Pop Culture | TV | 90s | 80s
A 'Quantum Leap' Superfan Has Mapped Out Every Single Leap From The Classic Show
"Trapped in the past, Doctor Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, putting things right that once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."
If you were a geek in the late '80s and early '90s, you probably heard that opening narration a lot. It started every episode of Quantum Leap, the sci-fi sleeper hit that followed Dr. Sam Beckett as he jumped through time and space. Every "leap" into another person's body brought a new problem for Sam to solve with the help of his friend Al.
While the series was never a huge success for NBC, it built up a devoted following slowly and steadily over five seasons of generally solid TV. It's safe to say that Quantum Leap earned its spot on TV Guide's list of "Top Cult Shows Ever."
And even decades after the disappointing final episode (which saw Sam continuing to leap through time instead of returning home) fans have continued to watch, discuss, and obsess over every detail of the show.
Now, superfan Josh Jones has taken his obsession with Quantum Leap further than most, by carrying out an impressive fan project for Special Request magazine.
He created an interactive map, plotting out all 93 of Sam's leaps from the show's run so you can follow his adventures in a unique format.
If you're a fan of the show, you've got to check it out.
Not only does the map show you the location of each leap, it also gives you an episode synopsis. Being able to click through all of Sam's adventures like this gives us a new perspective on the show.
Throughout five seasons, Sam made 93 different jumps, including a few episodes where he made multiple jumps. It turns out nearly all of Sam's adventures took place in America. While that's no surprise, it makes us wonder why Sam never journeyed south of the border, or down under, or to any other locations that would have made for a great episode.
Some of the notable international episodes include Sam's trip to Vietnam, where he tried to save his brother from dying in the war. Sam also uncovered ancient Egyptian treasure, and stepped into the shoes of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald for a special globe-hopping episode (and the only one based on a real event, the Kennedy assassination).
There are also a few gems hiding in the episode summaries on the map. Did you know that Sam once leaped into a chimpanzee? In his only non-human leap as Bobo, a space chimp, Sam helped uncover unethical scientific testing.
Seeing all the episodes plotted out just makes us want to see even more Quantum Leap. Recently, creator Donald Belissario got our hopes up by teasing that he's written a feature film based on the series. Hopefully that means we'll finally see Sam get a happy ending!
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