'd see on the news. Plus I really think they he let the dog out on purpose because he wanted Sam to stop Cissy from going after him by going himself. Which would leave the jerk alone with her. I think they could have done a lot with his charactor that would have made the episode slightly better.

This is a good episode though, I really enjoy it, and I REALLY enjoy Sam in the uniform, it makes him look very manly!

[JuliaM]

Kristen and I think that she was written by a rookie writer (cuz they got new writers sometime around there) who didn't know the show real well,

I believe "Hurricane" was written by Thommy Thompson who not only wrote several QL episosdes preceeding this, he was also a producer on the show. I'd have to say he knew the show quite well by this time.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by jmoniz

I believe "Hurricane" was written by Thommy Thompson who not only wrote several QL episosdes preceeding this, he was also a producer on the show. I'd have to say he knew the show quite well by this time.

Oh well ok, but Lisa still doesn't fit in the story no matter who wrote it.

[JuliaM]

I think that's a matter of opinion. I think she fits in with the story-line just fine. It's easy to assume the Cissy dies because of her old boyfriend or because of a natural accident. Lisa fitting into it adds a different dimension - gives it a different twist. I know the first time I saw it, no matter how odd she was acting, I didn't jump to the conclusion that she was the cause of Cissy's death so it made for a nice little twist - a bit of a whodunutit, if you will. I enjoy an episodes (or program in general) that challenges me to think and puzzle out and doesn't spell it all out for me.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Yeah it was interesting to have her go after Cissy with a knife, which I was guessing she might try something from her first visit to Unibelle's where she talked to Sam alone about what would have happened if they were still together. But I don't know, she just seems a little out of place.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Well watching the episode now I noticed something else. It appears that Joe was up to something with her because not only did Al mention that she was last seeing leaving the shelter with him but he claims that teh dog Bofus was scratching to go out but a quick scene clearly shows the dog lying peacefully at the old couple's feet and Joe lead him away. So it's clear that he meant something but Sam inercepted him when he insisted that Cissy stay and let him go after the dog. And that was most likely what led to Lisa. In the original history it was Joe letting to dog out that got her killed.

All things consitered though looking back I kind of like the idea of Lisa now. A pysho jealous ex-gf is a pretty cool idea.

[isz]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

the Whole thing with Lisa. Kristen and I think that she was written by a rookie writer (cuz they got new writers sometime around there) who didn't know the show real well, because we feel that she did not fit into the epsiode at all, that she was real out of place and took away from the episode, however I won't say I hate her. The episode would not have been totally runied without her though, there are other things that could have happened, like maybe the Ex-boyfriend started getting aggressive on her or something. He did desplay a lot of jealously towards Sam and Cissy being with another man. I think he would have made a good villian for this episode, and I don't think Ql has done the concept of the abusive boyfriend or in this case ex-boyfriend yet. I think they could have done a lot with his charactor that would have made the episode slightly better.

1.Chris Ruppenthal(The B**gieman) wrote this episode.
2.They already did the "abusive boyfriend/ex-boyfriend"(Ex-husband,to be exact) in "Honeymoon Express",so i guess that the reason Chris came up with Lisa - the Ex-girlfriend.
3. I,too, think the character of Lisa had a lot of problems.
4. I found this episode an average episode only.Not a very strong storyline.The Lisa character that seems out of place.and the twist in the end,that really ruined it for me. I can't understand what the deal with all those twists.especially in QL. Can't you try and keep it simple?!

BTW this is the third "Lisa" we had during the series(The Second to be Exact) after 16 yo Sam - Lisa the cheerleader from "the Leap home" and Al's Lisa from "A leap for Lisa".What is the deal with this name in QL?!

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Hun you replied to that comment too late, try reading the one above you.

[JuliaM]

Originally Posted by isz

I can't understand what the deal with all those twists.especially in QL. Can't you try and keep it simple?!

It's known as suspense and keeping the audience off guard and engaged as opposed to being able to guess the where, when and why of the plot line from the beginning and turning the TV off or over to another channel. A predictible plotline is going to be a boring plotline.

