Quantum Leap (TV Series) Lee Harvey Oswald - October 5, 1957 - November 22, 1963: Part 2 (1992) User Reviews

Terrific Premier to the Final Season

[sidmonge3032 · 15 October 2011]

I feel compelled to review this episode after reading the previous reviewer's opinion. He clearly did not understand the point behind this episode and is most likely not a fan of the show. As someone who has seen every episode, I would like to present a more useful review.

This is an excellent episode. After 4 seasons, the creators of Quantum Leap have thrown Sam into almost every situation imaginable. This time, they put him into a historical figure whose actions we are familiar with. In previous episodes Sam taught Chubby Checker the Twist, Michael Jackson the Moonwalk, and Buddy Holly the lyrics to Peggy Sue. We can't prove he didn't. But in this case, we know what Lee Harvey Oswald did. We know that JFK was assassinated. There is no way Sam can stop that. Part of the point behind this episode is simply to refute Oliver Stone's movie. Stone hypothesized that Oswald was part of a larger conspiracy. Quantum Leap looks at it as Oswald acting alone.

So why did Sam jump into Oswald? What can Sam change about the events of that day in Dallas? That is why we watch. It was a very well-made episode and I highly recommend it. Please ignore the previous reviewer's thoughts to the contrary.

Smart, historically accurate

[jaigurudavid · 10/10 · 11 May 2020]

100% better than that piece of dung based on the boring Stephen King novel "1963."

Sorry. Disappointing.

[wondercritic · 3/10 · 25 September 2021]

Quantum Leap was always an innovative show in my mind. But the episode about time travel back to Dallas in November 1963 just ended up toeing the "Party line." The big question is: did Oswald do it? The episode concludes that he did, and as soon as that was clear, the whole thing became more dirt-cheap propagation of establishment hooey, as if the CIA itself strong-armed the producers so they wouldn't stray too far from the Warren Commission's nonsensical version of the assassination. It could have been so much more interesting had the show's producers decided to at least leave some ambiguity in the plot. For those of us who believe Oswald was a patsy, this was a big let-down.

Why Does Oswald Overrule Sam But A Woman Never Did?

[richard.fuller1 · 1/10 · 25 September 2006]

This far-fetched adventure had Sam in Lee Harvey Oswald.

The conflict was that for some reason (perhaps I missed it in part one), Sam is being controlled by Oswald and all of his inner anger and hostilities.

Why did this never happen when Sam was in the KKK fella's mind, or a woman? Why did Sam seem so completely lost he was in an acrobat's body or some other figure with exceptional abilities? Only happens with Oswald, the diabolical Oswald who so crystallized the dear baby-boomers' era.

The saga runs very vague as well, leaping (which I suppose IS the name of the show) from one moment in Oswald's life to another.

There is a caption at the beginning that the episode is based on actual testimonies, reports, whatever concerning the Oswald case.

Fine.

The show would have been better off being a bit more creative and not trying to be Oliver Stone.

Check out an episode of the 1980s Twilight Zone sometime dealing with November 22, 1963, or an episode of Red Dwarf which also touched on how Kennedy surviving made the country worse due to extenuating circumstances (might haul that episode out again and watch it), much along the same lines that Joan Collins had to perish on the original Star Trek episode.

Red Dwarf took the approach to have Kennedy in essence become his own assassin for the betterment of America.

Not sure what this episode of QL was wanting, with Al threatening Oswald with a gun while he was in limbo.

The episode then ridiculously concludes that Sam did change history. Originally, Al says, Jackie was killed as well.

ta-dah.

They could have done more with what they had to work with, much more.

Interesting what it does propose is that there was no conspiracy, Oswald acted alone, totally contradicting Stone's JFK.

The '76 Hindenberg movie alleged that there was a bomb on the vessel. The movie hardly changed any theories about that being false or true.

Same could be said for these depictions of November 22, 1963.