In the grand tradition of gothic horror tropes, the 1993 Quantum Leap episode “Blood Moon” finds our hero Dr. Sam Beckett transported into the mind and body of the brooding Lord Nigel Corrington, master of Ravenhurst Manor. And what a delightfully moody setting we have for this leap… Sam awakens in a coffin to find himself made over as a morose artist who goes about his days sleeping in the coffin and painting macabre works of art.

But the real trouble starts when Sam learns from his holographic guide Al that his new identity as Corrington has recently married a young homeless woman named Alexandra, now Lady Alexandra Corrington, who is destined to be killed in two nights under the light of the blood moon unless Sam can alter the course of history. And of course, Al is utterly convinced Corrington is actually a vampire responsible for the future murder, given all the gothic trappings and Corrington’s own pale and anemic appearance.

As the episode unfolds, we get all the usual Quantum Leap fun of watching Sam struggle to convincingly play a role utterly foreign to him – in this case a creepy, coffin-sleeping neo-Victorian – while picking up clues about who he’s supposed to be and how to save the day. Things only get zanier when Al shows up dressed in full vampire hunting regalia, complete with crosses and garlic.

While “Blood Moon” is far from the most consequential or meaningful Quantum Leap episode in advancing the show’s core themes, it’s a wholly enjoyable 41 minutes of gothic vampiric fantasy, ably balancing humor and horror. And it gives us priceless comedic moments like Al rambling to Sam about how you kill vampires while Sam struggles to hear him over the ringing church bells in the background. For the price of some fake fangs and overwrought Transylvanian accents, “Blood Moon” takes us on a detour into delightfully cheesy horror territory that expands the possibilities of the Quantum Leap premise.

What were your favorite gothic horror tropes and moments from this fan favorite episode? Share your thoughts on the glorious camp and drama of “Blood Moon” in the comments!