Quantum Leap (2022)

[Darth Lucifer]

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 Bassett), 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.

The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee), who heads up digital security for the project. 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. However, Addison, Magic, Ian, and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leap and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever. Quantum Leap premieres September 19, 2022, on NBC and Peacock.

This has the potential for spectacular awesome or incredible fail. It seems like they're treating the franchise with some respect and possibly setting up a resolution to what happened to Dr. Beckett. *crosses fingers*

[LadyTevar]

I never did like how Quantum Leap ended. He should have come home.

It also left the whole "Evil Leaper" unsolved. Where did she get her tech, and why was she screwing with TimeLines?

That would be one question this new team could take on. After all, surely Ziggy has that information recorded for them to use?

Oh... and this guy will not be able to jump as far back in the timeline, as it should be limited to his own lifetime. Sam's life covered several influential decades in US History, which allowed for stories about Civil Rights, Women's Rights, Gay Rights, etc. In short, the old program was a sneaky way to teach history and how badly minorities of all types were treated. The new guy was born... when? 1990s? Hell, I don't even remember what happened back then...

[Elheru Aran]

The new guy was born... when? 1990s? Hell, I don't even remember what happened back then...

If he's born late 80s, you can still fit quite a bit of history in there. Fall of the Berlin Wall, Desert Storm, Rodney King, OJ Simpson, Oklahoma City bombing, Columbine, and so forth and so on. Plenty of opportunities for social commentary rather than historical.

Plus they can naturally fudge the rules of leaping. Or just do over the whole thing to some degree to make it fit the plot. The original show was long enough ago that much of the modern audience won't really remember how it worked anyway, just that it was something to do with time travel.

[tezunegari]

Oh... and this guy will not be able to jump as far back in the timeline, as it should be limited to his own lifetime.

In Season 5 Episode 20 "The Leap Between The States" Beckett leaps back to 1862 into his Great-Grandfather.
So, a leap beyond his lifespan would be canonically possible.
Hell, they could even argue that a few decades of advancement in technology turned that onetime fluke of the original machine into a feature of the new one.

[Darth Lucifer]

I think that the reason given for that leap into Beckett's Civil War ancestor was because of their shared DNA. Personally, I hope they explain away this limitation as it opens up alot of possibilities for storytelling. But I also don't want to see Dr. Song's ancestors having participated in every major historical event. IIRC, they only did the long range leap one time.

To me, the best episodes were stories about ordinary people, but the historical context was still there. Like "The Color of Truth" from Season 1 when he leaped into an older black man in the deep south in the 1950's. I recall a point of contention between Al and Sam that he stick to the mission of saving the elderly white lady instead of trying to cause social changes before the Civil Rights era.

[LadyTevar]

Oh... and this guy will not be able to jump as far back in the timeline, as it should be limited to his own lifetime.

In Season 5 Episode 20 "The Leap Between The States" Beckett leaps back to 1862 into his Great-Grandfather.
So, a leap beyond his lifespan would be canonically possible.
Hell, they could even argue that a few decades of advancement in technology turned that onetime fluke of the original machine into a feature of the new one.

I had forgotten that one.
The last season there was also a heavily implied idea that "Someone" was influencing where and when Sam jumped. A 'good' to the 'evil'. Hell, the last episode all but screamed "GOD DID IT!!"

[FireNexus]

I had forgotten that one.
The last season there was also a heavily implied idea that "Someone" was influencing where and when Sam jumped. A 'good' to the 'evil'. Hell, the last episode all but screamed "GOD DID IT!!"

The last episode, to me, always implied that Sam was in control of the leaps, subconsciously. I was never sure who other Al was, but I think if he was God he was just helping Sam get more conscious control.

[Solauren]

Years later, I think part of the final episode was largely in Sam's mind. Specifically his interactions with 'bartender Al', and him seeing the other leaper jump out, and the fact he could see what he himself looked like now (instead of being in someone elses body and seeing their reflection)

The possibility exists that the other leaper (not the bartender, the miner) that was in the bar was actually an older version of Sam.

My thinking is this -
Sam leaps there, but because he's already there (the older Sam/miner), he doesn't arrive in the normal way, and instead arrives as himself.
This sets off his mind figuring out he can control the leaps. That figuring out is his conversing with Al.

When the other miners rescue the guy that was trapped in the mines, and "older Sam" leaps out, it's because he now knows his younger self has reached the point of controlling the leaps.

Sam then does and saves Al's marriage. That final change to the timeline changes everything to the point the show as we know it effectively ended, as that timeline ceased to exist except for Sam's existence as a leaper.

I'm thinking the new Quantum leap is going to be on that new timeline. A timeline where Sam still leaped, but Al was still married to his first wife, and Gushy was married to Donna.

That would allow them to keep the spirit of the show, while also not having to reference episodes or events from the original series, but still referencing the changes that Sam did.

i.e Gooshie being married to Tina (instead of Al having married her, and Tina and Gushy having an affair)
Sam's daughter via leaping being part of the project
Sam's wife being part of the project
Sam's brother being alive
Sams's sister not marrying the abuser and marrying a good guy

Note - Haven't seen any of it yet!

[LadyTevar]

The show has started.

Anyone watching it?