A terrific parallel Earth, strong chemistry, great character moments all add up to a fun episode — with one appalling flaw.

A tedious 45 minutes of plodding nonsense that throws away an intriguing parallel world in favor of cheap and under-budgeted spectacle.

Some social satire, a decent alternate world, amusing execution — but it settles for less instead of reaching for more.

“Please Press One” regurgitates the Sliders trope where the cast topples an oppressive regime — only this time it’s an empty rehash where every ounce of social commentary, excitement, characterization, humor, or charm have been subtracted, leaving behind an empty echo of something better.

Watching this brings back memories of the second season. Perhaps it was the intertwined trio of worlds that hinged on one series of events, but more than anything else this episode asked me to think about what I was watching, a phenomenon that’s been all too absent in much of the last two seasons.

This is a filler episode in a filler season. We’re just killing time until the theoretical syndication money rolls in.

“Strangers and Comrades” is a deeply-flawed episode masquerading as important character study. It hopes you’ll overlook the inconsistencies and errors in favor of the tragedy of war. Don’t be fooled by the propaganda.

Few episodes of Sliders pack such an emotional wallop, and when they do the conclusion is usually uplifting. Thanks to Chris Black for putting the newbies through this crucible.

The only thing “Revelations” reveals is how gullible I was to think that this season would be any different from the last one.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what in particular about “Roads Taken” sets me off, but it’s proved elusive. All I know is I want to take this episode and beat it with a tire iron.

Last season, Sliders delivered a particularly foul turd of an episode about a weird little town with a horrible secret. No matter – here is the sequel nobody demanded — Paradise Lost II: The Chasm. And this time, it’s personal.

While “My Brother’s Keeper” takes the lay up on the fairway instead of firing for the green, it’s one of the rare instances this season where you’re forced to think about what you’re watching.

“Way Out West” is a loving tribute to all the old westerns that ruled the media in the middle of this century. From Rembrandt declaring himself jumpier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs to Quinn’s laconic yups, this is as stereotypical a view of the Old West as you’re going to find.

Welcome to the Hotel Chandler, or as the pathetic title informs us, “Data World.” You see, that’s the twist. Though it shares the same set as all the other Chandler Hotels we’ve visited this season, this one is a simulation made up entirely of data.

In a second half where we’ve seen more misses than hits, “Slide by Wire” is a welcome oasis in a desert of mediocrity.

A rose by any other name would still smell as sweet, but “Net Worth” is a real stinker.

While some may argue — incorrectly — that the episode is an excuse by a power hungry television executive to play power games, I will argue that this particular episode is an example of dynamic and challenging story writing which explores the depth of Kromagg love.

The Sliders take a welcome break from Kromaggs and neo-Nazis this week to yuck it up in an America dominated by a single television show. With no greater ambitions than a few laughs, “Lipschitz Live” meets this low standard. If you’re capable of leaving it at that, you may enjoy this outing. If not, it’s going to annoy the heck out of you.

It looks like it’s that part of the season where the Sliders stumble around implausible worlds looking for decent stories, because “The Dying Fields” is a mess of plot holes, poor decision-making, and, yes, a lot of stupidity.

“California Reich” reinforces Cleavant Derricks’ acting chops as he tackles the issue of racism in America. I just wish it had been tackled better.

“Asylum” began life as “Rembrandt’s Romance,” a title too simple for what lay in store. What we received is much more apt. In a series about never-ending danger and adventure, the Sliders are probably all looking for a safe harbor in the storm.

The science fiction element of “Slidecage” is the strongest we’ve seen on the show in some time. The high concept parallel world “roach motel” makes for a fun exercise by putting the Sliders in a pressure cooker situation, and is a much better follow-up to the Kromaggs than what we saw in “Common Ground.”

The production crew admits to the budget reduction the show had in its move to the Sci-Fi Channel, but when episodes like “The Alternateville Horror” can showcase strong storytelling, good-natured humor, and excellent special effects for less money, I’m not concerned about the occasional bottle show.