I'm going to refrain from giving this an official rating yet - I need to go watch it again and sort out my complex emotions and reactions.
What I will say - WOW - on those spoilers. This is a major development. It did clear up some things. Sure there are more variables but there are always more variables. And more theories are brewing in my brain.
Point 2 - the issue of the episode it sparks - its meant to be discussed , intended to start a conversation so we should but we also need to be kind to each other.
Point 3 the actual story they told about a family; a school, a town, a team, and a girl named Gia who just happens to be trans. Sure its an issue episode but its also a pretty well written Quantum Leap ep doing what Quantum Leap often does - giving people food for thought, having us "walk a mile in soneone else's shoes" it deserves to be reviewed purely as a story.
.
And its *not* skippable. Even if the topic makes you uncomfortable you need what happens in this ep going forward.
Point4 - this was a hard ep for me to watch but not for either of the reasons you may be thinking.
Trigger warning ahead
My feelings about this ep are so mixed for so so so many reasons - most of which hurt, a lot.
I'm not trans, I can't speak to that experiance but my childhood was brutual and miserable - people just had a different excuse for making it that way. That hallway scene between Ian and Addison - it hits far to close to home, so many scenes do.
And yeah it almost ended in suicide. Negative messaging from people around you that is so strong, so constant , so pervassive that you drown in it.
We need to *stop* making life miserable for kids, for people just because someone is diifferent or make you a little uncomfortable. The consequences of treating people like that - no matter what the excuse is staggering rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, c-PTSD, underachievement and more - for to many people, so many marginalized populations.
We need to do better - for trans kids and everyone who has been aggressiveñy "othered", marginalized, and put through hell for no good reason.
Please don't do it to another generation, please.
