Permanent Wave – Episode 58

Permanent Wave was the fifth episode of Quantum Leap’s fourth season to air, with Sam trying to keep a woman and her son from being killed after the child witnesses a murder. In this episode Gerry and Iain discuss child stars.

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Sam leaps into Frank, a hairdresser at a popular California salon. When his partner, Laura (Doran Clark), leaves him to look after her son, Kyle (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Sam lets the boy visit a store where he witnesses a murder. After losing her husband in similar circumstances, Laura refuses to let Kyle speak to the police about the incident.

When Sam learns that the killing was perpetrated by the police officer, Detective Ward (Harry Groener), he and Chloe (Lela Ivey) hit the road hoping to prevent him finishing off Laura and Kyle, but everything is not quite as it seems as the true villain is yet to be revealed.

Permanent Wave was directed by Scott Bakula, the first of his three episodes at the helm, and written by Beverly Bridges, the third of her five scripts for the show.

In this episode Gerry and Iain considered whether the ultimate villain missed an opportunity.

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Permanent Wave was released in 1991. It is 48 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.