Leap Date:
September 26, 1973

Teaser:

As an F.B.I. agent protecting a very feisty and beautiful woman (Dana), Sam must protect her from being killed by Nick, a jealous criminal who will stop at nothing. However, there is an inside man tipping Nick off to the whereabouts of Dana. But who is it?

Audio from this episode!

Al: That's not what I meant.

TV Guide Teaser:

Sam leaps into an FBI agent assigned to protect a feisty but fearful woman from the murderous crook she used to work for. Nick: John Snyder. Richardson: Stanley Brock. Andy: Rene Assa. Thomas: John Shepherd. Sam: Scott Bakula. Al: Dean Stockwell.

Places:

Boston, Massachusetts

Leap Date:

September 26, 1973 / Wednesday

Synopsis & Review:

Sam finds himself standing at the front door of a suburban home, with his finger pressed on the doorbell. From inside, a woman yells at him to hold on, then she opens the door to obvious dismay as she sees Sam standing there. She goes back inside for a moment, and comes back out with two packed suitcases, closing the door behind her. She tells Sam to put the suitcases in the car, then walks down the driveway, verbally chastising herself for getting into this mess.

The woman gets into the back of a car parked in the driveway, and tells Sam to hurry up as he puts the suitcases beside her in the back seat before getting into the driver's seat. Sam looks at his reflection in the rearview mirror, and the woman tells him that men aren't supposed to be that vain. Sam snaps at her that it isn't nice to be rude and pushy, and the woman responds that she doesn't care about being nice, she just cares about getting out of here. She angrily tells him to start the car and drive off. Sam says he doesn't have the keys, and the woman tells him that last time they were under the seat. Sam tries to look under his seat, but can't find the keys. Exasperated, the woman leans down to help him, just as a man with a gun opens fire on them from a passing car. As shards of glass rain down on them from the broken windows, the woman, now holding the car keys, shouts at Sam to do something, telling him that he's the FBI agent.

It's September 1973, in Boston, Massachusetts, and Sam has leaped into FBI agent Peter Langly (the leapee Peter is played in the episode by Mark Harigian). The woman in the car is Dana Barrenger (played by Teri Austin), who is under witness protection, and Peter has been assigned to protect her. Sam's car is riddled with bullets from the shooting. The other car has stopped and the shooter, Nick Kochifos (played by John Snyder), gets out and starts walking toward Sam's car, still carrying his gun. A man named Andy (played by René Assa) watches intently from behind the wheel of Nick's car. Sam starts his car and backs down the driveway, crashing into Nick's car as Nick jumps out of the way. Sam quickly drives away, with Dana still crouched on the front passenger seat. Nick fires at them again until Sam disappears around the corner, then gets back into his car. Andy tries unsuccessfully to start the car and tells Nick that something is wrong with the steering. Nick gets out to fix it, but then sees several people coming out of their homes to investigate the noise. He fires a few shots into the air to scare them back inside, and then gets into the car again. This time it starts and they quickly chase after Sam and Dana. Nick fires more shots into the front of Dana's home as they round the corner.

In Sam's car, Sam and Dana are both suffering cuts from shards of glass. They appear to have lost Nick. Dana demands to see someone called Richardson and Sam tries to get her to calm down. She complains about being in a bullet-riddled car with murderers chasing after her and tells Sam to take her to the FBI building. Sam wants to take her to a hospital first, but she wants to see Richardson so he can have Sam "executed for stupidity". Sam insists that someone needs to stop her bleeding first. Dana looks into the rear view mirror, and seeing the blood running down her temple, she faints onto Sam's shoulder.

Later, Sam has found his way to FBI headquarters and after two hours in the emergency room with Dana, he is eager for her to become someone else's problem. Al arrives and Sam complains that as soon as he leaped in, people were shooting at him. Al counters that they were technically shooting at Dana, but Sam just wants to know why he's here. Consulting the handlink, Al tells Sam that Dana is thirty-two years old, divorced with no children, and used to work for Nick as his personal secretary. Sam surprises himself by remembering that Nick's family works in shipping and Al says that Nick uses the business to smuggle everything from illegal aliens to drugs. Sam remembers that Nick was shot by a Colombian drug lord, but Al explains that that won't happen for another three years. Dana worked in Nick's Miami office as a stenographer before Nick took a liking to her and made her his personal secretary. Last year, Dana found out about Nick's criminal activities and reported him to the authorities. She gave the Justice Department enough information to put Nick away for life, but since the jury found him not guilty, Al guesses that Nick paid off the jurors. Since then, Dana has changed her identity twice, but Nick found her both times. Al tells Sam that Nick is going to kill Dana at 3.18 that afternoon, which is in less than five hours.

