Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Quantum Leap Season 2 episode "A Kind Of Magic." Read at your own risk!
Many strange things have gone down in Quantum Leap Season 2 so far, which made it a less than ideal time for Ben to travel back to the 1600s. Fortunately, he was able to evade being burned at the stake despite seeming like quite the bewitching person for his vast knowledge of future events and medical techniques that far exceeded what was known at the time. But then something unexpected and unfortunate went down, with Addison now back in as the holo assistant, which I have mixed feelings about.
Just one episode after Ben shared a big moment with Hannah Carson, his ex-fiancé is back in the saddle as his guide through the leaps. Whether or not that's purely a coincidence, I'll leave it up to the reader to decide (but no), all while I'm wrestling with how I feel about the decision to bring her back so soon. I have two thoughts pulling me in different directions on whether or not this was the right move for Quantum Leap, though I guess I'll have to live with the choice regardless.
I Was Enjoying Seeing The Other Characters Help Ben
When Quantum Leap dropped the upsetting update that Addison moved on after Ben was presumed dead, I quickly found a silver lining. With them on the outs, I realized that there was an opportunity for us to see more of Jenn, Ian, and Magic acting as the holo assistant instead. Sure enough, that happened, and it led me to realize actors like Ernie Hudson deserved much more screen time.
Now that she's back in with Ben, I can only assume we won't see those characters back in the leaps for a while. It's a shame because we don't see Ben interact with those characters as often, but maybe that will change. Perhaps Nanrisa Lee is thankful for her character to be stuck at HQ, considering she struggled when Jenn took Addison's place, but I want more of her in leaps.
Addison Doesn't Have Much To Contribute If She's Not Ben's Holo Assistant
While Ben and Addison's breakup deepened Season 2 in some ways, there's no denying that it kind of sidelined the latter's character development. Addison can't be the boss because that's Magic's job. She can't be the computer whiz because that's Ian, and Jenn handles security. There isn't much for Addison to do at the headquarters besides moping and hanging out with her new boyfriend, Tom Westfall, who I still have my eye on.
To keep her out of the adventure wasn't fair to Caitlin Bassett, who is a great actress, so I knew this was inevitable. Even if Ben and Addison aren't together, removing her from the leaps took away one-half of the best part of the show, so with that being said, it's good to see the duo back together again. I just wish it wasn't as platonic friends, but I guess I can always revisit Season 1 with my Peacock Premium subscription if I want to see them together again.
Quantum Leap airs on NBC on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm curious to see how Addison's return as holo assistant will impact the rest of the season and Ben's potential relationship with Hannah that we think still might happen.
