Teaser:

Set during the racially charged Watts riots of 1965, Sam leaps into a black man with a white fiancée trying to protect her from being killed by his brother.

Audio from this episode:

Al: Don't you know were you are?

TV Guide Synopsis (TVGuide.com):

Sam lands himself in a really gray area as a black medical student with a white fiancée in a racially tense city in 1965. Nita Bond: CCH Pounder. Lonnie Jordan: Gregory Millar. Susan Bond: Corie Henninger. BB: Sami Chester. Papa Dee: Ron Taylor. Sam: Scott Bakula.

Synopsis & Review:

LEAP IN:

When Sam leaps in, he is leaning back on a mattress on a rooftop, wearing an open brown shirt that exposes his chest, brown pants, and brown loafers. He looks around to see a bird coop with pigeons cooing, and a beautiful young lady in a pink dress leans forward and kisses him gently as the radio plays “My Girl” by the Temptations in the background.

As she rubs his chest, she reminds him, “No fair thinking about anything but us. You promised.”

Sam replies, “Yeah, I guess I did.”

“We get so little time together; I won’t have you off thinking of anything but me.”

Sam nods.

“Ok. Medical School. I won’t be jealous of medical school.” She leaned in again, cupping Sam’s face, and kissed him again.

Three black men are crossing the roof toward them. One of the men says, “What are you doing up here?” and another one answers, “Take them anywhere you want, Papa D.”

Sam and the young woman named Susan (played by Corie Henninger) scramble to get up from where they have been relaxing, and she screams, “No!” Sam instinctively puts her behind him so that he takes the brunt of whatever is coming.

PART ONE:

The three men approach the pair. Papa D (played by Ron Taylor) is wearing a hat, a white shirt under another buttoned-up shirt, suspenders, and gray slacks; Bebe (played by Sami Chester) is wearing a horizontal multi-colored brown shirt with brown slacks, a belt, and a dew rag on his head. Lonnie (played by Gregory Miller) is wearing an off-yellow, collared pullover shirt and black slacks.

Papa D spreads his arms to prepare for the fight, but Sam gives him a roundhouse kick, and Bebe shoves Sam into the coop. Bebe then grabs Susan by the arms to hold onto her. She begins to cry out, “Tell them to stop!” Papa D gets up and grabs Sam into a headlock. “No!” she continues. “Lonnie, make them to stop.”

“You tell them to stop.”

“They won’t listen to me.”

“I wonder why?”

“Lonnie, please!”

“Now it’s Lonnie, please!” He pauses for effect. “What about when Lonnie said, please stay away from his brother?” Lonnie makes a motion to release the pair of them. Papa D releases Sam from the headlock, and Bebe lets go of Susan.

Susan moves to Sam to pull him into her embrace as Sam coughs from being in the hold, but she faces Lonnie. “I can’t stay away from him. I love him.”

Sam looks into a mirror in the pigeon coop and sees that he is a young black man (played by Garon Grigsy).

Lonnie said, “No. What you love is you have a toy nigger to show off to your liberal honky friends.”

Sam turns to look at Lonnie.

“Until she gets bored,” Bebe coos.

“Or until it ain’t hip no more,” Papa D says sarcastically as he looks at them expectantly.

“Then what happens to Ray?” Lonnie questions.

“Isn’t that my business?” Sam questions.

“Not when I’m busting my ass to put you through med school, it ain’t!”

Bebe interjects, “You got your nose so wide open; you forgot what color you are?”

“What does color have to do with this?” Sam questions.

“Say what? I think you choked him a little too long, Papa D,” Bebe retorts.

“Not long enough,” Lonnie interjects.

“Color shouldn’t have anything to do with relationships,” Sam says as he looks into Susan’s eyes. “And no one should know that better than us.”

Lonnie takes several steps toward the pair of them. “You’ve been sucking up to this white trash so long you start to sound like her.”

Sam puts Susan behind him again as Lonnie approaches, but she retorts, “He sounds like the future.”

Lonnie replies, “Not my future.”

Sam says plainly, “She’s talking about mine.”

“Doing what? Dumping Mr. Charlie’s bedpans?

Papa D blurts out, “Yeah, man, your MDA is going to stand more than moving do-do.”

Susan ignores the comment. “Ray’s good. He’ll be able to practice anywhere in this country. He’s already breaking barriers.”

Lonnie yells, “Is that what Mama and I have busted our asses for all these years?! To break honky barriers?! Ray is staying here to take care of his own people.”

Sam turns his head toward her and says, “Makes sense.”

Susan then blurts out, “But what about Boston?”

“Boston?” Sam questions.

“You’re going to walk away from an internship at Brigham?”

“Uh…”

Lonnie then says, “You never said nothin’ about Boston.”

Sam says, “I must have forgotten to tell you.”

Lonnie then says, “No, what you have forgotten is who you are, nigger! And we both know why. You’re my brother, man, and I love you, but she goes, Ray. She goes, and you stay!” He huffs and then walks away, and Papa D and Bebe follow.

As they walk away, Susan hugs Sam tightly.



PART TWO

On the screen, the viewer sees a sign of Watts – a black man’s head with a white cigarette in its mouth. On the radio, you hear, “This is Melvin the magnificent, and I know this scene has all of your personal bands. Lord have mercy on L.A. It’s another hot one. The weatherman says that it’s over a hundred, and it’s going to stay that way. So, I think that if we have to be sweating all night, let it be in the arms of the one you love. That’s L U V. Right now, it’s 8:25, and the last little bit of summer sunshine is about to fall into the sea, and I, Melvin the magnificent, want to have a word with all you fine party people out there in party land! Now get yourself up close to the radio, cuz I’m about to give you the party instructions for the night. The first thing you want to do is turn the lights to red, green, and blue, and when the mood is right, and the moon is low, turn your rhythm down to a grind that’s real slow…”

The show's title comes up during the above, and we hear the song, Ooo Baby Baby by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles play on the radio underneath: Black on White on Fire. August 11, 1965. There are city scenes, and then we see Sam and Susan drive up in a car. Sam stops the car and turns it off.

Sam starts, “Susan…”

“Ray, no one has the right to tell you what to do with your life—not Lonnie, not your mom, and not me.” She sighs. “I just want to be part of your future… and it’s not in Watts. Lonnie reminds me of that every time I look into his eyes. I love you and won’t spend my life without you.”

Sam leans over and kisses her.

The house door opens, and we see an older man – a police officer – Captain Paul Brewster (played by Marc Alaimo) emerge. He yells, “Susan!”

Susan breaks the kiss. As Sam and Susan leave the car, he approaches them, saying, “You told me this was over.”

“We were studying and…”

“I asked you to stay away from my daughter, and now, I’m telling you.”

Sam begins, “I don’t think…”

“I don’t give a damn what you think. You just stay away from Susan.”

“Stop it, Daddy.”

“Not while you’re under my roof.”

“Then I’ll move in with Ray.”

Sam grabs her by the arms and says, “Wait a minute – wait a minute. Don’t you think that we should talk about this?”

“You mean you don’t want me to move in with you?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“He doesn’t want you in Watts any more than I do,” Paul says plainly.

“I didn’t say that either!” Sam interjects.

“You stay away from him and stay out of that damn ghetto.”

“I work there!”

As they talk, an older black woman, Matty (played by Montrose Hagins), their maid, walks out of the Brewster’s house to hear what’s happening.

“Susan, coloreds are beating whites in Watts right now. You think that they’re not going to turn on you just because you volunteered for a couple of months during the summer?”

“No! Because it’s the 20th Century! Because this is Los Angeles, California, and not Redneck, Mississippi, a hundred years ago! Negros and whites are getting married all the time, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does to me,” her father says. “Now get in the house.”

Susan sighs.

Sam says, “Come on, Susan. We’ll work this out.”

“The hell you will.”

“Go in the house, Susan, please,” Sam tells her.

She takes a few steps toward her father and says, “Daddy, the only difference between you and Lonnie is the color of your skin!” She then runs toward the house, and the maid takes her into the house, leaving the door open.

