Ben and Addison process their issues & a Calavicci returns in ‘Quantum Leap’ midseason premiere

It’s a new year, the holidays are behind us and NBC’s Quantum Leap is back in action with new adventures across the time stream. So what’s next for Ben & Co.?

Spoilers ahead for “Fellow Travelers,” the latest episode of NBC’s Quantum Leap revival!

Our latest leap takes us to the groovy days of 1979, as Ben leaps into a bodyguard for up-and-coming singer Carly Farmer in the moments before she slated to die in the original timeline. Thankfully Ben intervenes, only to discover her accidental death was no mere accident and someone is actually trying to kill Carly. There’s also a fun bit of casting here for Daredevil fans, as fan favorite Deborah Ann Woll (aka Karen Page) is playing Carly.

Addison tracks down Ben fairly quickly, though she’s still pissed to learn Ben apparently made his initial leap to save her — all while keeping her in the dark and not actually telling her what is going on with her own life. Which is a fair point, and it makes sense why Addison would be frustrated with Ben not giving her agency over this apparent threat to her life, instead of just trying to go rogue and “fix” it himself. She channels that frustration into the mission, urging Ben to tell Carly what’s happening (not that’s he’s a time traveler, just that her life is in danger and someone is trying to kill her).

Ben is a bit reluctant at first as he tries to figure out how best to protect Carly, but does come around to looping Carly in as he tries to unravel the puzzle of who actually wants to kill the singer. The list of suspects includes her estranged sister Jamie, her shady manager Trevor, and her jealous backup singer. Though the sister is the obvious option, Trevor has the most to gain by acquiring the rights to her music. But it turns out the real threat was the backup singer, who was secretly hooking up with the manager and tried to just take Carly out herself.

In the midst of it all, Ben follows his heart and trusts that sister Jamie really has cleaned up her act, and in the process reconnects the sisterly love that Trevor had been blocking as a means to try and control Carly. 

In the end, Carly’s saved, she goes on to sing and tour with her sister, and Ben and Addison find common ground and agree to face whatever comes next together. All is right with the world (at least for now).

Quantum Leap Season 1 Episode 9 - "Fellow Travelers" Photo: NBC

Janis, welcome to Project Quantum Leap

Back in the present day, the QL team finally gets a step ahead in their search for Janis Calavicci, as QL’s head of security Jen tracks her down and turns her bodyguards against her to finally extradite her back to the United States. But before Janis heads to Project Quantum Leap as a prisoner, they have a friendly chat — where Janis raises some fairly interesting questions.

Namely: Why did Ben feel the need to go to Janis in the first place, and not his friends at Project Quantum Leap? On the same note, why would Janis be inclined to help Ben in saving Addison? Especially since Janis doesn’t even know Addison? Best guess is she’s getting something out of this herself (be it access to the project itself, a chance to search for the long-lost Sam, or just a chance to try and continue her father’s work). 

As for Janis getting captured, it really has the feel of the old villain tactic of getting captured on purpose to find a way inside the belly of the beast. Think Loki in The Avengers. Janis has been a step ahead of Magic and the team all season. If she’s captured, you’d have to think she’s playing a longer game to get herself inside the Quantum Leap compound. If she couldn’t get in as an employee, a prisoner could be the only option?

Up next: The tease for Ben’s next leap has him landing in a parking lot with a pregnant woman in labor. Oh, boy! Beyond that, we have the rest of Season 1 and a second season of Quantum Leap has already been ordered for the fall!

New episodes of Quantum Leap air Mondays on NBC, and stream next-day on Peacock.