Fate's Wide Wheel: A Quantum Leap Podcast

Sam leaps into Terry Sammis, a.k.a. Nikolai Russkie, one-half of the tag team wresting duo The Battling Russkies. Shortly after Sam arrives, the duo get a shot for the title in a championship match. In the original history, Terry’s brother, Ronnie, die from cardiac arrest during the match. Sam must find a way to keep Ronnie from wrestling. Sam Fain and Dennis are joined by professional wrestler, L...

Sam leaps into Jesus Ortega…just as he is being strapped into an electric chair and being told by a guard to “think of some place far away.” He receives a last-minute reprieve the governor, and 48 hours to prove Jesus’ innocence. Sam Fain and Dennis discuss the episode.

Sam leaps into Gordon O’Reilly, a bounty hunter taking his latest catch, Diane Frost, to justice. Diane has been accused of forging $1 million worth of checks from her boss. She confesses to doing it, but swears she did it for a good cause: Her boss had swindled the money from elderly people, including her own mom, and she was just trying to return the money to them. In the original history, Gordo...

Sam leaps into Jeffrey “Tonic” Mole, lead singer of the KISS-esque 70s band, King Thunder. In the original history, Tonic was originally killed by someone in the crowd as he was leaving after a concert in Detroit. Sam must figure out who is going to kill Tonic, and suspects abound! In the meantime, Sam gets to rock out with “Hot Spot”, “Rock the Red Head”, and of course, our namesake, “Fate’s Wide...

Sam leaps into Gilbert LaBonte, the owner of a New Orleans bordello (AKA “The LaBonte Quilting and Sewing Academy”.) As LaBonte, Sam must prevent the disappearance and eventual murder of Gina, one of the women in the house. Ziggy says that whatever happened to her, it started at the bordello on this night.

Sam is Chuck Danner, lounge lizard extraordinaire. As Chuck, Sam is reunited with his ex, Lorraine, who’s life he disappeared from three years ago for mysterious reasons. Sam must…oh, come on! We’re all here for “Somewhere in the Night”, right??? Sam and Dennis discuss the episode, and try out a new, streamlined format. Let us know what you think!

Sam and Dennis are still on break, but here’s one from the archives, talking about the Season 2 premiere, “Honeymoon Express”. We’ll be back next week with a new episode, talking about Season 3’s “Piano Man”. *** Sam is Tom McBride, a New York police detective, starting his honeymoon with his new bride on the way to Niagra Falls. Sam must prevent her possessive ex-husband from kidnapping her, and...

We’re taking a couple of weeks off for other events and to tweak our format. Here’s one from the archives! Sam leaps into Jesse Tyler, an elderly black chauffeur to Ms. Melny Trafford, an elderly white women. Sam is there to prevent Ms. Melny from driving her car into the path of an oncoming train the following day, but when Sam, unaware he’s leapt into a black man, sits at a lunch counter in segr...

Shake your booty! Sam leaps into Rod McCarty, aka “Rod the Bod”, a Chippendales dancer in New York City. As Rod, Sam must help Diana, a young waitress who originally fell into a life of prostitution before ultimately dying from complications from AIDS. Sam must prevent that, and he think he knows how: He wants to help Diana get admitted to a budding dance company, headed by the influential Joanna...

Sam leaps into Kenny Sharp, AKA Future Boy, the sidekick of Captain Galaxy, the star of the St. Louis-based kids show,  Time Patrol . Sam is there to save the life of Moe Stein, the actor who plays Captain Galaxy. In two days, he will day attempting to jump a freight train (yeah, we have issues with that), and the only way to save him may be to have him committed to a mental institution. But Moe h...

In the winter of 1991, Quantum Leap came this close to being cancelled. Luckily, a huge letter writing campaign with messages from over 50,000 fans brought the show back from the brink. On March 6th, the show returned with 8 1/2 Months. Sam leaps into Billie Jean Crockett, a 16-year-old pregnant teenager in Claremont, Oklahoma. In the original history, Billie … [Continue reading 8 1/2 Months – Nov...

Sam leaps into Butchie Rickett, a 13-year-old kid on a cross country vacation with his family – Dad Hank, mother Emma and sister, Alexander. Al says Emma is going to disappear on the night of the 4th, never to be seen or heard from again. It is assumed she will abandon the family after running … [Continue reading Runaway – July 4, 1964 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubrry.net/2018/07/31/runaway-jul...

Bonus episode this week! This is a preview episode of Dad to the Future, Dennis’ new podcast about fatherhood and marriage, through the lens of time travel nerdery. In the episode, Dennis has a conversation with Fate’s Wide Wheel co-host Sam Fain, who was just five days into fatherhood at time of the recording. Sam and Dennis … [Continue reading PREVIEW EPISODE: Dad to the Future →](http://fwwquan...

It’s Christmas in July. God bless us, everyone! Sam leaps in Reginald Pierson, the personal valet of Michael Blake, a Scrooge-like New York City businessman. As Pierson, Sam must save Blake’s soul, and gets a little help from Al, who – thanks to a glitch in how similar Sam’s and Blake’s brainwaves are (read: convenient … [Continue reading A Little Miracle – December 24, 1962 →](http://fwwquantumle...

Sam leaps into Shane “Funny Bone” Thomas, a biker in a motorcycle gang. As Shane, Sam must prevent the death of Becky, the girlfriend of the lead biker of the gang. Content warning: Given some of the events of the episode, we discuss sexual assault and rape, and how that conversation changed in the light … [Continue reading Rebel Without a Clue – September 1, 1958 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubr...

Sam leaps into Harry Spontini, a small-time magician with big dreams. Harry’s estranged wife, Maggie, returns with her new fiancé, and it turns out she wants custody of their daughter, Jamie. Sam must find a way to keep father and daughter together. Sam and Dennis discuss the episode, talk way too much about the short-lived … [Continue reading The Great Spontini – May 9, 1974 →](http://fwwquantuml...

We often talk on this show about Quantum Leap episodes that haven’t aged well, especially with our more socially-conscious 2018 sensibilities. Here’s one that is – all too unfortunately – very timely. It almost feels like it could have been written today. Sam leaps into Ray Harper, a young black medical student living in Watts, … [Continue reading Black on White on Fire – August 11, 1965 →](http:/...

Sam leaps into Darlene Monte, a beauty pageant contestant on her way to compete in the Miss Deep South competition. There, he meets another contestant, Connie Duncan, who is going to disappear before the competition begins after being seduced into taking nude photos by Clint Beaumont, the pageant’s photographer. Sam must change her fate, while … [Continue reading Miss Deep South – June 7, 1958 →](...

*In Quantum Leap lore, it’s bad luck to say or write the full title of this episode, but if you’re listening to this, you probably already knew that. Sam leaps into Joshua Ray, a second-rate horror novelist in Covington, Maine. Al says Sam is there to stop the murder of Joshua’s fiancée, Mary; her body will be … [Continue reading The B***ieman (The Halloween Episode)* – October 31, 1964 →](http://...

Lions, and cameras, and pills. Oh, boy! Sam leaps into bad boy fashion photographer, Karl Granson, in 1965 New York City. Al tell Sam he’s there to keep an up and coming model he’s working with, Edie Landsdale, from dying from a drug overdose in two days. Larry Ganni from The Guest Room Podcast joins us … [Continue reading One Strobe Over the Line – June 15, 1965 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubrr...

Sam leaps into Father Frank Pistano, a new priest at St. Mary’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As Father Frank, Sam must help Father McRoberts, an older, alcoholic priest cope with the loss of an alter boy who was recently murdered. Even more, Al tells Sam that Father Mac is also going to murdered in the next … [Continue reading Leap of Faith – August 19, 1963 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubrry.n...

After being told Tom is still killed in Vietnam despite Sam winning his high school basketball season opener and the promise Tom made, Sam leaps into Tom’s Navy SEALs squad the day before he is killed, giving him another chance at saving his brother. Laurence Brown of Lost in the Pond joins us once again … [Continue reading The Leap Home, Part 2: April 7, 1970 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubrry.n...

It’s a bittersweet homecoming when Sam finds himself in his 16-year-old self, on the last Thanksgiving his family has before a number of tragedies overwhelm them: His brother, Tom, will die in Vietnam in a few months; his dad will die of a coronary in three years, and his younger sister, Kate, will elope with … [Continue reading The Leap Home, Part 1: November 25, 1969 →](http://fwwquantumleappod....

If there’s an episode of Quantum Leap that needs no introduction, it’s this one, but here goes: Sam leaps into undercover detective, Jake Rawlins. Al tells Sam he’s there to stop a woman named Beth from making the mistake of her lifetime – having her husband, who is missing in action in Vietnam, declared dead and … [Continue reading M.I.A. – April 1, 1969 →](http://fwwquantumleappod.blubrry.net/20...

Sam leaps into Phillip Dumont, who’s aboard the RMS Queen Mary, departing New York, there to stop his ex-wife, Catherine’s, impending wedding. She is about to marry Vincent Loggia, *ahem*, Vinny the Viper, in an arranged marriage aimed at saving the family business. Years ago, Phillip went missing while sailing, and Catherine’s dad had their … [Continue reading Sea Bride – June 3, 1954 →](http://f...