NBC's Quantum Leap reboot aired its midseason finale this week, which reavealed the reason behind Dr. Ben Song's choice to leap without warning. The original series, which premiered in 1989, followed Dr. Sam Beckett (played by Scott Bakula) as he inhabiting various people in time periods throughout his lifespan while preventing disasters each episode. While the 2022 relaunch began in a similar fashion, albeit with Kevin Can F**k Himself's Raymond Lee in the role of leaper, the series has slowly unraveled the mystery of why the time travel rules keep changing.
Longer-spanning leaps aren't the only difference in the new Quantum Leap, as the cast size is larger the second time around. Instead of having no one but his hologram (portrayed by Dean Stockston in the original), Ben counts on a whole team back at the Quantum Leap headquarters. Herbert "Magic" Williams is the head of the project, after having been leapt into during an episode of the original series. He is now played by Ernie Hudson (who recently starred in another relaunch, Ghostbusters: Afterlife), and the character is fully cognizant of how Sam Beckett's original mission changed his life.
Screen Rant spoke to Hudson about Magic's lack of work-life balance, his loyalty to the disappeared Sam and the deceased Al, and the actor's personal hopes for Quantum Leap season 1, part 2.
Ernie Hudson Breaks Down Magic's Arc In Quantum Leap
Screen Rant: I'm loving you as Magic, but I have to wonder if you ever feel jealous that Raymond's leaping to all these other time periods while you're in the office.
Ernie Hudson: Well, I think Magic is very committed and happy to be where he is. The biggest disappointment for him is the fact that Ben Song decides to do this on his own. I think Magic has always realized that his role is not to be the leaper, but to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible so that they can realize all the things that they're trying to do. When Ben decides to leap without permission and sort of betray everybody, I think it's a shock.
But aside from the characters, when I look at Raymond Lee's schedule, I think, "Okay, you know, I'm good..." I pray for his good health because, in addition to the workload, he has to learn how to be so many people. It's quite a bit of work. It's always fun, but it gives me time to do other things, and I'm good with that. I love the way things are, and I'm excited about the possibilities of what can happen next.
Absolutely. And you did get to go out when you and Jenn were on the hunt for Leaper X. In general, you two seem to have a special relationship, and I really love that dynamic. Can you talk about the bond they have?
Ernie Hudson: I think Jenn was on the path of getting deeper and deeper into trouble, but Magic sees something in her. He sees more than that, and he sort of puts her in this position. He really has a lot of faith and trust in all the people that he's assembled. To him, they're more than family—and certainly the closest family that he has. He has a daughter, but their relationship is a little bit challenging. He's no longer married, so he has some personal issues, but he's with his team that he totally trusts in this workspace. And so, when Ben Song decides to leap without permission, that just throws everything off.
But it's nice to be able to see Magic outside of that space. I also had a scene where I explained to Ian what my experience was when I was leapt into years ago, and we got a chance to walk out to a park. It's always nice to see life outside of that Quantum Leap space, and I'm hoping we'll see more of that.
I love how the show has worked in the Sam Beckett timeline, even incorporating a connection to Al Calavicci through Janis. It seems like there's a lot more untold history there, from Magic's end. Do you think we'll get more as Janis becomes more involved in the back half?
Ernie Hudson: When Magic discovers what happened, he really makes it his mission to get this project out and convinces a lot of people to help. He has a relationship with Al's family, so I think we'll see more of that. He feels a certain responsibility about the fact that Janis is off the rails, and he also has a little bit of guilt about the fact that she is brilliant and should have been on the project.
It's complicated, and he would have just come down just as hard on anyone else who did what she is doing. But the fact that she's Al's daughter makes a huge difference, because there's always that sense of obligation and loyalty. All of that is playing a part.
Speaking of family ties, Magic's conversation with Jenn in the midseason about giving second chances sounded like he was thinking about himself too. What more do you hope to explore of Magic's personal life outside the Quantum Leap project, and what have you discussed with the creatives about those relationships?
Ernie Hudson: The writers haven't shared a lot, but I know that the thing that works best is his relationship with these people at work. His personal life has suffered since that leap. I think the leap is interesting, because it's like a gap out of his life. He finally found out what happened, and that he wasn't crazy, so it clears up a lot. But it hasn't helped his personal relationships.
His commitment to the military, and then his commitment to Quantum Leap means he's paid a price; a personal price. The time he spent on this project has been time away from his family, and all of that has taken a toll. I don't want to say, because I'm not quite sure what the writers have in mind, but he's probably had some bouts with alcohol or other coping methods while making sense out of life.
Magic grew up in a situation, gets to the military, and suddenly he find a place. But it's really difficult to go back to where you came from, and you're not sure what's ahead. He has his issues, but to be successful in this mission and to be able to bring Sam back is something that's really important. But now he's burdened with having to bring Ben back too—and he feels like if they don't, it's not their failure. It's his personal failure.
You've spoken about hoping Scott Bakula would return to tie up those loose ends as Sam Beckett, and that is something your character wants badly. How would that change Magic's arc if it did happen?
Ernie Hudson: I think when you look back, you know intuitively that there are a lot of people you have to thank. There are people who helped you along the way, though you may not remember their names. Your parents tried to help you despite all the damage they caused. [Laughs] But Sam is the one time that he can specifically say, "I wouldn't be here had it not been for this man." That's clear; that's unequivocal. To be able to resolve that, and to not leave him hanging, is really important to Magic.
So much of the original series was about Scott Bakula. He's so charming, and you couldn't redo that. I'm glad we moved forward as a continuation. This is a whole different Quantum Leap, and I love that Raymond Lee's bringing his own kind of humanity. But I think it would mean a lot to Magic to find Sam.
Speaking of Janis, the fall finale does have a big reveal for Ben, now that he remembers she was the key to his leap. With that in mind, what can you tease for the back half of the season?
Ernie Hudson: I read the scripts as they come, and we're kind of in the middle of everything. I think we're going to find out, hopefully, who or what is responsible. How does that whole idea of quantum physics and quantum time travel work? How do things that happen in the future affect the past?
We're kind of all over the place because this show is not limited to just traveling within the person's lifetime. I think we'll begin to look at that, and I think it'll give people a lot to think about. But in terms of definite answers, I'm as lost as everybody.
About Quantum Leap
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 hope of understanding the mysteries behind the machine and the man who created it.
Check out our previous interview with Quantum Leap star Raymond Lee as well.
Quantum Leap season 1 returns on January 2 with new episodes.