Oh boy
January 18, 2018 7:56 AM Subscribe
...hoping each time, that his next leap will be the leap home. The complete Quantum Leap journey A visual representation of Dr Sam Beckett's entire Quantum Leap journey.
For the Television issue of Special Request.
Hee, cute. But thanks for bringing to the surface all the anger I feel about the finale (they even misspelled his name!!).
posted by Melismata at 8:01 AM on January 18, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by Melismata at 8:01 AM on January 18, 2018 [6 favorites]
All those leaps, and not one to the southern hemisphere. But then, it looks like only six leaps were outside the US, and only about 10% of the earth's population lives in the southern hemisphere, so given those facts maybe it's not too surprising.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:08 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 8:08 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
And the Vietnam leap was (surprise) into a US soldier during the Vietnam war.
Looking around for other non-US leaps, I just read the synopsis for episodes taking place in Japan and... oh boy. Kinda glad I didn't end up seeing those.
posted by ODiV at 8:45 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Looking around for other non-US leaps, I just read the synopsis for episodes taking place in Japan and... oh boy. Kinda glad I didn't end up seeing those.
posted by ODiV at 8:45 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
All those leaps, and not one to the southern hemisphere. But then, it looks like only six leaps were outside the US
And almost all of the leaps outside of the US were into Lee Harvey Oswald (somehow played by Willie Garson aka Stanford Blatch) or involved some sort of supernatural occurrence (Egyptian curse/British vampire) or connection to Sam's family (Vietnam). I assume there is some sort of fan theory that explains this aspect of the leaping technology that has come up sometime in the last 25+ years.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:52 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
And almost all of the leaps outside of the US were into Lee Harvey Oswald (somehow played by Willie Garson aka Stanford Blatch) or involved some sort of supernatural occurrence (Egyptian curse/British vampire) or connection to Sam's family (Vietnam). I assume there is some sort of fan theory that explains this aspect of the leaping technology that has come up sometime in the last 25+ years.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:52 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Hee, cute. But thanks for bringing to the surface all the anger I feel about the finale (they even misspelled his name!!).
Glad I'm not the only one who saw this and wanted to immediately vent about that damn finale.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:55 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Glad I'm not the only one who saw this and wanted to immediately vent about that damn finale.
posted by leotrotsky at 8:55 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Season 5 sorta went off the rails. I had forgotten about the "Evil Leaper". Ugh.
posted by hwyengr at 9:01 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by hwyengr at 9:01 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Man I loved this show so much, but it was never for its plot consistencies. It was always about Al and Sam, especially about Sam trying to be a lady, and otherwise it was basically Touched by a Confused Time-Travelling Angel.
Also my huge crush on Scott Bakula.
posted by emjaybee at 9:36 AM on January 18, 2018 [11 favorites]
Also my huge crush on Scott Bakula.
posted by emjaybee at 9:36 AM on January 18, 2018 [11 favorites]
What has always bothered me about QL was the episode where Sam machine guns three Viet Cong, its always seemed at odds with the general direction of the show.
posted by biffa at 9:38 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by biffa at 9:38 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
sammyo: Need a similar map for Supernatural, then an overlay to see if there's overlap. Ooh ooh, and X Files too.
Ask me about the months I spent back in 1998 going through both of these shows' timelines in order to write an epic crossover with Mulder and Scully investigating the (now adult) people who actually saw Al because they were kids under the age of five when Sam leaped into their lives, whose friends or relations are being murdered right in front of them by someone they swear is the "angel" they met when they were kids (they had an online mailing list for people who all had had similar experiences in their childhood). All of the victims are burned post-mortem with a cigar, almost like the murder is branding them.
Ask me about the notecards all over my floor mapping out how old each "kid" who ever saw Al during the five seasons of QL would be in Mulder and Scully's present day, and where they lived, and when it was that they had seen Al, and where Al was when Scully joined Mulder in the X-Files basement, and how much The Lone Gunmen knew about "The Project" that the government was hiding in a secret lab in New Mexico.
Then ask me how I chucked it all when, while having to rewatch episodes of QL for all this, I realized that Quantum Leap was Don Bellisario's Male White-Savior/Conservative Republican jerk-off Christ-figure fantasy, and couldn't believe I had somehow not seen that at all when it first aired.
