Quantum Leap II, Season One - SPOILERS!

[Gary]

Well, that's typical. It would be interesting if they had multiple Leapers, though. If I remember correctly, on the original show, the only other Leaper was Al one time, and Sam was home for the duration of that episode. That's aside from the Evil Leaper, of course.

Well, we've had another Leapear around episode four or so. It could be Ben had leapt into this person, hence why he draws pictures of Ian. It doesn't necessarily mean Ian leaped -- or did he?

[RJDiogenes]

I don't know. I'm thoroughly confused.

[Gary]

The show resumed broadcasting new episodes. Honestly, it's such a disappointment and so horribly written really don't feel like reviewing new episodes.

[RJDiogenes]

This comes as a surprise. I thought you were enjoying it.

[Gary]

There's the B story going back and QL HQ that I seriously wonder if the writers sketched out where it will lead.

[RJDiogenes]

That's one of the main drawbacks of arc-based storytelling. They seldom do plan it out in advance, like Babylon 5.

[Gary]

OK. Looks like I was two episodes behind, so the first episode, which took place in a restaurant around 2009 was a bit boring and contrived. In the episode afterward, Ben had leaped into a US Navy officer (Operations) aboard a battleship named USS Montana BB-77 back in 1989. The actual USS Montana battleship would have been BB-67, unless one counts the battleship Montana built back in WWI. Turns out Addison's father was the XO of the ship during Ben's leap when an incident had occurred involving ignorning a distress signal (in the original history) which lead to her father having been "asked" to resign his commission. Turns out the CO was a nutcase who was hell bent on getting the ship to scheduled wargames with the allies while also irked that a North Korean submarine had been following them. In the original history, a US submarine had sent a brief distress signal which could not be confirmed among regular signal noise. The CO had ordered the ship to continue to the scheduled rendezvous instead of investigating. The submarine and her crew were lost. Records of the original event were scarce as to how the disaster could be avoided. So Ben and Addison had to rely on observation to help the team find information.

Ben tried reasoning with the XO that the Captain was not suitable to retain command of the ship, basing part of his reasoning on a comment by a Masterchief. The XO held the CO in high regard, plus he was hamstrung by the CO's reputation. This lead to Ben and Addison to realize that her father had taken the fall in the original history. Ben had figured out a way to isolate the brief signal from the sub and succeeded in convinving the CO that the ship needed to abide by international law to investigate. During the course change the ship had struck a mine, but the CO was conviced the North Korean sub had launched a torpedo. There was still a mystery as to why the US sub had been put in peril, so Magic reached out to a former Chinese General who was his counterpart back in the 80s. The General informed Magic that the Chinese had mined much of the shoreline of a particular area in order to protect the Chinese shores from a potential US attack; however, a storm had caused a batch of about 50 mines to break free. Magic and the General surmised the US sub had hit an errant mine and that the remaining mines would be a hazard for other vessels.

Ben figured out how to convert the ship's radar to detect mines in the ocean. The ship was heading straight into a disorganized, dynamic mine field once the radar lit up. He then computed a frequency the ship could transmit that would cause the mines to detonate remotely. It was by this time the CO had realized he was being blinded by pent up despair at having recently lost his wife. The ship was able to make it to the area where the distressed submarine was located and rescued the crew.

BUT

In the closing moments of Ben's time aboard the ship, he was met by the person in the radar room who had been working with Ben to detect and disable the mines. That individual turned out to be the other Leaper (I don't want to say he's an Evil Leaper) Ben had met back around Leap #3. The other Leaper had commented that Ben's people had reached out to the Leaper's past self to inquire as to his actions. Naturally, the time period in which they spoke with him was well before he leaped, so it's some mish-mash in the timeline. Just as he was telling Ben where he was going he leaped. So, it's possible he or his team can control his leaps.

Ben ended up leaping into a female defense attorney in the middle of a trial. So far, it seems Ben leaps into women with greater frequency than Sam did. So, I'm sticking with the show for the time being.

[RJDiogenes]

^^ I hope I didn't pressure you into watching again.

In the episode afterward, Ben had leaped into a US Navy officer (Operations) aboard a battleship named USS Montana BB-77 back in 1989. The actual USS Montana battleship would have been BB-67, unless one counts the battleship Montana built back in WWI.

Probably wouldn't have been "BB," either. I guess they were just going for a touch of realism without actually being real.

