‘Quantum Leap’ Preview Guide: “As The World Burns” / “Against Time”

As hard as it is to believe, it’s time for the Quantum Leap “As the World Burns” / “Against Time” second season finale. It’s a two-part episode that will air on one evening, and boy will that episode have a lot of heavy lifting to do. There are still so many plots that have yet to be resolved and questions that need to be answered.

For example, what is going to happen with Hannah (Eliza Taylor) and Ben (Raymond Lee)? A “happily ever after” seems unlikely for them, considering their circumstances. But it’s also hard to believe they were thrown into each other’s path repeatedly because the cosmic force behind the leaping wanted to play matchmaker.

There’s also season Big Bad Gideon Rydge (James Frain). Who is he and what is he really after? (If you’ve read my reviews, you’ll see I have a theory or two on this point.) Magic (Ernie Hudson) was removed as head of the project. Ian (Mason Alexander Park) and Jenn (Nanrisa Lee) are still trying to crack the code to bring Ben home. Will Tom (Peter Gadiot) get the happy ending he deserves (yes, I’m still a little bitter about liking him in the end)? And, of course, my babies Ben and Addison (Caitlin Bassett) are still breaking my heart every. single. week.

So much to do, and only two short hours to do it in.

WHAT IT’S ABOUT

Ben leaps into the body of a Baltimore firefighter in 1974 and is unexpectedly reunited with his time-crossed love, Hannah, and her son, Jeffrey; trapped in an inferno, Ben must find a way to repair their troubled relationship and save their lives.

THE PLOT

It’s been nearly 30 years since Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and vanished. Now, a new team, led by physicist Ben Song (Raymond Lee), has been assembled to restart the project in the hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.

Everything changes, however, when Ben makes an unauthorized leap into the past, leaving the team behind to solve the mystery of why he did it. At Ben’s side throughout his leaps is Addison (Caitlin Bassett), who appears in the form of a hologram only Ben can see and hear. She’s a decorated Army veteran who brings level-headed precision to her job.

At the helm of the highly confidential operation is Herbert “Magic” Williams (Ernie Hudson), a no-nonsense career military man who has to answer to his bosses who won’t be happy once they learn about the breach of protocol. The rest of the team at headquarters includes Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), who runs the Artificial Intelligence unit “Ziggy,” and Jenn Chu (Nanrisa Lee), who heads up digital security for the project.

As Ben leaps from life to life, putting right what once went wrong, it becomes clear that he and the team are on a thrilling journey. However, Addison, Magic, Ian and Jenn know that if they are going to solve the mystery of Ben’s leaps and bring him home, they must act fast or lose him forever.

Martin Gero and Dean Georgaris serve as executive producers along with Deborah Pratt, Chris Grismer, Alex Berger, Steven Lilien and Bryan Wynbrandt.