Quantum Leap
Season-Two DVD

A quantum physicist continues to travel through time, helping people by righting the wrongs of the past

	Quantum Leap Season-Two DVD
	Starring Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell
	Universal DVD
	Three-disc set
	MSRP: $44.99

By A.M. Dellamonica

he premature launch of Project Quantum Leap sends Dr. Sam Beckett leaping through the '50s, '60s and '70s on his continuing mission to prevent tragedies in the lives of others ... by walking in their shoes for a few days. In season two, Sam becomes—among other things—a movie stuntman, a blind concert pianist, a mentally handicapped dockworker, a single mother and an executive secretary. His holographic observer from the project, Al, supplies the historical information Sam needs in order to right the wrongs of the past, whether that means helping the disabled Jimmy hang on to his job or winning the pool game of a lifetime for an old billiards champion.

Quantum Leap's first season was inventive but cautious, working hard to establish the complicated premise of a series that has never—despite many attempts—been successfully duplicated. The second season starts out with similar care but gains confidence quickly, offering less and less explanation for Sam's leaping as the episodes progress. With increased assurance that viewers are liking what they see, the writing team also takes more chances, making Sam female for the first time in an episode called "What Price Gloria?" and letting him leap into a villain in "Her Charm." In season one, Sam's first leap into a man who isn't white is portrayed as a remarkable and edgy event; by the time this next year has come and gone, his various leaps into Americans of color are treated, by characters and writers alike, as standard fare.

This season also serves to deepen the Quantum Leap backstory, offering tidbits of information about the long friendship between Sam and Al and more clues about Sam's various areas of expertise. It refers explicitly to both men's belief that God is controlling the leaping process, while touching on a host of political issues: sexual harassment in the workplace, racism, conflicts in the '60s over U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, censorship, imperialism and even stalking. None of these topics is handled in a preachy fashion; the heart of every Quantum Leap is a gripping human drama about an ordinary person in trouble and two extraordinary individuals who turn things around.

Bare bones—but fantastic TV

The release of Quantum Leap's second season has been controversial. There are no extras or bonus materials packaged in with the show episodes. The first season's DVD release featured episode introductions by Scott Bakula, a making-of documentary and heartwarming interviews. To go from sparse but high-quality extras to nothing at all is a great letdown. More disappointing are the changes to the music that aired with the original episodes. While fans certainly understand that getting the rights to every single song used in a given season is sometimes impossible, Leapers expect the substituted musical entries to be true to the show's original tone. This is not always the case with season two, and across the Internet cries of protest have arisen, especially regarding the final episode, "M.I.A." (For an excellent recap of the complaints, check out Helen Earl's letter, "Quantum Leap DVD Is Off-Tempo," in Issue #403 of Science Fiction Weekly.)

Amid Sam's various adventures, season two is very much about Sam's partner in crime, Al, and "M.I.A." is a critical moment in his story arc. Over the course of the year we learn much about Al's often troubled past: his early years in an orphanage, the death of his sister and his various doomed marriages. This history gives the womanizing, flashily dressed Al much-needed depth, offers actor Dean Stockwell a chance to shine and makes his relationship with Sam more meaningful. Though earlier and later years of Quantum Leap focus on tragedies in Sam's life, Al's hardships and struggles continue to be important. A choice Sam makes in "M.I.A." is small but also catastrophic, and has consequences for the duo later on in the show's run. The change of music at a key moment of the episode is thus deeply unfortunate.

That said, the writing, direction and performances in these episodes of Quantum Leap are simply fantastic: dramatic, suspenseful and emotionally moving. The growing bond between Sam and Al highlights the difficulty of each character's situation: Sam is helpless to control his leaping, beset by amnesia and engaged on an apparently endless mission with no real hope of reward or even thanks. Al must stand by helplessly, watching his closest friend endure the twists of fate and time without ever being able to offer more than helpful data and moral support. Both characters often get carried away with the sheer fun of their mission, but the predicament remains: Neither can make the choice to quit, and they must depend on each other absolutely.