305 The Boogiem*n

[bluedana]

This episode achieves the creepy vibe that Portrait for Troian was going for but missed. It really felt like I was watching the type of suspense/horror movie that was big when I was a teenager (around the time that they started making movies out of Stephen King novels, like Cujo and Carrie). I watch it periodically to see if I can identify any more King novels - there are several referenced and I still don't think I've caught them all.

Aside from the cheesy FX at the end, I think this is a strong episode, with really good acting. Sam's slide into panic is nicely understated, which, for me, makes it hold up to repeated watching (even though I know the plot).

[Janna Galaxy]

I just watched this episode the other day and I went totally cold when Sam gave that blood curdling scream when he found Ben dead.

Has it got chily in here or is it just me?

Originally Posted by Janna Galaxy

I just watched this episode the other day and I went totally cold when Sam gave that blood curdling scream when he found Ben dead.

Has it got chily in here or is it just me?

Yup, that made my blood curdle, too, especially the first time around. I remember thinking that a little scream like that was quite unusual for Quantum Leap. I think it's still effective, but not as creepy as Ben coming out of the kitchen and giving Sam that little evil smile with his wooden match in his mouth. "Well," he says, and his voice changes to Al's, "it's about time." That's what real horror's all about, not that cheap gore-and-guts stuff.

[Imagine]

I've seen this episode only once and I don't really remember. I noted it in my calendar for this halloween. I'll watch it again then.

[Bezzo]

This episode is one of my favourites. It's so spooky and keeps you on the edge of your seat!!

Helen

[Imagine]

It's near to Halloween and I'm looking forward to watch this ep again. I could watch it at once, but I'll wait patiently until Halloween.

[Janna Galaxy]

I'm totally going to watch this episode on Haloween.

I'll proberly have the lights on but not sure yet. Depends if I feel brave enough.

[NYCSciFiFan]

I saved this episode on my DVR for Halloween.

[MichelleD]

This one was worthwhile just to watch Dean--He did a fabulous job. And Stevie King at the end--Priceless. :-)

[chris-oates]

This episode is one of my favourites. The first time I watched this episode I had no idea who the killer was. It loses some of its impact second time viewing, but this is still a great episode. Dean is fantastic in this one. Now one of the main unanswered questions we're left with at the end of the episode is, did it really happen, or was it just a dream. I personally think that the events really did happen, but when it got to midnight the Devil lost his power, and God turned back time, similar to the end of the evil leaper episode Deliver us from Evil.

Oh one other thing. The Devil was right when he said Sam wasn't going to make it home, how would he know that? Maybe he just meant you're not going to make it because I'm going to kill you right now, because just after he says that line he grabs Sams throat.

[Lightning McQueenie]

Originally Posted by chris-oates

This episode is one of my favourites. The first time I watched this episode I had no idea who the killer was. It loses some of its impact second time viewing, but this is still a great episode. Dean is fantastic in this one. Now one of the main unanswered questions we're left with at the end of the episode is, did it really happen, or was it just a dream. I personally think that the events really did happen, but when it got to midnight the Devil lost his power, and God turned back time, similar to the end of the evil leaper episode Deliver us from Evil.

Oh one other thing. The Devil was right when he said Sam wasn't going to make it home, how would he know that? Maybe he just meant you're not going to make it because I'm going to kill you right now, because just after he says that line he grabs Sams throat.

I believe that it really did happen, and God reset the leap. It's been shown several times in the series that God will intervene to help Sam if it looks like he will fail

[Donofrio_QLTD]

This was the episode that my mother was always trying to make me avoid as a kid because she thought it was too scary.

I can still clearly remember the day I saw it for the first time. I was about 13 and I had just come from school... It left me without words. That was a time when they kept showing re-runs of the entire series quite often, and here in Mexico it wasn't even a cable channel where they showed those re-runs, it was a normal one, Air-TV. I knew they were going to re-run the entire season 3 again pretty soon, so I kept waiting for this episode, and when it came I taped it. I showed it to both my parents, even to my mom who was a bit scared of it, and they were blown away as well, then when I bought the DVD's I showed it to my whole family, my brothers and everyone else, and they were shocked.

