Teaser:

Shipwrecked on an uncharted island, Sam as a Greek seaman must romance the spoiled rich socialite he is stranded with and help her follow her dreams and her heart....to marry him.

Audio from this episode:

Sam: Sunken treasure!

TV Guide Synopsis
Place
Leap Date
Name of the Person Leaped Into
Broadcast Date
Synopsis & Review
Sam Trivia
Al Trivia
Al's Women
Al's Outfits Worn in the Episode
Miscellaneous Trivia
Guest Stars
Guest Cast Notes
Say What?
Quotable Quotes
Best Scene
Awards
Production Credits
Podcasts

TV Guide Synopsis:
Sam is a Greek sailor lost at sea with a bratty debutante (Brooke Shields), who was on what was supposed to be a honeymoon cruise. Sam: Scott Bakula. Al: Dean Stockwell.

Commercial:

Broadcast Date:

September 29, 1992 - Tuesday

Promo:

Synopsis & Review:

September 27, 1956

Starting with the leap in, Sam finds himself in a stormy sea. He takes a quick look of his surroundings only to see the boat he hoped was his rescue, explode. He then discovers he’s not the only one adrift when he hears a woman screaming for help as she is clinging to a chest that barely seems to be keeping her afloat. He begins to swim towards her as he says, "Oh. Boy."

Opening Credits Play

A new scene opens and the storm and sea has calmed. Sam gives a voiceover talking about “stormy situations” and asking “whoever is listening” for some help. He turns to see a raft and swims toward it, bringing the woman he’s just rescued with it. Almost immediately upon getting settled on the raft, he tries to wake the woman who grabs him and begs for help, thinking he is a man named David. Once she realizes he is not “David”, she slaps him and her demeanor immediately changes.

Al shows up, informing Sam that he’s in the middle of the Aegean sea. Despite Sam’s obvious distress about the situation, Al informs him he is late because he’s getting ready for Tina’s birthday. He is supposed to pop out of the cake and “guess what she does not want me to wear.”

While Al continues, the woman spots the trunk she was clinging to in the storm and demands they retrieve it. She is unaware that Sam is speaking to Al and answering all his questions with anger and sarcasm, telling Sam that he does not know who he’s dealing with and again demands he get her trunk.

Frustrated, Sam gets the information from Al that the woman he rescued is Vanessa Foster. He discovers from Vanessa that he’s an employee of her father’s, and she uses that and the fact that she has “essentials” in the trunk to convince him to retrieve it.

Once open, he discovers that he and Vanessa have a very different idea of what essentials are. Instead of food and tools to perhaps survive, he finds the only useful thing is possibly the cigarettes.

After rifling through he learns more, Vanessa was going to be married. Her wedding dress was in the trunk and David was her fiancé. Al confirms that David is still alive. Sam tries to reassure Vanessa with information from Al that David is fine.

Vanessa reacts by calling him names and telling him he’s not good enough to have a seat on the Captain’s raft.

Al tells Sam he is Nikos Stathatos, and worked in the engine room on the ship.

Sam grabs Vanessa’s cosmetic case to see himself in the mirror, much to the annoyance of Vanessa.

David and Vanessa’s wedding was going to be the next day, and Sam believes he’s there to rescue her. Vanessa scolds him for talking to himself and tells him to drop the act.

In the original history, she got rescued and went on to marry David, so Al isn’t sure why Sam is there.

Sam begins to search the trunk for food, to which Vanessa says it’s a hope chest, not a picnic basket. Al calls it a no-hope chest.

Vanessa then states she does have food, only to pull out hundreds of sticks of gum. She stated she was going to quit smoking. But her habit is what sank the ship. Upon discovering this, Sam accuses her of blowing up the ship and she accuses him of following her.

Al leaves to jump out of a cake.

Sam throws out the remaining cigarettes because he doesn’t want Vanessa sinking their only hope of survival. She goes back in with the insults and stabs the raft with her comb.

They try to use the gum to stop the now deflating life raft.

He begins to throw things out of her hope chest as the raft won’t float with all the lost air and extra weight. He throws out Grandmama’s silver, along with various other items such as shoes, and almost tosses an urn until Vanessa tells him that it’s Grandmama and she wanted her at the wedding. Sam decides she can stay.

Al returns to ask Sam what he’s been doing. History changed, because the odds of survival are plummeting. The ship should have picked them up an hour ago, but something Sam is doing is wrong even though he insists he hasn’t done anything.

Now Vanessa and Nikos are never found.

Adrift at sea, they use Vanessa’s dress as a sail, to which she complains and threatens capital punishment. Sam says that “anything would be better than this.”

Vanessa is hungry and Sam does a quick tally of their gum supply. She reminisces about their last meal on the ship. Her ramblings help him realize that fish are an option, and he looks for the veil to help them catch a meal.

She refuses as it is her Grandmama’s veil. Sam tries to convince her by talking about all the fish he sees and she caves and gives him the veil. Instead of a fish, he catches some kelp. They then argue about the food choices. She forces him to turn around at the back of the boat because “we Fosters always change for dinner.”

It’s evening now, and they’re still adrift, eating the kelp Sam caught. She’s afraid of the tabloids, and Sam makes fun of her. She threatens to report him to her father. After telling her she sounds more like her father’s press agent than his daughter, he seems to realize her father may have been on the ship. Vanessa tells him he was not, that he was in Manhattan for meetings. (“But he paid for everything.”)

Sam tells her she didn’t have to defend her father, and when she says she’s not, that he was a perfect father, Sam asks if he’s ever taken her for a walk on the beach, to which she tells him her father was always busy and that Sam doesn’t understand their culture.

He tells her that his father taught him the constellations. The tough facade breaks for a moment when she tells him that sounds nice, then it’s back again, changing her statement to “well it’s quaint.” There is a softer side of her seen though as they talk about fathers and growing up and what might have been missing in her household. “Well, we Fosters do things differently.”

Here she reveals that both her father and David have the same view on public displays of affection - they are socially incorrect. Then we find that David and her father always agree.

Their attention is turned to a bright star, and Sam tells her it’s Venus, and he tells her about the goddess of love. Vanessa believes it to sound beautiful.

The next morning, Vanessa awakens, thinking she is with David, but is cuddled next to Sam. She screams when she realizes where she is, then accuses Sam of being inappropriate.

Their argument is cut short when a bird calls and they realize they have made it to land. The two of them excitedly hop off the raft and Vanessa kisses the dirt. Vanessa insists the island is Corfu (she has been there four times!) and she knows there’s a bar nearby.

Al confirms what Sam knows, it’s not Corfu. He gives Sam a rundown of the island and all the great things it has to offer (food and good weather) before dropping the bombshell: No one sets foot on it for another nine years.

As Sam builds a shelter, Vanessa laments about the silkworms that gave their lives to make her dress, the oysters to make the buttons, and the seamstresses that went blind to stitch it together. She dubs it “Camping Gear by Chanel”.

She then complains when she realizes Sam intends to sleep in the shelter, and states her fiancé would be furious. (And Grandmama, who’s urn she is holding.)

Sam assures her they have nothing to worry about. Vanessa asks what he means by that, but he instead just tells her she can have the shelter, and she still finds something to complain about as there is “no powder room.”

Sam tells her it’s right next to the poison ivy and she gets irritated, insisting that he is enjoying torturing her. He angrily tells her that he needs help and has her gather food while he goes to catch crabs and searches for water. She continues to complain and they argue before he tells her that she can eat what she finds and he’ll eat what he finds. He proceeds to ignore her when she calls him back. He goes to search for food and she sits and cries.

