Family Style:
Written by: Aadrita Mukerji
Directed by: Deborah M. Pratt
Airdate: February 27, 2023 (3 week break)
Synopsis:
Ben finds himself in the body of Kamini Prassad, a cook and family member of an Indian-owned restaurant named “The Masala Garden.” He is immediately faced with navigating what seems to be a point of contention between her sister, Manisha, and mother, Sonali, about the menu of her recently passed father.
At Quantum Leap, Magic confronts Ian about the information they received about them leaping. Ian is shaken but recognizes that the drawing, while looking like them, is obviously older. Nevertheless, they are still upset at the realization that a future version of them will be responsible for sending Ben back into the past and separating him from Addison.
Addison shows up to let Ben know that the restaurant burns down tonight, with Sonali passing away in a few weeks, and her two daughters never speaking to each other again. As Ben tries to figure out how the restaurant could burn down, he is suddenly attacked by a man with a gun and a woman, Kathy, asking where their money is, referring to the rent money the family owes. Ben talks her down from killing him, and she gives him one last chance to pay up, believing his story that they are expecting a huge turn out tonight. Addison tells Ben that Kathy goes to jail in a few years for burning down apartment buildings that she owns, trying to collect on the insurance.
Ben broaches the idea of using Groupon to bring customers in, and while Sonali is hesitant, she eventually goes along. Manisha is frustrated because Sonali has decided against the new menus, and confides in Ben about how she wants to be a world class chef, and how she’s disappointed that their mom has changed so much since their dad died.
Things start to fall apart at the restaurant, with one worker taking naps due to unsleeping babies at home, and another leaving to get in line for sneakers, to Sonali suffering from a nerve injury making it hard to cook. Some family members stop by, but Sonali gives them a quick brush off, thinking their intentions are to look down upon them. Sonali and Manisha get into another argument about the menu, with Sonali insulting her daughter about her dreams and Manisha quitting.
Ian, under stress and working overtime to figure out why their future self would do what they did, is ordered by Magic to take some time off to center themselves. Ian reluctantly takes the time and visits an ex-partner named Rachel. As they talk, Rachel mentions that she and Ian broke up because they couldn’t talk about their struggles at work, and that the same thing seems to be happening right now, and she abruptly leaves.
Ben tries to help Sonali get food prepared, but the mother is impatient with the way he is doing things and takes over, doing most of the tasks herself. Addison helps Ben find the number of a restaurant investor named Kevin Rasmussen, who in the original timeline bought the restaurant after the fire, and he attempts to convince the man to invest. When Ben returns to the restaurant, he finds that Sonali cut herself while cooking and tries to get her to contact Manisha for help, but she refuses. When Sonali drops some food, they both realize how deep the cut is and Sonali passes out.
Ben flashes back to when his own mother died and he panics. Addison shakes him back to reality, and he tends to Sonali’s cut. He asks her if she wants pride to get in the way of family, saying that she can’t push people away because she doesn’t like the way they behave, referring to Manisha and their cousins. Sonali finally agrees to go find Manisha, and the three reconcile with Sonali agreeing to a minor menu change. They return to the restaurant, only to find it on fire, with a huge explosion destroying the building.
Ben sees Kathy talking to the firemen and he confronts her about burning the restaurant down, but she denies it. She adds that they still owe her the money, even if she does collect on the insurance. Ben rallies the family together, and comes up with the idea to do a pop up restaurant.
Ian finds Rachel again and opens up more, asking if she thinks they are capable of making a decision that would hurt people. She reassures Ian that she trusts them, and that everything they do is always for a good reason.
Ben finds a location for the restaurant, getting help from a wedding that delayed their wrap up. Sonali then reveals that she contacted the cousins and worked things out with them, and surprises everyone by allowing Manisha to make her menu and lead the kitchen.
Addison returns to the project to find out where the investor is, but Jenn is flummoxed by Ziggy. Luckily, Ian returns to the project and helps them get the answers, discovering that the investor ironically got food poisoning. The family is distraught but the cousins step in and offer to invest and set them up with a new restaurant. Addison reports that things work out for the family, and Sonali lives a longer and happy life. Furthermore Kathy is taken down for insurance fraud, thanks to another family member in the police department.
Ben takes a moment to reflect on how many of the things he said to Sonali were things he wished he had the chance to say to his own mom. Before he can leap, he talks with Sonali about how worried she is about not being needed anymore, but she knows Manisha will handle the restaurant just fine. He tells her that it’s time for her to start living for herself. Sonali looks at her daughter, and Ben says the words he’s wanted to say for a long time, “I Love You Mom.” He leaps, and now finds himself as a soldier on a giant battleship.
Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:
Who is Ben?
Kamini Prasad
Where is Ben?
Portland, Oregon
When is Ben?
September 2009 (3 year leap back)
Closest Previous leaps-
S01E12 “Let Them Play” 2012
Closet location to Sam Beckett-
S05E19 “The Beast Within” Washington State 1972
Closet time to Sam Beckett-
S04E01 “The Leap Back” Stallions Gate, New Mexico September 18, 1999
While we did mention Deborah Pratt in episode 1 of the revival series, she was also brought on board as Executive Producer as well, and directed this episode. For those playing a bit of inside baseball at home, you may have noticed that the Rachel character mentions Ian is upset because Pretty Little Liars was canceled, a show that starred Troian Bellisario (daughter of Deborah Pratt and QL creator Don Bellisario).
Nandini Minocha played Sonali. She was a lead in a show called Magic Funhouse (Brandon Rogers stars as the screaming, foul-mouthed host of an overly colorful low-budget children's TV show featuring the worst advice for kids, an inept crew, and numerous technical difficulties), and a show called Aarzu e Mann (Pakistani-American girl, Samira, is born in a wealthy and politically connected Shah family but falls in love with an American man which makes things complicated, as she struggles to have her conservative and influential father embrace her choice).
Laura Niemi played Kathy. She had a role in FX’s The Patient (Steve Carrell stars. A psychotherapist finds himself held prisoner by a serial killer who demands he help him curb his homicidal urges). She was in 6 episodes of This Is Us, but won critical acclaim for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Alice Kremelberg played Rachel. She recurred as Nicole Eckelcamp on the last two seasons of Jenji Kohan's Orange is the New Black for Netflix, and was nominated for an Emmy for their performance as Kat in The Feels, which she both co-wrote and acted in. Most recently, she starred in the final season of The Sinner as Percy Muldoon, and played Bernadine in Aaron Sorkin's Oscar nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7 for Netflix/Dreamworks.
Though Ian and Rachel are exes, Alice Kremelberg (Rachel) and Mason Alexander Park (Ian) are partners in real life.
Unsung Hero: Lara Shah as Kamini. She was the lead in Trippin To The Altar (a couple hires a team of wannabe filmmakers to follow them during their engagement), Bye Bye Baby, Collisions (a spellbinding intersection between the lives of two very different young couples), and Tonight I’m Yours, amongst other minor roles.
S.O.S.:
Written by: Dean Georgaris
Directed by: Chris Grismer
Airdate: March 6, 2023
Synopsis:
Ben finds himself as Commander Rossi, onboard the battleship Montana, in what appears to be an actual battle. As Ben struggles to follow orders, he soon finds out that it was actually just a drill, preparation for a series of wargames between the US, Australians, and South Koreans in the East China Sea. As Addison helps Ben get situated, she suddenly realizes where he is. The captain, Bill Drake, gives a speech Addison knows, and she points out that the man next to him is her father, Alexander Augustine.
She tells Ben that in the original history, the Montana received a partial distress call, but it was incomplete, never repeated, her father ignored it, and did not tell the captain about it. Later, an investigation revealed that the call came from a sub called The Tampa. It was on a top secret mission, and was sinking, ultimately killing everyone on board. Addison’s father was later encouraged to leave active duty for his part in what happened. Both Ben and Jenn have great misgivings about changing this history, due to how it could impact Addison herself, but Ian reasons that it would take a lot of very large changes to affect a person’s history. Addison is certain that no matter what, her father will still remain the same stoic and seemingly unemotional man he always was.
Back on the bridge, the captain learns that a Chinese sub, present earlier during the drill, has returned and is again watching them. The captain wants to make an aggressive action to scare them off, but Alexander convinces him to not do so, choosing to scare them with their actions in the wargames instead. As the captain leaves the bridge, an officer says something about the captain and Alexander gets angry with him, something that shocks Addison.
Suddenly, the distress call comes through, and after some minor discussion Alexander decides to investigate it, again to Addison’s surprise. The captain returns to the bridge and stops them from answering the distress call, revealing to Addison that the history she knew was wrong.
Magic, at Jenn’s urging, decides to contact a friend in the Chinese military to learn their version of what happened aboard the Tampa. Ian also finds a way to help Ben prove the distress call is real and definitely from a fellow US ship. The captain orders an intercept course but suddenly fires torpedoes on the sub that’s been following them, trying to send a warning shot. Ben tries standing up to him but is quickly shot back down, with Addison telling him to follow orders.
