101 The Pilot Episode <AKA Genesis>

[alsplacebartender]

Edwards Air Force Base, Kern County, California / Waco, Texas


Dr. Sam Beckett, being pressured by the threat of loss of funding for his time-travel project codenamed "Quantum Leap," decides to hop in the nuclear accelerator early...and vanishes into the past.

He awakens to discover that he is an Air Force test pilot named Tom Stratton. But that's about all he knows. He has amnesia and can only remember portions of his life. He can't even remember his last name. And to make things worse, he doesn't even have his own reflection in the mirror. Everyone sees the physical aura of Tom around Sam's body.

Enter Al, a friend from his own time that appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. Al informs Sam that the project has gone "a little ca-ca." Best he can tell, God or fate or time has grabbed Sam and now he must put right a wrong in the life of Tom Stratton in order to leap back home. He has to break Mach 3 in the experimental X-2 jet and live, since in the original history, Tom died in the test.

Later in the episode, Sam leaps again, this time into the life of a ballplayer named Fox. Here Al tells Sam his last name, and he is able to contact his father who is still alive at the time.


Written by: Donald P. Bellisario
Directed by: David Hemmings


Rate and comment on the feature-length pilot episode!

[Vince Beckett]

one of the best episodes in the series. great way to start it all off. It was like a movie that leaves you hanging for a sequel.

[LadyKayoss]

This was an excellent start to the series, and I wish I'd been able to see it when it first aired, rather than have to wait several years until I found it on a video at the flea market. I felt so bad for Sam; he was so lost and confused, and couldn't even remember his own last name, much less his best friend. And it was an exciting first Leap, too! Also, the part where he finally got the chance to speak to his father was beautiful.

Definately one of my favorite episodes.

[Quantum Bakula]

A great start to a great series.

[leaper1]

I just caught the opening minutes of "Ghostbusters" on tv, and thought to myself - that female student looks and sounds familiar.

It was Jennifer Runyon who plays Peg Stratton. I must have seen Ghostbusters at least half a dozen times, and never realised before!
Ok, so I'm dumb, but now I've finally worked it out, I'll look at the film differently.

[Al The Observer]

Originally Posted by leaper1

I just caught the opening minutes of "Ghostbusters" on tv, and thought to myself - that female student looks and sounds familiar.

It was Jennifer Runyon who plays Peg Stratton. I must have seen Ghostbusters at least half a dozen times, and never realised before!
Ok, so I'm dumb, but now I've finally worked it out, I'll look at the film differently.

Every time I've watched Genesis, I've thought to myself, "I know I've seen her before, but where?" Now you've cleared that up for me. Thanks!

[SamBeckett94]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching 'Genesis', as it explained much about what was actually going on. It was a perfect start to the series, and it was interesting to see Sam's reactions to having a different mirror image to himself. I also liked the title music for it (especially the bit when the words 'Quantum Leap' fly across the screen and it plays the start of the title theme which to me sounds similar to a part of the original Quantum Leap theme).

[Sam Beckett Fan]

I am watching it now, and I love it. So much awsome Al Humor and Gooshi Humor. A little fun fact I read in Another Time Another Place.

Originally Posted by Dennis Wolfburg

"It was time to film and I was doing the scene where Sam goes into the chamber prematurely and I am screaming to Al "He's leaping! he's leaping!" Now I am doing these lines with no knowledge whatsoever as to what they meant. Talk about blind reading. Nobody told me what they meant. But they did say I was doing good."

Haha, Poor Dennis.

I love this episode even more after reading the book version. It describes in slightly more detail how he is feeling this affection for Peg. Now I am a hopeless Romantic so I just love the way that Sam thinks that Peg and her pregnant form are so beautiful and how he loved having her in his arms while they danced. It almost makes me wonder if there is a timeline out of many created where Sam had left a pregnant Donna to try out the machine, of course expecting to return. So when he met Peg his subcontious thought of Donna. I don't know but the way he Narrirates:
"Even at six months I found Peg stunningly beautiful, although I doubt she'd believe me. I wondered if Pregnant woman held some strange affection with me, but I think it was Peg."
It just makes me think that there is something going on in his subcontious.

Another thing I love was the little forshaow they have in this ep when Sam first meets Al and thinks
"If this is a nightmare, I think I just found the boogiem*n"
In the book it's kind of funnier though cuz he says Angel of Death hahaha. But eaither way I love how that is kind of forshadowing the B-Man ep.

The other thing I loved was Sam getting to talk to his dad when he leaps into Tim Fox, and when he tries it before while he is still Tom. I love how dramatic it is and how Sam gets so sad when he can't remember any of the information needed to make the call. Kudos to Scott for those scenes that is yet another desplay of his great talent.

One more thing. Poor Scott, I feel so bad because he hates his left handed baseball swung as Tim Fox and they they go and put it in the theme song. haha.

This is such a great launch to a great series.

[Snish]

First, I love the pilot. I've watched it over and over. Every scene a classic.

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

It almost makes me wonder if there is a timeline out of many created where Sam had left a pregnant Donna to try out the machine, of course expecting to return.

Probably a topic for another thread, but if Donna was pregnant, I really don't think Sam would have leaped. He had to be aware that there were major risks involved in leaping before the project was ready. Anything could happen. He could have died in the Accelerator if it malfunctioned. Did he realize that he could become trapped in the past and be unable to return? Or did he simply think that it wouldn't work and he would just be standing there while nothing happened? At any rate, I don't think he would take the risk with a child on the way.

In the timeline where he's married to Donna, I have to believe he would tell her what he was planning, and she would have to agree to it. Sam is too honest and ethical to take such a risk without telling his wife. So I take that as one reason why she waits for him--she agreed to it and took the risk.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Yeah I was thinking of that too Snish, you are right. It was just a thought though.

oh and another thing I liked about this ep. Scott in his boxers, man is his body yumola in this episode.

