Quantum Leap (TV Series) Somebody Up There Likes Ben (2022) User Reviews

Caitlin Bassett gets more screen time

[safenoe · 8/10 · 8 February 2023]

Caitlin Bassett, the military veteran who plays Addison, gets more substantive screen time in this boxing-themed episode. Ben Song takes on the role of a boxer in Las Vegas in 1977 (the year star Wars was released) and discovers that he has to fight in a title match and save the boxer's older brother from taking his own life, so quite a challenge for sure for Ben in this thoughtful episode which sees the Quantum Leap reboot finding its feet.

There's an increase in the emotional connection between Ben and Addison, and it makes you really want Ben to get back to the present. But who knows when that will be.

Like the characters, but the story format is questionable

[hubbles-85666 · 7/10 · 5 October 2022]

This could have been a truly excellent episode, but the fact that it was only okay highlights a potentially serious problem. There's so much of the plot revolving around things back at the project, and the Janice conspiracy (though it's nice to see Beth again), and Addison's loss, that the story of the Hill brothers and even Ben himself are being shoved into the background. The charm of the original show was getting to know and care about the people Sam was leaping in to save, and we can only do that when the episodes are focused on THAT story. Instead, we're tending to get "the Addison show" first, which is unfortunate to me as she's the sole character I don't really care for. After that, it seems to be the project/Janice story, with the "Leap" story coming in last and being shoved into whatever time remains.

Ben is a fantastic character, and it should be him in the forefront for the vast majority of the episode. His kindness, compassion, and his ability to connect with people makes him the ideal leaper to follow Sam Beckett. It's HIS story, not everyone else's. And with the focus on him, the focus also remains on the people he's there to help, giving us the time to care about them.

Also, the Leap stories seem to be missing some of the charm of the original's. They need more character focus (the older Hill brother in this episode is a case in point; his story was poised to be really compelling), the occasional smaller/less action orientated story (like a rabbi trying to help his grieving brother's family or a mom trying to save her son), and something that really gives a feel for the time period Ben's in. It doesn't have to be a necessarily well-known historical event, but maybe on the attitudes of decades ago, or the way people lived in the past. (Which would be especially fascinating if Ben can go to anywhere in history and isn't limited to simply his own lifetime.)

One question: where does the person Ben leaps into end up? In the original, when Sam leaped into someone, they leaped into his body back at the project, which presumably let them be updated on what Sam was doing to their lives. Where is Ben's body? And the leaped-into? It might be interesting to see their point of view--but briefly.

I'm Still Not Convinced, But...

[Gislef · 8/10 · 4 October 2022]

Raymond Lee shows a bit more depth then in the last few episodes. I liked his impassioned speech to Daryl in the jail cell, and it showed that Lee could do some acting. I'm still not convinced that Ben is nothing more than a Grade A jerk, and why we learned what Ben's plan is, sort of, we don't know _why_ he's doing what he's doing. Or why there had to be such secrecy around it, the he couldn't even tell Addison. Janis using him doesn't explain why Ben has to be such a secretive ahole.

It also seemed like Caitlin Bassett has more to do this week, more than just a hologram and Ben's love. We seemed to spend more time with Ben and Addison this week, which kind of helped. It seemed like the production staff is a bit more comfortable with the show and the actors with their characters. There still seem to be a couple of puzzle pieces meeting. I don't get that the team was a team before Ben Leaped. The bit at the end with them coming over to cheer Addison helped, and Ernie Hudson and Nanrisa Lee seemed a bit... warmer, like people you'd want to be part of a team with. Mason Alexander Park and Bassett seemed to get some time together as friends, which helped.

The whole Al/original project thing is... interesting. What the handlink has to do with anything, remains to be seen. It's a nice touch of the past more so then tossing in the mentions of Sam and Al. Yes, they got Susan Diol, which is a nice Easter Egg. But was Beth really more than someone on a pedestal for Al?

Overall, I thought the episode (what the significance of the title?) was nice in capturing the magic of the original series, giving the new characters some room to breathe, and getting its own feel.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong. What do you think?

Classic Quantum Leap

[newidego · 10/10 · 4 October 2022]

If you don't love the first two episodes, be sure to give this one a serious try.

This episode has the heart and soul of the original Quantum Leap, with strong relationships and emotional stakes.

The larger picture of the new series is also starting to become clear, and the last shot of this epic has me excited for what comes next!

Raymond Lee is a worthy successor to Scott Bakula and he does a great job of balancing action, emotion, and humor.

This episode also touches on PTSD and the effects of war, which was a reoccurring theme in the original series as well.

Very well done and I am loving the mix of old and new.

Leaping the shark? Oh boy.

[JamieClaye · 3/10 · 7 October 2022]

Well it's the third episode and all I can say is anything goes now that they've opened up the 'leaping zone' to any time anywhere and added the second hologram station? Or will it be a second leap station? (meh)

This means Ben could leap into some of the same times as Sam or even further back in history - heck, could he and Sam leap into the same body at the same time, why not?

They still haven't discussed the waiting room, at all that I can recall.

You have to let go of SO much to allow this story premise to play out, very much like the original.

The cast (Bakula/ Stockwell) made the original series fun to watch, the stories were mostly morality plays with transparent themes.

This cast is not as appealing and there is WAY too much time spent in the 'here and now' with the lab crew and the subplot of Al's angry daughter. So will she become the evil leaper? (one of the dumber story lines of the original series).

Unless they bring Bakula back in somehow, I don't see how this show doing a second season.