In another room, Dana is complaining to FBI Agent Greg Richardson (Stanley Brock), the head of FBI headquarters in Boston, that she had been promised by the Justice Department that Nick would be put away for life. Richardson responds that the jury found him innocent and there was nothing they could do about it. Dana tells him that the FBI is supposed to be protecting her, but she has been protecting herself. She jumped into a bayou full of alligators to avoid being shot by Nick in New Orleans and this morning she only survived because she had to help an incompetent Sam find his car keys. Richardson insists that Sam is one of the department's best agents, but Dana is not impressed. Richardson jokes that Dana shouldn't have gotten involved with Nick. Dana insists that she only worked for him. Richardson is dubious, since Dana was there for twenty-seven months and seemingly knew nothing. An angry Dana protests that Nick is the criminal, not her, and now she is on the run while Nick is a free man.

Sam is blaming himself for almost getting Dana killed, but Al argues that he's been in more difficult situations than this, and he hasn't let anyone down yet. Dana is watching from the doorway as Sam tells Al that "yet" is the operative word. She asks Sam if he always talks to himself or just when he's in over his head. Sam doesn't respond and Al comments that Dana is beautiful. Dana hates that Sam is talking to himself, but not to her, and says her ex-husband used to do that to her all the time. Richardson arrives, having spoken to Washington and tells the two of them that they'll have a new location ready for Dana in two days, and in the meantime, the back-up plan is that Sam is going to take Dana to a safe house in Baltimore. Dana refuses to go anywhere else with Sam, but Richardson coldly responds that in that case, Dana is on her own. Dana angrily leaves the room without another word and Sam rushes out into the hall to follow her. She tells him she's going to the ladies' room. Richardson watches her storm away with a grin and tells Sam it could be worse - Dana could be short, fat and ugly.

Meanwhile, Nick and Andy are parked across the street from the FBI building. Andy tells Nick that no woman is worth making him crazy. He says that even though they've done everything right, including having a man on the inside, they still didn't manage to kill Dana this morning. He tells Nick that God is trying to tell them something and that God doesn't want Dana dead. Nick tells Andy that he's forgetting something - Nick wants Dana dead.

Sam and Richardson are walking down the hall with Al close behind. Al is telling Sam where Dana's body is going to be found, but Sam doesn't respond and instead asks Richardson why Nick is after Dana. Richardson answers that Nick would never let anyone get away with testifying against him in court, especially a woman. Sam asks Richardson if he knows Nick personally, while Al complains that Sam is ignoring him. Richardson admits that he and Nick have met and that he almost busted Nick on conspiracy to commit murder. Reaching the ladies' room, Richardson opens the door and tells Dana to get moving. He apologizes to Sam with a laugh and assures him his next assignment will be something more straightforward. He tells Sam to go down to the garage and see if the laundry truck is ready. Al eagerly insists to Sam that they should change the back-up plan. Sam points out to Richardson that Nick has already broken Dana's cover twice, but Richardson responds that only the two of them know where Sam is going to take Dana, so if there's a leak, it has to be one of them. Al looks suspiciously at Richardson and Sam agrees to go and check on the laundry truck.

Sam leaves Richardson waiting outside the ladies' room for Dana and rounds a corner while Al agitatedly asks if Sam can even see or hear him. As soon as Richardson is out of sight, Sam tells Al that he heard every word he said, but his ranting was breaking Sam's concentration while he was trying to get information from Richardson. Sam realizes that they are in Boston and mentions to Al that he used to live there. Al tells Sam that he made it through four years of M.I.T. in just two years.

As Sam and Al head downstairs in an elevator, Sam tells Al that he used to spend weekends living in a cabin outside of Boston. He remembers trees, and a lake, and tells Al it was a beautiful place. Al asks if Sam ever took any women to the cabin. Sam tells Al that the cabin is where he and a professor named Sebastian LoNigro (James Hardie) came up with the string theory of quantum leaping. He decides to take Dana to the cabin, to keep her from being killed on the way to the safe house in Baltimore.

Soon after, Sam is driving away from the FBI building in a laundry truck, wearing a professional cleaner's clothes. Nick and Andy watch him go, then Andy starts the car and they start following the truck. Andy tells Nick that he is worried about him, because he is obsessed with killing Dana. Nick responds that there is nothing wrong with a little obsession.

On his way to the cabin, Sam looks at his watch and sees that the time of Dana's original death has passed by almost an hour. He looks at Dana, who is asleep in the back of the laundry truck and hopes that he will leap soon, but nothing happens. Meanwhile, Nick and Andy are still following them, but staying far enough behind to avoid being spotted.

Dana wakes up and asks Sam how long she's been asleep. Sam tells her it's been three hours and she wonders why he didn't wake her when they stopped for gas. Sam says that he hasn't stopped for gas and assures her that they still have half a tank, showing her the fuel gauge. Dana sits down in the passenger seat and reluctantly thanks Sam for saving her life earlier, but soon points out that if it wasn't for her actions, they'd probably both be dead. Sam is annoyed by this, but admits that it was a team effort. He checks the rear view mirror, seeing nobody behind them, then asks Dana why she is so angry at him. Dana responds that he almost got her killed twice. Sam tells her that it wasn't intentional and points out that he almost got killed as well.

