305 The Boogiem*n

[alsplacebartender]

The Boogiem*n
October 31, 1964

Coventry, Maine


Sam leaps into a horror novelist surrounded by death and mystery. Al and Ziggy don't seem to be able to predict what will happen and Sam is running out of suspects. Is this part of someone's book...or someone's nightmare?


Written by: Chris Ruppenthal
Directed by: Joe Napolitano


Rate and comment on this Halloween episode!

[RossBeckett]

Hands down, the best Halloween episode of the TV series Quantum Leap. Wait, it's the only Halloween ep of the TV series!
If I remember correctly, Chris Rupenthal(forgive the spelling;not certain) wrote this episode. He was supposedly given the nickname "Rupenb**gie" because he sort of has an evil laugh but he is a good person. Eerie!
Great episode Chris!

~Steve(aka RossBeckett)

[Vince Beckett]

This was a very spooky episode. It's been known to cause strange events, like VCR's and cable stations to fail. People who mention the name have had bad luck. That's why the title is censored here. I also like how Sam inspires Stephen King.

[lalala12345678910]

This ep was very spooky but funny to, because at the end u realise that Stevie is Stephen King ! My kids were scared at Al being the devl*l!

[Samantha Beckett]

This ep genuinely scared the crap out of me, esp the Al/devil thing...though I couldn't help but burst out laughing when i saw the goat's head on Devil-Al's body.

I'm also scared of this episode for the following reasons:
*The first time it was on sci-fi, i had to record it...and halfway thru the tape died for no reason. I tried to record on that same tape the next night over that ep, it worked just fine.
*The second time i actually got to watch it when it was on, and literally 2-3 minutes after it was over, our power went out.
*In that chatroom here, we talk about the "forbidden episode" or even use the censored word for it, one of us gets booted off.

IT'S CRAZY!!

Samantha Beckett

[Sam Beckett Fan]

yeah i loved this episode, but as i have mentioned, my friend Nathen ruined mine and kristen's fun by telling her little sister about it who told us. and then since the secret was out anyway, Kristen showed me the page for it here on Al's. i still loved the episode however, although i new the ending.

Sam: i saw a goat!
Ben: could you decribe it?
Sam: It was a goat!

lolololol. i just love that line.

and i loved Dean's great acting as the Devil, and that creepy evil laugh that sounded as if he were choking to death. Dean must have had a lot of fun with this episode.

ah and i loved the whole Stevie King thing as well although Nathen also gave that away too.

[Janna Galaxy]

I first saw this episode in 1999, a friend sent it to me when I was ill. I watched it and loved it!...even though it scared me.

When my twin got home from college I got her to watch it with me while we had tea. It almost scared her to death. She won't even watch it at night. I think it has something with the red eyes.

My little sisters didn't like the bit when you find out who "Al" is. It scared them when he baahed!

My twin mentioned to Dean, when we met him last year that , that episode scares her. I quickly added "She won't watch at night!"

I'd love to see this episode on Halloween. I used to have it on video, I taped it off UKGold but because of the time it was put on it was cut to pieces. I'm not sure if it was when it was recently (give or take a few months) on ITV3 but I'd love to watch it uncut......on Halloween......I think I might go and price the season 3 boxset

[QuantumLeaper07]

I LOVE this epsiode! I really do, though I'm not sure why...Maybe because it's so out there. Like I said, I don't know, but Dean does a great job, the whole gurgling in his throat creeped me out, but that scene is my favorite, when we find out it's not Al, (and before midnight when everything goes even more weird.)

Haha, I just noticed the date, what a time to reply to a supposedly cursed episode thread. Friday the 13th. Gotta love it!

~Quantum Leaper07


Edited to add: Jeeze, look at the number of Votes for Excellent, at least at this time, 13...Creepy.

[Janna Galaxy]

Another reason I think this episode is so cool, is that it asks alot of "leaping" questions and other questions. I think that no-one could ever full anaylis this episode.

It works on so many levels!

[Snish]

Oh yeah, perfect day to comment on this episode... I think. It was really unnerving finding out that it was possible for Al not to be Al. I felt like Sam would have to run his hand through Al every time after this just to make sure he's really Al. (I'm sure Al would find that very annoying.) This is one of my favorites!

[Janna Galaxy]

I've just watched the episode UNCUT!!!! (yippy! ) I got the season 3 boxset today

Well, something occured to me while I was watching it. The thing I've found most weird about was saying that "evil Al" was the "devil" I don't think he was.

I'm don't know who or what he was but I was thinking maybe it could of been Lothos? I mean, he's much more than what Ziggy is. He could pull a leaper out at will.

But it was this one line that made me think of this..."What give you the right to go bungling around in time putting right what I made wrong??!!!"

'What I made wrong" was the part that got me thinking.

As was said in "Mirror Image"......'You don't really think I'm God do you?' which I never believed.

It's wrong to think that this "being" was The Devil, if Al The Bartender isn't God. That's just too easy.

Unless we're told by TPTB, I doubt we'll ever know what "he" was.

[QuantumLeaper07]

My first thought after reading your post Janna, was that 'he' was a nightmare brought on by a blow to the head.

If that was true though, then how did Sam know to save Tully?

I haven't seen the Evil Leaper episodes yet, I working on it though, maybe I'll have more to say after I've seen them.

[Calavicci's_Girl]

i adore this episode, i got season 2 and 3 for xmas, i watched it with my little brother, he loves QL as well but he had nightmares about Al being the devil :S

[newleaper]

I love this episode. I made the mistake of watching it at night, and I'm skittish anyway!

Calavicci's Girl, I was just thinking of that quote as a fun signature today on my commute home! How funny!

[Sophie Oliver]

At the end when Sam was choking "Al" and then when it got to the goat, I laughed a little and said 'Yeah, it I were Sam I'd want to choke that goat too.'

