The Sliders are separated on an Earth where the 60's never ended, Oliver North is President, and the United States is at war with Australia.

This is another great episode from the first season. It has a generous blend of comedy, action, and an alternate history.

We begin with the Sliders on a world where a swarm of spiderwasps is destroying cities. They escape in the nick of time, but are split up by a timer malfunction. This was a great idea by the writers to have Remmy and Wade in one part of San Francisco, and Quinn and Arturo in another. It added a great deal of confusion and suspense to the episode.

Quinn and Arturo end up renting a loft from Mrs. Tweak, played by Joy Coghill. Mrs. Tweak is a paranoid old woman convinced that our Sliders are planning to assassinate the President. Meanwhile, Wade and Remmy are accepted into a commune on the outskirts of town. Remmy looks for the others while Wade preaches to the hippies about love and astrology. One of the funniest parts of the episode is when Remmy shows up in the middle of his double's funeral and then tries to assume his counterpart's role. When his wife discovers that he is an impostor, she chases him into the street firing a shotgun!

The others fix the timer, but are ambushed by the FBI. After a chase sequence, they catch up with Remmy and drive back to the commune. They get Wade and slide out before the agents can catch them.

This episode was probably meant to be the funniest one of the season. Two highlights are the cameo appearances by Jason Gaffney. The first has Bennish being interrogated by the FBI. He thinks they want to know about the bong he just bought, which he claims he mistook for a planter. Another is when Arturo and Quinn are on the alternate 60's world, and a clean-shaven Bennish double approaches them. The two scientists sit stunned as Bennish2 extols the virtues of the Young Republican movement.

There were a few plot holes, though. After escaping the spiderwasp world, Arturo comes out of the vortex with one of the creatures on his back. Quinn picks up a rock and throws it at the bug. The rock hits Arturo in the head - from the wrong direction, no less - and he falls down on his back. Now, wouldn't the insect have stung him as he fell, or when he hit the ground?

Another nitpick occurs when the Feds have Quinn and Arturo at gunpoint in the loft. Quinn hears Rembrandt singing, so he runs to the window and begins shouting at him. The FBI take no action at this, but merely stare blankly. For that matter, the actor playing the stoic Agent Yenn was far from Oscar-caliber.

Another good episode for the first season. 3½ out of 4 stars.

Previous: Pilot
Next up: Prince of Wails

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