The Baumer

i know im gonna sound like a geek, but this morning out of nowhere, QL popped into my head and i remembered how much i liked it when i was a kid.

heres my question, how come Sam never tried to contact his younger self at any time and tell him not to create Project QL? was this ever brought up during the shows run?

runner001

my personal thought on this is that if sam as his younger self were contacted by some stranger and told not to create the project, that would probably cause him to become even more curious and determined. being a brilliant scientist (amongst other disciplines), he may eventually surmise that his project will work and become even more excited about completing it.

if sam were to tell his younger self the truth (not pretend to be someone else) and say that his project worked but don't create it, this won't work either. sam, i believe, was motivated by the possibility of saving his 1st love and to see his father again and such. i think his younger self would still go forth with the project. ...

that's my opinion anyway.

JLB

It's the Biff factor from BTTF

runner001

I'm familiar with the classic trilogy but I'm not sure how this applies. could you elaborate a bit more?

Mopower

I think he means that Biff went back to 1955 to give himself the sports almanac and make him rich but time fixed itself by having Marty thwart his timeline in the alternate 1985 to reverse what had happened and at the end of the second movie Biff was still waxing Martys dad's BMW just like at the end of the first movie. So if Sam went back to tell himself not to start QL something along the timeline would happen to insure that QL was started and that Sam was a part of it. Hope that makes sense because it didnt when I was writing it.

MasterofDVD

We are talking about a man who tested a very risky invention on himself without consulting anybody else he worked with. He was a man of science who was determined to finish his creation no matter the risks.

Had he gone back and talked to his younger self I too believe that his interest in science would of grown tremendously and he still would of created the device when his younger self was older enough.

runner001

O I C. so basically you are subscribing to the FGTW is controlling everything theory whereas my reason has more to do with an individual making a choice. not saying either one of us is right, just making an observation.

Shannon Nutt

The result of this would be the same result that happened in the final episode:

Trout

Speaking of the final episode, what was the picture they show at the end finale?

Michael Corvin

They touched on this in a couple of episodes if I'm not mistaken. Probably the finale to. Memory is hazy. But I distinctly remember them talking about all the lives he has changed and all the good he has done. If he had convinced his younger self to not create QL then all was for naught. Sam being the boy scout he is, would hate to see all those people's lives ruined in a blink of an eye over him being selfish.

ShannonNut, I understand what you are getting at, but the ending can be taken different ways. Just because he

I saw the finale as GFTW, as giving Sam one choice/ chance to get out. Sam took the road less travelled sealing his fate of Therefore putting his trust in GFTW to eventually get him home.

Michael Corvin

BTW, I love how we are spoilerizing a show that aired over 10 years ago. It is such a special show, I would hate to ruin it for those just discovering it on dvd.

Forum Troll

Haven't you ever seen the season 3 episode "The Leap Home"? Sam leaps into himself as a 16 year old kid, back in Elk Ridge. So, if ever there was a chance to change history and convince himself to never get involved in the Starlight Project and its derivative Quantum Leap, this was it. However, since the whole reason he was there was to save his brother Tom from dying in Vietnam, the whole issue is moot.

Trout

I think it's interesting how Sam saved his brother, but that had no effect on his future. There was also an episode where young Sam hears about the time travel/string theory from a Sci-fi tv host that old Sam helped, resulting in young Sam developing an interest in time travel.

Great show btw.

mikehunt

sam also told one of his professors that the string theory worked. he was trying to protect some woman and took her to the professor's cabin to hide out and the professor showed up

Shannon Nutt

Michael, I would agree with you, except that:


I'd have to watch the show again to be sure...haven't seen it since it aired.

Shannon Nutt

If you're talking about this picture (which was over the end credits), I believe it's a young Donald Bellasario with his father:

Michael Corvin

It just said that he

Just ordered season 2. I held out as long as I could, but music be damned I want to watch all these episodes again.

runner001

okay. that's what I thought I remembered. but since I didn't have access to the episodes, I couldn't be sure.

JLB

Oh Boy!

Michael Corvin

Well, I used to have it on tape, I watched it probably 2 dozen times, but it has been a while since I have seen it.

Silly Burrito

Well, if I remember correctly, in the episode where young Al was on trial..



So what does that prove? Well, it COULD prove that even if Al had not been there, Quantum Leap would've gone on. Perhaps a few things would've changed, but the program as a whole would've survived. Ziggy was built with both Sam and Al's personalities, but it wasn't essential for Al to be there.

Michael Corvin

Exactly. Little things would change. Not the big picture. Like in some futures Sam is married and in others he is not, but the project is always there. Like it is the centerpoint. No matter what changes Project Quantum Leap(Starbright, Alpha, etc) will still exist.

BTW, anyone who misses this show should check out the novels. There are about 15 of them and every one is excellent and captures the magic of the show.