Theorizing that one could time-travel
within his own lifetime,
Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator
and vanished.
He woke to find himself trapped in the past,
facing mirror images that were not his own,
and driven by an unknown force
to change history for the better.
His only guide on this journey is Al,
an observer from his own time,
who appears in the form of a hologram
that only Sam can see and hear.
And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life,
striving to put right what once went wrong,
and hoping each time that his next leap
will be the leap home.
Pearson, you forgot the talc.
Uh, yes.
Yes, well, talc.
Uh...
Use it.
All right, that's enough.
Really, Pearson.
Oh, boy.
Leaping around in time has made me realize
that in some strange way,
I'm the servant of a higher power.
But now, I find myself a servant of a much different kind.
And I want you to turn over my wardrobe.
Weed out all the old suits.
Anything in particular, sir?
Use your judgment. That's what I pay you for.
Good morning, sir. Calloway.
It's a beautiful tree, sir.
Get rid of it. I want a bigger one.
My thoughts precisely, sir.
You heard Mr. Blake. Get a bigger tree.
Right.
Where is it?
Sir?
My newspaper. Where the hell is my newspaper?
Where the hell is Mr. Blake's paper?
Well, let me see.
Uh, where...
Where... where would I have put that darn newspaper?
Um...
Why not try the foyer where it always is?
The foyer. Yes, sir.
The foyer.
Guys, you gotta help...
The New York Times.
Monday, December 24, 1962.
The day before Christmas...
Yeah, and, uh,
I sure would like to find one of those under my tree.
I'm a 200-pound valet.
Well, count your blessings.
You could be wearing a red suit
and ringing a bell in front of Macy's.
And you could be a waiter at Trader Vic's.
Hey, it's not Christmas where I am.
I mean, when I am.
It's the middle of July.
Okay.
Pearson.
Who's this guy I'm working for?
Michael Blake,
one of the richest guys in the country.
He started out...
He started out buying small mom-and-pop companies,
automating them, then selling for a profit.
Now he does it with big corporations.
He put more people out of work than the Great Depression.
And me?
Ooh, Reginald Pearson.
You've been picking up after Blake for three years.
Pearson!
Uh, coming, sir. Why am I here?
Well, uh...
We're working on... Uh, oh.
Al. Al.
Uh, but Ziggy says this one could be a little tricky.
Why tricky?
Why tricky? Well,
You may have to bathe him.
Here's your paper, sir.
It's about time.
Sorry, sir.
Well, look at that, Khrushchev at Disneyland.
Why don't they just invite him to the Pentagon
and let him go through the files?
I, uh, don't care what those doves on Capitol Hill say, sir.
War is inevitable.
I only hope that we have the good sense to strike first.
We will never go to war against Russia.
In fact, um, the time is gonna come
when we break down all the barriers
and, uh, well, we work with them as allies.
It could happen, don't you t-think? Ahem.
Doorbell.
Intercom.
I'm on it, sir. Yes, sir.
Hello?
This is Burt down in the lobby.
Hello?
Hel-Hello?
Calloway, have you noticed... Hello?
...anything strange about Pearson lately?
Definitely, sir.
Hello? He worries me.
Perhaps we should consider termination.
Hello?
Oh, you think we should fire him?
Uh, it was just an option, sir.
There's a Capt. Downey
waiting down here in the lobby to see Mr. Blake.
Okay. Thanks.
Sir, that was Burt.
Uh, the doorman.
And he said that there's a Capt. Downey
waiting for you in the lobby, sir.
Capt. Downey? Mmm-hmm.
It's those Salvation Army people
I was telling you about, sir.
Well, get rid of them.
I'm sorry, sir?
Get rid of them, Pearson.
H-h-how?
I really don't care how.
Tell them I'm not at home.
Tell them I'm out of the country.
Better yet, just tell them to go invade a country.
I don't care, just get rid of them.
Sir, don't you think that it would be...
Yes, sir.
Pearson.
Yes, sir.
Uh... uh, excuse me. Uh...
Capt. Downey?
I'm here to see Mr. Blake.
Uh, well, I'm sorry, but Mr. Blake is unavailable right now.
I bet he'd change his mind if he saw her.
Mr. Blake is never available.
