"Quantum Leap" (2022 Relaunch) Season One Talkback (Spoilers)

Moe

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Like other members said, media didn't take Peacock in factor, so if Quantum Leap has low rating on NBC but higher rating on Peacock, so it would be renewed for 2nd season on NBC and Peacock, or move to Peacock only.

I watched Quantum Leap revival and it was decent, but not same as original.

After I saw news, I was worried about failed like Knight Rider revival that led NBC to reduce the number of episodes, and eventually cancelled, but it may be different result if Peacock exists.
 

the greenman

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In terms of ratings on Peacock, wasn't Yellowstone a hit on this? I mean not certain, but I would've thought that is similar. Thought Yellowstone is a better series.

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Moe

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In terms of ratings on Peacock, wasn't Yellowstone a hit on this? I mean not certain, but I would've thought that is similar. Thought Yellowstone is a better series.

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NBCUniversal isn't transparent about whichever content is hit on Peacock.

After saw a lot of people saying about Yellowstone on Peacock, so my guess would be yes.

Viacom sold stream rights for Yellowstone to NBCUniversal before Viacom and CBS merger starts and Viacom didn't own CBS Access before.
 

the greenman

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I think it premiered on both Paramount network & Peacock once that went online. If that P Network was terrestrial cable, then that might explain the success. People just followed it to Peacock.

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Moe

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I think it premiered on both Paramount network & Peacock once that went online. If that P Network was terrestrial cable, then that might explain the success. People just followed it to Peacock.

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First and second season of Yellowstone was pale but it became very popular after went on Peacock.

Most TV providers moved Paramount Network from basic tier to digital tier that where not many people have access to Paramount Network.

I want NBCUniversal to share the data about Quantum Leap revival and want to know about how many people watch this show.
 

the greenman

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First and second season of Yellowstone was pale but it became very popular after went on Peacock.

Most TV providers moved Paramount Network from basic tier to digital tier that where not many people have access to Paramount Network.

I want NBCUniversal to share the data about Quantum Leap revival and want to know about how many people watch this show.

On Yellowstone, yes that sounds like what it was all about.

On QL:Reboot, I am curious as well. Don't forget NBC execs were not fans of the original. They moved it around the schedule a lot. Bellasario tackled too many taboo subjects for its time (some we're still dealing with) racism, homosexuality, dealing with the Vietnam war when were in a new one. . .

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Fone Bone

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Quantum Leap "What A Disaster!"

Supposedly Scott Bakula turned down appearing in the show because it lacked a sense of fun. Next week's Halloween Leap (which sounds like an exorcism) sounds like it is going to prove him wrong.

I like that Addison believes Ben is becoming more emotionally vulnerable during the Leaps. Jen calling that notion beautiful sounded right.

Yeah, it sounds to me that Martinez is a future problem. Ian wondering if they created the problem themselves just by looking into it was the right question.

Cool seeing Jewel Staite. She's grown up nice.

The one thing in the episode I disapprove of is the fact that we didn't get a moment of Ben looking in the mirror. That is a crucial element of the franchise, and not something that should ever be ignored. I felt like the episode was missing something for us not seeing what he looked like, especially when Addison suggested the guy was out of shape.

Ian talking about the Hosts has me wondering again about the Waiting Room. Learning the rules of who can see Ben in the Imaging Chamber were fascinating, especially because the old show never delved into them. To be fair, they probably never did because their grasp of those rules felt entirely inconsistent as the series went on.

I'm really enjoying this show. ****.
 

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Quantum Leap "O Ye Of Little Faith"

I was kind of hoping that would be more fun than it was, but maybe next week with Ben as a kid will make up for that.

The Janice Calavicci cliffhanger was great.

