Artnewspress: Exclusive: Quantum Leap star Ernie Hudson discusses what’s next for the series, hinting that important questions about the future will pop up.
Quantum Leap star Ernie Hudson teases that the reboot could be heading to the future. So far in its run, having gone into its midseason finale, the NBC sci-fi series is closely linked to its predecessor. The new Quantum Leap puts a focus on the fate of Sam Beckett, to the point that a big part of the story involves his legacy and potential whereabouts. Still, the updated version, which stars Raymond Lee as the lead character of Dr. Ben Song, has also altered established history in some key ways and operated differently than the original. That will continue when the show returns with new episodes on January 2.
In an exclusive interview with Screen Rant, Hudson teases what’s ahead for the rest of Quantum Leap season 1. The actor, who portrays Herbert “Magic” Williams on the NBC show, was asked about the big reveal in the fall finale involving Ben. In his response, Hudson suggests the sci-fi series will address questions of quantum physics and quantum time travel. He also notes that there will be an exploration of how the events of the future affect the past. Still, in the quote below, Hudson says he doesn’t have any definitive answers:
I read the scripts as they come, and we’re kind of in the middle of everything. I think we’re going to find out, hopefully, who or what is responsible. How does the whole idea of quantum physics and quantum time travel work? How do things that happen in the future affect the past?
We’re kind of all over the place because this show is not limited to just traveling within the person’s lifetime. I think we’ll begin to look at that, and I think it’ll give people a lot to think about. But in terms of definite answers, I’m as lost as everybody.
How Different Are The Reboot’s Rules From The Original Quantum Leap?
One of the most radical ways the reboot changes the rules of the original occurs in Quantum Leap episode 6, which teases the possibility of leaping into the future. Ian (played by Mason Alexander) believes that, through Ben’s coding, there is a way to travel not only backward in time, but forward. Fans have seen been discussing the way this fundamentally shifts the rules of Quantum Leap, setting it apart from the original and Beckett’s typical voyages.
Another way that the reboot distinguishes itself is that leapers like Ben and Sam could only generally move through their own lifetimes. Early into its run, the new Quantum Leap has already done away with this limitation, sending Ben all the way back to 1879. These creative decisions help Ben interact with conditions and characters that he otherwise wouldn’t, allowing for thematic resonance. But, at the same time, it also hints at how the updated series is establishing its own sort of canon and in-universe explanations.
It’s worth noting, of course, that the rules were never firmly set on the original Quantum Leap. Although it’s true that the episodes generally stuck to a certain structure, this was also occasionally broken for an important development or for the sake of a good story that wouldn’t otherwise work. As noted by Hudson in his remarks, the show has a lot of room to maneuver when it comes back in just a few months.
Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
