Quantum Leap is telling one of its most important stories to date.
The Feb. 6 episode, written by actress and trans activist Shakina Nayfack (Difficult People, Connecting...), is titled "Let Them Play" and marks Nayfack's directorial debut on the hit NBC drama.
After Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) jumps back to 2012, he finds himself in the midst of the Mendéz family as they help their transgender daughter, Gia, who dreams of playing on her high school basketball team amid backlash from other parents and school administrators.
"I created the character based off, in part my own life story, and in part the story of two dear friends who are trans who unfortunately took their own lives in their early years," Nayfack exclusively told E! News. "So I was integrating a lot of the things that I had been through as a young person."
In the episode, Song must prevent Gia from running away to a life that ends tragically and instead attempt to give her story a happy ending.
"It was very emotional and it was very healing," Nayfack admitted. "I think the thing that was so important to me was that I was giving voice to the spirit of my friends who I had lost. Gia, who was named after my friend Gia, she represents a whole generation of trans kids that we have lost. Quantum Leap is about going back in history and rewriting time and so the idea here is that, in some symbolic way, I'm restoring life to my besties, but also helping to preserve the lives of a whole new generation of trans kids."
Nayfack added it's "so major" to get to tell Gia's story on network TV.
"The idea that this show is going out into the world and that trans kids and their families will be able to see themselves on screen," she shared, "and that people who feel conflicted will have an empathetic understanding and a heart opening-moment, it just really feels transformative."
Nayfack said if viewers take away one message, it's "let kids be kids."
"Believe them when they tell you who they are," she continued. "All young people deserve the chance to play with their friends and to be included and that we as adults have a responsibility to keep our kids safe—all our kids."
Hear more from Nayfack—including her favorite part of directing—in the interview above.
Quantum Leap's "Let Them Play" episode airs tonight, Feb. 6, at 10 p.m. on NBC.
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family)