Per usual, the show relies on few to no actual supernatural elements. That's consistent. But the episode was smart to bring up the fact that Sam Beckett believed God was guiding the Leaps. I was a little bit leery of the fact that Ben is a religious skeptic for that reason. It's sort of interesting that they figured out a way to make the actual explanation scientific while also helping Ben open his mind to irrational possibilities. Because whether or not God exists in this continuity, the rules for the Leaps and how to keep going aren't exactly rational. I have no clue if God guiding the Leaps. But if He isn't I would think Sam Beckett would have made it home by now.

Also not to put too fine a point on it, but Addison correctly says that if anybody should not dismiss the idea of possession out of hand, it's a damn Leaper.

Whenever the old show did a mystery they gathered the suspects in a room too just like an Agatha Christie mystery. The difference here is the audience were let in on the culprit ahead of time so it's a bit amusing to watch Ben's shtick knowing it's entirely shtick. Yeah, there is some magic missing for that reason. But knowing how the magician does the trick is still fun on some level, even if it ruins the trick down the line for you.

Even though I do believe the old show would have found a rational explanation, I still feel like the episode itself should have been more fun. It was filled with some genuine spooky moments but it's not quite up to Sam Leaping into a vampire. ***1/2.
 

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QL will Return on January 2, /23
and from the 10 seconds, Traierl that I saw Janus (AL's daughter) is in cuffs and Standing before magic and his team, I hope that Sam can be found, by Ben, after ben's save Addison

poor sam
 
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Fone Bone

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Quantum Leap "Stand By Ben"

Okay, it makes sense that Ben Leaped to somehow find a way to time travel to the future to save Addison's life. That is an acceptable explanation for why he Leaped before the project was ready.

But... I am waiting to hear a good explanation for if Ben is given the proper date for her death her in the future, why he can't just wait for it? And how does Leaper X fit into it? Is something he did on one of his Leaps responsible? If so, how does that work? And why can't the team simply avoid the bad future if they know it's coming? And if they (and Janice) don't have enough information about it, how can they stop it at all?

Is it possible the date, time, and place are known by Leaper X? Did he Leap back and contact Janice in this timeframe? If so, why didn't he give her all the details then? Why does he threaten Ben to stay away now? Is there a reason he no longer wants to prevent Addison's death? Does her living wreck something in the future for him? Is Leaper X actually stuck in the past, or has Future Project: Quantum Leap actually managed to control the Leaps by now?

So many questions.

The stuff with Magic and Jen in the elevator was the weakest part of the episode. What bugs me is how much time it took up.

I really liked the Leap this week and how a simple mission of saving those kids lives turned into a larger goal of shutting down a crooked and abusive military school. Ben is starting to believe there is more to the Leaps. Which is the right attitude for the Leaper.

I can't wait for the show to return in January. It's already one of my current favorite shows on the air. ****1/2.
 

Fone Bone

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It's not actually news. It just speculation on Ernie Hudson's end. But Hudson's thinking seems right to me. I think if the show were just a cheap cash-grab I think Bakula would still stay away. But I have seen few relaunches and sequels that are as loving Valentines to their original series practically every damn episode as this one is. Supposedly Bakula passed because the show isn't as fun and silly as it used to be. But really, the tone variation really shouldn't matter considering how respectful the show has been to a franchise that did a ton of questionable stuff over the years. It gives Quantum Leap, and in particular the character of Al Calavicci, a MUCH better reputation than it deserves. And really, you can't ask for more. Bakula would be crazy not to see that.
 

the greenman

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I understand where Bakula is coming from to a certain degree. I am under the assumption he was sent the scripts for season 1, maybe even saw some or most of the season. Recently, I was trying to explain the original series and Sliders to a co-worker of mine (when talk of multiverse came up). He is slightly younger than myself, I gave him the heads up that alot of the eps borrowed from what movies or news headlines were big at the time.

This new series doesn't quite seem to be borrowing from headlines or big movies in theaters. Seems left over scripts from last series.

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wonderfly

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Okay, I finished the episodes, and am now eagerly awaiting the return in January.

