Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Quantum Leap episode “Salvation or Bust.” Read at your own risk!
NBC’s Quantum Leap is generating a lot of positive buzz among fans of the original, and that’s thanks in part to how well it captures the spirit of the Scott Bakula-led series. While the show is without Bakula for now, it does have a super-talented cast and might’ve just introduced an important organization that longtime fans will know well. It’s possible the show just introduced its first Evil Leaper, and I definitely have questions about all of that.
The reveal happened right at the end of “Salvation or Bust,” in which Quantum Leap’s Dr. Ben Song was approached by an anonymous citizen of the Old West town he saved, Salvation. The stranger called out Ben in the saloon, and said the following:
You made a serious miscalculation coming here, Ben. I know everything about you, Dr. Ben Song from the year 2022. I know what you’re doing, but if you value your life, you need to stop following me. Do you understand?
That’s quite a way to end an episode, but are we to assume that this individual was tied to the Evil Leapers? Here are some thoughts I’m kicking around after the reveal, including my suspicion that everything is not as it appears.
Is This An Evil Leaper, Or Someone Else?
I think any longtime Quantum Leap fan who saw this moment almost immediately assumed this mysterious time traveler is a part of the Evil Leapers. For those unaware, this organization worked against Sam Beckett’s good deeds during the original series, and were, well, evil. This new person could be with them, and given the fact that the Evil Leapers were a memorable part of the original series, it makes sense they’d come into the story sooner than later.
Having said that, television shows in 2022 are a bit more nuanced than in the late '80s and early '90s. What feels like an obvious setup for an “Evil Leaper” could be something else entirely. After all, nothing this person said was inherently evil. The fact that they did know exactly who Ben is does feel a bit suspicious, however, and obviously, this could be someone who also has people helping them through jumps as well.
There’s a part of me that wonders if that was Sam Beckett after the reveal that he could still be leaping, but given where things currently stand and what’s being said about Scott Bakula’s involvement, that’s a far-fetched theory.
Was Ben’s Code Designed To Target This Person?
Ben Song doesn’t know why he decided to leap, as the first jump erased his memory. Quantum Leap has revealed so far that Ben developed and uploaded a bunch of new code into Ziggy before his jump, and that he might be working with an outsider to the program, Janis Calavicci. Janis isn’t involved in the Quantum Leap program, but her father Al was Sam’s hologram guide during the original series. Did Janis work with Ben on the new code, and if so, did they do this to attempt to seek out this person and others like him?
Was Lothos Responsible For Ben Following This Mysterious Stranger?
If the Evil Leapers are coming into Quantum Leap, then it likely means that Ziggy’s rival is as well. Lothos is the Evil Leapers’ A.I. responsible for their jumps, but unlike Ziggy, it’s a bit more advanced. Lothos is seemingly capable of sending minions to track down other Leapers, and isn’t as random as Ziggy. We should remember, though, that it sounds like Ben is the one following this other traveler, so is it possible his code contains stuff from Lothos’ program? I don’t even know what that means, but I’m hoping we get some more answers soon in the upcoming episodes.
Quantum Leap airs on NBC on Mondays at 10:00 p.m. ET. Catch up on previous episodes with a Peacock Premium subscription right now, and get ready for this series to really kick into overdrive following this latest reveal.