He hasn't been available for the last 18 months.
He returns all my mail.
And I am not going to let him tear down the Fourth Street Mission.
Now or ever!
And I'm here to tell him that to his face!
Well, I'm sure that Mr. Blake has no intention
of demolishing the Mission.
Oh, yes, I do.
Oh, uh, Mr. Blake, this is Capt. Downey from the Salvation Army.
Yes, I can hear that, Pearson.
Quiet!
Now, listen, Col. Downey.
Pearson, like most of the people in the world,
has no idea what he's talking about.
First of all, I am Capt. Downey.
You're Downey?
And second, Pearson is right
when he says that you shouldn't tear down the Mission.
Well, uh, yes, sir. I'm sure that they perform a... a valuable service.
The Fourth Street Mission
has been serving the Lower Manhattan area for over 47 years.
We help one 165 people every week with... with food
and... and temporary shelter, counseling, and spiritual guidance.
All of which you can read about in my report.
Your report, Captain, is irrelevant.
My attorneys have been in touch with your organization
for more than a year,
giving you ample time to move.
There's nowhere to go.
That's not my fault.
Sir, maybe she could move into one of your properties and all...
Shut up, Pearson.
Shut up, Calloway.
Yes, sir.
Why can't you give us more time?
If your building isn't down by December 31,
I lose my permits to build.
I'm not gonna let that happen.
I have big plans for that property.
Blake Plaza.
Yes. And once it's completed,
I'll have the most contemporary theaters, shops,
offices, and apartments in all of New York.
But not for the people at the Mission, sir.
It's not my job to save the world.
God forbid!
That'd mean you cared about people.
Sir, maybe you could find a way
to accommodate both your needs.
Pearson, you're way out of line here.
Y-yes, sir.
I think you should worry about your job,
and let me worry about mine.
Which is being a grouch.
What did you say?
Well?
Uh, ahem,
who... who are you talking to, sir?
I'm talking to this jerk right here.
Well, where did he go?
Who?
Never mind.
Pearson, Uh-huh, huh.
I want these people out of here.
Call the police if you have to.
Well, if you'll excuse me, Capt. Downey.
He saw you. How could he have seen you?
Did he call me a jerk?
He didn't listen, though.
Oh, l... I hope I didn't get you in any trouble.
Um, uh, no, no. I'm... I'm... I'm just sorry I couldn't help you.
Well, we'll survive. It's all in God's hands now.
But that doesn't mean I'm not going to help.
Lieutenant, as loudly as you can.
And two, three, four...
How could Blake see you?
Well, Ziggy says it was just a weird fluke.
What kind of a fluke?
Well, apparently his neurons and mesons
are on a frequency close to yours.
So I'm gonna get Ziggy to shift my image a little bit
and then only you'll be able to receive me.
It's kind of like tuning a radio. There.
Now, uh, that should clear things up.
Except for why I'm here.
Well, that should be obvious.
Well, to save the Mission, I guess, but I don't know...
No, no, it's to save Blake.
Blake? Yeah.
What does a man like Blake need to have saved?
His soul.
Look, I'm tired of the whole deal.
I'm tired of sitting here waiting around.
If these people can't do it, tell them to get lost.
Yes... yes, sir. Get rid of 'em. That's all.
Yes, sir.
Al,
how am I supposed to save Blake's soul?
I mean, if he even has one.
You saw how he treated those people.
Out. Polyester. Keep this one.
We don't know very much about the guy.
Every time we try and get some background information,
Ziggy comes up empty.
Well, you know what they say:
If you want to find out somethin' about somebody,
you just check their closet.
Yeah. Oh, yeah, sure.
Go in the closet, reach in there,
you're gonna pull out a big box of information.
What have you got, Havanas?
No, not Havanas. Pictures. Old pictures.
Look at that.
Michael Blakowski's eighth birthday, 1928.
Al, he changed his name.
Well, no wonder we couldn't find any information on him.
Carol of the Bells.
Looks like he started out in a slightly different neighborhood.
Yeah.
All right, have Ziggy see if he can figure out
where all these pictures were taken.
And then get all the information you can on a Michael Blakowski.
I mean, can you believe it's Christmas time?
