HOLOGRAMMATICAL ERRORS:
Hologrammatical Error #1: During the scene with Naomi and Sam in the barn, the shadows cast both on and by Al are consistent with the light source in the barn. (JAN)
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE PROJECT:
Project Trivia: While by now the handlink seems to be showing up in pretty much every episode, the noisy sliding Imaging Chamber door still hasn’t become a part of PQL. Al still just pops in fairly quietly. (MPB)
BACKSTORY NITS:
Sam Backstory Nit: Sam Leaps in four days
before the date of his birth. (LW)
PCR: See PCRs for "Play It Again, Seymour."
GENERAL NIT-PICKING:
General Nit #1: It’s odd that Machiko didn’t
get out of the bus with Charlie. Presumably they were sitting together
and should have disembarked together. (JAN)
PCR: Charlie might have told her to wait
a few minutes so he could prepare his father to meet her. However, Sam
didn’t know this, and so simply got into the truck with "dad" and left
Machiko in the lurch. (JE)
General Nit #2: When Machiko speaks to the cab driver, her English appeared distinctly less fluent than in the rest of the episode. (LW)
General Nit #3: Why didn't Machiko get
annoyed with Sam when he left her on the bus and whenhe was caught in the
barn with Naomi? (LW)
PCR: As Machiko’s culture teaches women
to be submissive, annoyance is probably one of those emotions women are
not allowed to express. Hurt and sad, yes, but annoyed or angry, no. (MPB)
General Nit #4: Why hadn't Charlie told Machiko about the death of his sister? (LW)
General Nit #5: When Machiko’s trying out
her new shoes, Sam says "We’ll have you in pumps by New Year’s." But she’s
already wearing pumps. (MPB)
PCR: Sam may have six doctorates, but
he doesn’t know diddlysquat about women’s shoes. He’ll learn, though, in
the next episode. (MPB)
General Nit #6: Sam doesn’t seem to put up much resistance when Naomi tries to seduce him. (MPB)
General Nit #7: Why did Machiko get into
the truck with Rusty in the first place? (LW)
PCR: It was getting pretty dark out, and
Machiko was upset. Perhaps she didn’t recognize him until she actually
got in. (MPB)
General Nit #8: For such a stormy night, nobody seems to get wet. The roads are wet, the wind’s blowing, but it never seems to actually rain. (MPB)
TRIVIAL PURSUIT:
Trivial Item #1: Little does Sam know that in about two seasons, he’s going to get pounded again by Patrick Massett (Rusty in "Machiko," Ralph in "A Single Drop of Rain")--and he’s going to lose the re-match. Although it depends on your point of view. In "Machiko," Sam may win the fistfight, but he probably doesn’t convert Rusty. In "Rain," on the other hand, he loses the battle but wins the war. Any coincidence that there are also major storms in both these episodes? (MPB)
Trivial Item #2: Sam may very well have still been involved in this Leap on his birthdate of August 8, 1953. So, by "Mirror Image," Sam would have been in three places at once. (LW)
DETAILS, DETAILS, DETAILS:
Detail #1: The two scenes in which Machiko and Charlie’s mother shake the bugs out of the flowers made a strong point. Naomi didn’t bother to shake the bugs out. The implication is that, except for the racial issue, the mother had more in common with Machiko than with Naomi. (LW)
OH, BOYS:
There were at least two "oh, boys" in this episode: One when Sam got caught rolling in the hay with Naomi, and another when he was waiting in the church for Machiko and wondering if he’d have to go through with the ceremony. (MPB)
AL’S WOMEN:
Al didn’t mention a single woman in this episode (or a married one, either). However, he does seem to know a lot about Japanese women in general. How many did he know (and how well did he know them) when he was stationed in Japan? (MPB)
FAVORITE QUOTATIONS:
Al (regarding Naomi): "The only thing to
shock her would be a cattle prod."