UNCUT REACTION - Quantum Leap ep9 - Play It Again, Seymour
Added 2023-09-18 14:00:07 +0000 UTC
Comments
Anyone who thinks they will hate season 1 and 2 of TNG need to rewatch the season 3 of TOS reactions.
Jonathan
2023-09-19 22:07:14 +0000 UTC
Oh, yeah, "Measure of a Man" and "A Matter of Honor" are also great episodes.
They're just not to the same production and writing quality as Seasons 3 through 6.
Steven Johnson
2023-09-19 22:07:11 +0000 UTC
People always say that, but there are actually quite a few good episodes in Season 1 an 2.
"10101100" "Datalore" "Heart of Glory" "Where Silence Has Lease" "The Arsenal of Freedom" "Q Who" "The Emissary" "The Battle" "Conspiracy" "Contagion"
Steven Johnson
2023-09-19 22:05:10 +0000 UTC
Congrats on the milestone, guys!
JD Nevesytrof
2023-09-19 20:47:57 +0000 UTC
Also bear in mind this was not a full season at all in comparison to what was airing at the time. 8-10 shows may be a full run now, but back then it was 26. So, S1 of QL is a little, tiny quarter season. Something they threw on in mid-January, trying to fill a hole, desperately trying to get to May. This is not a show the network wanted -- as you've pointed out several times it's ridiculously expensive and logistically complex to pull off! But, done well, it lands right in that sweet spot of competent drama & high nostalgia.
Avaria
2023-09-19 19:08:49 +0000 UTC
Tng also has more continuity already, something they'll appreciate Im sure
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 17:28:07 +0000 UTC
Personally, I made a promise to a fellow patron that I would vote for The Expanse. So I wager you're right. The Expanse is pretty excellent all around.
Steven Johnson
2023-09-19 08:37:29 +0000 UTC
So in QL certain things relating to backstory get addressed and certain things are set up for the future but nothing that has a real effect episode to episode and nothing gets altered permanently until the series finale. It basically remains fluid all the way through. I personally have a suggestion for an episode (actually a two parter) to revisit that does directly touch on things you've already seen established but I imagine we'd see what the popular vote carries.
JD Nevesytrof
2023-09-19 06:11:49 +0000 UTC
I don't remember QL well enough to be sure just how much watching out of order would or wouldn't hurt the experience. Totally get what you mean with Twilight Zone because it's episodes have nothing to do with one another, but a show like QL has a throughline. It's up to you guys of course. In the case of QL I don't have too strong a stance, I guess. Just hope you guys stick to your release order guns for the most part, which it sounds like you do intend to do
James Bottas
2023-09-19 05:13:53 +0000 UTC
The only scenario we would consider it would be for an anthology type show. For example, I wouldn’t tell someone they have to watch The Twilight Zone in release order. Quantum Leap seems to be essentially an anthology show but with 2 recurring characters. If that’s not correct, and there is some overarching story or benefit to watching in order, then we wouldn’t do random episodes.
Josh (Target Audience)
2023-09-19 04:27:55 +0000 UTC
It varies a lot by region in the US but overall I would say it really started being more of an issue over the last 20-30 years.
Tristan Rose
2023-09-19 04:20:37 +0000 UTC
My money says your next show will be "The Expanse" I seem to remember QL beating it out only marginally. If so, I think you will enjoy it far more and it may bring more viewers/patrons as it had a large fan base and is a much more recent show.
Tristan Rose
2023-09-19 04:16:08 +0000 UTC
I'm not for picking episodes, just to state for the record. slippery slope, kind of thing. I'd say better to just put this kind of thing on the back burner to be returned to, in release order, at some point in the future, if they choose
James Bottas
2023-09-19 03:23:43 +0000 UTC
Overall I think you have to look as the short season 1 as a "proof of concept" season. They figured out that Sam as a character and the Sam&Al chemistry really worked well, what kind of plots worked well and which didn't, and then went from there. The show took off after that, and I think the plots also became less formulaic.
As for the overall idea, as we mentioned last time already: Don't get too hung up on stuff "the alternative mission". That might trigger the leap but the main plot is still important. The small side stuff he 'fixes' is never the main mission, the show makes that clear later. The plot of the episode is still the main goal to allow the leap, the side mission is more a "nice to have while you're here" thing. Maybe they really communicated that badly in season 1. The impression was not to be that Sam's main actions were always pointless because the 'real goal' was something completely different. But you're right, upon re-watching season 1 with you guys, you really could easily missunderstand it that way, and I can see how that would damage the tension of the main plots. I think the show does a better job later with that, since not all future episodes have this side-mission. A lot of episodes have him jump after the main goal is done.
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 02:44:06 +0000 UTC
That’s definitely one of my favorites
Jonathan
2023-09-19 02:37:03 +0000 UTC
Well if we pick episodes for them, then the three parter definitely needs to be in there (no spoilers but you know which one I mean)
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 02:33:24 +0000 UTC
Fun thing about this episode is that I had never seen Casablanca when I watched it. This episode is probably why I tracked down that movie and finally watched it. Without this ep I don't think I would have even known Casablanca and Bogard were even a thing lol.
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 02:31:24 +0000 UTC
At some point someone needs to explain to me when you Americans started to freak about age differences in couples and teenagers having relationships with older partners. I don't remember that being an issue whatsoever 15, 20 years ago. This used to be completely normal. Hell my mother was a Teenager when she got married and my father is a decade older. I don't get the issue. Did something in your culture change that dramatically over the last decade or so? A 16, 17 year old is not a child you know.
