episode #24 - Double Cross

Air Date: 9/27/96 writers: Tony Blake & Paul Jackson Directed by Richard Compton

The first episode of the 3rd season was marked by a shift to Los Angeles shooting and a slightly higher budget. The Sliders slide into a megapolis called San Angeles, which stretches from what we know as Los Angeles all the way up to San Francisco. Things like food and power are portioned out in meager scraps because resources are so strained by the populace. The group is quickly tracked down by female scientist Logan St. Clair (Zoe McLellan), who is working on her own version of sliding technology, in a much more sophisticated lab than Quinn's old basement. She does admit to needing Quinn's help to work out the kinks. Her previous partner had been a version of Arturo, who had been killed trying out a slide; one of the kinks is that objects come back burned to a crisp. Suspicions are soon raised about St. Clair's motives and about what really happened to the Arturo of this Earth. Rembrandt, meanwhile, goes off on his own to be with a female fan of this world's Rembrandt (who is touring in Europe); this woman turns out to be on the psychotic side, and with a muscular, jealous boyfriend.

Rembrandt's whole storyline is predictably goofy and a waste of time, but the main plot involving St. Clair and sliding tech is a great example of the show's potential - presenting concepts that are fascinating and nearly mind-blowing. The plot has its tensions, revolving about a possible murder mystery and subterfuge, but the real revelation is when we find out who St. Clair really is (St. Clair is not the last name she was born with):

Spoiler:

Here is where the series shows us how it can present concepts that are not possible on other TV series, that it can be science fiction of the most wild nature. The actress playing Logan was excellent and the final act is genuinely exciting; too bad that the implications of the climax were never followed up on. But, there is a permanent change due to the events of this episode: from now on, instead of just the San Francisco area, the Sliders will slide into anywhere within a 400-mile radius of the S.F. location - usually L.A. we would guess. BoG's Score: 7.5 out of 10

Earths Depicted:
---------------- #49: San Angeles is a huge city stretching along the CA coastline; brownouts are daily, sliding tech almost developed
---------------- #50: a Los Angeles referred to as "Lotus-land" - possibly very Jamaican-influenced; seen only in an epilogue