RW526 - MCU Rewatch - Thor Ragnarok

 

In this episode of The Marvel Cinematic Universe Rewatch, Cory and Eoghan follow the prophesy as they discuss Thor Ragnarok.

Trailer:

Our Favourite Trivia:

Stan Lee cameo: The barber who cuts Thor's hair.

In Norse mythology, Ragnarök is translated as "The Fate of the Gods," although it is often confused with the word "Götterdämmerung." The myth tells of the eventual destruction of the universe and mankind, as well as the deaths of several key figures in Norse Mythology, such as the gods Odin, Thor, Loki, Heimdall, Freyr, Sol, and Tyr, and the monsters, a.k.a. Jotun, Fenris, and Jörmungandr. A new generation of gods, the children of Odin, Thor, and Sol specifically, will take the place of the old ones, as the cycle of the world starts anew.

The movie is mainly based on the Thor comics storylines "Ragnarök" and the Surtur saga. It also incorporates elements of the Marvel storylines "Contest of Champions" and "Planet Hulk."

Director Taika Waititi described this movie as a "1970s and 80s science fiction fantasy, the most 'out there' of all of the Marvel movies." He cited Big Trouble in Little China (1986) as a major influence on this movie.

This marks the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that The Incredible Hulk was not voiced by Lou Ferrigno, but by Mark Ruffalo. Ferrigno voiced Hulk in The Incredible Hulk (2008), The Avengers (2012), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" appears in this movie and the trailer. This is noteworthy because Led Zeppelin is known for very rarely licensing out their music for use in feature films, television series, or video games. The majority of other movies that have had Led Zeppelin music are related to Cameron Crowe, including Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982), and Almost Famous (2000). School of Rock (2003) and Small Soldiers (1998) also featured Zeppelin’s music.

In addition to his credited role as the voice of Korg, director Taika Waititi told Empire Magazine that he also played two other roles in this movie: "I am one of the heads on the three-headed alien, this character called Haju. I'm the head on the right. And I'm also the motion-capture for Surtur." Clancy Brown performed the voice of Surtur.

The Grandmaster's tower features statues of his champions, notable figures from Marvel comics: the alien being Beta Ray Bill, the supernatural entity Man-Thing, the Greek god Ares, the android monster the Bi-Beast, the alien Fin Fan Foom, and The Night-Crawler.

On Earth, Thor disguises his hammer Mjölnir as an umbrella. In the comics, whenever Thor took on the mortal form of Dr. Donald Blake, he disguised Mjölnir as a walking stick. However, an umbrella is a more suitable disguise for a god of thunder.

The names of the various space ships in this movie are a nod to Australia's Holden car marque. They are model names of various iconic models, such as the Commodore, Torana, Statesman, and Kingswood.

Four of the male cast have appeared in at least one Star Trek movie: Karl Urban played Dr. McCoy in Star Trek (2009), Star Trek into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Chris Hemsworth was Lieutenant George Kirk in Star Trek (2009). Benedict Cumberbatch played Khan Noonien Singh in Star Trek into Darkness (2013). Idris Elba played Krall in Star Trek Beyond (2016). In addition, Clancy Brown guest starred as Zobral in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise (2001), season one.

Cate Blanchett and Jeff Goldblum appeared in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004). Sam Neill and Jeff Goldblum both starred together in the original Jurassic Park (1993). Tom Hiddleston and Benedict Cumberbatch appeared in War Horse (2011). Karl Urban and Matt Damon appeared in The Bourne Supremacy (2004).

What's Up Next?

We get properly introduced to Black Panther!

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RW525 - Quantum Leap Revival S01E07-08 - O Ye Stand By

 

In this weeks episode of The Quantum Leap Revival, Cory and Tom are exorcising and escaping as they discuss season 1 episodes 7 & 8, O Ye of Little Faith and Stand By Ben.

O Ye of Little Faith:

Written by: Margarita Matthews

Directed by: Chris Grismer

Airdate: October 31, 2022

Synopsis: 

Ben finds himself in the body of Father Davenport, who has been summoned to perform an exorcism on a young girl named Daisy. Addison informs him that originally the girl died after the exorcism, but Ben admits that he is not religious and doesn’t believe in possessions like this, but goes along with it. As he gets information about what has been happening, Ben enters the room to a terrible stench, and sees red words written in the walls, and a young girl tied to a bed with scratches all over her face. Addison guides Ben on how the exorcism is performed, but begins glitching as a demonic figure appears above the young girl’s bed.

