Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 6 Review: What a Disaster!

Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 6, “What a Disaster!” is the season’s strongest outing thus far, but something still feels off. A bit of magic is missing. 

“What a Disaster!” serves up a fast-paced A-plot, to be sure, brimming with action and heroics. While Raymond Lee gives us Ben Song at his most vulnerable and broken — and doles out a beautifully raw performance at that — Quantum Leap only scratches at the surface of its intrinsic heart. 

Lee never lets up on the charisma and charm. In fact, he’s the show’s asset. But with too many narrative balls in the air and less focus on the characters, it’s not enough to keep the series afloat. “What a Disaster!” certainly makes some storytelling strides, revealing critical aspects of Ben’s original mission before leaping. In addition, we learn the identity of Leaper X, a.k.a. the man Ben saw in Salvation who claimed to know him. 

Those are undoubtedly pivotal puzzle pieces to the mystery. Ian believes Ben is traveling to the future, which “shouldn’t be possible.” There’s still Janis and Richard Martinez to contend with, among other things. Quantum Leap seems hellbent on delivering a twist-filled, overstuffed story without really digging deep into the characters that keep us invested in said story. 

I don’t know about you, but if I don’t root for the characters (or mentally devise their downfall), I find it challenging to stay interested in the plot. Yes, we’re learning more about Ben, which is vital, but we know next to nothing about the rest of the main cast save their job descriptions. 

Perhaps the “case of the week” format doesn’t work for this revival. While there will always be complainers, no matter how a story is executed, maybe doing some world-building and character evolving before vaulting into the main narrative would’ve better served this iteration.

That said, I enjoy Magic and Jenn’s scenes, as there’s usually a bit more levity. Quantum Leap churns out the occasional cheesy joke here and there, and “What a Disaster!” tries to squeeze in more humor amid the tense, full-throttle action sequences. Ben learning about his mother’s death is heartbreaking, and the writers do a great job splicing past footage with Ben’s present. 

Maybe Quantum Leap should lean into the silliness more. There’s a pervasive air of seriousness to it. Not to say that some situations within the show world shouldn’t be approached with a solemn tone, but the whole premise of the series is out-of-this-world bonkers. It’s about time travel! It should be free-flowing and not so rigid. The scope of a concept like this is limitless, so why not embrace that and push the envelope? Get weird with it!

As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, there are still some instances of wooden acting where the dialogue feels clunky and trips up the flow of the scenes. For example, when Ian, Jenn, and Addison talk about how it’s not possible Ben saw another leaper. Firstly, it feels like they’re all essentially parroting the same dialogue back to each other. Secondly, it’s almost as if the actors are uncomfortable with their lines. Even Jewel Staite, a seasoned acting veteran, seems wooden in her scenes. 

Quantum Leap must desperately break free of NBC’s glossy, sanitized network TV stranglehold. I still believe it would do well on another platform where they can be free to play (I understand the original was on NBC, but still). 

Overall, “What a Disaster!” is a marked improvement from the past five episodes, but Quantum Leap still has a way to go before it wins me over mind, body, and soul. All the hallmarks of great sci-fi are present, and we see so many beautiful glimpses of them in this outing. I have faith we’ll get there. 

Stray Observations: 

• It’s nice to see an old-school Handlink. It gives us more of a connection to the original series. 
• Whatever happened to Janis Calavicci? She hacked Ziggy to monitor our Quantum Leap team’s activity but then inexplicably disappeared. Does she potentially connect with Richard Martinez before he leaps and becomes “Leaper X”? 
• Next week’s episode looks to be Halloween-themed, so here’s hoping Quantum Leap lets loose and has some fun.
• More Magic/Jenn/Ian scenes, please. We’re starting to see natural chemistry develop between them. 
• Someone needs to create a drinking game for how many times a character says, “That’s not possible!” in this episode. We’d all be plastered by the 30-minute mark. 
• Did you know that “What a Disaster!” was supposed to be the pilot? 

What did you think of this episode of Quantum Leap? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Critic Rating:

User Rating:

 

Quantum Leap airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.

 Follow us on Twitter and Instagram!

Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!

13 TV Premieres We’re Looking Forward to in the 2022/2023 Season