12-04-2002

Guestvision By: Dan Goff

 

As an avid, die hard, "Get a damn life will ya, dude!", fan of Quantum Leap, I share an existence with legions of fans all pounding our heads collectively up against the wall figuring out the incomplete existence of Al's Place in "Mirror Image."


The straight facts from Don Bellisario: Al the bartender is based upon his father. The bar and location (Cokeburg, Pennsylvania) did actually exist as it stands as Quantum Leap's inspiration. The miners are also based on people Don remembered from his childhood.

Okay, this stands as a tribute to Don's yearning to visit a time period he is very fond of, but what does this all mean in "Quantum" terms.

I have several theories, as everyone else, to the happenings in "Mirror Image." I maybe severely beating a dead horse, but Don Bellisario could not have screwed with our heads any better than throw Sam Beckett into a situation that may have truly been a leap into the beyond.

I have viewed the episode several million times (and have gone through three VCRs in the process and am asking for a new VCR for Christmas) each time from the viewpoint of a different character. From Sam, Al, and Gooshie's perspective it seems like any other leap. However, I do question one thing: In Mirror Image, the Waiting Room is empty. Al and Gooshie then theorize that Sam must have leaped into himself. If Sam leaps into himself and the Waiting Room is empty, was that the same case in "The Leap Home, Part One?" If that is true, then how come Sam and Gooshie didn't panic then?
From Sam's perspective, it seems that leaping back into himself and entering Al's Place is some sort of a graduation. Sam has completed the past of righting the wrongs and now graduates into a whole new phase of Quantum Leaping. Sam learns from the past to face the future. Not only that, but Sam graduates beyond Project Quantum Leap and like a child must move out of his parental supervison to face the cruel world to make a life of his own.   I came up with this idea from the concept of Al being the guardian. Al was kind of like the fatherly figure to Sam, always looking out for him and offering advice. Well, in Mirror Image, Bartender Al represents the professor of Quantum Leaping, but before he can allow Sam to graduate into the future...Sam must complete one last lesson in the past. Like a teacher, Bartender Al counsels Sam, but lets Sam figure things out for himself. All along, Bartender Al knew that Sam needed to change Al Calavicci's past with Beth for the better in order to move on. Outside the bar, when Sam realizes that he must save Al and Beth's marriage, "Professor" Bartender Al gives Sam the signature nod as Sam has figured out the solution to move on to the next phase of Quantum Leaping. Like receiving a degree in Quantum Leaping...that Dr. Sam Beckett has proven himself in altering lives of civilians of a past timeline and now in the highest regard is honored into the future to correct further timelines.

Signed: Alberto Bellisario.


Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home.
(Dr. Sam Beckett has moved from Project Quantum Leap to further excel not only in career, but also in life. There must come a time in life where one needs to move on and this is Sam's time. Throughout M.I. Sam questions Bartender Al about who is in control of his (Sam's) leaping and his ability to leap back home. As I interpret this, Sam must make a decision whether or not he wants to pursue Quantum Leaping any further. We all have a choice in our lives of what we want to pursue. In order to pursue, there are things we must sacrifice. In order to further pursue Quantum Leaping, Sam gave up "home," or rather his past knowledge of "home." Like a child moving out of their parent's home, Sam moves on to further develop his identity and unravel the mystery of his life as a leaper...the concept of which was only merely tinkered with in "Mirror Image.")


