El Sid

Season 2
Airdate: 3/29/96
Rating: 3.5/5

“All I have to do is lean in on you, and your windpipe snaps. Now you listen to me. I don’t like it here. And I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t stick face in my business.” – Sid

The Sliders travel to a world where the city of San Francisco is a national security prison. Before they slide to the city prison they find themselves in the midst of a firefight. We’re introduced to “Sid”, a mean tempered hotheaded guy that abuses his girlfriend Michelle. He’s played by actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan who later went on to become the famous character Negan in The Walking Dead TV series.

We’ll see his accomplice’s double LJ in the next world. One thing I like about this scene is it’s far beyond what we have normally seen in previous episodes. It’s a former shipyard that was left in shambles and it appears the world is run by a bunch of outlaws. Most certainly it would seem crime is run rampant. It’s time to slide and Quinn decides to rescue Michelle and takes her with the team as Sid brings up the rear and follows through the vortex. Well, that’s a way to start off an episode to add more problems for our Sliders isn’t it? But after all, Quinn did do the right thing.

After arriving in a new San Francisco the effect of the vortex with Sid sliding through is pretty impressive. It’s one of the best vortex scenes in season two. Obviously Sid and Michelle are oblivious to the fact they’re on another world. The Sliders try to keep them calm before they engage with the locals. The entire city of San Francisco is a prison, although none of the Sliders realize it. They soon befriend a fellow prisoner named LJ who was Sid’s sidekick. The kicker, LJ never knew Sid on this world. What’s interesting about this prison world is that it doesn’t look like a prison at all, but more like a rehabilitation center, even the Sliders are clueless to begin with. LJ calls the place a campus and tells the Sliders their housing costs are covered by the “G”, government housing.

This episode reminds me of the movies Escape from New York and Escape from LA. The difference is the Sliders aren’t on a mission in the area. They’re thrown into the middle of a problem at random. The main method of controlling the prisoners is through “buddy bracelets”. They’re tracking devices that work by making you look after your own buddy, if your buddy gets in trouble well you’re in deep trouble as well. These bracelets are basically what we would call house arrest. It appears that the consequences of not controlling your “buddy” is death. Friends don’t let friends commit crimes. I guess it cuts down on the need for more security. Well guess who Quinn’s buddy is? None other than “el Sid”. One aspect of the city is that it’s about to fall into the ocean from so many earthquakes. If all these problems weren’t enough there’s more to come.

What makes this world interesting are the little things like no vehicles, buddy bracelets, security cameras and even signs that state “We appreciate that you choose not to stand in the same place for long periods.” It really looks like Jerry O’Connell aka Quinn Mallory made a sacrifice in this episode, after Sid throws him up against a wall. Sid has quite a strong grab on his neck as Jerry’s face turns cherry red, either that or Jerry O’Connell is good at holding his breath. The professor interjects if Quinn had used his brains he wouldn’t be in the mess he’s in. Quite true as in a future episode, Arturo says “can’t save every world you land on.”

Rembrandt and Arturo try to avoid trouble and the Wade and Michelle are forced into “group therapy”. Quinn and LJ find Sid stealing from an ATM and taking a hostage in the process. What’s great about this scene is the purple money from the ATM, just another twist in the world of “what if’s”. Sid is still so ignorant of the situation he’s in because the entire city is an open jail. One interesting fact is Wade points out to Michelle that Sid beats her. Some things are similar from world to world, but apparently it’s much more harsh in her home.

The architecture that they were able to use in this episode really brings it to life. I’m sure the production crew really saw their surroundings as a great opportunity for this episode. Quinn is soon on the run for his life after his buddy Sid is caught, and LJ leads the Sliders to a shelter away from the police. I wonder if the idea of putting every criminal in the same city would be a good idea. It seems they’re given a lot more freedom but perhaps these are one’s that aren’t much a threat to society. But I doubt it. The final minutes of this episode don’t disappoint. It has a few twists and turns that make the first 30 minutes well worth the wait. Although prisoners aren’t too smart to be in jail in the first place, they come to grips in knowledge of the in’s and out’s of trade, thievery and deception. There’s a whole other world out there.