Instead, I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, the episode had your typical PECKerhead quasi-T&A from Maggie, but it also held something more.

"Heavy Metal"
Reviewed by Donner

Out of five stars:

THE GOOD

• Character depth in this episode was terrific, from the sliders locking horns with each other to the leader of the pirates. There were things going on inside their heads and none of them were the usual cardboard cut-outs we've been subjected to the past three seasons.

• In particular, I was struck by the pirate leader, Paxton, who Maggie fell in love with. In a way, he reminded me of DS9's Sisko... you could just look at him and know that there was more going on with him. Instead of being a dumb romance interest (like the fabled "Chicks of the Week"), he was a complicated character who cared for his people and was holding desperately onto a way of life that was quickly fading. A classic tragic hero... am I the only one who was surprised that he didn't get his head blown off?

  Basically, Paxton and Maggie had a lot in common. Both the leader type, both caring, and both had lost family. Naturally, in TV land, this is a cue for two characters to do the humpty-hump.

• I loved the alternate world where there was no aluminum and was surprised how such a little seemingly inconsequential thing could lead to such a radically different way of life. I also liked the spin on the episode title, "Heavy Metal" (a reference to the absence of aluminum and not rock music) which has been called "misleading" by some... but personally, I think those people are idiots.

• Maggie and Paxton's scenes together where usually well written. Particularly when the two of them had to hide from the guard in the warehouse, you could practically feel the tension between them. I thought the hiding scene was nice and Kari, depite what a lot of people have said about her over the years, is quite lovely.

• Finally, Mallory's big mouth got him in trouble and it was up to the others to get him out of it... to save him from walking the plank. Personally, I don't like either Robert Floyd or Mallory, but this episode captured the smidgen of what could be called the essence of his character and Robert himself was less untalented than usual.

• Finally, the answer to an age-old sliderfan question. Yes, my friends, the timer does run on batteries and, yes my friends, they DO have to be replaced.

• I liked Paxton's first mate, but...

THE BAD

• ...was I the only one who thought that she was just a pretty face put into the story for the sake of being a pretty face?

• The romance between Paxton and Maggie seemed rushed to me. And by "rushed" I mean they jumped in the sack too soon.

• You gotta love Paxton's out of bed jump without showing the rump. Personally - and I don't know why - when I saw this I just busted out laughing, shaking my head, and repeating Peckinpah, Peckinpah, Peckinpah...

• Mallory recounts the story of "Easy Slider". Did he include the Peckinpah threesome, I wonder? (shudder)

• The action scenes were kind of sloppy. But, then again, we haven't seen any really good outdoors action scenes since the Sliders pilot.

THE VERDICT

A great episode. Nice way to delve into Maggie's character. Kind of a bummer that Diana was largely ignored... but then again, so was Mallory so I guess it's okay.

Donner
...and now, the reruns.