The 1989 episode was nice for incorporating a historical event, the Halloween episode was fun (but I'm not sure they would know all of the stereotypes of a "Possession" case before the Exorcist released in theaters in 1973), and the 90's teenager episode was great.

I think the better the show does (and the longer it remains on the air) the higher the chance of Scott Bakula being pressed into returning to the show. Maybe he'll appear before the end of the second season?

Recently, I was trying to explain the original series and Sliders to a co-worker of mine (when talk of multiverse came up). He is slightly younger than myself, I gave him the heads up that alot of the eps borrowed from what movies or news headlines were big at the time.

How'd that conversation go? My 13 year old daughter has been watching some episodes of the reboot as well, and I tried to explain the old series as well, and I offered to show her some episodes, but she scoffed after seeing a few clips. Strange that she can enjoy the new series yet find the old series to be "old and cheesy".
 

Fone Bone

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Quantum Leap "Fellow Travelers"

Weak episode. But the old show's episodes featuring singers and bodyguards tended to suck too.

Absolutely no forward momentum with Janice Calavicci. I also feel like both Magic and Addison's anger seem forced as long as The Why Ben told no-one remains an open question. The show wants to both wring major pathos out of this and at the same time find excuses not to tell the story or give us any answers. It can't fairly do both.

Another weakness that I mentioned during the Western episode is that nobody in the episode talked like that did in the 1970's. They all used modern phrases and cadences in their manner of speaking. For the old show, the culture clash over the language is part of the fun. This show isn't putting in the groovy, out-of-sight work for 70's-speak.

I didn't like it. **.

Quantum Leap "Paging Dr. Song"

The Leap itself was extremely underwhelming (warmed-over ER) but it's to this show's credit that it is sort of building an interesting long term arc in the background of such a lukewarm episode. And yeah, the Leap IS lukewarm, but I at least think the show understands the franchise enough to tug at the heartstrings at the end, and sort of have Ben put together all of the patients were somehow linked. So the episode actually SEEMS better than it actually is.

The stuff with Janice Calavicci is beyond interesting. I'll tell you what I loved. I have been increasingly frustrated over how stingy the show has been in giving out answers about her and Ben's plans, and the show actually gives us a great idea for why she isn't saying anything. When dealing with a nemesis with a Quantum Leap Accelerator, people actually knowing the specifics of that mission are dangerous. And that should be evident, so I feel Janice's anger and frustration is justified.

We did learn something new however. Ben came to HER. She didn't actually want anything to do with whatever this is, but Ben dragged her into it to save Addison. Going forward that will help me understand Janice a little better.

I didn't think the episode was all that great, but it wound up laying solid groundwork for the ultimate mystery about why Ben went to Janice behind Addison's back and Leaped. The idea that Addison needs to get Ben to stop answering questions is a narrative conundrum in that I as a viewer don't want that, but it actually makes sense from both a storytelling perspective and when it comes to protecting the entire mission. If you can told me before tonight the show would be able to come up with this specific great explanation as to why they aren't answering questions, I would have been surprised. It's a really great storytelling idea because I think it feels earned and it makes me feel like I can learn to live with a little mystery and ambiguity for the time being. So the warmed-over ER tribute gets a passing three star grade anyways. ***.

Quantum Leap "Leap. Die. Repeat"

I think I understood more about the premise than the producers thought I would. I also have a sneaking suspicion I actually understand the premise a little better than the producers do.

First off, I wish the original series did more sci-fi high-concept stuff. On the rare occasions it did, those were always the best episodes. That's why this show leans so heavily into that. But I think the producers were hoping fans would think Groundhog Day and be stunned to realize it was only five chances.

Still they properly set up the Groundhog Day trope by focusing on the minutia that would be repeated, and often changed when Ben was the person who did the random thing in question.