Dana admits that her bad mood has nothing to do with him personally, but says that she hates being a fool. She shows Sam a bracelet on her wrist which bears an evenly balanced set of scales and tells him that she won it when she was nine, for a paper she wrote in school about crime and citizen responsibility. She put it on and wore it during Nick's trial to remind herself that she was making a difference, and doing her duty as a citizen, and as a human being. Then Nick was acquitted and now she feels like a fool. Sam tells her that what she did was courageous, but Dana responds that it was stupid, and now because of it, she's either going to get killed, or spend the rest of her life pretending she's someone else. Sam says that he knows the feeling, but tells her that men like Nick have enemies, and sooner or later, he'll either end up dead or in jail. Dana says that until that happens, she's going to wake up every morning and wonder if Nick knows who and where she is. Sam promises to Dana that he won't let Nick touch her.

Back at FBI headquarters, another agent is telling Richardson that there's no sign of Sam and Dana at the safe house. Richardson says he should have tailed them with an escort car, but the agent tells him they're short-handed as it is. Richardson tells him to put out an APB and to call every state police captain between Boston and Baltimore. The agent leaves and Richardson looks worried.

Sam and Dana continue toward the cabin. Dana sees mountains on the horizon and realizes that they aren't headed to Baltimore. Sam admits that he's taking her to a cabin, because he didn't think the safe house was safe. Nick and Andy have also realized that they're not going to Baltimore. Nick checks for other cars behind them, sees none, and tells Andy to "do it". Andy speeds up to pull up alongside Sam, and Dana screams when she sees Nick with his gun. Sam tries to run them off the road, but Andy drops behind them and opens the roof, allowing Nick to stand up and fire at them. Dana opens the back doors of the truck and starts tossing laundry bags out onto the road in front of Nick's car. Andy swerves repeatedly to avoid the laundry bags, rendering Nick unable to shoot at her. Finally, Andy loses control of the car, which veers off the road and down a hill. Dana happily returns to the front of the truck and hugs Sam, the two of them smiling widely. Dana then stops smiling and berates Sam for not helping, despite Sam's argument that the laundry bags were his idea.

At the bottom of the hill, Andy is clearing tree branches from the car, and tells Nick that the car hasn't been damaged. He says that once they get back on the main road, Sam and Dana will have a big lead on them. Nick opens the trunk and pulls out a suitcase marked with the words "PROPERTY OF FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION". He opens the case to reveal sophisticated computer equipment tracking the laundry truck's location. Nick and Andy get back into the car and start following Sam and Dana again.

Later that evening, Sam and Dana are still in the laundry truck, and tensions are high. Dana complains that Sam has gotten lost. Sam asks her about the feeling you get when someone scrapes their fingernails on a chalkboard, and Dana asks him if he's saying she makes his skin crawl. Sam tells her that he's been shot at twice today and if he's going to continue risking his life for her, then he deserves a little appreciation, or a lot less grief from her.

Taken aback by this, Dana tries to respond, but can't find the words. Sam tells her that he admires her for trying to indict Nick because it took a lot of courage, and that it isn't fair that the system is making her pay for doing what's right. Dana tells Sam that Richardson makes her feel like she's a criminal, and up until today, so has Sam. Sam says that Peter Langly is sorry for how she's been treated so far. Dana accepts his apology, and Sam offers a truce. Dana asks Sam if he remembers the night he told her that if things were different between them... but she doesn't finish this thought, instead telling Sam that she wishes things were different too. They lean toward each other for a moment, then Sam recognizes a sign pointing the way to the cabin. Meanwhile, Nick and Andy are still using the tracking equipment to follow Sam and Dana.

Sam and Dana walk up to the cabin and Sam tells her it hasn't changed. Dana asks him when the last time was that he was there. Sam tells her it was in the summer of 1973, then remembering that he's in 1973, corrects himself to say it was in 1953. The two of them look out over the lake, commenting on how beautiful it is. They look at each other for a moment and then lean in to kiss each other. Dana pulls back though and says it's no good for them to even think about it. She goes inside, then tells Sam she can't find the light. Sam follows her inside and turns on a lamp. Dana complains about the cold and Sam walks across the room to light up the fireplace. She then complains about being hungry and Sam asks her if she wants to eat or be warm. Dana offers to go and find some food while he starts the fire.

While Dana continues to complain about the food, Sam pulls a matchbook out of his coat. As he opens it, he sees a phone number written on the inside. He looks at the number for a moment, then strikes a match to light the fire as Al appears. Sam asks why he hasn't leaped, and Al says he hasn't saved Dana yet. Al explains that the timeline has changed, and now Dana is going to die at 4.18 in the morning on a bridge near the cabin. Dana walks back into the room as Sam complains that Al said Dana was going to die on the way to Baltimore. Al responds that every time Sam saves Dana, the time and place of her death changes, which will continue until either Nick is dead, or Dana is.