I had already read about this episode so I knew that Al wasn't Al until the confrontation at the house and Al stepped out of the IC door, but I was looking for the little things that the fake Al was doing wrong, such as coughing on the cigar.

[desirelife]

The episode really caught me off guard. That police-man was really making me very nervous indeed.

[Al The Observer]

The first thing I noticed that was out of place was when "Al" and Sam are on the sidewalk outside the spook house. "Al" pulled out the handlink and punched a couple of buttons, but the handlink didn't make a sound. I noticed it the first time I saw this episode.

[Janna Galaxy]

Originally Posted by QuantumLeaper07

My first thought after reading your post Janna, was that 'he' was a nightmare brought on by a blow to the head.

If that was true though, then how did Sam know to save Tully?

I haven't seen the Evil Leaper episodes yet, I working on it though, maybe I'll have more to say after I've seen them.

I've never believed it was a dream.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Janna Galaxy

I've never believed it was a dream.

Me niether, I believe God saved Sam's life and sent him back to the beginning so that he could achive what needed to be done, because it wasn't his fault the leap got screwed up.

[Janna Galaxy]

But, a leap as started at the begining when the EVIL LEAPERS were first in!

Kinda, helps my theory doesn't it!

I think that Sam was "pulled out" during his fall. I still think it is cool to think it was Lothos, who did this. Maybe he made a clone of Al or something, because it was when he touched the shiref and he turned in to "Al" like a leaper would when they would touch.

But it could of been some advanced holographic technique. As the shrief was dead.

I think this entity was trying to scare Sam. Because he could of killed Sam at anytime he wanted, but he was enjoying putting Sam through all those trumas of the deaths of those people. I mean the final one just sent Sam over the edge. You could tell by that scream! (which BTW was cut on either UKGold or ITV3 when it was on)

I think that the "Evil Al" was a leaper. But it's just a theory. It's just I believe that it is Sam that's leaping himself around. But that's a discussion for "Mirror Image"

- Janna Galaxy /Janine
PS, that bit where they (Sam and Evil Al) are touching, I think Sam is in shock because he thinks he's touching his best friend....actually, that freaked me out the first time I saw it!

[Snish]

Originally Posted by Janna Galaxy

PS, that bit where they (Sam and Evil Al) are touching, I think Sam is in shock because he thinks he's touching his best friend.

I think he's in shock because touching him confirms that this isn't Al. I thought it was a terrific moment, even stunning. In any other show, it would be a huge shock if you went to grab someone's wrist and your hand passed through. In Quantum Leap, quite the opposite! Just another thing to love about this show.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Janna Galaxy

But, a leap as started at the begining when the EVIL LEAPERS were first in!

Kinda, helps my theory doesn't it!

I think that Sam was "pulled out" during his fall. I still think it is cool to think it was Lothos, who did this. Maybe he made a clone of Al or something, because it was when he touched the shiref and he turned in to "Al" like a leaper would when they would touch.

But it could of been some advanced holographic technique. As the shrief was dead.

I think this entity was trying to scare Sam. Because he could of killed Sam at anytime he wanted, but he was enjoying putting Sam through all those trumas of the deaths of those people. I mean the final one just sent Sam over the edge. You could tell by that scream! (which BTW was cut on either UKGold or ITV3 when it was on)

I think that the "Evil Al" was a leaper. But it's just a theory. It's just I believe that it is Sam that's leaping himself around. But that's a discussion for "Mirror Image"

- Janna Galaxy /Janine
PS, that bit where they (Sam and Evil Al) are touching, I think Sam is in shock because he thinks he's touching his best friend....actually, that freaked me out the first time I saw it!

Very interesting and well thought out theory. But sorry I am going to have to disagree. I believe the Evil leapers was the Devil's second try at trying to overthrow Sam.
"Who gave you the right to go bungling around in time putting right what I made wrong!"
Putting things wrong in the world is not something an evil hologram could do. But another person could the same way Sam is putting things right...hmmm? perhaps our hero gave Satin an idea of how he could get rid of Sam another, and more indirect way. Seening as his attempt to strangle Sam to death was interrupted by God turning back time.

[isz]

Great episode,probably my number one in all of the series. This episode is the main reason why i think Chris Ruppenthal is one of the top 2 writers(DPB is number one,of course) QL had. They both did an amazing job,during the show.
Now i gotta say, that the second(or the 3rd or the 4th or the 10th) time you see this episode is not as good as the first time ,because you already know what is going to happend,but still...no matter what that a great episode. There are some inconsistency in the scripts like the fact that I believethe phrase "who's dancin with the devil..." is a well known phrase so it's no clue that "Devil Al" was no Al. or the fact, that only sam's knew Stevie first name but Al didn't(If we're agreeing that the all "Devil Al" was a dream or somethink like this to Sam) so in the end if someone can realize Stevie is Stephen king,it's only sam. And if it really was a dream Sam told stevie about "christine" only in his "dream" so the only idea stevie might use from his conversation with Sam is for "Carrie". And there've been a few other inconsistencies,but the bottom line is - An Excellent episode.

BTW - It seem "Devil Al" knew that Sam will never go back home,ah?!
("Devill Al":"Who gave you the right to go bungling around in time putting right what I made wrong?!"
Sam: "I'm just trying to get home."
"Devil Al":"Well...You're not going to make it!"
)

[Sam Beckett Fan]

I think what he meant by that was "Because I am going to kill you right now Sam!" Notice he grabbed Sam's neck and started strangling him after he said it.

[isz]

Never the less... Sam didn't die and he still found himself in the end of "Mirror Image" with the subtitle - "Sam Becktt never came back home..." so maybe it was more then that for this dialogue on this episode.