419 Moments to Live

This was pretty good. Norma Bates is an appropriate name for the woman who kidnaps Sam, because she is a little psychotic. This episode would make a good soap opera story.

I finally got to see this episode for the first time recently, and was surprised at how good it was. Sam's under the surface, utter panic was very compelling, and the guest actor, Kathleen Wilhoite, played Norma's craziness and pathos just right. I think this episode is somewhat overshadowed and underrated.

First of all this episode is nothing like Stephen King's great novel - "Misery" So i want to object to Alsplacebartender camparison of this episode to "Misery". In "Misery" the obsessed fan really abused Paul Sheldon 'till he'll write her the novel she wanted,and she also were completely insane.and she did it all by herself. in this episode all she did was lock him in a room and wanted A baby from Sam's host and got help from her husband. and she wasn't insane she was more lost and aching then crazy.
The Bottom Line i object this comparison and i think Alsplacebartender should erase it!

Anyway- the episode itself. Unfortuntly, during the 45 min i watched this episode i had a lot of disturbances so i wasn't fully paying attention to what is going on on the screen,but from what i do remember clearly,there wasn't something really unforgettable in this episode.the story itself were too hmmm..."Soapy" and the plot was O.K. the best thing in this episode,in my opinion,was Kathleen Wilhoite acting.i really think she did a pretty good acting job in this episode.
In the bottom line - i think this episode were just a bit above average,But definitely not Excellent nor good.

isz said:

First of all this episode is nothing like Stephen King's great novel - "Misery" So i want to object to Alsplacebartender camparison of this episode to "Misery". In "Misery" the obsessed fan really abused Paul Sheldon 'till he'll write her the novel she wanted,and she also were completely insane.and she did it all by herself. in this episode all she did was lock him in a room and wanted A baby from Sam's host and got help from her husband. and she wasn't insane she was more lost and aching then crazy.
The Bottom Line i object this comparison and i think Alsplacebartender should erase it!

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I haven't read the novel "Misery," but I saw the play. In this episode, Norma kidnaps Sam, holds him at gunpoint, and handcuffs him to the bed. That's threatening enough, I think. And she was insane, detached from reality--I believe they put her in a mental hospital at the end of the episode. It doesn't have to be as extreme as a Stephen King novel to deserve a comparison.

This was one of the first episodes I saw, and I liked it a lot--with one exception. The stereotyped "stupid hicks" are so overused in TV. And why are all rural people from the south?

Anyway, aside from that it was really well done. The guest actress was terrific, the writing was sensitive and (mostly) believable. And that last bit was hilarious.

Sam: Is that ethical?
Al: No... that's television.

The outtake is wonderful too--the guys hold their straight faces just long enough to get the take, then they crack up laughing.

Al: What's up with Norma, there?
Sam: She wants me to help her have a baby.
Al: Oh, she's pregnant?
Sam (in a quiet, sing-song voice): Not ye-et. . .
Al: Oh. Oh!

I love that exchange.

Snish said:

I haven't read the novel "Misery," but I saw the play. In this episode, Norma kidnaps Sam, holds him at gunpoint, and handcuffs him to the bed. That's threatening enough, I think. And she was insane, detached from reality--I believe they put her in a mental hospital at the end of the episode. It doesn't have to be as extreme as a Stephen King novel to deserve a comparison.

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The play?! You mean like A play on a Theater stage?! I had no idea someone dramatize "Misery to the stage. I know about the movie but a play...
It's seems wrong.
Anyway - holding A TV star to a gunpoint, and handcuffs him to a bed demanding him to do a baby with you,is nothing like taking a famous novelest ,who were in a car crash,nursing him at your home,untill he'll get better and then not letting him go until he'll write you the novel you wanted,even if it mean you need to abuse his body and spirit, stabbing him,breaking his legs with a hammer and so on... Now that is insanety!
And beside - i'm sure you can find hundreds of films/novels/Tv shows before 1992,that had a very similier plot like this QL episode,that you can compare this episode to them,but not - "Misery"!
But,hey - That just me.

isz said:

The play?! You mean like A play on a Theater stage?! I had no idea someone dramatize "Misery to the stage. I know about the movie but a play...

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Yep. I thought it was pretty good. All the action takes place inside her house, which worked well for this kind of story.

bluedana said:

Al: What's up with Norma, there?
Sam: She wants me to help her have a baby.
Al: Oh, she's pregnant?
Sam (in a quiet, sing-song voice): Not ye-et. . .
Al: Oh. Oh!

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It was a great plot twist--she wants him to what? With her husband in the room?

Oh, and did you notice earlier in the episode, when Sam first finds out who he is, and his agent says, "You're in almost every scene!" Sam looks completely dismayed. I have to take this as a little joke on Scott, who was in nearly every scene of QL.

I found this episode very distressing, I don't think I can even rate it, its was well done but I just found the fact that he was abducted and that the intention was that he was going to be sexually abused deeply distressing. The fact that they made a joke about it at the end and how they were going to 'use his ordeal' also upset me. It was not a good night for me to watch it, again I had just been at the receiving end of some phsycological manipulation and was in a very bad way.

I agree with you Bexter, that I found this episode uncomfortable and I did not like the fact they stereotyped in my opinion people who watch whatever show on tv and think they do not know reality. Yes that can be for some but not all. And the ending just made me think why would this actor want to be connected to the show after all he been through.
The comment that Al made at the end before Sam leaped and Sam's look just said it all. What? Not my favorite at all.

Wow -- that's a really scary episode and I agree that the characters were like The Clampetts Gone Wild, as opposed to the sweet southern folk of Mayberry.

I didn't like this episode and I thought the premise was far-fetched.

I seem to be in the minority, since I rewatched the episode last night, but I liked the episode. I thought it was exciting and fast-paced.

leaper1 said:

Sadly, I don't think the premise is as far-fetched as we'd like to believe.

True the QL fans here are moderate in their 'fanaticism' [fan does stand for fanatic after all] but there ARE weirdoes out there who blur the lines between fantasy and reality, become stalkers, and worse.

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That's true: a stalker was convicted recently. But the actual abduction with all those people involved? It just doesn't sit right with me, although that was a different time from now. Celebrities have better security now for those occasions.

I just don't think that someone could pull it off without the police catching on to the situation.
Too many people knew he was being held there; even in rural areas, there are always gossips who know what's going on.

Am I the only person who was jarred out of the episode by seeing the bridge near Mildred Reynolds's house?

Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)

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Hint #1: no real bridge of this small size would ever be built so that one has to drive down the first part, then level across the middle, then up again on the last part. It's also difficult to imagine a situation in which a bridge could be built straight, then partly collapse to the configuration shown, but be stable in that position. We see the van drive across it in the episode and there's no hint of any instability.

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Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)

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Hint #2: tens or hundreds of thousands of people have seen or ridden across this bridge each year for decades.

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Spoiler Alert! (highlight to read)

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This is the "Collapsing Bridge" attraction on the Universal Studios tour in Hollywood, introduced in 1974 and in use through at least 2010! It isn't really wooden, it's steel-framed and has hydraulics incorporated. The tour tram drives onto it in its raised and level position (accompanied by creaking and cracking sound effects along with appropriate frightened dialogue from the tour guide), then the tram stops and the bridge center drops rapidly about 3 feet in two stages. In some tour seasons, the collapse was ostensibly precipitated by pyrotechnic special effects explosives.

Perhaps the episode's director or DPB thought that using the bridge in its lowered position would lend some kind of back-country atmosphere to the scenes, but for me at least, the instant recognition of which bridge it was shattered suspension of disbelief instead.

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For reference, here are a couple screencaps of the bridge.