(P.S. since I'm never going to write it I can tell you all that the murders are being committed by the Devil in his "Al Calavicci" physical form (from "The Boogieman"), in order to bring about the arrest of Al Calavicci, leaving Sam stranded as a man in the mid-60s with a wife who is six-weeks pregnant with a person who will grow up to bring about a nuclear holocaust in the present day.)
(Also, fuck Don Bellisario.)
posted by tzikeh at 10:55 AM on January 18, 2018 [19 favorites]
Ask me about the months I spent back in 1998 going through both of these shows' timelines in order to write an epic crossover with Mulder and Scully investigating the (now adult) people who actually saw Al because they were kids under the age of five when Sam leaped into their lives, whose friends or relations are being murdered right in front of them by someone they swear is the "angel" they met when they were kids (they had an online mailing list for people who all had had similar experiences in their childhood). All of the victims are burned post-mortem with a cigar, almost like the murder is branding them.
Ask me about the notecards all over my floor mapping out how old each "kid" who ever saw Al during the five seasons of QL would be in Mulder and Scully's present day, and where they lived, and when it was that they had seen Al, and where Al was when Scully joined Mulder in the X-Files basement, and how much The Lone Gunmen knew about "The Project" that the government was hiding in a secret lab in New Mexico.
Then ask me how I chucked it all when, while having to rewatch episodes of QL for all this, I realized that Quantum Leap was Don Bellisario's Male White-Savior/Conservative Republican jerk-off Christ-figure fantasy, and couldn't believe I had somehow not seen that at all when it first aired.
(P.S. since I'm never going to write it I can tell you all that the murders are being committed by the Devil in his "Al Calavicci" physical form (from "The Boogieman"), in order to bring about the arrest of Al Calavicci, leaving Sam stranded as a man in the mid-60s with a wife who is six-weeks pregnant with a person who will grow up to bring about a nuclear holocaust in the present day.)
(Also, fuck Don Bellisario.)
posted by tzikeh at 10:55 AM on January 18, 2018 [19 favorites]
I assume there is some sort of fan theory that explains this aspect of the leaping technology that has come up sometime in the last 25+ years.
It wouldn't be very convincing to jump into the body of someone if they suddenly forgot their native tongue and started speaking English.
posted by designbot at 11:08 AM on January 18, 2018
It wouldn't be very convincing to jump into the body of someone if they suddenly forgot their native tongue and started speaking English.
posted by designbot at 11:08 AM on January 18, 2018
Now I’ve got the theme tune back in my head, thank you SO MUCH.
posted by Segundus at 11:13 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Segundus at 11:13 AM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
It wouldn't be very convincing to jump into the body of someone if they suddenly forgot their native tongue and started speaking English.
I was under the impression that Sam could only leap within his lifespan and that the range of the leaps was limited by the scope of the programming on purpose? And that the only times he leaped either before he was born or out of the U.S. was
1) Into his brother's platoon in Viet Nam--coming on the heels of M.I.A., when Sam wouldn't bend the rules to save Al's marriage, he leaps "home" in part 1 of "The Leap Home" into his teenage self and immediately tries to change the life outcome of his father (failed) and his brother--his determination altered the target of the leap into his brother's platoon in Viet Nam, the day before his brother was killed. Al tells him that his mission is to save American P.O.W.s but Sam was still focused on saving his brother--he succeeds, at the expense of the life of a photographer and Al himself, who was one of the P.O.W.s Sam was meant to save--so this whole trilogy was ultimately there to teach both Sam and Al the lesson that if they choose to stray from the brief, it will Fuck Them Up.
2) Into an ancestor during the Civil War, so something in the project allows for leaps directed by DNA.
Remember that he leaped *before he was scheduled to*, so we don't know all the parameters of the Project.
(I can't believe my brain is still full of this shit. This is why I can't learn calculus.)
posted by tzikeh at 11:16 AM on January 18, 2018 [9 favorites]
I was under the impression that Sam could only leap within his lifespan and that the range of the leaps was limited by the scope of the programming on purpose? And that the only times he leaped either before he was born or out of the U.S. was
1) Into his brother's platoon in Viet Nam--coming on the heels of M.I.A., when Sam wouldn't bend the rules to save Al's marriage, he leaps "home" in part 1 of "The Leap Home" into his teenage self and immediately tries to change the life outcome of his father (failed) and his brother--his determination altered the target of the leap into his brother's platoon in Viet Nam, the day before his brother was killed. Al tells him that his mission is to save American P.O.W.s but Sam was still focused on saving his brother--he succeeds, at the expense of the life of a photographer and Al himself, who was one of the P.O.W.s Sam was meant to save--so this whole trilogy was ultimately there to teach both Sam and Al the lesson that if they choose to stray from the brief, it will Fuck Them Up.
