Review of Original Quantum Leap S2E5: “Blind Faith”

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Scene from original Quantum Leap episode “Blind Faith” featuring Scott Bakula as Sam Beckett.

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I was inspired by part one of this Youtube review of original Quantum Leap’s pilot Genesis hosted by Price of Reason  to revisit the show.

As some of you know, I have been working my way through the “update” or “remake” or “continuation” or whatever you want to call it of Quantum Leap starring Raymond Lee, Caitlin Bassett, and Ernie (Ghostbusters) Hudson. However, I have only rarely reviewed anything from the Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell original from the 1990s.

I’m here to change that.

For your consideration, my review of the original QL S2E5 episode Blind Faith.

Sam Beckett (Bakula) leaps into a blind concert pianist Andrew Ross. It’s February 6, 1964 and Ross has just finished a performance at Carnegie Hall. His “unpaid assistant” and love interest Michelle Stevens (Cynthia Bain) is just off stage watching him with adoration.

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We Won!

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PHOTO PROMPT © David Stewart

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“The light! We won! The Violet Party won!”

The ballots had been counted throughout the night while the faithful of both parties waited patiently. Then in the pre-dawn chill, the verdict was pronounced. The Violet Party, fighting for Democracy, safety, knowledge, and love had won.

The filthy “yellows” crawled off tails-between-legs. The righteous “violets” cheered wildly in the streets.

Violet One made her expected victory announcement from the high window. “We are victorious. You may be at ease. Go to your jobs secure that we, your servants, shall make all of the difficult decisions. Your only duty is to obey.”

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“Pocket SciFi: Drabble Contest One” is Now Available!

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Cover art for the anthology “Pocket SciFi: Drabble Contest One”

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“Pocket SciFi: Drabble Contest One” is now available from Amazon both in Kindle and paperback formats. This is a unique publication from Starry Eyed Press in that it came to life as a drabble contest.

A drabble is a complete story that is told in exactly 100 words. You might think that writing such a story would be difficult, but with a bit of practice, it can be done.

For instance, every week, I participate in a fiction writing challenge at Rochelle Wisoff-Fields Addicted to Purple. She sends out emails every Wednesday for her “Friday Fictioneers” challenge, asking anyone who wants to participate to craft a poem or short story no more than 100 words long (also see this blog as mine are available here weekly).

It can be less, but I like to make it into a drabble challenge.

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Review of Quantum Leap S2E4 “The Lonely Hearts Club”

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Raymond Lee (L) and Tim Matheson (R) in the Quantum Leap episode “The Lonely Hearts Club”

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Every day when you wake up, there is an adventure to be had. Some are fun, some are scary, some are flat-out stupid. No matter how you slice it, life is meant to be lived. -Neal Russell (Tim Matheson)

That was one of the better things that came out of Quantum Leap Season 2, episode 4 The Lonely Hearts Club.

Yes, it’s as schmaltzy as it sounds and I almost didn’t watch it. In fact, I really had a tough time working up the motivation to watch the episode. What finally pulled me though was the main guest star being Tim Matheson.

I was ten years old during the original run of Jonny Quest. Tim voiced the title character (I own the series on DVD). Also, who isn’t thrilled watching the 1978 film National Lampoon’s Animal House, in which Tim plays “Otter?”

So yes, just to see Tim, I watched it.

Usually, I go into way too much detail so I’ll try to curb that.

Oh, in case you haven’t watched it yet…spoilers.

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Among the Living

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PHOTO PROMPT © Dale Rogerson

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Halloween, the Day of the Dead all blurred together for Eddie. It stretched from last Tuesday to early Monday morning. The deal he made was better than he expected. Sure, he died. Cancer was a relentless enemy and the reaper was always at his shoulder. But every year for a week he returned to life, free of haunting the house with the green door.

He didn’t realize how depressing life would become. Eddie died on V-J day, September 2, 1945. Right before he passed, they told him we’d won. They didn’t say how much they’d lose almost eighty years later.

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Review of “John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” (2019)

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Poster for the 2019 film “John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum”

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As I mentioned in yesterday’s review of John Wick: Chapter 2, today I’m reviewing John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum (2019).

It picks right up where Chapter 2 left off with John and his no name dog on the run. At first, as the one hour grace period granted him by Winston (Ian McShane) is being counted down by the announcer at “the office,” John seems to be running aimlessly. Of course it’s raining again, because rain makes everything seem more tragic and desperate.