As Addison consults with Ian, they tell her that they don’t know what’s going on, and that it will require some time to figure it out. Ian also reminds her that Sam Beckett thought that God was controlling the original project, so it isn’t unreasonable to think a demon could in fact be interfering now. Addison confides in Jenn that she’s worried about Ben never making it back, who reassures her it’s ok to be confused, worried, and even angry, but promises her that they will bring him back. 

Doctor Felix arrives to inspect Daisy, and he believes that the girl could be cured medically but that the family’s religious beliefs are what is preventing the girl from healing. Daisy tells Ben of how she and her family came to this house after her father lost his job during the depression, and had to move in with her aunt. She further explains how after she turned 18, she began seeing the wallpaper move and other terrible things, but believes Ben was sent to her by God. Ben goes downstairs to talk with the family but is startled by screaming and thudding sounds from upstairs. Upon finally getting into the locked room, they find Daisy’s Aunt Tessa laying on top of a tall armoire, dead.

Ben tries, with the doctor, to come up with a rational explanation to no avail, and the doctor starts to believe, having no idea how the young girl could have lifted the older woman’s body. Ben talks with Daisy’s uncle Percival Gray who confesses that since her father Charles lost his job he has been wrathful, describing an argument Charles had with Tessa about his inheritance that was now going to Daisy. Charles in turn blames Percival for losing his money in an investment that turned bad due to the depression. 

The maid, Magda, reports that Daisy has started acting out again after she fed her some soup, and is talking in a strange voice. As Daisy turns to Ben and threatens him, calling him traveler, Ben freaks out and begins seeing the maid bleeding from her eyes, the walls moving with hands coming through them, and a black smoky demon crawling across the floor. 

As he regains his senses, he notices something under Daisy’s bed and pulls out a rotting fish, explaining the smell in the room. Magda admits to putting it there, explaining it as an old Jewish superstition to try and help get rid of the demon.

Ben has a conversation in the mirror, looking at the priest he has leapt into. Eventually, he comes to the conclusion that while Ben may not have faith, his host does, and decides to throw away his need to rationally explain things, and use his host’s faith to perform the exorcism instead. As he begins the Latin chants, Ben sees Daisy floating above her bed before falling back to it . The black smoky demon leaves her body, Ben is knocked over and he passes out. 

He awakens in a dreamlike room to a bright light and Addison on a bed, who beckons him to it. They kiss but Ben is confused, and Addison points out a gin glass that Ben drank from earlier, and he realizes both he and Daisy were drugged. He begins to reason about who would benefit and concludes that there must be a hidden door in the bedroom, enabling someone to try and make things appear as if a demon was responsible for everything.

 

Magda tells Ben that Charles had actually argued with Tessa, saying that he didn’t want her money, leading to Percival being next in line to inherit after Daisy. With Ben having found a secret doorway between Daisy and Percival’s rooms, and Magda explaining that the uncle had her drive far out of town to pick up jimsonweed, a hallucinogenic flower that can be fatal, Ben recruits her to prove the man’s guilt.

With some clever play acting from Daisy, they make everyone believe that she died, but as they are ready to do a final prayer over body, Ben tells them he senses the demon still nearby and Daisy arises from the dead, accusing her uncle of killing Tessa. Percy immediately crumbles and confesses to the killing and the jimsonweed poisoning, but reveals that it wasn’t for the inheritance but for Daisy’s mother Lola, who he was in love with and with whom he was supposed to run away with to Hollywood. Daisy forgives her uncle and her mother, but the constable still arrests them. Ben finishes the final step of the exorcism, with the demon, Percival and Lola leaving.

As Daisy thanks Ben, informing him that the inheritance will go to a new charity called Goodwill, she tells him that when she first saw him, she saw a man with dark hair and eyes rather than what the priest actually looks like, which surprises him. Daisy leaves and Ben begins to hear someone calling his name. He turns around to see Janis Calavicci appearing before him as a hologram, but before she can say much if anything, Ben leaps. Now a young man with a backpack, he runs with several teenagers beckoning him to follow.  