2) Into an ancestor during the Civil War, so something in the project allows for leaps directed by DNA.
Remember that he leaped *before he was scheduled to*, so we don't know all the parameters of the Project.
(I can't believe my brain is still full of this shit. This is why I can't learn calculus.)
posted by tzikeh at 11:16 AM on January 18, 2018 [9 favorites]
Now I’ve got the theme tune back in my head
this will fix you up right away
When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.....
posted by thelonius at 11:16 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
this will fix you up right away
When wintertime rolls around, the gorillas simply freeze to death.....
posted by thelonius at 11:16 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
And oh yeah Lee Harvey Oswald, the episode known in some circles of fandom as "Don Bellisario Is 100% Certain That Lee Harvey Oswald Acted Alone And By God You're Gonna Hear About It Even Though It Completely breaks HIS OWN CANONICAL RULES."
posted by tzikeh at 11:18 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by tzikeh at 11:18 AM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
Season 5 sorta went off the rails.
Clicking around the map, I realized that Season 5 is when Sam is assisted by an off-camera Bigfoot in his only leap to the Pacific Northwest.
posted by audi alteram partem at 12:15 PM on January 18, 2018
Clicking around the map, I realized that Season 5 is when Sam is assisted by an off-camera Bigfoot in his only leap to the Pacific Northwest.
posted by audi alteram partem at 12:15 PM on January 18, 2018
I have the Quantum Leap soundtrack and it is AMAZING.
posted by TheLateGreatAbrahamLincoln at 1:12 PM on January 18, 2018
posted by TheLateGreatAbrahamLincoln at 1:12 PM on January 18, 2018
Need a similar map for Supernatural ...
These two links may be relevant to your interests.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:17 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
These two links may be relevant to your interests.
posted by DrAstroZoom at 1:17 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've recently started rewatching selected episodes of Quantum Leap (I think I landed on 35 out of the ~90 there are) after Rachel and Griffin discussion about the show (and the The Leap Home episodes in particular) in their Wonderful podcast.
I watched Quantum Leap for the first time (only) 11 years ago and it was already slightly dated back then, and now certain parts are even more galling but oh boy, when this show is on fire, it's still very effective and good.
Right now, there isn't anything I'd rather watch.
posted by bigendian at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2018
I watched Quantum Leap for the first time (only) 11 years ago and it was already slightly dated back then, and now certain parts are even more galling but oh boy, when this show is on fire, it's still very effective and good.
Right now, there isn't anything I'd rather watch.
posted by bigendian at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2018
I loved this show so much when it first aired, and I watched it over and over again in re-runs. It wasn't until I read a comment from someone (maybe even someone on MeFi) who critiqued the show by saying "all you need is a little white guy in ya' to solve all your problems" -- that I realized how awful the show's central tenant was. It was an eye-opening experience for me and helped me to understand white privilege, specifically white male privilege, so much more clearly. I mean, I understood them in theory, but this helped me really grok them.
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by OrangeDisk at 1:48 PM on January 18, 2018 [4 favorites]
"all you need is a little white guy in ya' to solve all your problems"
Yes. This view is certainly hard to ignore...
I try to justify my enjoyment by telling myself "oh but they know about what happened the first time, and so they can change it, and it's more this future knowledge that solves problems, and not this white man" but you're still absolutely right...
Which is a pity, because it outshines the central "putting oneself in another's shoes" (literally) empathy message of the show.
posted by bigendian at 1:59 PM on January 18, 2018
Yes. This view is certainly hard to ignore...
I try to justify my enjoyment by telling myself "oh but they know about what happened the first time, and so they can change it, and it's more this future knowledge that solves problems, and not this white man" but you're still absolutely right...
Which is a pity, because it outshines the central "putting oneself in another's shoes" (literally) empathy message of the show.
posted by bigendian at 1:59 PM on January 18, 2018
bigendian: Rachel and Griffin discussion about the show (and the The Leap Home episodes in particular) in their Wonderful podcast.