I'm just asking because I've seen you freak out over this subject several times now and I never get why. So I'm guessing it must be a cultural thing.
I know age of consent is quite high in the US compared to Europe, but still, sometimes you react so strongly that you'd think a man has just kissed an 8 year old. :D
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 02:27:11 +0000 UTC
No, on the contrary, it's going to be a new set of characters in an established universe to explore, and no two opinions are the same, the guys really bucked the overall audience trend in how they liked TMP and TWOK. Now watch, they start hating it come seasons 2 and 3...
JD Nevesytrof
2023-09-19 02:21:46 +0000 UTC
Absolutely
James Bottas
2023-09-19 01:37:51 +0000 UTC
There's some Gold ones in the first two
Andreas Schmitt
2023-09-19 01:35:21 +0000 UTC
Let me add my vote for letting patrons vote on the top episodes of the show to watch. Seems like an especially good idea for shows with so many episodes.
Joe Concepts
2023-09-19 00:14:14 +0000 UTC
There's plenty to like in the first 2 seasons, I agree
James Bottas
2023-09-18 22:54:59 +0000 UTC
Not that I'd be devastated if QL wasn't continued on the channel lol.. I did watch a lot of it as a kid and remember liking it. I haven't disliked revisiting it with you guys but it hasn't exactly lit a fire either.. is what it is
James Bottas
2023-09-18 22:53:26 +0000 UTC
You guys would be willing to start going out of order? Have to admit, I'm surprised. Feels like willingness to cherry pick episodes kind of signifies no intention of really returning to it in a completionist sense
James Bottas
2023-09-18 22:34:03 +0000 UTC
If you guys ever go back to this show I'm on board for it
Retro Tom
2023-09-18 21:59:11 +0000 UTC
One of the first and considered the best episodes is a thanksgiving episode. Maybe some holiday special programming.
Jonathan
2023-09-18 21:47:55 +0000 UTC
I was going to suggest the same thing. When I introduced friends to the show it was usually the pilot then top tier episodes
Jonathan
2023-09-18 21:40:41 +0000 UTC
I actually like them even if they are like a different show.
Jonathan
2023-09-18 21:38:51 +0000 UTC
TNG seasons 1 and 2 are gonna be torture.
whacky deli
2023-09-18 21:37:39 +0000 UTC
I do like that idea, especially for episodic shows where the order doesn’t matter as much
Josh (Target Audience)
2023-09-18 19:26:06 +0000 UTC
Shame that you guys won't be able to continue, the show does get vastly better. There's an episode later on when Sam leaps into another guy accused of murder and the level of drama, realistic plotting and sheer horror of the situation is so much more sophisticated than this episode it feels like an entirely separate show. Hey, there's an idea, how about nominations and voting for a single episode from later iterations of shows you've already begun and not been able to continue, just as a patreon-only bonus perhaps?
At any rate, they did it a lot more subtly this time but the kid in the airport is Woody Allen.
JD Nevesytrof
2023-09-18 19:08:15 +0000 UTC
Oh, hey no I get you 100%. I've been trying to pass videos around. I even went back to your older content before I signed on and started liking videos to try and give the metrics a boost, FWIW.
Honestly, at any size, there is a certain advantage to the sample platter operation that has, I guess, serendipitously emerged here.
Steven Johnson
2023-09-18 15:48:44 +0000 UTC
In order to have time to watch a series for YouTube concurrently with TNG we would need to do this full time, which we are still far away from at our current size. If we are ever able to get to that point, we will watch EVERYTHING!
Until that happens, we will continue to rotate in shows between seasons of Star Trek, but it will most likely be different shows (voted by Patrons) each time until something moves the needle for the channel enough to warrant continuing.
Josh (Target Audience)
2023-09-18 15:37:13 +0000 UTC
Yeah, this episode sucks. I like noir and I was so bored watching this. You have had some bad luck in your introduction to non Star Trek shows. This, Buffy, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica are all franchises that have strong fan bases because of content you didn’t get to see in your sample size, and a lot of people discovered those shows in later years then went back to watch earlier content out of curiosity once they were already fans. Thank you for doing this run. Hopefully you will revisit it down the road when you have more free time. Excited for TNG, the monthly movies and whatever is in store next.
Jonathan
2023-09-18 15:35:29 +0000 UTC
Seymour butts? Who's Seymour Butts?
13:15 Well, BECAUSE YOU DIDN"T WATCH IT, but uh Claudia (the actress playing the woman) is from Babylon 5. The other dudes are all pretty much common character actors in 80s TV and film.
Oh, you guys should totally add "The Hidden" from the 1980s to the next movie watch list. It's a banger, she's in that too.
32:12 Alright. Alex is the joker. I'm convinced.
48:07 I'm smiling. I'm not saying anything. I'm just smiling.
As those three of us on here who love this show have been saying, Season 1 is like... It's like scratch paper, ya know? I really don't think they had a lot of time to work on these episodes.
So the question is, because some of the youtube audience anticipates you wont continue... Will you be continuing? Truth be told the series does start to greatly improve from this point forward. Each season gets a little bolder, they're willing to take risks, try new things, introduce new concepts. The first season is weak, but around each corner are those hints of what could be.
I do absolutely agree, this episode really needed to commit to the bit. Of course its got all the classic pulp noir cliches in it, but they're strangely subdued. The last two episodes were pretty strong, but this is a bit of weaker in places. I was waiting for that finale leap there for the pop, and it didn't get the jump I was hoping for. I was hoping for that "OHH SHIT HE CAN BE A SHE!!!" I guess when he jumped into a black person and said "Do you realize what this means?!" It kinda gives it away.