The new Quantum Leap

[Kirby101]

I liked it too. But there is only so long they can tease us with Ben's motives and the mysterious point in time before it becomes a LOST like failure.

[j9ac9k]

Did anyone watch "Timeless?" I thought they did "time travel with a social message while building character and an over-arching mystery" pretty well. Not sure how much legs it had in terms of the main conspiracy story and how long they could have stretched it out, but for what they gave us it was paced pretty well from that I remember.

[Kirby101]

Loved Timeless.

[j9ac9k]

The Leap story in Ep2 was better than the first, and tied thematically with the other storyline. (wait, did the first Leap tie in as well? I guess that guy was doing something bad to save his wife... hmm...) I liked the character stuff with Addison and her reeling from how her life has been up-ended overnight, yet still having to work with Ben, then rekindling her faith in him, regardless of not knowing what he's been up to.

It was really nice to see Beth again.

[David Walton]

Raymond Lee and Caitlin Bassett are great and they could carry the show given the chance. The supporting cast is talented and likeable but I'm not sold on cutting back and forth between leaps and the present day. It kills the momentum and eats away precious screen time that should go to Ben, Addison and the guest characters of the week. Also the present day scenes feel way too "CSI."

I wish they'd lean more into the mysticism, less into the overexplaining.

The scene where Ben and Addison were doing the shuttle walk was great, it was one of those smaller moments that the original QL excelled at.

I'd be very happy if they'd cut the present day scenes down to 10%. Give the leap story time to breathe.

The main subplot seems to be a bit of a spin on what the next season of QL would have looked like, with Al trying to bring Sam home after getting his marriage back. Perhaps Al was trying all these years and now his daughter is carrying on his legacy. Maybe she has access to Sam and that's why she knows things about leaping others don't?

I'm not sure what to make of Scott Bakula's comments. They seem sincere, but on the other hand he's said he wanted to return to QL for years and it would be a weird creative choice for the reboot to build so heavily around trying to get Sam back if there's no possibility of Bakula returning.

Theoretically, they could have Ben run into Sam while he's in a leap, and free up another actor to play him. At least as a placeholder.

[Zero Hunter]

I like that we are getting more of the team shown and it not just being Ben and Addison. The old show never really touched at what it had to be like for the people back in the present having to figure out what needed fixing and such so seeing that side of things more is a nice change.

[Jokerz79]

Just watched the 1st 2 episodes on Peacock it's good, but not going to lie I don't like the romantic angle or spending so much time in the Present.

Also I miss the old theme song.

[80sbaby]

I like that we are getting more of the team shown and it not just being Ben and Addison. The old show never really touched at what it had to be like for the people back in the present having to figure out what needed fixing and such so seeing that side of things more is a nice change.

I agree. It keeps this from being a boring rehash and adds a new twist.

[j9ac9k]

I agree. It keeps this from being a boring rehash and adds a new twist.

Most modern audiences want a mythology to dig into. If it were the same stand-alone format each week, I might lose interest. It's like how a lot of people dismiss certain episodes of shows that have a "monster of the week" because they want to see the main story arc develop.

I'm sure they'll tease that the "MacGuffin" in the Jeremy Beremy is Sam, but I don't think it will be. Maybe they're just waiting to see if Bacula will change his mind, but I'm going to guess it's more important than that - maybe even where Ziggy's evil opposite Lothos is...??

[David Walton]

Just watched the 1st 2 episodes on Peacock it's good, but not going to lie I don't like the romantic angle or spending so much time in the Present.

Also I miss the old theme song.

What is up with contemporary network shows not having an actual theme song? Just a few bars and then cut to title card. It's like they're scared to embrace the fun of old theme songs but also don't want to go head to head with them either.

QL without the original theme song is like STAR WARS without John Williams, everything about that song sets the tone. The new QL intro is as bland as humanly possible.

[David Walton]

I agree. It keeps this from being a boring rehash and adds a new twist.

Most modern audiences want a mythology to dig into. If it were the same stand-alone format each week, I might lose interest. It's like how a lot of people dismiss certain episodes of shows that have a "monster of the week" because they want to see the main story arc develop.

I'm sure they'll tease that the "MacGuffin" in the Jeremy Beremy is Sam, but I don't think it will be. Maybe they're just waiting to see if Bacula will change his mind, but I'm going to guess it's more important than that - maybe even where Ziggy's evil opposite Lothos is...??

Well, the nature of the original QL is that there's not really any rehash because he's helping a different person every week. But I get what you're saying, it's a formula without any variation other than being plugged into a new person's fate that went wrong.

The original QL had problems with ratings and tried to build ratings with variations. They were moving toward more serialization toward the end, with a villain in the form of evil leapers, allowing Sam to jump into famous historical figures, and if the next season had happened I think Sam was supposed to have started leaping in his own body. Plus the dynamic with Al would have changed because of him now being happily married and trying more actively to get Sam home.

Maybe I'll come around to the cutting back and forth between past and present. I like all the actors in the supporting cast, I just prefer the old format. But it's only two eps in, we'll see.

[j9ac9k]

What is up with contemporary network shows not having an actual theme song? Just a few bars and then cut to title card. It's like they're scared to embrace the fun of old theme songs but also don't want to go head to head with them either.

QL without the original theme song is like STAR WARS without John Williams, everything about that song sets the tone. The new QL intro is as bland as humanly possible.

YMMV of course, but when I re-watch an old show with those old intro theme songs, it seems interminable to me - like it keeps going and going. My patience has definitely been reconditioned over the years.

[David Walton]

YMMV of course, but when I re-watch an old show with those old intro theme songs, it seems interminable to me - like it keeps going and going. My patience has definitely been reconditioned over the years.

I was rewatching the first season of QL this week and man, I just have so much love for that theme song. Some have aged better than others and that's one for me that's timeless. Also love the images with dates running across the screen.

But I totally get what you're saying, and I'll freely admit that in some regards I might be a dinosaur.

[Riv86672]

YMMV of course, but when I re-watch an old show with those old intro theme songs, it seems interminable to me - like it keeps going and going. My patience has definitely been reconditioned over the years.

^^^Due to physical/mental wear and tear my attention span is nowhere near what it was 30 years ago.
It’s one reason I’ve enjoyed this show’s cutting back from the leap to the present, its kept me engaged and made the eps move at a good pace so far.

[Albert1981]

Loved the old series. The chemistry between Bakula and Stockwell was unbelievable. My favorite episode was Catch a Falling Star. The Impossible Dream is a strange song to me. The lyrics are so damn corny yet inspiring at the same time: