Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 26, 2023

It was written in the Bible thousands of years ago: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Such is true of so many things, and such is true of the modern entertainment landscape where new ideas are few and recycled ideas are many. Such is the case with Quantum Leap, a flat, fruitless, and forgettable remake of the quasi-beloved original series of the same name that was a staple of the Sci-Fi TV landscape in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This Quantum Leap might prove entertaining in spurts, but it's a heartless endeavor that banks on a familiar story presented in modern clothing meant to pull in ratings by banking on a familiar name rather than try and find a bold new path forward.

It's been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it. Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben's side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Basset), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She's a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job. At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert "Magic" Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won't be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey.

Rather than "straight remake" territory, this version of Quantum Leap bills itself as something of a successor and a continuation of the story, which is certainly the case at the very largest overview of the project, but look more closely and the show quickly falls into the classic "rinse and repeat" mold that stretches to connect but really just goes ahead and reboots the series with modern amenities and sensibilities. Sam Beckett is not absent from the show, at least in name and deed, but this is essentially a reboot that follows formula and never forges its own path, changing only superficialities but telling the same sort of stories. There is some more background content in the "present day" reality where secondary stories build and grow, but the main focus narratives are essentially the same thing found in the original Scott Bakula classic.

The series blends a core episodic structure through the "inhabitation of the week" and pairs that with some larger, extending narrative elements that run through the season in its 2022 setting. Of course, the former stands front-and-center as the highlight, and as with the original series the opportunity to drop the character into new times, places, and scenarios, with unique demands on his body and mind, and sometimes even his soul, every week, proves to be the big draw. Here, the show proves to be a solid enough successor, but all of the content in 2022 feels like it's just getting in the way, at least considering the larger focus this take gives to it. One of the main flaws is the stable for forgettable characters and bland performances, from the lead down, that fail to give much real life and vigor to the show. Effects work is mediocre for a TV series, too.

The following episodes comprise season one. Summaries are courtesy of the Blu-ray packaging.

Disc One:

• July 13, 1985: A new team assembles to restart the Quantum Leap project. Lead physicist Ben Song takes an unauthorized leap into 1985 as the team scrambles to figure out what happened and how to get him back.
• Atlantis: Ben finds himself headed into orbit aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1998. Addison confides to Ian about a discovery and finds herself at odds with Magic and Jenn.
• Somebody Up There Likes Ben: Ben leaps to flashy 1970s Las Vegas and into the body of promising young boxer Danny Hill on the eve of a big title fight. Ben and Addison discover that everything is on the line and must help Danny and his trainer/brother Daryl win the fight or lose everything. Magic, Ian and Jenn dig into Ben's past to uncover the truth.
• A Decent Proposal: Ben leaps to 1980s Los Angeles and into the body of Eva Sandoval, a no-nonsense bounty hunter in the midst of securing an elusive target. Ben remembers more about his own life.
• Salvation or Bust: Ben is transported back to 1879 and the rustic, frontier town of Salvation, where he must take on a deadly outlaw. Magic, Jenn and Ian face a new threat when a curious senator shows up at headquarters asking a lot of questions about the Quantum Leap program.

Disc Two:

• What a Disaster!: Ben and Addison find themselves in San Francisco during the historic 1989 earthquake. As the city continues to crumble with aftershocks, Ben must try to mend a family in chaos. Jenn and Ian search for clues to an unsettling mystery.
• O Ye of Little Faith: Ben leaps into a priest who has been called to assist a family in crisis on Halloween night. As he delves into mysterious and inexplicable events, he's forced to muster all his resources as a scientist before time runs out.
• Stand by Ben: Ben leaps into a 16-year-old boy and finds himself among a group of outcast teens on the run. Ben relies on determination to try and guide himself and Addison to safety, all leading to a shocking revelation as a significant piece of his memory returns.
• Fellow Travelers: Ben lands in 1979 Chicago as Jack Armstrong, a devoted security guard to talented pop singer Carly Farmer. During Carly's prep for a concert, it quickly becomes clear her life is in danger and Ben must determine who is trying to kill her and why.
• Paging Dr. Song: Ben leaps into Alexandra Tomkinson, a medical resident in a Seattle hospital. As victims from a train crash pour into the ER, Addison reveals Ben's complicated mission facing Ben during this leap. Ben must go up against hospital bosses to save lives and Alexandra's career.