Another perspective: The After(Leap)Life

Leaping back into Al's Place, I start from the perspective of Stawpah. The whole idea of "dead souls coming back to warn the living." Take a trip to the other side...the afterlife.
The premise for Quantum Leap is that Sam Beckett prematurely stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator and vanished...
Okay, here's the setup...leapers debate over what actually leaps, Sam's body or Sam's aura (mind and soul). When Sam stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator the experiment went haywire, meaning...that Sam Beckett physically died. His spirit was ripped from his body (killing him)and half of the experiment work sending his spirit back into the past and entering into someone's life. Back in the Waiting Room, the leapee takes on the physical aura of Sam Beckett as seen in their reflection.
As Sam's spirit leaps from life to life, the idea of Sam returning back home is taken in a different direction. All this time, we think Sam leaps bring him closer to physically returning back home. In reality, Sam must leap back into his ownself and return home (meaning return home to his own body). Yes, Sam did return home briefly to his own body in "The Leap Back," however he was leaped back to save Al Calavicci's life. Therefore, sending Sam into the afterlife yet again.
So, if Sam is dead...how is Project Quantum Leap able to communicate with him? Simple! P.Q.L. locks onto Sam's brainwaves which temporary take on the persona of each new person he leaps into. Besides, is communicating with the dead anything really unfathomable????
So, Sam's soul leaps back to warn the living and change history for the better. If you dare to think about this concept, Stawpah begins to make a little more sense. Also, this could explain the devil's appearance in The B-----man and The Evil Leaper saga...as they coincide with the constant battle between good and evil, God and Satan, heaven and hell. Furthermore, Al's Place can be explained as Sam's personal heaven. Think about it, in two episodes I can think of off hand Sam relaxs or wants to relax with a nice, cold beer. In "What Price Gloria?" he tells Gloria that he wants to have some microwave popcorn and beer. In "The Leap Home Part 2" as Magic, he is seen drinking a beer. So, Sam's personal heaven (or sabbatical) is a bar to have a beer. The "people with names and faces both strange and familiar" are MIRROR IMAGES of people he has encounter in previous lives. Sam has cared for everybody he has helped and thus have a place in his heart. They key to the equation is Stawpah...the other leaper. He also arrives in Al's Place to have a drink and in order to move on he must solve a problem: save Tonchi and Pete in the collapsed mine shaft. Once his mission is completed, he leaps to a destination not known. Just like Sam, Stawpah may not know where his next leap will take him. Or perhaps, Stawpah does know where he is going to leap to and perhaps he truly does know who Sam is and his connection to Al Calavicci.

Theory: Dr. Sam Beckett partially died in the Quantum Leap Accelerator. The experiment went haywire leaping only Sam's soul around in time. The leapee shares the same experience with Sam. Their soul is disconnected from their body and takes a temporary home in Sam's body.

The afterlife theory also can be explained with the episodes "The B-----man" and The Evil Leapers. The devil in B-----man and The Evil Leaper representing hell.

Al's Place is Sam's personal heaven. A place where Sam can relax and take a break drinking some schlitz and be surrounded by people he has helped and cares about. Stawpah represents Sam's true existence in all the mystery. A wandering soul leaping around helping the living.

Some quotes:

Sam: "I would like to go home, but I can't...can I?"

(Sam cannot return home and "live" again. Instead, he must alter the life of his living counterpart Al Calavicci. Once Sam changes this, he is admitted into the future...to look over the lives of his old friends and help the lives of anew. Afterlife connection: When someone dies, the cliche is, "They are now looking over and out for us.")

Counterpoint: Shock Theater and The Leap Back.

When Sam and Al simoleaped, "The Leap Back" wasn't an actual leap. In actuality only Sam leaped in "Shock Theater" and his subconscious played out the sceneario of him being the hologram and being able to return to Project Quantum Leap. The entire leap was like the Star Trek crew's adventure in the holodeck.



As a fan of final episodes, Quantum Leap's ending was picture perfect.  I couldn't of imagined a better ending with as much intrigue and mystery leaving the series so open for a return, yet providing the satisfactory closure for a successful wrapup. Insight to the whole Quantum Leap universe, yet leaving the viewer with hope for the future.

Quantum Leap would have been ruined if Dr. Sam Beckett returned home.
I heard somewhere that Don Bellisario says that Sam is not dead.  Quite frankly, I would be the perfect twist...to move on you must take a risk with possible sacrifice. To prove his theories, Dr. Sam Beckett gave his "life" to change other people's "lives" for the better. It was his destiny...


Questions or Comments?


Feel free to e-mail me, Dan Goff!


dangoff77@hotmail.com


P.S. Feel like changing my life for the better?
     Please send me a VCR to use.