Records of the original event were scarce as to how the disaster could be avoided. So Ben and Addison had to rely on observation to help the team find information.

So Addison's father is no longer alive?

This lead to Ben and Addison to realize that her father had taken the fall in the original history.

If he was dead before, I wonder if he is alive in the new timeline.

Ben figured out how to convert the ship's radar to detect mines in the ocean.... He then computed a frequency the ship could transmit that would cause the mines to detonate remotely.

This sounds very TNG. Is any of it even possible?

That individual turned out to be the other Leaper

Interesting. They must have both been there for the same purpose, otherwise he would have sabotaged Ben-- and it would be too much of a coincidence if they were there for entirely different reasons. I wonder if he's there for every one of Ben's leaps, but it doesn't always come up. Maybe Ben screwed everything up the first time and this other Leaper is there to set right what Ben once did wrong while trying to set right what once went wrong.

So, it's possible he or his team can control his leaps.

Unless the Bartender is making them rendezvous. Or Sam is.

Ben ended up leaping into a female defense attorney in the middle of a trial. So far, it seems Ben leaps into women with greater frequency than Sam did.

Maybe because he's not as tall as Sam.

[Gary]

^^ I hope I didn't pressure you into watching again.

Nah. I was looking for something to watch, and when I selected Peacock it hit me with a banner that QL had a new episode.

In the episode afterward, Ben had leaped into a US Navy officer (Operations) aboard a battleship named USS Montana BB-77 back in 1989. The actual USS Montana battleship would have been BB-67, unless one counts the battleship Montana built back in WWI.

Probably wouldn't have been "BB," either. I guess they were just going for a touch of realism without actually being real.

BB is the designation for the type of ship. e.g. CVN = Carrier Vessel Nuclear, SSBN = SubSurface Ballistic Nuclear.

Records of the original event were scarce as to how the disaster could be avoided. So Ben and Addison had to rely on observation to help the team find information.

So Addison's father is no longer alive?

I don't remember the status of her father since the show's inception.

This lead to Ben and Addison to realize that her father had taken the fall in the original history.

If he was dead before, I wonder if he is alive in the new timeline.

He had left the service and was withdrawn and stoic. It was during the leap that Addison witnessed her father express various emotions.

Ben figured out how to convert the ship's radar to detect mines in the ocean.... He then computed a frequency the ship could transmit that would cause the mines to detonate remotely.

This sounds very TNG. Is any of it even possible?

Probably not, but it makes for a goood science fiction storyl.

That individual turned out to be the other Leaper

Interesting. They must have both been there for the same purpose, otherwise he would have sabotaged Ben-- and it would be too much of a coincidence if they were there for entirely different reasons. I wonder if he's there for every one of Ben's leaps, but it doesn't always come up. Maybe Ben screwed everything up the first time and this other Leaper is there to set right what Ben once did wrong while trying to set right what once went wrong.

Who knows. Somehow, he's able to intersect his leaps with Ben's.

So, it's possible he or his team can control his leaps.

Unless the Bartender is making them rendezvous. Or Sam is.

Again -- ??

Ben ended up leaping into a female defense attorney in the middle of a trial. So far, it seems Ben leaps into women with greater frequency than Sam did.

Maybe because he's not as tall as Sam.

Don't forget Sam had leaped into a double-amputee.

[RJDiogenes]

Nah. I was looking for something to watch, and when I selected Peacock it hit me with a banner that QL had a new episode.

Good.

BB is the designation for the type of ship. e.g. CVN = Carrier Vessel Nuclear, SSBN = SubSurface Ballistic Nuclear.

I figured it stood for something, but I couldn't find any higher BB numbers when I Googled, so I assumed it was a discontinued registration. I like how the article says that they didn't think BS was a good idea.

Don't forget Sam had leaped into a double-amputee.

I did forget about that, but I remember him bumping his head on things when his host was shorter than him.

[Gary]

Ben leaped into a female public defender back around the 1980s (I didn't catch what year it was) who had to juggle several cases (as they all must do). The purpose of the leap was to prevent one of the clients, Camilo, from going to prison for the murder of a known gang member. The local gang had been trying to get the defendant's young brother to become a drug runner in the neighborhood. The only members of the family were grandmother and the two boys. Jenn (the security person) and Addison swapped roles for the leap since Jenn has a law degree and Ben was going to need all the help he could get.