Dana walks over to Sam by the fire and tells him he should stop talking to himself, or people who don't know him will think he's crazy. She hands him a fork and a tin of sardines, the only food she could find. Before leaving, Al tells Sam that even if Dana doesn't die until the morning, Nick could still catch up with her before that. Sam gets up, putting the sardines down on the table. Dana tells Sam that he made a really good fire, and since they lost Nick, they're probably in the safest place they could be. Sam reluctantly tells Dana that Nick and Andy know they're in the cabin. Dana can't believe it, and asks Sam how he could know that they know. Sam offers to go and bring the truck closer to the cabin, but Dana doesn't want them to separate. Sam realizes they have to stick together and the two of them leave the cabin.

Nick and Andy reach the side road leading to the cabin and Nick tells Andy to make the turn. In the truck, Sam is trying unsuccessfully to start the engine. After a few moments, the engine starts, but cuts out again as soon as Sam tries to start moving. Dana yells at him for making the truck stall. Sam starts to leave the truck so he can go out and check the engine, but Dana wants him to stay inside, saying that Nick has probably cut the wires and will hit him over the head as soon as he steps out. Sam starts to argue that if the wires had been cut, the engine wouldn't have started, then gives her his gun, telling her to shoot them when they hit him on the head.

Sam goes out to check the engine. Dana looks at the fuel gauge, noticing that the needle is still exactly halfway between full and empty. She taps on the glass with the butt of the gun, and the needle drops straight to empty. She steps out of the truck and tells Sam that the gauge was stuck, and they're out of gas. She walks away angrily, tossing the gun back to Sam. Sam reaches out to catch it, but falls into the lake. Dana looks to the sky and asks, "Why me?"

Nick and Andy are getting closer and Nick tells Andy to turn off their headlights. A shivering Sam walks back into the cabin with a towel around his waist, carrying his clothes and gun. He sits down by the fire as Dana follows him inside, bringing him a cup of hot water. She tells him she couldn't find any tea or coffee. Sam thanks her for the water and Dana picks up a picture from the mantel above the fire. She asks Sam who the people in the picture are. Sam looks at it and sees a picture of himself and Professor LoNigro. He tells her it's the professor and one of his students. Dana is attracted to one of the people in the picture, and Sam asks her which one. Dana puts the picture back and gloomily answers that it doesn't matter, because she won't live long enough to fall in love with either of them. Sam tells Dana that she isn't going to die, but she claims that she is, and says she's never even been in love. Sam asks about her ex-husband and Dana says that if it was love, they'd still be married. She tells Sam that she wants to love someone so much that the thought of living without them would be too much to bear. She wants to look in that person's eyes and know that she's alive. Sam and Dana lean toward each other again, and this time they kiss.

They continue to kiss for a few moments, then Dana looks over Sam's shoulder to see the open matchbook with the phone number on the inside. She immediately backs away from Sam, then gets up and points the gun at him, saying she's going to kill him. Sam is confused, and tells Dana she's acting a little hysterical. Dana continues to point the gun at him, but Al, who has just appeared, tells Sam that the safety is on. Sam takes a step toward Dana and she pulls the trigger. The gun fails to fire, so Dana throws it at him and runs out of the cabin.

Sam starts getting dressed, and asks Al what happened to Peter after Nick tried to kill Dana in New Orleans, and after he killed her in Baltimore. Al answers that Peter was unharmed both times. Sam shows Al the matchbook and guesses that the phone number belongs to Nick. Al tells Sam that Dana is going to die in eight minutes and Sam rushes out of the cabin to follow her. Al looks up the phone number on the handlink and realizes that the number does belong to Nick, and Peter has been working for him all along.

Dana is still running away from the cabin and reaches the bridge. From the other side of the bridge, Nick and Andy are approaching in Nick's car. Dana stops when she sees them and Nick shoots at the ground in front of her. Dana screams and Nick laughs loudly. Dana starts running in the other direction and Nick shoots her in the arm. He gets out of the car to follow her on foot, while Andy trails behind him in the car. Clutching her arm, Dana continues to run back toward the cabin, but stops when she sees Sam at the other end of the bridge, holding his gun. Realizing she's trapped, Dana runs into the bushes and down a hill. She passes Al, who calls out for Sam to hear so he can follow and find her. Nick follows Dana's path into the bushes, still carrying his gun. Andy tries to tell Nick to wait until morning to find her, but Nick doesn't listen. Andy gets out of the car and starts following Nick.

Al is still following Dana as she runs out of energy and collapses by a ridge overlooking the lake, still holding her arm in pain. Al calls out again for Sam to follow the sound of his voice and find Dana. As Sam reaches the spot where Dana collapsed, she appears from behind a tree and hits him across the back with a heavy branch. Sam is knocked down, and Dana runs away again. Nick and Andy are in pursuit, and Andy tries to tell Nick it's too dark to find Dana, but Nick still isn't listening. Dana reaches the end of the ridge, and looks down at the lake below. Sam reaches her and she screams when she sees him. Nick and Andy hear her scream and quickly follow the sound.

