Okay, I hope that all of you can participate in this thread, because I'd really like to hear your thoughts!
With the recent (seemingly false) excitement over the wikipedia article about the Quantum Leap movie, and after reading some of your responses, I thought it a good time to ask the question: Does Sam need to come home for the show to really have closure? Would that be the only satisfying ending for you guys?
As it stands now, the ending to Mirror Image is a letdown to be sure, if only because we want more! And also, we all know the painful truth that Mirror Image was NOT meant to be a series finale, but rather, a season finale, and the beginning of something new and exciting for the show. But NBC didn't allow it to happen; so naturally, we're upset. We want closure. But what exactly does that mean? Now, I'm not necessarily asking for us to guess how it would end, because really, that's Donald P. Bellisario's job (although, I'd like to hear ideas anyway.) What I'm asking is, what if Sam really DIDN'T ever return home, like it says at the end of Mirror Image?
To me--even though the letdown couldn't be avoided--seeing that Sam never returned home was a lot more satisfying than if it had just said something like, "After five more years of leaping through time, putting right what once went wrong, Dr. Sam Beckett returned home to Donna and lived happily ever after." While I'd be happy for Sam, from a story teller's perspective, it really seems like weak story telling to me, especially after what was established in the fifth season. The ending as it exists now is heart-breaking. But it really does a good job at showing the veracity of Sam's intentions behind creating Project Quantum Leap to begin with: namely, "...to make the world a better place." Now that Sam understands that he's the one leaping himself around, and since he's such an altruistic character, it makes sense to me that he would spend the rest of his life leaping around, and helping as many people as he can. But as I see it, it's not all tragic for Sam. It's strongly implied near the end of Mirror Image that Sam will have opportunities to take sabbaticals or breaks from leaping, "...especially before embarking on a difficult new assignment." Yes, his leaps will become more difficult, but he'll get to take breaks, which, to me, seems to suggest that he'll probably get to go home on occasion. He'll go home, visit his wife, and then leap again, and continue to do that for the rest of his life (and perhaps beyond that as an angel.) So, in essence, the subtext at the end of Mirror Image should have said something like, "Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home permanently."
So, if the conflict of whether or not Sam will return home is taken out of the equation, is there still a basis for a strong storyline if the show were to continue in some form? Absolutely!!!!!!!! In fact, in my opinion, that conflict shouldn't even be there at all anymore. This is the reason that I don't really like the proposed premise of A Bold Leap Forward. The idea of the show being about Sam's daughter leaping through time, trying to get him back home just seems very sterile and uninteresting to me. I really don't even want to see a brand new full-fledged series (Dean Stockwell has said he wouldn't be available for one anyway.) If they did do a series, I certainly wouldn't complain, but I'd rather see a trilogy of big-screen movies instead! These are some of the things I think they could cover in the movies: Who is bartender Al? How does he know so much? If Sam wasn't the first leaper, how did leaping start? What really happened to the Evil Leapers, and how did they start? What or who is Lothos? What happens to Sam and Al's relationship, now that Al's married? Now that Sam has leaped as himself, does that destroy his time barriers? Can he now leap into the future? And there is so much more!!
Okay, so, what would be required for a satisfying ending? And I want to hear thoughts and ideas on the other things I talked about too. What else could they cover in movies? Do you agree or disagree with me?
Sorry this was so long. I guess I was in the mood to write a philosophical essay on Quantum Leap! :wacko
With the recent (seemingly false) excitement over the wikipedia article about the Quantum Leap movie, and after reading some of your responses, I thought it a good time to ask the question: Does Sam need to come home for the show to really have closure? Would that be the only satisfying ending for you guys?
As it stands now, the ending to Mirror Image is a letdown to be sure, if only because we want more! And also, we all know the painful truth that Mirror Image was NOT meant to be a series finale, but rather, a season finale, and the beginning of something new and exciting for the show. But NBC didn't allow it to happen; so naturally, we're upset. We want closure. But what exactly does that mean? Now, I'm not necessarily asking for us to guess how it would end, because really, that's Donald P. Bellisario's job (although, I'd like to hear ideas anyway.) What I'm asking is, what if Sam really DIDN'T ever return home, like it says at the end of Mirror Image?
To me--even though the letdown couldn't be avoided--seeing that Sam never returned home was a lot more satisfying than if it had just said something like, "After five more years of leaping through time, putting right what once went wrong, Dr. Sam Beckett returned home to Donna and lived happily ever after." While I'd be happy for Sam, from a story teller's perspective, it really seems like weak story telling to me, especially after what was established in the fifth season. The ending as it exists now is heart-breaking. But it really does a good job at showing the veracity of Sam's intentions behind creating Project Quantum Leap to begin with: namely, "...to make the world a better place." Now that Sam understands that he's the one leaping himself around, and since he's such an altruistic character, it makes sense to me that he would spend the rest of his life leaping around, and helping as many people as he can. But as I see it, it's not all tragic for Sam. It's strongly implied near the end of Mirror Image that Sam will have opportunities to take sabbaticals or breaks from leaping, "...especially before embarking on a difficult new assignment." Yes, his leaps will become more difficult, but he'll get to take breaks, which, to me, seems to suggest that he'll probably get to go home on occasion. He'll go home, visit his wife, and then leap again, and continue to do that for the rest of his life (and perhaps beyond that as an angel.) So, in essence, the subtext at the end of Mirror Image should have said something like, "Dr. Sam Beckett never returned home permanently."
So, if the conflict of whether or not Sam will return home is taken out of the equation, is there still a basis for a strong storyline if the show were to continue in some form? Absolutely!!!!!!!! In fact, in my opinion, that conflict shouldn't even be there at all anymore. This is the reason that I don't really like the proposed premise of A Bold Leap Forward. The idea of the show being about Sam's daughter leaping through time, trying to get him back home just seems very sterile and uninteresting to me. I really don't even want to see a brand new full-fledged series (Dean Stockwell has said he wouldn't be available for one anyway.) If they did do a series, I certainly wouldn't complain, but I'd rather see a trilogy of big-screen movies instead! These are some of the things I think they could cover in the movies: Who is bartender Al? How does he know so much? If Sam wasn't the first leaper, how did leaping start? What really happened to the Evil Leapers, and how did they start? What or who is Lothos? What happens to Sam and Al's relationship, now that Al's married? Now that Sam has leaped as himself, does that destroy his time barriers? Can he now leap into the future? And there is so much more!!
Okay, so, what would be required for a satisfying ending? And I want to hear thoughts and ideas on the other things I talked about too. What else could they cover in movies? Do you agree or disagree with me?
Sorry this was so long. I guess I was in the mood to write a philosophical essay on Quantum Leap! :wacko
I would read this forum voraciously as there are thousands of pages about the topics you raise. And of course there is the Virtual Seasons forum with hundreds of fan submitted stories, some of which are to the writing level of the original shows.
