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Will Sam Beckett Return Home? NBC Orders Quantum Leap Reboot Pilot
- Thread starter Ryan Thomas Riddle
- Start date
D'oh! Sorry -- I should know better by now. I've fixed it.
Given that both the actor and character are non-binary I'm surprised they didn't go with a gender neutral (for want of a better term) first name.
As the other leaper, that could be what Julie Calavicci and Ben were working on - they discovered some-one else was making use of QL technology and wanted to stop them before achieving their goal.
Mason Alexander Park's name isn't gender-neutral. (I gather that Mason has become more common as a female name than it used to be, but I don't think I've ever heard of a woman named Alexander.) A lot of non-binary people use names that are traditionally gendered, like Ezra Miller or Wynonna Earp's Dominique Provost-Chalkley. I mean, I think that's kind of the idea -- that people can identify however they choose and not be bound by traditional gendered norms or expectations. A lot of people who decide they're non-binary might still like the names they were given at birth and want to keep them. So it makes sense that fictional non-binary characters should have the same diversity of names.
Indeed, there's no real rule regarding names for non-binary people. I would guess if they like their birth names, they can keep it even if it's typically associated with a particular gender.
Though another thing I've been wondering, is it possible Ian could have originally been intended to be a guy and was changed to non-binary after Mason Alexander Park was cast? I know there have been a few shows and movies in recent years which have changed characters to non-binary or transgender after transgender or non-binary actors were cast in the roles. Which, IIRC was the case in the TV series Dispatches from Elsewhere and one of the John Wick movies.
Not that it matters either way, it was just a thought I had.
Though another thing I've been wondering, is it possible Ian could have originally been intended to be a guy and was changed to non-binary after Mason Alexander Park was cast? I know there have been a few shows and movies in recent years which have changed characters to non-binary or transgender after transgender or non-binary actors were cast in the roles. Which, IIRC was the case in the TV series Dispatches from Elsewhere and one of the John Wick movies.
Not that it matters either way, it was just a thought I had.
Had a co-worker about four years ago, her given name was "Alexander" and she went by "Alex". She was about 10-15 years younger than I was; so, early to mid-80s. (We liked to joke that she was born after Mt. St. Helens blew up, which is one of our cultural touchstones here in the Pacific Northwest.) She wasn't gender neutral or non-binary, it was just what her parents named her. I never did ask why she had a male name.
Sorry...
Alexander or Alexandra?
Alexander or Alexandra?
Lots of parents over the ages have given their daughters masculine names because they wanted sons instead. As a result, a lot of formerly male names have become primarily female, e.g. Beverly, Shirley, and Evelyn, or neutral, like Jan or Dana. Michael is still seen as a primarily male name, but a number of women use it. (I have a friend named Michaele, but she pronounces it "Michael.") Yet you hardly ever see people giving traditionally feminine names to male children, because of sexism.
"Our love for him now ain't hard to explain
He's the hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne!"
I only just figured out that Tracy Torme, the TV writer, is a lad.
I enjoyed this last episode. Although I would've liked more discussion about Ben leaping beyond his lifetime and the parameters of the OG project. But that's a minor quibble. Also, I love a good western.
As for the other leaper... is it an evil leaper? Or is it Al leaping after faking his own death... searching for Sam? Is that why Janice is so obsessed with finding him? Is that why Al kept a lot of the OG equipment?
And is the final destination of Ben's Al's Place from "Mirror Image"?
As for the other leaper... is it an evil leaper? Or is it Al leaping after faking his own death... searching for Sam? Is that why Janice is so obsessed with finding him? Is that why Al kept a lot of the OG equipment?
And is the final destination of Ben's Al's Place from "Mirror Image"?
Ben leaping outside his lifetime is being handled so oddly on the show. He's done it before, but for some reason Addison seems all surprised when he does it in this ep. And despite that surprise no one ever brings it up again.
You can also add legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster to the list. You don't have to, but you can.
Ooh, that is an interesting idea I hadn't considered.
Ben leaping outside his lifetime is being handled so oddly on the show. He's done it before, but for some reason Addison seems all surprised when he does it in this ep. And despite that surprise no one ever brings it up again.
You can also add legendary casting director Lynn Stalmaster to the list. You don't have to, but you can.
its even stranger when they already uncovered the time 'plot point/graphic' thing and talked about how Ben's "leaps" appeared directed and attempting to 'slingshot' him between points in time building up momentum for 'larger' leaps.
My take on that, which I’ll hang on to til I’m proven wrong by the show is that, we’ve never seen the leaper leap to the future and the sling shot is intended to get Ben there. Possibly because a future leaper has leaped back and spoilered an serious apocalyptic event which only Ben can stop but which he is destined to be killed before he can fix it. Putting right what will go wrong, if you will.
Oh, I hope not. As I've said before, the original show made a point of setting itself apart from the usual time-travel cliches by not focusing on big, historic, apocalyptic events that needed to be prevented or undone, instead keeping things on the level of individual lives and personal crises. If the new show goes for some big fate-of-the-world arc, then that's embracing the cliches that the original series strove to avoid.
I wonder if that was true of Doris being a former male name. I only ask, because I think "Doris" Dorie Miller was the Navy hero's name.
https://www.spoilertv.com/2022/09/spoilertv-broadcast-cancellation.html
Quantum Leap remains on the bubble for cancellation despite super long first season vote of confidence.
Quantum Leap remains on the bubble for cancellation despite super long first season vote of confidence.
Took me a minute to catch up here...
Last week's episode i thought was great ... It showed not just Ben but Magic having ideals that they COULD hang onto, and not do the "easy" or "obvious" thing. Seems like classic Quantum Leap to me...and continues to make me like the characters. And the other characters are gelling with me too. I know people aren't seeing it with Addison, but i think it is working out.
This week's....i am not sure how this would have worked as a pilot? Seems like a whole lot of stuff for a new time traveler to work into. They seemed to weave it very well, though, for a later episode.
It looks like @The Knappos is onto something... so it IS someone from the future...but yet Martinez seems to be someone who would not be doing somethign nefarious.
I might need to see the episode again to see if we saw Martinez more than once. My crazy tehory is that Martinez is "pretending" to be the enemy, in order to make the plan work. If this Martinez is fromt he future, he might have seen/known all this, and can help shape it to work out.
Do we think there might be any possibility of blending a an old QL scene where they integrate Martinez ... thatthere might be something more complicated. I dunno.
Next week's seems like the obligatory Halloween episode, and assuming it is more of a one-off episode.
Last week's episode i thought was great ... It showed not just Ben but Magic having ideals that they COULD hang onto, and not do the "easy" or "obvious" thing. Seems like classic Quantum Leap to me...and continues to make me like the characters. And the other characters are gelling with me too. I know people aren't seeing it with Addison, but i think it is working out.
This week's....i am not sure how this would have worked as a pilot? Seems like a whole lot of stuff for a new time traveler to work into. They seemed to weave it very well, though, for a later episode.
It looks like @The Knappos is onto something... so it IS someone from the future...but yet Martinez seems to be someone who would not be doing somethign nefarious.
I might need to see the episode again to see if we saw Martinez more than once. My crazy tehory is that Martinez is "pretending" to be the enemy, in order to make the plan work. If this Martinez is fromt he future, he might have seen/known all this, and can help shape it to work out.
Do we think there might be any possibility of blending a an old QL scene where they integrate Martinez ... thatthere might be something more complicated. I dunno.
Next week's seems like the obligatory Halloween episode, and assuming it is more of a one-off episode.