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Aristus

(68,327 posts)
Sun Nov 19, 2023, 03:28 PM Nov 2023

The re-boot of "Quantum Leap" needs to get some better writers.

In the most recent episode, the main character leaps into the body of a World War II veteran paratrooper. At one point, he discusses his service in the war by saying “I did four tours in Normandy!”

Anyone who has ever actually studied the war, however superficially, knows that ground forces didn’t do “tours” of duty back then. They were in the fight until they were killed, disabled, captured, or until the war was won. Air crew, like fighter pilots and bomber crews, did finite tours, so many missions, and then they could go home. But not ground forces.

The writer must be some young kid who thinks every war we ever fought was like Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan; endless, pointless conflicts into which the same soldiers were rotated into and out of over and over until the war comes to a whimpering end. It must come as a surprise to learn that once, we fought wars for just reasons, with clear purpose, a clearly identifiable enemy, and a plan to effect a definitive victory.

Anyway, that piece of poorly researched writing leapt out at me. Thought I’d try to get it out of my system.

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The re-boot of "Quantum Leap" needs to get some better writers. (Original Post) Aristus Nov 2023 OP
Even if there were tours, Normandy was liberated after a few months Shermann Nov 2023 #1
Details, my friends, mere details. kgray96057 Nov 2023 #2
"Four tours of Normandy." Snort. shrike3 Nov 2023 #3

Shermann

(8,636 posts)
1. Even if there were tours, Normandy was liberated after a few months
Sun Nov 19, 2023, 05:04 PM
Nov 2023

So that first Normandy "tour" might certainly have been rough, but the battlefront moved northeastward shortly after.

kgray96057

(28 posts)
2. Details, my friends, mere details.
Sun Nov 19, 2023, 07:52 PM
Nov 2023

They don't care. These inaccuracies get through to production all the time. The hope is that people who might know better will be so absorbed by the story that they won't catch it.

The problem here is that the story wasn't that interesting.

 

shrike3

(5,370 posts)
3. "Four tours of Normandy." Snort.
Sat Nov 25, 2023, 01:15 PM
Nov 2023

Sorry, I just couldn't help myself.

DH and I watched a couple of episodes of Quantum Leap 2.0 then gave up on it.

DH said they'd be better off if they tried to have fun with the concept, the way the original did.

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