Later in the day he returns to a small pool of water, thirsty from his day’s work. Al is standing there, and as soon as Vanessa notices Sam, she warns him she “wouldn’t do that” when he leans over to drink the water. He asks if something is wrong with the water. She tells him she drank so much, she peed in the water. He scolds her for ruining their only water, to which she tells him she didn’t know it was their only water.

Al informs him the water should be fine by morning, but Sam is losing his cool with Vanessa. She replies by pushing him into the water. Sam asks for her help and pulls her in. They tussle in the water as Al watches in amusement. He only leaves because he has to give Tina her birthday present.

Vanessa accuses Sam of starting to like her to which Sam laughs, telling her about her social circle not being into that particular brand of entertainment, to which they both start laughing. He calls her a wreck, and she confides in him that no one likes her. Sam tells her that her fiance must like her, but she doesn’t know if he likes her for who she really is, and says that her father is the same.

Once again, the softer side fades quickly when Sam questions her statement. She says her father and David had the best time at her debutante ball. Sam pushes even further telling her she talks about how everyone else is feeling, and asks how she feels. She responds by kissing him, and then shoves him away, blaming him for kissing her, saying he seduced her.

Seh storms off, saying she has berries to pick.

Night falls, and Sam’s internal monologue tells that he had rough luck finding food, and Vanessa was able to “find everything.” She teases him for his small find, and her secret for being able to dig up clams is revealed. Sam eats grapes and toothpaste.

Vanessa offers some food, and Sam refuses, until Vanessa pushes enough. He discovers he doesn’t hate clams. She insists she is only sharing because he is in charge of their rescue.

Sam tells her his plan. He is going to use her hairspray as a makeshift flare to alert a passing ship. She compliments him, and he seems surprised as he thanks her.

Vanessa brings up Indian Guides, and he starts to tell her of his time in Indian Guides. She doesn’t believe him, “in Greece?” to which he quickly changes his response to “Trojan Guides.” He asked what her name was, she didn’t want to tell him. He told her his name was Zeus, and she reveals her name was Pain in the Buffalo. He laughs, and she threatens to take back her clams.

She finds Venus again, and asks him to tell her the saying about true love again. Sam tries to bring up their moment after their fight earlier that day, and Vanessa denies it happened. He asks why she wanted to hear about Venus and she said she was only making polite dinner conversations.

Sam backs off and they talk about taking watch. Vanessa volunteers to go first. Sam asks if she can launch the flare, and she tells him she’s good at launching things. He lies down and goes to sleep. Vanessa covers him with a blanket and runs her fingers through his hair before settling down to take watch.

Later, Vanessa is asleep, and while Sam is on watch, he talks to Al, who says Vanessa is very pretty. Sam agrees she is when she’s asleep. Al calls her a spoiled brat, and Sam says it’s an act. They go back and forth before Al realizes that Sam likes her. Sam laughs at the idea.

Ziggy chimes in, telling them there’s a school of tuna and a ship nearby. Excited at the idea of rescue, Sam goes to light the flare. He readies it and waits.

Nothing happens. Sam desperately tries to build up a fire, only to miss his chance as the can of hairspray doesn’t explode.

Frantic, he pulls the hairspray out and discovers it's empty, and realizes that Vanessa used the entire can of hairspray on her head. They argue, and her only defense is “it was windy.” Angry, Sam tells her it was their only chance of being rescued. He calls her a spoiled brat, Vanessa storms off, and even Al seems taken aback by his outburst.

He insists they’re doing the best they can to figure out the leap and get Sam out of there. While telling him they’re working on it, he once again tells Sam he’s certain he likes Vanessa. Instead of laughing, Sam angrily disagrees this time.

He tells Al her camp nickname was Princess Pain in the Buffalo, and Al tells him that’s a childhood secret and insinuates it’s a big deal that she told him that. He said he’d never tell his camp name, and says Sam cares for her and that he saw them kissing at the water.