It wasn't a time loop as long as Ben Leaped into different people. I don't know if the writers quite understood what they were channeling, but they seemed to be going old-school metaphysical Divine Intervention. This premise was not science fiction. What Ben was being granted was a Divine Mulligan. Sam was granted these on a few occasions too, and while I don't know what the future people thought of those things happening back in 1999, it's a little bit disappointing that nobody on the sequel is pondering if God IS in fact controlling the Leaps. Everyone is SO damn certain that if Ben fails the Leap, and dies in the Leap, he dies in his body. Or ANY Leap. Sam already disproved that.

In "Trilogy", he had to take three Leaps within the lifetime of people around a tortured woman to understand what was going on. And he actually died in the first Leap. Another notable Mulligan was the last scene in the series finale "Mirror Image", where he seemed to Leap to back as himself to Beth's grief at the end of "M.I.A." to change things and tell her Al was coming home. "The Leap Home" also gave him two chances to save his brother's life, first at home in Indiana as himself as a kid, then in Vietnam. And when he was in Vietnam, he actually Leaped into Magic. Lee Harvey Oswald gave Sam a similar Mulligan after he seemed to start being controlled by Oswald and Leaping all throughout his young adulthood, he finally Leaped into a Secret Service agent who saves Jackie Kennedy's life. But truly the most audacious and appalling Mulligan God ever granted Sam Beckett was in the episode "Deliver Us From Evil" a weirdly fan-favorite episode that NBC teased the hell out because of the introduction of The Evil Leaper before it aired. It is also my pick for the worst, most reprehensible episode of the entire series. It is so disgusting, God simply declaring everything that happened non-canon and granting poor Jimmy a total do-over is literally the least those gross jerk producers could do. Ick

But the thing all of the Mulligans have in common is that there is no scientific basis for them, they seem to involve a higher power stepping in when Sam is about to fail, and putting right what Sam almost made wrong. It's interesting everybody in the episode is talking about the rarity of time loops. When really they should be discussing the commonality of Divine Intervention. Addison mentioned a few episodes ago that Sam believed God controlled the Leaps. And if this five person Mulligan is any indication, He's on Ben's side too.

It's interesting Ben is an agnostic. The scenarios in the Leaps themselves are rarely supernatural. And if they are, it's always left ambiguous by the time Sam leaps out of the vampire. But when it comes to the DESIGN of the Leaps, there seem to be larger forces at work.

What's interesting is this happening surprised Janice Calavicci. She believe she had Ben's Leap path all mapped out. Which is ridiculous, considering it was never Project: Quantum Leap that actually decided where Sam ended up. If God decides Ben needs to take a detour Janice never planned for, He will. And if it happens, don't all of Janice's carefully planned Leaps unravel from there on out?

I love that Ben uses passion and reason to talk the villain out of killing everybody. I really wish more conflicts on TV were solved that way.

The episode did a couple of annoying things. They made believe Ben died at the beginning of the episode. I did not need to see Addison's grief because I knew it wasn't real. The show annoyed me by putting her in pain she wasn't actually due.

I also was annoyed that Jen was mad at Magic for letting Ben finish the Leap. Like she's the only one who cares if he lives or dies. What I don't think either of them quite get is that even if Ben failed that Leap, he almost certainly wasn't going to die. God would obviously grant him ANOTHER Mulligan and he'd Leap into an investigative reporter in the 1970's trying to track down the truth of what happened to her sister at the reactor. I think Magic and Addison operating under the assumption that if Ben blows it he dies, is wrong. Ben has a higher power looking out for him, and whatever it is, it will step in and help when the need arises. I'm think Sam was probably lost because he depended on that intervention a little bit too much. Once he reunited Al and Beth in the past, I'm guessing God knew Sam was essentially done with Project: Quantum Leap. God was going to call the shots from that point forward.

Interesting that Magic believes he should have sided with Janice back in the day, and allowed her on the project. I agree with that regret completely. She'd certainly make a more useful ally than a frustrating adversary. What was Magic thinking?

