Love Gods
A biological weapon has killed off over 99% percent of the earth’s men, and the race to repopulate is on. The three male Sliders are picked up and sent to a breeding facility, where they will be put to work. The novelty of having thousands of women after you quickly wears off and the men realize they need to get out of there. Teaming with another breeder, the four break out. Unfortunately, the authorities follow Wade to their hideout and they’re forced to run again.
Arturo is captured by Australian agents; Quinn gets separated from everyone in the confusion. Wade and Rembrandt defect to Australia hoping to slide from the embassy, but discover Quinn is not there. To save Arturo and Rembrandt from a lifetime of Vegemite, Wade brokers a deal between the Aussies and the Americans and double crosses both. Quinn makes it in time for the slide after making a serious decision to help his rescuer out with a little problem.
Worlds Visited
 | Breedin’ WorldA biological weapon unleashed during the Gulf War has killed more than 90% of this earth’s men. |
Details
- The store Wade notices is “Brooks Sisters,” a take off on the “Brooks Brothers” chain.
- The police logo reads San Francisco Police: Serving our City.
- In the lobby of the Dominion Hotel, Wade watches Channel 8 News.
- A public address announcement in the Breeding Center instructs breeders to go to rooms four and eight.
- Headlines on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle read: “Four Breeders Escape from Center,” “Budget Talks Go Nowhere” and “As Politicians Fiddle, Voters Burned.” There is also a teaser advertising an article inside called “Home and Garden Ideas for All.”
- Details about the “Grow Your Own Chia Man” as advertised on the Infomercial and in TV Lists Magazine:
- Spread the seeds, keep ‘him’ watered and he’ll actually grow. You can control how fast or slow you want ‘him’ to mature.
- If you prefer a tall ‘man,’ water regularly. For a shorter ‘man’ you only have to water once a week.
- Some television shows listed in Bay Area TV Listings are “I Remember Papa” (cover), “Sisters: The Outlaw Years,” “Hanging with Mrs. Cooper” and “The Fresh Princess of Bel Air.”
- David says that he learns on the Internet that “there’s a way station in San Luis Obispo.”
- The female officer who first opens the door to the closet is a Lieutenant per her arm patch.
- The “Wanted” poster up all over the city reads “$100,000 Reward. WANTED. For the Information Leading to the Recapture of Escaped Breeders and Accomplice.”
- The surname under David’s picture appears to be “Blooms.”
- While imprisoned at the Australian embassy, Arturo’s meal tray contains a jar of “Vegemite.”
- The license plate on the B.R.P. Chevrolet (which is later identified as “Unit 5”) is 3OVA284.
- The plate of the Australian Consulate Ford Lincoln is CNB 3Z8. The ‘C’ is white with a blue background while the rest of the digits are blue with a white background on the plate.
- The Chevrolet rental van the Sliders escape in is license plate 3DUF193.
Character Information
- Rembrandt says that he’s a fan of toys, adding that knowing toys is the first step to understanding a culture.
- Arturo affectionately calls Wade “our Tormentor” after she pulls a “where’s the timer?” practical joke.
- Quinn says that his mother used to buy Mrs. Hills Coffee Cake all the time.
- Rembrandt says that he’s had his moustache since high school. “I’m not shaving it for the world,” he says.
Money Matters
Wade has enough cash to check into the Dominion Hotel.
Notable Quotes
- “Gentlemen, we’ve made a slide to heaven.” — Arturo, on landing on a world of love-starved women.
- “Lucky? Allowing an idiot like that to breed at that rate could set your civilization back ten thousand years.” — Arturo, in response to a young man’s belief that the U.S. was lucky to have Trevor Grant in its corner, especially after 215 confirmed pregnancies in just 28 days.
- “It’s like a buffet of love.” — Rembrandt’s take on life at the breeding center.
- “Any fantasies I ever had about nurses have been dispelled forever.” — Arturo, in response to having a nurse force a green protein drink down his gullet.
- “You’d last out there about as long as a pork chop in a pool of piranha.” — Arturo, to Quinn who wants to go outside to look for Wade.
- “This is the absolute rock bottom.” — Rembrandt … in drag.
- “I could honestly say that I never thought anyone would say those words to me.” — Rembrandt after his cold legs elicit Wade to lament, “I told you to wear the panty hose.”