And I don't think he's got a second thought
about throwing those people out on the streets.
Well, he's a real Scrooge.
Yeah. Yeah, well, you can say that again.
Scrooge.
Al.
Al, you're a genius.
I am. Yes, you are.
I am? Absolutely.
Michael is Scrooge, right?
He's alone, he's miserable, it's like, uh, Charles, um...
Dickens. Dickens.
It's like he created his character based on this guy.
So?
So we Scrooge him.
Oh. How do we do that?
We take him back to his beginnings.
We try and remind him
that there's more important things in life.
Where you going?
To get some help.
Help? What do you think I'm doing here?
Look, that's not what I'm talking about.
Uh, Bibi.
Mmm-hmm.
Never mind.
Capt. Downey.
Mr. Pearson.
You're doing a wonderful job here.
Oh, thank you.
Listen, I... I wanted to apologize
about what happened at the apartment.
Listen,
I think I may be able
to stop Blake from tearing down the Mission.
But I'm gonna need your help.
When do we start?
When Pearson shows up, have him call me at the club.
I can't believe he left
and didn't say anything, sir.
Nothing Pearson does surprises me anymore.
Um, good luck on the Henderson deal, sir.
Luck had nothing to do with it.
I had the guts and the fortitude
to automate Henderson's Bakery.
That's why United Federal wants to buy it.
Not luck.
Quite right, sir.
Quite right.
George, what the hell are these suits doing back here?
Pearson, what the hell are you doing here?
Where's George?
Uh, well, sir, he had a little emergency come up at home
and... and I was carrying out your suits
and he asked me if I could just cover for him.
Where the hell did these pictures come from?
Pictures, sir?
Yeah, those pictures...
You know, I was cleaning out your closet,
and l... and I came across those
and I guess they just fell in with the suits
when I was picking everything up.
I couldn't help but notice the woman.
Is she a relative?
She was my mother.
She passed away shortly after this picture was taken.
I'm sorry. I didn't know.
She was a very beautiful woman.
Your father was a lucky guy.
My father was a bum. He left us when I was three.
My mother had to scrub floors just so we could eat.
Do you know that poor woman died on her hands and knees,
cleaning someone else's bathroom.
Well, I...
Go ahead.
Okay.
Why have we stopped?
I think we've got a flat tire.
Oh, don't be ridiculous, Pearson.
We would have felt it.
I don't know, sir. I think we do.
Oh, yeah, look at that.
Oh, this is great. Shoot.
I'll never make that meeting now.
I'll get the keys out of here.
Pearson, this is skid row, for crying out loud.
We've got no business driving down here. No wonder we have a flat.
Sorry, sir.
Get in the trunk and get this thing changed as fast as you can,
because I don't want to spend any more...
Mickey! Mickey Blakowski, come up for supper.
Aw, mom, we're in the middle of a game.
Mickey.
You were out!
I was safe!
Out!
You're crazy, I was safe by a mile!
Mickey Blakowski, you're such a liar!
Capt. Downey.
Mr. Blake.
Are you okay?
You look like you've just seen a ghost.
Um...
No, l... I just... Do... do you know those boys?
What boys?
The ones that were...
Oh, never mind.
What brings you to this part of town?
Well, we, uh... We had a flat tire.
Oh, how unfortunate. Yeah.
There's a pay phone around the corner.
It's inside.
That's Steggler's Coffee Shop.
Yes. How did you know that?
I grew up on this street.
See that building right over there?
Uh-huh.
Charlie O'Reilly used to live there.
Charlie and I used to do everything together
when we were kids.
It's hard to imagine you as a kid, uh, sir.
We used to play stickball for hours.
Every day, just like these kids.
Does he still live there?
I don't know.
We lost touch.
Chestnuts.
Oh my god, I haven't had any of those in years.
Are you hungry? A little.
Come on.
Merry Christmas.
Two bags, please.
Right away.
I'll get them for you, here. That's nice and hot.
Thank you. Make that three, please.
Three, number three.
Thank you, sir.
Okey-dokey. That'll be 75 cents, please.
Max? Max Wachinski?
Do I know you?
It's Mickey. Mickey Blakowski.
Mickey? Mickey!
Jeez, I'll be damned! It is you!