To this day this is one of the episodes I keep playing over and over again and I never get tired of it, even though I know all the lines from it and now I can't help to see it as something quite funny in a Stephen King-ish sort of way. Everything that revolves around it sometimes makes me think that maybe not only Chris Ruppenboogie is an avid Stephen King fan, but probably most of the writers and the crew from QL as well, probably even Donald himself.

As for me, this was the episode that marked my life as a reader, because it made me discover Stephen King, which was the weirdest thing, let me tell you, and while reading him I discovered a whole new world of other authors and styles. They used to air the mini-series "It" quite often as well. Another thing my mom didn't let me watch because it was known to traumatize kids around the world, but one day I sneaked around and saw it by myself and when I saw the name Stephen King at the beginning, I understood what they were talking about in The B episode. I had also seen "Christine" before. What Chris did with this screenplay was very iconic and it remains one of the best Halloween episodes ever made. Of course it's the only one from this series, but even from any series, generally speaking, it still is.

My favorite part: Devil Al, of course. Love the red glow near his eyes.

A very suspenseful, mysterious and intriguing episode. Never saw the ending coming the first time I watched it.

My rating: Excellent.

[ladystoneheart]

I just loved Stephen King references in this episode as being a huge fan of his work.

I hope I don't go OT by saying how much the book 11/22/63--the teacher goes back to prevent Kennedy assassination- gave Quantum Leap vibes while reading

[iMonrey]

The funny thing about this episode was that I interpreted the whole thing to be a dream. After Sam has his "dance with the devil" he wakes up and he's at the bottom of the staircase again, where he started out at the beginning. I just figured he blacked out and dreamed the whole thing.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by iMonrey

The funny thing about this episode was that I interpreted the whole thing to be a dream. After Sam has his "dance with the devil" he wakes up and he's at the bottom of the staircase again, where he started out at the beginning. I just figured he blacked out and dreamed the whole thing.

That's one interpretation and I think it works, too.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Despite that I missed out on the fun of the mystery because I was told before I saw it, the eeriness of this episode is just brilliant. May I begin by saying how I adore how this connects to a conversion between Sam and Al in M.I.A.

"That's if He's the only one at work here, but you're forgetting about Him." *jabs a finger downward*
"I don't believe in the devil Al."

"Who gave you the right to go bungling around in time, putting right what I made wrong!"

This seems to explain the Evil Leapers. I'm not going to get into it because this is not the proper thread but the first two leaps involving them seem to directly be aimed at opposing Sam though it's pretty directly implied that they don't realize it. See the 'Evil Leapers' thread within the character discussion forum for the full version of my Evil Project theory.
Their part of the connection wasn't intended since the Evil Leapers like the celebrity leaps were a ploy forced by the network which adopted the show for it's fifth season but it's there nonetheless.

It was an interesting revelation how Sam didn't seem to be as fooled as he seemed throughout the episode, having been able to name almost every flaw with the Al guise. A couple I'd add is his lack of Al's fashion sense and not briefly drooling over Mary before naming her a suspect. This is debatable but it also doesn't seem very Al to have suspected a woman in the first place. To me that seemed like part of the murder mystery set up which was meant to attack Sam's fear of failure (or at least that's my theory) thus rendering him vulnerable.

One of the most spine shivering things about the devil character was that damn wheeze of a laugh. Obviously those cigars of Dean's actually provided a service. Personally I would love to hear him talk about playing this role.

The angle with Stevie, which had also been ruined for me was clever and amusing. In a way it seems like the whole thing with Joshua Ray and his comment of "There were two of you and one of you tried to kill me" was rearranged into one of Stephan King's novels 'The Dark Half.' (Google it) Fictionally of course in the QL universe. I only saw the film and that is one creepy story.

The opening is actually one of the most amusing moments when Sam reads that the book he was holding was published in 1879 and looking around at the surrounding decor and his outfit, that 's when he thinks he is for a moment. Oh dear sweet Sam, how he forgets his logic sometimes. XD Though we find out later that as long as the leapee is a Beckett ancestor/relative he can in fact leap prior to his lifetime.

