The essential episodes of Quantum Leap
Watch these 15 in order and you've got Quantum Leap — each pick states its reason.
- 01
Although the Project Quantum Leap (PQL) isn't ready yet, Sam doesn't listen to supercomputer Ziggy and hops into the Accelerator and leaps. As Tom Stratton, an Air Force test pilot, Sam finds his memory Swiss cheesed, with only enough left to know that he is not where or when he belongs. Al explains that the Project has gone "a little caca" and that the only way Sam can leap out is by flying the X-2 to Mach 3. Instead, Sam leaps after saving his wife and child, only to find that rather than leaping home, he's leapt into Ken Fox, a minor league baseball player in Texas, at the end of the 1968 season, where he must make the winning play in order to leap.Leap Details: Tom Stratton, September 13, 1956, Edwards Air Force Base, Blockfield, California / Tim Fox, Summer 1968, Waco, Texas
- 02
The Right Hand of God - October 24, 1974
Having leapt into Kid Cody, a boxer on the take, Sam has to win the championship to fund a new church for his trainers, a group of nuns. Sam must face the bookie who counts on him to take a dive in the final bout, and, with the help of several trainers, streaking, and Al's appearance in the ring to guide his punches, Sam wins the bout and finances the chapel.Leap Details: Clarence "Kid" Cody, October 24, 1974, Sacramento, California
- 03
How the Tess Was Won - August 5, 1956
As a veterinarian in rural Texas, Sam's mission appears to be winning the love of an heiress to a large ranch. Sabotaged by another suitor, Sam fails and finds that his true goal was to save the life of a sick piglet, and to help an unnamed cohort with a task he's performing.Leap Details: Daniel "Doc" Young, August 5, 1956, Texas
- 04
Double Identity - November 8, 1965
Sam leaps into a Mafia hit man who may not live long since he is romancing the godfather's girlfriend. Also an attempt to bring Sam home causes the 1965 East Coast blackout.Leap Details: Frankie LaPalma / Geno Frascotti, November 8, 1965, Brooklyn, New York
- 05
The Color of Truth - August 8, 1955
In the life of Jesse Tyler, an aging black chauffeur, Sam must face discrimination in the South while trying to prevent the death of an elderly white woman. Actions motivated by his own belief in equality cause violent reactions, as Sam tries to convince one of the pillars of the community to change her views on racism and the futility of trying to change a society for the better.Leap Details: Jessie Tyler, August 8, 1955, Red Dog, Alabama
- 06
As a high school nerd, Sam is required to prevent the marriage of his sister to an abusive drinker, with the wedding only three days away. By drag racing the prospective husband, beating him with a car that couldn't have won without nitrous oxide, Sam shows the groom's true tendencies.Leap Details: Cameron "Cam" Wilson, June 6, 1961, Los Angeles, California
- 07
Another Mother - September 30, 1981
After leaping into a single mother, Sam must prevent the 15-year-old son of his host from disappearing. Al and Sam also find out that very young children can see them as they really are.Leap Details: Linda Bruckner, September 30, 1981, Scottsdale, Arizona
- 08
When Sam leaps into the life of an undercover cop, Al explains that his mission is to convince a navy nurse that her MIA husband is still alive, and to prevent her from marrying a lawyer she meets on the day Sam leaps in. But a series of coincidences causes Sam to wonder about the true nature of his mission.Leap Details: Jake Rawlins, April 1, 1969, San Diego, California
- 09
The Leap Home - November 25, 1969
As himself at the age of 16, Sam has the opportunity to both win the high school basketball championship and save his family from their sad fates.Leap Details: Sam Beckett, November 25, 1969, Elk Ridge, Indiana
- 10
The Leap Home Part II - Vietnam - April 7, 1970
Sam tries to prevent his brother's death in Vietnam by stepping into the life of a soldier under his command. Leap Details: Herbert "Magic" Williams, April 7, 1970, Vietnam
- 11
8 1/2 Months - November 15, 1955
Sam leaps into a very pregnant teenager and must convince her father to help her keep the baby.Leap Details: Billie Jean Crockett, November 15, 1955, Claremore, Oklahoma
- 12
Private Dancer - October 6, 1979
An aspiring dancer working as a waitress in a strip club is in danger of being led into a life of prostitution unless Sam can convince her to audition for a spot in a professional dance group. But since she's deaf, the choreographer doesn't believe she has the time to give the young lady the attention she'll need.Leap Details: Rod "Rod the Bod" McCarty, October 6, 1979, New York City
- 13
Sam leaps into a hair dresser to prevent the death of a murder witness.Leap Details: Frank Bianca, June 2, 1983, Beverly Hills, California
- 14
Promised Land - December 22, 1971
Sam leaps back to Elk Ridge, Indiana to help save the lives of the Walters boys as they try to save their farm from a banker with designs on getting rich from foreclosure.Leap Details: Willie Walters, December 22, 1971, Elk Ridge, Indiana
- 15
Sam leaps into himself in a 1953 Pennsylvania coal mining town, where he encounters what seem to be familiar faces from people he helped in prior leaps, while learning more about his mission and why he leaps from one point in time to another.Leap Details: Himself, August 8, 1953, Cokeburg, Pennsylvania / April 3, 1969, San Diego, California
Shows like Quantum Leap
The closest matches on shared genres, ranked by match strength and popularity.
- 01Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Arrow2012–2020·The CWAfter a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific.
- 02Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of The Flash2014–2023·The CW
After a particle accelerator causes a freak storm, CSI Investigator Barry Allen is struck by lightning and falls into a coma. - 03Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Fringe2008–2013·FOX
When an international flight lands at Boston's Logan Airport and the passengers and crew have all died grisly deaths, FBI Special Agent Olivia Dunham is called in to investigate. - 04Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Invincible2021–present
Based on the eponymous comic book, Invincible revolves around Mark Grayson, a normal teenager except for the fact that his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet. - 05Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Fallout2024–presentBased on one of the greatest video game series of all time, Fallout is the story of haves and have nots in a world in which there's almost nothing left to have.
- 06Drama·Action·Science-FictionThe essential episodes of Daredevil: Born Again2025–present·Disney+
Matt Murdock finds himself on a collision course with Wilson Fisk when their past identities begin to emerge.
