The Evil Leaper(s)

[Spartan83]

Watching the second installment in the episode trilogy tonight I have a consistency concern which may just be myself misunderstanding.

The evil leaper project clearly managed to surpass Project Quantum Leap in their heavy implications that they can bring Alia back after each leap and in compliment probably can target each one as well.
"They tortured me."
"I saw you die."
"It was worse than death".
- Return of the Evil Leapers, in reference to Deliver Us From Evil

"Lathos, pull Alia out!"
- Return of the Evil Leapers
as Sam takes Alia into his arms in his attempt to carry her with him into his next leap.

"She leaped!"
"She didn't leap back!"
- Revenge of the Evil Leapers
Zoey sends a bullet at Alia but she is leaped out just before it hits (the host returned unharmed).

This however is somewhat contradicted in Deliver Us From Evil in Zoey's attempt to egg an unsure Alia on with the gun by telling her that it could be the event that gets her home.
What is "home" in comparison to her project? "Home" in reference to Sam always indicates the project or the present in which the project exists.

Also I will express that I disagree with ChickenStu's theory.
My theory is that the Evil Leapers as Project Quantum Leap is believed to be driven by God, is being driven by the devil. His second attempt if you will after failing to undo Sam in season 3. That the handlink left in 1945 and the tape recording of Sam under Sodium Pentothal spewing his clearance number and other crucial details of the project in 1966 were the stepping stones perhaps laid by the devil himself which provided the blueprints for Lathos. This is actually something I got from reading posts by brilliant members like yourself Chickenstu right here at Al's Place years ago.

It would have been fascinating had they gone more into the backstory and working of their project as they themselves already are. These days they have actually grown on me more than all those years ago the more I put thought into them.

The way Deliver us from evil was shown implied the Evil project had NO prior knowledge of another quantum leap project. I find it strange when Alia first introduces Sam to Zoe what Zoes response to it is.

Sam " you're a time traveller TOO"

Zoe " TOO? what do you mean TOO?

ALIA " I'd like you to meet my partner Zoe"

Zoe seemed shocked at the knowledge of there being another time traveller, the GOAT of time travellers , SAM LOL

The only reason i can think of was unless the creators of EvilPQL did not tell the Evil team of scientists the origins of their tech or of any fellow time travellers in existance i.e Sam Beckett. Even Lothos the great AI unit didn't know of Sam or his project (probably because of government secrect project).

It seemed unusual that Zoe had no prior knowledge of any time traveller TOO.

 

[Lightning McQueenie]

The way Deliver us from evil was shown implied the Evil project had NO prior knowledge of another quantum leap project. I find it strange when Alia first introduces Sam to Zoe what Zoes response to it is.

Sam " you're a time traveller TOO"

Zoe " TOO? what do you mean TOO?

ALIA " I'd like you to meet my partner Zoe"

Zoe seemed shocked at the knowledge of there being another time traveller, the GOAT of time travellers , SAM LOL

The only reason i can think of was unless the creators of EvilPQL did not tell the Evil team of scientists the origins of their tech or of any fellow time travellers in existance i.e Sam Beckett. Even Lothos the great AI unit didn't know of Sam or his project (probably because of government secrect project).

It seemed unusual that Zoe had no prior knowledge of any time traveller TOO.

I think you've hit the nail on the head, they didn't know because they weren't told. As for Lothos, it's probably a situation like in "Return" - he considered the chance of encountering Sam so small that it was negligable...

 

[Spartan83]

I think you've hit the nail on the head, they didn't know because they weren't told. As for Lothos, it's probably a situation like in "Return" - he considered the chance of encountering Sam so small that it was negligable...

That's what I think yeah even back in OG QL encountering the Evil project leapers and it all seeming a surprise to all parties involved.

This looks like its been reveresed in the revival with the other leaper Martinez pointing Ben out in episode 5.

I think you're right regarding Lothos, he doesn't consider it that important even though Sam follows the random event theory.

 

[seanholmes2]

Here's my theory on the identities of "The Evil Leapers".

I think that the evil time travel project was set up by a rival of Sam Beckett's. This rival probably had some kind of personal grudge with Sam, and actually had an insider working at Project Quantum Leap, who stole information allowing him to build an accelerator of his own.
The plan being to undo what good Sam had done, kill Sam, destroy Project Quantum Leap, and then go public and pass off the discovery of time travel as thier own. This is how I always reasoned it.
I think if the show made it to Season 6, then the idea of Evil Leapers would have been explored a bit further, and a new story arc would have been set up.
Sam having to battle another Evil Leaper, while back in the "present" Al would have to find out who the insider is leaking information.

Not too sure about the idea of The Boogiem@n running things. I guess it makes sense, but rather than him setting it up directly, I think a more realistic expanation is that he's "influencing" somebody to set it up and run it.

The issue with this theory, regarding The Evil Leapers, is that neither Leaper knew each other. Both Leapers and connected characters seemed surprised with each other presence, unlike the Leaper X issue. Also, Al's team in the present would have detected a duplicate quantum generator.