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Who is Ben? 

• Father James Davenport

Where is Ben? 

• Coventon, Maryland

When is Ben? 

• October 31st, 1934 (55 year leap back)

Closest Previous leaps- 

• S01E03 “Somebody Up There Like Ben” 1977

Closet location to Sam Beckett-

• S03E03 “Leap of Faith” Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1963

• S03E22 “Shock Theater” Havenwell, Pennsylvania 1954

• S05E22 “Mirror Image” Cokeburg, Pennsylvania 1953

• S05E20 “The Leap Between States” Mansfield County, Virginia 1862 

Closet time to Sam Beckett-

• S01E09 "Play It Again, Seymour" New York City, New York April 14, 1953

• S04E01 “The Leap Back” Crown Point, Indiana June 15, 1945 (technically Al's leap)

  
  

Lola was played by Elyse Levesque. Aside from a number of movies as a lead, available on free streaming services, she was a lead in Stargate Universe and SGU Stargate Universe Kino playing Chloe Armstrong. 

Percival was played by Josh Meyers. He’s had a number of one off roles here and there, but he’s notably the brother of late night talk show host Seth Meyers, whom he closely resembles. He did play Perry White in a comedic short called The Real Adventures of Superman and also starred in Inventing Adam (a patent attorney, Adam Stephenson, is about to marry his over-the-top boss's beautiful daughter, settling for a hollow, affluent lifestyle, and never realizing his dream of becoming an inventor) and How To Make Love To A Woman (when Andy hears his girlfriend Lauren sigh after sex, he panics. After getting fruitless help from friends, porn stars and tantric experts, he finally realizes that in order to give Lauren the "O" word, he first needs to say the "L" word). He did have a recurring role in season 8 of That 70’s Show, as well as being one of the cast members of the later seasons of MadTV (seasons 8 & 9 specifically).

Chido Nwokocha was Doctor Felix. He’s had a small run of one off roles, but did star recently in The Seven Faces of Jane (Jane experiences romance, comedy, tragedy, and crises as imagined by eight different filmmakers, starring Gillian Jacobs, with Joel McHale, and directed by Ken Jeong). He also had a main role in a series called Sisters (a group of single black females from different walks of life who bond over their one common thread: why am I single?).

Kerri Medders was Daisy. She was a lead in Bring It On: Cheer or Die, and Do Not Reply (Chelsea, a teenager, is abducted through a social media app by Brad and is held captive with other girls who are to become victims in his virtual reality filmed murders). She also appeared in the series Seal Team, Promised Land, and Alexa and Katie.

Vincent Foster was the constable, and he also appeared with Raymond Lee in VHYes. He has a list of about 50 credits, one of which is as a lead in The Affair (a man hears that having an affair can rekindle a failing marriage). He was also in The Ramones video “I Wanna Be Sedated” as a gypsy walking on his hands. 

Unsung Hero: John Grady. He’s got about 50 credits to his name, all one off roles, and low on the cast list. He did seem to have a run of appearances as a character actor on Conan O’Brien’s late night show, but nothing as a lead.

Stand By Ben:

Written by: Emily Kim

Directed by: Avi Youabian

Airdate: November 7, 2022

Synopsis: 

Ben finds himself in the body of a young teenager named Ben, who has just escaped a school for troubled youths with Leah, Stacy, and Roy. As the group discusses where they will go, a tire busts out on their getaway vehicle, and they crash.

Addison shows up and Ben explains how Janis was interfering with the leap, and tried to

 warn him about something. She tells Ben that in the original history, Ben and his friends split up and died of heat exposure. Leah ends up overhearing Ben talking, and bonds with him over her own past of talking to an invisible friend, as well as previous relationships.

Back in the future, Jenn starts looking for signs of power surges, reasoning that Janis’s imaging chamber should be similar to theirs. She eventually finds her location and she and Magic head off to confront her. Unfortunately Janis seems to have taken over their systems and put their project into a lockdown, giving her time to get away. 

Addison returns to Ben and tells him that in the original history, the school director tried to cover up the teens’ deaths by saying they got lost on a hiking trip, and later claimed he crashed his car as well. Ben tries to reason with the teens that they should go back on the road, but Roy says that the school will be out there looking for them. Stacy comes up with a plan, but it’s the one that leads to them dying as in the original timeline. The teens are adamant that they would rather die than go back to the school.

