Leap Date:
June 18, 1958

Episode Adopted by: MikeKraken & Dave Korman
Additional info provided by: Brian Greene

Teaser:

Sam leaps into a killer on the run in 1958. The house is surrounded and he is holding hostage a mother and her young daughter. But back in the future, the real killer, Leon, has escaped from the waiting room and Al searches to find him. If Al can't bring Leon back, Sam can't leap...and will be killed when the sheriff raids the house.

Audio from this episode:

Al: Where'd you get that gun?

TV Guide Synopsis
Place
Leap Date
Project Date
Name of the Person Leaped Into
Broadcast Date
Synopsis & Review
Project Trivia
Sam Trivia
Al Trivia
Al's Women
Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode
Miscellaneous Trivia
Bloopers
Guest Stars
Guest Cast Notes
Guests who appeared in other Quantum Leap episodes
Say What?
Quotable Quotes
Awards
Production Credits
Podcasts

TV Guide Teaser:
Sam leaps into a killer holding a mother and daughter hostage, but he's trapped as well when the man escapes from the waiting room back in the future. Carol: Connie Ray. Leon: Cameron Dye. Sheriff Hoyt: Jim Haynie.

Places:
Pine County, Oklahoma (Sam leaps into Styles here)

Stallion's Gate, New Mexico, USA (Project Quantum Leap)

A city near PQL (where Al chases down Styles)

Leap Date:

June 18, 1958

Synopsis & Review:

Sam Leaps in. He's looking out a window with a gun in hand. A calendar reveals that the year is 1958. The mood is ominous.
 
A woman who Sam was not aware is there, asks him “How long are you going to keep us tied up?” She's got a child with her. She asks what he wants.  
 
Sam, confused, says he doesn't want anything. The little girl recognizes Sam's host on the TV. He watches the report and realizes he's Leon Styles, the fugutive killer, and says “Oh boy…” 



After the credits, Sam continues to listen to reports, learning more about who he is.  
 
Carol, the mother, suggests she has jewelry in the bedroom. Sam says he doesn't want that, he just needs a second to figure out what's going on. 
 
Becky, Carol's young daughter, quietly asks Sam if he's going to kill them. Sam tries to reassure her that he won't, forgetting he's still holding a gun. He puts it to the side and says “Of course not…” 
 
Carol isn't convinced, and Sam asks the empty air, "Where are you, Al?"

At Project Quantum Leap, Al is cornered outside of ther Waiting Room because Leon Styles, the leapee, has somehow gotten hold of a gun. Styles shouts, "What the hell is all this?" Al replies,  "What is all this? Well it's ahhh... well, it's sort of an underground top-secret research laboratory style... type of thing." Gooshie approaches. "Oh boy."

Gooshie only understands the situation when Leon pulls a gun on him. Al waves off an approaching guard, saying if he shoots Styles, Sam is finished.  

Despite Al trying to talk Leon out of leaving the project, he does so after demanding car keys from Gooshie.

After Styles is gone into the elevator, Gooshie asks: "Who's going after him?" Al replies, "I am." The programmer looks confused. "You?" (gets a look from Al.) "W-wouldn't be my first choice." Al directs Gooshie to tell Ziggy to put together a profile on Leon on a disc. But before Al can go after Leon, he has to tell Sam. 

Sam is about to untie Carol and Becky, when Al appears, urging him not to. 
 
Sam goes in the other room to argue with Al, and we soon see that the cops have caught up to him. Sheriff Hoyt has received word that his deputy is dead, and Leon is the reason why.  
 
Al tells Sam that Leon was killed in the original history and that Styles killed the sheriff's daughter. Then he then tells Sam the really bad news: Leon escaped the project. 

Al: "He got away from us."

Sam: "He got away from you? What do you mean he got away from you?"

Al: "He escaped."

Sam: "He escaped? How could that happen, 'He escaped.'? Al, you didn't
open the Waiting Room door, did you? Oh, please tell me you didn't
opened the Waiting Room door. You did, you did, I can't believe this!"

