Gideon's chip

[CaptCleghorn]

I am very confused as to the story surrounding this chip. Ian got the chip from Rachel who got it from Gideon's company where she works.
This was while Ben was missing and has been considered a clandestine operation since it was first introduced early in season 2.
The chip helped locate Ben in 2026 and was continued to be used without knowing it was sending classified data out.

My first question is why did the chip need to be used when PQL managed without it for Ben's first season?

After the data breach was discovered, Jenn and Ian are approached by a woman above Rachel on her company's org chart who is well aware of what's happening. Rachel manages to cut off the data breach and a couple of more leaps pass. Gideon then discovers the chip has been stolen and realizes Rachel's involved.

Question 2: If Gideon didn't know PQL had the chip before that episode, where was that data going?

I know there are only 34 and a half hours before the finale episodes, but this is driving me bonkers. Any ideas?

 

[Suggie176]

I am very confused as to the story surrounding this chip. Ian got the chip from Rachel who got it from Gideon's company where she works.
This was while Ben was missing and has been considered a clandestine operation since it was first introduced early in season 2.
The chip helped locate Ben in 2026 and was continued to be used without knowing it was sending classified data out.

My first question is why did the chip need to be used when PQL managed without it for Ben's first season?

After the data breach was discovered, Jenn and Ian are approached by a woman above Rachel on her company's org chart who is well aware of what's happening. Rachel manages to cut off the data breach and a couple of more leaps pass. Gideon then discovers the chip has been stolen and realizes Rachel's involved.

Question 2: If Gideon didn't know PQL had the chip before that episode, where was that data going?

I know there are only 34 and a half hours before the finale episodes, but this is driving me bonkers. Any ideas?

As to why they needed to use the chip in Season 2, I think it has to do with Ben being lost in time and the project was literally shut down and mothballed for two years. When Ben leaped into himself in 2018 in the season 1 finale (and probably combined with that convenient “cheat code” that the three Ians activated), it scrambled Ziggy’s ability to track and locate Ben (it was sort of explained in “Ben & Teller”). So Ian needed another way to try and track Ben because they refused to give up on him…hence going to Rachel in secret behind Gideon’s back. Ian (with Jenn’s help, it seems) had made some kind of deal under the table to procure this chip as long as certain conditions were fulfilled (of which I’m not clear on). I think what Ian didn’t realize was that the chip was going to be transmitting data back to Gideon every time Ben leaped, so now it’s blown up in their face. I think up until then, Ian probably just told Gideon and Simone that the chip didn’t work and didn’t need to follow through on whatever deal was made. But once it began transmitting data, they knew that Ian was lying. Rachel was trying to circumvent the code so that they wouldn’t receive the data. But Gideon is now calling the bluff. (Yes, this is not being explained very well in the series at all, I admit. Kind of a problem when you only have 42 minutes to tell a story each week on network television.)

What Ian did was completely against protocol, but was done out of desperation to find Ben.

 

[CaptCleghorn]

As to why they needed to use the chip in Season 2, I think it has to do with Ben being lost in time and the project was literally shut down and mothballed for two years. When Ben leaped into himself in 2018 in the season 1 finale (and probably combined with that convenient “cheat code” that the three Ians activated), it scrambled Ziggy’s ability to track and locate Ben (it was sort of explained in “Ben & Teller”). So Ian needed another way to try and track Ben because they refused to give up on him…hence going to Rachel in secret behind Gideon’s back. Ian (with Jenn’s help, it seems) had made some kind of deal under the table to procure this chip as long as certain conditions were fulfilled (of which I’m not clear on). I think what Ian didn’t realize was that the chip was going to be transmitting data back to Gideon every time Ben leaped, so now it’s blown up in their face. I think up until then, Ian probably just told Gideon and Simone that the chip didn’t work and didn’t need to follow through on whatever deal was made. But once it began transmitting data, they knew that Ian was lying. Rachel was trying to circumvent the code so that they wouldn’t receive the data. But Gideon is now calling the bluff. (Yes, this is not being explained very well in the series at all, I admit. Kind of a problem when you only have 42 minutes to tell a story each week on network television.)

What Ian did was completely against protocol, but was done out of desperation to find Ben.

So after the events of the season 1 finale, Ziggy needed the new chip. OK, I can buy that. I'll have to rewatch Ben and Teller to get details but that makes sense.

Still, the events of the first half of the season with the blackmailing woman who was 100% aware of where the chip was and who was using it do not fit with Gideon's reactions in the second half of the season. Unless, Gideon is really Hannah's son Jeffrey who didn't exist until a few Hannah leaps and the entire story of how the chip was gotten changed. Yes, it's a crazy idea, but there was some butterfly effects mentioned this season.

 

[Suggie176]

So after the events of the season 1 finale, Ziggy needed the new chip. OK, I can buy that. I'll have to rewatch Ben and Teller to get details but that makes sense.

Still, the events of the first half of the season with the blackmailing woman who was 100% aware of where the chip was and who was using it do not fit with Gideon's reactions in the second half of the season. Unless, Gideon is really Hannah's son Jeffrey who didn't exist until a few Hannah leaps and the entire story of how the chip was gotten changed. Yes, it's a crazy idea, but there was some butterfly effects mentioned this season.

We actually don’t know if Jeffrey never existed before Ben got involved. Even though her life and career path might have turned out very differently without meeting up with Ben, she could have always been destined to meet Josh and give birth to Jeffrey. It’s like Back to the Future…George and Lorraine still had all three children regardless of how successful they were in their lives and the career path that George took. The defining moment was the kiss in 1955 that guaranteed they would exist no matter what other changes occurred.

They’re really playing into the idea that certain things are just meant to happen, no matter what changes are made in the past. There’s a theory that Jeffrey did indeed grow up and change his identity to Gideon Rydge (possibly due to his father’s death). There actually was a line in “Off the Cuff” where I believe it was Kevin who said, “This kid will rule the world one day.” Perhaps the premature death of Josh caused him to become extremely bitter at the world and use his intellect for personal gain and/or the secret to time travel. Project Quantum Leap could have provided him with that. Ben’s leaps might be serving a higher purpose to “course-correct” Jeffrey so that his life goes on a different path. We initially thought Hannah was the key to everything when in fact, it’s more likely Jeffrey.

I wasn’t sure I agreed with the theory that Jeffrey and Gideon were one and the same until I saw the guest cast for 213 (from J.J. Lendl’s poster artwork that was just revealed today) which may or may not spoil some things.

 

[CaptCleghorn]

We actually don’t know if Jeffrey never existed before Ben got involved. Even though her life and career path might have turned out very differently without meeting up with Ben, she could have always been destined to meet Josh and give birth to Jeffrey. It’s like Back to the Future…George and Lorraine still had all three children regardless of how successful they were in their lives and the career path that George took. The defining moment was the kiss in 1955 that guaranteed they would exist no matter what other changes occurred.

True. We don't know for sure, but Josh would have been a doctor in Trenton in any case and without Ben, Hannah's a small town NM waitress. Them meeting and getting together is a big long shot.