In the original history, Camilo had taken a plea which put him away for 10 years. Unfortunately, his younger brother joined the gang and was killed just a couple of years before Camilo was released. The team set to work to find the original case files from the crime and discovered the District Attorney had omitted the second page of a list of suspects interviewed by the police. Oh, and the further complicate the matter, Ben's host was in a relationship with one of the female ADAs on the case. Overall, it took a bit of future work coupled with one of the other clients Ben's host was helping to prove Camilo's innocence as well as the DA being corrupt.

One of the side stories in the episode was the team figured out Martinez (the other Leaper) was in the same Leap as Ben, so Ian implemented a tracker to see if they could catch sight of Martinez down the road. Ben ended up leaping into a man sometime in the 1940s/50s sitting in a doctor's office with a woman (the man's wife). She was providing the doctor with details as to symptoms her husband had been experiencing which I believe were mentally related. Ben tried to convince the wife he was OK and that they should go home; however, she insisted he needed treatment. The doctor was more than happy to agree, so it looks like Ben might be in for more than he bargained for!

[RJDiogenes]

Jenn (the security person) and Addison swapped roles for the leap since Jenn has a law degree and Ben was going to need all the help he could get.

That's a nice touch.

The team set to work to find the original case files from the crime and discovered the District Attorney had omitted the second page of a list of suspects interviewed by the police.

I wonder if they have special access to confidential information as a government project, or if they have to engage in shenanigans to get stuff like that.

One of the side stories in the episode was the team figured out Martinez (the other Leaper) was in the same Leap as Ben

It's too much of a coincidence that they're always in the same time and place.

The doctor was more than happy to agree, so it looks like Ben might be in for more than he bargained for!

Probably going to be a horrific story about electroshock therapy or something.

[Gary]

One of the side stories in the episode was the team figured out Martinez (the other Leaper) was in the same Leap as Ben

It's too much of a coincidence that they're always in the same time and place.

So far, it's only been two leaps.

The doctor was more than happy to agree, so it looks like Ben might be in for more than he bargained for!

Probably going to be a horrific story about electroshock therapy or something.

That was the first thing I thought of

[RJDiogenes]

So far, it's only been two leaps.

Oh, okay, seems like more.

That was the first thing I thought of

Nothing like a good, old-fashioned tale of Bedlam.

[Gary]

Well, no electro-shock in this episode, but a VERY close call with a lobotomy

Ben ended up in a mental hospital in the early 1950s in the body of a PI. He was looking for the sister of a woman who had been in the institution for many years in order to free her. In the original history, neither the woman nor the PI left the hospital (alive). Records had been sketchy for the team to find as the hospital had been closed in the early 1970s. Addison and the team needed to find an escape route for Ben and the woman once Ben had made contact with her. One of the main issues with the hospital is the doctor who ran it performed a lot of gruesome experiments on the patients in the name of medicine.

Meanwhile, Martinez had leaped into the body of one of the sadistic orderlies. The surprising part was Martinez was able to see Addison. She took that information back to the team, whereupon Ian found the files from Sam's day which discussed "Evil Leapers". The team was a bit confused as they thought Martinez was an Evil Leaper, yet he had helped Ben on the leap back in the 80s on board the battleship.

The team reached out to Janis for assistance, only to discover she decided to remove her ankle monitor. Fortunately, she did not flee and explained how she was not a criminal or a fugitive. She had determined Ben's leaps were calculated in such a way that he absolutely had to survive this one, because two Leapers meant someone would not be able to leap if history were not properly changed.

Martinez did end up helping Ben and the woman escape by means of a tunnel that led to a sewer cover. Unfortunately, when Ben was ascending the ladder and almost out, Martinez stabbed him in the neck with a scalpel. Ben had mere minutes to figure out a means of survival before he would die in his host's body and be stuck in the past. He was able to get to safety and get the attention of two nurses leaving the hospital for the day, thereby ensuring his leaping.

The episode concluded with (I think) Janice detailing to Magic there were plenty of clues they'd missed as to the existence of a mole in QL headquarters. She explained some of the odd occurrences with Ben's leaps and the ensuing actions before stating the mole in the organization is Ziggy. This will be interesting to see where the story goes from here.

Remember, Martinez is in the future. Judging by his age compared to when the team found him in the present, he is about 15 - 20 years in the future. So, the big question is: "What exactly happened with the program during Ben's leaps?"