Dana threatens to jump off the ridge if Sam steps closer, then despairingly says that's what he and Nick want anyway. Sam tells Dana that he doesn't want her to die. Al says that Nick and Andy had to have heard Dana scream, and Sam tells Al to go back up the trail and warn him when they arrive. Dana tells Sam that he talks to an imaginary playmate, and warns him again to stay back. Sam tucks his gun into the waistband of his jeans, and tells Dana he's not going to shoot her. He says that Peter might shoot her or turn her over to Nick, but tells her he's not Peter. Al shouts that Nick and Andy are coming. Sam tells Dana that she has to trust him if she wants to get out of this alive. He moves closer to her, and the two of them embrace.

Nick and Andy arrive, and Sam turns to face them, pulling out his gun and pointing it at Dana. Nick asks Sam why he tried to get away from them earlier. Sam says that he didn't know it was Nick chasing them, and he thought Richardson had tried to put a tail on them. Andy tells Nick that Sam's story makes sense, because if he really wanted to get away from Nick, he'd have turned off the beacon. Al urges Sam to shoot Nick while he has the chance.

Nick tells Sam that he thinks Dana got to him. He asks Dana if she turned Sam on the way she turned him on. He says that he didn't touch Dana out of respect and she turned him in. Al urges Sam again to shoot Nick, shouting "Shoot Him, Sam! Shoot Him!", as the two exchange gunfire. Nick raises his gun to fire at Dana, but Sam shoots him in the chest and stomach. Sam points the gun at the unarmed Andy, then slowly lowers it to his side. Andy clutches the dead Nick to his chest, asking him why he didn't listen, and tells him that God didn't want Dana to die. He picks up Nick's body, looks at Sam one more time, then carries Nick away. Sam leans down to check on Dana and the two of them embrace once more. Dana winces in pain from her gunshot and Sam tells her they have to stop the bleeding. Dana looks at the blood on her arm and promptly faints.

Later, the sun has come up, and Sam and Dana are back in the cabin. Dana has recovered and gives Sam her chain with the scales on it. Sam says he wishes he could take it with him. Dana asks why he can't and Al tells Sam he's going to leap at any moment. Sam gives Dana his gun, and shows her how to take the safety off. He tells her to keep him covered until Richardson gets there. Dana is confused, and tells Sam he's crazy. Sam asks her to humor him. Dana asks what Richardson is going to do to him and Sam says that Richardson will make sure that he gets what he deserves. Dana tells him that he deserves a medal.

Al tells Sam that Peter is going to get eight-to-ten years in prison. Sam and Dana kiss, as Al explains that Dana will testify on Peter's behalf, which saves him from getting fifteen-to-twenty. Dana is going to back to law school and in 1976, she will pass her bar and become a senior partner in the firm of Elroy, Elroy & LoNigro. Recognizing the latter name, Al tells Sam that he's never going to believe who Dana is going to marry. He doesn't have time to finish, however, as the door to the cabin opens and Professor LoNigro walks in. LoNigro wants to know who Sam and Dana are, and Sam excitedly tries to tell the professor that their string theory works. LoNigro is confused, but as Sam starts to say, "Don't you know who I am? I'm Sam Beck!", he suddenly leaps. Source

Personal Review by Carol <aka> C_DEAN n C_AL:

Sam leaps in ringing a doorbell with a woman’s voice on the other side yelling at him. He says to him self, "My 1^st guess is I’m not here for a date". He is Peter Langley, a bumbling FBI agent that must protect the rude and pushy Dana Berenger, a witness targeted for death by her ex-boss, who is in the "import-export" business.

Dana is obnoxious towards Sam from the beginning. "All Right! All Right! Just hold on to your pants!" She yells out from the other side of the door. And when she opens it she says, "Oh no not you!" and Sam starts to say, "I think …" Dana says, "Don’t think, it’ll just get us in trouble". Then in the car she says, "Peter! You’re not that cute. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that men aren’t suppose to be that vain?" It gets worse from there. The insults never end.

Nick Kochifos hired Dana as his personal secretary not knowing that she was a "goodie-two-shoes" and saw too much of his operation. She went to the Justice Department and told them what was going on. Andy, Nick’s brother, thinks he is obsessing with the thought that he has to kill Dana. He turns out to be right.

This is a funny episode if you watch how Dana is always tormenting Sam. Al, in his own way, picks on Sam too. But he is always there to help him. It has some pretty footage of the lake by the Professor’s cabin and some pretty scenery of the trip there. Though I’m not sure it was really shot in that State. This is not one of my favorite QL episodes but I still like it, as I do all of them.

Project Trivia:

The Imaging Chamber Door is seen once.