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

I believe that it really did happen, and God reset the leap. It's been shown several times in the series that God will intervene to help Sam if it looks like he will fail

Agreed. This is also supported by the tolling of the clock and the few shots we get of it's face while Sam and the devil are strangling each other. It actually doesn't make sense to me how Al didn't seem to remember the devil except that perhaps God wanted it that way.

[ladystoneheart]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

The angle with Stevie, which had also been ruined for me was clever and amusing. In a way it seems like the whole thing with Joshua Ray and his comment of "There were two of you and one of you tried to kill me" was rearranged into one of Stephan King's novels 'The Other Side.' (Google it) Fictionally of course in the QL universe. I only saw the film and that is one creepy story.

I thought it was "The Dark Half" while watching the episode.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

This is debatable but it also doesn't seem very Al to have suspected a woman in the first place.

In 'Play It Again, Seymour' Al suspected that Alison was the killer and didn't hesitate to say so. I think Al has no problem suspecting women of anything. I think it would be more like Sam to not suspect a woman, and I'm not even so sure about that.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by ladystoneheart

I thought it was "The Dark Half" while watching the episode.

Is that what it's called? It's been a while. :P

Originally Posted by blue enigma

In 'Play It Again, Seymour' Al suspected that Alison was the killer and didn't hesitant to say so. I think Al has no problem suspecting women of anything.

Alright, I didn't remember that. I Haven't re-watched that episode yet after all my years of absence from the show.

[Donofrio_QLTD]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

Is that what it's called? It's been a while.

Yup. "The Dark Half", indeed.

Interesting perspective. I saw the movie and read the book and never thought about the part you're referring in that way.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Donofrio_QLTD

Yup. "The Dark Half", indeed.

Interesting perspective. I saw the movie and read the book and never thought about the part you're referring in that way.

Considering that almost everything Sam said or did seemed to get "What a neat idea" as a response from Stevie, I am sure he must have used that in some way.

[ladystoneheart]

Originally Posted by Donofrio_QLTD

Interesting perspective. I saw the movie and read the book and never thought about the part you're referring in that way.

Oh,that was the first thing came to my mind when I saw evil!Al
Of course it was a great joy to spot on a Red Plymouth Fury and that dog! I am not going to lie,I expected to see something from Pet Sematary as well but I guess the references were enough for one episode.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

A thought struck me. How exciting it would be if the devil's invasion had been performed the other way around.
While Sam appears to be acting on good intention, his thoughtful actions cause damage in other areas. Somewhat like Alia as Connie LaMatta who appeared to have Jimmy's interest at heart but was using him to drive a wedge between Connie and Frank.
Revelation: Sam is the devil in disguise trying to undo the real Sam's good deeds. Interference with Ziggy caused her to trace phony brainwaves that appeared to be Sam's.
While the real Sam is in a completely different leap.

There's probably flaws with this such as Sam's coming face to face with the devil being more meaningful but to quote Al (the real one, though I can't remember where he said it) "but it sounds good doesn't it?".

[Lightning McQueenie]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

A thought struck me. How exciting it would be if the devil's invasion had been performed the other way around.
While Sam appears to be acting on good intention, his thoughtful actions cause damage in other areas. Somewhat like Alia as Connie LaMatta who appeared to have Jimmy's interest at heart but was using him to drive a wedge between Connie and Frank.
Revelation: Sam is the devil in disguise trying to undo the real Sam's good deeds. Interference with Ziggy caused her to trace phony brainwaves that appeared to be Sam's.
While the real Sam is in a completely different leap.

There's probably flaws with this such as Sam's coming face to face with the devil being more meaningful but to quote Al (the real one, though I can't remember where he said it) "but it sounds good doesn't it?".

I actually quite like this idea, but the trouble is that the Devil wanted to stop Sam, not the Project, as it's really only Sam who has the character required to fulfil this job...

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

I actually quite like this idea, but the trouble is that the Devil wanted to stop Sam, not the Project, as it's really only Sam who has the character required to fulfil this job...

Right but in this version he's being more direct than stopping Sam, he's countering Sam's work. Like he does later with the Evil Leapers (or that's my Evil Leapers theory anyway).

Undoubtably however the way it did occur was more effective and brilliant. Not to mention Dean was perfectly creepy for the role, I am sorry but not sure Scott could have pulled that off. Especially not that wheeze laugh!