Fever

Nitcentral's Bulletin Brash Reflections: Sliders: Season One: Fever
The group slides onto a world plagued by a mysterious disease known as the "Q". A stranger is astonished when after saving Wade from being hit by a truck, kisses him on the cheek. After this incident, the sliders enter their favorite restaraunts, one of many buildings in the area with a bio-scanner in the doorway (like a metal detector) to scan for disease. After recieving his vacuum-packed hamburger, Remmy retches and runs for the bathroom. Posted on the wall is a "Wanted" poster for the originator of the "Q" - Quinn Mallory. Retreating to their hotel, Wade becomes ill and Rembrandt cares for her while Quinn and the Professor head for the local drugstore for some asprin. The clerk shows no knowledge of antibiotics, and as Arturo and Quinn try to leave, a California Disease Control (CDC) squad busts in and kidnapps Quinn. Meanwhile, Wade escapes from Rembrandt's care and runs for a group of "Q" victims in a local ghetto. After Remmy and the Professor arive, they meet this world's Quinn, who informs them that there is no such thing as pennicillin. While the inflicted Arturo races to find a cure, Remmy manages to break our Quinn out of the CDC reseach facility, where the doctors are amazed that he is healthy. As the group gets ready to slide away, the CDC officials arrive in the slum to arrest this world's Quinn. Announcing that a cure has been found, he and his followers stall the CDC long enough for our heroes to slide away, with the recovering Wade and Arturo.
Wade is shown to be recovering in a tent on a world when the others check in. She falls asleep and Arturo asks whether Quinn told Wade about this Earth's cannibals...
By keith bird on Thursday, June 24, 1999 - 8:20 am:

I think this episode raises an interesting dilemma: How can the Sliders morally justify cotinuing sliding when at *any* point they could carry a disease from world to another wihtout even knowing it? The history of European settlers infecting Native Americans comes to mind. They may be bringing new diseases to each new world they encounter. Of course, this is a conceptual nit and would end the series, but I honestly cannot see anyway out of it. Thoughts, anyone?


By Kyle Powderly on Wednesday, October 20, 1999 - 1:22 pm:

Oh, if we're going to pick reality-based nits here, what kind of power source does the timer use that they never have to worry about having the wrong kind of batteries, or the wrong sort of power to recharge the timer (if it's power cell is rechargeable) or end up on a primitive Earth for weeks where the timer's 'battery' would die?

And how are they able to pay for anything on any given world? There's no guarantee that the Earth they slide to uses the same sorts of currency that the Earth they left did. When they get jobs (as we have seen them do a few times), how do they show proof that they are who they are? Too many places - the mayoral campaign in one episode comes to mind - are very quick to hire someone for a fairly responsible job without having to fill out any sort of governmental paperwork that requires you to show identification.

And since keith brings up the question of disease, what about metabolic incompatibility? In an infinite number of Earth's, stands to reason they'd eventually come across one where the food or vegetation or something is poisonous. I know, I know, Beckett can't breath on Earth 'Prime', but even that was overcome when they made the move from Fox to Sci-Fi.

Ah, well, all in all still an enjoyable ride most of the time...


By Andreas Schindel on Wednesday, November 17, 1999 - 3:39 am:

I have found the following nits:
First, the Protection Suits don't seem to be tight. There are several shots, where we see a doctor putting on his helmet without closing it on his neck.
Second, the Professor wants to heal Q with Penicillin. This only works against bacteria, but Q is said to be a virus.


By Lee Jamilkowski on Sunday, February 13, 2000 - 7:24 pm:

The power issue is dealt with in "To Catch a Slider", in season five. As for bringing illness between dimensions, that is a major plot point in the later Kromagg related episodes.


By Joel Croteau (Jcroteau) on Sunday, December 16, 2007 - 4:42 pm:

Where is Q said to be a virus? Given the primitive level of medical technology on this world, I'd have a hard time believing they even knew how to tell the difference.


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