‘Quantum Leap’ (2022): Season 1 Blu-Ray Review – Classic Series Is Given A Fresh, Amiable Reboot

It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Basset), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job. At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey.

For in-depth thoughts on Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season, please see my colleague Michael Cook’s piece on the series here. For additional insights, check out a piece from Martin Sexton here.

Video Quality

Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a lovely AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original aspect ratio of 1.78:1. The cinematography of network shows has only gotten more impressive over the past decade, and the series looks quite nice for a network show as we leap to wildly different environments from episode to episode. The color palette stays pretty natural with some instances of vibrant colors popping off the screen thanks to the clothing and production design. Highlights remain firm without giving into bloom, and black levels are nice and deep which allows for an excellent amount of detail in shadows. 

Skin tones appear natural across the entire cast throughout the season. The special effects can get a touch wonky at times, especially when dealing with holograms, but this is not a fault of the transfer itself. The detail in this presentation is quite striking, as all of the minute facets of the production design are easily distinguishable. There are no unsightly instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable in this transfer. The Blu-Ray presentation is a really enjoyable experience for fans of this series.  

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that opens up a fully complex world. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being stepped on by the score or any sound effects. Action sequences and more bombastic moments are given the appropriate weight in the mix with a formidable showing in the low end. Ambient sounds are precisely placed in the rear channels in a way that really enhances the experience. The spatial awareness of the track is impressive, and the panning techniques are implemented with purpose. One of the underrated aspects of this series is the complementary music from Daniel James Chan. His work perfectly sets the tone for the story, and it creates a nicely enveloping sound that draws you further into the show. The audio presentation from Universal will not let you down. There are English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

There are no special features provided on this disc. 

Final Thoughts

Quantum Leap occasionally has a difficult time justifying why it ever needed to exist after the iconic original series, but sometimes “fun” is just reason enough. The concept is a great one, and the series delivers it pretty capably with an enjoyable ensemble and a fine eye for balancing episodic tension with an overarching storyline. The series is not reinventing the wheel, but it does seem to be finding itself more and more as it gets more episodes under its belt. Universal Home Entertainment has released a new Blu-Ray with a terrific A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. We did not need this to exist, but we are having a fine time with it now that it is here. Recommended 

Quantum Leap: The Complete First Season can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or through various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.