An enigmatic leap lands Sam in a Pennsylvania tavern, as his own grown self on the day of his birth. As Al and Gushie work frantically to locate him, Sam befriends a wise bartender and a group of coal miners. As a host of familiar-looking faces pass through the bar — with different identities than Sam remembers — Sam ponders his life of leaping with Al the bartender, who tells Sam he controls his own destiny. Pressed for more, Al the bartender simply shrugs and says, "Sometimes, 'that's the way it is' is the best explanation." Sam realizes he must right at least one more wrong before he can go home, and leaps back to tell Al Calvavicci's wife Beth (from "M.I.A.") to wait for Al, who will survive Vietnam and come home to her.

The closing title cards state that Beth and Al have four daughters and will shortly celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary... and that Sam Beckett never returned home.

Guest Starring:
Bruce McGill (Bartender Al)
John D'Aquino (Tonchi)
Richard Herd (Ziggy Ziganovich)
W. Morgan Sheppard (Bearded Gooshie)
Stephen McHattie (Stawpah)
Mike Genovese (Mr. Collins)
Susan Diol (Beth Calavicci)
Dan Butler (Mutta)
Dennis Wolfberg (Gooshie)

Written by: Donald P. Bellisario
Directed by: James Whitmore Jr.