8½ Months – Episode 43

8½ Months was the twelfth episode of Quantum Leap’s third season to air, with Sam experiencing the symptoms of pregnancy as he tries to help a young mother-to-be secure a home for herself and her baby. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss parental responsibilities.

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Sam leaps into Billie Jean, a pregnant teenager, who is on the verge of giving birth to a baby she wants to keep. With support from her friend Dotty (Lana Schwab) she has coped to this stage despite the disapproval of her father (James Whitmore Jr.) and people like Dotty’s partner Keeter (Hunter von Leer).

Rejecting the idea of adoption, despite the advice of agency worker Cassy Thailer (Anne Haney), Sam confronts the baby’s father, Willis (Philip Linton) before being rushed to hospital while her friend Effy (Tasha Scott) tries to persuade Billie Jean’s father to rally to her side.

8½ Months was directed by James Whitmore Jr, the fifth of his fifteen episodes for the series. The writer was again Deborah Pratt.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered the limits of friendship.

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8½ Months was released in 1991. It is 45 minutes long and originally aired on the NBC network. It can be viewed on NBC’s Peacock streaming service in the UK and in the United States. The show is available on DVD and Blu Ray in other countries.