And if I were the showrunner of this show, I would explore all that Divinity stuff. I'd wonder if perhaps the fact that Ben is seeking to alter the destiny of someone he knows may in fact potentially cause Fate, Time, or God to severe him from the Project and answer to Him alone, the way Sam probably now does. I understand Scott Bakula is balking at returning, but I think a clever writer could figure out a way to explore all this using the deductive method and possible information Janice is withholding. The idea of the Mulligan seems Divine. And I don't think 2022's producers are either thinking through the significance or it, or the philosophical and moral debates they could broach had they understood the notion fully and embraced it. I could be wrong. Maybe that is all part of the plan. But if it was, and I ran the show, I'd be hinting the possibility EARLY on, and this episode would have been the right place to do it. Instead I feel like the relaunch may be wasting a golden storytelling opportunity.

That being said, even if the show is not going in the direction I think it should go, that most certainly doesn't mean whatever direction it IS going will be bad. Certainly, it's earned enough trust with me to believe that whatever it's got cooking will be satisfying to longtime fans like me. It's earned that much. The show does not need to conform to my wants and expectations. I trust it will be great even if it doesn't. ****1/2.

Quantum Leap "Let Them Play"

You want to claim it's a little sappy, that's actually on-brand for the franchise. What I did like is that it took a political stand, which is something the old show did frequently, but the new show does rarely. Like it or not the Trump Administration is part of history, and the ban of transpeople in the military was an especially shameful thing. The show goes out of its way not to offend most weeks. It's encouraging it's starting to take a moral stance when it actually matters.

The worst part of the episode for me was the poetry slam. I get what it was trying to get Magic to recognize, but did it HAVE to be so badly written and acted to do it? It wasn't even funny. It was pure cringe. Granted the old show had its share of that, but I won't thank the sequel for bringing it back.

Seriously though, if you check out the original series sometime, it is almost SHOCKING the negative view it (particularly the character of Al Calavicci) takes on queerness. Somebody wants to tell me how inferior this show is to that, I'll just point out a main character here never gave Al's one word reaction to hearing somebody was gay in "Lee Harvey Oswald": "Yuck." Seriously, Scott Bakula. You are remembering your run on the show in fonder and more generous terms than it actually deserved. You are NOT actually too good for this show. You never were.

A second person in the imaging chamber IS a taboo, the old show only violated once in the episode "Raped". It feels right that it's Ian breaking this rule, when we learned the shocking revelation that he will somebody become a Future Leaper.

Random franchise notes: The Leap is set only ten years in the past. The old show was very leery of setting episodes anywhere NEAR 1999. They did 1986 and 1987 once each, I think, but the show very much frowned on putting Sam in recognizable modern settings. Of course, 1999 was the future for that show and 2022 is the present here, so that might make the difference in presentation. We also get a few more ideas what it's like for the person Leaped into during their missing time, but I'd still feel more comfortable about that if The Waiting Room was more clearly referenced and mentioned. While a Leapee's time in The Waiting Room being forgotten could be chalked up to the amnesia both Sam and the Leapee felt, while the Waiting Room is a thing, it's hard to understand how the Leapee could possibly feel like someone else was driving their body. In reality, they are in BEN'S/SAM'S/IAN'S bodies. Ben and Ian's Leapee's could be argued to work a different way, but that doesn't explain Magic describing the same sensation. The Waiting Room was a BIG part of the Old Show. I'm having a hard time believing the producers of this show aren't even aware of it. It was one of the most memorable conceits of the future elements of that show.