[isz]

It was a nice pilot,but no more. the scene i'll always remember from "Genesis" is the scene when sam called his dad.

[HologramIAm]

I intend for 93 (?) of my posts to be ratings of the episodes starting with this one (been meaning to start this for a while):
"Genesis" was a TERRIFIC beginning to the show.

The Best Part: When Al gives Sam his last name so he can finally call his dad. Thought I would cry.

The Funniest Part: Responding to Sam when he asks "why watch the ballgame, you already know how it will end", Al quips something to the effect of knowing how a fling he once had would end, also, but he still did it. Ha!

The Worst Part: The effects... they weren't there yet, so this is the only time I'll mention them as a "worst part". I liked when the handlink and I.C. door get better. The Leap light, too.

[Bexter]

Really good ep as a pilot because it gave you a good explanation as to what happens. I hate series that give you little hints here and there as to the reason things are going on, it get really boring really quickly. Just give it to us straight up. I got really antsy about him having to fly the plane not realising of course that Al would step in to help (which I loved by the way) I also really felt for him when he was so confused and didn't know what was going on (mainly because I always feel like that and I aint even leaping around in time). Loved the kiss when the wife touches her lips like you can tell she's starting to beleive he's someone else and not her husband.

Wasn't too fussed about how he then leaped into the ball player, I know that they probably put that one in there so they could do the ringing his dad scene but I wished they'd ended it when he saved the baby. I couldn't see the point of the little extra bit at the end.

Most of all I instantly fell in love with Al, his personaility and his mannerisms and just the fact that he's there. Wish I had a buddy who'd just materialise in front of me (and no one else could see them) who'd tell me what to do when I'm confused or just give moral support. *sigh*

[ChickenStu]

It's good, but not outstanding. In fact, when I watch the series, I always kinda skip it! Lol. But yeah. For me, the show really got going in Episode 2.

[AlyssaCalavicci]

I loved this episode to though at the start I thought Al was a bit angry with Sam for going into the chamber and leaping when they wasn't ready based on how he was talking to him being sarcastic I dont know I thought Al could have gone a bit eaiser on Sam what got me was how he walked out on Sam at the bar. Sam was scared and Al left in frustration He could have stayed and calmed him down some.

[ohboy]

Funny story. I just started watching this when it came on ION, and this was the first episode I watched. Don't ask me why, but I actually thought at first that Al was Sam's father. It took me until episode 3 to realize different, though.

This was a great episode, though. I did like Al's sense of humor right off the bat.

[Snish]

Originally Posted by ohboy

Don't ask me why, but I actually thought at first that Al was Sam's father. .

I think that's interesting. Al is Sam's surrogate father, as far as I'm concerned. He's Sam's guardian, teacher, and guide in many ways--things a good dad should do. (He even tries to teach Sam about women--without much success, from his own point of view.)

You sensed that right vibe between them right away. Don't know if anyone else has thought that, but it's not a bad guess.

[JuliaM]

You're not alone getting a paternal vibe from Al. In the stories that I've written (mostly pre-leap stories), the concept of Al being a surrogate father-figure for Sam comes up a lot.

[ohboy]

Well I am glad I wasn't the only one. I look forward to reading the fan fictions, now that summer classes are over. Especially the Al-paternal-relationship theme.

[JuliaM]

The relationship between Sam and Al is one of the things that really drew me in. There's just an amazing friendship between the two that is, a lot of times, more familial. That's what's inspired a lot of my writing.

All of my completed fanfiction but one can be found on my website here: http://www.sbscreencaps.com/j__moniz.htm I think there's 25 - 30 completed stories. My newest story is only on my fanfiction account (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/159290/).

hree of the stories were written with a close friend. We have our fourth one finished - just going through the editing process with it. Once it's done, it'll go up on the fanfic.net account we share (http://www.fanfiction.net/u/1152557/). I won't be adding anything new to my site until I finish the redesign I'm doing).

I have to say, seeing posts in this thread was really coincidental for me today. I just started rewatching QL from the beginning and watched Geneis yesterday morning and this morning (I usually watch an episode before leaving for work). It's really coincidental to see new posts here after just watching it...and this isn't the first time it's happened. There have been a bunch of times when I've watched an episode and then come over here only to find someone's posted in the thread about that episode. It's just....weird.

[NYCSciFiFan]

Originally Posted by ohboy

Don't ask me why, but I actually thought at first that Al was Sam's father.

I never got that vibe - Al's too flippant and flamboyant to be a father role model IMO. (I still don't seen him as a military officer, lol)

Now we know better - Sam had a great father and he misses him terribly.

I loved Genesis - the confusion, the panic, and the slow recall of details.
I still use the phrase "swiss cheese memory" regularly - Al had the best lines!

[Lightning McQueenie]

It was an excellent episode.

What I particularly like is, there's a scene with a clock... and when I was watching it the first time, it was exactly at that time...

I particularly like how, for the first and last time, we see the leaps from Sam's point of view... First off as a race through the clouds, and then an instantaneous change in time and space... There should have been more leaps like that.

[marie1439]

I was watching Genesis again and I was wondering something. Does anyone know the song that Al was listening to when he was driving down the road before he stopped for Tina.

[isz]

Originally Posted by marie1439

I was watching Genesis again and I was wondering something. Does anyone know the song that Al was listening to when he was driving down the road before he stopped for Tina.

I don't think It was Tina.

[leaper1]

Originally Posted by isz

I don't think It was Tina.

It was and it wasn't...

In the credits it lists the character that Al picked up as being called Tina, but I don't think it is supposed to be THE Tina that Al dates on and off later in the series. It is just one of those cases where the same name crops up for different characters.