102 Star-Crossed

[alsplacebartender]

Star-Crossed
June 15, 1972

Lawrence College, Marion, Ohio


Sam leaps into Dr. Gerald Bryant, an English teacher who is having a fling with a student named Jamie.

Sam meets the woman who stood him up at the altar?Donna Elesee, but she has not yet met him in the future. Al tells Sam he is there to keep Dr. Bryant and Jamie Lee apart, but Sam thinks he is there to get another chance with Donna. He believes that if he can get Donna back together with her father, that she may marry Sam after all. But Al warns that she might marry the first guy she was engaged to instead, if he pulls it off.

While conflicting with Oscar, the boy wrestler who is in love with Jamie Lee...Sam, Donna, Oscar, and Jamie Lee all head to Washington to reunite Donna and her father at the Watergate hotel.


Written by: Deborah Pratt
Directed by: Mark Sobel


Rate and comment on this episode!

[mstalanon]

I enjoyed the show for setting up the future... Donna.

However they changed so much in later shows (Donna for one, Al being dragged away and the people doing that not being visible, the way that Dr. Beeks was in "Shock Theater")

I also couldn't get over the whiny, overly dramatic, lovesick bimbo and her stereotypical b/f that thought with his fists... and the direct rip-off of "Cyrano de Bergerac" of telling the guy what to do to impress the girl...

And the professor himself... what a turd! LOL!

Matt

[Vince Beckett]

It was a great episode. It introduces Donna and you don't know if she marries Sam or not. Al knew the risks with giving Sam the information to find Donna's father, but he gives it to him anyway.

[LadyKayoss]

This episode offered us insight into Sam's past, something that I've always liked. And we begin to get a better look at just how close Sam and Al are; Al defies the rules to help Sam, even though the Project is under observation.

I don't see why the teacher Sam Leaped into was the object of so much female attention, though... I certainly wouldn't be lusting after a teacher like him.

This episode also kind of creeps me out in a way, too. The girl throwing herself at Sam is named Jamie Lee, and she's attending Lawrence College. Well, my name is Jamie Lee, and I'm from a town called Lawrence. Cue Twilight Zone music.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Originally Posted by LadyKayoss

This episode offered us insight into Sam's past, something that I've always liked. And we begin to get a better look at just how close Sam and Al are; Al defies the rules to help Sam, even though the Project is under observation.

I don't see why the teacher Sam Leaped into was the object of so much female attention, though... I certainly wouldn't be lusting after a teacher like him.

This episode also kind of creeps me out in a way, too. The girl throwing herself at Sam is named Jamie Lee, and she's attending Lawrence College. Well, my name is Jamie Lee, and I'm from a town called Lawrence. Cue Twilight Zone music.

i agree, my best friend and i like to joke about how Sam sees his host first on his drivers license and then later looks in the mirror and his eyes widen as if to say "Hey, i'm ugly, what happened to the guy on my drivers license" lol.

i also really liked Sam making Donna look in his eyes, every time it makes me wanna say "Sam you dork, shes not gonna know who you are even if she did see you, you leaped in twelve years too early like Al said!" lol. poor Sam.

[Quantum Bakula]

All i gotta say is just two words.Terri Hatcher.

[Janna Galaxy]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

i agree, my best friend and i like to joke about how Sam sees his host first on his drivers license and then later looks in the mirror and his eyes widen as if to say "Hey, i'm ugly, what happened to the guy on my drivers license" lol.

i also really liked Sam making Donna look in his eyes, every time it makes me wanna say "Sam you dork, shes not gonna know who you are even if she did see you, you leaped in twelve years too early like Al said!" lol. poor Sam.

Yeah, I just love the line "You've got to be kinding!"

[lilttkaibacorpchic008]

I don't know this one just isn't really one of my favs.

[SBeckett]

Good thing we could see Sam instead of the Prof. I wouldn't have gotten in a car to go anywhere with that guy...even with chaperones.
Teri Hatcher was perfect. Love Sam's scat & dance down the stairwell at the Watergate. Nose kisses!!!

But, I find it hard to believe that any woman would stand Sam up at their wedding. Marry him and deal with your issues later!!!!! Actually I find the moment when Sam remembers heart wrenching.

Cute the way they work in the Kiss with History.

[isz]

Teri Hatcher was great - the one and only Donna Eleese.
Well written episode and It's always a pleasure to see personal episodes of Sam and Al. those "personal episodes" in the series are my fav...
Most entertaining scene in the episode - Al being dragged away after telling sam where to find Donna's father.