As they continue walking, Addison tells Ben about the teens’ issues, such as depression, anxiety, drug use, suicidal tendencies, and parental loss, amongst others. Roy gets angry at Ben for suggesting again that they return to the road, pushing him. He then agrees with Ben and argues against Stacy to stop for the night before it gets too much darker and they get lost, and the girl reluctantly agrees. 

While they camp, a pack of wolves suddenly appears. Leah informs them that the best defense is to act as a bigger, scarier predator in order to scare them off, which actually works. 

As the girls sleep, Roy talks with Ben and apologizes for pushing him earlier. Addison tells Ben that she knew people who went to schools like this, and that all anybody ever wanted was for someone to show they cared. As the two talk, Roy reveals he wasn’t using pills but then he talked back and was placed in The Box, a small solitary confinement torture method and was told again and again how he was worthless until he started to believe it himself. Addison suggests that this leap isn’t just about saving their lives.

In the future, Magic asks Jenn about the issues she has with her father, explaining that he reached out to Magic a few days earlier. Jenn explains he’s a con man with a gambling problem who left her to raise herself, and reaches out every few years but disappears after she lends him money. Magic listens to the voicemails Jenn’s father left, and tries to tell her it’s worth the risk to talk with him. Addison luckily has returned from the imaging chamber and rescues them from the stuck elevator, but unfortunately Janis has already made her getaway, taking all her equipment with her. Jenn makes the decision to call her father and she agrees to meet with him. 

The next morning, as the teens start walking they soon find themselves without water, feeling tired and starting to suffer from heat exhaustion. To make matters worse, Leah steps into a snake hole and breaks her ankle. They build a splint under Addison’s direction, and Roy offers Leah his painkillers, saying he doesn’t need them anymore. 

Leah talks about how her being a lesbian is what caused her parents to put her in the school, and Ben asks if she could forgive them, reasoning that it would help her to move on. The teens further support her by saying they don’t think her problems are anything strange. The group reaches the creek but it’s dried up, and Ben starts to panic. As he sees a pipe in the ground, he realizes that someone might be using it to live off the grid and stay hidden, and manages to find the cabin. The teens relax and enjoy water, snacks and some comfort, even having a dance party.

Ben talks with Stacy and tells her that it’s easy to move fast after losing a parent, and that it’s ok to slow down. Suddenly a car approaches the cabin, and it turns out to be men from the school, Ringer and Sullivan. Leah sacrifices herself so that the others can escape, but Ben refuses to leave her behind, rallying them together to go back to the school, save her, and stop the school from their abuse. 

As Ringer and Sullivan start dragging Leah to The Box, Ben and the others arrive with Leah’s uncle, a reporter, someone she had called from the cabin earlier, and he begins pressuring them for answers. They say they will call the police but the group has already called them, with Addison reporting that Ringer and Sullivan will be going into a box. The school is also shut down, with members of the staff indicted on multiple counts of child endangerment. She also reports that the teens remain friends for life. The moment brings forth a memory Ben has of Janis, telling her she needs to promise to see things through, no matter what. He tells Addison he remembers why he leapt: to save Addison. Before she can react however, Ben leaps.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Who is Ben? 

• Ben Winters

Where is Ben? 

• Lassen County, California

When is Ben? 

• July 10, 1996 (62 year leap forward)

Closest leaps- 

• S01E02 “Atlantis” 1998

Closet location to Sam Beckett-

• S04E13 “Temptation Eyes” San Francisco 1985

• S02E16 “Freedom” Nevada 1970 

Closet time to Sam Beckett-

• S04E01 “The Leap Back” Stallions Gate, New Mexico September 18, 1999

  
  

Kurt Yeager played Ringer. He was in 143 episodes of Tommy n Bobby, a comedy series about two brothers that drink beer in their Mother's basement in Boston. He was also a lead in Personal Space (unbeknownst to the crew of a generation ship, their therapy sessions are being broadcast on Earth as a reality show). He was also a little higher on the cast list for Piranhaconda (a sequel to Sharktopus, Piranha/anaconda hybrid creatures hunt down the scientist who stole their egg, as well as a film crew making a slasher film in the jungle). This movie also starts Michael Madsen.