The episode did what a LOT of episodes on the old show did, but that this show hasn't done much of. It showed plenty of scenes in the past time period where neither Ben nor Addison were present. Another thing I want to compliment the show on, is that I believe if this premise WERE ever done on the original series, they'd have Sam leap into the transkid and get his reactions to the bigotry. And while it was sort of an eye-opening conceit to watch a white man being targeted with racism and sexism back in the 1980's and 90's, the truth is Sam can't ever really be put in the minority's shoes, and this show understands that part of it and allows Ben the role of her father instead. There was something iconic about Scott Bakula being harassed for either being black or a woman. But the reality is the messaging there is problematic because it's not real to Sam. The audience is made aware of how stupid it is, simply because the assumption is an error on the bigot's part. But it's not the same thing as giving a character like Gia her own voice and story. If Ben had Leaped into her, he wouldn't have actually had that. Worse, he probably would have had to have a huge life-altering discussion with the parents that Gia would first have no say over, and then simply not remember. That part always bothered me about the old show, and so far this sequel is steering clear of giving Ben TOO many life-altering moments with the person the he's Leaped into's loved ones. It's a tricky balance, and having Ben Leap into the father instead of Gia helps that big time.

The episode won't break any molds here, and some if it downright sucks. But it actually does a LOT better than the old show in actually having a trans person write and direct the episode, and basically researching the subject in depth ahead of time, instead of using cliches and generalities. I've never heard of accomplices or some of the terms the episode introduced me to, and that's not something that ever happened on the old show. While the old show was trying to teach the bigots who watched it something, it never taught ME anything. I'm glad to say this episode definitely did. ***1/2.

Quantum Leap "Family Style"

Solid. Heart-warming. Sappy. Decent Quantum Leap, in other words.

I love Ben's nose ring.

And I love how Ben problem-solves at the end and brings the entire family together. I don't think Sam Beckett could have done that. Maybe only because the writers of the original series thought too small about what he could and should be capable of. But Sam's help tended to be very one-on-one and personal. Ben bringing vast groups of people together feels like a different skillset and a different way to approach a crisis.

Although if I may be brutally honest, maybe Sam never swung for the fences because Al was never there for him, or as competent as Addison is. The old show instead of making Al an asset, often made him a hindrance, and a frustrating weak point. Him being a creeper that makes you cringe 30 years later was the tip of the iceberg for how useless he was. Sam could count on him when the chips were down. He was never there enough or useful enough to make it so the chips never fell down in the first place. Addison being there the entire time with info for Ben about the best place to set up the pop-up restaurant is not something Sam could ever have depended on Al for, sad to say.

I like that Ben was essentially able to tell his own mother he loved her at the end.

The part of the episode I didn't much dig was Ian's stuff. I thought it was awesome last week when it turns out he's gonna be a future Leaper, but really his entire arc in the episode was emo. That's something I really don't like about the future stuff on the relaunch.

But it was a nice enough week. ***1/2.

Quantum Leap "S.O.S."

The old show RARELY did Leaps that effected Sam or Al's immediate family. They saved those for special occasions. I like that big moments like those on the sequel means it doesn't live or die by the season premieres / finales. Regular episodes are allowed real emotional stakes.

Brandon Routh is perfect casting as Addison's father in a way the viewer can appreciate (but Addison cannot). Her father is literally Superman, and she doesn't know it, and could never see it. I think Routh was a VERY deliberate casting choice for that reason.

The stuff with Martinez at the end threw me, and is another pile of questions added to the ongoing mystery. What the hell is actually going on here?

I love the moment where Magic says he doesn't believe the Leaps are random, and that they are the "Moral Arc of the Universe" as described by Martin Luther King. Not to get too much into religion, but that's the way Sam Beckett saw it too. And it's clear Magic is the missing Dr. Beckett's biggest living acolyte.

I love that an episode that big, with that much at stake for Addison, didn't just occur outside of a premiere or finale. It was outside of Sweeps month too. It means the show believes delivering big, personal stories is something it should normally be doing from week to week, which is the correct mindset.

