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The Lonely Hearts Club is the fourth episode of the second season of Quantum Leap, and the twenty-second episode of the series overall. It first aired on October 25, 2023.
Summary[]
Ben leaps into the body of an ambitious Hollywood assistant whose famous client, Neal Russell, is in danger; as Ben realizes that Neal's circumstances may shed light on his own, his working relationship with Addison reaches an inflection point.
Synopsis[]
In the present, Magic addresses the entire program, introducing Tom as the one who saved Quantum Leap. He is an executive at the Defense Innovation Unit, and will oversee the operation. Tom says his goal is to never have the program shut down again.
Tom later asks Ian about mysterious energy spikes, much larger than the ones associated with Ben's leaps 3 years ago. Ian, who has reunited with Rachel since Ben disappeared, later realizes those spikes are related to a shady deal with Rachel's boss. They and Rachel meet for lunch. Ian worked out a deal with her boss to build the most powerful chip on Earth, but now that chip is now sending Ziggy's code to her boss. Ian hadn't told Rachel that they'd found Ben, which upsets her. Ian confides in Jenn. Pulling the chip would cause them to lose Ben forever, so Jenn agrees to block the data flow with a firewall to buy some time.
Tom isn't sure he's welcome at the program, but Addison reassures him. Addison is a little anxious about Tom watching her leaps with Ben, but Tom deflects. Tom tells Magic how amazing Quantum Leap is, references his dead wife, and is surprised how much PQL can make one feel powerless. Magic lets on that he knows Jenn and Ian are up to something, and Tom says he's going to let Addison take the lead on the drama with Ben. Tom speculates that the engine of Quantum Leap is sacrifice; that it might have to be a one-way trip to make the world better. He and Magic develop a pitch based on that to take to Washington.
April 4, 2000: Ben leaps in to Summer Walsh, assistant to fading actor Neal Russell. Ben is a huge fan and says so, mentioning that his ex loved him too. Neal is charming and interested in what Ben has to say.
Addison is jealous Ben gets to hang out with Neal Russell. This is the day he canceled an appearance on the Tonight Show, went sailing, and disappeared. His body washed onshore a week later. Ziggy says the mission is to get him to the Tonight Show.
Ben gives Neal his mail, including returned letters addressed to a C.R. Lambert. Neal goes to get coffee and disappears. Ben and Addison figure out that a letter from Laura Evans, his former co-star and ex-wife, probably triggered his crisis. She is getting married that afternoon.
Ben and Addison share intimate memories of watching Neal Russell movies together as he crashes the wedding. Ziggy says that the Tonight Show matters because his star is fading. There had been rumors that Neal's death was a suicide. He finds Neal confronting the groom and asking Rachel to take him back. She is not interested at all. Ben stops the groom from assaulting Neal with a samurai sword before Rachel kicks them out. Neal, despondent, says to cancel the Tonight Show so he can go sailing. Ben says he can't do that, because Laura obviously still loves him. Neal and Ben cook up a plot to win Laura back with a grand romantic gesture. Addison is horrified because it is not the leap, and Laura clearly does not still love him.
In the car, Neal discusses how he regrets making decisions that destroyed his relationship with Laura, and his now drifting through life. This hits home. Neal arranges flowers and music, and goes to steal the tuxedo he married Laura in from Planet Hollywood. They get caught, but Neal and Ben sweet-talk the cop into letting him go.
Tom reassures Addison that she and Ben will figure out the Leap in spite of Ben's erratic behavior. Magic has the team read Neal's memoir for clues. Tom figures out Neal had an old affair with Patricia Radford, which resulted in an unacknowledged daughter named Caroline Lambert. While Neal goes into get a tux, Addison tells her about Caroline, but Ben still thinks the leap is about Laura. Addison lets slip that Tom was the one that figured it out, which causes Ben to find out about Tom and yell at her about not waiting for him. Addison finally lets him have it, making him understand the amount of pain and suffering she endured when he was gone, including that she tried to hurl herself in the accelerator when they shut Quantum Leap down.
To comfort her, Ian confesses to Addison that they kept something important from Rachel, ostensibly to protect her but really because they weren't ready to deal with it, and that maybe Ben isn't ready to deal with reality yet.
Ben and Neal crash the wedding and enter Laura's dressing room. Neal gives her a rehearsed, romantic speech. Laura compassionately explains that she is a different person now, and that he should let go. This resonates with Ben and Addison, and Ben apologizes for his outburst. Addison is loving and accepting, but Neal hits rock bottom again, and wants to go sailing instead of doing The Tonight Show. Ben instead drives him to his daughter's house and convinces him to talk to her by using Addison's relationship with her father as an example.
In the front yard, they watch Caroline embrace Neal and take him in. Addison explains that Caroline drives him to the Tonight Show, his career is revived, he becomes a grandfather, and "we" now have seven new Neal Russell movies to watch.
Ben is mortified by his behavior the past two leaps, but Addison says they'll figure it out. Ben counters that he can't get over Addison when she's always there, so she can't be his hologram anymore. He walks away from a tearful Addison and leaps.
Cast[]
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Trivia[]
- The episode takes place on April 4, 2000, exactly 40 years after Goodbye Norma Jean, which was also about a Hollywood star.
References[]
| v - e - dQuantum Leap Season 2 |
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