Here's a close-up of Sam's license when he's about to flash it in "Mirror Image." Some interesting information, including his address:
Sam's License
- Thread starter QL Nut
- Start date
I have that one and a clearer closeup here: http://www.quantumleap-alsplace.com/imagingchamber/sambeckett.htm
It is pretty interesting.
It is pretty interesting.
Oops, been awhile since I checked that page out. In that case, here's a better picture of young Sam for your page if you want:
Thanks! I'm in the process of updating my episode guide with larger res pics. I have the first season almost done.
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What does the date on the right mean, 8/02/95? Is that the date the license was issued? 'Cause that would mess with the idea that Sam first leaped in May 1995.
Snish said:
Yep, that is indeed the date of issue. I guess since no one knew (or believed) that Sam actually traveled back in time, the DMV still issued his license. We could say it probably sat at that address, unused. Nothing else in "Mirror Image" makes sense, so why would that? Great catch!
In an earlier post...I'd figured out a reason and addressed the license dates.
This is exerpted from that post...
I just popped in MI and have the screen up with his wallet and the Expire is DEFINITELY 1998. The date of issue is 08/02/95.
HOWEVER...This is off of the NM DL Renewal page: "A New Mexico driver's license is valid for either four or eight years. The license shows the expiration date (usually 30 days after your birthday)."
So if the Expiration (in big letters) is showing 1998 and the license is good for 4 years...then the final date on the license SHOULD show '94 (or 90...but it doesn't look like THAT at all). So if it shows '95, that can be figured as a typo and Sam was too busy with the project to get it fixed.
OHHH...and one final thing. I don't think the signature at the bottom looks like a guys handwriting. And from a handwriting analysis POV...the k in Beckett is definitely done wrong. For a genius, the loop should be much higher.
This is exerpted from that post...
I just popped in MI and have the screen up with his wallet and the Expire is DEFINITELY 1998. The date of issue is 08/02/95.
HOWEVER...This is off of the NM DL Renewal page: "A New Mexico driver's license is valid for either four or eight years. The license shows the expiration date (usually 30 days after your birthday)."
So if the Expiration (in big letters) is showing 1998 and the license is good for 4 years...then the final date on the license SHOULD show '94 (or 90...but it doesn't look like THAT at all). So if it shows '95, that can be figured as a typo and Sam was too busy with the project to get it fixed.
OHHH...and one final thing. I don't think the signature at the bottom looks like a guys handwriting. And from a handwriting analysis POV...the k in Beckett is definitely done wrong. For a genius, the loop should be much higher.
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I wondered why the expiration date was 3 years from the issue date when renewals are typically after 4 years.
Anyhow, in the pilot Al says that he went to a Lakers' playoff game. A basketball playoff would definitely be in the spring, even if we don't know the exact date. So I don't have a problem with taking the license date as a typo or some other kind of anomaly.
I thought the handwriting looked rather girly too--especially for an MD, when doctors have notoriously bad handwriting. It looks to me like the writing of a younger person, since younger people are closer to their school days when they're taught to write clearly.
Anyhow, in the pilot Al says that he went to a Lakers' playoff game. A basketball playoff would definitely be in the spring, even if we don't know the exact date. So I don't have a problem with taking the license date as a typo or some other kind of anomaly.
I thought the handwriting looked rather girly too--especially for an MD, when doctors have notoriously bad handwriting. It looks to me like the writing of a younger person, since younger people are closer to their school days when they're taught to write clearly.
asearcher said:
The expiration date is pretty vague, though, and only states the year. So that already makes the license incorrect. It should at least say 09/08/1998.
asearcher said:
:eek
snish said:
If I were to give my own analysis, the neat handwriting is an indicator of Sam's personality; someone who was by-the-book, righteous, always played by the rules, and non-rebellious.
There are also two other glaring errors in this license. One, the address given is a PO Box. A driver's license shows what ones residence is, not mailing address so unless Sam's living in a PO Box.... Further, on the New Mexico DMV site (http://www.dmv.org/nm-new-mexico/apply-license.php#First-time_Drivers) it lists under required documentation, "Two proofs of residency (a P.O. box is not allowed)"
Secondly, one can assume that the number on the same line as the year of expiration is the driver's license number. It is, however, an 8 digit number. A social security number is 9 digits. A stated issued id number is also 9 digits.