Mickey! Oh!
What's a big shot like you
doing back here in the jungle, huh?
Well, we just had a flat...
Well, we were just in the neighborhood, Max.
Yeah, yeah.
This is Miss Downey.
Oh, how do you do? How are you?
This is my... This is Pearson.
Mr. Pearson, very nice to meet you.
Max Wachinski.
You guys are old buddies, huh?
Are you kidding? We... we were...
We were like... Since we were kids.
Hey, Max, you remember old Charlie O'Reilly?
How could I forget him? You were like Siamese twins, huh?
That's right.
Ooh, remember the time we dropped them water bags
out the window on old lady Malone?
She chased us,
and we were laughing so hard, we fell down.
Then Charlie snuck back to her house and he locked her out.
He did. That's right.
He locked her out of her own house.
Do you ever hear from him?
You mean, you don't know?
What, Max? Know... know what?
Charlie was killed.
Yeah, about four years ago.
How?
He got drunk.
The damn fool jumped out in front of a bus.
Yeah, he... he, you know,
he'd been in a pretty bad shape
since he lost his job at Henderson's.
The bakery?
Yeah, he got laid off when they automated.
Couldn't find another job, went on the skids.
What a shame.
He had five kids.
Here, Max.
Get... get out of here. Come on. Get out of here.
Put it away. It's on the house.
Just keep it, will you, Max?
What?
I do something wrong?
No, I did.
Boy, you were right, sir.
You know, the bigger tree is much better.
Turn them off.
Sir, I-i-it's Christmas Eve.
I don't care if there's three wise men at the front door.
Turn them off.
Yes, sir.
Is there anything I can...
And turn that music off.
Yes, sir.
A little Christmas cheer?
There's not much to cheer about, Al.
He's just sitting there, staring out the window.
I never should have taken him back to his old neighborhood.
I don't understand you.
It's obvious that it's working.
It is?
Sure.
That little walk down memory lane
jogged something in him.
He's sitting there thinking about it.
You gotta keep pushing now.
How?
Well, you took him to the past.
Now you gotta show him his present.
Ziggy says there's a 94.3 percent chance
that this is the right thing to do, so...
Are you okay?
Yeah.
Yeah, I was just thinking about my Christmas in '62.
I was nine. Dad gave me a sled,
and Tom and I spent the whole day
playing in the snow. It was great.
Okay, you hang in there, all right?
And, uh, keep working on him.
Here you are, sir.
Who were you talking to back there?
Nobody.
What are you looking at?
Well, you, sir.
I was thinking how sorry I feel for you.
You feel sorry for me?
Yes, sir.
What's wrong with you, Pearson?
Take a look around.
I own more modern art than the Guggenheim.
Rothkos, Rauschenbergs, Lichtensteins.
This place...
I pay more for one month's rent
than you earn in a year.
Yes, sir, you have everything that money can buy.
You're damn right.
Not bad for an orphan from the wrong side of town, huh?
You know what I am?
I'm the living embodiment of the American dream.
And you're miserable.
You still don't have what you really want.
Oh, I have everything I want.
Oh, really?
I'll bet you a month's rent that you don't.
How are you gonna prove it?
I'll get the car.
Touch it.
What?
Put your hand against the wall.
Go on.
What do you feel?
Nothing.
It's just brick and steel.
Exactly.
No heat, no warmth, no love.
I've had people that loved me, if that's what you mean.
And you know what happens?
They die, or they walk out on me.
But this never will.
This is immortality.
I hope the world remembers you kindly.
Just who do you think you're talking to, Pearson?
You're my employee, not my conscience.
You just take care of yourself,
'cause I'm doing just fine.
So pay up.
Do... do you, uh, hear that, sir?
Carol of the Bells.
I haven't heard that in a long time.
Yeah.
Yeah, me neither.
Huh. Carol of the Bells.
It's beautiful, isn't it, sir?
Yes, she is.
I mean... Well, you know what I mean.
Yes, sir.
Here she comes, Pearson. Maybe we should...
Mr. Blake, Mr. Pearson.
What a surprise.
What brings you two down here?
Well, we were...
We were, uh, checking on the construction site.
Oh.
I thought for a minute that you may have changed your mind,
and come to give us some good news.