[HologramIAm]

The Best Part: I loved the kiss with history here... watergate! It only took Sam 1 episode to involve himself with world history, and I thought it was awesooooome!
The Funniest Part: When Oscar punches him upon answering the door. This dumb lug was in love and couldn't find another way to show but crudeness and violence... gotta love it!
The Worst Part: At first I wanted to say all the special effects that changed eventually (thank God), but thinking about it more I think I don't like them using Terry Hatcher since they did not bring her back leading to disappointed high expectations when they brought in the new Donna. Love Terry, but wish they would never have teased us (or Sam!)

Not my favorite episode, but it was good.

[Sam Beckett Fan]

Ok So I see I mentioned the thing about the Host that makes me and Kristen laugh so moving on. I love Sam's passion for his Donna and how he so desperately wants a second chance with her. One of my favorite lines is when Sam is sitting in the Rathskeller giving his order to Donna and he thinks
"I wanted to tell her who I was, that I was her Sam, the man she was going to love twelve years from now, and that I was doing what we dreamed of, traveling in time."

I think its so adorable how he calls himself 'her Sam' because he shows how much he charishes her and wants to be with her.

Another of my favorite lines is
"She knew, she knew how I liked my burger! Shove that up your gate curcits Ziggy!"
and then later he tells Al that she knew it was him because she knew how he liked his burger. And my last fav line is:
"And don't give me that Sick puppy look....Stop, I'll never scratch you behind the ears now stop it!"
Sam is just so adorable in this episode. And his determination to lead Donna into not being afraid to marry him is sooo sweet. If it had been twelve years later so that she knew who the heck Sam Beckett was, I would have to say that something in her did detect his presence.

One thing that confused me and watching the ep just now I was reminded of it was when they denied Donna entrance to the building to see the Colonel because she could not prove she was his daughter. I mean yes they can't just take her word for it but despite that he has a Do Not Destrub on his line, this is kind of a weird situation so he could have rung through anyway and said
"Hey Colonel there is a Donna Elisee out here who says she's your daughter, can you confirm this?"
and then he answers yes and bingo, there is your proof buddy. Although they wanted to put in the Kiss with history about the watergate so I guess for that purpose they had to do it the way they did. But still every time I see this episode I can't help but think about it.

I really love this episode and Teri Hatcher's performace as Donna was wonderful. I think this episode proves just how much Sam and Donna belong together.

[JuliaM]

Originally Posted by Sam Beckett Fan

One thing that confused me and watching the ep just now I was reminded of it was when they denied Donna entrance to the building to see the Colonel because she could not prove she was his daughter. I mean yes they can't just take her word for it but despite that he has a Do Not Destrub on his line, this is kind of a weird situation so he could have rung through anyway and said
"Hey Colonel there is a Donna Elisee out here who says she's your daughter, can you confirm this?"
and then he answers yes and bingo, there is your proof buddy.

If I'm not mistaken, the security desk is manned by military personnel...military personnel below the rank of Colonel. Calling up to him when he has a "DND" on his line would probably be akin to disobeying an order from a superior...you just don't do that without a really, really good reason...and even then your butt might end up in a sling for doing so.

[leaper1]

In another thread somewhere (sorry, its late and I can't be bothered to track it down) there is a discussion as to how Don Belisario liked to use certain names, such as Tom and Lisa.

I got VisionQuest - Deborah Pratt's novel - this week, and it made me think about how people are influenced to name their characters (I know I do it all the time!)
In the dedications at the start of the book, Deborah mentions a Geraldine Bryant Pratt - remind you of anyone in this episode?

Of course, it could have been that he was named for Dr Bryant, the drunken professor in Educating Rita [played by Michael Caine - 1983]

[Lightning McQueenie]

Oh I wish they'd kept Teri Hatcher as Donna instead of that other dragon...

[MikeKraken]

Now that the convention is over (and what a blast it was!), I spent the past couple of hours re-watching "Genesis" and "Star-Crossed". Not really going to go into too many details about the pros and cons of the episode, but I did want to mention a blooper:

When Sam looks at the college ID for Bryant, it lists his address as 12 Beodry Lane (Marion, OH). Later on when Sam is sending Jamie-Lee off (only to return "when the moon crests over the towers of Camelot"), the number on the house is 314.

... Mike.

[leaper1]

Originally Posted by MikeKraken

Now that the convention is over (and what a blast it was!), I spent the past couple of hours re-watching "Genesis" and "Star-Crossed". Not really going to go into too many details about the pros and cons of the episode, but I did want to mention a blooper:

When Sam looks at the college ID for Bryant, it lists his address as 12 Beodry Lane (Marion, OH). Later on when Sam is sending Jamie-Lee off (only to return "when the moon crests over the towers of Camelot"), the number on the house is 314.

... Mike.

My, what sharp eyes you have!
In true DB PCR tradition, my rationalisation would be that 314 is the number on his rooms 'on campus', whereas 12 Beodry Lane is his 'home' address, where he spends the holidays. Will that do?