Al: "Well, I couldn't help it, he took us by surprise! Somehow, he got
ahold of a gun, and he held the gun straight at me like that, and what
could I do?! I couldn't do anything!"

Sam: "Okay, okay, okay. He got out of the Waiting Room, okay, but at
least he's still in the complex. Right? I can't believe this is
happening, Al! You've got to get him back!"

Al: "Oh, I will!"

Sam: "What do you mean you will?"

Al: "I will!"

Sam: "What do you mean, you will? You're not thinking about going after him yourself, are ya?"

Al: "Why not?"

Sam: "Why not? Because he's a cold-blooded killer, that's why not! I
need you here with me..."

Al: "Sam, this guy's gotta be taken alive. Don't forget: if he dies, you're finished. And and an' don't worry. Don't worry because I'm gonna leave Gooshie in charge."

Sam: "Gooshie. Well, that's just perfect."

Al: "Yeah, and if anything happens, he'll be in touch with you. Ziggy is synching  up his brain with your brain so that you can see him."

Sam: "Me - me and Gooshie."

Al: "Yeah."

Gooshie is going to be Sam's temporary Hologram. 
 
Hoyt calls. Al tells Sam that the sheriff must believe that he will really kill the hostages in order to buy him some time to return Leon to the project. 
 
Sam answers the phone, speaking to Hoyt. Eventually Sam has to make a threat against his hostages lives that he doesn't want to make.  

Al prepares to go find Leon. Grabbing a gun… Gooshie says it will be easy to find Styles, because he has an tracking device in his car that Ziggy has given him access to through the Handlink. Al says, "I'd kiss you if you didn't have bad breath." Gooshie (with a handlink and an orange clipboard) replies, "I'm touched.
Admiral, are you sure this what you want to do?" Al is very sure. "For five years, I've been watching Sam Beckett risk his life for total strangers. Think about it."

Sam meanwhile tries to convince Carol and Becky that he didn't mean it; that he didn't kill those women the television reporter spoke about, but he can't let them go.  Becky asks why Sam (as Styles) hates them. This question breaks his heart. Sam assures her he doesn't hate them.
 
Sam ends up explaining that he is not Leon Styles, and is instead a time traveler from the future. He explains how Quantum Leap works and what happened with Leon in the future. Of course Carol doesn't fully believe him.  
 
Hoyt's deputy suggests negotiating. However, Hoyt doesn't think you negotiate with a man like Styles. The deputy suggests that maybe Hoyt shouldn't be involved in this. Hoyt doesn't care. He intends to exact revenge. 
 
Carol expresses disbelief in Sam. He finds out that she's a medical student. She got a late start due to her husband abandoning the family. She supported him and then he left her and Becky.
 
Sam tells Carol that he's a doctor, but Carol laughs, noting the television says he's illiterate. Sam asks her to quiz him, so she opens a medical book and asks him several medical questions. He answers them all quickly. She says he must have seen the answers in the book earlier. "When was the last time you met an illiterate speed-reader?", Sam asks.
 
Gooshie appears, but he's not fully tuned Into Sam's brainwaves, so he's fading in and out. In his new temporary Observer role, he explains that Ziggy reports Sam has changed history, but not for the better. Sam is now going to be killed inside the house instead of outside, and so is Becky. He remarks, "Time and space can be a bitch."
 
Al drives his convertible red Ferrari into the city to find Leon, and pulls up Ziggy's profile on him. Ziggy gives him a less than 34 percent chance of success and provides Leon's info. The hybrid computer believes Leon will attempt to go after women that match up with his previous victims, aka prostitutes.  
 
Carol is getting agitated because of the way Sam spoke Becky's name when he was talking to Gooshie and learned the new history. Sam asks her to wake Becky up. But Carol won't let him until Sam explains that he's trying to save her life by letting the young girl go.
 
Sam calls Hoyt and says he will release the girl in exchange for not making a move on him. Hoyt agrees to the deal. 
 
Becky asks her mother if Sam is going to hurt her. Carol just tells her daughter that she is so pretty. They hug, say they love each other, and Becky leaves the house into police custody. 
 
