Quantum Leap

Yeah, that was one of the few non-gimmicky ones I watched more than once. Not even sure why, guess I just liked that one...

Oh, and he definitely leaps outside the States in the vampire episode. Al mentions it specifically.

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one. Did that one end with it being real vampires, fake ones, or what? I just can't remember.

At the very last moment, Sam looks into a silver platter to find that there's no reflection.

edited 28th Jul '13 4:56:43 PM by Izon

Theres also the one where he's a pilot flying in the Bermuda Triangle

Ah, yeah. I remember that one. It always bugged me that the USS Cyclops is refered to in that episode as a Liberty ship, but she was a collier that vanished many years before the Liberty ships were even thought of.

Well considering that the original timeline Sam left was an alternate one...

Yeah, but he's still creating this universe, supposedly, so it's probably still a goof.

Also, I'm a boat-nerd.

As much as I love this show, the one element I always hated was the concept of an Evil Leaper. Someone travelling through time, putting wrong what once went right. I dunno it just seemed kinda silly to me. Considering the resources and energy requirements that were need to keep ZIGGY running and to keep Al in touch with Sam, I just can't reconcile that someone, somewhere would basically go to the trouble of creating LOTHOS to just send someone to dick around in time.

edited 30th Jul '13 12:03:49 AM by AtomJames

Well when you put it that way it does sound kind of stupid.

Because they're EEEVVVIIIIIIILLLLLLL!!!!11!1one!

It could also be the case that, given the way their whole project is described, the characters aren't really from earth. It could've been that LOTHOS was actually the devil, and the humans involved were forced into service (the first-evil-observer / second-evil-leaper has a conversation in the third episode which might especially imply this).

edited 29th Jul '13 9:59:17 PM by Izon

I do remember that theory, though I always assumed that Alia, Zoe and Thames were criminals serving in the project in order to get reduced sentences. That what I took away from it at least.

edited 30th Jul '13 6:14:05 PM by AtomJames

Wait, but they still don't get any benefits;

• Step 1: Be dicks, fuck up time
• Step 2: ???
• Step 3: Profit!

I wrote a 'fic once where I postulated that they were hired by rich and powerful people to screw with specific lives for their (the clients') advantage.

That makes a lot of sense; in fact, I think I personally will keep that as part of my canon beliefs, so thanks for that

Wait...but didn't Alia have the same problem as Sam? Wasn't she basically leaping through time at random too?

I remember it as being she could leap where she wanted, but I've not seen those episodes for a while, so I wouldn't know.

...You know what this means right?

MARATHON!!

Basically what I've been doing with the whole series, though I've been taking a small break after the Season 2 finale.

I'll admit, the first time I sat through the whole series, I was a bit sheltered/uninformed on various topics, and I couldn't pay as much attention to films or shows as I can now. Now that I'm older, know the fundamentals of modern US history, and watch all films with subtitles turned on, it's almost like a whole new experience watching the show.

I can't really afford to do a Quantum Leap marathon. I just bought the seven available seasons of Supernatural since I am way late to that party, and I'm on the beginning of season 3. It's just not in the cards right now, and I mostly only watch it on reruns on G4, which might be Esquire at this point, so I have no clue if they'll play it. I'm gonna go check that out.

edited 30th Jul '13 9:14:45 PM by KesagakeBoy

Looked it up, and G4 is gone on September 23, and with it my one source of Quantum Leap, since I get around 8 gigs of data per month (my data plan blows) and I don't have the DVDs. While I'm on the topic of the DVDs, I've heard that they've removed nearly all of the licensed music. Does this make the show noticeably worse or are the music changes mostly inconsequential?

edited 30th Jul '13 9:20:00 PM by KesagakeBoy

Never really saw the show on TV that much, but an episode which is heavily about music (radio station playing rock'n'roll in the 50s) never seemed awkward or inconsistent when songs were played. And I'm pretty sure most of the songs in the episode (if not all of them) were actual songs that were playable in the 50s, namely Chubby Checker. All this on the DVD version.

edited 30th Jul '13 9:26:53 PM by Izon

Chubby Checker even made an appearance in that episode didnt he?

@41 Lothos seemed to be in much more control of Alia's Leaping — see what happened to her at the end of her introductory episode and "Lothos! Pull Alia out of there now!" in "Return".

As an aside, I realized that the fanfic I mentioned above didn't really address the matter of how the clients would know history had been altered. I've decided that the Evil Project would bring them enough into it so they'd see it (to get an experience much like Al's at the end of "Honeymoon Express"). Sure, it'd involve letting them into their secrets, but it'd have the added bonus of allowing the Evil Project to later squeeze them for more money and favors by threatening to do to them what they did for them.

Oh, and in the fanfic, the head of the Evil Project was Edward St. John. :)

edited 30th Jul '13 10:55:30 PM by Leaper

When its put that way its actually rather brilliant. I think its how it was executed in the show that I might have a problem with. If a reboot actually showed more of mission control and established something shady was going on behind the scenes I'd probably be more receptive to the idea.