 The theme of learning from history so as not to repeat it being very prominent in the 1989-93 NBC cult-classic sci-fi action-adventure series "Quantum Leap" makes it aptly significant as to the Mill Creek Entertainment Blu-ray CS set of this series.
This begins with the MCE release aptly putting right what once went wrong as to the individual DVD sets of "Quantum." As hologram assistant/best friend Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell) to brilliant physicist/hero Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula "Star Trek: Enterprise") would say, the earlier sets are caca. The images of this major-studio release of this modern series is painfully grainy to watch. The images and sound in the Blu-ray set conversely are "mahvelous, simply mahvelous." The comparable shelf space required of the DVD and the BD sets also favor the latter. MCE, which separately packages each season of "Quantum" in this set, makes it compact while still leaving ample room to take each individual season out of the stylish cardboard box in which they are contained. The final comment regarding physical media relates to a major annoyance regarding streaming services. The real possibility that any service will pull the plug on any series before you can "catch them all" favors being able to pull a marathon (rather than binge) worthy show off the shelf. One of many notable elements of "Quantum" is that it learns from history by paying homage to '60s TV scifi god Irwin Allen of "Lost in Space" fame. Allen follows up "Space" with the 1966-67 ABC series "Time Tunnel." That one centers around a secret government time-travel project in the desert going horribly awry in a manner that (mostly) throws the two heroes around in history as their guys (and girls) in the chair try to pull them back home. Their adventures include being on the Titanic and having an unforgettable adventure at the Alamo. The variation in "Quantum" is that Beckett heads up the titular research project in the desert in the not-to-distant future; an amusing aspect of this is that the "Quantum" team visualizes a '90s that is even more bright, neon-infused, and futuristic than the '80s. As the voice-over narration that opens every "Quantum" episode explains, Beckett (who is an Indiana farm boy with an August 8, 1953 birth date) theorizes that one can time travel within his or her own lifetime. The glitch this time is an unknown entity (perhaps God) or force hijacks Sam on his inaugural leap. This abduction establishes the pattern of Sam "leaping" into the body of an innocent or not-so- innocent in order to put right what once went wrong. This may involve preventing a murder, stopping someone from making a decision that greatly negatively impacts his or her life, etc. A handful of these episodes center around real-life incidents, such as the death of Marilyn Munroe and the assassination of JFK. Related good fun comes ala Sam inadvertently putting ideas in the heads of younger versions of future real-life celebrities. A prime (pun) intended example leads to a classic "Rocky" scene. The rest of this lore is that the future tech. allows Al to use a research-center imaging chamber in his present to appear as a hologram that "only Dr. Beckett can see or hear." This state also prevents this resource regarding emergencies, medical or otherwise, from physically making contact with anyone or anything. The typical episode pattern is that a disoriented Sam "leaps" into the body of the current person of interest sometime in the period of the aforementioned lifetime. Al then fairly literally pops in with at least at little information about the owner of the meatsuit that Sam currently occupies. Regarding this, it can be someone of any age or gender and once is a chimp. This exposition includes at least some speculation regarding why the powers-that-be have thrust Sam into that situation. Much of the relatable fun comes from Al sharing changeable statistics regarding the outcomes in response to action and non-action by Sam. A purely hypothetical example is an 75.8 percent chance that an actor will be cast in the role of a lifetime increasing to 88.1 percent after middle-aged Sam in the guise of a 20-year old studio page sneaks the headshot of the actor into the file of the producer of the film. Watching most of the fan-favorite episodes of "Quantum" for this post has made this "mission" especially fun. These include the JFK one, which is a two-parter that has Sam "leaping" into the body of Lee Harvey Oswald at several significant times in the life of that historic figure. A bonus this time is the psyche of Oswald repeatedly taking dominance over that of Sam, who almost always remains in the driver's seat while "possessing" someone. The S3 season premiere is a two-parter that has Sam first "leaping" into his teen-age self just before Thanksgiving. Although his mission is to correct his own mistake and win the big game so that his high-school coach goes onto bigger and better things, Sam is the hijacker this time. The wrongs that he tries to put right include three tragedies that will befall his family in the next few years. This adventure continues when Sam "leaps" in the body of a man who is a member of the band of brothers of the older brother of Sam. An especially fun one aptly has Brooke Shields play a literal debutante heiress in an episode that is a mash-up of "Blue Lagoon" and "Swept Away." The Shields character is about to enter an essentially arranged marriage when the ship on which she is travelling sinks. This "princess" finds herself being one of two stranded castaways with a Greek greasy dirty sailor who worked in the engine room of the ship and currently has a physicist controlling his life. The rest of this story is that Sam must put the life of the pretty baby in his charge back on track. The series finale hits the trifecta of including big reveals, bringing back old friends, and providing closure while leaving the door open for more adventures. The conclusion this time does scream for five seasons and a movie. The irony here is that the wrong of "Quantum" missing the milestone of 100 episodes by three never gets righted,
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