User Reviews

A clever ending, but not one of the better episodes of the series.

Despite 46+ minutes of show, the story was too superficial. Also, it lacked the normal emotion that Bakula usually gives 110% to this series.

Just how a man can sneak into a TV studio screening room unnoticed and switch an inhaler, is beyond me. And HOW "Roberto" (Bakula) figured out what was in the inhaler that he didn't notice was switched, is another huge gaping whole in the plot unless it is implied that they played along and "allowed" the guy to switch the inhaler with some forethought or help for Al. Regardless, none of this was shown or even narrated in.

So..."Roberto!" (the episode) was under cooked with an extremely abrupt ending as well.

Sam is in the life of a TV-show host and news reporter in New Mexico, in a place Al says is 30 miles from home-where Project Quantum Leap exists. He works for a local TV station and accepts a bet from one of the news reporters that he can do a serious news story as well as she can. A murder at a local chemical plant leads the two of them working together to uncover chemical tests that are going on secretly, with the plant owner working hard to keep his real operation a secret-willing to commit multiple murders if necessary to keep the world from knowing what they are doing.

We have Sam doing clever things to function as Roberto, getting along hosting his daily "Geraldo"-like talk show, and investigating the chemical plant happenings. There are more laughs than usual, including one scene where Roberto is introducing his guests on an episode about whether or not women should pose in bikinis for calendars. Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the first one marching out as Roberto (Sam) introduces the group, followed by two beauties in bikinis and right behind them is Al, who of course only Sam and the viewers see. Dr. Laura, playing herself states that she thinks these women are hurting the role of women in general but states that they have the right to do what the wish.

Sam uses real ingenuity to trick the killer into revealing what he did, doing in on the Roberto program, even though he has to deceive the TV audience. We viewers are also deceived, which is fine considering the way the show was written.

Scott Bakula directed it and did a marvelous job in my opinion. I wish to note a funny coincidence for me: Guest star Alan Oppenheimer just happened to guest star on an episode of Hogan's Heroes I watched about 10 hours before I watched this episode. This episode is what the series is usually about. I believe in Season 4 it is the best episode they ran since the season opener-in what was not a stellar season for the series. After some sub-par shows where Sam doesn't do much, does things that are stupid, and shows where there is virtually nothing to laugh at, this episode nails it with humor and good drama, letting me rank it a solid 9.