Quantum Leap

The Star Trek reruns have tapered off and I've been watching reruns of Quantum Leap lately. I'd forgotten how much I loved that show. It was made back when producers actually put effort into making original concepts. Did it make sense? Does time travel ever make sense? It didn't need to. Like science fiction novels of old before the science caught up to the fiction, it was just great imagination and creativity. People weren't obsessed with how realistic the science should be. They just glossed over the science and went straight to the fiction which was the continuing adventures of time traveler who changes the lives of people in the past. Lives not circumstances. Some points of history are fixed and unmovable but people within the time periods are able to be helped and their destinies reordered. Really, it's similar to Doctor Who only it's a more rigid format with no fantasy and alien aspects. The point is, it was more about the human aspect than the science.

I mean, seriously, how does Al even work? It doesn't matter. He was my favorite part of the show. And it's a testament to how less is more. There were only two main characters in the show, yet somehow they managed to have rich, meaningful episodes. The politics and some of the underlying lessons learned were overtly liberal, as everything was in the late 20th century, but the comedy and the occupational hazards of each new experience was just plain fun to watch. Literally, what would you do in someone else's shoes? Sam had to improvise the life of strangers that he knew nothing about except whatever stats Al could give him. That's what makes this show work. Not science, although it's technically science fiction.

Oddly enough I don't think I've ever seen the pilot and it's been so long since I've seen the finale that I can't remember how it ended. But no spoilers please. I'm going to keep my eye on these reruns and find out for myself. Here's to a classy classic show! Oh boy...