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"Secret History" Leap
Date: May 15, 1955
Synopsis: At Princeton University in 1955, Ben must find a formula hidden by Albert Einstein that holds the key to nuclear energy before the Nazis get it; he's surprised to run into a familiar face on campus.
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Guide Synopsis: Broadcast Date: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | 8pm on NBC Leap Date: May 15, 1955 Leap Location: Princeton University - Princeton, New Jersey Name of Leapee: Sergeant / Professor Henry McCoy Project Trivia: Magic took a personal day to recover from the events of the last Leap, and does not appear in the episode. Ziggy finds the Quantum signature of Ben and then loses the link, flashing an activation error. Jenn becomes the Hologram (Observer) in this episode after a game of rock, paper, scissors with Ian. Ben inherits the limp from his host, who got an injury in Normandy during WWII. After changing history in "Closure Encounters" six years prior, Hannah Carson is now a Project Assistant of the Atomic Energy Commission in 1955. She is working on untangling the theory of Quantum Entanglement. Tom takes over as the Hologram when Jenn goes to check on Ian. Tom went to Princeton University, where he met his wife, Kate. She died six years ago (presumably 2020). Ian gets a text saying, “Do I have your attention?” They call the number and asks for the chip to be reactivated. They spoke with someone who said that her employer provided a prototype under the condition that they would share any data collected while using it. The chip requires authorization every 24 hours to stay active. She would let it remain active for the day. Ian asks Rachel to re-write the firmware on the chip and risk her job. She affirms she will. Ben Trivia: Albert Einstein is the reason why Ben fell in love with physics. Ian's Outfits Worn in the Episode: Reddish pink and blonde hairstyle. Gold/brown/black long-sleeved leopard print turtleneck under a brown blazer. White dress slacks with black shoes. Kiss With History: Albert Einstein was at Princeton University until his death in 1955. Project Matterhorn was the code name for controlled thermonuclear research started by Lyman Spitzer at Princeton University during the Cold War. In 1951, Spitzer outlined the basic concept for creating a stellarator, a device for confining and heating ionized hydrogen gas to release fusion energy for the production of power. In 1951 Project Matterhorn was created, supported by The US Atomic Energy Commission and Princeton University. Spitzer's fusion research was housed on Princeton's Forrestal Campus where Princeton physicist John Wheeler conducted nuclear weapons research. Spitzer's research was code-named "Matterhorn S" and Wheeler's "Matterhorn B." Project Matterhorn did crucial research which contributed to the creation of the Hydrogen Bomb. When the nuclear weapons research ended in 1958 the project was declassified and in 1961 became the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, which is still in operation today. Operation Paperclip was a secret United States intelligence program in which more than 1,600 German scientists, engineers, and technicians were taken from the former Nazi Germany to the U.S. for government employment after the end of World War II in Europe, between 1945 and 1959. Conducted by the Joint Intelligence Objectives Agency (JIOA), it was largely carried out by special agents of the U.S. Army's Counterintelligence Corps (CIC). Many of these personnel were former members and some were former leaders of the Nazi Party. Miscellaneous Trivia: Hannah calls Ben "Future Boy" which is the name of Sam Beckett's television persona in the classic series episode, "Future Boy." Writer Drew Lindo says that the beginning and end of the episode was taken from another episode that never came to light, which would have put Ben in a European setting. The library in this episode is the same as in "Ben, Interrupted." It is lit in amber light, causing a different look! Foreshadowing was deliberately put into the episode where Tom warns Ben that anything he tells Hannah can have ramifications on the future. The character name of Donovan was taken from a character in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. From the Quantum Leap Writer's Room: Tonight's episode was directed by the incredible Pamela Romanowsky, who helmed "Leap Die Repeat" in Season One, and shot by our amazing cinematographer Ana Mortegani. And our super-talented Costume Designer who nailed the 1950's wardrobes! Quantum Reunion: Writer Drew Lindo worked with Eliza Taylor on the CW Post Apocalyptic Drama The 100 for 3 seasons! It was a joy to work together again on a completely different character and show! THE STELLARATOR and PROJECT MATTERHORN are very real, and the machine is still on display at Princeton University today.   Writer Drew Lindo utilized the Science and Entertainment Exchange to research this episode, consulting with Dr. Stephanie Diem, PhD. Dr. Diem helped with all the physics equations you see on screen! You can spot Dr. Diem's name on an office door in Project Matterhorn. Russian Spies at Princeton? We didn't make that part up! After the death of his wife, Albert Einstein actually had a romantic liaison with MARGARITA KONENKOVA, a woman who worked for Stalin's Soviet Intelligence while here in the US! Hannah knocks Blue Eyes out with a bust of Sir Isaac Newton. Physics for the win! Writer Drew Lindo actually wrote an entire Einstein poem and then had it translated into Greek for the Art Department! Quantum Callback: In the final scene, Hannah refers to Ben as "Future Boy" -- which is the name of the 13th episode of Season 3 of the original QL series! QUANTUM
LEAP – SERIES REGULARS
Addison Augustine (Portrayed
by
Caitlin Bassett) –
Addison is a smart, witty, fearless ex-military operative who now
serves as Project Observer at Quantum Leap HQ. She’s in charge of the
technology they use to communicate with the past, and tries to rescue
Ben from his time-flung existence.
