Quantum Leap is well into Season 2 at this point, but some fans are still reeling from the massive reveal that kicked the season off. While few were surprised that Ben didn't make it back home, it was a shock to learn he'd been missing for three years following the Season 1 finale, and was presumed dead. When Ben finally returned, he discovered that much had changed in his absence, such as ex-fiancé Addison having a new boyfriend. Now, weeks after the reveal, the showrunner explained the logic behind that big breakup to CinemaBlend, as well as how it "deepens" Season 2.
I had the wonderful opportunity to speak to Quantum Leap showrunners Martin Gero and Dean Georgaris about what's played out in Season 2 to date, so I had to ask why they split up one of TV's best new couples immediately as its sophomore season began. I was admittedly skeptical about Gero providing any explanation that could justify Addison having a whole other boyfriend in Tom Westfall, but after hearing his reasoning, it makes a lot of sense. As he put it:
A lot of it came about because we wanted to figure out a way for, you know, in the first season, all of the present-day stuff was very expositional. It was just about time travel math and, ‘Wait, what's going on,’ and, ‘Say that slower. Hold up. What does that mean?’ And we have four great actors on the present-day side. For us, we were like, how do we move that stuff away from just pure exposition and get it into a more emotional story that can cause an emotional story of event as well? So that this present-day stuff doesn't feel like just an explanation machine, it just enriches and deepens the emotional viewing of the show.
Quantum Leap Season 1 was a fantastic watch, and I highly recommend it to anyone with a Peacock subscription who liked the original series. As Martin Gero said, the purpose of the crew in the quasi-reboot's inaugural season was to provide exposition, and considering the series was a fresh revival at the time, it worked. Of course, Season 2 meant they needed to justify having the present-day ensemble involved, and in a way that wasn't just having them tell Ben what he has to do.
Martin Gero said the team worked on solutions to figure out what happened after Ben's leap at the end of Season 1, and he, co-showrunner Dean Georgaris, and others ultimately came up with the idea that would both keep the main cast outside of Raymond Lee's character relevant, but also deepen the story as well:
And so the idea came up of like, maybe we do a three-year time jump. And then not only will all of those people have secrets, which is fun for a TV show, but it's like to be able to have some rich emotional content to play.
Season 2 has used its unique approach to further develop several characters' stories, and it's led to some great episodes so far. Fans have seen Magic act as the holo assistant, which resulted in a fantastic performance from Ernie Hudson, who needs more screen time. We also saw Ian reconcile with their ex Rachel, whom we met in Season 1, and is even entangled with a potentially new evil organization in Season 2. Personally, I still have my eye on someone else and am not convinced Tom Westfall isn't the secret villain behind everything.
Even if he still isn't my favorite person, I must concede Addison's boyfriend does further deepen the dynamic and ties Ben into the story of the present day as he learns about everything that transpired in the time he lost between leaps. If we had to lose Addison and Ben as a couple to get Season 2 off to as strong of a start as it is currently, then I have to agree it was the right decision for the crew to make.
Quantum Leap Season 2 still has a ways to go with its story, and with the re-emergence of Eliza Taylor's Hannah Carson in "Secret History," more clues as to where this adventure is headed might spring up. Taylor is listed as a series regular for Season 2, so one has to wonder just how many more leaps Ben will run into her. Also, assuming there are more run-ins, won't she start to get a little suspicious about this batch of people who all seemingly act the same at crucial moments in her life?
Quantum Leap airs new episodes on NBC on Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Season 2 is headed in all sorts of directions fans should be excited about, so make it a point to tune in and prepare for whatever wild ride Ben is headed toward at the end of the season.
