“Miss Deep South – June 7, 1958” is episode six of season three of Quantum Leap.
At the end of the previous episode, “The Boogieman – October 31, 1964”, Sam leaped into a young woman on a bus. Miss Sugar Belle. Heading to the Miss Deep South contest.
At the contest, a woman tells Sam – Darlene – that she walks like a man. With good reason. She shows him how to talk and Sam asks who she is. Pageant coordinator Peg Myers, who has experience in beauty contests. Including winning this one.
Another contestant bumps into Sam and he drops Darlene’s case, which opens. The other woman apologises and helps, introducing herself. Connie, Miss Corn Muffin. Their photo is taken by Clint Beaumont, the pageant’s photographer. Beaumont is asking Connie things that sound like lines. Including asking if she’s done modelling work.
Sam is at the welcoming speech when Al appears. They aren’t sure what Sam is doing there yet and he recaps Darlene’s history, including the fact that she comes third. Al suggests Sam keep a low profile. Which doesn’t work as Peg sees Sam talking to Al and gets Darlene to stand up and say what she wants to get from the contest. Sam ends up copying what Connie said to him earlier.
Sam apologises to Connie afterwards; she doesn’t seem that upset. They’re roommates. Connie wants to be on TV or in the movies; she entered the contest to get enough money to go to Hollywood. Connie wonders what Sam thinks of Clint. Al appears and they head to the bathroom. Apparently, Connie doesn’t even finish the contest. She disappears between now and tomorrow night and no-one sees her again.
After practicing, Al appears. Connie says Clint wants to take her photo to show to some Hollywood people. After Connie has gone, Al explains that in about a month, photos of Connie turn up on calendars. Clint took the photos and when Connie realised what they were for, she was so ashamed, she couldn’t go home. And Sam has to keep Darlene in the contest because she used the money to go to college to become one of the first female cardiologists in the country.
Sam has to somehow get Darlene to still come in third so her future is settled, despite having no talent at this, as well as stopping compromising photos from Connie turning up.