Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 9 Review: Fellow Travelers
Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 9, “Fellow Travelers,” is a solid mid-season opener featuring a tenderhearted performance from guest star Deborah Ann Woll. It’s undoubtedly one of the show’s strongest, tonally consistent outings thus far.
“Fellow Travelers” barrels headfirst out of the gate with some high-stakes action as Ben must save a wildly popular ’70s singer Carly Farmer from dying during a pre-concert rehearsal session. The episode takes a page from The Bodyguard in terms of premise, even giving Deborah Ann Woll’s Carly the same last name as Kevin Costner’s Frank Farmer. Of course, Ben isn’t falling in love with Carly, but he initially meets resistance from her regarding his security methods.
IAN: When I was eight years old, I realized that about half of the world just blindly accepted as truth the construct of gender identity, which is both artificial and profoundly limiting, so yeah, I am pretty suspicious of basically anything that people say is fact.
This leap’s mission is a launch pad for Ben and Addison to navigate the fallout from the previous episode’s revelations. We still don’t know what Ben plans to save Addison from, but we can surmise that it’s deadly, given Ben’s willingness to hop into the Quantum Accelerator with no plan for returning home (as Magic says in the episode).
“Fellow Travelers” is probably the most relatable for Ben, especially when considering his current predicament through the lens of Carly’s tour life. Her quote about incessantly traveling and never going home undoubtedly struck a chord with Ben. We don’t know when Ben can return to his timeline, nor does he. Despite living two completely different lives, Ben and Carly find common ground through the loneliness their respective lifestyles evoke.
It’s also a way for Ben to work through his knee-jerk reaction to protect those around him from the truth. He withholds his intentions from Addison before jumping and tries to do the same with Carly. “Fellow Travelers” helps Ben confront his flaws in real time while simultaneously saving someone in the past.
ADDISON: Most killers don’t seem like killers, Ben. That’s why they’re successful.
Deborah Ann Woll is one of the most underrated performers of her generation, and it’s always a pleasure to see her onscreen. She breathes life into Carly Farmer, taking what could be a run-of-the-mill “popstar” part and injecting it with heart, charisma, and beautiful vulnerability.
As usual, Raymond Lee is as charming and affable as ever, proving he’s the perfect fit as our leading man. It’s hard to picture anyone else playing Dr. Ben Song. Caitlin Bassett peels away the layers of Addison in a soul-baring, if somewhat restrained, performance. Addison is, ostensibly, a person who exercises iron-grip-like control over her emotions, especially as someone who served in the military.
While the Janis Calavicci B-plot certainly helps propel the overall narrative, it’s easily the weaker of the two main stories. We also don’t spend as much time with Janis/Jenn. The transitions between the 1979 A-plot and Janis feel abrupt, almost as if we’re watching two different episodes in the same episode. That said, Janis appears to be undergoing a rebranding of sorts. Perhaps she’s not the starkly villainous character we initially thought.
CARLY: God, it’s strange, isn’t it? This life. Always on the road. Traveling from city to city, never going home.
Of course, the idea Ben didn’t trust anyone enough on his team to help save Addison certainly stirs the pot, notably keeping Magic’s statement about Ben being like a son to him in mind. Janis could be lying, but what would she gain from that? It’d be interesting if this gives us better insight into the team’s dynamic before Ben leaped.
All in all, “Fellow Travelers” presents a mystery that depicts a different tale at its core: one of learning to trust those we love and finding companionship as travelers in this life. Quantum Leap is not a perfect show (not many are). Still, episodes like these showcase the intimate character moments we need to root for our players while showcasing the endless storytelling possibilities for this little sci-fi series that could.
Stray Observations:
- I love the nod to The Bodyguard at the beginning of the episode, with Chaka Khan singing “I’m Every Woman.” Whitney Houston sang a cover for the film’s soundtrack.
- I’m assuming Carly Farmer is meant to pay homage to Carly Simon. Farmer even sounds similar vocally.
- Perhaps it’s me trying to dig for The Bodyguard connections (besides the obvious), but Trevor claiming he always loved Carly made me think of Whitney’s cover of “I Will Always Love You.”
- I would legitimately listen to a full-length version of “Traveling On.” Jamie Jackson composed such a fantastic period-appropriate tune.
- Al Calavicci is a style icon. I won’t accept Al Calavicci fashion slander in the Year of Our Lord 2023.
What did you think of this episode of Quantum Leap? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Quantum Leap airs Mondays at 10/9c on NBC, with next-day streaming on Peacock.
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Melody McCune
Melody loves TV. Maybe too much. Besides being a Senior Writer for Tell-Tale TV, she's the Managing Editor for Geek Girl Authority, an Independent Contractor for Sideshow Collectibles, and a Senior Writer for Eulalie Magazine. Additionally, she has bylines in Culturess, Widget, and inkMend on Medium. To top it all off, she's a critic for Rotten Tomatoes and CherryPicks.
2 comments
This was a great episode and I was wondering if there was a soundtrack?
I can’t comment on the soundtrack, but I can tell you that the song Carly sings at the beginning and the end of the episode was written by Jamie Jackson and Jamie Drake (me). I performed the lead vocal of this song.
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