This episode first aired in the US on the Sci-Fi Channel.

Writer: David Gerrold
Director: Richard Compton
Guests: Stephen Macht (Krislov), Angela Bettis (Jill), Sandra Lee Peckinpah (Martha), Michael Keenan (George) Background: Mallory was in a wheelchair until Geiger helped him, Maggie's husband was also confined to a wheelchair after a skiing accident.
Plot:

The Sliders are running. They're being chased because Remmy said he was a believer, though of course they meant a different kind of believer. Running from BIR (??? can't read my writing, or remember abbreviations) They open the vortex, and as Mallory jumps, he is shot. They exist in a similar place and realise Mallory is hurt.

CREDITS

Mallory wakes up and cannot move his legs. They have 38 hours until the Slide. Maggie and Rembrandt go to look for help. They find a foctor who will help them. Diana informs them tnat they are moving through a cluster of worlds that branched off from the same point.Mallory's injury is bad. On this world those weapons were destroyed. The doctor was hurt by the same thing, but can do little to help Mallort.There is a group that can offer him a blessing, but the price is high.

The Sliders (of course) go to this place. All are dressed in white and arehapy. They also talk as one. The know what is wrong with Mallory almost instantly. Mallory wants to take the blessing in order to heal; the others think they should wait a while. Diana takes a sample. Mallory is about to drink the water, which will transform him but the others stop him and to wait until Krislov has checked it out. Maggie stays.

Krislov looks at the sample. It has biological nanotech engines in it, that reproduce themselves like blood cells and which could repair his spine. But the cost is high. The nanotects link up and combine processing power. They communicate via little pulses of light, hence the glow (what glow??). But the network is not restricted to the individual and above a certain threshold becomes self-aware. The glow is the community and it eventually uses up their bodies and brains.

Quinn and Maggie are talking about wheelchairs. Mallory feigns trust in them. Maggie goes to look for Rembrandt and Diana, and in those could of seconds, Mallory drinks the water.

Krislov explains that it was supposed to be a medical breakthrough to put an end to suffering. There is an off switch, a shut down code you can beam into the network with a modulated light operating at certain frequencies. Named Dead Man's Light. But Krislov does not know where to get one. The lights of the BIR men worked like that. Krislov's daughter Jill is one of the believers.

Diana and Rembrandt return. Maggie tells them what happened. The believers approach and Mallory walks towards them. He is very happy and says he feels exlanded. Mallory goes into a tent. The others decide to get him out of the place. When they enter, he is in the middle of a circle. All are glowing. When they (??) to them, the glowing stops. He believes he was communing with God.

It's time for the Slide, but Malloty does not want to leave and break the linkafe. They say goodbye and drag Mallory through the wormhole with them.

On this new world, the believers did not achieve anythign. They are at a cafe' ish place, which is owned by a Krislov with a moustache (I think that's what it says). Mallory will not sit with them. The Jill on this world has a spinal problem. Mallory feels betrayed and thinks perhaps he should not Slide.

Maggie, Rembrandt and Diana return to their room, where Mallory greets them and offers them a drink of water. He gives them a speech about trust and friendhip, but Maggie notices some metallic things in the water and knocks the glass out of Diana's hand before she drinks it. Mallory can get them out of his bloodstream. He is behaving very oddly. Diana goes back to talk to him. Rembrandt works out he puts his blood in water and adds sugar. Go to this world's Krislov to see if he can help them.

Mallory talks to this world's Jill and offers her the water.

Krislov knows a little, but they couldn't get it to work. He tells them more about the light. He has the design for one (handy).

Diana reaches Mallory and Jill just as Jill is about to drink. Diana mentions secret police and tanks. Jill drinks anyway and she is cured.

Krislov built a Dead Man's Light. Belivers are offering water. Jill is happy and well. Before drinking, the Sliders use the machine. They are now BIR people type. Krislov changes his mind (when he sees Jill?) Other believers come and take the Sliders to Mallory. Mallory appears to be head of the cult. The others try to persuade Mallory to come out of the flow. They get him to come out to see, and if he still wants it, they will join him in returning. Make him choose between them and the believers. Rembrandt gives the believers chouces. He decides to go with the Sliders and the Sliders leave the natives to choose.

