After a finale that left fans on the edge of their seats, Quantum Leap will make its grand return to NBC on Monday, October 4th. The show is based on the 1989 series of the same name and picks up years after the disappearance of Samuel Beckett. Season 1 of the reboot follows Ben Song as he leaps from body to body while simultaneously searching for a way to reunite with his fiancée, Addison. The finale initially leads viewers to believe that Ben has found the means to travel home, but the credits roll seconds before he can return to the present day. Given the number of leaps featured in the Quantum Leap season 2 trailer, it’s evident that Ben’s time-traveling adventures won’t cease anytime soon.
Based on Donald P. Bellisario’s original concept, the series was developed by Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt. Martin Gero serves as the showrunner with Raymond Lee leading the cast as Ben Song. Lee is most notably known for projects such as Top Gun: Maverick, Kevin Can F*** Himself, and Here and Now. The second season will also include appearances from Manifest’s Melissa Roxburgh and The 100’s Eliza Taylor. Eliza Caitlin Bassett, Ernie Hudson, Mason Alexander Park, and Nanrisa Lee complete the show’s ensemble cast.
Raymond Lee chats exclusively with Screen Rant about Ben’s failed journey home, upcoming leaps, and the emotional distance between Ben and Addison in season 2. Note: This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, and the show covered here would not exist without the labor of the writers and actors in both WGA and SAG-AFTRA.
Raymond Lee Talks Quantum Leap Season 2
Screen Rant: Quantum Leap is coming back for season 2! How has the energy been on set?
Raymond Lee: It’s been very exciting. This is a huge season, and right off the bat, we’re kind of starting out with a huge punch. We have incredible guests. The scope is huge. We’re in Afghanistan in the 70s. I can’t talk about too much, but the scope is huge for this season. The energy is strong.
When we left off, Ben was, hopefully, leaping home. Given the nature of the show, it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s not where he ends up. What can you tease about Ben’s adventures this season?
Raymond Lee: Right after the ending of the first season, you see promos exactly for the next season [laughs]. We can kind of distill that Ben doesn’t make it home. Like I mentioned, it’s very safe to say that these leaps are just bigger—emotionally and with the characters that are involved this season. We’re starting to stray a little bit further away from the mechanics and mythology of it all. We’re just really investing in the characters and the story. Emotionally, I think we’re going to strike some chords that are going to hit you right in the jugular. The action is non-stop for a lot of it too. I can just guarantee that the excitement is very strong on our end of the stuff that we’ve shot so far.
Is there anything that you’re looking forward to when it comes to Ben’s relationship with Addison? He was struggling with memory loss last season, but he finally knows who she is.
Raymond Lee: Yeah, yeah. Things get really interesting. As relationships go, once you really figure out what you have in front of you, I think you just start to uncover more things. When one person is left in a situation the other person is not aware of…again, I’m so cryptic right now. You’re going to find yourselves working from two different places. Even though we’re closer, technically, [Ben and Addison] have never been further apart. It’s interesting because now we have to find an emotional journey back to each other now that all the memories are back. The physical memories are back, now the emotional journey has to make its way back.
Is there an episode or a certain leap this season that you’re especially excited for?
Raymond Lee: Every episode is really good and my favorite for all different reasons, but we left off shooting episode eight in a very fun location. It is a story and a show that is deeply rooted in history and historical fiction, and we’re going to go deeper into what the original show did so well. It was these brushes with history. We’re going to go deeper into how to navigate these moments in time that were so impactful for a lot of us, and we’re going to kind of brush up against it and create the stories that are rounded in that.
About Quantum Leap
It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leaps and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.
Check out our previous Quantum Leap interview with Raymond Lee, as well as the rest of the cast:
- Showrunner Martin Gero
- Deborah Pratt
- Ernie Hudson
Quantum Leap season 2 premieres October 4 at 8pm ET on NBC, with episodes available the following day on Peacock.
