The first season of the Quantum Leap reboot was faced with the titanic task of appealing to fans of the original and attracting new viewers. It’s a wild tightrope to walk, but Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) and his team almost make it look easy. While the series had several ties to the original, it expertly avoided the pitfall of over-relying on nostalgia, leading to a well-received debut. Its success meant there was significant anticipation for its sophomore run, especially as Season 1 ended on a hell of a note, with several major questions unanswered.

Season 2 jumps right into the swing of things, immediately putting Ben in a no-holds-barred situation as the leaps tend to do. As always, you come out of the first few episodes wanting the best for Ben; this is equal parts thanks to Lee’s charming performance, stellar writing, and remarkable direction. While it would have been comforting to learn that Ben had successfully leaped home and was finally with Addison (Caitlin Bassett) and the team, things have never been that easy, have they? Instead, we find Ben in 1978 on a top-secret military flight, transporting a mysterious cargo the crew must protect with their lives. We immediately learn that this is a ragtag group of soldiers who all have something to prove and need this mission to go well. But since Ben is there, we already know that it doesn’t.

‘Quantum Leap’ Season 2 Switches Things Up
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The debut episode features an exciting roster of guest stars which includes Melissa Roxburgh (Manifest), Francois Arnaud (The Borgias), P.J. Byrne (The Boys), and Aaron Abrams (Blindspot). The show had the opportunity to do the cheekiest thing ever, and they absolutely took it by putting Roxburgh back on a flight that doesn’t go as planned for her introduction to Quantum Leap, a hilarious move considering she played Michaela Stone on Manifest which began its run on NBC.

Episode 1 of Quantum Leap Season 2 is boosted by hilarious chemistry between Lee, Abrams, and Byrne, which almost makes one upset about the show’s format as this trio won’t be together and back on our screens again, unless by some quantum time leaping miracle. Even with the straight-man characters in Arnaud and Roxburgh, the group dynamic elevates the episode and sets the season off to a good start. What’s more, the humor somehow managing to be effective and not heavy-handed is a feat in itself as the situation the group, and Ben, find themselves in is so very bleak, some might even say hopeless.

Shortly after the midway mark, the episode takes a sharp turn into the emotions viewers have come to expect from the Quantum Leap reboot, providing a stark reminder of the real-world horrors that are faced by soldiers. The series then has viewers whooping for joy less than five minutes later, serving as just a tease of the emotional rollercoaster Season 2 will set viewers on. The debut episode ends on one hell of a bombshell, ensuring viewers tune in for the remainder of the season, or at the very least, the next episode.

RELATED: ‘Quantum Leap’ Season 2: Cast and Character Guide

‘Quantum Leap’ Season 2 Thrives on the Chemistry of Its Cast
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In a sea of growing science-fiction stories, Quantum Leap keeps its focus on people. The human factor is an easy element to dismiss when telling stories that feature complicated lore and advanced tech, but that is exactly what keeps the series grounded. The sophomore season – much like its predecessor – is held up by the dynamics of Ben’s 2023 team back at Quantum Leap headquarters. From Magic’s (Ernie Hudson) fatherly approach to Ian (Mason Alexander Park) and Jenn’s (Nanrisa Lee), bickering and bantering, it is quite easy to believe that this is a team that loves and supports each other, even when the universe threatens to pull them apart.

Interestingly, this is where the biggest pitfall of the season lies. While the show is titled Quantum Leap and the focus is understandably on the leaps, there is still the desire to see more of the home team, especially as this dynamic did not get the attention it deserved in Season 1. For instance, Jenn’s vibe is somehow slicker and cooler this season (is that even possible?), but we barely spend enough time with the character to appreciate this. Similarly, very early on, the audience is teased with the fact that Ian harbors a massive secret that will impact the team. But after the events of Season 1 and the revelation that Ian – well, future Ian – set the whole story in motion, it almost feels doubtful that they would keep a secret of significant magnitude from the team. Admittedly, that’s exactly what piques interest in Ian’s secret.

Besides the chemistry among the main cast members, Quantum Leap also benefits from Lee’s seemingly effortless ability to integrate with the new cast members of every episode, almost as if he’s been part of a years-long dynamic. He succeeds at this despite being thrown into unexpected and random scenarios that get more unpredictable as the season goes on. For this reason, Lee as Ben Song is still a winner in Season 2, and easily a personal favorite TV casting in recent years. Throughout both seasons, Lee has embraced the full demands of stepping into the life of a different character every episode without losing the heart of what makes Ben Song who he is, while going full steam ahead into every wacky setting he finds himself in.

‘Quantum Leap’ Hasn’t Lost Its Step in Season 2
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The series makes full use of guest stars, introducing heavy hitters who seamlessly integrate into this wild time-jumping story. Season 2 of Quantum Leap also welcomes its new cast members in a staggered and organic way that avoids overwhelming the audiences with too many new faces and moving parts. This is especially applaudable as the season is wider in scope and higher in stakes. After its hearty opener, Episode 2 delivers a tense and fraught leap that wears the heart of the show on its sleeve; however, it is in the 2023 homestead, that the real drama, developments, and path forward for the season are revealed. It is also in this episode the season gets back in the groove of things, as much as it can anyway, feeling both familiar and novel as it enters new territory. Then, with Episode 3, the idea that the season is taking bigger chances and aiming for bigger payoffs is on full display.

While we cannot say exactly where the season will take us, we already know where it won’t. Quantum Leap showrunner Martin Gero has already said Season 2 will be devoid of Leaper X and Leaper X-esque storylines. So with the big overarching threat of Season 1 resolved, it will be interesting to see what new threat will take its place, especially with the storyline that is leveling up on all fronts this season.

Rating: B+

The Big Picture

The second season of the Quantum Leap reboot maintains its successful blend of nostalgia and fresh storytelling. The chemistry among the cast members, both main and guest stars, is a major strength of the show, adding humor and emotional depth to the episodes. While the focus is understandably on the time-jumping leaps, there is a desire to see more of the home team dynamics, which were underdeveloped in Season 1, and a curiosity about Ian’s secret that will impact the team.

Quantum Leap Season 2 debuts on NBC on October 4.