The Captain takes a few steps toward Sam, then says, “When you first started coming around here, I tried to deal with you as an individual. Then I realized I have to deal with you for what you are – a colored man who’s going to hurt my daughter.”

Sam says, “I’d never hurt Susan.”

“But they will.”

“They?”

“Your brothers, as that fanatic Malcolm X calls them. They will hurt her – and there won’t be a thing you’ll be able to do to stop it.” The Captain then turns around, walks to the house, and slams the door.



PART THREE

We are back in the ghetto. People are outside cooking and playing loud music. Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson is playing on the radio.

Sam drives up in his car. As he’s stopping the car, Al pops into the scene. He’s wearing a teal, black long-sleeved shirt, a floral teal vest, and a purple and silver tie.

Al questions, “How’s it going, kid?”

Sam looks into the rear-view mirror and states, “I’m black again, Al.”

“I can tell.”

“I’m a black man engaged to a white girl, and nobody wants us together – not her father or my brother or any of his so-called friends.”

“It’s 1965, Sam, and California may be as far to the left as you can go without leaving the country, but there’s still a lot of ignorance and bigotry.”

Sam props himself up on the car’s window and asks, “What am I here to do?”

“We don’t know. Ziggy’s run some scenarios on the riot, but he doesn’t have a way to plug you in yet.”

“Riot?”

“Don’t you know where you are?”

“Yeah – Watts.”

“August 11th, 1965 – one of the worst riots this country has ever seen is about to go down right here!”

Sam gets out of the car. “I don’t remember.” He shuts the car door.

Al hits the handlink. “A black man named Marquette Fry gets arrested in Compton. That lit the fuse. When it was over thirty-five people were dead, hundreds of people were injured, and the main drag became known as Charcoal Alley. Made me sick when it happened. It pushed the Civil Rights Amendment and the Voting Rights Bill through, and then everything goes up in smoke.”

“Maybe I’m here to stop the riots.”

“You can’t! Marquette just got arrested hours ago- it’s already started – it’s too late.”

“I can warn people. I can warn them. I can tell them about the ….”

“Who’s going to listen to a fourth-year medical student?”

“Maybe my brother?

“Lonnie? He’s a militant. Besides, you’re his little brother – he’s never going to listen to you - nobody’s ever going to listen to you.”

“Susan would.”

“Susan?”

“Have Ziggy run a scenario on me and Susan Brewster.”

“You mean Ray and Susan Brewster.”

“Yeah, yeah, right – she loves him so much, Al. When she looks at me, I feel like she wants to just crawl inside and never come out—only one woman who ever looked at me like that.”

“Bingo. That’s it, Sam. Ziggy says there's an 87% chance you’re here to keep Ray and Susan together. He lost Susan because of the riot. When he lost her, he lost his dream of becoming a doctor.”

“That can’t be right. She loves him too much to give him up.”

“You haven’t spent too much time with her. How can you be sure of that?”

“No, no. She loves me, Al,” Sam says as he walks toward the house.

Al follows and questions, “Why did you say ‘me’? You mean Ray, dontcha? That’s the second time you’ve done that. Are you starting to fall in love with this Susan?”

“No. It’s just that even though I’ve only been here a few hours, I can see how much she loves Ray. She wouldn’t let anything come between that.”

New music begins to play on the radio – Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag by James Brown.

“The Watts Riots were not just anything, Sam.”

“And we can’t stop it?”

“No, we would have had to come here at least 50 years ago.”

“You said it started this afternoon when Marquette Frye got arrested…”

“It first started when the first black couldn’t find a job or live where he wanted to. It started when the first baby went hungry or the first cop hassled some guy just because he was black. This match has been burning a long time Sam.”

Papa D approaches Sam, cutting off what Al is saying, and Sam turns to look at him. “Alright, it’s doctor moving do-do. You know, I figured out exactly what your problem is.”

“I… I don’t – I don’t have a problem.”

“Oh, yes, you do,” Papa D explains.

“Be cool, Sam,” Al retorts as he listens.

“You, my man, have forgotten the FINE flavor of sweet brown chocolate,” Papa D puts his hands up in the air as if he is dancing with someone, “melting down to the rhythm of a 45!” Papa D laughs and slaps Sam on the arms.

“Uh….”

“Uhm… you need to party my man.”

“Party? There’s a riot starting.”

“I know. It’s right over Shei Hill’s house?”

Al breaks in. “Go with him Sam. I have to get some data anyway.”

Papa D grabs Sam’s arm and says, “Come on!” He wraps his arm around Sam and starts to move him away. “Forget Susie sunshine for one night.”

“That’s the data I’m going to be getting.”

“Don’t leave me,” Sam says, looking over his shoulder at Al. Papa D moves him across the road, going toward a house.

“Ain’t nobody leaving you young blood. You know you do need to take a vacation. However, I, Papa D, the doctor of love, prescribe you a major dose of partying. Come on, let’s go see Sheri.”





PART FOUR

The viewer sees a 45 record being played. It’s still the song of Papa’s Got a Brand-New Bag. We span out to see people dancing.

Papa D says, “Get down, ya’ll. Sheri!”

Sheri (played by Laverne Anderson) is in a blue dress and walks over to where Sam and Papa D are standing. “Lord, have mercy on my soul. Dr. Strange Love has come to party. Come on, Sugar, I’ve been waiting for you.”

A new song is put on – Baby I Need Your Loving by the Four Tops.

Sheri hooks her finger onto Sam’s pocket and begins to lead him through the people to dance with him.

Sam begins, “You know, uh, I really shouldn’t…”

Sheri states, “Put your arms around me like you used to do in High School and dip.” She moves down his body and then comes back up.

“Uhm. I really should, uh, go home and study.”

“Good. I can help you like I used to do with your anatomy lessons.”

Sam laughs softly. “I appreciate the offer but I, uhm, I’m engaged.”

“You mean to tell me that you’re going to honestly marry that sugar cookie?”

“Susan is a… is a very nice girl.

“And so am I if you’d just let me show you,” Sheri says before she gently kisses his lips.

“I um… I really think that you would like her.”

“Now, how am I supposed to find that out? Is she going to invite me over for tea?

“Well, maybe, or maybe – maybe you could invite her.

“Yeah, I’ll put that on my social calendar,” she says sarcastically. “But until then, what if you and I…” She’s just about to kiss him when a hand comes over the record player, sending the recording arm scratching over the record, causing the music to stop.

“Hey, listen up. Listen up!” It’s Lonnie and Bebe coming into the party.

Papa D demands, “Hey man, have you lost your mind? Don’t be bustin’ up the party!”

Bebe breaks in, “The party’s over.”

Sheri says, “It’s my party, and it’s not over until I say it’s over.”

Lonnie breaks over her. “Shut up. Shut up and listen!”

You can now hear police sirens wailing outside.

Papa D asks, “What is your problem, man?”

“The streets are swarming with cops, man. They are arresting brothers for just walking down the street,” Lonnie complains.

“For what?” Sheri asks.

“For what? Does it matter, does it ever matter?” Bebe questions loudly.

“They beat a pregnant woman in the middle of the street because she tried to stop two cops from clubbing a black man!” Lonnie says passionately.

“Lonnie, don’t start this,” Sam says as he approaches him.

“Start what, man? Are we gonna let a bunch of honky cops stomp us into the ground, man, cause we’re fighting back for once? We gotta take back our streets.”

Sam tries to reason with him. “You can’t go out there. If the police are beating and arresting people, you’re just asking for it.”

“It’s the honky cops who are asking for it.”

“Use your head, Lonnie; people are going to get hurt.”

“He may be right, man!” Papa D says.

Lonnie walks over to Papa D. “You think Mr. Charlie’s right, Papa D?”

“I didn’t say that.”

Sam says, “It’s not a matter of right and wrong; we’re talking about saving lives.”

Bebe steps up into Sam’s face. “You’ve been running with Mr. Charlie for too long.”

“He’s been running us all too long. Telling us when to go home. When to go to work. When to breathe.”

Bebe raises his hands in the air. “We gotta take ‘em down!!”

Sam approaches Lonnie and says, “Going out there is not the answer.”