Sam accepts that Al might be right, but says Nikos might not feel the same way, to which Al says Nikos worships the ground Vanessa walks on. He went above and beyond caring for her, and Al says she noticed. As it turns out, Nikos was not following Vanessa. Vanessa used the excuse for a smoke to follow him to the engine room.

This is where we find out she didn’t put the cigarette down in an ashtray, but in a bin of dirty diesel rags, which is how her cigarette caused the ship to explode.

Sam is confused until Al informs him that Nikos got them rescued too soon. Because of the quick rescue, Vanessa and Nikos never have a chance to express their feelings. Sam asks if he was sent there because he was a lousy sailor, and Al tells him “partly.”

Al says the other part is getting Vanessa to admit she's “in love with a greasy, Greek sailor.”

“Oh… boy.”

Sam seeks out Vanessa while sitting on the rocks at the shore with her Grandmama. She is upset, and doesn’t really respond when Sam says he’s been looking for her. He teases her about her hair and the amount of hairspray she used.

He tries another approach, telling her that her fiancé is a lucky guy. She responds with “it doesn’t matter anymore, does it?” She believes she’ll never see him again. Sam says no one can predict the future and she asks if they’re going to die.

He says her Grandmama would be upset if she heard her talking that way. He attempts to comfort her even when she says she ruined their rescue. He tells her there will be other ships and when she reminds him of the flair, he tells her she underestimates “Greek ingenuity.”

She still is in a state of giving up, talking about the future she wanted, and is certain they’ll die. Sam listens as she talks about all the things she wanted to do, and about some of her fonder childhood memories. She talks about visiting her friend and how they had much less, but were very happy.

Sam uses the opportunity to ask if David makes her happy. She says yes, and that he’s wonderful. Her family loves him, and when Sam asks if she loves him, she avoids saying yes by stating she is marrying him and gets annoyed at his questions.

He wants her to understand she doesn’t have to marry someone for her family, or because he reminds her of her father. She slips by saying she loves her daddy, when she means David.

Her true fear is dying before she has a chance to live. Sam wraps a comforting arm around her as she cries. She believes it’s too late to take the chance Sam tells her she needs to take. He insists it's never too late.

They kiss, and Vanessa backs away for a moment, asking “what about David?” to which Sam replies “what about Nikos?”

She tells him she can’t and that she’s saving herself for her husband.

Sam smiles and tells her “her husband, Nikos.”

He opens his eyes to see a ship. He begins to run off to start a bonfire to alert them to their presence. Vanessa runs after him, but refuses to help him. He reminds her she can steam clams, why can’t she build a bonfire? It’s then that she reveals she wanted to steam clams, and empty the can of hairspray. Sam realizes that Vanessa sabotaged them on purpose, not wanting to be rescued.

Al returns and excitedly tells Sam there’s a ship. When Sam does nothing, he insists Sam alert the ship. Instead, Sam asks Al to ask Ziggy what the odds are of Nikos and Vanessa living “happily ever after” on the island together.

Al checks, and says it’s 100% (a first.) He then says they will have six kids by the time they’re rescued in 1965. Sam moves Grandmama out of the way and he and Vanessa kiss only for Al to tell him he’s about to leap.

He leaps into a bed, and is grabbed by a man having a flashback to the war. An orderly grabs the man to subdue him and Sam begins to get up to help the man, only to be stopped by Al who warns him not to get up. It’s then he discovers he is a double amputee. Synopsis by Christina Gist

Sam Trivia:

Sam’s dad taught him the names of the constellations, when he was a kid.

Sam was in Indian guides as a kid. His Indian name was Zeus.

Sam recounts events from "8 1/2 Months" and "Miss Deep South."

Al Trivia:

Al smoked 3 cigars in this episode.

Al’s Outfits Worn in the Episode:

Al’s first outfit is a cream-colored suit with a brown and white dress shirt, bolo tie and a silver pin.

His second outfit is a white robe with black dots and stripes with red pajama type pants underneath.

