“Catch a Falling Star – May 21, 1979” is episode ten of season two of Quantum Leap.
At the end of the previous episode, “So Help Me God – July 29, 1957”, Sam leaped into an actor who was about to go on stage. Fortunately, it seems he’s the understudy and the star turned up, albeit drunk, and was able to perform. Ray – Sam – is reassured that there’s always tomorrow night. Not something Sam finds reassuring.
Al appears, gushing about the theatre and Man of La Mancha. He fills Sam in on Ray, a touring actor who never really made it. The closest he came to stardom was as an understudy for the brilliant John O’Malley. Sam doesn’t want to act as he isn’t an actor. Al tells him that whilst they were setting up the project. Sam played Man of La Mancha a lot.
O’Malley is good, but Al says in three days at a benefit performance he falls on the stairs, shattering his leg, hip and career. Al doesn’t like the suggestion of getting O’Malley so drunk he can’t go on because Sam would have to then.
Sam sees a woman across the stage waving at him. He says it’s Nicole, his piano teacher as a kid. The first woman he ever loved. When he was 15, she left for New York. Sam is convinced Nicole recognises him. Al points out she probably knows Ray. Sam is fixating on her.
After the performance, Sam goes to speak to Nicole. She kisses him, but it is Ray she knows of course. They were writing to each other, then stopped. She went back to teaching piano, but was cast that afternoon as the understudy for Dulcinea. They may get to perform together. O’Malley comes over and takes Nicole away, flirting with her.
Afterwards, they go to the after-show party. The current actress playing Dulcinea, Michelle, doesn’t seem happy to hear Nicole described as the new Dulcinea. Sam ends up going to get drinks for him, Nicole and O’Malley, and Michelle tries coming on to him. O’Malley has passed out when Sam returns, but wakes up for the drinks. Though he decides he’s had enough at that point.
Sam has to try to stop O’Malley getting a devastating injury. Unfortunately, his own feelings for Nicole are getting in the way and Al is getting concerned.