Being thankful is expressing gratitude and relief. I’ll mention the top 5 Sliders episodes where the Sliders are thankful, but with a bit of a twist. The Pilot isn’t in the Top 5 simply because they are “thankful” when they think they finally slid to their world. When in the end, they find out they haven’t made it back home but to an alternate world. They’re far from thankful then. Throughout my exploration I’ve seen that satisfied endings to episodes drop off a cliff as the series progressed. I’ll layout the top 5 episodes that have the best end scenes with the Sliders being the most thankful.
Honorable Mention: Season 4 – World Killer
This season four episode finds a double of Quinn sliding the entire world’s population to another earth. As one nun puts it two by two. 5 billion became 10 billion and the world is run by ruling war lords. Quinn’s double had become self righteous. Throughout the entire process Quinn helps restores his doubles confidence and drive and slides the entire world’s population back to their home world. Now that’s something to be thankful for.
5. Season 3 – Dead Man Sliding
On a televised game show Quinn is framed for murdered and sentenced to death. The caveat is his double is walking around on this world too, but also innocent! The game show is fixed. The sliders go through one daring and unique attempt to save Quinn by distracting everyone by interviewing him in a van in a so called “network interview”. The attempt is busted, the sliders drive off and are stopped by a cliff. With moments to spare and guns pointed at them, they jump off a cliff with timer in hand and thankfully land on another world. They discover they’re being videotaped, grab the tape and happily run off in the distance.
4. Season 1 – Last Days
People are kissing like there’s no tomorrow, inflation is off the charts, riots are occurring and there’s the biggest sale in the history of discount electronics! Not to mention there’s an asteroid coming to kill and destroy the sliders and entire world before they can slide. Arturo and Conrad Bennish Jr. help finish Einstein’s forgotten atom bomb. It’s equipped to a rocket that explodes and neutralizes the asteroid threat. The sliders are thankful and the world celebrates after being redeemed.
3. Season 1 – Fever
A plague has crippled a world and has put the sliders right into the middle of it. Quinn’s double is patient zero or the first known carrier of a disease or epidemic. The head of the CHC (California Health Commission) deliberately infected him and released him into the population. There are quarantine zones, protection camps, and the ones who are accountable are the ones who make the policy. Like today’s society we live in. Not to worry though, Arturo discovers this world’s problem is merely strep and develops a cure. The sliders are thankful for their impact and for once, sliding made a difference.
2. Season 3 – The Guardian
On this world Straight Relativistic Time Dilation comes into play. It’s the same time but from another world’s perspective it would appear different, on this world 12 years earlier. Quinn sees his tumultuous childhood. With the help of his teacher Miss Hanley he becomes the guardian of his younger self. By training, guiding, giving advice, he gives he and his self a way to heal. Younger Quinn, Mrs. Mallory, and Miss Hanley are clearly thankful for everything he’s done. The rest of the sliders say nothing before the slide, and why should they? The rest of the sliders know how thankful Quinn is for everything that has transpired. What more is there to say?… My name isn’t Jim it’s Quinn. “Thank You”
1. Season 2 – Gillian of the Spirits
We begin with the sliders on rain world and on their departure the vortex is struck by a lightning bolt. The sliders don’t see Quinn on the next 1950s-like technology banned world and fear he was left behind. He’s merely invisible. After entering a church there’s only a girl named Gillian that can see Quinn who gives a note to the rest of the sliders explaining he’s stuck on the astral plane. The sliders face many obstacles since the timer was scorched during the lightning bolt strike. Without the parts in a technological stone age it’s rather difficult to find them.
Quinn and Gillian work together after Michael Mallory betrays them for a solution to help fix the timer. However no remedy has come to get Quinn out of his dire situation. After the vortex is opened every slider stops to say a last final goodbye. It’s gut wrenching to say the least and the vortex finally closes leaving Quinn behind. Moments later the astral plane passes through the vortex the sliders had opened. Quinn is reunited back with the others on the next world in a pure bittersweet moment. An original episode of pure thanksgiving.