- “Listen to me! Who’s gonna mean more to your handlers back in Canberra, a national treasure or an American transvestite and an overweight Englishman?” — Wade to the Australian consul as she tries to trade Trevor Grant for Rembrandt and Arturo.
- “Oh man, that’s cold.” — Rembrandt’s response to the deal.
- “Frankly, madam, I would have sooner had my liver eaten by a vulture.” — Arturo’s response to his stay at the Australian Consulate.
- “The love that dare not speak its name.” — David quoting Lord Alfred Douglas from his piece “Two Loves.”
- “A prophet is not without honor in his own country.” — Rembrandt quoting the Bible. (Matthew 13:57)
Arturoisms
“Good Lord.” — as the Australian guard begins disrobing in front of him.
Nitpicks/Errors
- Though David calls ‘Diana’ by name, both Arturo and Wade call her ‘Diane;’ he while holed up in her home and she while cutting a deal in the B.R.P. car.
- How is it that Australia escaped this poison cloud the best? Geographically, it’s a lot closer to Iraq than, say, Iceland or Norway. A cloud that far-reaching is impossible to create.
Neatpicks
The debate is over guys; leaving the seat up can be hazardous to your health.
Rewind That!
As Arturo walks past the Breeders of the Month award board, filled with pictures of Trevor Grant, it seems that this month there’s a new champion — a black man in the top left hand corner. While some fans are absolutely convinced that it’s a picture of Cleavant Derricks, Tracy Tormé assures that it’s not.
Rewind That!
Though it isn’t in the dialogue, as the Sliders are escaping out of the breeding center they trod through a stream. The closed captioning displays the line “Aw, man, these shoes cost $200.” Knowing the characters as we do, it could only have come from Rembrandt.
History Lesson
Years ago, there was a conflict in the Middle East and the Iraqis released a viral agent that attacked the Y chromosome. As it spread around the world, it managed to kill off most of the men. Those that survived have been held captive by their their respective governments in a race of repopulation.
Australia was lucky enough to survive with the most men; Iraq ironically succumbed to its own aggression and is virtually male-free (an interesting turn of events given the region’s suppression of women’s rights).
So why such excessive sexual means to procreate? Why not just pull out the old test tube and crank out the sperm donation? Medical advances haven’t brought their level of technology to the point where in vitro fertilization is even known about, let alone a viable option.
So the men have sex six, seven times a day. In the United States they have the dubious distinction of being called “Patriots” and have been stripped of their lives, jobs and family committments so that they can impregnate as many women as possible. Examined, graded like cattle and pressed into service, these men may not even have the option to father a child with their own wife. The women who wish to have a child are chosen specifically (and meticulously) for their looks and their age. Only pretty, young women are chosen to be impregnated, and the choosing is done by the Bureau of Repopulation, or the BRP.
The female influence has had an obvious effect on the society. There are no typical ‘male’ toys on this world, no guns or ‘action figures.’ Johnny Cage (of Mortal Kombat fame) sits at a Ken doll-like tea party.
There is no forced breeding in Mexico, so many “Patriots” try to shirk their “duties” and flee their with the aid of Handlers, women who aid and abet escaped breeders.
The Inside Slide
“I thought ‘Love Gods’ was fun, in a light sort of way, with men being the studs of that world,” says Tracy Tormé.
· · ·
Jerry O’Connell’s favourite world took place in this episode. “I really liked the episode where 90% of the male population of the world was wiped out because of a disease, and the remaining 10% were being used for breeding purposes only. I liked that ratio — you’re guaranteed a date there!”
Guest Stars
- Gwynyth Walsh as Detective Lt. Specateli
- Jennifer Nash as Diana [Isley]
- Georgia Emelin as Billiejean
- Jon Maynard Pennell as David [Blooms]
With
- Deb Podowski as O’Grady
- Kathryn Anderson as Jane [Hills]
- Andrew Guy1 as Trevor Grant
- Kendall Cross as Cara
- D. Neil Mark as Stationary Biker
- Dawn Roberts as TV Newscaster
- Jayme Knox as Woman #1
- Brenda Crichlow as Dr. Morris
- Jan Bailey Mattia as Woman #2
- Ona Grauer as Debra
- Kathleen Barr as Aussie Guard
- Kamilyn Kaneko as Clerk
- Andrew Guy also played Wilson in the first season’s Eggheads.