There's also no listing of what class the license is (I believe license classes are common across all 50 states), nor is there a place where restrictions would be listed. There also isn't a signature for the registrar/commission of motor vehicles which, I believe is also a common item on DL's in the states.
Of course, it has to be kept in mind that this was a prop put together to be seen very briefly on TV and, therefor, is not going to necessarily adhere to what a New Mexico license, circa late 90's, would look like.
Secondly, one can assume that the number on the same line as the year of expiration is the driver's license number. It is, however, an 8 digit number. A social security number is 9 digits. A stated issued id number is also 9 digits.
There's also no listing of what class the license is (I believe license classes are common across all 50 states), nor is there a place where restrictions would be listed. There also isn't a signature for the registrar/commission of motor vehicles which, I believe is also a common item on DL's in the states.
Of course, it has to be kept in mind that this was a prop put together to be seen very briefly on TV and, therefor, is not going to necessarily adhere to what a New Mexico license, circa late 90's, would look like.
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jmoniz said:
While a P.O. Box is not allowed (I wonder if the same rules applied back in '95?), that never looked out of the ordinary to me because I had always assumed Sam's residence was his work address. At least, the address on the license being his "official" address, whereas he truly resided at a top-secret government project. Perhaps an exception was made for him with cooperation from the government?
I never thought there'd be so much to gather from just a few lines of information.
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Proof of residency has nothing to do with any of the new security requirements in place with regards to ID's. The proof of residency is there to prove that you are actually a resident of the state in which you are applying for a driver's license. Having a P.O. Box in a state does not automatically mean you are a resident of the state. This is true even back in the 90's.
When Sam Leapt.
Ok...I did research about the playoffs for 1995 for a fanfic I wrote of Genesis from Al's POV (published on fanfiction 1 year ago.) That story is called Aftermath. It can be found here.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3320059/1/Aftermath
In anycase, I found it really interesting that Bellasario wrote the Pilot in the late 80's and yet the Lakers WERE in the playoffs in 1995 (and even had an OT game.) Pretty cool.
Again from a previous post I did (except below)
The playoffs between first the Lakers and the Seattle Supersonics are listed below. LAL won this part and then went on to play San Antonio (SAS)
West Conf 1st Rd (3-1): Los Angeles Lakers over Seattle Supersonics
Game 1 (1995-04-27 at SEA) SEA 96, LAL 71 SEA leads 1-0
Game 2 (1995-04-29 at SEA) LAL 84, SEA 82 Tied 1-1
Game 3 (1995-05-01 at LAL) LAL 105, SEA 101 LAL leads 2-1
Game 4 (1995-05-04 at LAL) LAL 114, SEA 110 LAL wins 3-1
West Conf Semis (4-2): San Antonio Spurs over Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1 (1995-05-06 at SAS) SAS 110, LAL 94 SAS leads 1-0
Game 2 (1995-05-08 at SAS) SAS 97, LAL 90 SAS leads 2-0
Game 3 (1995-05-12 at LAL) LAL 92, SAS 85 SAS leads 2-1
Game 4 (1995-05-14 at LAL) SAS 80, LAL 71 SAS leads 3-1
Game 5 (1995-05-16 at SAS) LAL 98, SAS 96 SAS leads 3-2
Game 6 (1995-05-18 at LAL) SAS 100, LAL 88 SAS wins 4-2
The playoffs thus indicate that the project is in May and show indicates that the leap is in September. The show would indicate that Sam leaps into 1956 on very early on a Friday morning and flys the X-2 on Monday (4 days) Thus...when Al tells him they will retrieve him on Tues that would be Sam's Tuesday, but Al's Thursday (therefore I think Sam Leapt late night on May 13, 1995 (a Saturday) and Al went to the game in LAL on May 16, 1995 (a Tuesday) (BTW...the May 16 game did go into OT and the Laker's won it 98 to 96. Adiditionally, it was held in San Antonio which woud have been easier for Al to go to from Stallions Gate.)
This has Al at a PLAYOFF Laker Game and still fits the year as indicated in Leap Back.
