“The Leap Home Part Two – Vietnam – April 7, 1970” is episode two of season three of Quantum Leap.
At the end of the previous episode, “The Leap Home: November 25, 1969”, Sam was shouting Tom’s name as he leaped. He still is as he leaps into a new host. In Tom’s platoon in Vietnam. Everyone opens fire and kill someone who was going to attack them. Sam – called ‘Magic’ – is asked how he knew the Vietnamese were there.
At camp, a photojournalist, Maggie Dawson, is speaking to a colonel as Sam’s helicopter returns, pulling someone behind them on a waterski. On the helicopter, the others are saying they’ve never seen anyone like Magic. Maggie is spotted and the man on the waterski tumbles off when the pilot is distracted.
After landing, it’s being made out that the man, Blaster, has drowned, but Tom is just winding up the colonel. Sam realises he should not be with Tom after everyone else leaves, and Colonel Grimwald mentions to Tom about escorting Maggie on an operation.
Maggie is getting on with the platoon and Sam is trying to assemble Magic’s gun when Al appears in dress whites and gives him advice. And tells him the date. The day before Tom dies.
According to Al, Sam is technically not there to save Tom. The nickname of Magic is explained. The platoon seemed jinxed until Magic joined. His chopper landed and was attacked by mortar fire. It, and everything withing 50m, was destroyed. Except Magic, who wasn’t even scratched. Magic also set off a booby trap which didn’t go off and they’ve had no casualties since he joined. Until tomorrow.
Ziggy says Sam is there to make sure the mission succeeds. But people can get killed on successful missions. At the moment, they don’t know what the mission was, as Ziggy is having problems interfacing with an old computer. And until they know how Tom dies, they can’t save him.
Tom and Grimwald enter; Tom doesn’t want to take Maggie on the mission. She enters and asks if she can stay around to take photos. Grimwald wants Magic to bring in a Vietnamese woman who’s on their side in.
Sam is rather out of his element, but at least Al knows how he should behave. Maggie is willing to do anything to get her photos. And Sam ends up playing on Magic’s reputation.