409 A Single Drop of Rain

This was pretty good. Sam has to do something that is beyond his capabilities, so he asks whatever is leaping him around for help. There was a good fight scene at the end between Sam and his host's brother.

This was not one of my favorite episodes when i first saw it, but after giving it a few more chances, i learned to like it.
Sam leaps into a Scientist that is very much like himself in many ways, that was the first thing i liked. Dr. Billy Boumount is the pervaor of persipitation and maker of rain. In this Leap Sam has to deal with two things, bringing his host's home town, rain to save them from an awful drought, and to keep his brother and his wife together. There is a problem with both of them however. The rain is not dur for another eight months and Annie still has feelings for Sam's host. What i loved most about this episode most was how Sam kept trying to get Annie to see Ralph for what's beyond his outer attitude, and his little prayer for rain.
"I don't know how I am going to do this one, you have to help me, I figure you owe me, at least a couple times"
Awww, i love that line, and he's right God does owe him for all he has done in four years. Now that I think of it, The Leap Back may have been one of his rewards. This really was a though leap, he was flopping and needed help. Oh, and I love this one line too, one of the few funny ones in this episode:
"Sometimes I wonder why we even bother"
"Because that's what we do, we're professional botherers"
lol.
The ending was sad too, when he has to tell Annie that his host no longer loves her, and she starts to cry and he gives her a hug. I love seeing Sam give hugs, and I just love his sweet side period. Yeah I know, I am a sap, hehe.

I am just very glad i gave this episode more of a chance, because it doesnt quite make my favorites list but it's a very sweet episode. and it teaches a good lesson about faith.

I love the utter frustration and desperation during "Sam's Prayer," when he finally come out with "You make it rain!"

The scene where Sam is mixing the rain making stuff is comedy gold. "What do we use the fork for?" "Um, for eating." And how the cannon fire becomes thunder without us even noticing until it start raining: wonderfully subtle.

I really like this episode. Back when I was taping them, this one was a "Keeper."

I know i loved the "YOU make it rain" if you paid attention i even made an avatar out of that scene, and was using it here for a short time.

One of my favorite episodes that I didn't bother to list. I loved everything about this episode. The characters, the story, especially the end. I really didn't expect it to rain in the end!

As SBF said before me - i didn't like this episode too much the first time(that i remember -3 years ago) i've seen it,but after i've seen it today again,it changed - I really enjoyed this episode. I thought it was just a bit bellow excellent. Simple story, amusing and thouching(especially the scene that were already mentioned here by other - when Sam asks "god" for help to make it rain),good acting and for a change we had a black man in it ,but no racism. I'm glad people in QL realized,that, if your dealing with black people and white people relathionships it's doesn't have to deal with racism,prejudiced etc.
An Excellent episode. It ,probably, won't be on my top 15 of QL(and maybe even the top 20) but it's still a really good episode.

isz said:

and for a change we had a black man in it ,but no racism. I'm glad people in QL realized,that, if your dealing with black people and white people relathionships it's doesn't have to deal with racism,prejudiced etc.

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You know what? Now that you've mentioned that, I just realized how awesome that is.

This was shown on ION today. My kids made popcorn and had me sit and watch it with them on the couch. (Shhh...don't tell my office. I work from home.)

I just LOVE the PT Barnum barker routines both Sam and the assistant did. My kids liked the wheelchair guy - there's a man's man: no ramp needed - I'll just take the steps. lol

I liked the rumble of thunder in the background during the fight that no one else noticed but the viewers. The music in this episode was great, too.

Sam Beckett Fan said:

"Sometimes I wonder why we even bother"
"Because that's what we do, we're professional botherers"
lol.

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I laughed so hard when he said that in such a matter-of-fact way.

I really liked the premise that Sam the Quantum Physicist doesn't know Iodine from Iodide.
The silver fork line (about using them to eat, not make rain) was a classic.

After reading the comments above, I agree that making the assistant a sharp, funny african-american without any real racial overtones help make this a very enjoyable episode. I was a little leery when the mother asked Sam "Who's your friend, Billy?" but was relieved when everyone treated him with respect and acceptance. (Although we didn't see them eating together, did we?)

NYCSciFiFan said:

I just LOVE the PT Barnum barker routines both Sam and the assistant did. My kids liked the wheelchair guy - there's a man's man: no ramp needed - I'll just take the steps. lol

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It was very reminiscent of a scene in The Music Man, where Professor Harold Hill is getting the townfolk all excited about the band equipment. And I think it was a deliberate reference to that as well. The "hucksterism" is pretty blatant.

Wow. What a stark contrast to the previous episode. And this, is mainly why I love Quantum Leap so much. It is ever changing and ever evolving. Because having escaped from the darkness of the previous episode, here we have a much lighter ep. A Single Drop of Rain sees Sam facing an extremely daunting task...to make it rain. Can he do it?

While I acknowledge that this isn't a truly great episode, there are so many little things I enjoy about this episode. First of all, we get a lot of nice Sam and Al scenes. Nice little interplay between them, and it's good to see them working together to see if they can somehow make it rain. Sam's desperation at the end as Al comes through the imagining chamber door never fails to make me chuckle for some reason.

Probably my favourite thing about this episode is that the whole rain issue is merely just a backdrop to the real story going on here, which contains Billy's (the leapee's) family. Billy's brother Ralph is rather annoying at times, but the sheer emotion at the end during the fight is a really touching moment. It's so gripping that we don't even hear the sound of thunder above in the heavens. And the moment where Ralph finally admits his true, undying love to Annie is just so beautiful.

I also enjoyed the character Clinton. Maybe not the main draw here, but I did feel he had a lot to offer. It was sad how Billy had helped to slowly destroy Clinton's moral compass, but I like to think the ending of this episode redeems him. And speaking of the ending, that beautiful moment where the rain starts falling never fails to bring about goosebumps.

Best scene? Without a doubt Sam praying, pleading and raging with the Almighty to make it rain. Without that scene, we wouldn't get that feeling of strong, cathartic relief when it does finally rain.

My rating. Good. An extremely solid episode.