Ok...I did research about the playoffs for 1995 for a fanfic I wrote of Genesis from Al's POV (published on fanfiction 1 year ago.) That story is called Aftermath. It can be found here.
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3320059/1/Aftermath
In anycase, I found it really interesting that Bellasario wrote the Pilot in the late 80's and yet the Lakers WERE in the playoffs in 1995 (and even had an OT game.) Pretty cool.
Again from a previous post I did (except below)
The playoffs between first the Lakers and the Seattle Supersonics are listed below. LAL won this part and then went on to play San Antonio (SAS)
West Conf 1st Rd (3-1): Los Angeles Lakers over Seattle Supersonics
Game 1 (1995-04-27 at SEA) SEA 96, LAL 71 SEA leads 1-0
Game 2 (1995-04-29 at SEA) LAL 84, SEA 82 Tied 1-1
Game 3 (1995-05-01 at LAL) LAL 105, SEA 101 LAL leads 2-1
Game 4 (1995-05-04 at LAL) LAL 114, SEA 110 LAL wins 3-1
West Conf Semis (4-2): San Antonio Spurs over Los Angeles Lakers
Game 1 (1995-05-06 at SAS) SAS 110, LAL 94 SAS leads 1-0
Game 2 (1995-05-08 at SAS) SAS 97, LAL 90 SAS leads 2-0
Game 3 (1995-05-12 at LAL) LAL 92, SAS 85 SAS leads 2-1
Game 4 (1995-05-14 at LAL) SAS 80, LAL 71 SAS leads 3-1
Game 5 (1995-05-16 at SAS) LAL 98, SAS 96 SAS leads 3-2
Game 6 (1995-05-18 at LAL) SAS 100, LAL 88 SAS wins 4-2
The playoffs thus indicate that the project is in May and show indicates that the leap is in September. The show would indicate that Sam leaps into 1956 on very early on a Friday morning and flys the X-2 on Monday (4 days) Thus...when Al tells him they will retrieve him on Tues that would be Sam's Tuesday, but Al's Thursday (therefore I think Sam Leapt late night on May 13, 1995 (a Saturday) and Al went to the game in LAL on May 16, 1995 (a Tuesday) (BTW...the May 16 game did go into OT and the Laker's won it 98 to 96. Adiditionally, it was held in San Antonio which woud have been easier for Al to go to from Stallions Gate.)
This has Al at a PLAYOFF Laker Game and still fits the year as indicated in Leap Back.
Yeah...but as Julia points out...this was a prop. It was created by someone in the prop department and it was unlikely that they EVER thought Sam's license would get this much scrutiny.
I agree with you about the date. It should have spelled out the full expiration date. However...if one explains the issue date by figuring it had a typo...you could say that the expiration had one too (it was obviously a bad day for the clerk that created it.)
NOW...back to the analyis of the handwriting. I imagine the signature was probably a woman's signature (who worked in the prop department.) I have worked with people who do handwriting analysis. The reason I brought up the loop on the 'k' is that that was one of the things that was pointed out to me. The loop for a genius would likely be higher. That's all I was getting at.
Well, I have an answer for all of the problems with Sam's license.
It's not really his license.
We know he didn't have his license with him when he originally leaped. He was wearing a Fermi suit, which has no pockets.
It seems likely that all of the physical details of the setting were "arranged" by Al the Bartender--not just the bar itself, but Sam's clothes, which had to come from somewhere, and even small items like the license. So what we see could have been invented by the bartender, who wouldn't necessarily be concerned with complete accuracy. The whole thing is like a dream, and details are often wrong in dreams.
So, yeah, I started this discussion, and now I'm disregarding my own nitpick. I just didn't think of this explanation until now.
It's not really his license.
We know he didn't have his license with him when he originally leaped. He was wearing a Fermi suit, which has no pockets.
It seems likely that all of the physical details of the setting were "arranged" by Al the Bartender--not just the bar itself, but Sam's clothes, which had to come from somewhere, and even small items like the license. So what we see could have been invented by the bartender, who wouldn't necessarily be concerned with complete accuracy. The whole thing is like a dream, and details are often wrong in dreams.
