Recap / Quantum Leap S 2 E 02 Disco Inferno

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Quantum Leap
Season 2, Episode 2:

Disco Inferno

Al: You're in Burbank, California, April 1st, 1976.
Sam: What, are you telling me I'm the butt of some cosmic April Fool's joke?

Written by Paul Brown

Directed by Gilbert Shilton

Airdate: September 27, 1989

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April 1, 1976

Sam is disgusted to find himself having leaped into a disco from The '70s; turns out, he's actually a movie stuntman named Chad Stone. He's there to stop Chad's younger brother Chris from being killed in a movie stunt gone wrong.

Tropes:

• The Alleged Computer: Ziggy is unreliable in this episode due to a recent crash. Al even mentions that Ziggy added an extra zeroes to everyone's paychecks, and "half the staff rushed out on vacation."
• Anyone Remember Pogs?: Sam is amused to find some "old 8-track tapes" in Chad's car. Chris tells him that he just bought them.
• Artistic License – History: invoked The setting of the episode really does snap in half like a Kit Kat bar if you know much about 1976:
  • Sam does a stunt for Earthquake, which came out in 1974.
  • Sam finds a Village People tape in Chad's car. The Village People weren't formed and didn't release an album until 1977.
  • April 1, 1976 was a Thursday, so Saturday Night Live wouldn't have even been on. Plus, the sketches that Sam, Chris, and Shannon watch are from the wrong years:
    • The Family Feud sketch aired on January 1, 1978, and featured the Coneheads, who weren't even a sketch on the show until 1977.
    • The very next sketch about Gerald Ford originally aired on November 22, 1975.
    • Further, the first sketch features Bill Murray, and the second features Chevy Chase, who infamously weren't on the show at the same time.
  • The footage of Gerald Ford falling down was from 1975.
• Asshole Victim: Ray slugs Rick at the end for cutting corners and putting his sons' lives into jeopardy.
• Awful Truth: Al pretty much says as much when Sam realizes what happened to Tom.
  Al: [somberly] That's one part of your memory I was hoping you wouldn't get back.
• Bathos: After an entire episode about varying degrees of family strife, all centered around Sam being forced to remember his dead brother, the ending scene is entirely staged around the cast watching Gerald Ford forget how stairs work.
• Big Brother Instinct: Discussed about Tom, when Sam uses I Have This Friend to tell Chris about how Tom pushed Sam into seeking out science.
• Big Brother Worship: Chris has this for Chad, which helps Sam remember what he had with his own older brother. This eventually leads Sam to remember that Tom died in Vietnam.
• The Cameo: Stock footage of Lorne Greene in Earthquake shows up when Sam does the Earthquake stunt.
• The Casanova: Invoked. Since Sam doesn't know the names of the women that Chad has romanced, they think he's just some insensitive clod who only uses them for sex. Given how Chris begs "Chad" not to hit on Shannon, they're probably not far off the mark.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Sam first meets Tracy on the set of Disco Inferno, where she says she's in charge of the music on the movie. He later gets her to help kickstart Chris' music career.
• Dead All Along: When Sam first remembers his older brother, he asks Al how he's doing. He later comes to a sobering realization.
  Sam: Yeah, now I know how Tom felt. I always thought he was putting me down; y'know, trying to tell me what to do. But by the time I figured out he was just lookin' out for me, it was too late because he was... [realizing] Tom's dead, isn't he?
• Disco Sucks: Sam's disgust for disco is palpable throughout the episode. Chris also briefly complains about not being able (or willing) to play disco music live.
• Eating the Eye Candy: Tracy clearly is having a ball watching a shirtless "Chad."
• Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: With all the stress of having to be the big brother, Sam says he has a better understanding of Tom and all the guy did for him, but talking about this gives way to his realization that Tom is dead.
  Al: Sometimes it's tough bein' a big brother.
  Sam: Yeah, now I know how Tom felt. I always thought he was putting me down; y'know, trying to tell me what to do. But by the time I figured out he was just lookin' out for me, it was too late because he was... [realizing] Tom's dead, isn't he?
• Fake-Out Opening: Sam leaps in during the cold opening, and finds out (to his disgust) that he's in a disco. He's then shot by a killer with a shotgun. After the opening theme song and credits roll, we find out that Sam has actually leaped into a stuntman filming a scene on a low budget movie called Disco Inferno.
• Foreshadowing: Tom's ultimate fate is hinted at early, when Al looks noticeably displeased over Sam first remembering the guy. Al is insistent on abiding by the usual rules and changing the subject. Sam's narration later notes some deep down dread that makes him afraid of trying to remember more about Tom.
  • "...Al? How was he killed?" "...who?" "What do you mean 'Who'?! Chris!"
• The Ghost: Outside of a photo of Sam's that Al shows him at the end of the episode, we never get to see Tom. Now, granted, there's an understandable reason why...
• No OSHA Compliance: Rick, the sleazy director of Disco Inferno, intentionally moves forward with the fire stunt without checking things or rehearsing, and this would've gotten Chris killed if not for Sam.
• Not So Above It All: Sam spends much of the episode complaining about Tracy's mood ring stuck on his pinky finger, but he's actually happy to see it turn blue after he rescues Chris.
• Oh, Crap!: Sam when first remembering his older brother.
• Out-of-Character Alert: When Sam expresses interest in Shannon getting Chris and him access to a speech held by President Ford, Chris is momentarily befuddled, since the only election Chad ever voted in was for homecoming king, and he voted for himself.
• Really Gets Around: Pretty much every woman in the episode has either slept with Chad, and/or wants to.
• Repressed Memories: Discussed by Sam's narration; his Swiss-cheesed mind is still trying to pick up details about his brother Tom, but he notes that he's suddenly afraid to remember more. When he does, it turns out it's because Tom died in Vietnam.
• The '70s: Sam repeatedly shows distaste for the Seventies, groaning over disco and his leapee's platform boots, and rolling his eyes at Tracy's mood ring. Al, on the other hand, is completely within his element.
  Al: Yeah, well, it was one of the happiest times of my life! You had disco, swinging singles, hot tubs, est, mantras, Farrah Fawcett, edible underwear...
  Sam: The "Me" Decade, where everybody had the morality of two dogs in the park.
• "Staying Alive" Dance Pose: Sam leaps in while Chad is posed like this.
• This Is Going to Be Huge: Chris says that he can't play disco on his guitar. Sam says he has a feeling that disco will die off in a few years.
• Tragic Intangibility: Sam is unable to touch the photo of Tom that Al shows him.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Chris wants his dad Ray to be proud of him for pursuing music, but Ray only gets drunk and insults him, so Chris signs up for Disco Inferno's fire stunt. Ray later admits to Sam that he became a stuntman because Chad and Chris' grandfather had also been one, and Ray wanted to prove himself.
  Ray: I dunno, I guess provin' things is in the ol' Stone blood, huh?
• Wham Line: "Tom's dead, isn't he?"
• You Are Not Alone: Watching the family recover from this disaster, Sam says it's made him reflect on how alone he feels and that he can't even think back on people from his old life. Al reminds Sam that he's always got him by his side.