QUANTUM LEAP - REUNIONS
ACT 1B
THE PAST - LOCATION OF DRIVE-BY SHOOTING
Details left open for Producer/Director to pick the city
(small town, large city, or the one with the worst
incident of drive-by shootings) and types of gangs to
get ethnic backgrounds for names and dialogue.
Sam materializes as himself in a Leap. Dialogue reveals
background on Leap reference gang violence. Sam is
there to stop a drive-by shooting that kills a child.
Sam gets to know the family; tries to get to know the
gangs involved; can't get to the leader; can't stop the
shooting.
INT. HOUSE OF VICTIMS OF SHOOTING - NIGHT
When the shooting occurs, Sam saves the child but the
child's grandmother is killed instead.
Sam is devastated by the death of the grandmother. He
feels guilty; feels he has failed. He is on the floor,
holding the grandmother in his arms, talking to
himself. Lamenting his guilt and grief. People in the
open doorway hear him; mistakenly accuse him of being
involved in the shooting. Gang members outside
overhear the accusations.
Sam is about to be arrested by the police for his
assumed "involvement". The mother of the child stops
them. After the police question him and the mother
further, they discover he saved the child and was
trying to stop the shooting.
The police leave.
EXT. HOUSE OF VICTIMS OF SHOOTING - NIGHT
Members of the "violated" gang outside the victims'
home are not able to hear the police questioning Sam or
the mother. They still think Sam was involved in the
shooting. When the police leave without arresting him,
they assume they will be denied justice because of
racial discrimination; the fact that Sam is white has
kept him from being arrested. Not knowing better and
still blaming him, they seek their own revenge by
going after him, but he escapes. They chase him - type
of chase scene dependent on location of the Leap; city
and what is available.
During the chase, Voice-over is used to explain that
Sam realizes that instead of being himself, he should
have been one of the actual people involved to have the
influence required to set things right; the best choice
would be an actual member of the gang. Must decide
who he should be to have the best advantage, and he
must wait till he is alone to leap.
He decides which gang member he should be; the
highest up in the gang that he has met to date. But he
can't get alone to leap; this point is stressed. He
always waits until he is alone or there is a large
distraction misdirecting everyone's attention, so no
one sees him disappear. Does not understand why he
can't get alone to leap.
INT. QUANTUM LEAP CONTROL ROOM - THE FUTURE
Her emotions taking control of her better judgement,
Donna tries to leap to Sam. She is alone in the control
room. Appropriate conversation to herself during her
attempt: technical to Ziggy to attempt the leap, and
talking to Sam to tell him she is coming.
Donna dies in the process.
Al and Gushie rush into the control room just as Donna
loses her life. They are shocked and grief stricken.
They try to do something to reverse the process.
Appropriate technical conversation during this
attempt.
As others enter the control room, they immediately
proceed to their various stations and attempt to help
in the recovery process, but they are unable to do
anything.
Ziggy verifies the loss of Donna.
GUSHIE
Oh, dear. This is extremely
terrible.
AL
I should've been here!
GUSHIE
There was no way you could have
known, Admiral.
AL
I should 'of realized she'd try
something on her own... I should
'of known how serious she really
was about this whole rescue
business and talked her out of it.
GUSHIE
But, Admiral, we both tried to talk
her out of it with great effort; to
no avail. I am certain there was
nothing more either of us could
have done.
AL
Yeah? Well, I could 'of at least
stayed with her. Kept an eye on
her.
GUSHIE
Admiral, given the circumstances,
you did everything you possibly
could have done. Honestly.
AL
(looks up toward Ziggy)
Sam. Where are ya? Talk about a
need to put something right that
has gone wrong. Well, here it is...
Where are ya, buddy?
GUSHIE
(looks away from Al, up
toward Ziggy)
Dr. Beckett is going to be quite
distraught over this turn of
events.
AL
(looks at Gushie)
He can't be told!
Gushie looks at Al.
AL
He mustn't ever know. He doesn't
remember he's married; we can't
tell him his wife is dead.
(looks down, resignedly)
If he knew, it would kill him... I
don't know what I'd do if I lost
Beth. I don't know what I'd do if I
found out I might 'of been able to
prevent it.
(looks up toward Ziggy)
Dear God, I've never once
questioned you in this crazy
project; but how could you let this
happen? How could ya keep
Donna's husband away from her
for such a long time? Why did you
even let them get married? Why
didn't you let her marry that first
guy she left at the alter, instead of
marrying Sam? ....Why? Sam has
done so much good for others. It's
not fair. Dear God, please don't let
this happen.... It's not fair.
Close up, frontal view of both men; Gushie looking at
Al, Al looking at Ziggy.
Al looks down and away; repeats an inaudible "Not
fair..."
GUSHIE
(still looking at Al; he
awkwardly tries to comfort
him)
Admiral, please believe me. There
really was nothing more you could
have done.
(looks up at Ziggy)
Nothing at all.
FADE OUT
1ST REUNION
FADE IN:
EXT. STREETS OF THE CITY - NIGHT
Sam suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself alone
where no one will see him disappear. He is at first
uncomfortably stricken with an uneasy sense that
something is wrong.
He hears and looks toward sounds indicating someone
is approaching. His uneasy feeling is replaced with a
sense of urgency; he leaps.
INT. QUANTUM LEAP CONTROL ROOM - THE FUTURE
Sudden flashing lights and chaotic activity in the
control room. Gushie, unexpectedly calm, calls out
instructions to others as he works the controls.
GUSHIE
Admiral, someone is in the Waiting
Room. Please proceed there at
once.
AL
(Rushes toward the Imaging
Chamber)
My God, Donna! If you'd just been
patient a little longer. Here he is!
GUSHIE
(still working controls)
Admiral! Not the Imaging Chamber.
Please calm yourself and go
immediately to the Waiting Room.
Al stops and turns to Gushie. He is about to make a
verbal protest. Instead, he continues on to the
Imaging Chamber.
AL
(bangs on the Chamber door)
Open up, Gushie.
GUSHIE
(still working controls)
Admiral. Follow standard
operating procedures and go
interrogate the person in the
Waiting Room while Ziggy gets a
lock on Dr. Beckett.
AL
(stops - faces Gushie)
Gushie, it's been 5 years! I don't
care about the person in the
Waiting Room. I've got ta get to
Sam.
(pounds on the door)
Ziggy, manual override....
GUSHIE
(still working controls)
Please, Admiral. I understand how
anxious you are. I acknowledge
and agree with your concern for
Dr. Beckett.
(stops working the controls
and looks at Al)
It is precisely my concern for him
that dictates we should not make
any errors at this point which
might cause us to lose him again;
now that we have a positive
opportunity to lock on to him.
(goes back to controls)
AL
(Stops - faces Gushie)
Yeah, ok... OK... you're right.
SOP.... Now that we've found him,
we'll do it by the book....
(heads off to the Waiting
Room)
No mistakes... We've got him. We'll
do it right, by the numbers...
Damn it, Sam, you'd better wait for
me!=1A