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Post by iacon45 on Apr 8, 2018 12:54:18 GMT -5
Let me preface this by saying I've been sick for the most part of last week (feeling better now). While I was out sick, I broke out the Quantum Leap DVD set I had got for Christmas and had myself a marathon leaping (no pun ) from random episode to random episode. So while watching, I don't know if it was from a lack of sleep or the medicine, but I suddenly started to wonder what the reactions would be for the people that Sam leapt into upon their return. I know Al would give us an alternate future for the main episode characters after Sam had fixed what he was meant to do there but I mean when the people would get back would they be sitting there confused as to why things were so different compared to things pre-leap. I figure they would probably have no memory of the future or the waiting room in part to the "Swiss Cheese" effect just like Sam forgetting his brief return when he and Al switched places. The only episode I even remember where the post-leap reaction of the leapee was even brought up was in Blood Moon when they both thought it was best for Alexandra that she not be there when "the Vampire" would return after Sam leaps out. Best I could surmise on the post leap reaction would be as history changed in the future it would also affect the leapee upon their return so when they got back, it would be business as usual and the actual leap would just be chalked up to a bit of disorientation or some sort. Like it has been said in many other time travel themed episodes and shows, this is why Time Travel gives me a headache.
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Post by SporkBot on Apr 8, 2018 14:11:32 GMT -5
I wondered about that myself, and came to a similar conclusion, that they essentially obtain the memories Sam made as them via the "Swiss Cheese" effect.
What still doesn't make sense to me, is if Sam is leaping into OTHER people's bodies, how is it that in the Trilogy (where he repeatedly leaped into the same town), everything centered on a girl/woman, whom he sleeps with after leaping into her fiancee...the resultant daughter of that tryst is biologically Sam's?
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Post by Mako Crab on May 13, 2018 1:50:27 GMT -5
I think the answer can be found in the JFK ep, when Sam leaps into the body of Lee Harvey Oswald. During the ep, the strong will of Oswald begins to take over Sam, and there’s a chance that he may kill both the president & his wife (they explain that both were killed in the original timeline). But Sam fights it off & kills only JFK.
It would stand to reason that if the mind of the leaper can be affected by the subject he’s lept Into, that it can work the other way around too, and the person would somehow gain Sam’s memories of what happened while they were in the waiting room.
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Post by machsabre on May 13, 2018 8:50:54 GMT -5
Alison Pregler talked about this, as it was mentioned in one of the novels. Don't know if you consider it canon or not, but basically here's what happens.
The mind retains the events of Sam's occupation, but not the events of them in the waiting room in the distant future of 1997. As a result, the mind pretty much believes that they did the actions there. Meaning Jimmy remembers everything Sam did, but he just thinks that he himself did it. As far as doing things out of character, I'm sure we're all guilty of that. Perhaps when we're acting a bit out of character, it's Sam Beckett that leaped in our body or something like that.
Well, that's how it was explained at least. I would apply the MST3K rule here, since this IS by the guy who gave us NCIS. (AKA: A bunch of old men have the creepy hots for Abby.)
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Post by SporkBot on May 13, 2018 9:34:43 GMT -5
Come to think of it, my brother posited an idea years ago: There's an episode where some guys were secretly observing Sam (who'd leaped into a guy that claimed to see UFOs), and my bro's idea was that some people Sam previous inhabited would describe the Waiting Room as having been abducted by aliens.
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Post by Matrix Dragon on May 13, 2018 10:41:34 GMT -5
I have a simple philosophy explaining how all of this works.
Fuck Time Travel.
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Post by iacon45 on May 13, 2018 10:49:03 GMT -5
I never even touched the novels, not that I didn't want to but I didn't even know there were novels until recently, but that's a good an explanation as any. and to be honest, I need to go back and rewatch the JFK episodes. I didn't get to those when I did my binge watching session last month. I have a simple philosophy explaining how all of this works. Fuck Time Travel. This is what happens when too much thought is put into time travel:
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