The movie:

The song:

Ciara Riley Wilson played Leah. She recently starred in Netflix’s Freeridge (a group of friends may or may not have unleashed a deadly curse, starting a new adventure). She was also in the Kim Possible TV movie, as well as an apparent series based on it called Kim Hushable. 

Anthony Turpel played Roy. He previously had a run of 95 episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful. Recently he was a lead in Play Dead (Chloe fakes her own death to steal evidence from a morgue. The Coroner uses the morgue as a front for a sick and twisted business. A scary game of cat and mouse ensues as Chloe learns more about the dead than she bargains for), and a series called Love, Victor (Victor is a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation).

Independent Studio Services or ISS is a prop supplier for television and film production studios. ISS was founded in 1977 by Gregg Bilson, Sr., and is currently based in Sunland, California. Fictional brands of products are produced by Studio Graphics, a division of ISS. Many of these brands have appeared in multiple film and television productions, including the beers HaberKern, Heisler, Jekyll Island, Matador Lager, and Penzburg which was featured in this episode.

Further Resources:

Quantum Leap IMDb

Quantum Leap Wikipedia

Original Series IMDb

Original Series Wikipedia

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RW524 - Quantum Leap Revival S01E05-06 - Salvation Disaster!

 

In this weeks episode of The Quantum Leap Revival, Cory and Tom save towns and families as they discuss season 1 episodes 5 & 6, Salvation or Bust and What a Disaster!

Salvation or Bust:

Written by: Benjamin Raab & Deric A. Hughes

Directed by: Silas Howard

Airdate: October 17, 2022

Synopsis: 

Ben leaps into gunslinger Diego DeLaCruz in the middle of an argument with his granddaughter, Valentina, in the town of Salvation in 1879. Following her outside, a group of outlaws, led by wanted man McDonough, confront the people of Salvation and threaten them into giving up their town to the Pacific Railroad Company, or be forced out. The sheriff rejects their offer, explaining how they’ve petitioned the governor for help, but is shot by McDonough. Valentina volunteers her grandfather as their savior, but the outlaws are nonplussed and leave for the moment. Ben talks with Addison, but she has trouble trying to figure out why he’s here due to the spotty records that were kept, but Ben is sure that it can’t be to just win a gunfight. 

In the future, congresswoman Kavita Adani, one of the members of the project’s oversight committee, has paid them a surprise visit, meaning the team can’t exactly go about its usual business in helping Ben.

Salvation, built by Valentina’s father and Diego’s son, was built for outsiders and the townspeople do not want to leave it, with bar owner Frankie giving Ben his son’s guns to help save them. Both Addison and Ben have the idea to turn in McDonough and collect the reward money to pay off the railroad, but it turns out all the sheriff’s deputies have quit, taking an offer from McDonough. He tries the same tactic with Ben, who refuses along with one deputy named Henry. 

Addison tries to train him to shoot, despite Ben’s insistence that he can’t, given the fact that he has never fired a gun and that Diego is not the young gunfighter he once was either. He acquiesces to training but wants to know about their first date before doing so. Ben attempts shooting but is wildly off target, and with Addison being called back to base, Henry steps in to help. After accidentally grazing himself, Ben talks with the town doctor, Ming, the young son of a deaf former mine worker, Wei. Suddenly an explosion rings out as they discover McDonough has set fire to the town’s forge. Ben tries to get Valentina to wait in retaliation against the outlaws, but she insults him and walks away, with the townspeople begging Ben to help.

Adani starts interviewing members of the project but doesn’t get much out of them. She threatens Jenn with breaking the rules of her parole but Jenn counters that without her authorization in writing, she can’t help her. Interviewing Ian, they try to explain away the power surges to protect the AI systems, and other technobabble, but Adani calls out the fact that the power surges coincide with the exact amount of power that the leaping calculations require.

Addison talks to Ben, who is drowning his sorrows, and he confesses his sadness about not being able to be there with Addison, and his regret at why he decided to leap, still unknown to them. Ben goes to find Valentina to work things out, but he finds out she left with his guns and is facing down McDonough on her own. With Valentina easily captured, Ben convinces McDonough to talk and he offers Ben an option: duel him for the town and if Ben loses, the townspeople leave. 