“You hide in this room, Ray, I can’t. Not when the man is beating our women, not when the man is imprisoning my brothers. I can’t hide. I gotta fight.” Lonnie pushes past Sam, but Sam tries to stop him from leaving the house.

“No!” Sam yells.

Lonnie and Sam briefly stare down before Bebe breaks through and tells him, “Move out of the way, Charlie,” Lonnie, Bebe, and a few others push Sam to the side to leave.

People rush out of the house, and Sam runs after them, calling out, “Lonnie! Lonnie, wait! Come on, Lonnie. Stop!”

Al is standing outside on the street with the handlink in hand. “Sam!”

“Lonnie!” Sam yells out once more.

People are still running out in the street, and police cars are racing by. Sam says to a few people, “Go home. Get in your houses. Go!”

“Sam, there’s nothing you can do. It’s not your fault, Sam. You’re not here to stop the riot. You’re here to make sure that Ray and Susan stay together.”

“People are dying, Al!”

“Well, Susan may be one of them.”

This hits Sam hard. “What?”

Al shakes his head. “I don’t know. Ziggy is telling me now that there’s a 32% chance that she could die in the next 48 hours.”

“Was it something that I did? Some history that I changed or…?”

“No, I don’t think so. The odds are still heavy that you’re here to keep Ray and Susan together. Now there’s just this outside chance that maybe she could die.” As Al is talking, a car pulls up behind Al. The vehicle is being driven by Matty – the Brewster’s maid.

“Ray! Thank God!” Susan yells, gets out of the car, and races to him. She hugs him close.

“What are you doing here!?” Sam questions.

“I saw what was happening on the news, and I got so afraid. I got this feeling that something terrible was going to happen to you.”

From the car, Matty says, “I tried to talk some sense into her, but she swore if I didn’t bring her down here, she’d come on her own.”

Al says, “She’s lucky she made it here alive, Sam.”

Sam clasps her by her neck as he says, “You gotta go home!”

Susan says, “I can’t.” She goes to the car and grabs a suitcase, “I left a note telling Daddy that I was staying with you.”

Matty then says, “Negros aren’t the only ones going crazy tonight.” She then pulls away in the car.

Susan watches the car drive away. “She quit tonight. She said after eleven years, she didn’t know who Daddy was.”

Susan then pulls Sam into her embrace.

He begins to pull her back. “Susan. Susan this is crazy, I gotta get you home.”

“Daddy was right. You don’t love me, do you?”

“This has nothing to do with love!” Sam states.

“This has everything to do with it. If you love me as much as I love you, you’d want me with you in a time like this.”

“So that I worry about you being hurt?” Sam questions.

Al looks at the handlink and says, “Sam, carry this discussion inside. You gotta get her off the street before someone sees her. You live over there, apartment 218.”

Sam grabs her suitcase, and they race across the street. “We gotta go inside.”

The viewer hears an explosion and then sees a firetruck trying to extinguish a fire. There are scenes of people getting arrested by the police, people beating on a car that belongs to a station, and then people getting accosted.



PART FIVE

We then see Ray's mirror image sitting in front of a television. We hear the following from the TV: “The major will request that the National Guard be called in in the morning. Fire bombings of retail stores and businesses continue in the meantime with no ending in sight.” We also hear Al popping in with the handlink in hand.

The viewer hears the sound of the imaging chamber door, and we see Susan turn down the volume on the TV. She then approaches Sam, who is sitting on a plush rocker. Susan says, “Matty had me hide under an old quilt in the back seat so no one could see. I almost told her to take me home, but I thought about you. I thought about us. And none of it mattered.”

Sam says, “It does matter. It’s too dangerous for you here.”

“People know me, Ray. I’ve worked all summer at the health center.”

Al replies, “No one cares about that now.”

Sam puts his hands on her shoulders and says, “This is a riot, Susan. People don’t care about what you’ve done. They only see the color of your skin. Now, I’m going to figure out a way for you to get home, and once I do, I want you to stay there.”

Susan shakes her head no. “Not without you.”

“I gotta stay here.”

“No, you don’t, Ray. You don’t belong here. You’re better than this. We can get a place on campus until after our boards, and then we go away to Boston.”

“She could be right, Sam,” Al replies.

“No,” Sam says plainly, remarking to both. “I can’t explain it. I’ve gotta stay.”

“Then, so will I,” Susan says plainly, “until I can talk some sense into you.”

The viewer then hears a woman yell out in the hallway. “Lonnie! Ray! Help, somebody.”

Sam and Susan go to the door and open it, and a woman is leaning against the wall, her head bleeding. Sam grabs the woman and says, “Go get a wet towel,” to Susan.

“Oh,” the woman says helplessly as Sam helps her into the apartment.

Al says, “That’s Ray’s mother. Your mother.”

“We were coming up the bus on Avalon,” Ray’s mother, Nita Harper (played by CCH Pounder), says.

“Easy,” Sam says softly as he sits her on the plush rocker.

She’s crying but able to get the following out as Sam looks at her head: “And then, all of a sudden, there were a bunch of these people in the street. They were screaming and throwing rocks and bottles at us. I thought they were going to turn over that bus. They grabbed the driver, and they started breaking windows. There was police everywhere. I don’t know how I got off that bus. I don’t even know how I even got home,” she pulls Sam into a hug. Susan returns to the room with a towel and a bowl of water. “Susan. Oh Lord, child, what you doing here?”

“I wanted to be with Ray.”

“You gotta get her out of here,” Nita tells Sam. She then whispers, “They’ll kill her if they see her.” The lights go out in the apartment, and Nita whimpers, “What’s happening… to us? I mean, what in God’s name is happening to us?”

Sam pulls her into his embrace.

Then, the viewer sees the following: a TV station wagon burst into flames, a group of people racing away, with a police officer with a baton hitting a black man; people looting stores, several officers holding back a group of black civilians; multiple cars on fire; people being arrested; fires being put out and people beating on police cars.

We next see Sam lying on a couch in a white tank top that he’s sweating in. Nita Harper comes with a tray of food and pats him on his leg after she sits it down. “Ray. Ray, honey, wake up. Electricity came on around seven. I think the coffee is still hot.”

“What time is it?” Sam says as he sits up.

“Eleven. I tried to wake you, but…”
“Where’s Susan?”

“I shooed her off to your room; she’s still asleep.”

Sam wipes at his eyes and sighs. “I guess I need to call her father.”

“It don’t work.”

“Huh?”
“I saw the repair trucks, but,” she sighs, “folks pulled the driver out, and you know… back in Mariposa, it was the white man’s hatred. Now it’s the negros angry about how it’s supposed to be. It seems it don’t matter where we go, we can’t get rid of the hate.”
“Maybe it’s not the place that makes the difference, but the people.”

“That’s why you being a doctor here is so important - show these kids in the street that you can be somebody better.”

“In a way, that’s what Lonnie wants.”

“That boy troubles me,” Nita says as she looks out the window. “So much hate, and yet he cares. He cares, Ray, or he wouldn’t be working so hard to put you through school,” she says as she turns back to Sam.

“He’s afraid I won’t stay here.”

“Oh, you won’t go. I raised you better than that. You won’t go. God gave you a gift to make these streets better. You won’t go.” Susan suddenly shows up and finishes with, “Unless she takes you away.”

“I just want what’s best for Ray,” Susan says softly. She walks up to Sam and kisses him softly. “I love Ray, Mama Harper, and I don’t want to see him lose his chance to be something great.”

“He can be great right here.”

“No, he can’t. He can do good here, but he can’t be great.”

“No, uhm…” Sam begins, “sometimes doing good is more important.”

“Ray, do you want to spend your life in Watts?” Susan asks. “Raise our children in it?

“Raising your children is going to be hard no matter where you do it,” Nita says plainly.

“Why?” Susan asks.

“Because wherever you go, they won’t fit in. They won’t be black, and they won’t be white.”

“They’ll be human,” Sam says plainly.

“Of course, they’ll be human, child; I’m talking about race.”

“I know, but maybe if we teach our kids to say that they're human, instead of black or white or red or yellow – maybe race won’t matter.”

Nita shakes her head and says, “Not in my lifetime.”

The door opens, and Lonnie, Bebe, and Papa D enter the apartment. Both Lonnie and Bebe are holding guns.

Bebe demands, “Ray, what the hell is she doing here?”

Nita questions, “What are you boys doing in my house with guns?”

Papa D says, “She shouldn’t be here, man; she could get hurt.”

Lonnie says, “Our brothers and sisters are dying out there, and you’re worried about this racist?”
“Susan ain’t no racist,” Papa D says.

“What she doing here, Ray?” Lonnie asks.

Sam says, “She came to be with me.”

Bebe remarks, “Why? To ease your jaw,” Bebe asks as he lights up a cigarette.

“Bebe!” Nita chastises him.

“Cut it, Bebe.”

“See what her being here does?” Lonnie asks as he moves about the apartment.

Nita moves toward Bebe, who is bleeding from his arm.

“It’s not her that does it,” Sam says.

Nita touches Bebe’s arm and asks, “What happened?”

“We burned out Winetraub’s Market,” Papa D says.

Nita says, “Mr. Winetraub’s been in his store for over thirty years. Now, why, why did you have to burn him out?”

Sam goes over to look at Bebe’s arm as he says, “Cuz he’s just another cracker stealing money from black folks, and he ain’t giving a damn thing back.”

“It was wrong,” Papa D says plainly.

“Jimmy Parson’s has worked there for as long as I can remember.”

“As a stock boy,” Lonnie puts in.

Sam retorts, “Well, why don’t you ask him how he feels now he doesn’t have a place to work anymore?”

“You think that old jew would’ve trusted the man after fifteen years and taught him something other than sweeping up?” Lonnie remarks as he makes a sandwich behind Bebe.

Susan says, “Maybe he just needed someone to suggest the idea.”

Sam has been looking at Bebe’s arm. “It’s going to need stitches.”

Bebe demands, “Then sew it! Or has all that money that Lonnie’s been working for to get you through medical school all these years have been for nothing?”

“You don’t make it real easy to want to help you, Bebe.”

“If gratitude ain’t enough, do it because you’re a black man, and so is he,” Lonnie says as he eats.

“Being black has nothing to do with helping him,” Sam says plainly. “I’m doing it because if I don’t, he’s going to bleed to death.”

“There’s a sewing kit in my room,” Nita says as she starts toward her room.

“There’s needles and sutures at the clinic,” Susan remarks.

Sam realizes, “My God, that’s where we should be. If we can’t stop what’s happening out there, we can at least help the people that it’s happening to.”

“Well, how are we to get in? Only Dr. Michael’s has the key,” Susan explains.

Papa D says, “The only thing we don’t need right now in Watts is a key.” He laughs.

The viewer next sees a rock through the pharmacy window. There are more fights and rioting with police as they are trying to put people into police cars and cars burning.



PART SIX

The viewer sees more rioting, cars exploding, police arresting people, and men and women running away from the police. Fire trucks are trying to put out fires and mass mayhem in the streets. We then see Sam tending to a middle-aged black man’s arm that has been cut, and he is bleeding.

Sam says, “Let’s take a look at this arm, huh?”

The man grimaces in pain.

“Yeah, okay. Susan, I’m going to need some splints.”

“We used the last one,” she explains as she wipes her hands free from the last patient she helped. “I’ll see if I can improvise with something.”

Sam then looks to Ray’s mom, “Momma, please get me some tape.”

“Right, Ray,” Nita says.

Susan walks around Sam, and he asks her, “You okay?”

“No food, no water, I feel like a doctor. It’s great.”

A young woman (played by Cheryl Francis Harrington) comes rushing in with her son in her arms and cries loudly, “Someone please help my baby!”

Nita looks at the son in her arms and says, “He’s cut pretty bad, Ray.”

“You go over there. I got it, I got it,” Sam says as he takes the young boy into his arms and takes him over to the bed. “Easy. Alright. What happened?”

“We were standing by the shoe store, and it just blew up. Glass went flying everywhere.”

Sam begins to look at the young boy’s leg.

“Tell you what, you’re a lucky guy,” Sam says. “A couple of stitches are gonna take care of this. Susan, I need your help,” he calls out.

Susan comes over to the bed to help, and the young woman’s eyes grow wide, and she angrily pushes Susan away. “Get that honky away from my son. Get away from my child.”

“She’s going to help me,” Sam explains.

“I don’t need no help from her!”

Susan looks hurt and baffled.

The young woman picks up her son and carries him to the door, and Sam rushes to her.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he says. He licks his lips, trying to come up with what to say, “Uhm… uh… Momma and I will take care of him.

“We’ll take care of him, child,” Nita says softly.

“Alright?” Sam says.

The young woman debates it, and Sam raises his arms to help carry the boy back to the bed. “Alright. It’s okay,” Sam says.

Sam lays him back down on the bed, and the young woman begins to cry about her child.

“Momma, get me scissors and sutures.”

“Yes,” Nita says as she goes to grab the materials. “Everything’s gonna be fine.” Nita reaches out and hands Sam the scissors. “Scissors.”

Susan, who has been watching in fear, gasps and then runs out of the room.

Sam begins to work on the young boy, and then the scene merges into the next one, in which Sam is standing in one room putting things away. He sees Susan through the window in another room, standing by the window, looking out, her hand to her lips. He walks toward her and gently touches her shoulder to console her.

“Ray, is this what it’ll be like?”

“Susan,” Sam touches her arm again, and she turns around to face him. “You helped a bunch of people today who really appreciated it.”

“Did they Ray? That’s not what I saw in their eyes. I saw anger and hatred. They tolerated me only because they were hurting and needed help.

“That’s not true.”

“How would you know? You’re one of them.”

Sam drops his eyes and hand at the remark, and Susan closes her eyes.

“You’re tired, or you wouldn’t be talking like this,” Sam says softly.

Susan opens her eyes and says, “Maybe that’s when the truth comes out. I can’t go through life-fighting people who hate me for the color of my skin.”

“I think that’s how everybody in Watts must feel tonight.”

“Your mother was right. We’ll never just be husband and wife. We’ll be a black husband and a white wife, and neither race will ever let us forget it.”

Sam puts his hands on her upper arms. “All that matters is that we do.”

“I’m not sure anymore, Ray. I’m just not sure.”

“Ray! Ray! He’s bleeding bad, man!”

The viewer sees Lonnie and Bebe half-carrying/half-pulling Papa D into the clinic. All three of them are bloodied. Papa D looks very bad. Sam rushes over to him and says, “Momma, get me a tourniquet.”

Nita reaches over and grabs it, then hands it to Sam. “Tourniquet.”

Lonnie says, “Ray, he’s dying!”

Sam says, “It’s okay, Poppa D.”

Bebe yells, “We don’t need your help, honky.”

Sam roars, “Damn it, Bebe back off!”

Susan says, “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

Sam looks back down at Poppa D. “The bullet severed the femoral artery.” He turns to Lonnie, placing a hand on his shoulder. “We gotta get him to a hospital.”

Lonnie looks back at him and says, “My car’s burned, man.”

Sam says, “Well, call an ambulance.”

Nita says, “The phones are dead.”

Sam then tries to pick Poppa D up. “Then we’ll carry him. Come on.”

Lonnie says, “LA General’s the nearest hospital. That’s five miles, man.”

Sam says, “If we don’t get him to an operating room fast, he’s gonna die.”

Susan interjects, “The police. Go to the police. They can take him to a hospital.”

Bebe yells, “They’re the ones that shot him.”

Nita yells, “She’s right, now call the police!”

Lonnie yells, “No!”

Nita has had it. “Fine. If you won’t, I will!”

Sam, bending over Poppa D, says softly, “It’s too late. He’s dead.”

Susan begins to cry.

Lonnie pushes Sam off of Poppa D. “He can’t be dead…. He can’t be!”

Sam is behind Lonnie, panting and getting emotional as Lonnie begins to pull on Poppa D’s arm. “Oh… I’ll go to the police,” Lonnie claims, hoping to bring his friend back to life. “Come on, get him to a hospital… get him to a hospital!”