Gooshie tells Sam the little girl is safe. Ziggy says saving the little girl accomplished his mission and he should be leaping but isn't, because Styles is not in the waiting room.  But… now Ziggy says Sam still gets killed. Hoyt lied. Sam tells Gooshie to contact Al, that he has to have Leon back at the project by midnight, or Sam will be dead.  
 
Styles picks up a prostitute in the semi-futuristic city and she leads him to her apartment or office. 

Al pulls up to the location where Gooshie's car has stopped as Gooshie's voice is heard, Gooshie says, "I'm right in front of you! Can't you see me?" Al looks around, "If I could see you, would I be talking to the sidewalk?!" Gooshie replies, "I guess Ziggy didn't do a very good job of synching our brainwaves." Al remarks, "I'll take that as a compliment."
 
Leon hangs out with the eager prostitute and marvels at the technology. Everything is voice-activated, such as the lights, music, and even a mini-bar that rotates out of the wall! The woman begins to become agitated after Leon calls her a whore. 

Things begin to turn violent just as Al arrives to intervene. Al attempts to explain what's happening to Styles. He shows Leon his reflection, and it's Sam Beckett's face he sees. Leon goes crazy and shoots AL, leaving quickly. Al falls to the floor.
 
Thankfully Al is not dead because he is wearing a bullet proof vest. He tells the grateful prostitute he'd love to stay and have fun, but must leave to save his friend.  
 
Sheriff Hoyt questions Becky about the situation going on inside the house. She tells him Sam's story of being a time-traveller, which she believes wholeheartedly. She tells him that Hoyt is holding his mom in the living room. Hoyt uses this story as an excuse to begin a raid on the home.
 
Carol asks Sam what the future is like. Sam is surprised that she believes him. She says she doesn't know what to believe given all the inconsistencies. Carol remarks that nothing makes any sense anymore.  “Welcome to my world,” Sam replies. Carol asks what's going to happen and Sam tells her that a man is going to come in to kill him because Styles killed his daughter.  Carol asks when. Sam looks at the clock, nearing midnight, and says soon. 
 
Styles goes back to the project to get Gooshie to send him back to his own time. Gooshie informs Styles that he can't help him.

Leon: "... You're gonna send me back where I came from, right?"

Gooshie: "I can't do that."

Leon: "I think you're lying to me."

Gooshie: "Don't get me wrong. I mean, I'd love to accomodate you, but it doesn't work that way. We don't have any control over it."

Leon: "Well, who does?!"

Gooshie: "Well, that kind of depends on your point of view. Call yourself a religious man?" (looks Leon up and down.) "Probably not."

Just as Leon is about to shoot Gooshie, Al shoots Styles with a tranquilizer gun. They get Leon taken back to the Waiting Room. 
 
Sam decides to free Carol, who is reluctant to leave. She asks about his friend (referring to Al), and Sam replies that he guesses Al didn't make it. But just as he says this, Al appears! Dr. Beckett is relieved to see him, but Sam is sounding desperate. Al tells him that Leon is safely back in the Waiting Room and Sam prepares to Leap. But nothing happens.  
 
Carol asks what's wrong and Sam replies that he isn't leaping. The clock then strikes midnight.
 
Hoyt bursts in, frightening Carol who stands in the way of the sheriff shooting Sam. Hoyt tries to get her to move and Al says if she leaves, Sam's dead. Sam suggests, despite his best interests, that perhaps she should do as Hoyt says.  
 
But Carol steps forward to plea for Hoyt not to do it. To not be a cold blooded killer. "Be remembered for being a loving father who misses his daughter. Not this." 

Moved by her words, he tells the deputy to arrest the prisoner. Sam is saved.  
 
He thanks Carol for believing in him and says, “I'm ready to go now,” and then leaps. Synopsis by Dave Korman. Edited with additions by Brian Greene.

Project Trivia:

Handlink: Gummy Bear style

The Waiting Room has a blue hue, and there is a ramp leading from the door up about waist-high to the "stage" of the Waiting Room. There is a space betwen the stage and the perimeter wall of the room, wide enough for people to walk double-file.

