“Oh, hell no.” Rarely has Ben (Raymond Lee) articulated so accurately – and succinctly – my feelings. But Quantum Leap 1×07 “O Ye of Little Faith” was that kind of episode. It was just the right amount of creepy and unnerving, with the series’s signature feel-good ending. A little bit The Exorcist, a little bit Clue, with a dash of Knives Out on top. Was it the perfect Halloween episode? Yes. Yes, it was.
A Change of Atmosphere
Thus far, the series has tackled a few different genres, from action comedy to disaster flick. This week, it tackled horror. And did it well. Like Ben, I’m not sure I put much credence in the supernatural. However, if I saw that ghost…demon…thing rising out of the little girl? There’d be a Jade-shaped hole in the door as I ran away, leaving only a few high-pitched shrieks in my wake.
To be fair, I’m pretty sure Ben wanted to join me in that. So I guess it’s to his credit that he stuck around and did his Leaping duty, helping to save an innocent girl’s life. Not only that, but he did it alone, since Addison’s (Caitlin Bassett) signal was blocked, so she couldn’t provide an assist.
Next time, pick your damn moments better, Janis. I say that because, yes, of course she was the cause for the block. And for the ghost demon thing. He really needs to have a talk with his partner in…crime? Horning in on some raucous fun escaping from a day camp/school/whatever? Perfectly fine. Showing up as a ghost demon in a Leap straight out of The Exorcist? There is a time and a place!
Luckily, Ben survived the episode, so he can chastise his clandestine partner another day. What this episode really showed (other than that Janis has terrible timing – and, no, I’m not getting over that any time soon) is that even when Addison isn’t with Ben, she is.
Do you ship it, yet. Because you should seriously ship this.
Even without her hologram talking in his ear, she’s helping him figure things out. In this instance, it’s as a hallucination brought on by jimsonweed poisoning. Helping him to figure out that there’s a rational explanation for what he’s seeing, after all. Cluing him into the fact that there are secret passages in the house.
On that note…excuse me? How do I get a creepy old house like that? I’ve been in several creepy old houses in my life. Never found a secret passage straight out of Clue. I’ve been cheated, I tell you! Cheated!
Anyway, love means never having to say “I know you’re not real, but I’d stay with you in this hallucination forever if I could.” Or something like that. The point is, even when she’s not with him, he still carries her with him. and this is why the “star-crossed lovers” trope is so addictive. What is it they say in Ladyhawke? “Together forever. Eternally apart.” That’s Ben and Addison, and I cannot take it.
A Touch Of Murder
A lot happens in Quantum Leap 1×07 “O Ye of Little Faith” that isn’t ship related, of course. The series’s greatest strength is that it doesn’t have to be one thing. It doesn’t just have to be a legal drama or a slapstick comedy. It doesn’t have to limit itself by being an action series or a post-apocalyptic thriller. It can be each of those things, from one week to the next. Or it can be more than one thing at a time. As it was this week, tackling horror and murder mystery.
It isn’t every show that could be so adept at switching between genres. But every show isn’t Quantum Leap. To say it’s the creepiest episode of the series to date isn’t saying much, since we’re only seven episodes in. But it’s creepy enough that the show will have to work to top it in future seasons. While also allowing Ben to show how smart he is, as he toes the line between reason and faith. Not just because he’s from the future, but because he’s largely on his own, having to figure out the culprit behind the murder.
“O Ye of Little Faith” is creepy and smart, with just enough humor to avoid making it a slog of an hour. All in all, it’s perfect Halloween treat. Seeing Ian (Mason Alexander Park) in cat ears is only an added bonus.
Quantum Leap airs Mondays on NBC and is available for streaming on the Peacock app.