Third outfit is a blue shirt, blue and black striped tie, purple and blue patterned vest and purple pants.

Miscellaneous Trivia:

This episode features the first airing of the updated "rock" theme song! The idea to update it was brought up by Scott Bakula. Fans, in general, did not appreciate the change. Was Mike disappointed when they replaced the original theme with the "rock" version in season five? Nope... he wrote that too!

Check out the updated Saga-Sell sequence, the leap-in to this episode, and the new theme song below:

Jean-Pierre Dorleac also costumed Brooke Shields at the age of 14 when she portrayed a castaway in the 1980 film, "The Blue Lagoon."

Filming was done in the Universal Studios backlot pool used for The "JAWS" ride. Get a look at it in the video below:

The episode title is a play on words with "The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. It also has two alternative titles: Washed Away and When Venus Smiles.

With only three speaking roles among the four actors, this episode has the smallest cast of the entire series.

Guest Cast Notes:

Brooke Shields as Vanessa: "Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." If you have not heard of Brooke Shields before, this tagline from her Calvin Klein Jeans ad had to grab your attention. Not that she has not had a previously noteworthy resume. She was born on May 31, 1965 in New York City, to Teri (Schmon) and Frank Shields. At age 12, she starred as a child prostitute in "Pretty Baby" (1978). Could this movie even be made today? It was considered risky and controversial in 1978. It was followed by another blockbuster, the romance adventure drama "The Blue Lagoon" (1980). Brooke has proved herself to be so much more than her early films. Her broad range of work as an adult would be quite an achievement for anyone, especially given how difficult transitioning from child actor to adult often is. She has never stopped working, whether it be a Bob Hope Christmas special, her own sitcom "Suddenly Susan" (1996) or as an author. She also managed to work on a degree from Princeton University. She has received a number of awards during her career, most notably The People's Choice award for 1981 through 1984 in the category of Favorite Young Performer. In 1997, she was honored again with The People's Choice award for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series in 1997 for her work in Suddenly Susan (1996). In her personal life, she was married in 1997 to tennis player Andre Agassi and was devastated when they divorced two years later. She married for the second time in 2001 to Chris Henchy. She has been open about using fertility treatments to become pregnant with their daughter, Rowan, born in 2003. When suffering debilitating depression after the birth of her daughter, she made the decision to put her feelings down on paper. Her book, "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression," takes a hard, honest look at what she and many other women experience after childbirth. She still lives in New York City, and is still sought after for work in movies, television, and on stage. Pretty nice list of achievements for the once Calvin Klein jeans girl.

Socrates Alafouzos as Nikos (Mirror): International award-winning Director, Writer and Actor. After studying theater, film, dance and photography in Athens, Greece he attained a Fulbright scholarship in the U.S., where he continued his post-graduate studies in acting and directing. While there, Socrates wrote and directed the one act play America and directed his first short film on video. He later returned to Greece and soon became a very well-known actor. His career includes leading roles in Theater Productions of Shakespeare, Marlow, Anouilh, Shaffer, Camus, Cocteau, Euripides etc. and leading roles in Films and TV series.
In 2011, he made his professional debut as a screenwriter, film director and producer with his short film, Little King (Mikros Vasilias), and in 2015 he wrote, directed and produced his second film, Between Black and White. Both films participated in many film festivals around the world and received numerous awards, like the Grand Jury Prize at the Mediterranean Short Film Festival in Tangier, Best International Short at the Manhattan Film Festival and the Salento International Film Festival. He has also directed documentaries, commercials, corporate, music and performing arts videos. In 2016, he started working in the U.S. after receiving a honorary Visa granted to those who have attained extraordinary achievements in their field. He is now a U.S citizen. In 2019, he founded the Theatron of the Americas and became its Artistic Director. Theatron is a non-profit theater organization whose purpose is to operate a repertory theatre group that expands the awareness of the ancient Greek drama through theatrical presentations and educational programs. On March 24, 2021, Socrates curated and hosted an international event online for Theatron of the Americas to "Honor the Country in Which Theater was Born." Actors and Distinguished Guests from U.S. and around the world read passages from Ancient Greek Drama and poetry. Honorary Guest included world-renowned Dr. Deepak Chopra, along with famous British actor Julian Sands, Emmy nominated Thaao Penghlis, Emmy winner Eleftheria Deko, acclaimed Romanian actor Maia Morgenstern and more. His feature film screenplay, My Diva, was recently optioned by Argonauts Productions, a major Production Company in Greece. In January 2022 he was appointed as a Presidential Fellow in Greek Theater at Chapman University. TEACHING In January 2022, he was appointed as a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he created and taught a new course for the Honors department, directed the production of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" for Department of Theater and he is teaching an Advanced Directing Performance Techniques class at the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts.
HONORS-AWARDS In 2016, he received a Honorary Award by the Eliza's President, Marina Karella, for his contribution to the Elisa - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Say What?