This building has to come down.
I have everything riding on this project.
Then we wish you well.
You do?
It's Christmas, sir. It's a time for forgiving.
Yes, I know what it is, Pearson.
Excuse me.
What song do you want to sing next?
How about Joy to the World? Joy to the World.
Won't you stay and join us?
No. Yes!
We can always use a couple of more voices.
A-and you used to sing in a choir, didn't you, sir?
That was wonderful.
Now, tonight, we have a very special treat.
Piernik and makowiec!
What's that?
It's Polish. Honey nut cake and, uh,
poppy seed jelly roll cake. It's a tradition.
More piernik, Mr. Blake?
Uh...
Oh, no, I... I really couldn't.
Oh, you don't like it?
No. I mean, yes, I do. It's delicious.
Uh, you know,
my mother used to make this for me every Christmas.
Well, l... I can't think of a nicer compliment.
You made this?
She sings and she cooks. It's amazing.
No, no, I-it's just...
I-it's just that there's so much I don't know about you
and I would like to change that.
Now, would you just look at this?
This is better than anything we could have dreamed of.
You've saved the man and the Mission.
Looks like it, doesn't it?
What do you mean, looks like it?
You did it, Sam.
All we have to do now is sit back
and let nature take its course.
Hey, hey, hey. Look at this.
Hi.
What have you got there?
This is for you.
For me?
His name is Sheldon.
Come here.
I'd put my money on a horse named Sheldon any day.
Ziggy says there's a 97 percent chance
that you've turned Blake...
Uh... oh. 95 percent.
Uh... oh? What?
93 percent.
The odds are going down. I don't know why.
I think I do.
I made him 'cause Santa Claus can't come visit us this year.
We don't have a home to live in.
Do you have a home?
I underestimated you, Captain.
Pretty clever, using the kids.
Excuse me?
Don't play dumb.
You were trying to make a mark out of me,
and I was actually falling for it.
But it isn't going to work.
You hear that, Pearson? It's not going to work.
This building comes down in one week!
It's going to take a lot more than piernik and makowiec
and some three legged horse to stop it.
Pearson!
I won't be needing you anymore tonight.
Sir, if you'd just give me a...
Good night, Pearson.
Mr. Blake.
I was not trying to trick you.
What were you trying to do?
Well, sir, I was trying to...
Change me into somebody that I'm not.
Now I'm going to bed.
And you better hope
that I still don't want to fire you when I get up in the morning.
And get rid of that damn tree.
Yes, sir.
What's with Ebenezer there?
He's ready to tear down the Mission with his bare hands.
Al, I think I'm making things worse.
Well, you gotta save the man's soul,
or else you can't leap out of here.
And think about the people down at the Mission.
He's never gonna believe me again.
I'll be lucky if I have a job in the morning.
I mean, it would take a miracle
to convince him that he's wrong.
You know something?
I don't like that look on your face.
Uh-uh.
We're Scrooging Blake, right?
Right. Right.
And I think we should just keep at it...
Keep at it?
...and give him
the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Hey, Blake, wake up!
Wait a minute. I know who you are,
you're that jerk from the lobby.
I recognize the bad clothes and the pale complexion.
Jerk?
I am the Ghost of Christmas Future.
Yeah, right.
The Ghost of Christmas Future wore a black robe.
Jacob Marley wore the chains.
I am the Ghost of Christmas Future!
Pearson put you up to this, didn't he? It's good make up.
Are you hard of hearing?
I'm here to show you your future!
Well, maybe I should just show you your future.
You're... you're pretty quick. I didn't even see you move.
That's because I didn't move!
I must be dreaming.
More like a nightmare.
Oh, oh, oh, my God.
Stay away from me!
Pearson!
Help, Pearson!
What's wrong, Mr. Blake?
That's what's wrong.
Get it out of here.
Go on, get it out of here now!
What, sir?
You don't see it?
It's standing right there, smoking a cigar,
staring at me!
It's horrible. It needs a tan.
Enough of the insults, already!
I'm sorry, sir,
but the only thing I see here is you.
You know, maybe... maybe I should call your doctor.
You do that.
He's going to send you to the loony bin!
No. No, no, no, no, doctor. No doctor, Pearson.