Do they talk about them alone, or do they include the first part of the trilogy (M.I.A.)? I'm not sure how you'd talk about Leap Home I & II without the opening of the frame they close.
posted by tzikeh at 2:12 PM on January 18, 2018
Do they talk about them alone, or do they include the first part of the trilogy (M.I.A.)? I'm not sure how you'd talk about Leap Home I & II without the opening of the frame they close.
posted by tzikeh at 2:12 PM on January 18, 2018
1. QL definitely had a white male Christ figure thing happening, and a weird religious overtone generally, in true "hey this thing you thought was scifi was really GOD, psych!" way that Battlestar Galactica also took.
2. On the other hand, Al
3. On the third hand, for the 90s, "white dude is literally forced to live in the body of a less privileged person and guess what, sometimes it sucked/he didn't know how to deal," was a pretty forward-thinking idea for a series at the time.
posted by emjaybee at 2:22 PM on January 18, 2018 [5 favorites]
2. On the other hand, Al
3. On the third hand, for the 90s, "white dude is literally forced to live in the body of a less privileged person and guess what, sometimes it sucked/he didn't know how to deal," was a pretty forward-thinking idea for a series at the time.
posted by emjaybee at 2:22 PM on January 18, 2018 [5 favorites]
tzikeh, they talk about the The Leap Home episodes only (and considerably more about the first episode than the second), but it quickly develops into a discussion about the show in general - what it is about and what it was trying to do (briefly mentioning other episodes as well).
Before my rewatch, I had forgotten that M.I.A. preceeded those two episodes and you're right that it makes more sense to look at those three episodes as a whole.
2. On the other hand, Al
sigh ...yes...
posted by bigendian at 3:14 PM on January 18, 2018
Before my rewatch, I had forgotten that M.I.A. preceeded those two episodes and you're right that it makes more sense to look at those three episodes as a whole.
2. On the other hand, Al
sigh ...yes...
posted by bigendian at 3:14 PM on January 18, 2018
Someone should map it based on how close or far away from his origin he is in spacetime, not just in space.
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 3:23 PM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Jonathan Livengood at 3:23 PM on January 18, 2018 [2 favorites]
My inner 90s youth wants so desperately to read tzikeh's QL/XF crossover that I am ready to start a GoFundMe. Shut up and take my money!
Even as a 90s trufan, though, I couldn't stomach much past the midpoint of season 4. Are there any gems buried amongst the Evil Leaper horseshit?
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:07 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Even as a 90s trufan, though, I couldn't stomach much past the midpoint of season 4. Are there any gems buried amongst the Evil Leaper horseshit?
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:07 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, Sam's soul/essence/whatever is leaping, not his physical body, no matter what they want you to believe or that whole thing about him having a daughter in 1960-whatever. It's never too late to relitigate 90s fan wars.
Not in dispute: M.I.A is an amazing hour of television, regardless of what came before or after.
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:10 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Not in dispute: M.I.A is an amazing hour of television, regardless of what came before or after.
posted by Flannery Culp at 4:10 PM on January 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
1) I was really hoping this would be a map of time rather than space, but the spacial aspect of it is pretty cool too I guess.
2) They should remake Quantum Leap, but this time with Dr. Samantha Beckett.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:13 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
2) They should remake Quantum Leap, but this time with Dr. Samantha Beckett.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 4:13 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
Flannery Culp: My inner 90s youth wants so desperately to read tzikeh's QL/XF crossover
MINE TOO!
posted by tzikeh at 4:21 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
MINE TOO!
posted by tzikeh at 4:21 PM on January 18, 2018 [3 favorites]
Ask me about the months I spent back in 1998 going through both of these shows' timelines in order to write an epic crossover with Mulder and Scully investigating the (now adult) people who actually saw Al because they were kids under the age of five when Sam leaped into their lives
Yeah and what about the time Al leaped into the body of the traitor Dr. Wellington Yueh? That was a weird, long episode.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 9:03 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah and what about the time Al leaped into the body of the traitor Dr. Wellington Yueh? That was a weird, long episode.
posted by Joey Buttafoucault at 9:03 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
Yeah and what about the time Al leaped into the body of the traitor Dr. Wellington Yueh?
I was more concerned about the one where Al leaped into a whole bunch of cloned human/cyborg "machines are superior" dudes.
posted by tzikeh at 9:45 PM on January 19, 2018
I was more concerned about the one where Al leaped into a whole bunch of cloned human/cyborg "machines are superior" dudes.
posted by tzikeh at 9:45 PM on January 19, 2018
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