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Quantum Leap Episode Five Review — Salvation or Bust
Episode five is the first to make full use of the fact that Ben is not limited to “his own lifetime” any more. Spoilers follow.
Our hero finds himself in the American west in the body of an aged, retired gunslinger who can no longer shoot straight…called to save the fictional town of Salvation from outlaws hired by the Pacific Railroad. Incidents like this probably happened.
Salvation is a diverse haven where the saloon/brothel is run by a Black madam (beautifully played by an actor named Yaani King Mondschein). The gunslinger’s help was requested by a Hispanic woman named Valentina de la Cruz (Natalia del Riego). William Mark McCullough had a lot of fun chewing the scenery as the notorious outlaw Josiah McDonough.
They were just having fun doing a western. Also, Addison is right. Ben looks hot in cowboy gear.
Back at HQ, a nosy senator threatens to shut the project down and strand Ben. Magic gets hold of blackmail material, but instead of blackmailing her he suggests that if they keep going they might be able to put right what went wrong in her past. It’s probably impossible, but it works.
Meanwhile, Ben is finding a better way than dueling the outlaw at high noon. (Yes, they arrange to duel at high noon because everyone is having way too much fun…