How 'Quantum Leap' Changed Caitlin Bassett and Raymond Lee's Friendship
The growing distance between Ben and Addison during season 2 of Quantum Leap bled into Caitlin Bassett And Raymond Lee's true friendship too.
During an exclusive interview with We weeklyBassett, 33, put an end to the hard work it took to tell Ben and Addison's story on screen.
“Ray and I actually had to take different paths. It's funny because [during the] In the first season we worked together to create a backstory [together]. Except he had to decide what he remembered [due to Ben’s memory loss]that was the only real separation between the two of us,” she explained Us. “While in season 2 I had to work on the I side.”
Bassett and Lee, 36, have adapted their collaborative process to accurately reflect the shift between their characters.
“We actually haven't discussed that much [about season 2] because we had to part as friends. Ray and I weren't that close. We had to say, 'Okay, we have to figure that out separately,'” the actress recalled. “As the season progressed, [we had to] rebuilding a new kind of relationship [between Ben and Addison].”
Quantum Leap, a revival of the '90s sci-fi series, follows Ben after he makes a secret jump through time and gets lost in the past. With the help of his now ex Addison and the rest of the Quantum Leap team, Ben tries to find out what caused him to change history.
Season 2 revealed that three years had passed since the team last heard from Ben, resulting in a time jump that felt like just days to him. As a result, Addison was left to mourn Ben and eventually moved on with her life, including meeting her new boyfriend Tom (Peter Gadiot). Ben and Addison struggled all season to adjust to their new normal as exes.
“It was really shocking to try to play,” Bassett admitted. “Ray and I were like, 'Bye,' because we knew it was coming. So we had to say, 'This was great, and we'll see how this happened. We won't be as connected.' We couldn't be that tight and physical [Addison was] won't be there [with Ben] always. We knew I was going to leave the jumps. So there was some sadness in it. But at the same time, it was just so exciting to play something different and completely change the show.”
As a fan, Bassett felt the changes in the second season were “better for the show.”
In honor of his predecessor. NBC's Quantum Leap revival often pays tribute to the original science fiction series. The original science fiction series, which ran from 1989 to 1993, starred Scott Bakula as physicist Dr. Sam Beckett, who accidentally jumps through time and temporarily takes the place of a person from that period. In […]
“That's why I feel like people talk about how different the performances are for Season 1 and Season 2, but there were days in between. It was just because we had new stories to play [and] a whole other chapter to rely on,” she continued. “So I really spent time figuring out who [Addison] what it took to let go of Ben and how that person then created a new relationship with someone new and how different that must have been.
Bassett had to rationalize how Addison could leave Ben with Tom.
“I had always kind of broken it down where Addison and Ben were dreamers. They fell in love over a shared dream of this project and they were at a stage in their lives where they just wanted to make the world a better place,” she explained. “Who Addison became on the other side was when you realize that the world is going to break your heart and that you can't actually fix everything. That she accepted that and sat with it and [understanding] who she is after the dream dies a little. The kind of decisions you start making and then you start making a different kind of decisions.
Caitlin Bassett as Addison, Peter Gadiot as Tom Westfall in 'Quantum Leap.'
Casey Durkin/NBCDuring season 2, Addison found herself conflicted between her past relationship with Ben and her current relationship with Tom. Bassett went through similar thoughts as he prepared to play Addison again after the big off-screen time jump.
“[I had to examine] what is my [character’s] relationship with this Tom and how loyal Addison is. There are different types of loyalty,” she added. 'I told this man: I have a relationship with him, so I have that too. But now that other person comes up and I can't ignore that either, because there is a different kind of loyalty there.”
Addison eventually parted ways with her relationship with Ben to plan a future with Tom. In the latest episode of Quantum Leapaired on Tuesday, January 30, Addison admitted to Tom that she had found the ring he had hidden and the couple became engaged.
The greatest gift for us in 2024 would be fan-favorite couples like The Bear's Sydney and Carmy and Sweet Magnolias' Ty and Annie finally appearing on screen together. Since The Bear debuted in 2022, viewers and fans alike have been divided over whether the show will explore the potential romantic feelings between […]
Bassett told it Us that she was excited to see Addison continue to maintain control over her own life.
“The great thing about what's happening for Addison — and that's why my favorite part of the season is literally right now until the end — is that she's no longer dealing with things in the past tense and is bringing everyone up to speed on the present,” she explained . “Now she's going through things in the present tense and making decisions in the present tense that may not be fully informed, or may not be fully informed, or may not be completely accurate. … It's the first time that Addison really gets to pilot her own ship and Ben has to deal with that. Instead of Addison dealing with it, which is much more fun.
Caitlin Bassett as Addison in 'Quantum Leap.'
Casey Durkin/NBCAccording to Bassett, it took some time for her to accept that Ben is not the right option for Addison at the moment, adding: “Fan of the show Caitlin and maybe even actor Caitlin feels like Ben is the man. You can't replace that feeling.”
She continued, “But when I was with Addison this season, I was like, 'It was three years.' And the human she had to be to get through it, you don't have to tell someone how to heal when you're going to explode their world. So I ended up being an advocate for her decision to move on, which means thinking exactly where you should be and then figuring out where you should go.
Bassett also offered a glimpse of what Quantum Leap fans can expect from the final episodes of season 2.
“At the end of season 1 we left on a cliffhanger. It took me until the end of the first episode of season 2 to realize, “Oh, this is a new setup.” By the end of season 2 you will know how different season 3 will be,” she teased. “I think it was a brilliant move by the writers. The final episode just feels like a new adventure. It's so cool. So I hope people enjoy it.”
Quantum Leap airs on NBC Tuesdays at 10pm ET and will be available to stream on Peacock the following day.