The handlink is a thin piece of plastic with a 3 gold strips on the back and red and green flashing lights on the front. It is contoured to fit Al’s hand.

Ziggy is not called a he or she in this episode.

Al walks up a hill and doesn’t use the handlink to reposition himself.

Sam Trivia:

We find out that Sam use to live in Boston when he went to MIT.

Finished 4 years of MIT in two.

Youngest person to graduate Suma Cum Laude and must have had a GPA of 3.9 to 4.0.

Professor LoNigro and Sam came up with the String Theory at the professor’s cabin in the Brookshire’s.

Al Trivia:

Al had a cigar in every scene.

Al popped in and out 3 times. The third time he is there for the remainder of the episode.

Al’s Outfits:

This is the first episode where Al appears in the same outfit throughout the Leap.

Blue & white pin stripe shirt, black pants, long cream colored over coat (from "Good Night Dear Heart"), thin rust colored tie, red satin vest, red hat w/black band (from"The Right Hand of God"). 

Al's Women:

Al likes Dana a lot, saying "Hey, she's beautiful.  How come you didn't tell me she was beautiful?!"

Miscellaneous Trivia:

September is the third most leaped into month, 12 times. November being the second with 13 times, June and October each have 14.

The credits scroll, just as they did in "Catch A Falling Star."

The third and final version (for Season Two) of the new saga sell is heard at the beginning of this episode, again featuring Deborah Pratt as the Narrator. She would continue until the series ended.

Guest Cast Notes:

René Assa as Andy Kochifos: René Assa was born on November 15, 1944 in Cairo, Egypt. He was an actor, known for Deep Cover (1992), Why Me? (1990) and Baywatch (1989). He died on March 10, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Teri Austin as Dana Barrenger: Teri Austin was born on April 17, 1957 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is an actress, known for Knots Landing (1979), Raising Cain (1992) and The Vindicator (1986). Her labor of love is the Amanda Foundation, her non-profit animal shelter in Beverly Hills, CA. Performed on TV, stage, improvisation and radio drama in her native Toronto, Canada. She studied theater in York University in Toronto. [Quotes] Lucille Ball might have played Lucy, but I live it. [on how she got into a drama class for much older students] I called the teacher and said, "I'm Teri Austin's mother, and she'd very much like to be in your class. It would be a big asset to her future career." [on leaving acting to work with animals] When I put my head on the pillow at the end of the day, it's not what fills me with joy. But knowing that I've got an appointment with Captain Crunch the next day and he might go home to a new home, that makes me smile! [on her work with The Amanda Foundation] It's not work when you love it, you know, and I do. And it fulfills me. I feel spiritually fulfilled. I tell people, I say 'There are very few guarantees in your life,' but when I help someone adopt a dog or a cat, I can guarantee them that that creature is going to put love in their life.

Stanley Brock as Greg Richardson: Stanley Brock lived in the lower east side of Manhattan on E.14th St. In his earlier days he was doing a comedy routine with a girl. The name of the act was called Stan and Nan. They would perform one nighters in the Upstate NY area - the Catskills' - or, as the area was more commonly known; The "Borscht Belt" (in reference to the many holiday camps, which primarily catered to the Jewish population from the NYC/Tri-State area). He also augmented his living by doing clerical work for an Refrigeration and Air Conditioner Co. in Manhattan. He would always try his Comedy routines on his fellow employees in the mid 60's to early 70's. He then went west to Hollywood and had fairly good success playing character parts in movies and TV. He was a semi regular on the Barney Miller (1975) series.

James Hardie as Professor Sebastian LoNigro: James Hardie is known for Ghostbusters (1984), Death Warrant (1990) and Remington Steele (1982).

John Shepherd as Thomas: John Shepherd was born on November 18, 1960 in Manhattan, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Stoning of Soraya M. (2008), Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004) and The Ultimate Gift (2006). Was offered, but chose not to reprise the role of Tommy Jarvis in Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986).Has a character named after him in Friday the 13th: The New Blood (1988).

John Snyder as Nick Kochifos: Anyone lucky enough to have seen his work never forgets the incredible richness that John Snyder brings to film. With his uncanny Christopher Lee demeanor, Joe Strummer looks, and James Mason-esque gaze, it is perhaps his haunting and indelible voice that makes his career so legendarily paved. Born in 1952, John holds a BFA from Boston University College of Fine Arts. He has appeared in over sixty plays, films, and television episodes. He has received acting awards from the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, LA Weekly, Drama-Logue and The Boston Phoenix. On stage, he appeared in the original Broadway cast of "Bent" and the world premier of Denis Spedaliere's ''Vicious''. His directing credits include stage and video productions of Hybrid Vigor, Scenes from an Interracial Marriage, Finnegans Wake-up Call, and Shaving Orbits, as well as PXL productions of Venus in Flames, and Locals. His essay "Confessions of a Wakefiend: Bibliomantic Readings in Finnegans Wake" was originally presented at the 2001 International James Joyce Conference at the University of California Berkeley.

