Doctor Ben Song masterfully made his way through another jump in the latest episode of Quantum Leap, and by this point, he's likely proven to skeptics he's about as good of a time traveler as Sam Beckett. Even so, there are still many fans interested in seeing Scott Bakula return, and the series quickly established that Sam is possibly still out leaping. So, could he appear on the show in Season 2? Bakula has previously said he won't return, but executive producer Deborah Pratt's latest comments to CinemaBlend leave me optimistic he could.
Deborah Pratt was a co-creator of the original Quantum Leap, and is an executive producer on the revival and director of the Season 1 episode "Family Style." After learning about the food shows that influenced her episode, I asked Pratt about the odds of Scott Bakula reprising his role as Sam Beckett as the series returns for Season 2. Pratt confirmed he's still welcome and talked about the questions she has about Sam Beckett:
The door is always open. This is a show about hope. I will never give up hope. He’s such a good person too. I think one of the things that made the show endearing and continue on is the fact that [Sam] didn’t come home. But I want to know more about him, I want to know where he is. And so, I hope we find a way to continue his story. And [I hope] the audience that has fallen in love with him, and continues to grow and fall in love with him, comes on this next journey wherever it may go and whenever it may be and whatever medium it may be in. There’s so much opportunity because these stories need to be told.
Deborah Pratt expressed the same sentiment as Quantum Leap showrunner Martin Gero by confirming the door is always open for Scott Bakula to return as Sam Beckett. She then took things a bit further and talked about the questions she's had and still has about Sam's character. If an executive producer is interested in those questions about Sam, I can't help but think they'll do what they can to try and bring the character back.
The details of why Scott Bakula passed on appearing on Quantum Leap aren't entirely clear, as the actor was said to be involved in the series through much of its development until he suddenly wasn't. Still, the continued interest of producers to see Sam on top of the renewal have me optimistic that Bakula might waver on his stance in Season 2. As Deborah Pratt said, it would be great to see what Sam's fate was after a bummer ending of the original series.
For those who need a reminder or don't have a Peacock Premium subscription to binge the original Quantum Leap, Sam Beckett's ending was tragic. The series finale revealed, via title card, that Sam was never able to find his way back home. The revival picked up on that plotline and added that it's possible that Sam Beckett is either still leaping through time over twenty years later or he's dead.
The fact Sam never returned home makes Dr. Ben Song's decision to jump even more harrowing, so one could argue Scott Bakula's lack of involvement has added more drama to the revival. It has also allowed the series to stand on its own in Season 1 and might make his hypothetical involvement in the future less disruptive to the overall series.
Honestly, it seems like the new Quantum Leap created the best way for Sam Beckett to return, which has me all the more hopeful that Bakula and others will see that and make the effort to bring Sam back to primetime. Quantum Leap airs on NBC on Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET. I'm still holding out hope that there's a secret cameo by Scott Bakula as Sam before the end of Season 1, but if not, luckily, there's Season 2 to look forward to!