Addison begins pointing out skills that the townspeople have, and Ben rallies them together to create a trap against McDonough. At the duel, Ben gives McDonough one chance to surrender, but he of course refuses. The plan is set into action with Henry firing a shot and releasing Valentina from the outlaws clutches. Frankie fires up a ring of fire, while Ming and Wei toss in explosives. As the outlaws try to escape to the bar, chemicals end up causing them to pass out, and a cage dropped from above captures McDonough as he runs out the door. Ben reveals that the authorities are on their way with the reward for capturing them, and he and Valentina reunite happily.

Adani accuses Magic of performing an unauthorized leap, but Magic uses information Jenn found about when she and her brother were drinking and driving. She pulled strings so that it would seem like her brother was driving, when in fact she was. Magic tells her that the project was made to travel in time, and that the technology could be used to save her brother, but they need more time to figure out how to do it properly. The congresswoman drops her case and leaves. 

Back in Salvation, the people are happy but wonder what will happen when the money dries up and the railroad company comes back. Addison points out that there’s an unclaimed copper vein nearby, and if they stake a claim the town will be put on the map and saved. As Addison and Ben celebrate, a man grabs Ben and warns him that he knows who he is and what he’s doing. He threatens Ben to stop following him before Ben leaps.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Who is Ben? 

• Diego de la Cruz

Where is Ben? 

• Salvation, California

When is Ben? 

• 1879 (102 year leap back)

Closest Previous leaps- 

• S01E03 “Somebody Up There Like Ben” 1977

Closet location to Sam Beckett-

• S01E01 “Genesis” Blockfield 1956

• S01E04 “The Right Hand of God” Sacramento 1974

• S01E08 “Camikazi Kid” Los Angeles 1961

• S02E02 “Disco Inferno” Burbank 1976

• S02E07 “Thou Shalt Not” Los Angeles 1974

• S02E08 “Jimmy” Oakland 1964

• S02E11 “A Portrait for Troian” Near Los Angeles 1971

• S02E12 “Animal Frat” Meeks College 1967

• S02E14 “All-American” Woodland Hills 1962

• S02E22 “M.I.A.” San Diego 1969

• S03E07 “Black on White on Fire” Watts 1965

• S03E08 “The Great Spontini” Oakland 1974

• S03E09 “Rebel Without a Clue” Near Big Sur 1958

• S04E05 “Permanent Wave” Beverly Hills 1983

• S04E06 “Raped” Mill Valley 1980

• S04E08 “Dreams” Malibu 1979

• S04E13 “Temptation Eyes” San Francisco 1985

• S04E19 “Moments to Live” Los Angeles 1985

• S04E22 “A Leap for Lisa” San Diego 1957

• S05E01 “Lee Harvey Oswald Part 1” Tustin 1959

• S05E04 “Nowhere to Run” San Diego 1968

• S05E07 “Deliver Us From Evil” Oakland 1966

• S05E18 “Goodbye Norma Jean” Hollywood 1960

• S05E22 “Mirror Image” San Diego 1969

Closet time to Sam Beckett-

• S05E20 “The Leap Between the States” September 20th, 1867 Mansfield County, Virginia

  
  

Valentina is played by Natalia del Riego. She was in 6 of the 10 episodes of Promised Land (An epic, generation-spanning drama about two Latino families vying for wealth and power in California's Sonoma Valley), but quite farther down the cast list. Most recently she was a minor character in the animated series Velma, and she’s had a recurring character on NCIS: Los Angeles for the last two seasons.

Henry is played by Marquise Vilsón. He was in a short called Marquise (the role that actor Marquise Vilsón plays onstage provides important lessons for his life everywhere else), but he is listed second to last in the cast list. Most recently, he was a main cast member of the CW series Tom Swift (Tom is a billionaire inventor who is thrust into a world of sci-fi conspiracy and unexplained phenomena after the shocking disappearance of his father). 

Yaani King Mondschen is Frankie the barkeep. In her past, she was in a little less than half of the episodes of Saved (an angel offers a jaded Oklahoma City police detective the chance to redeem her life), and a series called Rommieloverfriends which has no description but she was a main cast member. Most recently she was in The Kings of Napa (The wine business has brought the King's family success and acclaim, but following the patriarch's sudden exit from the company, his three children must grapple for the reigns to the kingdom, to their own power, wealth and legacy).