Mallory says the old Quinn is gone. open the vortex and Slide.

Did You Notice?

* The poster says BIR - Bureau of Internal Reconstruction

Cool Quotes:

"Who are these guys?" - Diana

"We don't wanna know." - Remmy

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"So I have to depend on the guy who tried to kill us in the last world to save my life in this world?" - Mallory

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"Beware of flower children bearing gifts." - Remmy

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"Everything seems weird to me, since I started Sliding with you." - Mallory

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"Blessings aren't found in what you're given. They're found in what you create for the people around you. What's important is to make a difference. The real transformation comes from choosing it." - Mallory

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"None of us really know who we are, except by who we're connected with. Who we care about is who we are." - Mallory

Mistakes:

* The original water was clear.

My Opinion:

Well, it's been a long time since I actually saw the episode, so let's see if I can still understand my notes :-)

I did like this episode. I've picked out a few things. Well, more than a few :-)

At the beginning, when they find out Mallory was injured, was it me or did Maggie not seem as concerned for him as Diana did?

In some ways, this was in the style of As Time Goes By. Several worlds, but they keep meeting the saem people. It was just a little parallel I drew. Diana's explanation is probably as good as any :-)

I found Mallory's behavious in the episode to be wonderfully realistic. I've never been in such a position, and I hope I never have to be, but I could understand his reactions and how he desperately wanted to walk again. Especially after his recovery from before.

Okay, I writen 'R's comment on staying there seemed painfully accurate,' but I don't remember what I was on about! This is a long shot, but does anyone else remember?

Krislov was pretty good! I do actually like going from world to world and seeing how people are different depending on the world, therefore I loved the recurrence of Krislov and his daughter. I wish we could have more recurrence of characters so we could see that. Like Bennish in season 1.

The Sliders really should get their little stories straight! If they persistently contradict each other, one day they're gonna drop themselves right in it! Or perhaps that's the idea... :-)

It was great to seem them draw parallels between Mallory when he was in a wheelchair and Maggie's husband. I thought Jensen had gotten lost in their minds! Maggie even looked pained! It's great to see continuity, in whatever form.

There was one thing in the direction that irritates me and that's when they fade to a single colour, then fade back in with a different picture accompanied by a rushing noise. It's probably just me; it always makes me think of dreams and therefore it bugs me a little. But that's not really a criticism of the episode itself.

That talking for each other was wierd!!! Very creepy. That was the point, though, wasn't it. :-)

I found the acting of our main actors in the episode to be good. It was very much a Mallory episode, but for the most part, the others also pulled in great performances, Cleavant especially. This is what I like to see!

'The conflict after betrayal was good' is another thing I can't quite remember what I meant. Oh well, if I wrote that, then I probably thought it!

Glitter in the glass!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, how tacky! This was my only problem with the episode. When we first see the liquid, it's clear and the nanites (I cn't remember what they called them and I'm a Dwarfer through and through so I'll use their term) aren't visible. Later, in fact every other time, there is glitter in the glass so they can see! That's my actualy complaint; the nanites would have been too small for them to see in the liquid as far as I could understand.

Was it me, or were there different pronuciations (sp? that doesn't look right!) on the different worlds of 'BIR' namely 'burr' and 'beer.' If there was, then this is a spectaular piece and very subtle! And if it wasn't, then it doesn't matter. Did anyone else think that?

I did feel Diana could have done more to stop Mallory giving Jill the nanites. I know the story wouldn't have gone anywhere if she had and Tembi did a great job conveying the expression of not being sure what to do.

There was a nice moving speech by Maggie and Mallory there at the end (I think, that's what I wrote and I do remember a good speech).

Some people claimed the nanites were rather close to the borg nanoprobes in ST: Voyager, but I don't think so. And there are several shows that have used similar things as well. Red Dwarf comes to mind as they used the nanites to rebuild Lister's arm and Red Dwarf (though when they do it it starts of big and then shrinks). The cult that these nanites in NGFO create gives a different take on what could hapen. And it was a touching story and flowed well (unlike this review which appears disjointed to me).