So TV Writers Do Have A Sense of Humor

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A reader writes: So I was home from work today, watching Quantum Leap on the ION network (of course). Today's exciting episode was when Sam leaps back into the body of a star high school football player. His team, the Jaguars, has made it to the championship game and with "Chewy", the team's star wide receiver, they're a sure bet to win. But, as we cleverly learn from the episode, there is no such thing as sure bet to win; rather, the only sure bet is a bet to lose. For you see, Chewy's illegal immigrant mother is behind on her rent payment to the non-illegal, Raul Julia-esq landlord. Though the landlord offers to let the mother have sex with him to cover the $800 payment (Seems like a steep price. Especially considering that the episode takes place in the 1960s. My math might not be completely accurate but that's like a million dollars in today's money), she refuses and instead Raul Julia convinces Chewy to throw the big game.

Does Chewy purposely lose the game?... No, no he does not. But more importantly are the questions that remain unanswered. Would it be morally and/or ethically reprehensible for Sam to pursue the cheerleader interested in the body that he leaped into? At first you may think it inappropriate, after all, Sam Becket must be close to 40. However, if he's in the body of a 17 year-old, then he owes to that person (who by the way had no say in the decision to have his body and mind temporarily replaced) to act as that 17 year old. My parents met in high school. What if during that one special encounter where my parents realized that they loved each other enough to get married and eventually have me, Sam Becket had leaped into my Dad and due to his high moral standards (not to mention possible high overall standards — sorry mom) decided to ignore the advances of my mother. Then what? Well, I'll tell you. The answer is that there would be no marriage, which means no me, which means no e-mail to you and no awesome image taken from my cellphone of the name of one of the football players from the episode on the locker there.

aaaaand scene.

— Jeremy