From what we've seen in this episode and "The Leap Back", the entrances to Imaging Chamber and Quantum Leap Accelerator are both located in the Control Room, but the Waiting Room is in a corridor outside of any of these rooms. There is an elevator right near the entrance to the Waiting Room (where the corporal comes out).

Ziggy is refered to as female in this episode.

Gooshie is absent minded in this episode, calling Leon "Dr. Beckett" twice, and suggesting calling the police.

Project Quantum Leap is a Code One clearance, and they can not involve other agencies (such as the police).

The Waiting Room is on the tenth level down, which leads to reason that so are the other four important rooms. The employees park their vehicles right out in front of the complex.

Gooshie had his car stolen "last year" (1998), and took Al's advice to have a location tracking device placed in his new one (which is "the blue one").

Sam can't leap if the visitor is not in the Waiting Room, and is stuck permanently if the leapee is dead.

Sam created Project Quantum Leap in 1995. The current year is 1999, probably March or April, given the position of the episode following "Lee Harvey Oswald" (February 1999).

When Sam leaps, it's his body that trades places with the visitor.

Gooshie is able to tune his brainwaves into both Al and Sam and be heard by both.

The city where Al and Leon arrive has a designated lane for electro-magnetic vehicles only (the right lane), as seen by a sign and heard by the vocal announcement (which reads in English and Spanish).

Sam Trivia:

Sam reveals his true identity in this episode to Carol and Becky.

Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode:

First outfit: Golden shirt with matching shoes; black string tie with gold and black pin; goldish-yellow suit coat with matching pants; cigar; handlink; watch with a black band and a gold face.

Second outfit: black leather jacket; back-up handlink; black belt with silver buckle; black pants; black shoes.

Miscellaneous Trivia:

The day of the week is Thursday, according to a day-calendar that Sam sees upon leaping in. However, it was actually a Wednesday.

The profile disc that Gooshie made up for Al is a regular-sized compact disc in a jewel case.

The scene where Al is near West 4th Street in Los Angeles. It's in a parking area called Grand Lower under the Museum of Contemporary Art. Photo on left is from the episode. Photo on right is how the area appeared circa 2016.

In the second draft script, dated August 14th 1992, there is an extension to the sequence after Sam arrives in which Al and a marine visit Styles in the Waiting Room, and Styles is able to overpower the marine and steal his gun (this scene was filmed, but Bellisario felt it was “kinda hokey, it didn’t look real” so he requested it be cut). Source

Bloopers:

These were shown at a convention. This is a recording of a screen, so the quality is poor. A crew member makes a funny clock chime sound and Dean Stockwell pretends to wreck the car!

Guest Cast Notes:

Connie Ray as Carol Pruitt: Studied dance at East Carolina University. She earned an MFA in acting from Ohio University. Known for her screen and stage work, she is also a writer. She presently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York. Her film and television highlights include The Torkelsons (1991), Hope Floats (1998), Idle Hands (1999), Stuart Little (1999), About Schmidt (2002), Ice Princess (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The Big C (2010), and Grey's Anatomy (2005). As a playwright, she penned the "Smoke on the Mountain" trilogy - numbering among the most produced musicals in America for the last twenty five years.

Cameron Dye as Leon Styles: Born in New Orleans, but criss-crossed the U.S. while growing up, as his family never stayed in one place for longer than four years. His high-school years were divided between Ohio and Northern California. He applied and was accepted into the theater arts department of UCLA, where he met Tim Robbins, at the time also a novice actor. In between acting jobs, Cameron writes and performs his own music. His songs can be heard on the soundtracks to his films 'Scenes From The Goldmine' and 'The Apocalypse.'

Jim Haynie as Sheriff John Hoyt: Born on February 6, 1940 in Falls Church, Virginia, USA. He was an actor, known for The Peacemaker (1997), The Fog (1980) and The Bridges of Madison County (1995). He was previously married to Maggie Causey and Janice A McKelheer. He died on April 3, 2021 in Langley, Washington, USA.

Joseph Malone as Deputy Grimes: Known for The Tracey Ullman Show (1987), Hocus Pocus (1993) and Ally McBeal (1997).

