Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 17 Review: The Friendly Skies
Diana Keng
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With the finale on the horizon, Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 17 is a fascinating creative penultimate outing, pitting Ben's wits and confidence against the challenge of the unknown.
With Ziggy shut down, that "flying blind" adage is doubly suitable to the situation. Luckily, some strategic plot armor allows the hand links and imaging chamber to still operate without Ziggy. Otherwise, Global 349 would probably still be a crash statistic.
Taking in the big picture, a leap wherein he has to lean in on his gut instinct more is a good dry-run for the finale's leap into the future, where he will no longer be able to rely on search engines.
Ian's role in all of this has become improbably crucial compared to the quirky coding genius they were introduced as on Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 1.
Learning they were the leaper who warned Ben and urged him to leap early and without authorization on Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 12 set the focus on them.
Having them work out their own crisis of confidence on Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 13 gave them the tools to support and encourage Ben when guiding him through landing the plane.
Forcing them to shut Ziggy down here creates a situation where they can see what they (and the team) are capable of without Ziggy's probability calculations and database.
As they point out to Ben (echoing Addison's sentiments throughout the mission), success depends on team effort.
Every person's contributions matter and affect the outcome.
It's hard to see Ben lose faith in people after his encounter with Martinez on Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 16. As Addison observes, it's very much not in keeping with Ben's personality.
I have to agree. Ben's cynicism rings false. And while his caution proves fortuitous with Officer Leslie, it is frustrating that his usual logic can't surmount the visceral emotional residue of Martinez's betrayal.
Addison: Well, I’ll ask the obvious. Shouldn’t we just make an emergency landing?
Ben: Oh yeah? How am I supposed to make that case? ‘Captain, I know my main function on this flight is walking sex symbol, but let me explain why you should divert hundreds of passengers to the middle of nowhere.’
Addison: Okay, well, we could workshop the dialogue a bit.
It is understandable, in part. Working together was a successful endeavor in the mental institution. For Ben, a pacifist and an optimist, it rewarded his belief that people are innately good or at least motivated by the common good.
Being literally stabbed by someone you've worked with obviously affects one's ability to trust easily.
Having Poor Little Rich Boy Cory on hand to mentor helps break through that resistance.
Whether it's because Cory is the least likely to be in cahoots with the hijackers or because Cory suffering a crisis of confidence himself after his "best friend" bodyguard turns out to be the ring leader -- maybe it's both? -- Ben's gut choice once again gets a gold star.
It's well-established that Ben (and Sam), much like The Littlest Hobo (or Jared on The Pretender), use their opportunity to do good to also seed betterment in the people they interact with.
Cory: I was so stupid. None of these people care about me. My parents pay to ship me off. Even the people who are paid to care about me don’t care about me. Guess you really can’t trust anyone.
Ben: People let you down, kid. That’s life.
Cory: You’re not very good at pep talks.
Ben: Sorry, I’m usually better at this. It’s been a rough week.
They bolster spirits, encourage dream seekers, and inspire the insecure.
When Cory points out that Ben's pep talks need work, it shines a light for Ben on how strange it is that he can't call up that trademark positive spin.
Look, I was wrong. When I said people let you down, they do. Sometimes. But then at some point, you have to get back off the mat and learn to trust other people again. Learn to trust yourself. I’ll bet your whole life, they did everything for you. Your parents, your minders. But I can see that you’re ready to stand on your own two feet. If you trust yourself, you can do anything.
Ben
Happily, he manages to tap into it before it's too late.
With the finale flying at us, it occurs to me how strange it must be for Addison to see Ben in the clothes and trappings of all his hosts this season.
While it may be odd to consider him as a priest or an astronaut or a cowboy, learning about bras and the importance of pockets in dresses is some hardcore empathy many men will never endeavor to acquire. Mind you, it gives Ben and Ian some unexpected common ground.
Ben: I’m starting to think the early seventies wasn’t the best time for stewardesses.
Addison: I am appreciating your feminist awakening.
Ian as holo-guide is more fun than either Addison or Jenn. Why is that?
Perhaps because, although they've discussed their close friendship with Ben, we've never had occasion to see it in action.
Ben's unprompted recognition of Ian is more than winning five bucks. It's key to how close they are and goes a long way to explaining why Future Ian would leap to warn Ben and why Past Ben would take that warning seriously enough to keep it and all his plans from everyone.
The mystery we get to chew on until the finale drops is how Ben's last leap affects everything we know about quantum leaping.
Estimating Present-Day Ian's age as early thirties, Future Ian is probably meant to look around sixty. Hard to be sure, as nuclear winter life would probably age one faster than typical L.A.-living would.
So positing that Ben leaped into Los Angeles in the midst of a nuclear winter about thirty years in our future (circa 2053), whom do we think he leaped into?
Addison: You are on a flight from London to New York, one of the first in this brand new line of 747s but no idea why you’re here.
Ben: Mmm, so we’re flying blind. Apologies for the wordplay.
Addison: You’re not sorry at all.
Ben: Nope.
And how did Ian recognize him?
The imaging chamber can't project a holo-guide if Ben's quantum signature can't be found. Will our present-day team be able to find a way to track it in the future... without Ziggy?
Did Martinez leap from 2053? Did Ben leap into Martinez in 2053? Woah.
Where is the rest of the team in 2053? And how will this leap save Addison?
After you watch Quantum Leap online, hit our comments below with your thoughts and theories!
No idea is too wild! Can Ben set right what will one day go wrong? What does that even mean?!?
Diana Keng was a staff writer for TV Fanatic. She is a lifelong fan of smart sci-fi and fantasy media, an upstanding citizen of the United Federation of Planets, and a supporter of AFC Richmond 'til she dies. Her guilty pleasures include female-led procedurals, old-school sitcoms, and Bluey. She teaches, knits, and dreams big. Follow her on X.
