“Leaping in Without a Net – November 18, 1958” is episode nineteen of season two of Quantum Leap.
At the end of the previous episode, “Pool Hall Blues – September 4, 1954”, Sam leaped into a man on a trapeze with a woman about to fly from another for him to catch. He drops her. Onto a net.
Sam has just discovered he has a fear of flights. The young woman, his host, Victor’s, sister Eva, says she will be the first woman to do a triple since mama. She had a dream and mama told her she could do it. Their father shows up and says not as long as he is her father. He’s also not impressed with Sam – Victor – for some reason and tells him to get down. Eva wants to do it; the Panzinis could be headliners again. Laszlo says they are. She asks him of what. Is this why they left Hungary? They used to be the best flyers in the world. When Laszlo goes, Eva tells Sam she knows how hard it is for Victor to be up there. But nothing will stop them from doing the triple.
Outside the big top, Sam thinks it looks more like a carnival than a circus. the ringmaster asks him if it’s true, if Eva is going to do the triple. That would put them into the big time. But Laszlo makes all the decisions.
Al appears, following a scantily-clad woman. Also called Al, it seems. They head to the Panzinis’ trailers, which are superior to those of the others. Al; says that at one time the Panzinis were the most famous aerial act in the world. One year ago, they were the star of Circus Vargas, but Maria was killed trying to do the triple. Laszlo reduced the act to stuff anybody could do. It also turns out that Al ran away to join the circus as a child.
When the act starts, Laszlo has a go for Victor being in tights. Laszlo and Eva are doing it; Sam is just the safety man. According to Al, though, Sam is probably here to catch Eva. Because in two days she’ll die doing the triple when her father drops her.
Sam is woken early next morning by Eva who wants to practice. She thinks Laszlo made him afraid again and reassures him he didn’t kill mama. But Laszlo blames Victor because he can’t blame Maria; he loved her too much. And Victor is a better catcher than Laszlo, especially as Laszlo has hurt his shoulder. Eva wants Victor to catch her when she does the triple.
Sam doesn’t want to do it and is watching Eva practice alone when Al appears. Al; says what Eva is doing is dangerous. Sam asks if it’s more dangerous than with someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. It turns out Maria did the triple without a net. And was performing when ill. Sam doesn’t think he can do it. Al says he can. If he gets over his fear of heights. Otherwise, Laszlo will drop Eva. Sam agrees to help.
The rest of the mud show isn’t happy that the Panzinis might be leaving, as they are a big draw. Sam is terrified of doing the trapeze, but if he doesn’t do it, Laszlo will drop Eva. And there’s a strange encounter with a fortune teller, who seems as if she might have real powers.