The sky background is obviously a painting on the Universal Backlot pool backdrop.

Ziggy says a ship should have picked up Sam and Vanessa an hour ago. Why didn't the ship come across as in the original history? Sam could not have changed anything.

Vanessa’s trunk is floating before Sam starts emptying it, so why does he need to start discarding items to keep the raft from sinking?

Quotable Quotes:

~Sam is going through Vanessa’s trunk. He finds some underwear, she tells him to get his "paws" out of there.

Sam: Trust me. I have no interest in your underwear.

Al: I knew it. The sun is getting to his mind.

~Al: We're making preparations for Tina's birthday party and she wants me to pop out of the cake. You'll never believe what she wants me not to wear.

~Vanessa tells Sam she has "food" in the trunk.

Sam: Gum?!? 100’s of sticks of gum? You brought 100’s of sticks of gum along?!?

Vanessa: Yeah, I was going to quit smoking.

~Vanessa: So hungry.

Sam: I figure we got about 188 more sticks of gum.

~Sam: True love is the only love worth having.

~Vanessa and Sam are sleeping in the raft. She wakes up first.

Vanessa: Ahhhhhh!

Sam: What. What?

Vanessa: How dare you.

Sam: How dare I what?

Vanessa: Use your shoulder as my pillow.

Sam: Your pillow?

Vanessa: What else did you do?

Sam: Well, ya know. First I ripped off all your clothes. Then I pulled out my bazookie and played wild peasant songs while I danced naked around the raft.

Vanessa: Well you just keep your bazookie to yourself.

~Vanessa offers Sam some of her cooked clams.

Sam: I don’t like clams.

Vanessa: And you love grapes and toothpaste?

~Al and Sam are talking in the jungle.

Al: Hey listen. There’s no way she would get this bad under your skin unless you had feelings for her.

Sam: The only feelings I have for her are homicidal. "Leaping of the Shrew"

Best Line:

Vanessa: "You’re not David!!!"

Sam: "I’m not??"

Best Scene:

When they are eating supper and Sam only has tooth paste and grapes to eat and Vanessa has a whole bunch of food she found herself.

Awards:

Motion Picture Sound Editors Award for ADR Editing

Season Five Main Titles - Rock Version:

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: Harker Wade, Tommy Thompson
Supervising Producer: Richard C. Okie
Producer: Robin Jill Bernheim
Created by: Donald P. Bellisario
Written by: Richard C. Okie & Robin Jill Bernheim
Directed by: Alan J. Levi

Executive Producer: Donald P. Bellisario
Associate Producers: Julie Bellisario, Scott Ejercito
Coordinating Producer: David Bellisario
Director of Photography: Donald M. Morgan, A.S.C.
Production Designer: Cameron Birnie
Edited by: Randy D. Wiles
Unit Production Manager: Ron Grow
First Assistant Director: Ryan Gordon
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