Personally, I'm glad there were plot twists and suspensful moments in QL. It kept me hooked on it. I enjoy when I can't predict how something's going to end. To me, it means the writers are doing their job and engaging me in the story that's unfolding.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

I agree Julia I just loved how with QL you absolutly NEVER knew what would happen next and where it would end up. That is what makes this show so much fun.
This ep was a fine example with Lisa becuase they make you think Joe is the target bad guy for a lot of the middle of the episode and then at the end Lisa practically comes out of nowhere. There was just one hint to her which was when she came into Unibelles the first time and complained that she wished she and Archie never broke up. Or at least it hinted it to me.

[isz]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Hun you replied to that comment too late, try reading the one above you.

1.I noticed you changed your first point of view about Lisa's Character,but i didn't,so i borrow your first point of view to my response to the episdoe.

Originally Posted by jmoniz

Personally, I'm glad there were plot twists and suspensful moments in QL. It kept me hooked on it. I enjoy when I can't predict how something's going to end. To me, it means the writers are doing their job and engaging me in the story that's unfolding.

2. I'm glad there were plot twists and suspensful moments in QL,too,but i also think,that there are "Good twists" and "bad twists" and during QL there were to many episodes with an unnecessery "Bad Twists" on them.
Here is list of a few episode with "bad Twists" in QL,in my opinion-
1. The twist with Lisa in This episode.
2. The twist with Butchie's mother in "Run Away".
3.The twist with corey's falling into the water in "Jimmy"(But i can understand why the writere did it in this episode.

And here is a list of "Good twists" in QL,in my opinion:
1. The twist with "Devil Al" in "the B**gieman".
2. The twists in "MIA",when we learn who Beth really is.
3.The twist in "The Leap Home: part 2 - Vietnam" with the photo of MIA Al.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

1.I noticed you changed your first point of view about Lisa's Character,but i didn't,so i borrow your first point of view to my response to the episdoe.

Oh ok thanx for clarifying.
Yeah I now see that Lisa was a very interesting and unexpected twist, but her charactor had issues as was clearly shown seeing as she nearly killed herself.

[Bexter]

Well, what can i say about this episode....

The hurricane footage was good

I liked Lisa better than Cissy up until the point where she tried to kill everyone........ actually I think I still liked her better than Cissy even then.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Bexter

Well, what can i say about this episode....

The hurricane footage was good

I liked Lisa better than Cissy up until the point where she tried to kill everyone........ actually I think I still liked her better than Cissy even then.

Why? I loved Cissy I thought she was funny and cute and good with Archie.

[Bexter]

yes she was sweet, funny and cute but i just didn't like her, I don't really know why. Perhaps she was too funny and too cute and too sweet. To me Lisa had way more passion and a more realistic personality. The only other thing I can put my finger on is there seemed to be no real chemistry between her and scott, they were ACTING like there was suppose to be chemistry but to me it just fell flat.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

True I didn't see Scott have the same Chemistry with Cissy as I did plenty of other women like Terri Hatcher, Mimi Kuzyk, Jennifer Antison and Tamyln Tomita(Some of the top actresses that I thought he had amazing chemistry with), but an actor can't be great with everyone. What it may look like is that Cissy's acting was a little over the top and Scott's was perfect as usual. I think she was realistic as her passion for Archie seemed very real to me but I an see where you can see more personality in Lisa. She was an extremely passion charactor who irnoically has childhood issues that get in the way with her relationships. And I did love Sam's attitude towards her, how he cared about her even though she was obviously very viciously jealous, and you would think any guy would want a woman like that locked up in a nut house. I love how Sam can see through a person's soul like that and read their heart. I don't understand why he does not have a degree in Psychology amoung his many; I think he has some talent in the area. There are a lot of times when he sees something inside someone that no one else can or will.

That is something I can say I like about Lisa how her character brings out one of the many qualities we love in Sam.

[NYCSciFiFan]

This was a great episode, but I realized that this show's writers relied on suicide in at least half the episodes. A little disturbing since I think of this as a family show.

I found myself getting frustrated as Al stood around and watched without being able to do anything since he's a hologram. Still don't understand how Sam was able to get there in time to save the girlfriend from the ex-girlfriend. *shrug*

I did like the ending, although Sam seemed a little too eager to kiss the lady...he's a married man! (I know, swiss cheese memory.)

[ohboy]

I liked this episode, but my chief problem about it was that it sort of dragged on through the beginning, and then got really exciting towards the end. I was probably only really "into" the show for about the last ten mintues. The rest of it was just too bland.

When Sam entered the house to stop Lisa from going killing Cissy, what happened to the dog? That was a burning question for me after the show, but it could just be me.

[Sam's Crow]

Originally Posted by ohboy

When Sam entered the house to stop Lisa from going killing Cissy, what happened to the dog? That was a burning question for me after the show, but it could just be me.

He probably just left it in the car.

To me the episode was okay but I wouldn't say it was one of my favourites.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

This is a retraction of the perspective I saw this episode from what is already expressed here with the exception of this:

I loved how they put in this episode, the charctors seeing something different about Archie. Like how Cissy saw him with green eyes for a second when she could have sworn Archie's were brown or blue I can't remember right now(however now I almost want to pop the episode in now that I am thinking about it), and how the man at the Hurricane Party saw him with Brown hair with one eye and Black with the other, although he can easily be half explained by the fact that he was drunk. This was not the first epsiode they stressed this in eaither. In Genesis when He kissed Peg she put a started hand to her lips and she noticed a difference in her husband's kiss. I wish they would have done more of this though because it's a very interesting concept

It's more obvious to me now that drunkenness, which unbalances the mind is what gave the hurricane party man partial recognition of Sam. This is something that I have recently come to realized was earlier suggested in season 2's Catch a Falling Star (I believe drunken actor John O'Malley gave "Ray" his big debut because he got a glimpse of Sam after being rescued from his "Gerald Ford impression" and freaked out).

The whole Lisa twist was sick and brilliant, particularly the way you never see it coming. While it was obvious that she had not gotten over the break up her unhealthy level of obsession with Archie was well hidden. She was a well developed and surprising character. I have to wonder what had happened to her in the original history when Cissy was killed going after the dog in the storm.

This episode well portrayed Sam's need to save everyone and how his heart tends to be touched by the host's significant other or woman he's involved with in the task. I, though being a hopeless romantic, enjoyed the scenes between him and Cissy.

Tidbit: The house which was the designated hurricane shelter was Unibelle's but at least twice Al says Annabelle.

[iMonrey]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

It appears that Joe was up to something with her because not only did Al mention that she was last seeing leaving the shelter with him but he claims that the dog Bofus was scratching to go out but a quick scene clearly shows the dog lying peacefully at the old couple's feet and Joe lead him away. So it's clear that he meant something but Sam intercepted him when he insisted that Cissy stay and let him go after the dog. And that was most likely what led to Lisa. In the original history it was Joe letting to dog out that got her killed.

You know, it's almost as if Cissy was just fated to die that night, and Sam is somehow cheating fate. Sam prevents her from going back home and then a killer shows up to get her. In fact there are several episodes where Sam is there to save someone's life, and Al's on the handlink going "Oh, no, now she dies because of such-and-such instead." It's like some of these characters have Death following after them and Sam has to make repeated attempts to save them.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by iMonrey

You know, it's almost as if Cissy was just fated to die that night, and Sam is somehow cheating fate. Sam prevents her from going back home and then a killer shows up to get her. In fact there are several episodes where Sam is there to save someone's life, and Al's on the handlink going "Oh, no, now she dies because of such-and-such instead." It's like some of these characters have Death following after them and Sam has to make repeated attempts to save them.

Actually I am beginning to wonder if the dog was a backfired set up in both timelines. It seems more plausible that the ex-boyfriend was trying to lure Archie out to his death or at least out of the house to make his move on Cissy. You could tell he felt a threat there and seemed to be hung up on her a few levels below Lisa's fixation with Archie.
In the first timeline it didn't go his way because Cissy had went after the dog instead of Archie and was killed.
In the second Archie went out as possibly intended but it was Sam and if murder was the intention that obviously failed but the real Archie still would have made it through the storm in the original timeline as he managed to save the hurricane party(which was why he absent when Cissy was killed going after the dog). Here the ex still wouldn't have gotten his move in because Lisa showed up.
I wish they had explained the original timeline more but it was acknowledged that the details of Cissy's death were never clear and the reason she had wondered out into the storm to her death is as Al stated in All Americans:
"That kind of data is locked in the human heart."
So this is just a theory.