Sunday 18 July 2021

Quantum Leap - Season 5 (1992)

Costume Design by:

- Jean-Pierre Dorléac ( notable efforts: Battlestar Galactica (1978), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979), Somewhere in Time (1980), The Blue Lagoon (1980), Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981), Mae West (1982), The Lot (1999 - 2001) )

- Jacqueline Saint Anne ( notable efforts: Shock Waves (1977), Fear No Evil (1981), Sliders (1995 - 2000) )

This would be the last season of Quantum Leap, and as such went for more ludicrous plotlines (the Lee Harvey Oswald one, anybody?), as well as more denizens from the future arriving to complement the cast. This would also mark a slight departure in the series costume design, as it was no longer being handled by Jean-Pierre Dorleac entirely, as he left midway in the series to work on other productions, and the mantle was taken over by Jacqueline Saint Anne. Saint Anne's costumes for Al are a bit different to Dorleac's but still follow the example he had set with Al and the other future denizens in the series. Out of the episodes covered here, 'Nowhere to Run', 'Killin' Time', 'Deliver Us from Evil', and 'A Tale of Two Sweeties' had their costumes designed by Dorleac, whilst the rest of the episodes covered here had Saint Anne as costume designer.

'Nowhere to Run'

In this episode, Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) is wearing a suit fairly in line with the designs he wore in the previous two seasons, being a powder blue pinstriped suit with holes cut in the lapels, worn with the metallic segment adorned black shirt that was originally introduced in the first season.

'Killin' Time'

This was perhaps one of the more ambitious episodes of the season, being half set in the then-future of 1999, as Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) has 'leaped' into the body of a serial killer, whilst the killer has taken over his body in 1999. This was perhaps some of Dorleac's most notable work on the season, with Al sporting a new outfit consisting of a pale yellow double breasted suit, with rounded lapels, worn over a golden shirt with serrated collars and tie pin.
The second outfit Al wears in this episode is uncharistically muted for Al's standards, but still has some trademark design flourishes, namely the strips of shiny material on the back of the jacket as well as the sleeves.
This episode also had an unlucky prostitute dressed in perhaps one of the most glitzy and colourful outfits to not be worn by Al, being a glittery golden dress with red translucent plumes on the shoulders, as well as long red boots - the look is of course completed with colourful face paint, making the character look very New Wave! One thing I wasn't able to show in these screenshots was that the red plumes were also fitted with flashing lights as well!

'Deliver Us From Evil'

This was the first episode to introduce the 'Evil Leapers', time travelers like Sam who instead used their powers for evil, with their own evil masters guiding them in the form of holograms, such as Zoey (Carolyn Seymour), who wears a stern black dress with holes cut around the collar, in a similar manner to the lapel holes on Al's suits. This dress is worn with black thigh-high boots, but there is never a clear shot seen.

'A Tale of Two Sweeties'

In this episode, Al once again wears a shiny zip-up jacket of a bronze collar with silvery strips along the sleeves and back, a bit similar to the bronze and silvery snakeskin jacket he was seen sporting in the third season.

'Dr. Ruth'

In this episode, Al wears a sort of plaid patterned suit, with golden lining adorning the patten blocks no less! The pattern's colour scheme of yellow and black is adhered to with the rest of the suit, with the sleeves being black and the pants being yellow, and of course worn with a golden tie and badge.

'Blood Moon'

This rather cheesy homage to 70s Hammer horror films had no costume design credit weirdly enough, but according to Dorleac this had Jacqueline Saint Ann doing the costumes, which makes sense - Al's suit is much more like her other designs, being a black and white squiggle patterned suit worn over a white and black waistcoat, as well as a shirt with square shiny pieces adorning the collar.
One of the notable outfits not to be worn by a future denizen this season was worn by one of the self-styled vampires, Claudia (Deborahe Moore), who wears a shiny dark blue and black dress, with the chest cut to have spiked patterns in a way almost resembling fangs, perhaps.

'Return of the Evil Leaper'

As if the title wasn't any indication, this episode involved the return of the Evil Leapers, Zoey once again in charge, and first introduced wearing a lovely translucent dress adorned with silver-lined diamond pieces all over.
Zoey's second outfit is a bit more conservative, but still has some notable touchers, such as tasselled shoulder pads, a choker, and a slight asymmetrical design tough with one side of the jacket having zippers and the other having button pockets. This jacket is worn with black leather pants and boots as well.
Zoey's last outfit is definitely one of the most flashy, being a silvery metallic top worn over black pants, thigh high boots, and of course another jewelled choker.

'Revenge of the Evil Leaper'

The last of the 'trilogy' of Evil Leaper episodes, this one had Al wearing a bright red suit fixed with thick reddish leather padding on each side, being worn with black trousers and red shoes as well.
Another Evil Leaper hologram is introduced, Thames (Hinton Battle), who sports a shiny bronze tunic and trousers, over a lighter coloured but just as shiny undershirt fixed with silvery tiepin of sorts - the tunic noteicably also has piped material on the shoulders. Perhaps the most 'space age' any costume of the show got past the intentional homage in the third season's 'Future Boy'!

'Goodbye Norma Jean'

In this episode, Al wears a rather simple suit that's distinguished by being covered in a falling start pattern, sort of making him look a bit more like a magician rather than a future denizen, though this is also worn with a yellow shirt fixed with a golden tie pin.

'The Leap Between The States'

This design was definitely a design that was following on from the designs of Dorleac throughout the series, with rounded darker patchers cut into the lapels of a muted olive suit, worn over a shiny silver shirt too no less. The lapels of the suit also are adorned with silver lining!

'Memphis Melody'

Lastly, is this suit, which is a bit less flashy as far as Al's suits usually went, being just a black suit with studded golden buttons fixed to the breast and elbows of the suit, and worn over a shiny golden shirt as well.