‘Quantum Leap’ Recap: ‘A Kind of Magic’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

QUANTUM LEAP -- "A Kind of Magic" Episode 207 -- Pictured: Raymond Lee as Dr. Ben Song -- (Photo by: NBC)

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode 207 of ‘Quantum Leap’. To revisit the previous episode, click here.
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It is definitely safe to say that season two of the hit NBC series, Quantum Leap, is making sure to feature more stories that offer commentary on our modern world. For earlier this year, we saw the show ponder deeply upon race relations in America and their lack of progress, by revisiting the 1992 Los Angeles Riots, and well… this week… the show looked to the past to examine another big problem we are facing right now. For America is currently filled with fear and confusion. The kind that has people doubting the science and facts and has them turning upon one another and that’s leading to conflict and trouble, and we’ve seen that before in our nation. 

In fact, there was a period in time where an understanding of science or the potential to think beyond the norms led to people being called witches, and they were brutally executed for being suspected of dabbling in magic, and that’s precisely where Ben spent his time in ‘A Kind of Magic’. For he found himself assuming control of a woman, living in a township near Salem at about the same time as the Salem Witch Trials, that was gripped with fear. For not only was the town suffering through a surprise drought, but people were getting ill left and right and of course… that likely meant, in their eyes, that evil had descended upon the township through witchcraft, and it wasn’t long before Ben found himself accused of it as well.

Which prompted the team to figure out how to best to help Ben escape the horrors of this reality post-haste. So that he could see another tomorrow, and to save a woman named Goody. Whose salvation would kick off Ben’s next leap. Which brought forth quite the intense plot. One that saw Ben do his best to try and navigate the hate and fear present in this town with little luck. In fact, even allies abandoned he and Goody, and it took saving a life through science to finally give the two of them a fighting chance to escape to safety. Which should have brought about a quick leap, but there was mention of the fact that social commentary came into play here… and a decision that Ben made allowed for that to happen.

Because an escape meant that others would die, and that just was not acceptable to Ben. So, he and Goody returned, and he spoke to the fact… that this town was indeed gripped with fear, and not unified in the slightest and set on a path of destruction and cruelty that was unnecessary. And if by chance everyone just stopped… and used their heads and took a beat… they could accomplish wonders. Which the people listened to, after… well… a little predictive science, or magic if you will, came into play. But the commentary in question was there. In that, what Ben had to say, was nothing short of a real observation about American life in this particular moment, and how perhaps… we finally get out of this quagmire.

After all, we’re all in the same boat here, and we have to stop fighting one another and using ideology and political nonsense against one another at a time when we need unity. And it was lovely to have Quantum Leap fire off that message and offer up a story… that you don’t see in mainstream science fiction all that often. Since the witch trials of yore tend to be relegated to horror these days, but this show found a way to integrate it perfectly, and still keep things light. By having science also serve as the comedic relief, thanks to the fact that no one in the 1600s knew a thing about CPR and well, now that this adventure is in the books, it would seem we’re off to Egypt for reasons to be revealed. Until next time.

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