312 8-1/2 Months

[samnal]

I can't help it. Sam yelling "Al, GET IT OUT!!!" is probably my favorite line in the series. For fun level and don't explore too seriously it's a 10. For real? I don't think so BUT there are so many darned lovely moments, (the jello with onions, the crying jags) it's all Scott there. And I like the lady that played the agency person who came to have her sign the papers. I've seen her on other things and she's terrific. No, I don't remember names of actors but she was great.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Donofrio_QLTD

We're supposed to believe that his father finally accepted Billy-Jean and her baby just because of the way he was seeing her suffer at the hospital in the exact moment when she gave birth.

There was slightly more to it than that. Recall the scene when the young black girl told him her sister who was only a year older than Billy Jean bled to death in child birth. It's implied that this is what even got him to go to the hospital.

As I stated before my biggest issue with the episode was how it promotes a teen mother keeping her child and one thing I actually forgot to mention is that in the process it accidentally somewhat gave adoption a negative image.

[Lightning McQueenie]

I have finally made some sense over some of the more pressing mechanical issues of this episode.

We had previously been disagreeing as to whether when Sam leapt into Billie-Jean, if the baby leapt out with Billie-Jean to the Waiting Room or stayed inside Sam. Even though we're expected to believe that the baby stayed with Sam (since it wasn't inside Billie-Jean), Al is 100% correct that this is impossible, and really would have resulted in the baby's death.

There's actually a third option that none of us thought of. Let's think back to Genesis, after Sam has leapt into Fox, Al tells him that a week has passed since he Quantum Leapt, even though it seemed instantaneous to Sam. That means Sam had to go somewhere in between the leaps, to some "limbo" which he does not remember. This also explains why afflictions he might have when he leaps out (such as his bruising in Black on White on Fire, or his broken hand in What Price Gloria) are no longer present after he leaps. He must spend enough time in this limbo state to be healed.

Let's also recall Lee Harvey Oswald, they state that it is impossible for two human souls to occupy the same body or essence. So that means that there's really no way that both Billie-Jean and the baby could take up Sam's life-essence in the Waiting Room.

So, the baby can't stay in Billie-Jean (and this proves to be true when she's found to be empty) and it can't stay in Sam because it would die. So where does it go? It ends up in the same limbo that Sam goes to in between leaps, perfectly safe, and remains there until Sam leaps out and Billie-Jean returns, thereby making it possible to survive and be born

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Hmm interesting take Lightning McQueenie.
Personally I never bought that the fetus stayed with Sam because there is no way he could carry it, he's a man. This perspective however could easily lead into the whole 'body vs. soul leaping' debate but that would be going down an entirely different road, one which I am not interested in when discussing episodes.

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

Let's also recall Lee Harvey Oswald, they state that it is impossible for two human souls to occupy the same body or essence.

With this I disagree as that is exactly what a pregnancy is, two human souls/essences occupying the same body. A fetus is a part of the mother's body hence why I am struggling to understand how the baby would become detached from Billy-Jean to travel wherever it did and how I can make the most sense of it leaping with her. I do however acknowledge that Billy-Jean's womb appearing empty at the end does take that sense away from it.

But here is something your theory still does not answer. How then if the fetus was in some sort of limbo did Sam feel the baby and how was it that the doctor could see 'a head of curls' crowning? This goes back to a fetus being a part of the mother, this is how I initially explained these occurrences via the aura and mind merge concepts but your theory still doesn't fit here. By your logic the baby returned from limbo a second too soon, while Sam was still there which means it would have somehow been magically crowning from his dick! XD

This statement also has the flaw that Sam's soul is not in the waiting room. Whether you are a soul leaping believer or a body leaping believer either way his soul is still with him and his exchange of Neurons and mesons with Al in The Leap Back as well as his other mind merge situations such as LHO, Trilogy parts 2 and 3 and Dreams prove otherwise that two essences can occupy one body or mind.

Nonetheless great thought though.

[Lightning McQueenie]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Hmm interesting take Lightning McQueenie.
Personally I never bought that the fetus stayed with Sam because there is no way he could carry it, he's a man. This perspective however could easily lead into the whole 'body vs. soul leaping' debate but that would be going down an entirely different road, one which I am not interested in when discussing episodes.



With this I disagree as that is exactly what a pregnancy is, two human souls/essences occupying the same body. A fetus is a part of the mother's body hence why I am struggling to understand how the baby would become detached from Billy-Jean to travel wherever it did and how I can make the most sense of it leaping with her. I do however acknowledge that Billy-Jean's womb appearing empty at the end does take that sense away from it.

But here is something your theory still does not answer. How then if the fetus was in some sort of limbo did Sam feel the baby and how was it that the doctor could see 'a head of curls' crowning? This goes back to a fetus being a part of the mother, this is how I initially explained these occurrences via the aura and mind merge concepts but your theory still doesn't fit here. By your logic the baby returned from limbo a second too soon, while Sam was still there which means it would have somehow been magically crowning from his dick! XD

This statement also has the flaw that Sam's soul is not in the waiting room. Whether you are a soul leaping believer or a body leaping believer either way his soul is still with him and his exchange of Neurons and mesons with Al in The Leap Back as well as his other mind merge situations such as LHO, Trilogy parts 2 and 3 and Dreams prove otherwise that two essences can occupy one body or mind.

Nonetheless great thought though.

I think the doctor seeing the head crowning was just the aura, the baby wasn't actually there, the aura was just making it look as it should. The baby wouldn't actually be there until it leaps from limbo a split second after Billie-Jean returns...

I also think Sam's pregnancy symptoms were psychosomatic - he believed he was pregnant, so his body followed. A sort of reverse-placebo effect...

[Markymarc8]

So was Sam pregnant? What happened to the baby? Was he actually giving birth?

[chris-oates]

A weird, heartwarming story with a bunch of humour. I've always enjoyed 8-1/2 Months. It isn't one of my favourites, and some of the logic in the episode does feel a little off-the-wall at times, but it's still without a doubt a classic episode.

Sam being pregnant is, of course, hilarious. Seeing him with the pregnancy symptoms is a riot. The ending, with Sam protesting, "I'm having this baby!" is a particular highlight. The reactions of the nurses and the doctor are what make it so funny.

The drama aspects of the episode were handled averagely. The relationship between Billy-Jean and her father is what packed the most punch for me. The confrontation between Sam and the baby's father was handled a little badly, in my opinion. His acting wasn't very good and the ending of the scene with him running off and leaving Billy-Jean was just crazy. We're meant to believe he doesn't know Sam/Billy-Jean is going into labour, but there's no real way that would be possible. Also, him running so fast he loses his cap and then doesn't even bother to pick it up was also over-the-top. The guy was running as though the Devil himself was behind him. Lol.

I liked Dotty and Effy, and the way they supported Billy-Jean. All the scenes between them worked well.

My rating. Good. A solid episode (as usual) from Deborah Pratt, that just misses out from being Excellent.