What Price Gloria?
(16 October 1961)
Sam is: Samantha Stormer, sixties secretary.
The Mission: to stop Sam's flatmate Gloria from committing suicide.
This is perhaps the episode of Quantum Leap I have seen more than any other. I bought it on video back in the mists of time. They released episodes two to a tape and this shared it's space with The Americanization of Machiko in which Sam leapt into a sailor in 1953 bringing his Japanese war bride home to his small town. I've not seen it in years but still I was mouthing along with much of it, a sign of how well I know this episode.
Surprisingly, they didn't have the idea of leaping Sam into a woman until season two and as the first one it tackles all the things you would expect such as complaints about the clothing women have to wear and rampant sexism. I've never seen Mad Men but this feels like it could be much the same world but instead of advertising, Sam is thrust into the world of the automobile.
Scott Bakula puts in a wonderful performance as a grumpy Sam forced into heels and all kind of female activities and hating every minute of it especially after the elation of being called by his own name on a leap. He has some wonderful moments of physical comedy too especially when he's hobbling along in heels at the start. Dean Stockwell also has fun with Al who suddenly finds his best friend so attractive although I had to wonder how on Earth Al recognises Sam when he first leaps in. Indeed, the woman who plays Sam's mirror image (LaReine Chabut) probably had more to do here than any other mirror image in the whole series. I swear that one day I want to write an out of work actor character who's main claim to fame was appearing as the mirror image one week in Quantum Leap.
Most men in this are the stereotypical letches but then the plot requires it I suppose but then I've also no idea how rampant sexism was in the 1960s. The supporting actors do well here especially the excitable Gloria (Jean Sagal) (who does seem to go suicidal a bit quickly) and the slimy Buddy (John Calvin) who feel like they're having fun and help you believe the conceit. The dinner scene was used in the opening credits and it really made me want to see this episode, Sam's cheeky eyebrow raise was also fun. Gloria is saved (I wonder if the girls had to pay for all that falling masonry? Hope no-one was under it) and ready to change her career. It's a lovely twist that goldigger Samantha turns out to have the talent while Gloria goes on to marry Parker, the man she met on the date. Sam's final seduction of Buddy is a little odd to watch but it's shot very well. In the end, it almost feels like a public information film about gender dysphoria. A pretty woman to the rest of the world, we see her as the man she really is protesting that she's wearing the wrong body and expected to behave as such. I have to wonder what Samantha came back to when she leapt back. An assault charge? Perhaps Buddy wouldn't want to admit he was knocked out by a girl so he was more than happy to shunt her and Gloria onto the design course.
While looking at a couple of things on the net for this I realised that this is the one show I really don't want to know a lot about or read the usual torrent of bitchy posts. I would rather just leave as this wonderful little show from back in the 1990s. Not that it looks it though, the period detail is good and having a show set in the past ensures that it never looks that old. Samantha Stormer even makes brief return in the season three finale Shock Theater which, upon leaping into a mental patient in 1954, Sam is given electro shock treatment and starts thinking he is some of his previous personas.
I wouldn't say this is my favourite but it's certainly memorable even if it is a bit on message at times plus once they got Sam's initial discomfort with swapping sex out of the way they were able to explore the subject better.
