Sliders/Into the Mystic

Into the Mystic
Season 2, Episode 1
Airdate	March 1, 1996
Production Number	K0807
Written by	Tracy Tormé
Directed by	Richard Compton
← 1x10 Luck of the Draw	2x02 → Love Gods
Sliders — Season Two

Into The Mystic is the first episode of the second season of Sliders, and the eleventh episode overall.

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

and John Rhys-Davies (Arturo)

Guest Stars: Christopher Neame (Dr. Manfred Xang), Phil Fondacaro (Bounty Hunter), Hrothgar Mathews (Mr. Gale), Nicholas Lea (Ryan Simms)

with Mikal Dughi (Nurse), John Novak (Ross J. Kelly), Alex Bruhanski (Pavel Kurlienko), Karin Konoval (Fortune Teller), Rod Wilson (Sorcerer), Deanne Henry (Mrs. Mallory)

Plot Overview

Quinn's bullet wound is reopened and needs urgent medical attention, but the Sliders are on an Earth where belief in the mystic is widespread. Looking for a real doctor the group end up seeking the help of the mysterious and feared Sorcerer, who may not be as mysterious as they think, and who may in fact be able to help them find Earth Prime.

Notes

Brave New Worlds

• Presumed to be still on the same world they were last seen on. There's still not a lot to glean other than that everyone has been staying in a tent.

• Mysticism and superstition run through mainstream culture to the point where Ed Wood, Jr. was once a U.S. president.

Doubles

• Mr Gale

• Ross J. Kelly

• Pavel

• Quinn

Timer

• A couple of minutes (presumed to be for 3 days in total)

• An hour (seems to be two days in total)

• 53 seconds

Arc Advancement

Happenings

• Ryan asks Wade to stay with him, but she turns him down and he leaves while everyone is asleep. While not mentioned, it's presumed he took Henry the dog with him.

• Quinn's double manages to get them back to Earth prime, but due to so much change and too little time, they assume it's another facsimile after Quinn's gate fails to squeak, oblivious that his mother's handyman had fixed it.

Characters

• Quinn survives his bullet wound, thanks to Ryan.

• The psychic reveals that Arturo resents Quinn due to how naturally his genius comes to him. Furthermore, he doesn't correct her when she say it's also because Quinn reminds him of the son he neglected.

Referbacks

• Quinn's roulette wheel analogy is similar to the one his double used in the pilot.

Trivia

Behind the Scenes

• Fox felt Quinn's bullet wound would have been long forgotten since the show's cliffhanger season one ending. Tracy Tormé put his foot down and was eventually allowed to wrap it up in a teaser. Then the network felt that the episode may not be the premiere and urged the teaser to be removed. Tormé wrote in its place what would become the teaser for "Greatfellas". They then changed their minds (which is why this became the third episode filmed of the season), but because the episode was already timed, this left only two and a half minutes to wrap up the cliffhanger. Due to the circumstances, the plot was going to be instigated by Quinn simply hurting his shoulder when he slid in, but was patched up to keep the teaser in continuity by using of some dubbing.

Allusions and References

• This episode has many story parallels to The Wizard of Oz. Even the character of Mr Gale is an allusion, as he shares his last name with that of the main character Dorothy.

Goofs

• Despite picking up only days after "Luck of the Draw", Wade and Arturo's hair is different. While Wade's new style could be excused, Arturo's hair has clearly grown longer.

• The four leaves the one earth in day, but show up on the next world at night.

• When Arturo tells Wade that they've given Quinn over to a witch doctor, there is a visible boom mic at the bottom of the screen.

Quotes

• Arturo: There's one constant about every America we visit.

Rembrandt: Yeah, the healthcare system always sucks.

• Arturo: Madam, to call that quack a quack, is to insult every genuine quack in the medical profession.

• Dr Xang: Your epidural sheath is epidendrum-like. Has anyone ever told you that before?

Wade: What's he saying?

Arturo: He's coming on to you.

• Dr Xang: Your friend's headache is annihilated.

Arturo: Headache? He's got a gunshot wound in his shoulder!

Dr Xang: Yeah, that's too bad. I don't do shoulders.

• Arturo: Given the fraudulent nature of this man's claims, I suggest a response that hearkens back to our childhoods.

(cut to the four fleeing outside)

Arturo: Run! Run like hell!

• Wade: The supernatural does exist, even on our world. Have you ever tried a Ouija board?

Arturo: Miss Wells, you're an intelligent young woman. Why would you involve yourself with a Ouija board?

Pavel: You're not going to talk politics now in my cab, are you? You know, the fundamentalists, now they want to bring Ouija boards into the classrooms. I say is clear violation of coven and state.

• Rembrandt: According to this, O.J. Simpson was tried for a double murder, the Raiders play in Oakland, Cleveland Indians made the World Series?

Wade: A lot could've happened since we left.

Arturo: That much?