Dennis Wolfberg as Gooshie: see our dedicated page here.

Carolyn Lowery as Hooker: Carolyn Lowery is known for Candyman (1992) and Octopus (2000).

Beverley Mitchell as Becky Pruitt: Rising to fan-magazine fame through her stint as Lucy Camden on 7th Heaven (1996), Beverley was born in Arcadia, California. Before her most famous role, Beverley started her career off with a well-known temper tantrum, alongside her mother, in the middle of a shopping mall. A talent agent heard the noise and quickly rushed over. The rest is history. Television and modeling gigs quickly followed and her debut TV role was in the series Big Brother Jake (1990). Her first large film role came in The Crow: City of Angels (1996). Shortly after, she was on the WB as one of the fresh faces of the hit 7th Heaven (1996). While busy with the show, Beverley graduated from high school in 1999 and has attended Loyola Maramount University and studied film. She also actively participates in RADD Kids and K-Mart Kids Race Against Drugs charities, among others. While active on her show, she also starred in the independent short film, Mean People Suck (2001). In 2011, Beverley joined the cast of The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008), as the new school guidance counselor.

Lewis Dauber as Reporter: Born on April 27, 1949 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for The Island (2005), Something's Gotta Give (2003) and Jingle All the Way (1996). He was previously married to Paulette Levin. He died on October 3, 2019 in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, USA.

Guest Stars who appeared in other episodes:

Dennis Wolfberg played Gooshie in "Genesis", "The Leap Back", "Lee Harvey Oswald", and "Mirror Image".

Say What?

"Where'd you get that gun?" Al asks. Explanation: that scene was left on the cutting-room floor. A scene which was filmed but dropped shows Al, Gooshie, and a Marine Guard enter the Waiting Room with Styles. Styles overpowers the guard and takes his gun. If you look closely in the background, you can see the Marine lying on the floor by the table.

When Al is explaining to Styles that he can't leave the Waiting Room, we see an image of the door used from "The Leap Back" which lead into the Imaging Chamber. However, when the we see Al, Gooshie, and Styles in the corridor outside, it's a large, octagonal door that takes up the entire doorway (almost the width and height of the cylindrical corridors) and slides either into the wall or the ceiling (we don't see it open). In addition, we don't see the glowing blue lights from outside. [Explanation: they simply re-used older footage.]

We learned in "Roberto!" that the staff uses implants to open the doors at the Project. How did Styles exit the building? Perhaps another guard let him out.

The diary shows the day to be Thursday. June 18th, 1958 was a Wednesday.

Why does Gooshie think Styles is really Sam? He's been working at the project for years and should know how it works by now.

Al's car has the convertile top down when he drives away from the Project. Interior shots show the top back on. Footage from Genesis is also used, and this is a completely different model than is shown in this episode.

Why does the leapee have to be in the Waiting Room in order for Sam to leap? Wouldn't it make more sense for the leapee to have to be in the Accelerator Chamber in order for Sam to leap? If Styles can be in some other room at the project, why can't he leap from outside the project?

Sam (narrative): "I've always made it a rule never to judge people on first impressions. Of course, rules were made to be broken."

Leon: "What the Hell is all this?"
Al (slightly paraphrased): "What is all this? What is all... well, it's sort of an underground top-secret research laboratory style... type of thing." (Gooshie approaches.) "Oh boy."

Gooshie: "Who's going after him?"
Al: "I am."
Gooshie: "_You_?" (gets a look from Al.) "W-wouldn't be my first choice."

Deputy Grimes: "You think he give himself up?"
Sheriff Hoyt: "I don't know. Why don't you ask him?"