Ben meets with Alexander, who says that due to his abusive father he was a wreck when he joined the navy, but the Captain saw something in him and helped him to become a good soldier, to harness something other than hate, and will keep the captain in check.
Addison gets a notification that the Tampa sub soldiers still die because they weren’t rescued. As Ben wonders how that’s possible, the Montana is hit and damaged by something.
Back in the future, Magic learns that the Chinese government laid mines in their waters to capture American subs and steal the technology. Unfortunately, the weather caused a number of mines to drift free from the coast and was the reason the Tampa sank.
With Jenn’s help, Ben manages to come up with a way for them to detect the mines, but the plan only enrages the Captain, and he orders them to fire on the enemy sub if they see it. Alexander rushes to the bridge and orders an emergency stop, with the Captain ordering Alexander’s arrest. Addison reports that if they fire, they will be going to war.
Alexander confides in Ben that he feels his wife doesn’t love him anymore, and that he can’t open himself up to let others in. Instead of passing along his darkness, he has chosen to leave so his wife can move on and be happy, because he knows she would never leave him on her own. Luckily, Ben convinces Alexander that he needs to save the Captain from his own rash choices, and together they stage a breakout from the brig. Ben gets captured, but Alexander makes it to the bridge and faces off against the captain. The rest of the crew, already having voiced their concerns to Alexander earlier, decide to stand with him instead of the captain. The realization that his crew was ready to mutiny, brings the captain out of his rage and he puts Alexander in charge.
With time running out, the Montana has to go directly through the minefield, with Addison giving Ben the idea to detonate the mines remotely, and they make it through the field unharmed, and save the sailors aboard the Tampa.
Addison goes to her father on the bridge and talks to him, even though he can’t hear her. She tells him that he isn’t anything like his abusive father, that he made her the person she is today, and that everything will be ok. As Alexander looks into the distance, he echoes Addison’s words to himself that everything will be ok.
As Ben stands on the deck, the officer who helped him on the radio, Walker, approaches and thanks him. When Ben turns, he is confronted with Leaper X, Richard Martinez. Ben is confused as to why he helped, but Martinez says that Ben actually helped him. Ben doesn’t understand, and he tells Ben that is why he is going to win, before he leaps. As the real Walker returns, Ben also leaps, finding himself as a public defender in court.
Ziggy’s Data Retrieval:
Who is Ben?
Commander Rossi
Where is Ben?
U.S.S. Montana, East China Sea
When is Ben?
May 2, 1989 (20 year leap back)
Closest leaps-
S01E06 "What a Disaster!" 1989
Closet location to Sam Beckett-
S03E02 "The Leap Home Part 2" Vietnam 1970
Closet time to Sam Beckett-
S05E17 "Revenge of the Evil Leaper" Mallard, Ohio September 16, 1987
Alexander was played by Brandon Routh, best known for his role of Superman/Clark Kent in Superman Returns, the 2006 follow up to the Christopher Reeve movies. He also had a long run as The Atom on CW’s Legends of Tomorrow, Arrow, and The Flash, before being written out of the show, along with his wife, despite being one of the most popular characters. He’s had other series, such as Partners (stars David Krumholtz. Two lifelong friends, who are both architects, form a business partnership), a few episodes of Chuck, as well as an episode of Gilmore Girls. He’s also appeared in dozens of movies, such as Scott Pilgrim Vs The World, 400 Days (Stars Catie Lotz from Legends, and Dane Cook. With their 400-day mission simulation nearing completion, 4 astronauts begin to feel something's amiss), and Zack and Miri Make A Porno. He is also distantly related to Deborah Pratt.
Captain Drake was played by Alex Carter. He’s made a career playing authority figures in many shows, even recurring in shows such as NCIS. One series he was a lead on was Black Harbour (a Los Angeles chef returns to her Nova Scotia roots to run her ailing mother's boatyard with her director husband and two daughters).
Rich Paul played one of the officers, Navigation Officer Murray, and he’s a link to previous rewatch. Rich played a minor role in a Netflix show called The Guardians of Justice (Will Save You!), in which a Superman character is murdered and the team of heroes led by a Batman-type character is left to solve the crime. The trailer features a newscaster heavily, played by none other than Hal Ozsan, or Todd Carr of Dawson's Creek fame.
Chris Grismer previously directed episode 7, “O Ye of Little Faith.”
Dean Georgaris previously had a “story by” credit on episode 9, “Fellow Travelers.”
Unsung Hero: Rossi is uncredited.
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