McDonough is played by William Mark McCullogh. In 2021, he was a lead in A Savannah Haunting (a family loses their young daughter in a tragic drowning and moves to Savannah, only to be haunted by her presence in their new home), and The Crickets Dance (Southern attorney Angie Lawrence searches of the rightful owner of a journal recovered from an antebellum home she inherited. The journal is full of mystery and history that just may lead her to the future she has always dreamed of). He has in a number of what appear to be made for TV movies you can see on various free to watch streaming services as well as over 20 shorts.

Farrah Merani played Kavita Adani. Most recently she was in a movie called The Jungle Book (but not THAT Jungle Book). The movie poster is of a city with the title in neon lights; no synopsis was provided.

Unsung Hero: Alberto Manquero as Diego. He’s had a handful of minor roles, most recently in Pam and Tommy.

What a Disaster! :

Written by: 

Story by : Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrant

Teleplay by : Steven Lilien & Bryan Wynbrant and Martin Gero

Directed by: Helen Shaver and Chris Grismer

Airdate: October 24, 2022

Synopsis: 

In the future, the team is in a panic as they try to figure out how the mysterious man in Salvation knew Ben’s name and information. Ben leaps into John Harvey, a husband in a failing marriage with a woman named Naomi. As she talks with him, he realizes where he is as the San Francisco Earthquake of 1989 hits them. Outside, Naomi starts to attend to victims who are hurt, while Ben rushes off to find an ambulance. Addison tells Ben to not worry about the mysterious man, who they are now calling him Leaper X, and focus on the leap. The team is trying to come up with how this person was able to leap, with the main possibility that someone in the future is using their exact facility to leap. Addison, having issues with her handlink, uses an earlier model of the handlink once used by Al.

Ben and Naomi return to their home to find their son Jason is not there. As Naomi goes to check with neighbors, Addison tells Ben about his own relationship with his parents, non-existent with his father, and how his mother died when he was in high school, which results in him remembering her and her cooking. Seeing a torn family photo, and realizing that Jason likely learned about the impending divorce, Ben has Addison look up the son, who she discovers died in the earthquake in the original timeline.

Meanwhile, Jenn manages to use the project technology to capture an image of Leaper X, with Ian putting it through an NSA database search, eventually finding out he is Sergeant Richard Martinez, a marine with many medals, stationed at a local base. 

Ben talks with Naomi, and they reason that Jason went back to their old apartment in Oakland, a place he remembers being happy. As they head there, Naomi lashes out at her decision to move their family away, triggering more memories from Ben. Ben reassures Naomi that she did what she did for the family and is a good mom. The sounds of people in trouble draws their attention and they head off.

Magic and Jenn go to Martinez’s home and question him, but he seems to be an honest man, someone wanting citizenship and as such devoted himself to the military to protect the country that gave him and his family a stable life. Magic still orders Jenn to dig up whatever she can, in case they are missing something, but she finds nothing.

Ben and Naomi manage to rescue a family from a trapped car but Naomi is hurt by a falling electrical transformer. Ben’s attempts to wake her reveal another memory of when his own mom died, and Addison shows up to show him how to restart her heart with a precordial thump. As Addison tells Ben the old apartment building will collapse in just 45 minutes, he leaves Naomi with an ambulance and takes off. As he runs, he remembers the night his mother died and how they had a huge fight because of his report card which he purposely got B’s on. He then took off, but upon returning later that night, he discovered that his mother had suffered a brain aneurysm and died. Ben tells Addison that was the reason he would get obsessed with physics and time travel and eventually want to be involved in the program. He also feels the need to save Jason, so he can have the relationship with his mother that Ben himself could not. 

Ian goes to Magic and admits they may have been looking at the math wrong, and reasons that Ben may have been leaping to try and get to a point in the future, not the past. Addison talks with Jenn and tells her that it seems like Ben is more in touch with his feelings now than he ever was before leaping. 

Ben finds Jason safe, but he goes into the building when his son reports one of their old neighbors is still inside.  Ben gets to the man, but in trying to get him out, he gets knocked out by a falling ceiling beam. Jason comes in to help him and manages to wake him up. Together they lift the beam and get out just in time.  Ben talks with him about how his mother does love him and made the choices she made for him. Together, they reunite at the hospital with Naomi, and Ziggy reports that Jason and his mom reconcile, and he goes on to become an engineer that builds better buildings that can be safer during earthquakes. 

