Quantum Leap Recap: Ben and Hannah Reunite in Egypt — Plus, Tom Drops a Major Bombshell
The world of espionage isn’t all fun and games.
That’s the lesson Ben learned in Quantum Leap‘s midseason finale on Wednesday, which took him to Giza, Egypt in the year 1961. After landing in the body of Michael, a spy from London, he was tasked with helping Layla (guest star Azita Ghanizada), an East German spy, escape the city so he could make his next leap.
Layla was meeting with a traitor who’d been leaking sensitive intel, and CIA agent Barnes (Lou Diamond Phillips) ordered Ben to plant a bug to make an arrest.
In the present, Tom and Addison went about their normal lives making breakfast together. But then Addison found an engagement ring in a drawer, appearing stunned before quickly putting it away.
When Hannah correctly guessed that Ben was talking to his hologram, Ben introduced Addison — who Hannah couldn’t see — as “the only link to where I’m from.” The trio quickly worked through the awkward moment, though, with Addison suggesting that Ben use Hannah as his cover. However, the operation went awry because Ben bugged the wrong shop. Hannah’s quick thinking, posing as a hysterical American woman, served as the perfect distraction as Ben moved the transmitter to the right location with Layla’s help.
But Layla wasn’t pleased that Ben essentially undermined her and doubted his good intentions. Hannah passionately defended him, recounting how he saved her life as well as many others because he cared. As she spoke, it finally clicked for Addison that the reason the accelerator kept brining Ben and Hannah together was because they were in love.
Addison talked through her complicated feelings with Magic. She admitted to being happy with Tom but still missed Ben and didn’t know how she was supposed to feel about his romance with Hannah. Magic reminded her to live in the now instead of waiting for a future that might not ever happen.
Heeding his advice, Addison told Ben that she loved him and wanted to him to be happy, even if it was awkward for them. Ben reciprocated her feelings, adding that he liked Tom.
As they waited for Layla to leave Cairo, they realized her cover was blown because Barnes made the arrest too quickly. Believing Layla to be dead, an upset Ben leaned on Hannah for emotional support. Not only had he failed his mission, but he was also stuck in 1961. Ever the optimist, Hannah noted that he could still help people without the time traveling.
There was still hope for Ben, though. Barnes revealed that Layla was still alive, meaning Ben still had a chance to save her. With help from the team at HQ — and Hannah acting as his cover — Ben successfully got Layla out of Cairo.
As he prepared to leap into the next body, he told Hannah that he would miss her. Hannah then made him promise that he would find her next time so that she didn’t have to walk up to strangers wondering if it’s him. After another romantic kiss, they parted, and Ben made the jump.
Back in the present, Tom returned from an abrupt trip from Washington D.C. with big news. Addison braced herself for a proposal, but then he whipped out a giant file.
“What is this?” she inquired.
“A way to bring Ben home,” Tom revealed.
What do you think? Will they bring Ben home this season?
Once again, “Quantum Leap” outdoes itself. This has been the best season of the modern era of the show. Hopefully they renew the show. There are so many possibilities & places the show could go. Like “Doctor Who” it has a flexible format where you can do anything you want with it. This show could last for decades.
Okay, I am getting surer and surer by the episode that Rachael’s Boss and Hannah have some connection. So I think this mystery woman is going to figure in on what happens next. Somehow, what’s on the hard drive will leak to her, and she’ll advise accordingly. But if The Boss is Hannah, she’d either be way old or would have to have come to the timeline by mastering time travel, or leaping, herself. Or perhaps her endgame is to perfect the leap so that Ben can leap back to when they are age-adjacent and live the future timeline with his True Love.
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Having Addison spot the in love thing was an interesting turn. Especially after finding a ring. I think she realizes now that she made her choice, leaving Ben to make his. And the “destiny” impact of The Universe seeming to want Ben and Hannah together for whatever reason. This will all make her more likely to either accept Tom’s ring, or alternatively, call it off because Ben and Hannah made Addison realize Tom is not Her One.
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Looking forward to having these questions answered in the back half of the season. Just wish it was not going to be such a long wait.
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TVLINE: I sure hope to see excerpts from BOTH Hanna’s “nomad” monologue, as well as Magic’s pep talk to Addison, in this week’s Quotes Column.
That’s a good theory about the Boss being Hannah. But knowing “Quantum Leap”, there will be plenty of twists & turns.
I certainly hope so! ;)
Already looking forward to the second half of the season. I hope it gets renewed.
Has there been news about when the rest of the episodes will air?
Unfortunately, no. I also hope it gets renewed.
I called it a while ago, Hannah is the boss.
Plus I knew that they would eventually reveal Tom’s true purpose and I’m still thinking Hannah helped create ziggy or during her time she probably met Tom to figure out a way to bring Ben home and it’s looking like this season is more like what the old quantum leap was and there is no big bad but trying to get Ben home
Another great theory.