Pearson, just get it out of here.
I'll double your salary, I'll t-triple your salary,
I'll... I'll forget about the month's rent that you owe me.
Sir, sir, I can't get it out of here if I can't see or hear it.
Hey, Mike!
Put your coat on.
You're going for a walk on the wild side.
Pear-Pearson, get my coat.
Yes, sir. Let go of me.
I'll get it.
Sir, are you sure he said that he wanted you to meet him here?
Yes, yes. He distinctly said the site of the Blake Plaza.
Well, uh, sir, do you see him anywhere?
Maybe I was dreaming.
'Cause I have been working pretty hard lately.
Well, sir, it's possible. They say that dreams can be...
Leaving so soon?
Pearson, Pearson, he's back. Stay with me.
I'm right here, sir.
Maybe we should find out why he brought you down here. Ask him.
That's a good idea. Why did you bring me...
I heard him. Jeez.
I'm here to show you your future!
My... my future? What about my future?
Watch and you'll see!
Oh, it's beautiful.
It's magnificent.
What is, sir?
Oh, Pearson, I wish you could see it.
It's the Blake Plaza, right there in front of me.
On some sort of television screen
as... as though I could reach out and touch it.
Show me more, Ghost.
Show me what else happens to me.
Okay. You asked for it.
Good evening, New York.
Here now, the news for December 24, 1975.
With interest rates rising,
many commercial real estate investors
find themselves without tenants
and unable to meet mortgage commitments.
One of New York's most powerful land barons,
developer Michael Blake,
announced today he had filed for bankruptcy.
No! Now that's impossible!
It gets better.
Blake appeared despondent
as he left the courthouse today.
I have no comment.
Mr. Blake, is this the end of the Blake empire?
I've made some mistakes, but I'll be back.
Analysts say that Blake,
once considered a brilliant corporate raider,
was undone by his unbridled greed
and uncontrollable lust for power.
And in sports,
the New York Knicks have done it again.
What have they done to me?
You did it yourself.
You wanted it all,
so you borrowed, and leveraged,
until in the end, you had nothing!
Nada, zero,
zilch, zip!
But what about the Blake Plaza?
Do I still have the Blake Plaza?
Sir, maybe we should be going...
No! Stay away from me. I need to know all this.
What happens? Do I still have it?
Is it still there?
Oh, yes, it's still there.
They took my plaza.
No, they didn't take it.
You lost it!
You lost everything!
Now,
do you want to see the rest?
No, I don't want to see any more.
Pearson, make him stop. I've seen enough.
Just make him go away.
Oh, come on, Mickey.
You don't want to walk out before the end of the movie, do you?
It's such a peaceful ending.
Come on over here.
There's nothing going to hurt you here.
Pearson...
Sir, maybe we should...
No, please.
How did I die?
You didn't just die.
You killed yourself.
You took a header off the top of the Blake Plaza.
In the rush hour.
Why?
Why? Why not?
You had nothing to live for, no friends, no family,
no love.
I don't want to die alone.
I'm sorry.
I didn't mean for it to end like this.
Mr. Blake.
You all right?
Pearson, he's gone.
The ghost is gone. I think it's over.
Yes, sir, yes, sir, it's all over.
I'm a horrible man.
Yes, sir.
Hurting people.
Not caring about anyone but myself.
I don't want it to end like that.
Hated, forgotten, and alone.
You still have time to change things, sir.
Do you really think so?
Yes, sir, I do.
Pearson, do you see that?
Yes, sir.
It's a sign, isn't it?
I think so, sir, yes.
Go on, sir.
Mr. Blake,
what a nice surprise.
Do you have room for one more lost soul?
Of course.
What happens to him, Al?
Well, in six months, he marries Downey,
and they have three kids.
That's great.
Yeah, it's great.
So I guess he never builds the Plaza, huh?
No, he does build it,
and he puts the Mission on the first floor.
Huh.
I wonder if he would've knocked on that door
if you hadn't put the star up there.
I... I didn't put... I didn't put the star up there.
Merry Christmas, Al.
Merry Christmas, Sam.
Phillip. Oh, Phillip.
Why the hell are you here?
Oh, boy.
Merry Christmas, everyone.