Sam calmly says, “He’s dead, Lonnie.”

Bebe picks up the gun that was lying on the ground next to him and begins to stand up. “No,” he starts and grabs Susan by the hair.

“No!” Susan yells.

Bebe glares down at her, “This is all your fault, you know that.”

Sam quickly stands up and pushes Bebe, which makes him stop pulling her hair. “No, it’s your fault. Poppa D didn’t want to go with you and Lonnie. He went because he believed in you. And you were wrong!” He turns his back on Bebe and looks down at Poppa D and Lonnie. He bends down to meet Lonnie’s eyes. “You were wrong, and he’s dead.”

Lonnie picks up the gun and stands up. He has blood all over his face and his shirt. He says calmly, “No more black people die.”

Nita says, “I pray to God you’re right.”

Lonnie says, “I’m right, Momma.” He pauses as he looks over at her. “I’m gonna see no more black people die.”

Sam notices that Lonnie begins to back away from Poppa D and stands up to look warily at Lonnie. “Lonnie?”

“Any more brothers die…” he turns and grabs Susan by the arm, “… then she dies.”

Susan is scared, and she calls out, “Ray!”

Lonnie begins to take Susan out of the room, and Sam starts after them, and Bebe cocks the gun and levels it on Sam. “Ray…”

Sam holds his arms out to the side and semi-holds his breath before he turns around to look at Bebe. “I gotta go get him, Bebe.”

“Move, and I’ll blow you in two, man.” Bebe has the gun leveled at Sam’s chest.

“Lonnie can’t stop the killing by threatening her. He’ll just end up getting ‘em both killed.”

Bebe nods. “Lonnie’s ready to die.”

Sam says, “Well, Susan’s not.”

“Don’t make me do this, Ray, man.”

Nita shakes her head. “You ain’t gonna kill my boy.”

Bebe slightly turns to Nita, and Sam kicks the gun out of Bebe’s hands, but he slips on Poppa D’s blood and falls to the floor. Bebe and Sam brawl on the floor, and Nita picks up the gun. She cocks the gun and points it at Bebe as she yells, “Stop it, Bebe.” She sees him raise his hand back to hit Sam. “Bebe, I said stop it!”

Bebe slowly gets up from off of Sam and steps back. Sam quickly gets up and stands beside Nita. As they stare Bebe down, Nita says, “Go find him, Ray.”

“Where’d he take her, Bebe?”

He’s hesitant to respond, and Nita re-cocks the gun again and steps toward him, and he shakes his head, “I don’t know.”

Sam turns and races out of the clinic.

Nita drops the gun and says, “You fools! You boys, you’re all fools!” She walks away from Bebe.



PART SEVEN

The viewer sees someone smashing a headlight on a car. You see people ransacking stores and stealing things. You hear the police, “This is the police. Return to your homes. Return to your homes.” There are apartments and cars on fire, and people are screaming. “Looters will be shot on sight!” We then see police beating people with batons and trying to arrest people. “Return to your homes!” We also see black men and women beating up on the police.

We see Sam walking along the street, searching for Lonnie and Susan. A blast happens on the street next to him, and he falls to the ground to cover his face. He sees himself in a mirror again, then slowly stands up to begin again. The Imaging Chamber door opens, and Al steps out.

Al is dressed in a long-sleeved maroon shirt, slacks, and a gray vest. He also has a string tie on. He’s holding the handlink and tapping on it.

“Al!”

“My God!” Al exclaims as he looks around him.

“Susan. Where’s Susan?”

“You don’t know?” Al questions.

“Lonnie took her hostage. He’s gonna execute her if another black is killed.”

“So that’s what happened.”

“What?”

“That’s why I came to tell you. The odds of Susan dying just jumped to 82 percent.”

“Can’t Ziggy get a lock on her?”

“He could barely get a lock on you. That’s what took me so long to get back to you.”

We hear more explosions and police cars rolling by as people run to get away. The police car comes to a stop, and Al yells, “Get outta here quick! It’s the cops! Run, run, run! Go! Go!”

The police are on Sam’s tail. “Come on, let’s go! Let’s go!”

We hear another police officer say, “I got him! I got him!” we also see the police running through Al as he stands there.

There’s a television that the viewer sees of police, and we see them arresting people. It begins, “Rumors are rampant. One of the most disturbing is that the white daughter of a police captain is being held hostage in Watts and will be executed if another Negro is killed by police.”

We then see that Lonnie is sitting in a room with Susan, loading his gun. He says, “Bebe got the word out.”

Susan says, “Daddy can’t stop this.”

Lonnie remarks, “You’d better pray he can.”

“Killing me will only make it worse.”

“For who?” Lonnie puts one more shell in the gun, then lays it down, walks over to her, and picks her up to look out the window. Susan gasps as they hear more rumbling of explosions.

“Look out there,” Lonnie says, “You think it can get any worse than that?”

Susan shakes her head. “No.”

He drops her back down onto the floor.

“How is killing me going to stop it?” Susan asks.

We hear another explosion from far off.

Lonnie says, “When a nigger’s shot. Mr. Charlie says, ‘Too bad. What a shame.’ Then, the next day, he forgets it ever happened. When a honky’s shot, it’s different. Especially if she’s the daughter of a police captain. Then Mr. Charlie realizes he’s gone too far. Pushed too hard.”

“You know they’ll come after you.”

“I’m ready,” he says, putting down the loaded gun again.

Susan looks on, scared, as she finally realizes what will happen. “You’re gonna kill me no matter what.”

“If your daddy stops murdering my people, I’ll let you go.”

Susan has begun to cry. “He can’t stop what’s happening out there!

“No,” Ray says softly. “I don’t suppose he can.” He picks up another gun and begins to load it.



PART EIGHT

The viewer sees more buildings on fire. As a black man throws a bottle that has a fire on it, we see Sam run onto the scene. The bottle hits a fire truck, and it begins to burn. Sam is creeping alongside a car, trying to dodge people.

Al pops into the scene with a cigar and the handlink. “Sam! Over here! Ziggy found her. They’re in your apartment.”

“I’m lost, Al.”

“It’s two blocks east, one block north.”

“Go to her.”

“I’m gone.” Al hits a button on the handlink and vanishes.

Sam begins to run, but there are people and police everywhere. We see Sam get grabbed by a policeman around the neck, and another police officer hits him with his baton in the gut first, then hits him in the face. They throw him up against the car and begin to beat him on his back several times, push him to the ground, and kick him as well. We see the police doing this with many people. Another explosion happens, and fire runs rampant, and people scatter.

We hear someone say, “Keep looking. Reports are seeing Susan everywhere.” We find out that it’s her father, Captain Paul Brewster.

“Take it easy, Paul, we’ll find her,” the radio dispatcher (played by W.K. Stratton) replies to him over the radio.

“Can you stifle the reporters?”

“We asked the media to withhold announcing any more deaths until Susan is safe.”

“Good. I’ve ordered my men to pull back and fire only if fired upon.”

“Paul, you can’t do that.”

“The hell I can’t! That’s my daughter!” He throws the CB radio back into the police car.

There are overlapping shouts, and he looks down the way to see Sam as Ray, more bloodied and being held up against a wall by some of his police officers.

One of the police officers yells, “I need some help over here! Gimme a hand!”

Captain Brewster rushes over, grabs Sam, pulls him away from the rest of the crowd, and slams Sam up against a car as Sam grunts. “Where’s Susan? Ray! Ray, look at me! Where’s Susan?”

“Lonnie’s got her,” Sam says softly.

“Bastard.”

“He just wants the killing to stop,” Sam grunts out.

“Tell me where he’s got her… Tell me!”

“Not unless I go with you.”

Captain Brewster picks Sam up and slams him back against the car. “Ray! Where is she? Please.”

There’s a gunshot. There’s a black man up on a second-story window shooting, and the police are firing back.

Captain Brewster shouts out, “No!”

The police shoot the man down from the window, and Captain Brewster is looking at the commotion around him.

