Over the years, some TV shows have joined the list of having the worst endings in TV history. And while Lost‘s controversial finale might’ve started that discussion, shows like Game of Thrones and How I Met Your Mother have certainly followed suit. But while some of these became cultural phenomena, with viewers debating to this day if Lost‘s finale meant that the characters were dead all along, there are few finales that have been forgotten over time, but still ticked off its longtime viewers.

Among them is the Season 5 finale of Quantum Leap, an NBC sci-fi show that first aired in 1989 and followed a physicist traveling through time. The finale, which left viewers with more questions than answers, left the main character without the happy ending they were looking for, and longtime viewers may never get over it.

What Happened in the ‘Quantum Leap’ Finale?

Starring Scott Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, Quantum Leap followed its physicist as he “leaped” through time, meeting new people every episode, and helping them with whatever problem they faced. Lost in time and inhabiting the body of a different person each time, Sam had only person he could rely on throughout: the hologram of his best friend, Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell). In the finale of the series, which premiered on May 5, 1993, Sam once again leaped through time, but, for the first time ever, looked in the mirror and found his body on the other side.

After talking to the all-but-omniscient bartender also named Al (Bruce McGill), Sam has an important realization that he’s been traveling under his own force of will all these years. Knowing that, he becomes determined to fix the one mistake he’s regretted. In his last televised trip, he plans to go back in time and tell the love of his best friend Al’s life, Beth Calavicci (Susan Diol), that Al was not dead during the war, and that she should wait for him to return instead. Previously, he had the opportunity to do it and didn’t, for the fear of changing timelines too much, but he’s regretted it ever since. In the finale, he’s finally righting his biggest wrong.

Following his scene with Beth, three title cards famously came onscreen to finish off the finale. The first title card confirmed that Beth never remarried, the second one confirmed that she and Al reunited, and they share four daughters together and are on the verge of their 39th wedding anniversary. The third and most controversial title card, however, delivered a gut punch for viewers. In it, the show revealed that Sam Beckett “never returned home.” With that, viewers are led to believe that Sam never returned to his body again, and continued his endless journey of unceasing leaps across endless eras and places.

Why Was the ‘Quantum Leap’ Finale So Controversial?

Image via NBC

There are a few reasons why the Quantum Leap finale didn’t sit right with fans. For starters, because the series didn’t know whether it would return for a new season by the time Season 5 finished filming, the finale, instead of being carefully constructed, feels rushed and somewhat improvised. In fact, the only sense of closure from the finale comes from the title cards (which, notably, included a misspelling on Sam’s name). After all, viewers tuned in for years to follow Sam’s adventures, as well as the unwavering friendship between Sam and Al, but by summarizing their fates in just a couple of lines, the series undercut the emotional investment audiences had built with these characters.

Speaking of emotional attachment, viewers of the show longed for Sam to one day return home. In each episode, he leaps and helps people out, but never returns home to prioritize his happiness and stability. In the finale, he realizes that his powers have been in his grasp all along, but still chooses to continue leaping instead of choosing himself. For viewers who had gotten to love him over the years, that ending for him not only felt anticlimactic, but disappointing. In 2019, however, Bakula defended the ending, claiming that by saying Sam is still leaping, the show emphasizes the character’s good nature, and willingness to put others before himself. “I like that sentiment that there’s a Sam Beckett out there, and he’s doing right by a lot of people,” the actor told Vulture. “There are a lot of people who make a difference every day, and take time to look at other people and not just assume that they know better. So I like that idea. Is it sad that he never gets home? Yes. But sometimes, there’s greater work to be done.“

With all that said, while Quantum Leap‘s finale might still disappoint and frustrate viewers, the almost-perfect sci-fi series was a treat for five full seasons. So while one episode might’ve left fans with a sour taste in their mouths, hopefully five seasons of exciting, unexpected time-traveling action make up for it.

Release Date

1989 – 1993-00-00

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  Scott Bakula

  Dr. Sam Beckett

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  Dennis Wolfberg

  Irving Gooshie Gushman