This episode highlights a plothole constantly inherent in Quantum Leap, and something that could be leveled at many episodes. But if whoever is controlling the Leaps wanted to make Ben's job as easy as possible, Ben would have Leaped into the Commander who screwed things up. It's more narratively interesting for Ben to have to change hearts and minds as an outsider. In reality, it would be better for all concerned if he Leaped into the person who made the mistake in the first place.

I loved Quantum Leap back before loving Quantum Leap was cool. And yet, it contained some very real narrative faults, that hit me wrong at the time, and have only looked even more appalling to me with 30 years hindsight. I like this show because it's everything I love about the old show, while fixing every single problem I ever had with it. Am I going there? Am I saying this iteration of the show is better than the original series? Unequivocal YES. I know the controversy I am stirring by saying that. But I say it because I believe it to be true.

That was a great episode. Quantum Leap has always been a bit of a fan favorite. And deeply flawed at the same. I love the sequel for reminding me of everything I loved about the original series, without ever once making me feel bad for watching it because it's dated and offensive. I love being allowed to love Quantum Leap again. Not being able to love this show as much as I used to actually hurt a bit. This show is a refreshing salve on that mental wound for that reason. ****1/2.

Quantum Leap "Ben Song For The Defense"

What people who have never seen the original series may not aware of is Quantum Leap is a rare sci-fi franchise in that episodes entirely absent mythology are actually GOOD. The franchise appealed to me because the not-gimmick episodes were solid week in and week out while the show was always shakiest during Sweeps Week.

And that's not how modern television works. Episodes that DON'T move the plot forward are considered "filler" or "monster of the week". I hope people seeing this episode appreciate a franchise like this that finds drama in the scenario itself, and feels emotionally satisfying on its own instead of making you feel impatient for them to get back to the stuff with Janice or Martinez. Frankly, it's THOSE stories that make me impatient, simply because they dole out plot points so infrequently (and sparingly when they do). It should be the drama Ben encounters on the Leaps Of The Week that sustains the show, just like it did Sam Beckett, and I'm happy to say that was the case here too, even if they changed up the hologram to Jenn to keep things interesting.

I wish Ben himself hadn't Leaped before the good news about all the characters from the restored timeline was revealed, but perhaps the fact that he Leaped at ALL told him enough.

I want more episodes like this. ****.

Quantum Leap "Ben, Interrupted"

This is all great stuff.

Ziggy being the mole is ingenious. Not only has the viewer trusted that damn computer since the original series (sort of), we've still always been led to believe there was something off about them. Now clearly Donald P Bellisario never planned THIS back in the day, but in "The Leap Back", Ziggy, as voiced by Bellisario's then wife and co-producer / writer Deborah Pratt, (who also voiced the original series' opening narration), seems antagonistic, bordering on sinister. Is this the same Ziggy? If so, the computer with a giant ego obviously had sociopathic tendencies all along.

The episode also raised an interesting question to me. Janice claims if Ben doesn't sacrifice himself at the end of that Leap, Addison will die. Clearly, for the sake of the show, neither of those things can happen. Which means, no matter HOW sure we had been led to believe Janice was, no matter how carefully planned out this all was with her and Ben, she is in error about a very big thing. And I couldn't ever say that before now until they made it a choice between Ben's life or Addison's. Magic wanting to save everyone is not just the more moral mindset, it's the one the narrative demands too. Sometimes narrative demands speak more about the reality of the fictional project than the most educated characters ever do. Ben and Addison can't die, at least not this soon into the show's run, so that makes Janice's predictions faulty. What else is she wrong about? And does knowing Ziggy is the mole change her thoughts there, or how she will approach things going forward?

Another sign Ziggy is the mole is because Martinez probably never could have Leaped without them. What's the true wild card is how Ian eventually became a Leaper. That bit doesn't add up to everything else.

I think Beth Calavicci is WAY too young. She literally looks 40 years younger than her character should be. I understand the need to bring back Susan Diol. She is so far the only actor from the original series to return. But they should have put her in age prosthetics. It is not credible she looks in her uppers fifties when Beth is probably 90 years or older.

