I have something to tell the team about Sam Beckett Jr. Here’s Dr. J to explain.
Multiple dystrophy isn’t real.
Oh my god you lied to us.
Well, uh–
Guys, Beckett is the only reason we’re not the worst team in the league.
Deal with this internally.
We’re gonna make you wear terrible shoes.
And it’s only going to make you a better player, isn’t it?
Yep.
We’re still not putting you in the starting rotation.
Really? I was player of the month, I’ve been scoring more than any other two guys put together.
Really.
Why?
Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Jackson, I want you to kill Sam Beckett.
But you are Sam Beckett.
Exactly.
My head hurts.

Another game against Detroit?
I don’t make the NBA schedule, Sam.
This is already feeling silly. Why is Jackson Ellis still my rival?
I’m easily one of the best scorers in the NBA and he’s just…okay.
Don’t ask me how this works, Sam. The future is just as strange to me as it is to you.
At this point, my rivals should be a whole lot better than Jackson Ellis.
Something is going on with that kid. I just can’t explain it.
He called me Dr. Sam Beckett the first time we met.
Still haven’t explained that.
He must have some knowledge of Project Quantum Leap.
It’s not impossible. Remember: to him, Project Quantum Leap is the past.
Wait, what? It’s still not going on in 2014?
Ziggy 2.0 says that it was ended in the late 1990s.
That means that I return home eventually, right?
I don’t know, Sam. I can’t promise anything.
I keep thinking about something my agent told me…
You still don’t know his name?
He said that something happened to me–to Junior–back in Indiana.
He thought I wouldn’t want to go back there.
Ziggy 2.0 still hasn’t figured anything out.
Yeah, it can’t even find my agent’s name.
This is a developing technology! We are pulling information from the future!
Do you have any idea how hard that is?
Not really.
It’s harder than hitting a three point shot.
That’s been pretty easy for me.

Shut up.

Yo, Sam, how’s it going?
Great! It’s going great, except I can’t get into the starting rotation for anything.
Remember what I told you about trades?
Look, man, I can’t ask for a trade.
It’s complicated.
That’s cool. But we need to talk.
You’re right. I want to know what happened to me back in–
Boy, you don’t want to go over that right now.
But I do! I have a lot of questions. I was so young…
I was young, right? When this tragedy struck…
Man, this isn’t the time! I got you an exclusive meeting.
Meeting?
Listen, as you get further into this there are companies who are gonna want you to endorse them.
Use these opportunities to build your brand.
My brand?
Your brand, Sam. Your brand.
Well, okay, I guess if this is going to build my brand.
But later, we’re going to talk about my dark past.
Fine, we’ll talk about your dark past.

So, Sam, I had a good talk with your agent and it sounded like you were interested in this opportunity.
Okay, give me some background. How will this build my brand?
Sure. Me and my partner have been working on this new energy drink.
We’re calling it Super Hype.
That’s kind of a dumb name.
Yeah. That’s the point!
Why is that a point?
You know what they say about the lowest common denominator!
No, I really don’t.
Never mind. Just know that it tastes great…
and its full of all the essential vitamins and minerals to get you through the day.

Holy shit! this bottle is floating in midair.
I told you this stuff was good.
This can’t be healthy to put in your body.
It is literally defying gravity.

Don’t worry, our scientists have totally checked it out.
Seriously, what is this going to do to the inside of my body?
It’s going to make the inside of your body feel MEGA.
Huh, well…
I guess that… Yeah, I can feel it.

Yeah, that’s pretty great. Isn’t it?
The bottle is still floating there.
Kinda making me uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable? Or MEGA?
A little of both.
Listen, you can see the potential of this product. How would you feel about investing?
Investing in a weightless liquid?
No, an energy drink. Like Red Bull. Monster. Rockstar.
I don’t know what any of those are. And you wear shorts with a cardigan.

This is a valid style.
Man, I don’t know about that.
I realize that there are reasons I don’t understand today’s fashions.
But I am pretty sure that isn’t one of today’s fashions.
You haven’t been on the West Coast.
Cardigans go with everything these days.
I don’t believe you.
Fine. But what about the drink? Clearly you can see it’s potential.

Yeah, it floats.
Well, will you invest some VC?
Wait, this takes VC? That’s why I use to upgrade my ratings.
Of course. It’s the currency of the future.
Well…

Great! You won’t regret it, Sam.
So, are you going to tell me how you make this liquid float?
And what it’s doing to my insides?
Gotta have our secrets…
Secrets. I’m sick of secrets.

Okay, Jackson, this is it. You’re on their home court, but you know what you have to do.
I have to kill Sam Beckett.
I have to kill…you.
No, you have to kill my past self, trapped in the body of my son.
Please don’t make this harder than it already is.
Harder to do? Or harder to understand?
Both.
Just know that you’re doing this for a good cause.
We’re fixing something that went terribly wrong.
…if you say so…

You ready for another game against Ellis, Sam?
I don’t know why this is still a big deal.
Have you noticed the part where I’m almost leading the league in points per game?
Rivalrys are about more than just skill.
Are they, Al? Are they really?
If Larry Bird had just been an average player, would Magic Johnson have paid him any mind?
Interesting how you made yourself Magic Johnson in that comparison.
Why? Because I’m white? Is this a race thing?
You know I’ve talked to several people who say race isn’t even an issue in 2014.
Do you believe that?
No, because those people also think that colloidal silver can treat diabetes.
But things are getting better. I think I can compare myself to Magic Johnson without feeling weird.
You’re good, Sam, but you’re still no Magic Johnson.
For example, about those assists…
I’m trying!
Not hard enough.
What happens if Ellis challenges you in assists?
I don’t think he’s gonna do that, Al. We’re shooting guards.
Maybe I should take a different strategy with him.
Maybe I should try being nice.
Really?
It seems kinda petty to keep fighting him now that I’ve clearly proven myself.
What’s the point, really?
The point is he’s supposed to do something terrible on March 29.
And he still refuses to tell you anything about it.
Well beating him on the court isn’t helping, so I have to try something else.
Right?