Ben realizes that his mother is still alive in this time period and wants to call her, with Addison understanding and giving him the number, but before he can say more than “mom,” Ben leaps, appearing as a priest on a doorstep at Halloween.

Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:

Who is Ben? 

• John Harvey

Where is Ben? 

• San Francisco, California

When is Ben? 

• October 17, 1989 (110 year leap forward, matching Sam’s record for leaping back) 

  Note: The original series launched in 1989. By October 17th, they had aired up to S02E03

Closest leaps- 

• S01E01 “July 13th, 1985”

Closet location to Sam Beckett-

• S0413 “Temptation Eyes” February 1st, 1985

Closet time to Sam Beckett-

• S05E17 “Revenge of the Evil Leaper” September 16th, 1987 Mallard, Ohio

  
  

Walter Perez is Leaper X / Richard Martinez. He’s had a number of roles, but mainly lower on the cast list. He had a recurring role in the later season of Queen Sugar (3 siblings claim shared inheritance of a sugar cane farm). He did star as a lead in The Park Bench (when Emily, a librarian-to-be, is assigned to tutor Mateo, a struggling undergrad, in American Lit, they do not get along; but when the discussion turns from classics to confessions, they learn something that could change their lives forever), Line of Duty (four friends from the rough side of town grow apart when two are consumed by a life of crime, and the other two become FBI agents sent deep undercover - to bring down those childhood friends), The Pregnancy Project (a 17-year-old, attending a Washington state high-school, made her senior school project the treatment of pregnant teenagers by pretending to be pregnant), Emilio (an 18-year old kid leaves his village in Mexico looking for his kidnapped sister. His journey takes him to Los Angeles, where we see the city through the eyes of this penniless illegal immigrant on a desperate quest), and was higher up on the cast list for the rebooted Fame movie.

Jewel Staite was Naomi, and is probably best known for her role as Kaylee in Firefly. From our own blog post: She has appeared in a Black Mirror/Twilight Zone type of short called CC, about an android nanny. She also starred in Stargate Atlantis along with Jason Momoa. She did have another series called The LA Complex, a relationship drama. More recently she guest starred in Blindspot and The Magicians. As a kid she starred in Flash Forward, a comedy on the Disney Channel in Canada in which she played a middle schooler living across from her best friend Tucker and the two get into hijinks while comparing what was going on with their younger days. Since we last saw her, she’s been in a show called Family Law (follows a group of flawed family members who reluctantly work together at their father's law firm in downtown Vancouver). 

This episode was originally filmed as the series pilot. The decision was later made to move it further back into the season, requiring additional reshoots and editing to fit its new place in the season's story arc. From Martin Gero: “So, to clarify the timeline, we shot a pilot in March, and that pilot was finished in April and submitted for approval from the network. For a bunch of reasons, that pilot wasn’t right. And so, we had a big conversation. People give network TV a lot of shit, but one of the things that it does really right is make pilots. Pilots are very expensive, but they really do teach you an enormous amount about the show. So, after watching the original pilot, which will be a fantastic episode six, it just didn’t feel buzzy enough to be the first episode of the show.”

Unsung Hero: Our unsung hero is an actual unnamed hero, as IMDB does not list the actor who played John, whose reflection we see in a window.

Kiss with History: On October 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area, killing 67 people and causing more than $5 billion in damages. Despite the fact that the disaster was one of the most powerful and destructive quakes ever to hit a populated area of the United States, the death toll was relatively small. The disaster is known both as the San Francisco-Oakland earthquake and the Loma Prieta earthquake because it was centered near Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

San Francisco’s Marina district suffered extensive damage due to no underlying bedrock,leading to the collapse of a number of structures. Additionally, gas mains and pipes burst, sparking fires. A 1.25-mile segment of the two-level street collapsed during the quake, resulting in 42 fatalities when the upper level of the road crashed onto the cars on the lower level.

In the quake’s aftermath, San Francisco and other communities enacted strict regulations requiring unreinforced masonry buildings to be retrofitted.

Further Resources:

Quantum Leap IMDb

Quantum Leap Wikipedia

Original Series IMDb

Original Series Wikipedia

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