Disc Three:

• Leap. Die. Repeat.: When Ben leaps into one of five people in an elevator at a 1962 nuclear reactor, he must figure which one triggers a bomb that kills them all. Each time the bomb goes off, he leaps into another one of them an hour earlier and the scene resets on a loop.
• Let Them Play: Ben finds himself in 2012 in the midst of the Méndez family as they help their transgender daughter, Gia, who dreams of playing on her high school basketball team. Magic and Jenn discover another piece of the puzzle of why Ben leapt in the first place.
• Family Style: When Ben leaps into an Indian family to try to prevent their beloved family restaurant from burning down, he finds an emotional connection with their matriarch through memories of his own. Magic and Jenn share a surprising revelation with Ian.
• S.O.S.: When Ben leaps onto a naval battleship during war games in 1989, he must not only navigate a dangerous rescue mission but also contend with his commanding officer, XO Alexander Augustine, otherwise known as Addison's father.

Disc Four:

• Ben Song for the Defense: When Ben leaps into a harried public defender, he must keep an innocent teenager accused of murder out of prison for life. In an unexpected turn of events, Jenn puts her legal expertise to the test as she steps in as the hologram on this complicated leap.
• Ben, Interrupted: When Ben lands in a 1950s psychiatric institution, he must engineer a daring escape for a young woman unjustly committed by her husband. The team is shocked to learn the identity of a mole in Quantum headquarters.
• The Friendly Skies: When Ben leaps aboard a 1970s passenger jet as a flight attendant, he must outwit its hijackers before it mysteriously crashes into the Atlantic. Worse? He has to do it all without Ziggy's help.
• Judgement Day: Ben's final leap of the season takes him closer to home than he ever expected. The team faces the ultimate showdown with Leaper X as they battle for the future of the Quantum Leap project and their lives.

Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Universal releases Quantum Leap: Season One to Blu-ray with a capable 1080p transfer. The image is certainly capable in the high-definition arena and presents a firmer picture than the broadcast one, if only for better compression on the Blu-ray. While there are still odd examples of unsightly macroblocking, such are not in evidence anywhere near to the extent that many viewers likely experienced on the stream. The picture offers essentials in good working order, with ample clarity and fine detail presented to satisfaction, allowing audiences to soak in enough general facial, clothing, and environmental detail, the latter being especially important considering that each episode takes Ben to another time and place. Color output is neither dull nor vivid, finding a fairly sterile and pedestrian middle ground that certainly satisfies for basics on clothing and location specifics, but the image lacks that natural punch and flavor that one would find on superior digitally shot presentations. Skin tones range from fine to pasty and black levels from deep to slightly gray. There is some source noise on order, too, especially in lower light. This is hardly a remarkable transfer, but it does meet basic format requirements.

Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Quantum Leap: Season One's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack delivers a satisfying listen. The track makes good use of the surround channels for various environmental effects to help place the listener in the midst of the various places and times where Ben finds himself, bringing the variety of locations to life with generally satisfying ease and efficiency. The track offers some more robust surround content as well, including some swirling elements and discrete and localized content, and a generally efficient and seamless stage stretch for a full 360-degree immersion. Musical clarity is good, stretching along the sides with pleasing detail and width, including some surround usage. Dialogue drives the show and is handled with faultless clarity from the front-center channel with a few discrete dialogue placements to the sides and backs as the situation warrants.

Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Quantum Leap: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Quantum Leap is not a show that necessarily needed to be rebooted, but here it is in all its watchable mediocrity. Nothing about the show stands out as equal to or better than the original, but it's a serviceable Sci-Fi/character show that genre fans might find worth a watch to pass some time now and then. Universal's four-disc Blu-ray set is featureless and video and audio are fine. Worth a look.