History Recap / QuantumLeapS3E02TheLeapHomePart2Vietnam

* CaptivePush: Sam's platoon is on a mission to rescue three American POWs, and we see them being rushed along a path while an embedded photojournalist hides in the brush and takes photos. One of the POWs is Al as a younger man.

-->'''Tom''': By now, Blaster's nowhere near where he wiped out. In fact, uh, by now, Blaster's probably (puff of air; looks up in contemplation) right about...
-->(Blaster triumphantly emerges on the shoreline while yelling)
-->'''Tom''': [[{{Troll}} (points to Blaster) ...there.]]

-->'''Tom''': (as Sam [[DrowningMySorrows slams down a beer]]) ''You'' didn't kill her, Magic.
-->'''Sam''': (plants bottle down) Well, she sure as hell didn't die the ''first time'' April the 8th, 1970 rolled around.
-->'''Tom''': (concerned) What are you talking about?
-->'''Al''': No, (Sam turns to face Al) but Tom ''did''.
-->'''Sam''': (while still looking at Al) Well, there it is, isn't it... I traded a life for a life.
-->'''Tom''': ...you are one weird dude, Magic.

--->'''Sam''': (narration) It was happening again, but not like it did the first time. Then, only Tom was killed. Now Maggie was joining him and only God know how many others. Maybe everyone on the chopper. Maybe I’d killed them all.

* NotSoDire: Downplayed: In [[Series/QuantumLeap2022 revival series]] (where Magic is a main character), we learn how the original history played for Operation Lazarus. Tom wasn't the only one who died; ''everyone'' on the platoon died on the mission.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Tia Carerra (Titi), Chris Obi (Magic) and Patrick Warburton (Blaster).

* SpiritualSuccessor: While both parts of "The Leap Home" share themes with "M.I.A", this episode (out of the two) is the most like a direct sequel to that episode. This episode sees someone flaunting the Project's rules in order to change one's personal history, someone being put at risk of dying in the line of fire, Al's history with Vietnam being a major plot point, and in turn [[SadisticChoice ultimately being forced to choose between getting Sam to change his future for the better, or helping him save someone else.]]

* RareGuns: Sam carries a Stoner 63, which was given to certain units like the [=SEALs=] for evaluation in the field. Even in fiction, this gun is rare.

* NotSoDifferent: Col. Griswald considers himself and Tom to be “fraternity brothers” since they both went to military academies: Griswald to West Point, Tom to Annapolis.

* RealityEnsues: In regards to Sam making Tom promise to hide in the deepest hole possible the day he was supposed to die: as Tom points out, even if he ''did'' do that, "any hole around here over three feet deep fills with water". Plus, Tom is ''on a mission''; he ''can't'' just hide out for the day.