Quantum Leap Cast and Producers Talk Finale and Ziggy at WonderCon 

[Warning: Spoilers]

Don’t fall asleep on Broadcast TV. If you do, then you’ll miss amazing shows like Will Trent, 911 Lone Star, Abbott Elementary, The Winchesters, Grand Crew and Quantum Leap. Each of these network series are earning a permanent place in our TV-loving heart. 

For example, NBC’s Quantum Leap has successfully introduced us to a new leaper. We’ll never forget Dr. Sam Beckett’s adventures in the OG drama. But we can’t be more excited to learn about physicist/time traveler Dr. Ben Song and the new team of super smart and badass individuals making it possible for him to leap into the bodies of humans in need of help. 

At this year’s WonderCon, the cast and producers talked about why this reboot, or reimagining or sequel or continuation, wasn’t created on a whim. Much like its predecessor, it has a purpose, it has substance. It’s a story that comes at the right time.

QUANTUM LEAP… THE SHOW FOR RIGHT NOW

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Executive Producer Dean Georgaris:  “People hear reboot and they think, oh, we’re gonna just copy what they did in a different era and stick it on now. I think what they should hear is… that was a really powerful, universal story. This is a really interesting time in the world to start telling that story again. I think that’s really one of the many secrets behind Quantum Leap is that it’s a show that seems to return to TV when we need it.” 

Photo Credit: TV Goodness

Executive Producer Deborah Pratt (and gave voice to Ziggy in the original series):  “The truth is the show is always about hope. And it was always about people. The fact that we experience universal stories all the time, and the key word again, being hope, there’s a lot of heart in the show. We get to do history. So it’s a really great family show to sit with your parents and your grandparents and your grandkids and sit and talk about what happened in these various periods of time. But again, we live in a time where there’s little hope and Quantum Leap brings that back and we find that people that watch the show are moved by it. Inspired by it. And that’s really exciting in a time when we need it. 

Ernie Hudson (Herbert “Magic” Williams): “As we get deeper into [this show], the characters are revealing themselves. So it’s not just about the leaps even though it’s the center of it. But it’s also about where we are now. And I think it comments a lot on society and how we are impacted. The things I enjoy the most is when they’re character driven. We’re all in this and I think it reflects the diversity of where we are now as a society. But there’s a lot going on and I think the show addresses it kind of uniquely in a way that nobody else is doing.” 

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Raymond Lee (Dr. Ben Song): “When I was cast in this show, Asian hate was going on. But to see — and I don’t think it was a pointed thing — but to see an Asian person being the face of empathy, so to speak, I think will have a ripple effect. And it’s definitely made my circle see things differently. And I can only imagine if people aren’t talking about it, it’s subconsciously working on some sort of a level. So I have to commend the people who made the decision to put someone like me at the forefront, to be something, to be very poignant.” 

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Nanrisa Lee (Jenn Chou): “I watched the original when it first aired with my dad and so I was already very familiar with the show and the premise and the characters. And when [Quantum Leap 2022] went forward it was just a really great opportunity to be able to sort of continue along a show that I love. And with the way that I think we’ve managed to retain a lot of the key things that I think that at least I really loved about the original but also kind of like make it modern and present day and fun and edgy. And I think the pacing is a bit quicker in our show. It’s a little kind of more fly-by-the-seat of your pants a little bit. And because we have the team, there’s a second storyline always going, moving through, which has been really fun to be able to find that rhythm. And I think we’ve gotten to a really good place.” 

THE ZIGGY OF IT ALL

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

In Quantum Leap’s “The Friendly Skies” episode, the Ziggy-is-the-mole development is already requiring the team — Magic, Ben, Addison, Ian and Jenn — to adapt to the super AI going offline. And guess what? They still got the job done. During the show’s WonderCon panel (a first con for some of the cast), Ziggy was a topic of conversation, of course.

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Raymond Lee: “[Ziggy being the mole] is going to allow for us to trust our instincts as humans to see how we can get ourselves out of this situation. We’re at a time when, perhaps, technology is getting more and more unreliable. And we have to trust our human instincts and to be able to connect with one another to make the right decision and so I think that’s kind of a great commentary on life right now.”

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Caitlin Bassett (Addison Augustine): “One of the testaments to — especially this version where we have this phenomenal team — is that when things go wrong, we have more than one person to rely on. Obviously Ben is phenomenal at everything, as Sam was, but now we have this team of human beings who care so deeply about each other. And I think to go with what Ray was saying about a commentary on today… If we trust each other, we can get the job done.”

THE “JUDGMENT DAY” FINALE

Photo Credit: Trae Patton/NBC

On Monday, April 3, it’s “Judgment Day” for Ben and Ian (future and present) and the rest of the team when season one comes to its conclusion. The cast talk about what’s sure to be an exciting finale and they speculate on how painful the impending hiatus will be once the episode hits black and rolls the credits.. 

Photo Credit: TV Goodness

Mason Alexander Park (Ian Wright): “Hopefully not too painful. But maybe it will be. I think the series obviously is coming to a head. There are so many storylines and so many things that are kind of converging in the last two episodes that make them both chaotic, but also so much fun. I think the final episode is one of my favorite episodes of the series so far.” 

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Mason Alexander Park cont’d: “It’s nuts and it’s truly insane. I’m just amazed that they did it. I love what Ian got to do in the last two episodes of the show, I think that all of us have been building to really get to a place where our characters are fully multidimensional human beings that not only have history, but also are deeply involved in the present beyond just trying to troubleshoot Ben’s s–t, for lack of a better word.” (they laugh)

Photo Credit: David Yeh/NBC

Ernie Hudson: “There were a lot of questions resolved. And a lot of new questions began.” 

Raymond Lee: “I was really impressed with the tying up of all the loose ends”

Nuts and truly insane? Good thing we already know a second season isn’t just happening, they’ve already started filming it, right?

The final episode of Quantum Leap season one airs Monday at 10/9c on NBC and then starts streaming on Peacock on Tuesday. 

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