What did Jen mean when she said something about a two person leap?
A good question.
She meant Ben was there for 2 people, Hannah and Layla, rather than just one. So he had to do something with/for Hannah as well as Layla.
Back when Ben crossed paths with Martinez, it required them to work together so they could both leap. Hence the two person leap name (see the asylum episode for example). Here he needed Hannah’s help to complete the leap.
I think she just meant that it would take more then Ben to successfully complete the leap. In this case, Hannah was instrumental to Ben’s mission, it wouldn’t have succeeded without that second person there helping out.
I view these two seasons of “Quantum Leap” as the 6th & seventh seasons. Of course the classic era of the show with Scott Bakula & Dean Stockwell were the first five seasons of the show.
If they brought Ben home, that would be the end of the series.
Our they created a way to go back and forth safely
That would shake up the formula of the program & open a whole new avenue of possibilities for the show.
Okay, a few picky questions:
Did we ever find out what Hannah was even doing in Egypt? Despite the fact that Ben is supposedly in love with her, or at least likes her a lot, did he ask her a single question about her own life?
Also, what if Ben hadn’t completed his mission, and never did leap again? Wouldn’t that mean the person he had leapt into would never come back into his own body? (Also, what happened to that guy after Ben did leap? Wouldn’t it be extremely suspicious for a spy to have no memory of the big secret operation he just successfully completed?)
I think Hannah was there for a science conference. She is now a Doctor and works with Washington.
On a different note….I like Hannah a lot, I mean a lot. She is sweet, has soft loving eyes when looking at Ben, she keeps having this hope that she will see Ben again, she is supportive of him and tender. I am so not willing to just let her go. Only 3 episodes of her and I am in love with her character. Amazing what you can do with a character if you make them nice and kind.
If that’s the case, then they sent a single woman, apparently traveling alone, to attend a conference in Egypt in 1961 (incidentally, the year when the first season of “Mad Men” takes place). Even more unlikely, while she was there, no one noticed or cared that a scientist with access to Cold War-era atomic secrets kept meeting with both American and foreign spies. I don’t think the writers really thought this through.
I think her arc will pay off in the end. I just hope we see more of her in the future.
There might have been a purpose to that. She might have accompanied a friend. We know that there is more to Hannah than meets the eye. Perhaps they will address all the questions you have voiced about Hannah in last night’s episode in a future episode.
This is the same show that let a woman talk freely at a witch trial. I don’t think the writers actually give a lot of thought to when they are or who he is suppose to be in that time.
I have read that Hannah might be a one & done character this season. I hope this is not the case as she has appeared so in the best episodes of the season so far.
She probably is a one and done character, her attempt to anker Ben to a time in which she was young will destroy their love for each other, an his hatred will keep him away from her forever.
I find the fact that they just glossed over the fact that he would just take over someone else’s life and that they don’t really show the person he is “in” wrong. What if instead of a young guy it had been an old woman, would Hannah have been ok with that person being the permeant Ben?
Perhaps, they will address that in a future episode.
Great episode. Anyone else thought that the ring could actually belong to Tom’s late wife? He made no attempt at hiding it, it was in a kitchen drawer.
I agree with everyone here that Hanna has a connection to someone in the future. She could be Tom’s grandmother
That’s another good theory, but I think that Hannah could have a connection to Sam being that she has a photographic memory, is a scientist & is clearly ahead of her time.
How the quantum leap can an invisible hologram cast a shadow?
Because imaging chamber can produce the shadow too. If they can make people travel, shadow is close to nothing to make.
If they have a way to get Ben home, they should get Sam home.
I agree with that. They should give Sams story proper closure.
My ultimate hope/dream is that (if the show hopefully gets renewed for Season 3), they can do this, and maybe more. Perhaps the way home is a one time thing and Ben ends up meeting Sam and sacrifices his chance to return in order to get Sam home. Sam then comes to work for Project QL and becomes Ben’s hologram (or one of them), making him a regular part of the show again.
That would be a dream scenario for the show if Scott Bakula came back as Sam. Plus, it would boast the shows’ ratings.
A very entertaining episode and very well done by all This show has hit the chemistry jackpot with Hannah and Ben. Can’t wait to see more of them!
I’m just hoping that it gets renewed.
Ben and Hannah have more chemistry and three episodes than he and Addison did all last season!
This episode was a great follow up to last week’s. Ben and Addison’s relationship is in a state of flux and confusion.
They both admit that they love each other and that they want the other to be happy. Addison gets jealous when she sees Ben with Hanna. When she tells the staff that she expects to receive a proposal from Tom, they are happy and she is not so sure.
