Quantum Leap EP 103 “Someone Up There Likes Ben” Is A Loving Tribute To Family, Friends, And To Our Nations’ Verterans

Oh Janis, what have you done?

In ep 103 it’s the 1970’s and Ben has leaped into Danny Hill, a prize-winning pro boxer who’s just a day away from fighting the current world champion in Las Vegas and he’s by no means ready. Danny’s brother, Daryl, a former heavyweight champion boxer whose career was cut short from serving in Vietnam, is Danny’s trainer but it’s obvious that life is really getting in the way for both of these fighters. Danny is in love with his opponent’s girlfriend Angela and Daryl is struggling with flashbacks from the war and trying to keep the gym afloat. But a lot can happen in 24 hours.

While Addison is working on keeping Ben and the current timeline together (and making sure the poor guy doesn’t get his butt kicked and lose the fight) the gang back at QL headquarters is puzzling over new and disturbing events with Ziggy and new demands on the center’s energy as noticed by the Pentagon and now there’s some explaining to do. Everyone knows that it’s probably linked back to Janis and they’ll figure that out but the question of where the hell Ben is trying to get to with his unauthorized leaping that is until Ian finishes going through the code Ben uploaded before he jumped, and the results is even wilder than expected and involves Voyager 2, Gravity Assist, and learning how to leap back to any point in time Ben chooses. That’s going to get physically and ethically weird real quick.

The night before the fight, both Danny and Daryl are unjustly jailed for supposedly assaulting someone, and when they are sprung the next morning, Danny and Daryl have a very real, very raw moment about Daryl’s purpose in life and what their future together is going to look like and damn if it’s not a tear-jerker. The storytelling, character interactions, and camera angles throughout this episode are incredibly strong and impactful.

It’s also becoming quite clear to Jenn and Magic that Janis isn’t the misunderstood daughter of the great Admiral Al Calavicci that she leads people (like her mother and Ben) to believe but an unstable person with a vendetta who inserts herself into the project without the QL team’s permission, the ramifications of which are unknown but probably bad. Real bad. Cannot stress enough how bad things could get.

Throughout this whole ordeal, Addison is constantly by Ben’s side either as a hologram or in the office helping to piece this whole mess together all the while trying to keep Ben safe. So far no one knows where the good dr will jump to next but Ian’s findings could finally change that but the more pressing issue at hand is the shadow that until now has been following Ben from a distance but is now dangerously close and full of rage.

Quantum Leap airs on NBC Mondays at 10/9 c and then streams on Peacock the following day.