Quinn (Jerry O'Connell),
a brilliant
grad student, has created
a device
that opens a
wormhole to
an infinite number of parallel universes where history has taken
different paths. His first test trip goes awry, stranding his
physics professor, Arturo (John Rhys-Davis), his friend, Wade (Sabrina Lloyd), and
bystander Rembrandt
"Crying Man" Brown (Cleavant Derricks)
in parallel San
Franciscos. Now, this foursome of Sliders must travel from one
alternate reality
to another
in the
hope of somehow
finding their way home.
CRITIQUE
I never heard of
Sliders before reading the show's DVD press
release. After checking out a bit more than half (I skipped
episodes that sounded lame after reading the synopsis provided on
the menu screens) of the DVD's
twenty-two episodes that comprise the first two seasons of the
show, my general impression is that Sliders presents a cool
concept, a kind of brother or distant relative to Quantum Leap.
The two-hour pilot presentation (it runs some 95 minutes) is
pretty cool, and sets up the concept nicely. However, Sliders
falters a bit in between the cracks.
Some of the
alternate realities explored are just too out there, or they are
simply ridiculous. There are also some logic gaps, which becomes
noticeable especially when watching episode after episode. Each
episode presents a different alternate reality, though I have to
give credit to the writing staff where it's due; they sure know
how to make each reality totally different.
I mentioned some
realities don't work, but the ones that do make for good
entertainment, and a little suspense and science-fiction. The
actors perform well most of the time, though I have a few problems
with some of the dialogue or specific actions of the characters.
First off, the time when Cleavant Derricks' "Crying Man" uttered
the word "dagnabbit," I just had to laugh.
The quality of the
writing tends to go from a bit cheesy dialogue to sounding
well-educated and technical. In terms of the characters' actions,
I find it rather annoying that when they are in danger they always
look back and hesitate before sliding. Sabrina Lloyd's character,
Wade, kind of disappoints, and as the show's only female character
the writers should've realized her importance.
The first season's
finale episode, Luck of the Draw, is a good one. The
cliffhanger at the end made me want to see the conclusion, but the
second season starts off rather disappointingly with the
less-than-mediocre Into the Mystic. The story of the season
opener just didn't interest me, plus it was kind of stupid and the
cliffhanger ending from before was wrapped too easily. As Time
Goes By, the second season's finale, ends on a general note,
no cliffhanger or anything. The four sliders find themselves in a
reality where for them time moves backwards, and they only have a
few hours to find out why they (excluding Wade) were convicted of
murdering an undercover police officer.
THE VIDEO
Universal presents Sliders
in 1.33:1 fullscreen format. Video quality is actually not too
bad. Colors look nice and saturated good enough, but they also
look a bit dim at times. The image sees a few specks, but
nothing major. Overall, a fine-looking program that doesn't
necessarily show its age. Optional subtitles include English,
French, and Spanish. The chapter stops for the episodes are
quite long, there are only four for each of the show's average
43-minute episodes.
THE AUDIO
Universal presents Sliders
in English 2.0 Dolby Surround. Dialogue is clear and easy to
understand. The two front channels reinforce the sound effects
with good enough quality, it's no big deal but the track gets
the job done.
THE EXTRAS
On the first disc
is an audio commentary by series co-creators Tracy Tormé and
Robert K. Weiss on the pilot. They share some good
information, such as the history of the show, how it began and
that sort of thing. Some jokes are revealed as well, plus
there's talk concerning the actors, filming, and other
behind-the-scenes stuff. Fans of the show should find this track
interesting, and I did too on a moderate level.
The other extra is
The Making of Sliders (14:09), an interview piece
that's actually quite nice. There are interviews with Tracy
Tormé and Robert K. Weiss, and actors Jerry O'Connell and
Cleavant Derricks. O'Connell adds some good lines, and the
creators have good things to say as well. It's a little odd that
Sabrina
Lloyd and John-Rhys Davies are not featured in this piece. Did
they get lost in an alternate reality, or what?
Rounding out the
extras is a photo gallery (1:05) that shows a series of
photos cut to music.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Despite some nitpicks
and odd complaints, Sliders remains a pretty decent show. Not
every episode works, but the ones that do are enjoyable. The DVD is a
pretty nice package.
