Quantum Leap
Season 2, Episode 3:
The Americanization of Machiko
Written by Donald Bellisario and Charlie Coffey
Directed by Gilbert M. Shilton
Airdate: October 11, 1989.
August 4, 1953
Sam leaps into Charlie, a Navy sailor who recently married a Japanese woman named Machiko. Charlie’s mother refuses to accept their marriage. Naomi, an old flame, tries to break them up. WWII vet Rusty seethes with racist hate and assaults Machiko.
Tropes:
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Naomi acts nice to Machiko in order to manipulate and humiliate her.
- Continuity Snarl: At the end of the original run of this episode, Sam leaps into Jesse Tyler from "The Color Of Truth", an episode which had already aired the previous season. This represents a continuity error, and the ending leap should have been into Samantha Stormer from the next episode, "What Price Gloria?".note This was later fixed for syndication.
- Culture Clash: As to be expected when a sailor brings a Japanese bride home to an Ohio town not long after World War II. Machiko's attempts to do things as she would back in Japan are immediately dismissed by Lenore as strange and inappropriate, though Henry is more understanding. Machiko trying to fit in as a typical American also goes poorly, though this is largely due to Naomi setting her up to fail.
- Cunning Linguist: Sam is surprised to find himself easily speaking Japanese to Machiko, but Al tells him that he exemplifies this trope—"You speak 7 modern languages and 5 dead ones."
- Formula-Breaking Episode: Downplayed, retroactively: It wouldn't be until later on in the show that Sam's birth date is established as being August 8th, 1953. Sam leaps in four days prior.note
- Funny Foreigner: Zig-Zagged. Machiko has some funny moments as a Fish out of Water. But the bigotry she faces is a serious matter.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Lenore suddenly gets hit with this after Charlie and Henry blast her for her cruel words to Machiko, realizing that she may have genuinely put her life in danger.
- My Greatest Failure: Lenore's failure to forgive Eileen when she had the chance and how that may've motivated the suicide hang over her.Henry: Some people can never forgive. Not even themselves.
- Nice Guy: Henry. Sam sees a lot of his own father in the man and instinctively trusts him. He proves to be a very understanding and tolerant person, especially in contrast to his wife and other locals.
- Not What It Looks Like: Machiko is shocked to walk in on the scantily clad Charlie and Naomi rolling around, but this is because she was literally throwing herself at him and ignoring his repeatedly telling her "no".
- Obnoxious In-Laws: Lenore is openly antagonistic and dismissive towards Machiko. Averted with Henry, who immediately takes a liking to her and supports the relationship.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Henry is less forceful than Lenore for most of the episode, but when her bad attitude causes Machiko to run away into an oncoming storm, he yells at her for what she's done.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Henry and Lenore had a daughter named Eileen. The girl got knocked up and was repeatedly ridiculed for it in town. She died following a car accident, and it's believed to have been a suicide.
- Parting-Words Regret: Lenore had shunned Eileen for getting knocked up and being ridiculed as the town joke. By the time she had finally moved past it, Eileen had died.
- Pet the Dog: Naomi's a bitch, no doubt, but it appears that she was genuinely Eileen's friend and tried to be there for despite the scandal over her unwed pregnancy.
- Politically Incorrect Villain: Rusty blames all Japanese people for his negative World War II experience. He graffitis Charlie’s car and attempts to rape Machiko.
- Prejudice Aesop: Charlie’s American family and friends must learn to accept Japanese Machiko.
- The Scapegoat: Lenore turns out to be using Machiko as a way to vent the frustration she has for herself over what happened to Eileen and her failure to make amends before she died. Henry points it out at the hospital.
