From: roger@oit.itd.umich.edu (Roger Espinosa)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.tv,rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: QL: "DUfE": observations
Date: 12 Nov 1992 17:40:10 GMT
Organization: Instructional Technology Laboratory, University of Michigan
NNTP-Posting-Host: helen.oit.itd.umich.edu
Summary: The Lurker takes a stand on Leaping...


Yeah, spoilers on "Deliver us from Evil...



First, let me preface by saying that I've sort of been staying away from
QL since "The Leap Back" last year, because I loved the episode, loved
the new mileu, and new that the writers would continue making Sam the
Time Travelling Horn-ball. And I didn't want to deal with it.

But heck, the Oswald episode was interesting and different (except for
the stupid ending), and we have been postulating on an evil leaper 
since Year One, so I decided to tune in to this episode (especially
after noticing that Sam'd be leaping back into Jimmy). That said...

...feh. The episode did not agree with me.

The first half hour seemed rushed as hell. Sam's in Jimmy, supposed to
act like Jimmy, and suddenly he's not only acting giddy (understandable,
I guess), but he's also talking stupid -- offering advice to Frank,
Connie, and (drat) the boy. What's the deal? Maybe it was the crisis
counselor in me getting totally flustered: Sam doesn't assess the
current situation, and he's immediately saying "Hey, this is normal."

the Connie->Alia morph was interesting, and the mirror tricks were
delightful. What didn't make sense, of course, was why Connie was being
so nice to Jimmy, and *acting* the part *infinitely* better than Sam
ever has. Sorta weird. 

It all boils down to the speech. I was bored with Alia as Sam and her
went through their "Ohmigosh! You feel this way *too*" "Yes yes yes
Nobody else'd understand!" Barf. Like what does Donna think back at
PQL watching her time-travelling horn-ball hubby? ;-) The seduction
scene was inane -- does Sam have any ability to resist? We talk about
him being a prude, but *geez* if he doesn't catch the first case of
time travelling herpes, I don't know who will! Anybody count whether
he's worse than Captain Kirk yet?

But they sort of redeemed themselves with the false rape. Chilling,
indeed. And it was interesting when Sam started the "That's not Connie.
I'm not Jimmy" bit to Frank. Watching him trying to get out of the 
situation was good. But *then*, oh then, to have it end in that stupid
"good vs. evil" bit. Ack pht. And given the scale of Sam's leaps, it's
really hard to believe that the "Evil Leaper" is in caught in some
duality with him. 

About that Evil Leaper...fine, I could've dealt with one that was
Sam's intellectual equivalent, but totally amoral. That'd been nice.
I can almost take this victim approach. But to have this Alia-Zoey-
Lothos-comlink-door-*squawk* duality is just stupid. Stupid. It
borders on *cutesey*. Feh.

The two-day snap back in time was predictable, and I can handle it,
too, but some bits of it were weird. Why wasn't Connie there? Or
the kid? Why did it look so...*bright*? Ah...

...I'd put this episode on the calibre of "A Leap for Lisa." Lotsa
hype, interesting premise, but flat flat flat. If QL is heading for
GimmickLand (witness: girl sidekick in Airwolf! witness: *Super*
Pursuit Mode! :-), we deserve a kicking finale (with Donna! and Tom!
and Al with some modicum of happiness!), instead of being left leaping
in fehville.

Roger
("Quick, Sam! Get in the LeapMobile! Zoey's got the EvilLothosCopter
hot on our tail!")