214 All-Americans

To me, this is probably my second most favorite episode. I really liked showing the world from a minority's perspective... the good and the bad!

The ending was a bit easy to see... I just knew that Chewy and his mom were going to be with his buddy and his buddy's dad... a new family!

Good episode. It shows life from the perspective of immigrants.

If you like this episode, check out Luminarias, a movie Scott made a few years back. I just bought it and it has Chuey in it, and Papa Vega. Pepe Serna, who played Sam's "papa" in "All Americans" plays Andrea's cousin Rick. Richard Coca (Chuey) plays Scott's character's client, Tony. I loved Scott in this movie.

Not excellent but very good. Good story,interesting topic,but the ending... too mushy.

cookiemom6067 said:

If you like this episode, check out Luminarias, a movie Scott made a few years back. I just bought it and it has Chuey in it, and Papa Vega. Pepe Serna, who played Sam's "papa" in "All Americans" plays Andrea's cousin Rick. Richard Coca (Chuey) plays Scott's character's client, Tony. I loved Scott in this movie.

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Wow that sounds cool thanx for the info

Clip from La Bamba

I was watching this episode today and I noticed something. Right after the first locker room scene (when coach hits Sam's shoulder pads), it cuts to an establishing shot of the party. Two people run across the street and the camera pans up to reveal what looks like a party. That scene looked very familiar to me. Then I got it. It's the establishing shot in La Bamba where the Silouettes are playing in a garage. It's the SAME SHOT!

This brought up two questions. First, why did they have to take this shot and not shoot another one? It's not a stock clip because you see Bob (from La Bamba) riding his bike across the screen in the end, so it was shot specifically for La Bamba. And secondly, is it just a coincidence that they took the shot from another "hispanic" themed movie?

Just wanted to point out that scene was from the movie La Bamba. This is one of my favorite episodes.

Back in the 90's, there was almost no American TV show or movie that portrayed latino immigrants without a lot of cliches or demeaning exposure/standards. Quantum Leap did a very difficult job with this episode at trying not to fall into those same old "minority" cliches... and it succeeded most of the time (except perhaps for a couple of scenes: The La Bamba song, a very old and sort of tiring thing even in the early 90's [I never liked that song, anyway; it actually was very annoying to me], and some of the "norteño" talk).

Other than that this is a very good episode that deals with a very difficult and controversial topic. Very interesting and three-dimensional characters and situations, never falling flat or into bad stereotypes. Loved the message about friendship, community and always fighting for the good side even beyond all the barriers and frontiers. All in all, a very fun episode.

My rating: Good.

Episode Predicts part of Super Bowl XXX plot 6 years in advance!

alsplacebartender said:

All-Americans
November 6, 1962

El Camino High School, Southern California


Sam is an Hispanic high school football player who must stop his best friend from throwing an important game and ruining his life. In the original history, Chuey throws the game because of a betting scheme that his mother's landlord pressures him into. Rooooaaarrr Jaguars!


Written by: Paul Brown and Donald P. Bellisario
Directed by: John Cullum


Rate and comment on this episode!

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During the leap, Al is viewing the 28 January 1996 Super Bowl XXX, claiming that "the Steelers are down by three" points. When the game was actually played six years after the episode first aired, the Pittsburgh Steelers indeed trailed the Dallas Cowboys by 20–17 with 4:15 left in the game, after which an interception of a Pittsburgh pass resulted in a 27–17 victory for the Cowboys.

According to Wikipedia's Super Bowl XXX article:

A portion of this Super Bowl was "predicted" six years earlier by NBC series Quantum Leap. In the January 17, 1990 episode "All Americans", Al (Dean Stockwell) says in conversation with Sam, "I've been watching Super Bowl XXX. Ooo, Sam, the Steelers are down by 3. You wouldn't believe..." The Steelers were the AFC team in the game. They trailed by 3 twice in the game: unremarkably, early in the second quarter (3–0); but again at the critical turning point late in the 4th quarter (20–17) that ultimately gave the Cowboys the win and would lend credence to Al's suspense at the game's ending.

Good episode. I could tell at the beginning how it would end (Chuy's mom marrying Eddie's dad), but the rest of it was enjoyable.

The only thing I didn't think was in character was how Al spoke of Jane Fonda (re: the calisthenics). Maybe that's because his past as a POW in Vietnam hadn't been established yet in the series.

Not my favourite episode this one. I don't think it's bad, just not as memorable as some other episodes. The main plot of Chuey throwing the game just didn't grab me. Also, American Football just doesn't interest me a great deal (I'm English).

Ruben the greasy landlord is a vile character. The best parts of this episode are where Sam stands up to him.

The ending feels a little too neat to me. Everything happens fast and before you know it all matters have been resolved. But I'm a sucker for happy endings, and I'd completely forgotten about Manuel marrying Celia. The leap out is among my very favourites, with Sam about to hit Ruben. "Roar, Jaguar!"

My rating. Average. A middle of the road episode. Love the leap out, though.

Hey, Brian, I noticed something on your episode guide for All-Americans. You have "The Twist" by Chubby Checker as being in the episode however it isn't. The song that is is "Let's Twist Again" by Chubby Checker, which is the sequel song.