SLIDERS episode 3-LAST DAYS

 

SLIDERS 3-LAST DAYS

 

Though some sources call this episode 4, it’s not. The PILOT was two hours with ads but in syndication that was split into two episodes, episode 1 and 2, but in reality, when first broadcast the PILOT SLIDERS was just episode 1, FEVER was episode 2, and LAST DAYS was episode 3.

 

Lots going on here. I think I avoided this episode because it has, like DEEP IMPACT, an all too real threat: an asteroid is going to hit the Earth. The Sliders arrive (Rembrandt twists to avoid hitting Arturo, Wade lands directly on Arturo’s stomach, and Arturo comments that sliding makes one lose all sense of dignity) on this parallel Earth only to find that they have three days (something like 72 hours) or so and the asteroid will hit before that. The inner conflict between the group comes to the fore.

 

This includes Wade noticing that Quinn really doesn’t notice her. On a side note, while this is annoying from Quinn (who wouldn’t notice Wade?), Wade is again, particularly annoying again in the first half of this episode. While Quinn, who finds his home abandoned by his other self (who was interested in paleontology ) and possibly his family (Wade’s family and probably Wade do not exist in this universe), tries to fix whatever equipment he can in the basement for a possible slide out before the asteroid hits, Wade wants him to stop and examine his feelings. STFU Wade.

 

Later on Wade shows merit as she worries Remmy will not return to their group before the end or as they slide and she shows warmth toward Arturo and of course, Quinn, too. Quinn bears the responsibility for the disaster that caused them all to be lost in parallel universe slides but here, Wade owns up to her role in urging him on to make that first slide, which his admirable. They also come to terms with each other and share their first kiss…which his interrupted by Arturo who didn’t realize that. He had good reason.

 

Wade also, seemingly trying to make Quinn feel better, tells him that she can die well knowing there are other Wades out there.

He solved their problem. He found that Einstein on this world hoaxed that he could not fix or make the atomic bomb work. Arturo makes it work and uses it to give authorities the means to destroy the asteroid before it hits Earth. When this universe’s Bennish (as this point in the show, the show was still using parallel versions of the minor and secondary characters as different versions of themselves in various parallel universes and I thought I saw a version of the taxi driver they always encounter here, too) makes a comment about him using the atomic bomb, Arturo hides one page of the schematic that will stop Bennish, who really does little to help Arturo but provide the actual relic of the bomb itself and some paperwork. Sadly, Arturo doesn’t keep that page hidden well and drops it before they slide at the end of the episode after HE saves this Earth.

 

 

Bennish finds it and will use it to make no other country come up against the US, it would seem.

 

Earlier, Remmy rants against Quinn, blaming him for their predicament and goes off, first to a church, the priest within asking him to help at a soup kitchen (the priest might not have been a priest but might have been a pastor) but Remmy turns him down. Remmy ends up with people who almost ran him down and at a party of a women he fancies whose husband ends up playing Russian Roulette with a gun at that party. Everyone seems to not care because they are going to die soon. Remmy rescues the woman from the party and her husband. I can’t help but wonder if the original script had a gunshot happen after Remmy and the woman leave. Remmy, of course, mends his relationship with Quinn later on.

 

Another good episode that uses the premise well and cements the characters are real people who care about each other and others and what they are doing and realize the mistakes they’ve made and learn from them. Modern DOCTOR WHO could learn from this show.