Episode Review
Season 2
Airdate: 4/5/96
Rating: 3.5/5
Episode Details
Airdate: April 5, 1996
Network: FOX
Director: Vern Gillum
Writer: Jacob Epstein
Notable Guest Stars: Rebecca Gayheart, George Delhoyo, Will Sasso
Nielsen Ratings: Viewers: 8.3 Million, Rating: 5.6, Share: 10, Rank: 79
Worlds: Slow Time World, Martial Law World
Memorable Quotes:
Judge Nassau (to Wade): “I was prepared to die you know.”
Wade: “I know. I hope you understand I did what I thought was right. Things may not be as hopeless here as you think.”
(portal roars)
Arturo (to Wade): “Age before beauty.”
Wade: “After you.”
Rembrandt: “Go, girl!”
Quinn (to Natalie): “Are you ok?”
Natalie: “Yeah, I think so.”
Quinn: “You gotta be strong. Both of you. I gotta go.”
Natalie: “Will I ever see you again? I wish I understood all of this.”
Quinn: “Where there’s mystery, there’s hope. Keep hope alive!”
The Sliders travel to two different dimensions which leaves them seeing… déjà vu.
One thing that fades from the Sliders episodes is the narration Wade gives on some episodes. I tend to like narration in episodes and movies. It makes everything more personal to the viewer. I believe this episode is one of the last ones we hear from Wade’s diary. Everyone one is all worked up in the beginning of this episode about not getting home. Well I guess I would be too. The Professor is particularly frustrated at the situation. Spending your life of travel is far from your dreams and life of a teacher. The women of the first world grow mustaches and goatees. Pretty weird if you ask me. Their testosterone must be through the roof. One could only guess how or why this happened.
As Quinn waits to meet the others to slide, it looks as if a showdown is brewing. Sure enough, there’s a traffic accident between a police officer and a judge. Moments later it results in a judge’s homicide. It’s as if an elaborate set up was in place to kill the man. What mixes up the story even more is when the dying judge gives Wade a computer disc. The Sliders barely make the slide to the next world.
On this new world it’s déjà vu, where the same things happen, except now the judge shoots the cop. It’s seems that this world operates on Simon van der Meer’s theory of Straight Relativistic Time Dilation, where time is behind on this world. You’ll learn more about this in greater detail from Professor Arturo in the season three episode, The Guardian. This world’s dressing attire is pretty strange too, where policemen wear kilts. Even the step father of the country wore them as well… President J. Edgar Hoover. This whole episode is shrouded in mystery so don’t be too concerned if you’re confused. I believe it’s completely intentional rather than bad writing.
The Sliders check into the “Lamplighter” motel which becomes their haven for season two. Meanwhile an investigation is ongoing of the police officer’s death. Wade is relentless on finding out the reason of the disc that was given to her and the meaning of what “Elsie. The Rock. Five. Four.” and “Elsie. The Rock. 8:00. Five. Four.” is all about. Quinn exclaims they were fighting over a woman, who cares? Yeah I agree. Can’t Wade just drop it? Plus the way she comes off is so annoying in this scene. They’re aruging with one another and I guess traveling from world to world that would be highly understandable. Soon enough the Sliders are threatened by the “mafia” to keep quiet on all that they saw. Yet after all the harassment and threats, Wade continues to nag the Sliders about figuring out what is on the computer disc. Come on. I agree with the rest that she’s lost her marbles.
Rembrandt, Quinn, and Arturo want to get out to the countryside and leave all their troubles behind. Well, that’s exactly what I would’ve done too. This is an episode that has really brought me to despise Wade and her unruly attitude. Not only that, she seems to whine about everything. I really don’t see how the rest of the Sliders put up with her on this world. That sounds much more harsh than I mean it, but she’s clearly the most criticizing person of the group. They eventually give into Wade and start their investigation on what everything is about.
One of the funny things of this episode is that the grunge music artist Kurt Cobain released a Christmas album and your local night club has such a large line to get into the building. Inside it looks like a romantic birthday party. Not to mention Wade can’t drink a beer since she’s 23. The legal age to drink alcohol is 27. On our world in the United States it’s currently 21 and the debate continues where you can be in the military at age 18 with guns but not drink alcohol.
Judge Nassau is soon arrested for the shooting, as the Sliders try to find out what is on the computer disc. Wade’s implying a copy of the US Constitution that gives so many rights to Americans to a prisoner in Alcatraz. There are various double agents in this whole conspiracy, with one party spying on another while pretending to be someone else. There’s so much going on in this episode it’s nearly impossible to fully grasp the whole picture. It’s as if this episode is too smart for it’s own kilts.
The episode does have a very important message of not letting tyranny overrun a nation, but it’s not explained in an entertaining way. You must throw on your thinking cap to understand the episode’s true message. At one point even Quinn gets frustrated “the people they protect us from are cops. Don’t even try and understand it, professor, it’ll just give you a headache.” But I’ll give you a hint of this episode’s message.
Don’t let the government oppress you or the society you live in by their actions especially through the use of martial law. That is complete suspension of civil law and the enforcement of pure military authority. The Sliders discover that the disc contains a highly important government document. It’s something the police and government want to keep a tight lid on. They face a difficult decision; to save the life and freedom of Judge Nassau or suppress the truth that would change the face of a nation.