Ben also isn’t sure what he wants. He meets Hanna and sparks fly. But when it comes to introducing Addison to Hanna, he doesn’t know what to call her: his ex? his girlfriend? then decides upon his “contact”.
When Hanna uses polite coded language to ask Ben to have sex with her, Ben delays then says “i can’t”. Obviously he is conflicted.
When he believes he is stuck in 1961 forever, Ben gives in and has sex with Hanna. But when he realizes he is to continue on is trip through time, he can’t bring himself to say “I love you” when Hanna says that to him.
After talking with Magic late in the episode, it appears that Addison is going to accept Tom (a love that can be) vs. waiting tor Ben (a love that possibly might never be). But then the shocker comes that Quantum Leap might be able to bring Ben home. Addison is in shock.
At each of those points, i was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what Ben’s or Addison’s reaction would be.
I congratulate the writers for treating every episode like a cliff-hanger. There are still many alternative endings that i can see. Tom turns out to be bad. The evil company behind the scenes throws a monkey wrench into bringing Ben home. Ben comes home but Addison decides to stay with Tom and Ben gets Hanna as his consolation prize. Ben and Addison get back together.
Of all of those, the only one that i and all of my friends at work want to see is the last. Ben and Addison get back together.
Ben risked his life to save Addison. He did that at the end of Season 1. But he got stuck in time for the past two seasons making right what went wrong before for other people. Ben deserves his reward for all the good that he has done and for his true love of Addison (yes he had sex with Hanna but that was only after he thought he was stuck in 1961 forever.) Common writers make me and my co-workers and all the other fans of Ben happy. Give him what he deserves. (and not just Hanna as a consolation prize.)
To do otherwise would make a farce of the entirety of Seasons 1 and 2.
Do the right thing.
I’m just hoping the show gets renewed.
I actually like Ben a lot more with Hannah than with Addison. So far Hannah and Ben have so much more chemistry together, she’s a great new character that I hope we keep seeing.
The ratings for this episode adjusted to 2.76 million & an 0.3 demo. And get this. What’s more impressive is that it has improved on the viewership numbers for last season.
Where do you get your ratings from? Best I can find is 2.59 mil. But yeah overall viewership up this year average 2.7 mil versus 2.3 last year. Demo is down a little. Haven’t seen much info about live+7 views or streaming which was reported on more last year on other sites. Hope it’s not a long break before new episodes. Thought they would have a spot for it by now.
QUANTUM LEAP with Live+7 is averaging
3.9 million total viewers (+40% delayed playback gain)
0.47 demo rating (+57% gain)
(Season 1’s Live+7 numbers were 3.9 million/0.6 rating)
Thanks! Was curious if the Oct 25th article on here about Live+7 ratings might be updated after fall finales. I love the idea of tracking Live+7 ratings, but they are so much harder to find than daily ratings.
Will have usual end-of-year charts for each network’s fall shows.
Wow, the question is interesting.If Ben comes on,who will be “Quantum Leaping?” My opinion, Ben “trying” to get home is the show’s platform. I think a lot of “what-ifs” should be considered.
I think maybe Ben does return home but then another member of the cast gets trapped leaping instead of him. Who knows, maybe Addison now sacrifices herself to allow Ben to come back home.
From a recent interview of the creator and the cast, I got that season 3 is already planned. They said the dynamics of the show will change. Who know what that will mean. That’s why I thought that maybe another person continues leaping instead of Ben. But, who knows..
I also agree with others are saying that Hannah might have a connection with someone at the present, or even Rachel’s boss. I also think that Hannah might be responsible for the content of that mysterious hard drive that have information to get Ben home.. 🤔
I would like to see that happen but I thought he was coming home in season 1 finally. I’m wondering how awkward it will be for Ben and Addison. I also hope Sam comes home too.
I hope they don’t bring Ben home because the show would most likely end. I love watching it and hopefully the writers will continue to come up with great stories.
When QL gets poor ratings is when Ben comes home. Whether Sam ever comes home, that will be up to Scott Bacula and the writers.
Beyond “how does a hologram cast a shadow?” why does a hologram need to run to keep up with Ben while he is running? Is Addison running in place in the chamber?
Ben needs to continue leaping and helping people. Come on writers keep the show going. Give us viewers a reason to keep watching. Fan from the beginning, love quantum leap.
I believe they will bring ben home
I think Hannah probably became pregnant with Ben’s baby. Perhaps he will be with her at delivery, or meet the child years later on a leap. And they will incorporate the grown up person into the part of the show that takes place in the present.
I don’t see Ben coming home, just yet. I think he’ll keep on leaping for the time being. Im still rooting for Ben and Addison to find their way back to each other.❤️ Didn’t he go on this journey to say her in season #1? He put his love for her above his own life.