By Owen Quinn author of the Time Warriors and Zombie Blues
Photo copyright Universal
If ever there is show that the current generation needs to see before they die then it is the original Quantum Leap.
Starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell as Dr Sam Beckett and his brother from another mother Al Calavicci, it was four and a half years of pure magic. You were with Al and Sam all the way emotionally at warp speed. One week you were laughing the other you were crying. Quantum Leap got you by the heartstrings and never let go. The world loved it and there was a huge outcry when it was cancelled. These days you have the continuation which fully embraces the original as it should.
Sam would inhabit the body of someone new every week and put right what went wrong in their life. Nothing was off limits and in the episode Southern Beauty, Sam went to hell….in a bathing suit photo shoot.
Sam had leapt into females before and gained a new insight into life as a woman. However in Southern Beauty, he entered the world of beauty pageants. His proud mother adorns him with the sash saying Miss Sugar Belle and a tiara. You can’t help but laugh at the look on Sam’s face as he realizes he is about to compete in a beauty pageant. Luckily the world sees him as Darlene Monte but he approaches things with a man’s mindset trying to act like a contestant. He is there to stop one contestant, Connie Duncan (Heather McAdam), from dropping out while ensuring Darlene win third place.
While he is a petite brunette to the world, Sam is struggling with acting like a lady seeking to win. It is just comedic gold as Sam tries to master the step and glide and failing miserably. Al is in his element with so many beautiful women around him which distracts him. Al is there to reassure Sam and get him through but his roving eye stresses Sam out no end.
Sam can sing and dance but as a beauty contestant he needs to refine it to be more feminine but fails miserably. The irony is it will be Sam’s masculinity that saves the day and puts things back on track. But when Sam discovers that part of the shoot will be by the swimming pool in a bathing suit. The world will see Sam as Darlene but it is still in his head that he is a man. Seeing Sam so uncomfortable when posing with the other ladies using various props.
While Sam discovers that the pageant photographer is actually tricking gullible contestants into doing nude photos, he must expose them and save Connie. But when he confronts the pageant boss to save Connie, he discovers that she too has been a victim of the photographer. This revelation gives her the courage to stand up and stop this from happening again to anyone else.
Sam has some uncomfortable costumes during this episode but the one that sticks with everyone is the Carmen Miranda like outfit complete with a fruit hat for the talent show. The plan is to sing Cuanto Le Gusta but he fails miserably. As the photo above shows Sam is out of his comfort zone. Al having to teach him the routine is hilarious and is used in the opening credits going forward. But Sam is failing and decides to go in a completely different direction.
To save the day he does Great Balls of Fire on the piano while wearing the fruit costume. You can see how much fun Bakula is having doing this while Al dances along. It brings the house down in a scene that you can watch over and over again.
In the final scene, Sam wins the beauty contest and is moved to tears. You can’t help but laugh and well up at the same time. History has been put on the right path again but the scars of time travel are seen here when Al asks Sam if he is alright given he is crying. Sam says he wishes his sister were here to see this before leaping to a brand new mission.
The answer is very telling and one that could easily be overlooked. Sam’s sister married a man who abused her mentally and physically. In the two -parter, The Leap Home, Sam leaps into his teenage self. He tries to change his family’s lives but fails miserably leading to one of the most powerful scenes in Quantum leap history. He is missing his family and something like winning a beauty pageant is something a sister should see. Perhaps his saving these women from being exploited and put down like Connie was supposed to be is something that might have given his sister the strength to fight back and escape her abuser. To skillfully weave this dark character thread into such a fun episode is a masterstroke. It reminds us that behind every adventure that Sam wants to go home and be with the ones he loves.
Southern Beauty is Quantum Leap at its best, a showcase of beautiful writing that shows exploitation of women is more commonplace than we know. Behind the smiles and songs serpents can lie. But battling those serpents are heroes that sacrifice the things closest to them to make the world a better place.
The Time Warriors and Beyond 