Al: "He got away from us."
Sam: "He got away from you? What do you mean he got away from you?"
Al: "He escaped."
Sam: "He escaped? How could that happen, 'He escaped.'? Al, you didn't open the Waiting Room door, did you? Oh, please tell me you didn't opened the Waiting Room door. You did, you did, I can't believe this!"
Al: "Well, I couldn't help it, he took us by surprise! Somehow, he got ahold of a gun, and he held the gun straight at me like that, and what could I do?! I couldn't do anything!"
Sam: "Okay, okay, okay. He got out of the Waiting Room, okay, but at least he's still in the complex. Right? I can't believe this is happening, Al! You've got to get him back!"
Al: "Oh, I will!"
Sam: "What do you mean you will?"
Al: "I will!"
Sam: "What do you mean, you will? You're not thinking about going after him yourself, are ya?"
Al: "Why not?"
Sam: "Why not? Because he's a cold-blooded killer, that's why not! I need you here with me..."
Al: "Sam, this guy's gotta be taken alive. Don't forget: if he dies, you're finished. And and an' don't worry. Don't worry because I'm gonna leave Gooshie in charge."
Sam: "Gooshie. Well, that's just perfect."
Al: "Yeah, and if anything happens, he'll be in touch with you. Ziggy is synching up his brain with your brain so that you can see him."
Sam: "Me - me and Gooshie."
Al: "Yeah."

Al: "I'd kiss you if you didn't have bad breath."
Gooshie (with a handlink and an orange clipboard): "I'm touched. Admiral, are you sure this what you want to do?"
Al: "For five years, I've been watching Sam Beckett risk his life for total strangers. Think about it."

Carol: "Oh, that's right, I forgot. You're stuck here until your friend from the future gets back."

Sam: "When was the last time you met an illiterate speed-reader?"

Sam: "Gooshie?"
Carol: "What?"
Sam: "He's not a what, he's a who."
Carol: "Your friend from the future?"
Sam: "One of them."
Carol: "Oh great, now there're two of 'em?"

Gooshie: "Time and space can be a bitch."

Gooshie: "I'm right in front of you! Can't you see me?"
Al: "If I could see you, would I be talking to the sidewalk?!"
Gooshie: "I guess Ziggy didn't do a very good job of synching our brainwaves."
Al: "I'll take that as a compliment."

Leon: "... 'cause you're gonna send me back where I came from, right?"
Gooshie: "I can't do that."
Leon: "I think you're lying to me."
Gooshie: "Don't get me wrong. I mean, I'd love to accomodate you, but it doesn't work that way. We don't have any control over it."
Leon: "Well, who does?!"
Gooshie: "Well, that kind of depends on your point of view. Call yourself a religious man?" (looks Leon up and down.) "Probably not."

Best Lines:

Al: "For five years, I've been watching Sam Beckett risk his life for total strangers. Think about it."

Gooshie: "I guess Ziggy didn't do a very good job of synching our brainwaves."
Al: "I'll take that as a compliment."

Script:

Awards:

Michael Watkins nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in a Regular Series in 1993 by the American Society of Cinematographers.

Production Credits:

Theme by: Mike Post
Musical Score By: Velton Ray Bunch
Co-Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt
Co-Executive Producer: Chas. Floyd Johnson
Supervising Producers: Richard C. Okie, Harker Wade
Supervising Producer: Tommy Thompson
Producer: Robin Jill Bernheim
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Tommy Thompson
Directed by: Michael Watkins

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producers: Julie Bellisario, Scott Ejercito
Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario
Director of Photography: Michael Watkins A.S.C.
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Michael S. Stern
Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
First Assistant Director: R. John Slosser
Second Assistant Director: Brian Faul
Casting by: Ellen Lubin Sanitsky, C.S.A.
Set Director: Robert L. Zilliox
Costume Designer: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Costume Supervisors: David Rawley, Katina Kerr
Art Director: Ellen Dambros-Williams
Sound Mixer: Barry D. Thomas
Stunt Coordinator: Diamond Farnsworth
Make-up: Jeremy Swan
Hairstylist: Andrea Mizushima
Fashion Concepts: Jean-Pierre Dorleac
Sound Editor: Greg Schorer
Music Editor: Bruce Frazier
Special Visual Effects: Roger Dorney, Denny Kelly

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 © 1992 by Universal City Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Some of the characters portrayed in this motion picture are based upon actual persons. Although some of those events have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes, otherwise 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 Television, an MCA Company