Quantum Leap #3: Miss Deep South

Miss Deep South

(07 June 1958)

Sam is...Darlene Monty (AKA Miss Sugar Belle), Southern Stunner.

The Mission: Find out why fellow beauty pageant contestant Connie Duncan disappears.

We now reach 'Beauty Pageant Contestant' in the big Quantum Leap checklist of feminine situations to put Sam into. The plot is quite a common one for this show, namely that Sam has to find out why/stop someone disappearing. Sam is a beauty pageant contestant and has to find out what happened to roommate Connie. In the end it turns out to be a sleazy photographer selling nudie photos of the contestants. 

Watching this again it reminded me of Sam's first foray into femininity in What Price Gloria. Sam is clearly hating being a woman again and going through the rigmarole of the contest with the parasol parade, swimsuit show and talent contest and it's a nice touch that he has to finish third in order to keep Darlene's life on track and thereby meaning he can't just ignore it. His relationship with Connie is reminiscent of Gloria too as the two share many nice moments together. Gloria was the stronger character and I think the actress was better but Connie is a different, more innocent person than the more independent Gloria. The time period is much the same as well with three years between both episodes settings and photographer Clifford, although sleazy, is a more low key performance than Buddy. 

Since we are now in the third season, Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell know their parts very well and Scott really shines in this episode with so many bits of physical business such as covering his face with his hand while talking to Al. Remarks are made on his masculine walking and grip and, again like Gloria, once he gets back into his room after his interview with Colonel Sanders, he immediately dispenses with the earrings and heels. There's a lovely reveal of him at the beginning of the episode too as he emerges from a bus and it dawns on him, thanks to a poodle skirt, that he's a woman again. There is of course also the Carmen Miranda outfit too and two great musical moments come out of this episode as Sam and Al perform Cuanto Le Gusta and later Sam give a great rendition of Great Balls of Fire. This show always made use of Scott Bakula's lovely singing voice and he's clearly loving it here and despite the character's reticence at entering a beauty contest he's overcome with genuine emotion at the end as it's revealed that he's won and it's lovely that he wishes his sister was there to see him win. 

Overall I liked it. It's not a favourite for me but still an enjoyable story. It comes at an interesting point in the series too. It's a comedy episode in between the chilling and a bit surreal Halloween story The Boogieman and racially charged Black On White On Fire. I have to wonder whether Sam would take his pageant teachings into his next lives and what the hell Darlene thought of 'her' performance of Great Balls of Fire. One minute she's on the bus to the contest and the next she's won it. There's a rather sober end for Connie too and we don't get the 'she became a famous actress' end but just the fact that she continued acting and led a good life. Quantum Leap often gave a rather low key end for its supporting characters, they may not make it but they would live a happy life. In the end, I guess that's what we all hope for.