All of the assassins in New York (I swear, half the city is made up of assassins) are eyeing him, waiting for the hour to expire. He finally gets an idea and hops into a cab, telling the driver to go to the New York Public Library (I’m assuming the main branch based on the interiors). However traffic is a nightmare (it is Manhattan). He gives the driver his last special gold coin (so the driver is part of the criminal underworld, too?) and tells him to take the dog to the Continental, making sure the dog gets to Charon personally (he does this, so “dog” is handled).

Next, John runs into the library and requests a specific book on Russian fairy tales. Finding it, he unseals a hollowed out opening to find an ornate rosary, several more coins, a marker, and a photo of him and his wife (Bridget Moynahan). There, even though his time isn’t up, he’s attacked by a very large man named Ernest (Boban Marjanovic) who says no one will know he was early.

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Review of “John Wick: Chapter 2” (2017)

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Poster for the 2017 film “John Wick: Chapter 2”

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It’s been about two years since I watched and reviewed the first “John Wick” (2014) film. I hadn’t realized it had been that long until I looked it up.

Yesterday, I was at the public library and saw Blu-rays for John Wick Chapter 2 and John Wick Chapter 3. Naturally, I checked them out and watched Chapter 2 last night.

I decided not to read my review of the first film, letting this one stand on its own. The action begins pretty much where the original left off.

Having secured another dog in the first movie, John (Keanu Reeves) is out to retrieve his beloved 1969 Ford Mustang. The dog and the car are special reminders of his deceased wife Helen (Bridget Moynahan). The Russian mobster Abram Tarasov (Peter Stormare) sits at his desk as he hears John invading his lair. His plan to pack up his operation and get away wasn’t in time.

John does manage to wreak havoc on Tarasov’s operation, but in the process, the Mustang is trashed, barely drivable. Managing to get back home, he retrieves his dog (which doesn’t have a name throughout the film) and the mechanic Aurelio (John Leguizamo) is doubtful of his ability to repair the severely damaged car any time soon.

Wick settles down to life with his dog, still mourning Helen. However he has a visitor.

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Review of Quantum Leap S2E3 “Closure Encounters”

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QUANTUM LEAP — “Closure Encounters” Episode 203 — Pictured: Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song — (Photo by: NBC)

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So finally, after the airing of Quantum Leap season 2, episode four (which is currently locked), NBC unlocks last week’s episode 3 Closure Encounters. I’m sure this is meant to summon visions of both UFOs and Ben (Raymond Lee) and Addison (Caitlin Bassett) trying to bring closure to their relationship. After all, she now has a new boyfriend (Tom Westfall played by Peter Gadiot), so Ben is out.

Ben leaps into a government agent named Cook who works for Project Sign (also called “Project Saucer”). After looking at his host’s ID, he knows this means he’s an UFO investigator.

How did he know that? I’ll buy Ian (Mason Alexander Park) knowing that piece of obscure trivia since they are a super nerd, but just because Ben’s a physicist, doesn’t mean he’s knows about it, even if all his memory has returned. Heck, I didn’t even know about it until I looked it up.

He’s with a farmer at night on his land. Supposedly three of the farmer’s cows went missing and he tells Ben “they (the aliens) hide in the trees.” Turns out they’re a bunch of kids playing games with lawn gnomes.

Yes, it’s this year’s “Halloween episode.” My guess is that Ben will have less trouble producing proof of little green men than he did the existence of God.

Addison shows up and Ben is less than pleased. He also finds written orders in his car saying he needs to proceed to New Mexico. A supposed UFO forced a car with two teenage girls off the road. Both are in the hospital and one is in a coma.

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The Year of Alan

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PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

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The first snow. Alan was around ninety. He felt relatively robust, needing only a cane to walk. He cherished this path. He ran down it when he was three in January to build his only snowman.

It was here he had his first kiss in March and was married in April. May was the time for their only child, but by then, Jean knew the truth.

Little Dianna was only six months but he could have been be her great-great grandfather. He was born in January and would die in December. The seasons of his life were but one year.

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“Shoot the Devil 2: Dark Matter” is Available NOW!

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This is it. Shoot the Devil 2: Dark Matter is available from Amazon now. Be the first to purchase and review this science fiction anthology of eleven stories pitting good vs. evil in the farthest reaches of deep space.

As I’ve mentioned before, the book features my short story “The Heavens Declare His Glory.” Here’s a short excerpt.

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