Want to feel old? See Patrick Fischler, famous genre young punk, with white hair.

The Leap was a pretty horrific scenario. The original series also mined great drama with "Shock Theater", another Leap that weirdly had a lot to do with the series mythology too.

The Evil Leaper program is mentioned, but I don't think Martinez is to do with it. That program's computer was named Lothos. Neither Sam, Al, or Project: Quantum Leap ever heard the name, but it WAS an entirely separate enterprise. I wonder if it still even exists. For the record, I never bought the premise. Who the hell would work there in the first place? I understand Sam believe God controlled the Leaps. But really the only person the Evil Leapers could potentially answer to is the Devil Himself. I don't object to the show getting a bit mythological or Biblical. But it doesn't explain why people would work at that project.

Let me also put it in your head that as beloved of a fan premise as that was at the time, all three episodes with Alia sucked ass, especially the first. It was bad for the show. I think the writers of THIS show are a little more talented, and I would kind of want to see what they'd cook up (and both Carolyn Seymour and Hinton Battle are still alive) but I think if they can't actually figure out a good reason for that nonsense to exist in the first place, they'd do better off leaving well enough alone. The mention is more than enough for me.

I love this show very much. At this point I actually love it more than the original series. It's like everything I loved about it with none of its many disturbing faults. It's great to have Quantum Leap back on network TV in all its TV-PG glory. ****1/2.

Quantum Leap "The Friendly Skies"

Next week is gonna be killer! The future? No wonder Ian couldn't find him. I wonder who he's Leaped into. Or did he Leap into himself? Is that why future Ian recognizes him?

Speaking of which, I love that Ben actually remembers Ian. Interesting quirk. It also makes him recognizing him at the ending make sense too.

I thought the episode was awesome, but I'm so stunned and excited by the ending, it's the only thing I can think of right now. This review is brief for this reason.

The future! Holy poo! ****1/2.

Quantum Leap "Judgment Day"

It was a great, watershed, and yeah, bananas episode exploring things we're never seen in Quantum Leap before. And yet I was beyond disappointed with the cliffhanger. But like 30 seconds after it occurred, I was excited. Do you think the show planned the cliffhanger to be that ambiguous and underwhelming? I don't.

I'm pretty sure the initial plan was to have Scott Bakula show up in the Quantum Leap accelerator.

But he turned up his nose at reappearing because the reboot wasn't "Fun". And the original series' idea of fun was casual homophobia and Al creepily leering at women, so not too many credibility points are due Bakula from me. What I think is gonna happen is Bakula is going to hear all summer first-hand how much the fans love the show and will be guilted into showing up at the top of season 2 after all. Either that or they'll throw a ton of money at him. I have always loved the revival from the outset, but I was very much alone in my praise of the early episodes. Fans of the original series looked upon it with skepticism and even scorn since Bakula did all but give his disapproval. But the series worked overtime all season to win over skeptics and even if there are a couple of continuity holes here and there (what happen to The Waiting Room?) it feels like this show was made not just by people who loved the original series, but people who loved the premise and wanted to stretch it in new, interesting, and cool ways. And if you ask me, that episode is better than the one with Scott Bakula dressed as Carmen Miranda. And it kind of stings that an underwhelming episode like that was the picture attached to Bakula's Tweet about what the old show did right. That was corny and cringe. This? THIS is actually fun. This is Quantum Leap going in directions I wish it had been permitted to go with more seasons and a bigger budget.

Were you frustrated by that ending? It's possible it was actually so frustrating because the show is THAT determined to bring Bakula back. I guess my only real question left about it is what the frak are they gonna actually do if he says no again? ******.
 

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On the TTTP on October 13, 2002, a couple of users question if Dumb Patrol (1964) is truly offensive, causing a long discussion about flame wars: "Dumb Patrol"
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