“How the Tess Was Won – August 5, 1956” is episode five of season one of Quantum Leap.
At the end of the previous episode, “The Right Hand of God – October 24, 1974”, Sam leaped into someone in a pig pen holding a pig.
He’s on a ranch and overhears the owner, Chance, arguing with his daughter, Tess. Chance wants the spread to stay in the family, and he wants Tess to accomplish this by marrying someone. Chance thinks this is his fault for raising her like a man, and she doesn’t know how to be a woman. Tess wants to be both a woman and a cowboy. Chance thinks that’s unnatural.
Tess asks who Chance expects her to marry. She won’t marry inferior stock. She’s more of a man than any man on the ranch. None of them can keep up with her. Tess will challenge any man on the ranch to keep up with her for one week. And she picks. She picks Doc. Which is Sam. Chance asks Sam if he’s willing to try and marry Tess and get the ranch. No, he’s not kidding. This is Texas and they don’t joke about land.
Chance also asks what’s wrong with the pig, then decides, because Sam hasn’t got a clue, that it’s pig cholera and he’ll have to have the whole lot shot. Sam tells him he hasn’t made a diagnosis yet. As to the challenge, he’ll take the pig. Chance can keep the daughter. Sam drives off and Tess says it’s Doc or nothing.
A boy is playing a guitar as, this time, Sam finds out his name and where he lives easily. Because the name and ‘D.V.M.’ are on a mailbox. He doesn’t know the boy’s name, though, calling him ‘Pard.’ Which turns out to be the boy’s dog’s name. He doesn’t work out what the boy is called until near the end.
Al arrives, distracted because he thinks Tina is cheating on him, asking if Sam has seen Tina’s tattoo. Sam doesn’t even remember Tina. Al realises Tina can’t be seeing Sam. Because Sam is in the past. Ziggy thinks there’s a 72% chance that Sam is there to cure the pig. Sam was worried he’d have to marry Tess. Al hasn’t run that yet; the chance is 47%.
Sam is trying to work out what’s wrong with the pig when he notices that a raccoon in a cage can see Al. Al says all animals can see him (a convenient handwave for why animals react to the supposedly invisible Al). Sam has also found Doc’s diary. It seems he’s in love with Tess. Al says there’s a 97% probability that someone sending love letters will marry Tess. Sam returns to the ranch. To take Tess up on the challenge.
Sam is given a horse by one of the hands, Wayne (Marshall R. Teague). It throws him off. Tess tells Sam that all of Texas knows no-one can ride Widowmaker. Except her. Wayne says that’s just some cowboy humour. And, later, gives Sam some advice on roping cattle. Failing to mention something important that could cost Sam a thumb. Fortunately, Sam knew that.
Next, Tess tells Sam he has to come into town with them; there’s a buyer interested in their prize bull. If Doc wants to run the ranch, he has to be able to do everything she can. Negotiating is done over drinks and a poker game. Al arrives, complaining Tina ran off with Gooshi. He can also see what’s going on and says Wayne is cheating. Sam calls Wayne on this, with Al telling him what to say. Except that Wayne’s hand is not what Sam said it was. Tess takes Wayne away. Because her hand was the one Wayne had been cheating on.
Al spends most of the episode completely distracted by what’s going on with Tina, which makes him less than helpful for Sam on more than one occasion. And Wayne looks to be jealous.