Subsequent week’s episode of Quantum Leap asks one factor: Give a trans woman a shot.
Ben’s newest leap places him within the physique of a basketball coach whose trans daughter Gia (performed by Josielyn Aguilera) desires of taking part in on the group. It’s as much as Ben to persuade the coach’s colleagues, fellow dad and mom and even his family to welcome her to the group or threat dropping her for good.
The episode, titled “Let Them Play,” was written and directed by trans activist Shakina Nayfack, who initially pitched it as a part of her interview for the Quantum Leap writers’ room. Having beforehand starred within the NBC sitcom Connecting, co-created by Quantum Leap showrunner Martin Gero, the pair aimed to create a brand new challenge led by Nayfack. She then joined the Quantum Leap group to assist construct the abilities she would want to ultimately change into a showrunner.
Nayfack additionally seems within the episode as Dottie, a unusual character with game-changing info for the headquarters crew. The episode was initially speculated to be directed by Morenike Joela Evans (whose credit embrace Raven’s Dwelling, iCarly and How I Met Your Father), however she was pulled away unexpectedly earlier than filming. Nayfack, who’d wished to get into directing and shadowed Evans, then jumped on the chance.
“That night time, I wrote to all of the executives, and I used to be like, ‘This episode is about giving the trans particular person a shot, so give me my shot. I’m prepared,” she shares. “I’ve performed 30 episodes of tv since I wrote the episode, nobody understands these characters greater than me, I’ve educated as a director within the theater — put me in, coach.” Nayfack obtained the decision the subsequent day that she was going to direct.
Advocating for herself is nothing new for the multi-hyphenate, who says, “You must as a result of nobody else will.”
“My complete profession has been about asking for that another factor that makes me uncomfortable, however I really feel like I deserve as a result of I’ve labored arduous,” she notes. “I used to have a sticky observe on my pc that mentioned, ‘Day by day, ask one particular person for assist who scares the s—t out of you.’”
“Let Them Play,” airing this Monday at 10/9c on NBC, couldn’t be extra related as legislators throughout the nation are advancing legal guidelines focusing on the LGBT+ group. “I simply wished to counter all of the unfavorable political messaging with a Care Bear Stare of pleasure: trans pleasure, trans liberation, trans group,” Nayfack says. “I wished to make certain that this episode didn’t really feel like a TED Discuss or an after college particular, and really really feel like one thing folks would wish to watch and stroll away from feeling extra related to an understanding of trans expertise.”
The episode additionally places the highlight on Ian (performed by Mason Alexander Park, who’s trans and non-binary). “We’re going to study much more about Ian’s backstory on this episode,” Nayfack previews. “I’m simply so glad that I received to play a small half within the mythology of our Quantum Leap headquarters, and to assist deliver our sequence common trans actor extra actively into the story of Quantum Leap.”