Ian Wright (Portrayed
by Mason Alexander
Park) –
Quantum Leap’s nonbinary chief architect of the AI program.
Herbert “Magic” Williams (Portrayed by Ernie Hudson) – A Vietnam vet and current lead of the Quantum Leap time travel project. Herbert “Magic” Williams tries to keep the Pentagon at bay while the team tries to rescue Ben. Doctor Sam Beckett leaped into Magic during his Vietnam tour.
Jenn Chu
(Portrayed by Nanrisa Lee) –
Head of security at Quantum Leap HQ. Tom Westfall (Portrayed by Peter Gadiot) – a former special forces soldier and a high-ranking US Army Officer in the realm of Army Intelligence. Thoughtful, centered, a spiritual kind of warrior who both men and women admire, but whose humility keeps him from ever being arrogant. Tom takes on a crucial role overseeing the project.
Hannah Carson (Portrayed by Eliza Taylor) – A complex young woman, who may be more than she appears. Guest Cast: Floriana Lima as Simone Alice Kremelberg as Rachel Cullen Douglas as Dr. Karl Donovan AKA Dr. Karl Deitrich Addison Witt as Lawrence David St. Pierre as Blue Eyes/Klaus David Chattam as Fedora Man Betsy Baker as Librarian Jake Regal as Mathematician Seth Allyn Austin as Officer McGill Guest Cast Notes: Floriana Lima as Simone: Floriana Lima was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She studied Communication at Ohio State University and thought she would go into investigative journalism. Post- graduation, she worked as a production assistant at NBC4 in Columbus, Ohio. It was there that she realized she wanted to switch gears to on-camera work. She moved to LA shortly after and started booking acting jobs. Lima quickly established herself as one of the fresh-new faces on television. She played Maggie Sawyer, a detective for the National City Police Department who takes a special interest in the cases involving aliens, in the second season of the CW series Supergirl. She played Miranda Riggs in multiple episodes of the Fox series Lethal Weapon. And, she was in the ABC political drama, The Family. Lima wrote, produced, and starred in the web comedy series Girls Guide to LA. Alice Kremelberg as Rachel: Film, television and theater actor born and raised in New York. Alice has most recently starred in the final season of The Sinner as Percy Muldoon, and played Bernadine in Aaron Sorkin's Oscar nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7 for Netflix/Dreamworks. She recurred as Nicole Eckelcamp on the last two seasons of Jenji Kohan's Orange is the New Black for Netflix. Alice was nominated for an Emmy for their performance as Kat in The Feels, which they both co-wrote and acted in. Upcoming, Alice will be playing Abby in Monsterland for Hulu/Annapurna, and Duff in the independent film Bleecker. They can also be seen as Sorrell in Doomsday (ITV Fest, Brooklyn Web Fest + HollyWeb Fest winner). Her other film and television credits include New Amsterdam, The Taking of Pelham 123, NCIS, Nurse Jackie, Blue Bloods, The Big C, Smash, Law and Order: SVU, and 30 Rock. On stage she originated the role of Reba in Ruby Rae Spiegel's breakout play Dry Land (NYSAF+HERE, Adrienne Campbell-Holt of Colt Coeur). Alice had the pleasure of playing 'Cassandra' opposite Austin Pendleton in Dress of Fire (The Abingdon). Other theater credits include 'Catherine' in Suddenly Last Summer (ATNYC), 'Missy' in Road Veins, 'Maggie' in Lend Me a Tenor and 'Beth' in A Lie of the Mind. Alice has trained at The Atlantic Acting Conservatory, Fordham University, UCB, The Professional Performing Arts School and studied with Tanya Berezin, Ted Sluberski, Larry Moss and Bob Krakower among others. Cullen Douglas as Dr. Karl Donovan: Cullen Douglas holds the distinction of being the first recipient of the Humanitas Prize's New Voices Fellowship, which awarded him a Television Development Writing Deal. A true multi-hyphenate, he's most recognized for his onscreen work in television, creating such fan favorites as "Louis Keating" on CBS' Pure Genius, "The Bird Man" on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, "Edison Po" on ABC's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, and the "DJ" on David Lynch's Twin Peaks: The Return. He most recently recurred on HBO's Barry and guested on Showtime's I Love That For You and ABC's Station 19. Cullen's film work includes starring roles in Lionsgate's The Black String, John Sayles' Sunshine State, Shuttle, The Possession of Michael King and Ace Ventura Jr., and the soon-to-be-released, The Bunker, opposite Tony Todd and Tobin Bell. Supporting roles include turns in The Dog Lover, Big Trouble, and Love Liza. Other memorable television work includes roles on Scandal, True Blood, Prison Break, Psych, Deadwood, ACS: Versace, Hawaii Five-0, and Apple TV+/Steven Spielberg's anthology series, Amazing Stories. He currently stars opposite Lance Reddick in Man of Fire and will next be seen in ESX Entertainment's/Warner Bros.' limited series, Casa Grande. As a writer/director, Cullen has penned and directed a number of films, including the award-winning Portrait of a Woman at Dawn starring Scottie Thompson, Fading Scars, and the now in wide release feature documentary Billy Flanigan: The Happiest Man on Earth. Critics have hailed the doc as the feel-good film of the year. Cullen also wrote, directed, and starred in the critically acclaimed one-person play, Afraid to Look Down, which chronicled the first year of life with his oldest son, born with Down syndrome. The play had its West Coast Premiere at the HBO Workspace and then toured the country for five years, receiving the Lawton Medallion of Excellence. His recent stage work includes "George" in the 50th Anniversary Production of Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Cullen has served on the Television Academy's Performer Peer Board and Actors' Equity Liaison Committee. Addison Witt as Lawrence: Before becoming known as a talent manager, Addison was first an award winning producer and director, stage actor, commercial actor, equal rights advocate, mentor, and noted acting teacher. His clients have been recognized as award nominees and winners by; Emmy (Breaking Bad), Golden Globe (Transparent), BAFTA (The Lovely Bones), GOYA (Miss Bala), People's Choice (Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?), SAG/AFTRA (Sideways), and a Peabody, again for (Breaking Bad). Addison Witt is best known as a talent manager and film producer. His work in talent management has both created upstart entertainment careers, and guided working actors to more international recognition in TV and film. Some of the more notable TV projects include short-lived TV pilots and long running award winners; "Breaking Bad," "Transparent," "Community," "Awkward," "Bullet in the Face," "Lost at Home," "Ant Farm," "Switched at Birth," "General Hospital," "East of Normal; West of Weird," & "Romantically Challenged." The first produced media project, "Creating Celebrity," was a New Media reality series following the behind the scene lives of Witt's clients as they navigated the ups and downs of the entertainment industry, taking them from working actor to young celebrity. The young actors that started out in the 5-episode series are RJ Mitte, Nikki SooHoo, Desreta Jackson, and Sierra McCormick. Witt's second produced project was a massive leap, working both as a producer and co-director for "Around The Bed." The feature film stars Donnell Turner from "General Hospital," Brandon Stacy from "The Big Short," and Tiffany Panhilason from "Mercenaries." Although Witt is adept as a behind the scenes mover and shaker, he has one of those rare abilities to be just as comfortable, and effective working in front of the camera. In 2006 he starred in "Off the Leash," the first of three Network reality TV series including one of the first canine TV shows dedicated to dogs working as performers and actors. The second series was a Canadian show called, "Reality Obsessed," and the third series, "Top Dog Model," landed Addison in England for the 3-month shoot. After spending more than a quarter of a century in Hollywood, Addison Witt has become known as a reigning expert in the area of talent development, managerial representation, and all around go to professional. He has been featured on numerous reality series, in articles, and interviews that are based on and around Hollywood; including "New York Goes to Hollywood", and "Swedish Wives of Hollywood". Addison Witt was a Board of Directors member for the Burbank International Film Festival in 2012. Addison Witt's causes and charities has included a spokesperson position for NDI (National Disability Institute), PACER (National Center for Bullying Prevention), I AM PWD (Performers with Disabilities), UCP (United Cerebral Palsy), Stand Up2 Cancer, Autism Speaks, End Malaria Now, and many others. Addison Witt is producing a new feature film, and has a new TV series in development, 2017. David St. Pierre as Blue Eyes/Klaus: David St. Pierre is known for Planet of the Apes (2001), Superhero Movie (2008) and Race to Witch Mountain (2009). David Chattam as Fedora Man: David Chattam was born on October 22, 1968 in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. He is an actor and cinematographer, known for Star Trek: Picard (2020), 9-1-1 (2018) and Christmas in Louisiana (2019). Betsy Baker as Librarian: Betsy Baker was born in May of 1955 in Iowa. She had graduated with a combined degree in theater and classical voice from Michigan State University and embarked upon headline engagements throughout the south, including The Eden Roc in Miami Beach and other venues, with a group called Musicana. Betsy eventually found herself in Detroit, where she honed her craft in television, radio voice-overs, industrial films and films nationwide. Jake Regal as Mathematician: Jake Regal is known for Hollywood (2020), Scorpion (2014) and Paul T. Goldman (2023). Seth Allyn Austin as Officer McGill: Seth Allyn Austin is known for Hungry Dog Blues (2022), S.W.A.T. (2017) and Animal Kingdom (2016). Guests Who Appeared in Other Quantum Leap Episodes: Eliza Taylor returns as Hannah Carson. She previously appeared in the episode "Closure Encounters" and is a series regular for Season Two. Alice Kremelberg returns as Rachel, Ian's love interest. Characters who appeared (or were mentioned) in Classic Series episodes: None. Songs & Music: "Papa Loves Mambo" by Perry Como plays in the library while Ben and Hannah search through books for the formula. Just before Ben reads to Hannah from the journal, jazz music plays in the background. Say What? How does a Nazi soldier (Klaus) not get the upper hand over Ben and Hannah? He has already killed Lawrence, but just seems to stand and wait to be attacked by Ben! Do they just leave Klaus laying around to escape after the fire? Jenn doesn't know about the Nazi scientists being brought over to the U.S. to serve. She is a smart woman and it seems like she would know this bit of trivia. Ziggy should have also seen this coming just by getting Klaus's name. Addison says she will look through the old intelligence archives and see what she can find on Russian spies at Princeton. Why hasn't Ziggy already done this? Why does Tom remain in the Hologram position when Jenn returns? Why can't Ian rewrite the firmware on a computer chip? They are a brilliant computer programmer. It is very unlikely that Hannah would be able to overpower a Nazi soldier. Ben would likewise not likely be able to out-fence a decorated Nazi for as long as he did. Why has Ziggy not disclosed to the entire team that the new Quantum computing chip is broadcasting data to an outside source? This seems implausible and not something that could get past Jenn's security protocols. What will the host, Henry McCoy think when he comes back and is kissing Hannah? Quotable Quotes: "The future is a steam-punk hamster
maze?" "This is the butterfly effect to end
all butterfly effects!” Ben:
"When I travel through time, I Leap into other people to change history
for the better." "My mind is racing, but I guess my
heart kind of already knew - in a weird way." “Our future is just someone else’s
past.” Ben:
"This is my life. I can't get home. I just keep Leaping. And I meet all
these amazing people through time, but I never see them again." "I wanna know one thing, Future Boy." Hannah: "See you later." Personal Review & Detailed Synopsis by Brian Greene: As Ben Leaps in, a man enters in the dark calling out his host's name: "Henry! Thank God you're here." The man, Lawrence, has been shot and falls to the ground. He says that someone followed him and thought he had the formula. He tells Ben the formula is real and he has to find it before they can. Ben calls for help as Lawrence says "Path Finder" before dying in Ben's arms. Jenn asks if anyone has seen Magic. Addison says he's taking a personal day. Ian comments that maybe the last Leap shook him up. Tom suggests they come up with a schedule to see who's next on Hologram duty. Ian and Jenn immediately enter into a game of rock paper scissors, Jenn wins with paper over Ian's rock. Ziggy finds Ben's Quantum signature, but then throws up an activation error. Ian sees a message on his phone saying "Do I have your attention?" Ian says he is going to go check the back up servers and calls the unknown number on their phone. A female voice tells Ian that they made a deal with her employer that they would share any data collected while using the new Quantum computing chip. She tells Ian that if they fix the firewall issue, she will re-activate the chip for the rest of the day. The police interrogate Ben over what happened on campus with Lawrence. Jenn appears as the Hologram and helps Ben out of the situation, explaining that Ben's host, Henry McCoy, was a Sergeant in the 8th Airborne Division in WWII before becoming a professor and had no communist ties. Ben takes a step and realizes he has inherited a limp from his host. Jenn says it was from an injury sustained in Normandy. They are at Princeton University in 1955 and Ben realizes that Albert Einstein was there. Einstein is the reason why Ben fell in love with physics. Jen reports that Lawrence wrote several letters to Henry about a missing formula created by Einstein. Ben knows nothing of this as members of the Atomic Energy Commission approach him and ask him to come with them. Ben asks if he is under arrest. A woman speaks up, "Quite the opposite. We need your help." She is Hannah Carson, the same Hannah Ben had met in a recent Leap, "Closure Encounters." Jenn recognizes her immediately. Ben asks if she is another Leaper like Martinez, and Jenn replies that they aren't detecting a Quantum anomaly. Ben asks the odds of running into her again. Jenn suggests that maybe the Accelerator decided he needed a friend. Hannah accompanies Ben into a building on campus that Ben recognizes as Project Matterhorn, a top secret project concerning thermo-nuclear research. Hannah shows Ben the Stellarator, which Hannah suggests may be the way to limitless clean energy one day. She asks Ben if he has the time, and demonstrates that the machine is magnetic to his pocket watch. Dr. Karl Donovan enters and lets them know that Hannah is his research assistant. He asks Ben to sit and excuses Hannah, who looks disappointed that she can't stay for the discussion. Donovan tells Ben that before Einstein died, he had tried to solve the problems of nuclear fusion. Donovan tells Ben that Einstein succeeded and wrote out a formula, which they have been searching for. He says that Soviet spies have been circling the project for quite some time and they need to find this formula before the Soviets. He asks Ben to help locate it. Jenn says Ziggy predicts a 97% chance Ben is there to finish the job of finding the formula. As Ben sets off to begin, he witnesses Hannah completing a complex equation for a group of young men on a chalkboard, who are annoyed that she did it so quickly. She tells them she saved them a day's work. She gets passed over a lot because she is a woman, and tells Ben that if he needs help, to call on her. She is working on a paper researching how to untangle the theory of Quantum Entanglement, and Donovan is supposed to help her get it published. Ben says, "That's great, Hannah." She realizes she never told Ben her name. Ben skirts this telling her that Lawrence spoke of her as brilliant. As Hannah moves on, Jenn appears and informs Ben that Hannah's name doesn't appear on the paper she mentioned writing. Donovan has been taking all the credit for her work. Ben asks Hannah to help him in an official capacity, giving her even credit. She says this will open every door for her, and while looking into Ben's eyes, she asks if they've met before. Ben lies and says no as they head off to search Lawrence's apartment for clues to the missing formula. At PQL, Jenn exits the Imaging Chamber and they discuss what may happen if Ben really does discover the secrets of nuclear fission in 1955. Addison suggests no more gas pumps, no more global warming. Jenn says their cars will be flying before this is over. Tom says to focus on helping Ben. Addison says that since Ian is working on the glitch from earlier that morning, she will look through the old intelligence archives and see what she can find on Russian spies at Princeton. As she and Tom watch Ben and Hannah walk around Princeton, Addison asks Tom if his old campus brings back memories. Tom doesn't seem to want to go down memory lane. Ben and Hannah search Lawrence's apartment. It has been ransacked ahead of their arrival. Ben finds a framed photo of Henry and Lawrence from their military days. Jenn appears as the Hologram and tells him that the 8th Airborne Division they served in together had a codename: Path Finder. Inside the frame is a drawing of a window frame with the German word for solitude written in Einstein's handwriting. Hannah recognizes the window as one from the Physics library. Jenn says finding that clue altered the timeline and now Hannah is going to die! At the library, they begin to search through books to find the formula. Jenn explains that Hannah died doing some kind of experiment when the entire building went up in flames. Ziggy says the best change of Ben Leaping is to find the formula. Ben tells Jenn that he thinks Hannah remembers him from the way she looks at him. Jenn gets a text and tells Ben she has to leave for a moment. Jenn exits the Imaging Chamber and tells Addison there is a security issue she needs to attend to. Ian is in a room at the Project that we haven't seen before. Ian is freaking out and Jenn tells him he needs to talk to someone - presumably Rachel - to work it out. With everyone busy and Addison barred from being the Hologram, Tom agrees to go into the Imaging Chamber to assist Ben. Tom fades in and introduces himself awkwardly to Ben. Ben says thanks but no thanks - send someone else. Tom says he was a student at Princeton and knows of a secret room on an upper floor. They move up to find the entrance to the secret room. Ben doesn't like Tom being there, knowing he is Addison's new love. Jenn returns to the main area and joins Addison. She is surprised to see Tom in the Imaging Chamber talking to Ben. Addison, sarcastically, says "It is going great so far." Ben teases Tom commenting that he must have known about the room from going up there to get high with his frat buddies. Tom reveals that he was there with his future wife, who died six years ago from cancer. Ben looks stunned and sorry he said anything. Hannah finds the window and Tom walks through a wall behind a clock and tells Ben that the room is there. Ben realizes that the clock is three minutes fast. He moves the minute hand to the correct time and the wall opens up to reveal the secret room! They discover a journal written in German and Ben begins to translate. However, Tom warms him that a blue-eyed man is moving in their direction, who is holding a knife. The man enters and demands the book or they will both die. An oil lantern falls to the floor in a brief struggle and the floor catches fire. Ben fights the man and Hannah knocks him over the head with a nearby object. They drag him away from the fire and Ben asks Hannah to call 9-1-1. She doesn't know what that is, of course, and Ben tells to to dial the operator to find help. Ben gets the man's wallet and discovers him to be named Klaus Erikson. Tom thinks they aren't dealing with Russians anymore. At PQL, the team runs reports now that the timeline has updated. Klaus goes to prison for the murder of Lawrence. Tom asks if he has any tattoos. The Nazi SS symbol comes up on the screen. Tom asks Addison and Jenn to do a deep dive on Operation Paperclip, a program involving the U.S. bringing over Nazi scientists and engineers to serve American interests. Jenn is shocked to learn of this. Jenn suspects they may be up against more than one Nazi. Addison talks to Tom in a hallway. She head him talking about Kate. She says hearing about Tom's grieving process helped her deal with the loss of Ben. She tels Tom that if he needs to talk about Kate (his widow), it is fine with her. Ben and Hannah have a drink as Ben translates Einstein's journal. Ben says he wanted to be just like Einstein. Hannah says the same. They toast to "Al." Ben discovers a passage written in Greek instead of German. Hannah reveals that she has a photographic memory. Hannah realizes that Einstein is using code to hide the formula in his writings. Hannah says she would kiss Ben if they weren't too busy making history. Ben looks nervous to hear that. If this works, it'll change the world. Tom appears and says that Ziggy has already decrypted the code. It makes the Stellarator highly unstable and he tells them to stop unraveling the code. Ben says that Einstein found out that the formula wasn't for clean energy - it was for a bomb. Tom says that if Hannah is allowed to finish the translation, and the Nazi's get hold of it, history will go massively awry. Ben pleads with Hannah to stop translating. She doesn't want to and he gets more firm, telling her that if she finishes the translation, she will die. Hannah gets angry and says she should go, very confused. She turns to leave and Tom tells Ben to stop her. Ben shouts, "Agent Robert Cook!" This is the name of his previous host in "Closure Encounters" and Hannah stops cold. Ben says that he was the one who told her to go to Princeton, that they met in a diner, and they talked about Einstein and yo-yo's. He reminds her that she told him not to say goodbye, just "see you later." She asks how he knows all this and Ben says he knows it the same way he knows what will happen to her if she leaves with the formula. He reveals to her, "I'm a time-traveler." Tom warns Ben that this a complete breach of protocol and could adversely effect the timeline. Ben tells Tom to leave him alone. Hannah asks who he is talking to and Ben reveals it's a hologram from the future. She finally believes him. Ben says, "When I travel through time, I Leap into other people to change history for the better." Hannah is amazed and replies, "A guardian angel sent from the future? That's gotta be the most romantic bit of physics I've ever heard!" Ben asks her to stay there in safety while he visits Donovan to ensure she gets credit for the discovery. Hannah burns the formula. Ian meets Rachel in a parking garage. They ask Rachel to rewrite the firmware on the Quantum computing chip. She agrees even though it may mean the end of her career. They affirm their love for each other. Addison, Tom, and Jenn look through Nazi personnel records. Many of the faces have fencing scars, which were apparently common amongst their group. Addison remembers that Donovan has a pair of fencing swords on his wall. They find the file on Donovan and discover that he is really Karl Dietrich, a Nazi! Tom hurries to the Imaging Chamber. Ben shows Donovan (Dietrich) the journal with the missing formula and asks him to give Ms. Carson the credit she deserves. Dietrich look nervous and asks where the formula is. Ben reveals that he destroyed it. Karl asks if Ben saw the formula and if he could recreate it. Tom appears and informs Ben that Donovan is a Nazi. Ben tells Karl that his memory isn't what it used to be. Dietrich comments that fortunately, Ms. Carson's is quite remarkable. Hannah enters the room being held by a Nazi thug. Dietrich pulls a gun on Ben and demands Hannah to recreate the formula or he will kill Ben. Tom coaches Ben on how to get the gun away from Karl. Ben grabs the gun and it fires into the floor and a fight ensues between the two men. Hannah and Klaus also fight. Hannah gets the upper hand on her captor and Ben and Karl begin to fight with fencing swords. Hannah turns on the Stellarator, causing Karl's sword to attach itself to the machine by magnetic force. Ben punches Karl to the ground and the battle is over. As Dietrich is transported off by the police, Tom tells Ben that the Atomic Energy Commission finally acknowledges Hannah's work, publishing it all under her name. Donovan/Dietrich and his buddies all go to prison, and Ben's host McCoy gets another medal. Tom stops short as he watches two young people carve their initials into a tree. Ben asks him what's wrong. Tom explains that he and Kate used to sit under that tree and look at the initials. Saddened, Tom says, "Our future is just someone else’s past, isn't it.” Ben tells Tom he's so sorry about his wife. Tom says he's sorry for Ben's loss too. Tom puts out his hand to shake and realizes that they can't. Tom goes to Addison for comfort. He tells her he missed his wife today. Addison tells Tom that their situation with Kate and Ben is messy, and it's okay. She says it's okay to have those feelings and it doesn't take away from what they have. They embrace. In a parking lot at night, Ian gets into a waiting car. Simone, the mystery woman on the phone with them earlier, is siting in the car. Ian tels her that they will not hand over classified government property. Jenn knocks on the window near Simone. Ian tells her to meet Jenn, their head of security and calls Simone by name. Simone is surprised to realize they have information on her. Jenn informs her that they know where she works, lives, and what she's done. Ian says "You blackmailed a federal employee this morning. That was not a good move. And this conversation is being recorded, by the way." Simone tells them that the Quantum computing chip will remain offline forever. Jenn says they will take their chances, as Ian exists the vehicle and Simone is disturbed by the loss of her deal. Hannah tells Ben she wishes they had more time, knowing he is about to Leap out. Ben tells her, "This is my life. I can't get home. I just keep Leaping. And I meet all these amazing people through time, but I never see them again." Hannah replies, "Except me. You don't really think this is the last time you're gonna see me, do you?" Then she asks, "I wanna know one thing, Future Boy... What's your name?" Ben tells her it is Ben Song. Hannah smiles and says, "Well, Ben Song, I'll see you later." Ben replies, "I like your confidence." Hannah says, "It's my theory. Electromagnetism between two polarities. I'm moving forward in time and you're moving backward creating a magnetic field..." And Ben leans in to kiss her and they share a passionate kiss as he Leaps! Review: I enjoyed this episode a lot! I was correct in guessing that Hannah would become a season regular due to Ben's altering of her past when he gave her the information about joining Princeton in "Closure Encounters." I wonder what else will happen with her in future episodes as Ben continues to Leap into situations where she is present? I predict she will show up at Project Quantum Leap by the end of the season, now that she knows Ben's name. How will this new love interest develop as Hannah gets older through the Leaps? Will Ben Leap forward each time to find her, or will it be out of order? So many possibilities. The Nazi ties in the story were interesting. I had a hard time believing these were as hardened Nazis as they were supposed to be portrayed due to the ease in which Hannah and Ben were able to stop them. The 42 minute time constraint does make it more difficult to completely flesh that out though. The connection to Einstein and a lost formula was fun as well. The awkward and sometimes humorous interactions between Ben and Tom were done well. It does seem that Jenn would have taken back over as the Hologram after that first time she left the Imaging Chamber. I enjoyed the chemistry between Hannah and Ben. I like that she knows he is a time-traveler and that they shared that moment at the end. The tension of it was realized and I look forward to see where that goes! I am having a hard time enjoying the Quantum computing chip storyline in the present time. No one seems overly concerned that Ian keeps disappearing to take care of mysterious issues throughout the Leaps. I did like the additional room at the Project which we saw in this episode. Addison seems to have no solid function with the team now, other than helping fill in when Ian and Jenn are off covering up a major problem. Overall I did have fun watching the episode and look forward to seeing where all this will tie together over the rest of the season! Production Photos:             Production Videos: Coming Soon Production Credits: Edited by: Piper Kroeze Production Designer: Mayling Chen Director of Photography: Ana M. Amortegui, ADFC Producer: Meg Fister Supervising Producer: Tim Scanlan Supervising Producer: Kristy Lowrey Co-Executive Producers: Benjamin Raab & Deric A. Hughes Co-Executive Producer: Drew Lindo Co-Executive Producer: Aadrita Mukerji Co-Executive Producer: Marc Bienstock Executive Producers: Steven Lilien & Bryan Wyndrandt Executive Producer: Alex Berger Executive Producer: Chris Grismer Executive Producer: Deborah Pratt Executive Producer: Dean Georgaris Executive Producer: Martin Gero Developed by: Steven Lilien & Bryan Wyndrandt Created by: Donald P. Bellisario Written by: Drew Lindo Directed by: Pamela Romanowsky Co-Producer: Margarita Matthews Co-Producer: Rammy Park Associate Producer: Ethan Henderson Executive Story Editor: Shakina Casting by: Jennifer Cooper, CSA Original Casting By: Kamala A. Thomas Music by: Daniel James Chan Unit Production Manager: Melanie J. Elin Unit Production Manager: Marc Bienstock First Assistant Director: M. Ryan Traylor Second Assistant Director: Athena Alexander Costume Designer: Genevieve Tyrrell A Camera Operator: Dave Hirschman B Camera/Steadycam Operator: Josh Harrison Production Sound Mixer: John Lakin Chief Lighting Technician: Donna Vega Key Grip: Peter Chrimes Art Directors: Suzan Wexler and William Eliscu Set Director: Tim Stepeck and Brent Mannon Costume Supervisor: Mark A. Summers Property Master: Erik Grasteit Construction Coordinator: Matt Sazzman Department Head Hair: Amy Marie Wilson Department Head Makeup: Julia Lallas Leadman: David Napoli Stunt Coordinator: Jeff Barnett Location Manager: Dan Milner Transportation Coordinator: Sandra Ninham-Gallardo Production Office Coordinator: Sofie "Bubbles" Dejus Assistant Production Office Coordinator: Brenden Hickey Production Controller: Natalie Chiengkul Script Supervisor: Heather Pollock Script Coordinator: Sue Palmer Casting Associates: Lindsay Jameyson & Mia Cascio Post Production Supervisor: Gabriella Scudieri Music Supervisors: Season Kent and Leah Harrison Music Editor: Zed Starkovich Assistant Editor: Catherine Goohs Online Editor: Steven Williams Colorist: Chris Boyer Visual Effects Supervisor: Trent Smith Visual Effects Editor: Mengle Han Supervising Sound Editors: Kelly Cabral and Kevin Zimmerman Re-Recording Mixer: Yuri Reese & Sean Madsen The State of California and the California Film Commision, California Soundstage Filming Tax Credit Program Copyright 2023 Universal Television LLC All Right Reserved Dean Georgaris Entertainment Quinn's House Universal Content Productions Universal Television Special thanks to M.J. Cogburn for assisting with this episode guide page! Quantum Leap Podcast Aftershow: Damon Sugameli's Fandom Entanglement Podcast: Fate's Wide Wheel Podcast: |
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