Sam steps up, bloodied, one of his eyes swollen shut from being hit so many times. “He’s my brother. If anyone can stop him… I can.”



The scene shifts from where Sam and Captain Brewster are standing back to the apartment where Lonnie and Susan are watching the television. The television announcer says, “There have been no reported deaths in the last two hours. But the violence seems to be escalating. The National Guard will be called in by morning.”

We hear Al blink into the scene, and he says, “Come on, Sam. Come on.”

We also hear the police sirens come to a halt outside of the apartment.

“This is the police, Lonnie. Put your weapon down and step to the window.”

Lonnie is surprised by the turn of events and begins to stand up and approach the window. “Step up to the window with your hands on your head.” He steps to the side of the window to see Sam approaching the apartment building.

“Damn.”

Outside, we see an officer (played by Jon Berry) approach Captain Brewster. “Sir.”

“Oh, thank God,” Paul Brewster says. “He’s holding her in that 2nd-floor apartment.”

We then see Sam begin to enter the apartment building.

The man with the sniper gun sees a roof across the way. “That roof will do,” he says.

Captain Brewster says, “That’s my daughter up there.”

“I won’t shoot unless it’s a sure kill,” he says, then moves away.

We hear other officers saying, “Get back there. Clear those civilians outta here now!” Captain Brewster is nervous but can only watch and wait.

We then see Sam approach the slightly open door of his apartment. He calls out, “Lonnie?”

Susan, who is sitting at the window, glances at the door.

“It’s Ray. I’m coming in.”

Al says, “He’s right behind the door.”

Even as Sam opens the door, we hear the sound of a gun being cocked. Sam enters the room. Lonnie shuts the door behind him and locks the door.

Susan is shocked at Sam’s face and gasps as he approaches her.

“There’s no way out! We have the building surrounded!” the police say through a loudspeaker.

Sam grunts as he kneels to her level.

“Traitors get shot,” Lonnie says as he levels the gun on his brother.

Sam begins to untie Susan’s hands. “I didn’t betray you, Lonnie,” Sam says.

“Yeah? What do you call it, then?” Lonnie asks.

“We don’t need more killing, Lonnie!” the police say.

“It’s the only way I could get to you,” Sam says.

“Get to me,” Lonnie replies, “You can’t get to me, nigger.”

As the bondages fall away, Susan wraps her arms around Sam. “He doesn’t want to be stopped, Ray,” she gasps. “He wants to die.”

We hear the handlink squawk. “I think she’s right, Sam. I think he wants to be a martyr.”

“Is that right, Lonnie?” Sam grunts as he stands with Susan and faces the window.

“Let the girl go,” the police squawk on the loudspeaker.

Sam turns back to Lonnie with Susan in his arms. “You wanna be a martyr?”

“Me? A martyr?” Lonnie says as he approaches them with the gun still raised. “Oh, hell, man, Watts is full of martyrs. They don’t need me to join ‘em.”

“Then why?” Sam asks.

“I’m tired of talking about why.”

“Tired or scared?”

“I ain’t afraid of nothing.”

“Except living.”

We see Captain Brewster looking up toward the roof. The sniper is getting into place so he can take out Lonnie. He cocks his gun and sets it up. Captain Brewster looks on.

“You can die for Watts,” Sam says softly. “But can you live for it?”
“You’re talking like a fool!”

“You’re acting like one!” Sam shoots back at Lonnie, and Lonnie raises the gun a bit more. “I need you, Lonnie,” Sam says softly. “Momma needs you. We all need you. We need you to make people listen.”

Lonnie’s lips quiver as he listens to his little brother.

Al looks on, and the handlink squawks twice. “I think you’re reaching him, Sam.”

We again see Captain Brewster looking up at the rooftop. The sniper has his site set on Lonnie, but Sam and Susan are slightly in the way. If he shoots, he could hit any one of them.

“Give me the gun, Lonnie,” Sam says as he reaches out toward Lonnie.

“Please.”

“Her daddy’s killing us out there!” He’s conflicted – you can see it on his face.

“Then be better than he is!” Sam says. “Be more just… be more right…” he pants, “and stay alive to make sure that what happens out there never happens again.”

We then hear the television over what Sam just said, and Lonnie looks at it as it reports, “… just in. Snipers on the corner of 103rd and Compton were shot after an intense gun battle with police. The snipers were taken to LA General, where their condition is unknown at this time.”

“Unknown?” Lonnie repeats. “Those brothers are dead!”

He cocks the gun again. Sam purposely moves Susan to stand behind him, and he’s facing Lonnie.

From the sniper’s perspective, Lonnie moves slightly in front of Sam and Susan. We hear the sniper say, “Come on. Come on, move your head out of the way. Go on.”

“I love her, Lonnie…” Sam says as he swallows hard, “And I can’t believe… that my brother would murder what I love.”

Lonnie is blinking, his lips quivering as he looks slightly back at the television to see people running away from the police, the violence, and looting stores. He’s about to break down in tears and half sobs, “Madness. So much pain and… madness.”

Al looks on in sympathy.

Lonnie suddenly drops the gun to the floor.

“Thank God,” Al says as he raises his eyes to the ceiling.

“Take her,” Lonnie says as he closes his eyes. “Oh, and get out of my face.” He looks exhausted, and sadness comes over him. “

Both of you. Just get out of my face.”

Sam slowly begins to move Susan around him, never taking his eyes off Lonnie and slowly begins to move.

From the sniper’s perspective, we see Sam moving, and the sniper is getting ready to shoot. He’s about to get the shot he wants. There’s a gunshot, and Susan screams. Sam races over to Lonnie, but it’s too late. Lonnie already has a gunshot to the middle of his forehead. Sam pulls Lonnie into his embrace, holding his ‘brother.’

Susan rushes to the window, yelling, “He let me go! He let me go!”

Her father sees her and begins to run toward the apartment.

She returns to Sam, who is holding Lonnie in his arms. Susan then says, “I’m sorry.” She begins to cry. “I’m so sorry!”

Two police officers with guns slam into the apartment, followed by Captain Brewster.

Susan says to her father, “You didn’t have to kill him!”

Captain Brewster says, “He… he was going to shoot you, Susan.”

“No! He let me go!” she exclaims.

“We didn’t know that.” Her father explains.

Sam’s rocking Lonnie in his arms. “Lonnie! Why does he have to die?”
Al closes his eyes in despair.

Susan cries, “I don’t know.”

“It can’t be for nothing, Al.”

We see Al raise his hand to his forehead and rub his temple. Al slightly shakes his head.

“I can’t let his death be for nothing.” Sam suddenly realizes what he is there to do, as he says, “I have to stay in Watts….”

Susan is looking on and begins to shake her head as he talks.

“Be a doctor….”

Al softly says, “Ray has to stay in Watts. Not you.”

“I have to stay!” Sam says louder.

“No,” Susan says plainly. “We have to stay… together.”

“Susan,” her father hisses at her.

“I’m staying,” she says plainly.

Al picks up the handlink, and we hear another squawk from the handlink. “Sam,” Al says softly as the theme from The Leap Home begins to play. “You did it.”

“Is it worth that?” Sam says softly, his head now nestled against Lonnie’s head. “Is it enough?”

The viewer then sees Sam leap.



EPILOGUE

Sam has leaped into a box and is very confined. He’s dressed in a blue suit with a white shirt underneath and a red tie.

We see two blades around his body – one close to the chest, the other by his legs. We hear circus music playing and begin to see another blade coming in close to his face. He opens his mouth and moves his head so that he doesn’t get touched by the blade. Another blade quickly follows, coming from the other side.

We then hear a young female voice saying, “And now… for the sword of doom!” Another blade begins to come down from the top of his confined box.

“Doom?” Sam questions, then suddenly bursts out from the box, and he sees he’s on a stage.

“Ladies and gentleman…” the young woman claims and spreads her arms wide – one above her and one down to the side, “The Great Spontini!!”

There’s a drumroll and fanfare, and people slowly clap at the failed magic trick. Sam raises his hand to slightly wave to the crowd gathered and says with a slight smile, “Oh, boy!”

