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2Previous: Recap/QuantumLeapS5E13Liberation\
3Next: Recap/QuantumLeapS5E15BloodMoon]
4
5'''''Series/QuantumLeap'''''\
6'''Season 5, Episode 14:'''
7
8!Dr. Ruth
9
10Written by Robin Jill Bernheim
11
12Directed by Stuart Margolin
13
14Airdate: January 19, 1993
15
16------------
17
18April 25, 1985
19
20Sam leaps into famous sex therapist [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Westheimer Dr. Ruth Westheimer]] in the middle of her popular radio show. His mission is to save the teetering romance between her producers, while concurrently saving the life of a woman whose boss has a psychotic obsession with her.
21
22Meanwhile, back in the Waiting Room in 1999, Dr. Ruth must help Al work out his love life.
23
24!!Tropes
25
26* AllAbusersAreMale: Annie's boss Jonathan is harassing her and creepily stalking her.
27* AsHimself: Dr. Ruth Westheimer plays herself both in the mirror and in the Waiting Room.
28* AttemptedRape: Jonathan attempts to rape Annie, but Sam shows up right in the nick of time to stop him.
29* BlamingTheVictim: Sort of. Annie's boss tries to deflect Sam's suspicion by claiming Annie is the one obsessed with him.
30* FormulaBreakingEpisode:
31** This is the first episode with a real life celebrity leapee, and the only episode where the leapee plays themselves.
32** This is also the first (and only) time Sam leaps into a woman immediately after having been a woman in his previous leap.
33** This episode does not have the usual ending showing Sam leaping into the time and person of the next episode. Instead, episode ends showing the leap out in the Waiting Room, as we see Dr. Ruth replaced with Lord Nigel Corrington from [[Recap/QuantumLeapS5E15BloodMoon the next episode]] leaping in.
34* FreudianExcuse: Dr. Ruth works out that the reason Al has problems with commitment is because of abandonment issues stemming from losing his family at a young age, and losing his marriage to Beth while a POW.
35* GenderBender: Sam leaps into Dr. Ruth Westheimer.
36* TheGhost: Tina is discussed by Al and Dr. Ruth, but she does not make an appearance.
37* GutFeeling: After taking Annie's phone call on the radio show, then meeting Annie at the book signing, Sam tells Al that he feels like his actual mission is to save Annie from Jonathan.
38* HoodHopping: During the climax, Sam is trying to stop a woman from being murdered and the taxi he's in gets caught in a traffic jam. Having no time to spare, he exits the cab and runs to the woman's apartment by leaping from car to car.
39* HurricaneOfEuphemisms: Al can't bring himself to say "breasts" when describing Tina.
40-->'''Al:''' Ah, well, um...oh well, hahaha, she’s got...great...casabas.\
41'''Dr. Ruth:''' What are these "casabas?"\
42'''Al:''' Well, you know, melons, ho-has, honkers, hooters, headlights, ta-tas, teeters, tweeters, tom-toms, tee-tees?\
43'''Dr. Ruth:''' Say it!\
44'''Al:''' I’m ''trying'' to say it! Meatballs, mangos, cream pies, cupcakes, ah...bangers, bouncers, bolumbas!\
45'''Dr. Ruth:''' ''Al!''\
46'''Al:''' Bazongas! BREASTS! I said it!\
47'''Dr. Ruth:''' You see, it wasn’t that hard.\
48'''Al:''' Yes it was.
49* LoveEpiphany: Dr. Ruth helps Al realize that even though his relationship with Tina isn't like what he had with his OneTrueLove Beth, it is still love, just different.
50* MeanwhileInTheFuture: One of the episode's subplots takes place back in 1999, with Dr. Ruth in the Waiting Room helping Al work through his relationship issues.
51* NearRapeExperience: "Dr. Ruth" shows up in the nick of time to stop Annie from being raped by her boss.
52* ThirdLineSomeWaiting: There are three subplots going on.
53** First, there's Sam's projected mission, where he has to play matchmaker to Doug and Debbie.
54** Then there's Sam's gut feeling about Annie, who he feels like he has to save from Jonathan.
55** Separately, back in the future, there's a subplot about Dr. Ruth in the Waiting Room helping Al with his commitment issues.
56* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: Variation for [[Recap/QuantumLeapS5E15BloodMoon the next episode]]: the episode ends in the Waiting Room with Lord Nigel leaping in, then BreakingTheFourthWall and hissing while baring his fangs. The fact that he leaped with his fangs immediately proves that they're real and he's really a vampire (since fake fangs very likely would've stayed with Sam), spoiling the next episode's TwistEnding.
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