With the sequel to the 90s American Science Fiction series Quantum Leap airing in 2022, it has caused fans to compare it to the original. Created by Donald P. Bellisario, the series starred Scott Bakula as quantum physicist Dr. Sam Beckett. Theorizing that he could travel through time within his own lifetime, Beckett invents a time machine and tests the program before it is ready, against the advice of hybrid supercomputer ‘Ziggy’. Sam is catapulted through space-time and stuck temporarily inhabiting other people's bodies, quickly realizing that he is there to correct historical mistakes and injustices.
Dean Stockwell co-stars as Admiral Al Calavicci, Sam’s dirty-minded and loudly dressed best friend who appears to Sam as a hologram. Al and Ziggy feed Sam information about his temporal predicaments and what he must do in order to leap. The series is a humorous adventure, with splashes of drama and romance and social commentary on America’s past and present issues. Here are the 10 best episodes of Quantum Leap.
9 A Leap For Lisa - S4 Ep 22 - 4 Aug. 1993
Sam lands in the body of a Navy fighter pilot in the 50s, charged with the rape and murder of his Commanding Officer’s wife. Trying to alter history and save the reputation of a married woman, Sam inadvertently makes matters worse and puts the pilot under the threat of execution in the gas chamber. Only later does he realize that he is in the body of a young Admiral Calavicci.
Every decision he makes increases the probability of Al going to the gas chamber until Al is briefly replaced by a new, and not so well-dressed, holographic companion until Sam gets back on track. This is an episode full of dramatic twists that make it an exciting viewing.
8 The Leap Back - S4 Ep1 - 9 Mar. 1993
Following the leap of the Season 3 finale, a returning WW2 veteran is temporarily inhabited by a visitor from another time. However, this time it’s not Sam, it’s Al. Sam has become the hologram and Al the Quantum Leaper. The opening sequence of this episode is particularly comical as the two adjust to their reversed roles, Al trying to do all the things he once did as a hologram, like walk through nearby objects, but this time coming up very short.
Sam gets a small measure of revenge on Al by surprising him at inopportune moments, which Al of course does repeatedly throughout the series, to Al’s great but somewhat hypocritical annoyance.
7 Black On White On Fire - S3 Ep7 - 10 Nov. 1992
This episode takes a look at one of the worst riots in America’s history: Watt’s. Sam leaps into the body of an African American medical student in Los Angeles in 1965, who is engaged to a white woman. Al and Ziggy initially think Sam has to keep Ray and Susan together in spite of the hatred and bigotry they receive for their mixed-race marriage; from Ray’s militant brother Lonnie and his friends, and Susan’s police captain Father.
As Watt’s riot breaks out, Sam’s task quickly changes from preserving romance to keeping Susan alive in the midst of a sea of violence. Episode writer Deborah Pratt based her social message on her own experiences of mixed-race relationships and marriage with series creator and producer Donald P. Bellisario.
6 M.I.A - S2 Ep22 - 31 Mar. 1992
In the Season 2 finale, Sam leaps into the body Jake Rawlins, a new detective in San Diego in 1969. Al and Ziggy tell Sam he has to stop a young woman, Beth, from falling for another man while her husband is missing in action in Vietnam, presumed dead but in fact alive in a prisoner of war camp. Sam fails his mission and Beth and the lawyer meet.
Despite the initial humor of Sam finding himself in a dress and raging against being transported into a woman's body, before he realizes that he is in fact a man, undercover in women's clothes, the episode soon takes a sad turn. Sam finds that Al has lied to him about his task in 1969 and that his motives were very personal. This episode gives us a bittersweet look into Al's romanticism and past tragedies.
5 Jimmy - S2 Ep8 - 10 Dec. 1991
In this installment of the Science Fiction Saga, Sam jumps into the body of a young man with Down’s syndrome. Jimmy has recently been released from an institution and has moved in with his brother and his family. Al and Ziggy tell Sam his task is to ‘mainstream’ Jimmy, and convince those around him that he is capable of looking after himself and deserves to lead his own life outside an institution.
Defended only by his brother and young son, Jimmy faces prejudice from his coworkers, manager, and even his brother’s wife. This is an episode brimming with social commentary and is simultaneously deeply moving, even giving us an insight into the life of Sam’s sharply dressed holographic companion.
4 Mirror Image - S5 Ep22 - 14 Jun. 1994
In the series finale, Sam leaps back into his own body, in 1953, at the exact moment he was born. Meeting a bartender that is much more than he appears, and seeing parallels in 1953 to his life in the future, Sam learns who or what has been leaping him across space and time.
Although not one of the best episodes in the series on its own merits, it makes the list for its explanation of Sam’s endless leaps and historical corrections, giving answers to the series’ fans.
3 Deliver Us From Evil - S5 Ep 7 - 10 Nov. 1992
For the first time in the series, Sam leaps into a person for the second time, old favorite: Jimmy. At first, Sam is thrilled to see Frank, Connie, and Corey again, but his happiness quickly fades as he finds all has gone wrong since his last visit: Frank and Connie are fighting and Corey is considering running away. Al and Ziggy are getting strange readings and can't figure out why Sam is here.
Then Sam meets Alia, the Evil Time Traveller, and her holographic companion Zoey, who leap through time causing death and destruction, the polar opposite of Sam and Al. Sam must keep Frank and Connie's marriage together and stop Jimmy from being sent to an institution, or worse.
2 Shock Theater - S3 Ep22 - 2 Mar. 1993
In one of the hardest-hitting episodes of the series, Sam leaps into the body of a patient in a psychiatric hospital. Shortly after leaping, Sam Beeterman is subjected to a dangerously high voltage of electric shock therapy. This blasts out Sam Beckett’s personality and the void is filled with a parade of people Sam has leaped into previously. This leads Doctors to believe he is suffering from Multiple Personality Disorder, which is compounded by his conversations with the invisible Al.
The only light relief in this episode is Al bursting into a rap song halfway through the episode. Scott Bakula truly showcased his acting talent in this episode, playing a number of different characters, all while occasionally allowing bits of Sam to shine through, leading him to win a Golden Globe for his performance.
1 The Leap Home Part 1&2 - S3 Ep1&2 - 14 Apr. 1992
In this two-part episode, Sam leaps into the body of his 16-year-old self, the night before his big High School basketball game which Al tells him he has to win in order to leap. Part 1 shows Sam’s inner torment as he struggles between what he has to do to leap and what he wants to do to help his family and himself have a better life.
Following the leap in part 1, Sam lands in the body of a Navy SEAL in his brother’s squad, the day before his brother is killed. Desperate to save his brother’s life, Al once again tells him he has a different task to complete. This is a gripping episode with a thrilling twist, with Al reliving his time in Vietnam, ensuring that Sam doesn’t make a fool of himself on or off the battlefield.