Quantum Leap 1×12 “Let Them Play” is one of those episodes that make it clear that the series puts its philosophy above being just a feel-good show each week. But when you consider that its philosophy is “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes and have compassion and understanding for those who are different from you,” that’s hardly a bad thing. Like its predecessor (in episodes like the 1964 episode “Running for Honor”, which focused on gay rights in the military), the series doesn’t shy away from important social issues. This week, it’s transgender rights, specifically in school and in sports. Which has been a hot-button topic in recent years but is not a novel one.
One of Us
“Let Them Play” focuses on Gia (Josielyn Aguilera), a transgender high-school student athlete. When a fellow basketball player is injured during a game, Ben – having leaped into the coach – puts her in the game, which ends up putting Gia in the spotlight and her dad’s job in jeopardy. The rest of the episode deals with competing tensions between Gia’s parents, who want to keep her safe, even if it means making her miss out on things she wants to do, and Gia herself, who just wants to be who she is.
This review is in some ways a difficult one for me to write. Not because I don’t feel like it’s an important topic. Far from it. But because I’m neither transgender, nor have I ever been in Gia’s parents’ position, trying to keep a loved one safe from the ignorant bigotry and hate that transgender people face every day. To that end, I feel like I’m not the best person to write about the issues transgender youth face. On the other hand, “Let Them Play” was very much an episode geared towards people who don’t have experience with these issues, so maybe that makes me a good person to review the episode, after all? (Though someone with this experience would no doubt have insight into the episode that would be invaluable to the discussion.)
All this is to say that I cannot speak as to whether the episode handled its subject matter perfectly. However, it was clear from watching the episode that everyone involved in the show – both in front of and behind the camera – wanted to shine a light on the bigotry transgender students face with as much compassion and care possible. There’s no question it’s a thoughtful episode, that genuinely wants to tell a story that needs telling.
And, at least from the perspective of someone who can’t speak personally to the issues transgender men and women face, I felt the episode was effective in what it tried to do. There were many moments that hit me right in my heart when I was watching. Maybe the discussion in the support circle discussion between the parents, as they talk about what they see in their kids (and what others would see in them too, if they’d only stop treating transgender people like convenient political boogiemen and actually saw them as, you know, people) was a little on-the-nose.
But you know what? Fuck it. If you’re the type of person who needs to be told not to torment anyone – but particularly children simply because of who they are – and if you need someone to tell you that transgender people are people, you probably wouldn’t pick up on anything more subtle than a narrative sledgehammer.
Every one of the actors did a fantastic job this week. Which probably goes without saying, since they do a good job every week. (Although that makes me realize I shout out Raymond Lee less often than I should, given what a heartfelt and nuanced job he does every week as Ben. It’s not for lack of love to Raymond, I promise! Which he might have picked up on after my thirst tweets earlier this season. And, as far as anyone involved with the show is concerned, never happened. You all have my back on that, right?)
But as good as everyone was in general, the episode really belongs to two people: Aguilera and Mason Alexander Park as Ian. The most moving parts of the episode are the ones that feel the most real. The ones that feel like they came from the actors’ own experiences. Like Gia’s breakdown at the end, when she says she’s sorry that being her parent is so hard, but she needs to be a kid and live her life. The very thought of a child apologizing for making their parents’ lives hard by simply existing is gutting.
Whether or not Ian’s confession about his attempt with suicide as a teen came at all from the actor’s own experiences (and my heart breaks at the thought), statistics put forth by The Trevor Project suggest that at least one LGBTQ youth attempts suicide every 45 seconds, and more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth consider suicide. With those kinds of statistics, if even a single person was inspired by this episode to fight against the bullying and discrimination transgender youth (and people in general) face, it will have been well worth it.
The Myth, The Legend
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the big, mind-blowing twist this week’s episode. True to her word, Janis (Georgina Reilly) gave Magic (Ernie Hudson) and Jenn (Nanrisa Lee) the name of the person who first warned Ben about the future. Their quest for answers led them to a slam poetry session that Jenn seemed to enjoying exactly as hilarious as I did…until the actual meaning of Dottie’s (Shakina) poem sunk in. Dottie didn’t remember speaking to Ben because they weren’t themselves at the time. They were, for lack of a better description, a host for a Leaper.
Before last week’s episode, I confess I’d entertained the thought that Ben could have been the one to warn himself about the future. Which would be exactly the kind of wibbly wobbly timey wimey” thing time travel shows could and would do. I’m big enough to admit that I was wrong in at least this part of my theorizing. It wasn’t Ben who warned Ben about the future.
It was Ian.
In someone else’s body.
As a Leaper.
Look, I’d love to say I’ve got this grand scheme for how all my wild conspiracy theories fit together right now. But I’ve got nothing.
Well, that’s not entirely true. I’ve got questions. So. Many. Questions.
If Ian starts Leaping in the future (and, honestly? I’m all for it!), then presumably Ben is leaping at the same time. Even if, in Ian’s original timeline, Ben wasn’t a Leaper. As an aside, I do love that this episode establishes without a doubt that changes to the past do change the present – and future – for everyone except for Ben and Addison. Presumably, provided she’s in the simulation when the change happens. I mean, that makes total sense, of course. But it’s always nice to have these fandom questions answered.
Anyway, Ian at some point will Leap. And, assuming I have anything close to an accurate understanding of paradoxes (okay, I probably don’t), he’ll still have to Leap to go back and warn Ben at some point in his future. Future Leaping Ian! Yay! He probably will use the team’s equipment to do the Leaping, too. (Will Addison be his personal hologram, too? If so, when will she sleep? Or will Jenn and Addison tag-team the holographic duties.)
That still doesn’t explain the other Leaper, Martinez (Walter Perez). Remember him? It’s a plot that hasn’t come back around for a few episodes, but I feel like the writers are lying in wait to spring it on us again.
I feel like Quantum Leap 1×12 “Let Them Play” gave me more questions. However, I’m still trying to process the revelation that Ian is the one who warned Ben about the future and therefore Leaps in the future. Could season two feature two Leapers working in tandem? Come on, show. Make the Ben/Ian team-up we’ve all dreamed of happen.
I love this show.