So, yeah, I started this discussion, and now I'm disregarding my own nitpick.
I just didn't think of this explanation until now.
Snish said:Well, I have an answer for all of the problems with Sam's license.
It's not really his license.
We know he didn't have his license with him when he originally leaped. He was wearing a Fermi suit, which has no pockets.
It seems likely that all of the physical details of the setting were "arranged" by Al the Bartender--not just the bar itself, but Sam's clothes, which had to come from somewhere, and even small items like the license. So what we see could have been invented by the bartender, who wouldn't necessarily be concerned with complete accuracy. The whole thing is like a dream, and details are often wrong in dreams.
So, yeah, I started this discussion, and now I'm disregarding my own nitpick.
That idea certainly works for me! I love PCR.:hurray:
And that's one of the many things about Mirror Image that irked me.
It's really not that hard to stick with canon and do something bold and interesting. I guess in the rush of the production of a TV show, the science and consistency is the first thing to get glossed over.
I still wonder if there are half-written episodes of season 6 in a drawer somewhere. But then I wake up...
It's really not that hard to stick with canon and do something bold and interesting. I guess in the rush of the production of a TV show, the science and consistency is the first thing to get glossed over.
I still wonder if there are half-written episodes of season 6 in a drawer somewhere.
But then I wake up...
I'm thinking that, typically, shows are not allowed to use "real" official documents. It's actually against the law to reproduce or make a mock-up of certain documents. It may be that, in addition to a pre-DVD mindset of "nobody's going to see it," (like those newspapers bloopers we talked about in the Mistakes thread), they just wouldn't make a replica of a real license because that's just not done. There have been other unwritten TV rules over the years. I recall that McGyver always left out some ingredient in his explosive devices, so that they couldn't be reproduced at home. And you always see "555" exchanges on phone numbers so that they can't be confused with a real one. And when you see people doing CPR, they are always doing it wrong, so as not to hurt the actor playing the victim.
I think the propmaster just wanted to use something that looked mostly real, yet futuristic (with the holographic image) but not something that could be taken for a copy of a real one. I find it kind of funny that the license lists Sam's official name as just "Sam" not "Samuel J." - and so does his signature.
I think the propmaster just wanted to use something that looked mostly real, yet futuristic (with the holographic image) but not something that could be taken for a copy of a real one. I find it kind of funny that the license lists Sam's official name as just "Sam" not "Samuel J." - and so does his signature.
Well, in Sam's reality, light-up heels & earrings, edible body paint and electromagnetic vehicles are part of everyday life. I also find it funny that the license clearly shows his last name as "Beckett," yet the network still misspelled it in the epilogue.
Just a quick note: My OLN has seven digits, as does everyone's in AL. My DL also has my P. O. Box on it as the address.
You guys could probably also go with the fact that the world setting that Sam lives in, isn't exactly ours. Remember, this episode was made around 1993. If the drivers license was issued in 1995, there could be a chance that the format of drivers licenses changed. Also, does New Mexico format their license with holographic photos? Did they in 1993?
A lot of things in Quantum Leap wont be accurate to our real world, as the writers tried to think of small, but significant adjustments that would signify that Sam is from the future.
The writers did this in various episodes... By showing electromagnetic cars, girls who are obviously into flashing light jewelery. And voice activated... uh... rooms. (Although, it is possible for us to currently have that. I don't see it in abundance or used in the show like it was.)
Also, Sam was involved with the government. Perhaps he wanted his exact address hidden on his license?
A lot of things in Quantum Leap wont be accurate to our real world, as the writers tried to think of small, but significant adjustments that would signify that Sam is from the future.
The writers did this in various episodes... By showing electromagnetic cars, girls who are obviously into flashing light jewelery. And voice activated... uh... rooms. (Although, it is possible for us to currently have that. I don't see it in abundance or used in the show like it was.)
Also, Sam was involved with the government. Perhaps he wanted his exact address hidden on his license?
If you read 8/02/95 as 8 Feb rather than as 2 August, it doesn't mess with it... yeah, I know, it's a prop, and you darn yankees write your dates funny... but it makes some sense from this angle!Snish said:
Maybe in The Future NM licences have their dates written that way?! :lol