Mark Harigian as Peter Langly (Mirror image): Mark Harigian is known for Quantum Leap (1989) and Total Exposure (1991).

Say What?

You can see the stunt driver near the beginning as Sam backs out of the driveway.

The windshield shatters completely when Nick shoots it. Windshield glass is sealed with laminate and would not fall into tiny pieces as depicted.

Sam wears a calculator type Casio watch, but these weren't invented until about two years later.

Some of the laundry bags thrown out seem to return to the truck between shots!

The photo of Sam Beckett in the LoNigro cabin shows no attempt of making Sam look like a 20-year old.

Quotable Quotes:

You don't talk to yourself, you talk to an imaginary playmate!
-- Dana, "Her Charm"

How long have you been there?
Long enough to see your last pass fall short of the goal line.
-- Sam and Al, "Her Charm"

It works!  Our string theory, it works!  Don't you recognize me?  I'm Sam Bec....
-- Sam to Professor LoNigro, "Her Charm"

You brought me all the way up here to get killed without any lights!?
<click> See. Light- to shoot you by.
-- Dana and Sam, "Her Charm"

(My first impression is- I'm not here for a date.)
Oh no, *not* you!
(Definitely *not* a date.)
-- Sam (to himself) and Dana, "Her Charm"

Oh I get it, you talk to yourself but you won't talk to me!
I really hate that. My ex-husband used to do that...
I'll talk to you.
(I will too.)
-- Dana, Sam, and Al, "Her Charm"

I want to love someone so much that the thought of living without him would be too much to bear.  I want to breathe him.  I want the scent of him to make me smile.  I want to look into his eyes and know that I'm alive.
-- Dana, "Her Charm"

You start the fire, I'll go find something to eat... probably have to kill a bear or something.
With any luck the bear will kill her.
-- Dana and Sam, "Her Charm"

If you're going to sneak up on me, at least have the decency to reflect in the mirror!
-- Sam, "Her Charm"

Hey, she's beautiful.  How come you didn't tell me she was beautiful?!
-- Al, "Her Charm"

Old women get old because they're smart.
-- Nick's Brother, "Her Charm"

If you keep that up, people who don't know you will think you're looney-tunes.
-- Dana, "Her Charm"

(Sam and Dana get to the cabin and Dana asks Sam when the last time he was there.)
Sam says, "The summer of 1973."
Dana says, "This summer?"
Sam says, "What am I sayin’ ‘73! Oh no … um … ’53 … ha ha … August … ha ha … August of ’53 … that was nearly 20 years ago. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was."

See, light to shoot you by.
-- Sam, "Her Charm"

Sam’s Best Scene:

Sam and Dana go to move the truck closer to the cabin:

Dana says, "You can’t even start an engine?"

Sam says, "YES! YES! I can …"

Dana says, "Oh great, that’s great you stalled it! … Where you going?"

Sam says, "I’m going out to check on the engine!"

Dana says, "They probably cut the wire and as soon as you step out there, they’re going to hit you over the head!"

Sam says, "If they cut the wire it wouldn’t have started and if they were out there … never mind!" He gets out and hands her the gun. "When they hit me on the head SHOOT ‘EM!" Sam gets out and lifts up the hood and sighs.

Dana looks at the gauge and turns the key on and taps the gas gauge window with the butt of the gun and the needle goes from half to empty. She gets out of the truck and stands there not saying anything.

This startles Sam and he hits his head on the lifted hood and says, "You’re worse than Al!"

Dana says, "We are out of gas!"

Sam says, "We have half a tank!"

Dana says, "We had a stuck gas gauge!"

Sam says, "Well how was I supposed to know we had a stuck …" Dana tosses the gun to him and he fumbles to catch it and falls in the stream.

Dana looks up to the heavens and says, "Why me?"

Sam’s Best Lines:

Dana says, "One step closer and, and I’ll jump! Ah hell, that’s what you want me to do anyway."

Sam says, "Dana I don’t want you to die."

Al says, "Sam! They had to have heard that scream."

Sam says, "Go back down the trail and warn me when they’re coming."

Al says, "How’s yer … how’s your head?"

Sam says, "It’s all right! Just go!"

Dana says, "You don’t talk to yourself. You talk to an imaginary playmate."

Sam says, "Dana …"

Dana says, "Stay back! Stay back!"

Sam says, "Ok … ok … I’m not going to shoot you. Pete might … or he might turn you over to Nick. But … I’m not Pete."

Dana says, "You’re not Pete?

Sam says, "Not really …"

Al says, "Here they come Sam!"