[Siggy]

I found this one to be pretty "meh." It had its moments, but overall...not real high on my favorites list.

Honestly, I have nothing against Teri Hatcher, but I found her pretty unconvincing as a brilliant physics student. She usually plays the airhead, and her pouty tone of voice just didn't work here.

Poor Sam though...being right in front of the future love of his life who left him in the past (wait...what did I just say?) and not being able to do anything about it. But he certainly tries...and I like the little glimpse to the future that we get here.

I love that Al risked his career by helping Sam. He knew it was against the rules, but did it anyway. It shows how strong of a friendship they do have, even if Sam doesn't remember.

So Sam has six doctorates, eh? I adore a man with brains. GUH. These glimpses of Sam's life that we get in the first few episodes are what I found intriguing about his character. It's an interesting take on a character to have a genius scientist be a regular guy who grew up on a farm. They don't try to make him too much of a genius, you know? I like that.

There are some good funny moments in this episode. I love how Jamie Lee keeps popping up out of nowhere and attacking him with crazy poetry. And Al's comments on the contents of the cupboard!

I also enjoy Scientist Sam's disdain for English lit. As a former science major myself, I have to agree with him. The way he describes a science building and lab is so perfect, right down to the smell of bunsen burners. I always felt so at home in the science building in college. I always felt like an outsider in the humanities departments.

[leaper1]

Originally Posted by Siggy

I also enjoy Scientist Sam's disdain for English lit. As a former science major myself, I have to agree with him. The way he describes a science building and lab is so perfect, right down to the smell of bunsen burners. I always felt so at home in the science building in college. I always felt like an outsider in the humanities departments.

I can empathize with Sam, but I am the absolute antithesis!
I'm an English Lit major, and a science building with the smell of bunsen burners is torture to me. I should know, I work in one, and I'm in the process of trying to get moved to an office in a different block, because the chemicals from the experiments and gas from the bunsens are severely aggravating my asthma.

[quantumwonderer]

This is the prelude to the Leap Back! It was in that episode that showed that Sam was single when he first leaped! Then we see him married to Donna in the Season 4 opener, we know this leap was successful!

So techincally Sam did not really cheat on Donna in his leaps as he was single when he really started!

[Donofrio_QLTD]

A very funny and light-hearted episode. I thought the Watergate connection was very over-the-top funny. Not too crazy about all the "oh, how romantic this/that" reactions here and there, but some of them added to the funnyness of the play, and the point was gotten across. A classic, but still not one of my favorites.

My rating: Average.

[TheLeaper]

I find it hard to believe Sam never thinks to ask Al what happens to Donna.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by TheLeaper

I find it hard to believe Sam never thinks to ask Al what happens to Donna.

Almost everything in this episode is hard to swallow. But the reason that Sam doesn't need to ask Al at the end of the episode is because he 'just knew'.

[Lightning McQueenie]

Originally Posted by TheLeaper

I find it hard to believe Sam never thinks to ask Al what happens to Donna.

Originally Posted by blue enigma

Almost everything in this episode is hard to swallow. But the reason that Sam doesn't need to ask Al at the end of the episode is because he 'just knew'.

Didn't Sam leap out very quickly in this episode? Pretty much he leaves Donna with her father, speaks to Al (who tells him the Watergate is happening now), and at the same time the students in the car profess their love, and Sam leaps. I don't think Sam really had time to ask what happened to Donna...

Although, you are right, he can probably sense that she's going to be ok. Maybe he subconsciously sensed that his own history was changing - although he continued to be ignorant of their marriage.

[blue enigma]

Originally Posted by Lightning McQueenie

Didn't Sam leap out very quickly in this episode? Pretty much he leaves Donna with her father, speaks to Al (who tells him the Watergate is happening now), and at the same time the students in the car profess their love, and Sam leaps. I don't think Sam really had time to ask what happened to Donna...

Although, you are right, he can probably sense that she's going to be ok. Maybe he subconsciously sensed that his own history was changing - although he continued to be ignorant of their marriage.

In the stairwell, when Sam had just left Donna with her father and was dancing happily as he went down the stairs, Al said something along the lines of "now that you fixed things with her father she may marry the first guy she was engaged to". Sam said no, Al asked him how he knew and Sam said something like he knows or G/T/F/W is on his side, something like that (he looked/gestured skyward when he said it). Of course Al could've just consulted the hand link on his own -- he already did it in two earlier leaps without Sam asking. At any rate the entire discussion was centered on whether or not Sam got his way and Donna would now marry him. Through the whole episode neither of them really gave a damn whether Donna was 'okay' or not for her own sake regardless of what Sam might or might not get out of it personally.