M.I.A. - April 1, 1969 (9 May 1990)

Al tells Sam that he has to convince a Navy nurse that her MIA husband is still alive, but Sam keeps getting signals that he has another mission.

Director:

Michael Zinberg

Writers:

Donald P. Bellisario (creator), Donald P. Bellisario

Stars:

Scott Bakula, Dean Stockwell, Doug Bauer

Cast

Episode credited cast:
Scott Bakula	...	Dr. Sam Beckett
Dean Stockwell	...	Admiral Al Calavicci
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Doug Bauer	...	Jake Rawlins
Jason Beghe	...	Roger Skaggs
Susan Diol	...	Beth Calavicci
Norman Large	...	Dirk Simon
Bob Mendel	...	Hippie Boy
Gregory Millar	...	Pusher
Javi Mulero	...	Taco Man
Sierra Pecheur	...	Carol
William Shockley	...	Boner
Pat Skipper	...	Tequila
Cyd Strittmatter	...	Hippie Girl (as Cyndi Strittmatter)
Leticia Vasquez	...	Rosalie
Dan Ziskie	...	Sergeant Riley

Storyline

Sam leaps into the body of a newly promoted police detective Jake Rawlins. His task is to keep a woman, Beth, from falling in love with a lawyer she is about to meet. Her husband has been listed as missing in action and is in fact in a North Vietnamese prisoner of war camp. Sam doesn't quite get there in time and the two meet. He soon realizes however that Al has been less than honest with him about why it's important they not meet. In fact, Sam has leaped into Rawlins body to keep a junkie from killing his partner, Sgt. Roger Skaggs.

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Plot Keywords:

hairy chest | bare chested male | 1960s | number in title

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Family | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Details

Release Date:

9 May 1990 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The initials in the title stand for Missing In Action, a serviceman who never returns from war and his body is never located or identified.

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Quotes

Admiral Al Calavicci: I love her. Beth was the only woman I ever wanted to grow old with. That's why all my marriages never worked after that. Sam, if you're lucky, life's gonna give you one shot at true love. Beth was mine. I lost her, but you could get her back for me.
Dr. Sam Beckett: God, Al, I wish I could, but I can't.

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Soundtracks

"Georgia On My Mind"
Written by Hoagy Carmichael and Stuart Gorrell
Performed by Ray Charles

User Reviews

MIA - a classic!

MIA is one of the most important episodes for the series. It's premise and plot is revisited in the Series Finale, "Mirror Image." The love story between Al and his first wife Beth is set up here. It starts out a fairly mundane leap for Same, but there is something going on that Sam has yet to figure out, and Al is not telling him the whole story! It sets up the reason for the torch Al carries life-long for his first wife. The very last scene, between Al and Beth, is so beautiful, however it must be seen for the first time in it's original form, not on the newly released DVD set. The music has been changed from it's original airing form and has changed the tone and meaning of the scene quite a bit. But it remains the beginning of a superb love story.