The Original Quantum Leap
For anyone who has read things I have written in my 4 plus years with Geek Vibes Nation, they probably know these things about me. I am a huge Comic Book fan, Star Trek fan, Agents of Shield and Quantum Leap junky. For five years I followed the exploits of Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) and Rear Admiral Albert “Al” Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) as Sam leapt into various people in the past, setting things right before leaping on to the next person and episode.
Leapers United
The series NEVER was a huge hit on NBC, but it had its loyal viewers. Viewers who more than once had to intercede to save the show. Self-described “Leapers” who lived and breathed for every jump. Always hoping that someday, Sam would find his way back home. Back to his wife who waited patiently. Always knowing that back in the past, Sam was interacting with other women, with no knowledge of her or their lives together. In fact, they were reunited briefly in Season 4, episode 1 “The Leap Back.” In that episode, Sam and Al switched places after a lightning strike where Al was the leaper and Sam was the hologram. But it was a short-lived reunion.
Sam to the Rescue
In the meantime, Sam found ways to help other people. Including Al whose timeline originally had him lose his wife when she didn’t wait for him upon his capture in Vietnam. This is touched upon in the Season 2 final Episode “Missing in Action.” But it is resolved in the Season 5 final episode “Mirror Image” when Sam tells Beth (Al’s wife) not to give up on him. She instead waits for him and they remain married and have four children. However, in a move that I have NEVER gotten over, the episode and the series end with a placard that says that Sam NEVER went home. What the WHAT!!!
The NEW Quantum Leap
Fast forward to 2022 and the Quantum Leap reboot. Needless to say, I was skeptical and hopeful at the same time. Skeptical that they couldn’t capture the magic of the original, but at the same time hopeful. Hopeful that they would FINALLY fix what was one of the worst endings this side of Game of Thrones.
Scott Bakula declines the Leap
The first bit of news I heard wasn’t promising. Scott Bakula who played Dr. Sam Beckett made it clear he was not involved in the new show at all. While that was disheartening, it would not be the first time that someone said they weren’t involved in project only to find out otherwise. So, I tried not to let that discourage me. There were other ways to fix things even without the talented Mr. Bakula’s participation. Although it wouldn’t be as fun.
The Cast
With that being said, we are five episodes into the new series. It has been promising for a number of reasons. Number one, I like the cast they have assembled. Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song (basically assuming the Sam Beckett role) is a likeable enough actor, and he plays the character with a nice mix of humor and intelligence. His AL (who in a nice twist of fate was SUPPOSED to be the one doing the leaping) is his fiancé Addison Augustine aptly played by Caitlin Bassett. So, in THIS Quantum Leap, Ben (unlike Sam) gets to have his cake and eat it too. At least he’s not separated from the love of his life. He just can’t touch her. Not sure if that’s better or not.
Call One Back to the Past
Veteran actor Ernie Hudson plays Project Director Herbert “Magic” Williams. This is where the hope comes in. Magic is a character from the Original Quantum Leap (Season 3, Episode 2, The Leap Back, Part 2). Sam had leapt into Magic, originally played by Christopher Kirby, as a U.S Combat Swimmer in his brother’s UDT/SEAL platoon in the Vietnam War. The older Williams explains this to project computer whiz Ian Wright (played by the scene stealing Mason Alexander Park). He feels a debt to Sam and by the same token, doesn’t want Ben to suffer the same fate.
Call Two Back to the Past
Then there is the introduction of Al’s daughter Janis, played by Georgina Reilly. Janis is a brilliant scientist in her own right, and she was working with Ben (unknown to anyone else) to alter something on the Quantum Leap project. It was why Ben had entered some unknown algorithms into the programming and leapt before the team was ready. Unfortunately, just like Sam in the original series, Ben doesn’t remember what he did or why he did it. But Janis does. And it appears to have something to do with Sam. Because she explained to her mother that Al NEVER got over what happened to Sam. Up till the day he died. Are they trying to bring Sam back? That would make sense and be a nice apology to all of the original Quantum Leap fans out there.
Expanding the Leap
Fortunately, they have expanded the first season to a full 18 episodes from the original 12. That gives them more time to resolve this and bring Sam back home. After that, they can continue on with more Quantum Leap magic as they wish. But…in the end, let’s bring Ben back too. That’s not too much of a “leap,” is it?
NBC’s Quantum Leap can be seen on Monday nights at 9:00pm EST and streamed the following day on Peacock. You can find the original Quantum Leap also on Peacock. Also, you can check out our own Michael Cook’s review of Episode One here.
Senior Writer at GeekVibesNation – I am a 50 something child of the 70’s who admits to being a Star Trek/Star Wars/Comic Book junkie who once dove head first over a cliff (Ok, it was a small hill) to try to rescue his Fantastic Four comic from a watery grave. I am married to a lovely woman who is as crazy as I am and the proud parent of a 18 year old boy with autism. My wife and son are my real heroes.