Sam leaps into Will Kinman, now engaged to be married to Abigail Fuller (from Trilogy Part I). He must save Abigail from being killed by enraged townsfolk who blame her for the death of a young boy who has gone missing, and who continue to blame her for the tragedies that befell other neighbors years earlier.
Written by Deborah Pratt . Directed by James Whitmore, jr.
Previous Episode: Trilogy Part I • Next Episode:
Comments:
The second part of Trilogy, an episode which I think I’m watching for the first time here, is fine, but not as good as its predecessor. With one major exception, the plot is a much more straight-forward Quantum Leap episode, without any of the real unsettled quality that the first episode had. A lot of this may be simply because it doesn’t ever try to make us believe that Abigail might in fact be a killer. During the first part, with its obvious Bad Seed inspirations, Abigail was so bizarre in her behaviour and mannerisms that one might have really bought the idea that she was a psychopathic murderer. It’s really only because it’s such a dark idea for the series to embrace that it seemed implausible. But here, one never really any doubt that this older Abigail is innocent.
What is strange, of course, is how overwhelmed with love and desire Sam is for Abigail, especially since the episode goes to such pains to establish that this isn’t just because Will (the leapee) has such strong feelings, but because Sam himself has become completely enamoured with her. It’s like Sam is under a spell or something, which could have been a very effective tone to take if the show had made Abigail to be a bit more morally ambiguous. But maybe then the whole thing would have felt too twisted.
Last time, talking about Trilogy Part 1, I highlighted a bunch of strong performances in the episode. This time many of the same players are back and they are all fine, but the episode doesn’t give them as much room to shine. The exception is Mary Gordon Murray as Leta Adair, who wholeheartedly commits to the woman’s obsession with Abigail and desire for vengeance. She really helps to see the whole climactic lynching sequence.
Also doing well is Melora Hardin as Abigail herself. As I said it might have been interesting if Abigail had seemed more potentially evil, but given the direction they took, Hardin does a great job in the role. I’m familiar with her from The Office, of course, but I can barely recognise that this is the same person.
And finally, a quick shout-out to Dean Stockwell as Al. In an episode in which h Scott Bakula’s Sam is acting decidedly strange, Stockwell’s Al is the one that really grounds us to the show’s reality. He brings so much life and energy to his sequences-it’s impressive given how little he really has to work with, since he is not being able to play off of most of the cast. He really was great in almost every episode, but he stood out for me in this one.
Cast Notes:
• Melora Hardin (Abigail Fuller) is best known to me and many as Jan Levinson in many episodes of The Office. She also apparently was in a couple of episodes of Falling Skies, the alien invasion TV series, but I don’t remember her. She appears in both this and the third part of the Trilogy storyline,
• Wendy Robie (Mrs. Takins) was Nadine Hurley on Twin Peaks, and also appeared in an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine called Destiny.
• Christopher Curry (Mr. Takins) was in a Star Trek: Voyager episode called 11:59 as a car driver in what was then the near future.
• Mary Gordon Murray (Leta Adair), Stephen Lee (Bo Loman), Fran Bennett (Marie), Travis Fine (Will), Meg Foster (Laura Fuller) and W.K. Stratton (Lawrence Stanton III) all reprise their role from the previous episode. Beth Alyward (uncredited as Sarah) also reappears, but as a different character.
Who and Where is Dr. Sam Beckett?
Sam is Will Kinman, deputy sheriff in Pottersville, Louisiana, from June 14-15, 1966.
What does Sam have to do?
Sam has to prevent Abigail Fuller from being killed by a lunch mob when it is believed that she is responsible for the death of a local child.
What do we learn about Sam Beckett?
There’s nothing new here.
What do we know about Al?
There’s nothing new here either.
What about the experiment?
Sam picks up his host’s stutter, a “residual from Will” as it is described. But it eventually goes away as Sam becomes more himself at the end.
The Waiting Room is referenced again, so it’s back. There’s no real reason to believe it was ever gone, except for the fan theory I mentioned last time (see the comments about the experiment in this post). I think, therefore, I prefer my other theory, which is that Clayton Fuller died shortly after the leap took place.
“Driven by an unknown force…” (God or Time or Something)
There’s no direct reference to this, but Al mentions that the reason Sam got the job (of leaping around helping people) is because he’s a hero.
“Oh Boy”
The catchphrases is heard at the classic times–after he leaps in and realises he is sleeping with Abigail Fuller, a woman he last knew as a little girl, and just after his next leap when another woman is coming on to lawyer Lawrence Stanton III so strongly.
Sam’s Complicated Love Life
Sam leaps into a sexual situation with Abigail Fuller, his leapee’s fiancée. He becomes completely enamoured with her, and sleeps with her again in the midst of the leap. At the end, he leaps into another situation where is on the verge of a sexual encounter, but we’ll save that for the next episode’s discussion.
The Many Loves of Al Calavicci
In spite of how big a thing it is for Sam this time around, there is no particular reference to Al’s love life. Indeed, he recommends that Sam stay away from Abigail as much as possible.
Other Observations
• Sam has leapt into Will from the last episode, who is six or so years older than Abigail. That makes them both adults as this episode gets underway, but adding to the ick factor that Sam last was in the role of Abigail’s father, we have to also remember that the last time we saw Will with Abigail, he was an older teenager and she was a child. He already seemed a bit devoted to her, so to see him get together with romantically is just a little odd.
• Marie is a funny character, with some typical black-woman TV sass going on: “You two rabbits ought to be ashamed! The wedding is tomorrow. And in case you forgot how to add, that’s one more day!”
• This episode features an extended “Last week on Quantum Leap” recap with scenes from the previous episode, which only after the leap-in and the opening credits. Then the title “Trilogy Part II” is written in an usual (for the show) curly font.
• Meg Foster is still listed as a special guest. She actually has dialogue this time around.
• Sam picks up Will’s stuttering, which serves as a shorthand for how much of Will is “inhabiting” Sam.
• Abigail brings up some super-awkward stuff with Sam, about how their love-making became more fulfilling once Sam leapt in.
• In one moment, Al says that the missing Takins boy was found at 11:00 am, and in the next moment he says that they don’t know when he will be found.
• Laura, in the mental asylum, again knows that Sam is not Will, and even references Sam’s mission to save her.
• At one point, Al says that Abigail will die in “15.3 seconds”–that hand link is really precise.
• The dialogue at the end, as he charges Abigail to remember that he loves her, is cringey–but Scott Bakula manages to sell it.
Sam Leaps To
Trilogy Part III
Favorite Dialogue
I don’t love the dialogue of this episode, but there’s an interesting bit where Al has some lines that help to clarify who Sam is and makes him suitable for the mission he seems to be on:
What matters is that you are Sam Beckett. That’s the reason that you got this crazy job!…You’re here to save Abigail. You saved her once before. You’ve got to do it again. That’s it!…Because you’re a hero.
Special thanks, by the way, to this site for the episode transcriptions.
The Best Moment
The scene where Sam has his verbal face-off with Leta Adair after the wedding has been postponed is very strong
Previous Episode: Trilogy Part I • Next Episode:
Blue Towel Productions 