Greetings, leapers. This week, we have an episode that tries its best vis a vis race, and one that gets all sad dad on us. Let’s dig in.
1. Bless their hearts
“Black on White on Fire” is an episode that I remembered very well because it was another ‘Sam leaps into an African American’ episode, and one set in the heart of the Watts riots. This is a very clear case of the producers and writers attempting to comment on the atrocities of racism and violence, and their hearts are absolutely in the right place. However, this is a tough topic to cover with any nuance in a television drama format, and this episode goes pretty hard into some ‘easy answers’ to these very, very complex issues. Like I said, everyone here is doing their best, and I appreciate the attempt, but there are parts that read about as boiler-plate ‘can’t we all just get along’ as you can get.
2. Language
This episode was co-written by series creator Donald P. Bellisario and his (then) wife Deborah Pratt. Pratt, who is African American, adds a much needed voice to this conversation which, if handled just by the predominantly white production team, the episode would have taken on a very different tone. This is especially true because of the number of times that racial epithets are said in the episode. Again, I know that this is indicative of both the time in which the episode was set and the time the episode was made, but it is jarring to hear the sheer volume of n-words tossed around here.
3. Tragedy transitions into comedy, poorly
“Black on White on Fire” ends with a truly tragic scene, where Lonnie, brother to Sam’s Ray, is shot and killed by police after letting a hostage go. Sam is, understandably, devastated by this. All episode, Sam has tried to not just help out Ray and his immediate circle, but attempt to first stop the riots and then save lives in the medical clinic in Watts. He’s not speaking as Ray, but as Sam. He’s blurring the line here between leaper and leapee, and Al notices. Due to that, along with the trauma of watching anyone murdered in front of you, Sam is utterly distraught by the whole turn of events. And then, he leaps.
Now, I get that you want to change the tone week to week, but to have a weeping Sam/Ray leap into a magician getting swords passing in front of his face for an act, the transition is quite jarring. By the time that “The Great Spontini” starts, it’s a more forgivable tonal shift, but in the end of the episode, woof.
4. The costume designer gives it away
Early in “The Great Spontini,” we meet Steve, the new boyfriend of magician Harry’s not quite ex-wife. While, at first, he’s friendly, it becomes very clear that he’s an asshole, and that’s telgraphed considerably by his wardrobe. No good guy in an 80s or early 90s show ever wore a double-breasted suit or an ascot. That was instantly read as “prick” on screen for the entirety of that era. Add to it that Steve has some too perfectly sculpted of a proto-mullet/hockey hair and the combination of being traditionally handsome but also way too tall for his romantic partner, and all the pieces are stacked against him. Any one of those on their own is not a sin, but put together, you’re getting into Ted McGinley territory.
5. Sad dad stuff
It is hard to write about how down sad dad storylines get me without sounding like a ‘men’s rights’ asshole, but this episode was pretty heavy on the blues for Harry. He’s doing the best he can with Jamie; sure, he seems like a real fuck up and his traveling hasn’t allowed his daughter much normalcy at all, but she seems happy with her life. I know that’s not the only consideration, but when Maggie shows up with the Chad Steve at her side, they lay out such an easy plan to take Jamie away, it does seem incredibly unfair. Thankfully, this isn’t the second episdoe in a row to end in tragedy, and Sam is able to reunite the entire family, ditch Steve, and live happily ever after.
Continued belowWell, as happy as you can be being a shitty stage magician.
The Oh Boy teaser
Sam joins The Wild Ones.
