Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Quantum Leap Season 2 midseason finale "Nomad." Read at your own risk!
We've reached the midpoint of Season 2 of Quantum Leap, so it was a given there would be some big reveals. I initially wondered how that could happen with Ben's latest leap taking place in Egypt, but the latest appearance by Hannah Carson and a big reveal from Tom Westfall made it all clear. It looks like the second half of the season will center around a big development, and I'm wondering how Ben will react to it.
After the previous episode gave me mixed feelings about Ben and Addison being holo buddies once again after their breakup, another massive development has promised to shake up Season 2 yet again. The question now is how it will be received when Quantum Leap returns as part of the 2024 TV schedule and what it could mean for Season 3 and beyond.
Tom Possibly Found A Way To Bring Ben Back Home
Tom missed out on a bulk of the Egypt adventure, but I'd like to think watching Ben profess his love to Hannah might've further boosted his confidence in his relationship with Addison had he seen it. Tom returned home to have a serious conversation with his girlfriend, which might've had her thinking a proposal was on the way after finding a ring earlier in the episode. The reveal turned out to be much greater than that, as Tom found an old DARPA file that may hold the key to Ben's return to the present timeline.
Ben and Addison's breakup deepened Season 2's storyline, but not in the way I expected. It's possible that the Quantum Leap program might've found a way to bring the hero home, which is huge. Ben could stop fighting to save others, and more importantly, get back to a normal life in his own body. Perhaps I was wrong to keep an eye on Tom as a secret enemy this entire time.
Does Ben Still Want To Return To His Time?
Quantum Leap might've found a way to bring Dr. Ben Song home, but does he actually want that to happen? Back in Season 1, Ben had a fiancé waiting for him and was ultimately working to save her life with every leap. Now, Addison is with someone else, and Ben had a massive development with Hannah not too long ago (for him anyway) that sparked a new romance.
The only person we know of in Ben's family is his mother, who died when he was a teen. Ben may be able to return to the present, but there is a valid question of whether or not he has anything to return to. While I'm sure he would like the comfort of not having to constantly put his life on the line or be trapped in time forever, does he necessarily need to leave the program to do that?
I think it's possible that Ben could opt to remain a leaper in the Quantum Leap program, much to the surprise of his colleagues. Granted, I'm sure he'd love the safety net of a means of being pulled out of a leap should he fail, and the ability to fail a leap would add a level of complexity to the show. What guilt would Ben feel from falling short, and how would his failure impact the timeline rather than just him?
Let's not forget that finding a way to bring back leapers makes it possible for Scott Bakula's Sam Beckett to return, and Season 2's bombshell reveal in the premiere left the door open that he's still alive. Of course, that's largely reliant on Bakula's willingness to participate, as CinemaBlend confirmed the role won't be recast. Still, this reveal could be a real gamechanger for the show, regardless if Ben is keen on returning to the present day or not. It's also possible this method doesn't work, and all of this speculation is for nothing.
We won't know anything until Quantum Leap returns for the second half of Season 2 in 2024. Rewatch old episodes with a Peacock subscription in the meantime, and gear up for what could be a game-changing set of episodes on the horizon for the NBC series.
