Ep 11. Runaway - July 4, 1964

Sam leaps into the body of Butchie Rickett, a teenage orphan in New York City in 1964. Butchie has been living in the system since he was four years old and has just escaped from the juvenile detention center where he was living. Sam quickly realizes that Butchie is on the run from two crooked cops, and that if he's caught, he could be sent to a reform school for the rest of his life.

Sam disguises himself as a social worker and sneaks into the detention center to try and find out why Butchie ran away. He discovers that the two crooked cops had been using Butchie and his friends to run drugs, and that Butchie had finally had enough and tried to leave the life behind.

Meanwhile, Al tries to help Sam get in touch with Butchie's girlfriend, Marci, who can help them figure out where he's gone. But Marci is hesitant to help, as she's afraid of what will happen if the cops find out she's been talking to them.

As Sam and Marci try to find Butchie before the cops do, they encounter a number of other teenagers who are struggling to survive in the dangerous streets of New York City. Sam quickly realizes that the system has failed these kids, and he becomes determined to help them in any way he can.

Eventually, Sam and Marci find Butchie hiding out in an abandoned building. But before they can get him to safety, the crooked cops show up, ready to take him back to the detention center. In the ensuing chaos, Sam is forced to reveal his identity to Butchie and Marci, and he convinces them to trust him and work together to escape the cops.

In the end, Sam manages to get Butchie and Marci to safety, and he convinces Marci to testify against the cops and put an end to their corruption. But even as he celebrates their victory, Sam is haunted by the knowledge that there are countless other kids out there just like Butchie, who are trapped in a broken system that doesn't care about them.

Runaway is a powerful episode that tackles some heavy themes, from police corruption and the failures of the foster care system to the struggles of marginalized youth in urban environments. Through it all, Sam remains a compassionate and determined hero, fighting for justice in a world that can seem impossibly unfair.