Sliders/Greatfellas

Greatfellas
Season 2, Episode 10
Airdate	May 31, 1996
Production Number	K0804
Teleplay by	Scott Smith Miller
Story by	Sean Clark and Scott Smith Miller
Directed by	Allan Eastman
← 2x09 Obsession	2x11 → The Young and the Relentless
Sliders — Season Two

Greatfellas is the tenth episode of the second season of Sliders, and the twentieth episode overall.

Jerry O'Connell (Quinn Mallory), Sabrina Lloyd (Wade Wells), Cleavant Derricks (Rembrandt Brown)

and John Rhys-Davies (Arturo)

Guest Stars: Donnelly Rhodes (Ben Greenfeld), Sarah Strange (Leah Greenfeld), Benjamin Ratner (Tommy Greenfeld), Venus Terzo (June)

Special Appearance by: Mel Tormé (Himself)

with Clinton Derricks-Carroll (Rembrandt 2), Byron Lucas (John), William Sasso (Gomez Calhoun), Jano Frandsen (Joseph Biacchi), Ted Cole (Agent Reid), Joe Maffei (DaBello Patriarch), Russell Ferrier (Bartender), Aurelio Di Nunzio (Pit Boss), Doug Cameron (Maitre d')

Uncredited: Hrothgar Mathews (Lawyer (Mr. Gale)), John Shaw (Counter Guy)

Plot Overview

In a world where Prohibition was never repealed, the mafia has become a visible and influential presence. The four find themselves wrapped in affairs when Rembrandt, whose double is a law enforcement agent, accidentally outs undercover agent Mel Tormé at a mob wedding.

Notes

Brave New Worlds

• A world that is overly litigious, apparently as a result of 84% of the population attending law school.

• Prohibition was never repealed and as such the likes of Al Capone and Meyer Lannsky grew rich and powerful to the point where they divided the U.S. to small, competing territories.

Doubles

• Mr. Gale

• Rembrandt

• Mel Tormé

• Gomez Calhoun

Timer

• 27 hours

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• The teaser was written to be attached to "Into the Mystic" in case Fox prevented Tormé from wrapping up the Season 1 cliffhanger. This explains the day-to-night change between slides (similar to the difference in the premiere) and Hrothgar Mathews as the lawyer who is obviously supposed to be Mr. Gale. This also explains why the episode opens with Wade narrating from her diary, much like she did in "Time Again and World", which was the first episode produced of the season.

• Mel Tormé is the son of series creator Tracy Tormé. He was originally going to cast him in the role of the Prime Oracle in "Obsession", but thought that was too dull. Tracy wrote his father as a Bible-thumping, drinking, country and western musician - everything Mel hated. Tracy's wife even has a cameo as one of the bridesmaids.

• Tracy also wrote the song his father performs in the episode. While it was edited down for the final cut, Tracy says there was a four minute version of it out there.

Allusions and References

• The title is a play on the 1990 gangster film Goodfellas.

Quotes

• Ben Greenfeld: The rumour has it the groom's family called up Sinatra. Who cares? We got Mel.

• Mel Tormé: (singing) I'm praying to Jesus, I'm down on my knees / I'm hoping he eases the pain that he sees / Me and my buddy Jack Daniels are bondin' / I'm numbing the hurt, but my brain ain't respondin' / The beer truck kept rolling around past my house / Funny how that truck made me think about my spouse / She took everything, includin' my dog / Now I'm brokenhearted and sad as a hog

• Mel Tormé: You know, they say a cat's got nine lives. You place any faith in that old wives' tale?

Quinn: Maybe, if you're a cat. Wait a minute.

Mel Tormé: Just remember: the cooler the cat, the harder he is to kill.