Sam says, "Look … my friend … the, the one you can’t see … just told me Nicks coming up the trail. There’s only one way for you to get out of this thing alive and you gotta believe me. You gotta trust me … PLEASE. It’s ok … it’s gonna be ok …"

Al’s Best Scene:

Al says, "She’s over here Sam!" Everybody is running around looking for each other. Al is following Dana and finds her sitting by a tree. "Ah … poor kid. Sam! Ah … follow my voice … the trail leads right up to the ridge. She’s been hit Sam! Doesn’t look too bad if the bleeding stopped though." Al is still talking and waving his arms around, holding the hand link. "Sam … I know you can’t answer me, so I’ll just keep talking ‘till you find us. OH! … There you are … come on she’s right up here Sam! She’s just tuckered out I think, she ran out of spunk, can’t blame her." Sam gets to the tree and she’s not there. She comes around from the other side with a stick and hits Sam over the head. She keeps running up the trail and Al continues, "Maybe she didn’t run out of spunk." Sam gets up and looks around. Al points saying, "Here … come on."

Al’s Best Lines:

Al says, "Sam you’re ignoring me! Why are you ignoring me? Sam! Read my lips … she dies on the way to Baltimore! Ahhh … HELLO! HELLO! You’re the one who’s suppose to be talking to him self all the time, not me! Are we maintaining any audio or visual contact?" (Waving his hands in front of Sam’s face)

Sam says, "Al! I heard every word you said."

Al says, "So!"

Sam says, "So … I’m trying to get some information from him, but this ‘ranting’ person is breaking my concentration!"

Al says, "RANTING!"

Sam says, "Yes … RANTING!"

Al says, "RANTING! WHOS RANTING?"

Sam says, "The summer of 1973."

Dana says, "This summer?"

Sam says, "What am I sayin’ ‘73! Oh no … um … ’53 … ha ha … August … ha ha … August of ’53 … that was nearly 20 years ago. I’d forgotten how beautiful it was."

Dana says, "It is beautiful." They look at each other and start to kiss. "No … don’t even think about it. It’s no good for us … don’t even think about it." She goes inside the cabin, "I can’t find the light! Don’t tell me there’s not any lights! You brought me up here to a cabin to get murdered with out electricity?"

Sam goes inside and turns on a lamp, "See … light to shoot you by!"

Dana says, "If I don’t freeze to death first!"

Sam says, "I’ll light a fire."

Dana says, "Or starve!"

Sam says, "Look! You want to eat or be warm?"

Dana says, "Both! You start the fire and I’ll go find something to eat … I’ll probably have to go kill a bear or something …" Walking into the kitchen babbling all the way.

Sam says under his breath, "With any luck the bear will kill her."

Dana says, "Is there a light switch in here?"

Sam says, "Next to the door."

Dana says, "Oh … just a wealth of delicacies … what’s this here … no food here you know! Lots of pots! Who were the last people to be here anyway … Well what did you think we were gonna live on up here anyway? I bet you … no take-out comes this far!"

Sam is striking a match to light the fire and you hear chimes as Al enters.

Al says, "Hummm … isn’t this romantic."

Sam says, "How long have you been here?"

Al says, "Ah … long enough to see your glass pass to fall short of the goal line."

Sam says, "Why haven’t" Shaking his hand as the match burns his fingers. "Why haven’t I leaped?"

Al says, "You haven’t saved her yet."

Sam says, "The deadline passed hours ago."

Al says, "New deadline." Punching the keys on the hand link. "Now she dies at four eighteen in the morning. On a bridge near here."

Sam says pointing in the direction of the door and outside, "On a bridge near here! AL! You said she died on the way to Baltimore!"

Dana is standing behind a room divider watching and listening to Sam talk to Al.

Al continues, "That was before you changed history and brought her here. Now … each time you save Dana, the time and place of her death changes … and that’s gonna continue to be that way until either Nick is dead or …"

Sam says, "She is …"

Walking towards Sam and handing him the tin of sardines, Dana says, "You should really try breaking that habit, otherwise people who don’t know you … will think you’re loony tunes! Dinner is served. Seems all your professor friend had in his larder were … little hairy fish."

Al says, "You know even though she doesn’t die this morning, doesn’t mean that Nick … didn’t catch up with her before that." He retreats backwards into the imaging chamber and closes the door with the hand link.

Sam holding the tin making a face and Dana says, "You hate my cooking."

Sam says, "No … I’m not hungry."

Scripts:

Read two alternate drafts of "Her Charm" below!

Hidden Identity
Dated November 30, 1989

Nowhere To Hide
Dated December 20, 1989

Music by: Mike Post
Supervising Producer: Deborah Pratt
Co-producers: Paul Brown, Jeff Gourson, Chris Ruppenthal
Produced by: Harker Wade
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Teleplay By: Deborah Pratt & Donald P Bellisario
Story By: Paul M Belous, Robert Wolterstroff
Story By: Deborah Pratt and Donald P. Bellisario
Directed by: Christopher T. Welch

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producers: David Bellisario
Director of Photography: Michael Watkins
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Alan Shefland
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
Contributing Musical Composers: Velton Ray Bunch and Jerry Grant
Sound Editor: Paul Clay
Music Editor: Tom Gleason

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

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