Personal Review by Sherdran <aka> Eleiece:

Taking a moment from history, especially history so recent as 1965, and attempting to condense it down into a one-bite morsel in order to give someone a taste of the things that were melded together to bring that particular moment into being is, at the very least, a daunting idea.

One has to balance the reality of that historical moment with how to tell it, how to present that moment in a one-hour storyline (the morsel). How to, on one hand, do it without glossing it over or, on the other hand, trying to cram too much bitterness into that morsel to make it what the presenter thinks the viewer 'ought' to 'taste', instead of letting the viewer make up their own mind about what it is they've tasted.

A delicate balance must be struck if that 'morsel' has a chance of being considered by the viewer as worthy to have been partaken of. In this particular viewer's opinion, that's just what Donald P. Belisario, Deborah Pratt, Joe Napolitano, Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, the guest stars, the crew and everyone who had a part in the making of 'Black On White On Fire' did.

They carefully blended just the right amount of the necessary elements to create "Black On White On Fire" so as to give us one small taste, presented it to us, the viewers, to consider that taste, leaving each one to decide for himself or herself about the flavor.

In my humble opinion, that's what the cast and crew of Quantum Leap did with 'Black On White On Fire'. When they found just the right blending and balance, they knew when to stop and did. And it worked. And even after watching it numerous times, it still works.

A series of clips from the episode:

Project Trivia:

Once the riot was in full swing, Ziggy had some difficulty getting a lock on Sam.

The colored cube "gummy bear" handlink is used before its official introduction in "The Great Spontini."

Miscellaneous Trivia:

Even though both actors in the kissing scene were Caucasian, Deborah Pratt remembered about the production of this episode, "we had to go into the network and fight with Standards and Practices about this kissing scene. And we had sponsors pull and if I’m not mistaken a couple of places in the South didn’t air the show... black people, white people, everybody had a different attitude. There was anger and frustration, but no one really understood what was happening.”

There is a "Mandela Effect" with the title of this episode. Many fans remember it being called "Black & White On Fire" instead of Black On White On Fire." Perhaps it was typed incorrectly in a TV Guide or other publication.

Bloopers:

Guest Cast Notes:

Gregory Millar as Lonnie Harper: Gregory Millar was an actor, known for Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), Uncaged (1991) and Why Me? (1990). Greg has maintained a steady career in both film, TV movies and episodic television. He's also a veteran of the stage. Following graduation from the University of Michigan, Greg toured for a number of years with Billie Holiday Resident Acting Co. On Broadway he appeared in Inacent Black; in Off-Broadway and various regional productions gave him the opportunity to hone and sharpen his acting skills in productions of Our Town, The Tooth of Crime, Waiting for Godot and Black People's Party. He died on February 16, 2003 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Corie Henninger as Susan Brewster: Corie Henninger is known for Metro (1997), Copycat (1995) and Quantum Leap (1989).

Sami Chester as Bebe: Sami Chester is known for Contact (1997), Born on the Fourth of July (1989) and Quantum Leap (1989).

Ron Taylor as Papa David Harper: Ron Taylor was born on October 16, 1952 in Galveston, Texas, USA. He was an actor, known for Trading Places (1983), Matlock (1986) and The Mighty Quinn (1989). He was married to Deborah Sharpe-Taylor. Provided the voice for "Audrey II" in the original theater production of "Little Shop of Horrors". Suffered a mild stroke in 1999 during the run of "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues" at Lincoln Center in New York City but was back on stage five weeks later. As a vocalist, he performed with Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Etta James, Sheila E., Slash and others. His blues band, the Nervis Bros., played at clubs and other venues around the country. His greatest triumph was It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues, which traces the history of blues music. In 1999 the show was nominated for four Tony Awards, including best new musical and Mr. Taylor for best featured actor in a musical. Has one son, Adamah. Was nominated for Broadway's 1999 Tony Award as Best Actor (Featured Role - Musical) for "It Ain't Nothin' but the Blues." Alumnus of the AADA (American Academy of Dramatic Arts), Class of 1975. He guest starred in two unrelated television series featuring a regular character named Sam Beckett: China Beach (1988) and Quantum Leap (1989). He died on January 16, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Marc Alaimo as Captain Paul Brewster: American character actor Marc Alaimo (born Michael Joseph Alaimo) began acting on the stage in the early 1960s. Even in his early days he had a propensity for playing shady characters or sinister villains, including the treacherous Iago of Shakespeare's Othello and the brutish Bill Sykes of Oliver!. Alaimo had come to acting thanks to a high school speech teacher who persuaded him to audition for school plays. He was subsequently mentored by a professor of drama at Marquette University where he not only acted in plays (1961-63) but also utilised his skills as a handyman in the construction of sets. Alaimo moved to New York in 1964 to perform with various off-Broadway companies. He also went on tour (as Macduff) with the National Shakespeare Company in a production of Macbeth. Between 1964 and 1966, Alaimo completed studies in drama and ballet at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA). In 1965, he joined Equity, and, after discovering that there was already a Michael Alaimo on their books, changed his first name to Marc.The ensuing years saw him with the Chelsea Theater Center in New York and the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, for the latter in classical roles like Laertes (Hamlet) and Lucky (Waiting for Godot). In 1967, Alaimo returned to his home state to join the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. There, he was acclaimed for his performance as the chief antagonist in Othello. According to a reviewer for the university newspaper "His Iago is flawless. He uses quick gestures and movement, and every word is distinct. A turn of his head tells the audience what turn the subsequent action will take...Alaimo uses his agile movements to fit comfortably and perfectly into the role." Alaimo went on to other meaty roles on the stage during the remainder of the sixties, often in famous plays like A Streetcar Named Desire, The Importance of Being Earnest and Marat-Sade. After headlining as a cat burglar in a Philadelphia production of Sidney Kingsley's Detective Story, Alaimo relocated to California in late 1973. In addition to continuing his theatrical career, Alaimo had by 1970 segued into television, cast in his first recurring role as Frank Barton in the daytime soap The Doctors (1963). In Hollywood, he soon found himself typecast, either as tough police officers or as baddies, though on balance more often the latter. In one of his many villainous roles, he played one of a duo of serial killers posing as an L.A. detective in an episode of Police Story (1973). He appeared in many top-rated 1970s and 80s crime shows, including The Rockford Files (1974), Barnaby Jones (1973), Starsky and Hutch (1975), Kojak (1973) and Hill Street Blues (1981), as well as in occasional feature films (one might recall his alien assassin in The Last Starfighter (1984) or his Mexican cartel boss in Tango & Cash (1989)). From 1987, Alaimo became a regularly fixture --as multiple characters (and one standout role in particular)--in the Star Trek franchise. He became the first actor to portray a Romulan in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) (Commander Tebok, in "The Neutral Zone") and the first Cardassian (Gul Macet) ever featured in any Star Trek series (TNG's "The Wounded'). Earlier, he had made his series debut --again in heavy makeup -- as a lupine humanoid (Antican) delegate in the episode "Lonely Among Us". Above all else, Alaimo's definitive screen incarnation has been the complex, endlessly scheming, power-obsessed, often deceptively amiable Cardassian military leader Gul Dukat, first seen on TNG, but more prominently featured in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993) and considered by many fans to be one of the greatest of all Star Trek villains. The actor himself (unlike the DS9 writing staff) does not regard the Dukat character as evil, explaining "I've tried to play him with some sort of sensitivity. I could have gone one-dimensionally aggressive and mean and ugly with this character if I'd chosen to. I have the feeling that's what they kind of wanted. I thought, 'I've done that a hundred and fifty times already.' So I wanted to give him some dimension, some depth, and I think it's worked very well". Alaimo's long neck, pronounced neck muscles and broad shoulders prompted make-up artist Michael Westmore to accentuate these physical characteristics (in particular, by creating the pronounced Cardassian neck ridges), effectively creating a template for the menacing appearance of the species. At a 2015 Star Trek convention, Alaimo was interviewed, saying "I've had a pretty long career in a lot of different areas, but 'Deep Space Nine' has become this wonderful little feather in my cap, and I'm thankful for that. I'm proud of the series, and the whole experience has been a very positive one for me."