Yo, Jackson, how’s it going?
H-how’s…it going?
Yeah, just checking in.
Well, uh, I’ve been ballin’.
All right, time to be nice…

I know we’ve had our moments, but I’ve been thinking.
You’ve been thinking?
Man, this isn’t the time for a heartfelt reconciliation.
I have to… Ugh…
Listen, I know what you’re gonna say. You have to prove yourself.
Embarass me in front of everyone, show the Pistons they were right to draft you first.
It’s not–
And maybe you do! But let’s just be honest for second.

Yeah, well…
Um…

We’ll see about that, won’t we!
How about another friendly wager?
Friendly? But I’m supposed to–
Just like last time, whoever gets outscored…
…has to post something real flattering about the other on social media.
I thought you didn’t understand social media?
A guy can learn, can’t he?
Though you’re still talking trash, so maybe not.
No, man, we’ll see who will see!
Yeah, whatever. Let’s take it to the court.
Wait… Fuck…
I was supposed to kill him.
But he was so nice.
How am I going to explain this to…uh…him?
My head still hurts. I hope this doesn’t mean I get outplayed.

This is going very badly.
At least he’s not dunking on me.

Nothing is going as planned.

Oh man, old Sam Beckett is going to be so pissed.
How am I going to explain this to him?
And first I have to do this…

Wait, uh, woah.
I don’t know about this.
I wanted flattering but this…
Yo, Sandking, what are you staring at your phone for?
He called me handsome.
What do you think that means?
Coach wants to talk to you!
Oh… Okay. I’ll be right there.

What the hell was that?
Well, Dr. Beckett–
You were supposed to kill him! We talked about this!
Instead you called him…handsome?
He’s you, and he’s your son! I panicked and thought it would be a compliment.
That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t kill him.
Well, I got to thinking about it. And I started to worry this was all like Harry Potter.
This is not like Harry Potter.
Hear me out, Dr. Beckett.
So Voldemort hears this prophecy that a boy will one day kill him, so he tries to kill the boy.
But all the shit Voldemort puts Harry through gives Harry the power and the motivation to actually do it.
A Harry who hadn’t been harassed forever by Voldemort wouldn’t have been able to kill him.
Where are you going with this, Jackson?
I thought, what if all these attempts to kill you make you the bitter person you are today?
And what if by refusing to try to kill you, I could change that?
First off, the plot of Harry Potter is nonsense.
It’s a good series because of the likeable characters, but the actual events of the story are just dumb.
Second, I am not a self fulfilling prophecy.
The only way I’m creating a terrible future with my own actions is by picking incompetent help…
…who can’t do what it takes to fix everything that has gone wrong.
Everything that has gone wrong, or will go wrong?
Just stop with the questions! No matter what you say, I know you fully understand what has happened.
I was part of a project that let me leap into the bodies of people throughout time.
Almost two decades ago, I leapt into the body of my son in 2014. The present.
I did what I thought I needed to do, but shortly after that…
Everything went wrong?
Something like that.
But now I know how to fix it.
And I just fucked that up?
Yeah, but we still have one more game. And then we have March 29.
Don’t worry. We will finish this.

Sit down, Beckett. This is important.
Uh oh.
No this is nothing bad.
In fact, I think you’re finally going to be happy with one of these talks.

Oh wow, really? That’s great.
I mean, I am leading the league in Points Per Game

But I really appreciate the vote of confidence.
Is that sarcasm?
No! NO it’s not!

I’m being absolutely sincere.
Good.
I know this is going to be a big game for you. And a big moment in your life.
Yeah.
It’s such a shame your parents won’t be able to be there to see it.
Well, my dad is here in spirit. But my mom…
Wait.
What’s that about my mom?
I’m sure you don’t want to talk about it.
It was a long time ago, but I know they never caught the guy who did it.
Caught the guy who–
Sam, I need to talk to you now.
You can’t let on that you’ve leapt in from the past, remember?
And I can explain what he’s talking about.
Listen, coach, I am thrilled to finally be starting.
But I gotta head out for a moment.
I shouldn’t have mentioned your parents.
It’s not that, it’s just… I gotta get ready. You know, to start my first game.

Al, what the hell was that about?
What happened to Donna?
Remember how we had Ziggy 2.0 looking into Junior’s dark past?
Well, I have some bad news for you.
Just spit it out already.
Thirteen years ago, Donna was murdered.
They never found the killer. He just disappeared.
Oh my god…
Without either of his parents, Junior was raised in foster care.
That’s why your agent didn’t think you’d want to go back to Indiana.
This is terrible.
They really never found out who did it? They never caught him?
The trail went completely cold.
Al, maybe we’re going about this all wrong.
What do you mean?
Maybe I’m not here because of March 29.
Maybe I’m here to solve Donna’s murder.