Sombody Up There Likes Me but not the Fans

[mafiawarsaddict · 2/10 · 6 October 2022]

This series is a failure after the 3rd eps. There are to many side plots and that is why this show will fail. Conspiracy's, No Chemistry, etc. It is not focused on Ben and what he needs to make right vs other story lines. The writes took a great series and destroyed it.

This ep is about a brother who save his brother from suicide due to PTSD. It should have focused on that and even put in a help line for those in need after the show. But nope. Who cares right as long as we get an hour of wasted television and some special effects. The best part is seeing ziggy old hand com at the end of the show.

Please Get Canceled

[Faena · 1/10 · 9 October 2022]

For love of the original series, please cancel this revival as quickly as possible. I don't care where Ben is going in spacetime, because it will surely be as underwhelming as the series thus far. But if I had to guess, he's probably going to meet up with Sam Beckett. Bakula will probably make an appearance in the season (hopefully series) finale. His comments about declining to be involved are meant to throw us off. The genius showrunners will present a disgruntled Sam, and Ben has to save his soul or some B. S. Anyway, here are the key takeaways from episode 3 of Quandumb Leap:

-Editing a show in ADHD-O-Vision is a surefire way to build a prestigious network drama.

-If a man has PTSD, then any display of aggression (even if justified) is a result of PTSD. Did you know this? Not me.

-Ben obtains the physical attributes of the Leapee?? No, no, no. Just no. I really should stop watching now. Have they even watched the original series? It had mind merges, but when Sam Leaped into an amputee, Sam still had legs. He could perform martial arts and other physical feats that only Sam knew because it's his body not the Leapee's. If you want to argue that's a feat of the mind, when Sam was a little kid ("Runaway"), his grip during a handshake was his own, not Butchie's. Plus, how could he have been effective in combat as someone with lesser strength? Doesn't track, and there are several examples to be cited from the OS. The 2022 series tells us Ben has the boxer's (Danny Hill's) strength, but he shouldn't - it should be Ben's body, and others see and hear Danny via his physical aura. So are we supposed to believe that Ben's body is in the Waiting Room? Pardon me, what Waiting Room - that aspect has so far been completely ignored, but at least we get to see the PQL staff hang out and watch reality TV (can't make this up). So does Danny in the Waiting Room only have Ben's strength? If Ben Leaps into an opera singer, I guess he won't need to flex his vocal cords. If he Leaps into an NFL quarterback or a ballet dancer, should he worry? He has their power based on what this episode tells us. The plot tension derived from him not having a Leapee's physical qualities is now completely nullified. Brilliant!

-Ben Leaps outside his own lifetime. Sure, the OS did finally give an excuse for Sam to do this in the final season by having him Leap into the Civil War but as his ancestor. That bloodline device is dismissed here with a line about "disengaged safety protocols" or something. I didn't realize it was safety protocols keeping Sam within his own lifetime, I thought that he solved time travel from his theory that it was only possible within his own lifetime. I'll relent that it's been a little over 20 years since we last saw the original PQL, so Ben and/or the new Project could have developed breakthroughs in Leaping. However, this genius lifetime rule from Donald P. Bellisario kept the show from getting too crazy. Buckle up for the Wild West and Roman colosseums.

-The hero of this network series calls police officers pigs.

-We are still being denied he signature Leap special effect. Instead, we get lame spiral-outs from Ben's eye (really??) or a generic white glow filter on his face. What is the thinking behind this? Anyone who watched the OS dug seeing the Leaps take place. It became an iconic fixture of the show.

-Ziggy is still completely mum. I guess it would be too fun to have the arrogant, self-absorbed presence from "The Leap Back" sparring with the staff. For some reason, Ziggy regressed from a futuristic parallel hybrid computer with laser beam interfaces to a present-day A. I. that has less to say than Alexa or Siri.

-I wonder what object of Al's that Janis is after in Beth's home? What could it possibly be?

-Good thing Janis Calavicci is a genius (of course), so that she can build her own accelerator (or imaging chamber) in a basement.

-I don't care about Ben's and Addison's love drama. Making the Leaper and hologram fiances was the lamest decision ever for this revival - because Ben and Addison are the least interesting characters. I'm talking pure, unrefined P. C. cardboard. The OBSERVER (which has somehow become just the "hologram") should be Janis Calavicci with her father's libido and quirks. Imagine this show's brilliant concept being enjoyable again -- but that would require reasonably intelligent and creative people being involved. Too late.

Somebody Up There Likes Ben

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 11 January 2023]

Ben leaps into the body of Danny Hill. A boxer in Las Vegas in 1977. The day before his world title fight where he is the challenger. He gets knocked down by his sparring partner.

The trouble is Ben cannot box and Danny has been having an affair with the Champion's woman. No wonder the champ looks angry.

It seems Ben has not leapt to help Danny who lost the title fight. Ben has to help his brother Darryl, his older brother and trainer.

Darryl fought in the Vietnam war but suffers from PTSD. He does not realise it but it makes his short tempered and pretty soon he will commit suicide.

The original version had Sam leaping into the body of a boxer. Luckily Al was at hand as he had boxing skills.

The notable thing here was that Ben leapt outside his lifetime to 1977. Somehow Ben's leaps are working up to allowing him to go anywhere in time. A bit of Time Tunnel here.

New Quantum Leap spends less time on the episode of the week format. Just as much time is spend on the story arc. As to what is going on back at the base in the present. With Ziggy playing up and acting slowly. Al's daughter having her own agenda.

This might divide opinions, I felt Danny and Darryl's story was wrapped up too quickly and glibly.