Laverne Anderson as Cherri Hill: LaVerne Anderson is known for Uncle Buck (1989), CB4 (1993) and Quantum Leap (1989).

CCH Pounder as Nita Harper: The CCH stands for Carol Christine Hilaria, her birth name. Most of her characters are enriched with positive attributes -- strength, confidence, integrity, strong-mindedness -- and it is a testament to the abilities of this four-time Emmy nominated actress that she continues on such a high plane in a five-decade career. Born on Christmas Day 1952 in Guyana, she was raised on a sugar cane plantation. Her parents, Betsy Enid Arnella (James) and Ronald Urlington Pounder, moved the family to the States while she was still a young girl, but she and her sister were subsequently sent to a convent boarding school in Britain where they were introduced to art and the classics. Following high school graduation, she arrived in New York and studied at Ithaca College, where her acting talents were strongly tapped into. Regional and classical repertory theater followed, earning roles in such productions as "The Mighty Gents" (1979) with Morgan Freeman at the New York Shakespeare Festival and "Open Admissions" (1984), her Broadway debut. Other stage work includes "Coriolanus," "Antony and Cleopatra," "The Frog," "The Lodger" and "Mumbo Jumbo." After bit/featured roles in All That Jazz (1979), I'm Dancing as Fast as I Can (1982) and Prizzi's Honor (1985), CCH earned cult status in the art-house film Bagdad Cafe (1987) (aka "Bagdad Café" in the US) as the offbeat owner of a roadside café. She continued to impress with support roles in Postcards from the Edge (1990), The Importance of Being Earnest (1992), an all-black version: as Miss Prism), Benny & Joon (1993), RoboCop 3 (1993), Sliver (1993), Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight (1995),Face/Off (1997), Funny Valentines (1999), The Devil in Miss Jones 6 (1999), Baby of the Family (2002), Rain (2008), Orphan (2009), Avatar (2009) (as the voice of Mo'at, and its sequels), My Girlfriend's Back (2010). Home Again (2012) (as a Jamaican) and The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013). Pounder's prominence came, however, with television. Often cast as succinct, professional types (doctors, policewoman, judges) or characters with a variety of accents, she is known for her understated intensity and earned an Emmy nomination for her stint on the hospital drama ER (1994). She has also performed in a number of highly acclaimed topical mini-movie dramas, including Go Tell It on the Mountain (1985), Common Ground (1990), Murder in Mississippi (1990), Little Girl Fly Away (1998), A Touch of Hope (1999), Boycott (2001), Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story (2004) (as Winnie Mandela) for which a number of kudos have come her way. Millennium TV output includes regular/recurring roles on the series The Shield (2002) in which she earned an NAACP Award and Emmy nomination as Detective Claudette Wym; the social drama Ciencias del espacio (2008) as matriarch Mrs. Trainor, and NCIS: New Orleans (2014) as medical examiner Loretta Wade. She later found voice work in animated projects and video games.

Montrose Hagins as Matty: Montrose Hagins was an African-American television actress. She starred and been a guest on popular shows such as: Seinfeld, Roc, 227, The Golden Girls, Sister, Sister, The Hughleys, The Jamie Foxx Show, What's Happening Now, The Sinbad Show, The Famous Jett Jackson. She also became the replacement for Rosetta LeNoire as Leola Henderson-Forbes in the final season on Amen. Her television credits also include more guest spots on shows such as: E/R, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Hunter, Malcolm & Eddie, and Moesha. She retired from acting in 2005 and spent the last years of her live living in an antique farmhouse in Pennsylvania. Died onOctober 24, 2012 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, USA.

Cheryl Francis Harrington as Young Woman: Cheryl Francis Harrington was born in the USA. She is an actress, known for Grey's Anatomy (2005), 2 Broke Girls (2011) and Into the Wild (2007).

Jon Berry as Police Sniper: Jon Berry is known for Quantum Leap (1989), Matlock (1986) and Disfluency (2018). As well as being an actor, Mr. Berry also founded and is the Artistic Director for Woodland Hills Community Theater (WHCT) of Woodland Hills, California; he has directed all but six of their productions. He has won multiple awards: Artistic Director Achievement Award for Excellence in Live Theatre for 1998 by the Valley Theatre League; also in 1998 he won the best director award for The Fantasticks and best supporting actor for A Tale of Two Cities, Parts I & II; in 1996 Jon won best director for Gigi. He has worked on stage professionally in New York, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Los Angeles. Jon had a recurring role on the Fox's Network's series, Mr. President. He's also appeared in many nationally aired television commercials.He made appearances in Matlock and Doogie Howser, M.D.

Garon Grigsby as Ray Harper: Garon Grigsby was born in the USA. He is an actor, known for Richard Jewell (2019), Grey's Anatomy (2005) and Space: Above and Beyond (1995).

W.K. Stratton as Radio Dispatcher: W.K. Stratton was born on August 2, 1950 in Front Royal, Virginia, USA. He is an actor, known for Spy Kids 4: All the Time in the World (2011), Shoot 'Em Up (2007) and Machete (2010). He is married to Maureen Denise Lacoste.Appeared in the pilots of four different series created by Donald P. Bellisario: Magnum, P.I. (1980), Airwolf (1984), Quantum Leap (1989) and JAG (1995). Holds the unique distinction for having "flown" (in character) a Corsair, a Viper, and Airwolf. (three aircraft used in Bellasario productions).

Guests Who Appeared in Other QL Episodes:

In the riot scene when Captain Brewster is talking on the radio to the dispatcher, the voice of the dispatcher is that of W. K. Stratton.

Note: W.K. Stratton's many appearances on QL -- actual physical appearances and voice only -- makes him the undisputed most frequent guest star on QL throughout it's entire run. He was in "Genesis", "Good Night, Dear Heart", "Trilogy Part I", "Trilogy Part II", and "Trilogy Part III". He also voiced another radio dispatcher in "Hurricane."

Gregory Millar also appeared in "M.I.A."

Say What?

Al states that 35 people died during the Watts riots. It was actually 34.

This is the third episode to show the gummi-bear handlink before its official introduction in "The Great Spontini."

Al tells Sam that Ray lives in apartment 218, but when they arrive it says 217 on the door.

LAC+USC Medical Center Hospital is about eighteen miles away from Watts. Lonnie states that "L.A. General" is only five miles away.

When Al appears during a riot scene, it looks like he has just run in from somewhere else, instead of from the Imaging Chamber door as intended.

In the clinic scene, when the frantic mother rushes in with her injured son - a severe gash on his leg from flying glass - the child was absolutely calm; didn't make a sound or gesture, not so much as a tear on his face. Anyone, and even more so a child, with an injury such as he was supposed to have, would be screaming, crying, etc.

Nita, Bebe, and Lonnie keep re-cocking an already-cocked gun!

Script:

Awards:

This episode received an Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series in 1991.

Production Credits:

Theme by: Mike Post
Music by: Velton Ray Bunch
Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt
Co-Executive Producer: Michael Zinberg
Supervising Producers: Harker Wade
Co-producers: Paul Brown, Jeff Gourson
Produced by: Chris Ruppenthal
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Deborah Pratt
Directed by: Joe Napolitano

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producer: James S. Giritlian
Executive Story Editor: Tommy Thompson
Director of Photography: Bradley B. Six, A.S.C.
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Jon Koslowsky, A.C.E.
Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
First Assistant Director: Paul Sirmons
Second Assistant Director: Rob Mendel
Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky
Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox
Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Costume Supervisors: David Rawley & Donna Roberts-Orme
Sound Mixer: Mark Hopkins McNabb
Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth
Sound Editor: Paul Clay
Music Editor: Donald Woods

Archive Footage Courtesy of: NBC News

Panaflex ® Camera and Lenses by: Panavision ®

This motion picture is protected under laws of the United States and other countries. Unauthorized duplication, distribution or exhibition may result in civil liability and criminal prosecution.

Copyright © 1990 by Universal City Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The characters and events depicted in this photoplay are fictitious. Any similarity to actual persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

Bellisarius Productions and Universal, an MCA Company

Podcasts: