Leap Date:
September 26, 2009

Audio from this episode:

We'll always need you

TV Guide Synopsis:

When Ben leaps into an Indian family to try to prevent their beloved family restaurant from burning down, he finds an emotional connection with their matriarch through memories of his own. Magic and Jenn share a surprising revelation with Ian.

Ben leaps into the body of a young cook named Kimini, sister to Manisha and daughter to Sonali. Together, they run their family Indian restaurant in Oregon, 2009. Sonali's husband had passed away, and she wants to keep the menu as it always has been. Manisha disagrees, thinking the restaurant can be more creative and profitable with a new menu of traditional Indian cuisine.

At PQL, Magic and Jenn confront Ian after the revelation that the barrista from the previous episode had been Leapt into by Ian. Ian hypothesizes that an older version of themself must have done the Leaping.

Addison arrives and informs Ben that the restaurant will burn down and Sonali will die. Manisha will leave the family business. Kathy, the restaurant's landlord shows up with muscle in tow and threatens Kamini (Ben's Leap Host), telling her/him the family owes $30,000 in back rent and even choking him. This is the main reason Sonali doesn't want to change the menu - she is afraid to lose money taking the chance on something new. Ben, comparing his own family's struggles to his current situation, vows to not let this family fall apart.

At PQL, Ian frantically searches for a reason for their future self to initiate Ben's first Leap. Magic convinces Ian to take the day to find their footing.

Ben, using his knowledge of the future, sets the restaurant up on Groupon, a "new" internet program offering discounts. They begin to see reservations immediately! At the same time, the staff at the restaurant dwindles due to everything from a new baby to a pair of shoes going on sale. To add insult to injury (literally), Sonali has a wrist injury from doing repetitive kitchen work for so many years, which makes it difficult to work. Meanwhile, family cousins stop by to offer help, but out of pride, Sonali refuses this as well. To add insult to injury (literally), Sonali has a wrist injury from doing repetitive kitchen work for so many years, which makes it difficult to work. Sonali and Manisha argue about the menu change and Manisha quits, leaving Ben and Sonali to prepare to serve over 200 guests.

Ian ventures outside of PQL for a change, and goes to visit their former partner, Rachel. She agrees to speak with Ian before going to a meeting that morning.

Ben tries to get Sonali to talk to Manisha but Sonali refuses saying she made her choice. Addison informs been that they are now up to 300 reservations through the Groupon ad, and he and Sonali frantically prepare food for the upcoming dinner. Addison and Ben work together to get a restaurant investor to come by and try their food in hopes this will bail out their business to pay off the debt to Kathy. The investor agrees after Ben quotes him from a magazine article the investor will write in the future. Sonali cuts her hand in the kitchen and passes out.

Ian and Rachel talk over coffee. Rachel tried to get Ian to open up about their feelings, but Ian doesn't budge, hiding behind PQL's classified status. Rachel leaves for her meeting.

Ben wraps Sonali's cut and talks to her about Manisha and to not let pride get in the way of family.
They then goes to find Manisha, to convince her to come back to work. Serving 300 guests will require her help. They share pizza, reminisce fondly about their father who had passed away, and Sonali offers to serve one of Manisha's traditional dishes, and they agree to all go back to work together. When they arrive at the restaurant, it is on fire! It becomes apparent that Kathy, the landlord, has started the fire in order to get the insurance money and the $30,000 from the Prasad family.Ben comes up with a plan to save this horrible situation. He enlists Addison to use their team of geniuses back at PQL to locate something they can use as a pop-up restaurant.

Ian has waited for Rachel to come back from her meeting. Ian wants to try to tell Rachel all about their problems, from choosing to leave Rachel for PQL to possibly hurting the people they love through the project. Rachel says Ian has always had one goal: helping people. She says Ian will make the right choice.

There happens to be a wedding reception tent happening nearby, and Ben has offered that family the meal of their lifetime if they can use the tent as the restaurant for the night. Friends and family have been invited by Sonali to help, and Ben informs the guests that they will be serving "Family Style."

At PQL, Ian returns and offers to help Addison and Magic find out why the restaurant investor hasn't shown up. Ian also states that if they Leaped to start this entire story in motion, they must have had a good reason, and vows to find what that reason is.

The evening is a big success. The investor doesn't show up due to food poisoning, but family members offer to invest in the restaurant, build new, and help run it. One of the family members is a cop, and Addison informs Ben that he will arrest Kathy for fraud in the near future.

Before he Leaps, Ben speaks with Sonali. He speaks with her as a surrogate mother and releases some tension and anger over the death of his own mother through Sonali. Kimini's mother feels like she isn't useful anymore now that her daughters are running the business so well, but Ben convinces her otherwise. Sonali thinks it's time to take care of herself for a change and see more of the world, particularly Egypt.

Ben Leaps, and the family is saved.

Personal Review & Detailed Synopsis by Brian Greene:

This episode has plenty of heart. It's always great to see new characters like Ben get fleshed out over the series, and this one allows him to deal with the death of his own mother and get some closure. Ian also shines as they face their own demons and find themself in the end. It was nice to see Ian outside of his usual PQL setting and see more of the real person.

Directed by original series co-creator Deborah Pratt, the episode brings the Indian culture to the forefront. Even the music choices used throughout are authentic. It's a simple story, and these are usually the best Quantum Leap tales, dealing with individual lives. I enjoyed it, although I found the arc concerning the landlord to be a bit melodramatic. All in all, a worthwhile episode to watch!

QUANTUM LEAP – SERIES REGULARS


Dr. Ben Song (Portrayed by Raymond Lee) – Ben is a first-generation American, a world-renowned physicist, and a man of faith. He’s also working on Quantum Leap, a time travel project. But when he uses the project on himself, he’s transported back in time with a bout of amnesia – forgetting what made him time travel in the first place.

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 her fiancee, 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 head of the time travel project at Quantum Leap. 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. Quirky but formidable, she makes it her mission to figure out why Ben erased all evidence of why he Leaped.