A backstep complication when Frank sets out to save the Pope’s life results in Frank actually becoming the Pope…

Yes, in true Seven Days style, this episode does exactly what it says on the tin. Before you can say ‘Quantum Leap’, Frank has ‘leapt’ into the body of the Pope just in time to halt the assassination, but now can’t find his way back out again. It’s a shame that the solution is the same one usually employed: ie throw Frank back in the sphere and hope things turn out okay.

It’s something of a hit-and-miss story. The reasons Quantum Leap worked so well was because it centred on the characters, but this episode of Seven Days doesn’t really provide many characters beyond two cardinals worried about the Pope and his new ‘stuff it to ‘em’ attitude. There are still some nice touches: Frank obviously has trouble keeping his swearing down to a minimum and finds himself apologizing and his speech is simply but oddly effective. His way of showing Olga he’s not really the Pope is also funny.

Somehow contrasting Frank’s attitude with that of the Pope seems pointless, as we know who’s the better man, and the story could have done with more of Frank learning from the head of the Catholic Church. In fact, with his upbringing, Frank should also be more careful. It’s all quite good fun on the whole and it does stretch the show’s format a little, but there’s not much meat to the bare bones of the story. Not to mention the Pope’s seeming magical powers towards the end are a little over the top.

***

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