Quantum Leap Season 2 Episode 2 Review: Ben & Teller
Quantum Leap Season 2 Episode 2, “Ben & Teller,” brings Peter Gadiot’s Tom Westfall into the equation while Ben discovers a bombshell that changes everything. It’s an outing that presents a high-stakes leap while pushing the overarching narrative forward.
While last week’s episode boasted a seemingly unbeatable guest cast roster, “Ben & Teller” offers solid performances from Janet Montgomery as Rebecca and Graham Patrick Martin as Sean. Montgomery, in particular, exerts 110 percent to deliver a heartbreaking, searingly vulnerable performance.
“Ben & Teller” is a Quantum Leap rarity in that the leap itself isn’t as interesting as the story outside of it. Sure, Season 1 had a solid but straightforward narrative — bring Ben home — but Season 2 injects more intrigue and nuance with additional storytelling layers for audiences to sift through.
Firstly, Ben grapples with the fact that three years have passed since the Season 1 finale. Secondly, the government shuttered Project Quantum Leap after it was believed Ben was dead. The crew even had a funeral for him. Lastly, Addison is dating someone else. That’s a lot to handle on top of solving a leap involving a potentially deadly bank robbery.
Peter Gadiot pays Tom Westfall like a self-assured, calming anchor — almost like how Addison was for Ben. It’s as if she needed someone similar to her to ground her world. We haven’t seen much of Tom yet, but Gadiot is a consistently strong performer, so here’s hoping the show utilizes him well.
As for the other performances, Mason Alexander Park, Nanrisa Lee, and Ernie Hudson aren’t given too much to do; however, they work well with what they’ve got. It’s just a relief to reunite with these familiar faces. Caitlin Bassett has markedly improved since the pilot. We’ve had some genuinely heartbreaking Addison moments throughout Season 1. That said, Bassett’s performance in “Ben & Teller” doesn’t quite match the gravity of the situation.
Perhaps the choice here is to seem shell-shocked, which shifts into a quiet conflictedness. That would’ve worked, but Bassett’s performance just doesn’t click in that understated, subtle way. It feels flat. Maybe Addison’s trying to suppress her feelings until she inevitably breaks from not processing them. However, it reads more that the actress is holding back instead of the character. There’s a barrier present.
Raymond Lee portrays Ben’s confusion well. Ben’s arc, from not remembering anything and struggling to get through a leap to solving leaps on his own, is easily the most well-written aspect of the series. That’s explored beautifully here as Ben is left hanging at an anxiety-inducing, high-stakes moment. Lee deftly conveys that tension, making it palpable for us viewers.
“Ben & Teller” is a high-octane thrill ride from start to finish that seamlessly balances the leap and external narrative. The introduction of Tom and the new dynamic in Ben and Addison’s relationship will make for some fun potential conflict on the horizon. Here’s hoping the show doesn’t lose this momentum, as the hook for this season is, as previously mentioned, much more interesting than the last.
Stray Observations:
- I half expected (and wanted) Penn and Teller to cameo in this episode. It would’ve been so out of place, but I don’t care.
- I’ve got my fingers crossed that we’ll see Janis Calavicci again. She’s a fun connection to the OG series by way of her late father.
- Watching Addison with Tom is very conflicting for me. As much as I love her with Ben, I’m also a Peter Gadiot fan. Why can’t she date both?
- I’m excited to meet Eliza Taylor’s Hannah in the coming episodes.
- I really hope we get more Jenn screen time this season, especially to assist Ben with his leaps. Nanrisa Lee is such a bright spot.
- It’s always great when those around the leapee acknowledge when their behavior seems out of character because of Ben. I’ve always wondered how that looks to other people. There’s no way Ben can automatically assess someone’s personality within seconds of becoming them.
What did you think of this episode of Quantum Leap? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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Quantum Leap airs Wednesdays at 8/7c 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.