Sam's Character in the Revival

KHicks628

Project QL Intern
Oct 7, 2022
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So it seems to me like this revival is leaning heavily into retrieving Sam. Although it was always my interpretation based on dialogue in Mirror Image that deep down Sam enjoyed what he was doing and never returned home because of that. We'll see what direction they choose to take the character. So if this show continues I do expect Scott Bakula to return in some capacity. Probably the occasional leap crossover similar to how they handled the evil leapers. But it's really got me thinking about Sam in the modern era. If he is still leaping he's doing so without any assistance. Which is hard to comprehend given how essential Al's insight was to him even knowing why he was there to begin with. But the argument could be made that Sam's such a veteran of Quantum Leaping at this point that he's able to figure out much more on his own. The other thing that has be curious is if Sam is leaping into the the 90s, 00s, and 10s. I'd assume that he would be, but given that he never personally lived through those decades he'd have very limited knowledge on current events of the time as he did with the old show. I'm just very curious how they ultimately will handle the character if we see him at some point.
 
The new show has established that Ben can now leap outside his own lifetime so his encounter with Sam doesn't *have* to be beyond the time Sam lived through. It could also be that future leaps involve "visiting" a time period either as a follow- up to a previous leap and/or as a preview of what will be unless he changes something and once he has enough data he makes a targeted leap into the past to make a change or the future to confirm or reinforce his results.
 
So like you I think Sam ultimately chose to keep leaping or felt he had to for various reasons. And like you I *want* Scott back as Sam either as very very honored guest spots or as an actual regular member of the cast - or a movie, mini-series - and if we can't have any of that for some reason then at least a better ending.

I want the rest of Sam's story and not just Sam's. Sami Jo, Ali, the evil leapers in general, Donna. Al's family. Why Sam needed to save those lives. Magic and Tom. I want to full out the mythos of the QL world and see it rise into a legit universe because awesome. But I alsio real real liked the original series and respect what Scott and Dean did with these roles. We can't get Dean back but any of the original actors who still have the desire and acting skill bring them back in thier original roles or at least nice cameos.

As for Sam who says he is in the future right now , he could be but Ben had learned how to go further then his own life in an interesting way. Ben could meet Sam in the past.

As for the insight it may be that he can now see/percieve quantum probability chains or visits yhe past and future of a sequence of events until he knows best how to position himself at the exact place snd time to act.

All sorts things to ponder
 
I want the rest of Sam's story and not just Sam's. Sami Jo, Ali, the evil leapers in general, Donna. Al's family. Why Sam needed to save those lives. Magic and Tom. I want to full out the mythos of the QL world and see it rise into a legit universe because awesome. But I alsio real real liked the original series and respect what Scott and Dean did with these roles. We can't get Dean back but any of the original actors who still have the desire and acting skill bring them back in thier original roles or at least nice cameos.

All in good time but I hope they flesh out the Sami Jo backstory as it was implied she was the brains in working on a theory to bring Sam home but in this revival series Janis is being touted as the brains and pushing Ben onto some kind of "journey".

A Sami Jo and Janis collaboration would be clever, they were class students or had a close friendship because of their dads.
 
The narrative of this "new code" with a specific destination in time pinpointed that Ben and Janice have been developing in secret and the development of Janice's character strongly suggests that their ulterior agenda is to retrieve Sam.

Although it was always my interpretation based on dialogue in Mirror Image that deep down Sam enjoyed what he was doing and never returned home because of that.

This is sound logic and Sam can still have an appearance that is faithful to it.
Ben could meet Sam and Sam could decline the chance to return home as he did with Al the bartender, or a personal preference of mine is that Ben catches a glimpse of Sam who gives him a knowing smile just before leaping.

Whether or not this attempt to reach Sam will even be successful remains to be seen and no doubt from a writing standpoint the secrecy is intended to avoid commitment, so let's not get too attached to it.

What I am struggling with most right now is how none of this team sees it.
It's clear that there is full awareness of at least the basic history of the project and of Sam so how is that pinpointed destination and Janice's involvement not a neon sign to them?
 
So it seems to me like this revival is leaning heavily into retrieving Sam. Although it was always my interpretation based on dialogue in Mirror Image that deep down Sam enjoyed what he was doing and never returned home because of that.

My issue is I don’t buy that. He was crying about wanting to go home. Feels like he was trying to convince the bartender to send him home and it feels like the bartender guilted him into continuing. Also an unfair position since it doesn’t appear he had his full memories back when he “decided”.

The finale was bad. Other than saving Al’s marriage, none of it made sense or was good. Sam wanted to go home. Nothing in the episode convinces me he wanted to keep going forever. Felt like he was guilted into it.
 
My issue is I don’t buy that. He was crying about wanting to go home. Feels like he was trying to convince the bartender to send him home and it feels like the bartender guilted him into continuing. Also an unfair position since it doesn’t appear he had his full memories back when he “decided”.

The finale was bad. Other than saving Al’s marriage, none of it made sense or was good. Sam wanted to go home. Nothing in the episode convinces me he wanted to keep going forever. Felt like he was guilted into it.

Agreed, Sam even said himself in the talk with bartender Al outside" I'd like to go home".

We the audience always knew there was inherent good in Sam but not enough to go leaping in time forever. It was discovered he was leaping himself in time so he could have gone home anytime.

Finale was always a crock.
 
My issue is I don’t buy that. He was crying about wanting to go home. Feels like he was trying to convince the bartender to send him home and it feels like the bartender guilted him into continuing.

To be honest most of that episode made no sense to me.

This is an intriguing theory, and as much as I'd prefer this, despite Sam's refusal to believe that he controlled the leaps, it's evident that he might have done it multiple times on a subconscious level.

- He didn't leap out of the undercover cop in MIA despite being finished so Al can spend a moment with Beth.
- The same happens in 'Another Mother'. Sam didn't leap until Al was able to say a proper goodbye to Teresa.

- There are several instances in which he didn't leap until he made an extra change he was told wasn't meant to be made:

I.e Saving the parents' marriage in 'The Great Spontini' and the father/daughter relationship in 'Thou Shalt Not'.

In the latter he even legit tells Al "Not yet" as Al is telling him it should be time to leap.

- The biggest one of all, he spends the last few minutes of the leap as his teenage self determined with all his heart to save Tom and it would be a damn convenient coincidence that from there, he happened to land in Tom's naval squad with no clear objective the day before he's killed no less.

- Last but not least, it was Sam not the bartender who declared that he needed to correct his injustice and save Al's marriage and lands in Beth's living room.

It's also possible that saving Al's marriage gave him new inspiration.
My suggestion for his appearance can still work regardless because whether he wants to still be out there or not the fact is that he is and we can't be sure he's still alive, he could be one of those dead leapers like Stawpah.
 
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