In this weeks episode of the Quantum Leap Rewatch, Cory and Tom take three leaps through history as they discuss the season 5 trilogy “One Little Heart”, “For Your Love” & “The Last Door”.

One Little Heart:

Sam leaps into Sheriff Clayton Fuller, father of Abigail Fuller who is the last person to have seen a man named Bart Aider alive. Added to her troubles is the fact that she was also the last person to see Bart’s daughter Violet alive years prior. This gives Leta Aider, the mother to Violet and wife of Bart, a tremendous grudge against the Fuller’s as she shows when she accosts Abigail.

Sheriff Fuller’s wife, now in a mental hospital, appears to Sam in the Fuller house one night for a brief second before disappearing. That wife, Laura, survived a tragic childhood event when her own mother killed all her siblings and then killed herself, an event that many said left Laura insane.

Sam is desperate to find out what happened to Bart and Violet but learns that Abigail and the Sheriff will soon die in a house fire. He makes plans for Abigail to be away from the house but Leta manages to fool her into going back home where she again accuses her of killing her husband and hurting her daughter. Abigail manages to slip away and hide, while Leta searches for her. As Sam arrives back home, Leta is startled by something and drops her lamp which then ignites the house on fire. Sam gets Abigail to safety and once again sees Laura Fuller in the house but before he can react, a beam collapses and falls on him as he finally leaps.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Doc Kinman is played by Max Wright. He was the father in “Alf”, and he also appeared in “Misfits of Science”.

Will Kinman was played by Travis Fine. You may recognise him from “Shake Rattle and Roll” and “Child’s Play 3”.

Laura was played by Meg Foster. She was Evil Lyn in “Masters of the Universe” and was also in John Carpenter’s “They Live”. We’ve seen her as Colonel Margaret Burke in the Sliders episode Slide By Wire.

Larry Stanton was played by WK Stratton, a QL series regular!

This is the only time in the series’ history that two episodes have the same leap date. The Color of Truth also took place on August 8th ‘55.

This episodes not-so-unsung hero is an uncredited James Whitmore Jr., the director of this trilogy of episodes. He also played a larger role in the episode 8 ½ Months as the father, Bob Crockett.

For Your Love:

Sam finds himself leaping into Will Kinman, now 11 years older and engaged to Abigail Fuller. As the two prepare for their wedding, the sheriff stops the proceedings with news that the boy Abigail babysat the night before has disappeared and the entire town is out for blood, starting with hers.

Sam and Abigail share a moment before the search is started where she confesses that she felt Will change during their “encounter” the previous night, which coincides with the time Sam actually leapt in.

Al is still unable to help very much due to the records of the town being lost. During the search, Leta Aider shows she still has a grudge against Abigail for the loss of her husband and child while Sam defends his fiance and accuses Leta of starting the fire that killed Abigail’s father. Leta denies it all and encourages him to visit Laura Fuller whom she claims was at the house the night of the fire.

Sam visits Laura to find out the truth but due to her mental instability she instead recalls the night her sisters and brothers were murdered, herself having been so small at the time that she slipped between and under the beds and was therefore not seen and spared.

Sam admits to Al that he has real feelings for Abigail and returns to her as they spend the night in each other’s arms. Their sleep is interrupted however as Leta Aider has whipped the town into a frenzy and they are determined to hang Abigail. Sam stops the crowd from straight up killing Abigail, as Al finally is able to pinpoint the lost boys location, delivering the news that Sam’s mission is now done and he and Abigail share a last final moment together as Sam leaps.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Mrs. Takins was played by Wendy Robie. She also appeared in Twin Peaks take as Nadine Hurley.

Abigail is now played Melora Hardin for this episode. She went on to be in The Office as Jan. We’ve seen her in the Lois and Clark episode Operation Blackout as Molly Flynn (with Charles Rocket).

The Last Door:

Sam leaps into Larry Stanton, retired lawyer and former resident of Pottersville, Louisiana, who left the town after an angry mob attacked Abigail Fuller, threatening to hang her. Marie, having raised Abigail since a child, comes to ask Larry to return and defend Abigail who has been accused of murdering Leta Aider, the very woman who has for years held her responsible for the death of her husband and disappearance of her child until the child’s remains were recently discovered. Abigail claims her innocence in the events from she childhood as well as the murder but the years of gossip and rumors, and the fact Leta was found dead in Abigail’s own kitchen with her fingerprints on the knife, have led people to assume the worst.

Sam finds it hard to not only control his emotions for Abigail, but also to manage his health as Larry’s weak heart seems to be affecting Sam as well. As he prepares his case he ends up meeting Abigail’s daughter, Sammy Jo, whom Al reveals is Sam’s daughter, the product of Sam and Abigail’s time together when he had leapt into Will Kinman, shortly before their relationship ended.

Sam argues that there is no motive for Abigail to have killed Leta Aider, but the prosecuting attorney says all the evidence points to Abigail, including a call the police received about a woman screaming from her house. Eventually Sam sets forth a theory that after Leta’s daughter’s remains were found and she was told that she could not bring charges against Abigail for the death of her child, that she went crazy, and staged her own death, calling the police from Abigail’s kitchen and then slitting her own throat. The call records confirm the theory and Abigail is exonerated, her and her daughter’s future insured. Indeed, Al reveals that Sammy Jo grows up to work on project quantum leap and is trying to bring him home, as Sam leaps.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Denton Waters is played by James Greene. He was in Parks and Rec as Councilman Milton, and was also in Philadelphia Story 2. He just recently died back in November of 2018.

The Judge was played by Parley Baer who also played the judge in The Flash ‘90 episode Trial of the Trickster.

Whats Next?

Next week, Cory & Tom will be discussing “Promised Land” & “A Tale of Two Sweeties”.

Thanks:

We give thanks to some dedicated fan sights. For more information on Quantum Leap, please take the time to check out The Quantum Leap Wiki and Al’s Place.

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