My Brother’s Keeper
When Quinn learns his double is working on sliding, he and Colin investigate and find alt-Quinn just before a lab explosion takes his eyes. The guards responding to the accident take Quinn to be an escaped clone, leading the Sliders in a mad dash to rescue him. Meanwhile, Michael Mallory must confront the possibility that clones might not just be living organ banks, and Colin becomes the mentor to his brother’s confused clone, teaching him morality and brotherhood.
Worlds Visited
 | Clone WorldAdvancements in medical technology have allowed cloning of actual people to suit their donor needs. |
Details
- The license plates on some of the passing vehicles are 3JQL358 and 2KHC871.
- Need a florist? Try Kayla’s Flowers.
- Alt-Quinn is studying quantum mechanics at the Quantum Lab at the Carl Sagan Institute.
- Alt-Quinn’s MHO medical card reads:
MAXIMIZED HEALTH ORGANIZATION
7825 5681 83 [obscured]
09/96 THRU 10/98
QUINN MALLORY - Rembrandt buys his Nixon book, When Good Things Happen to Bad People, at Eagan’s Books.
- Alt-Quinn is in ICU on the 9th floor of MHO. Sorry, no visitors.
- Mallory’s brand reads:
MALLORY C/S400
DMM 0121238176 - One of the security guards is named Moberly.
Character Information
- Alt-Quinn’s nickname is Quinnster.
- Alt-Quinn has been developing sliding technology that is based on superstring theory without integrating an M-Theory base. He hoped to slide clones to another world so they could escape harvest.
- Alt-Quinn believes that the work his father, Mike Mallory, is doing is unethical.
- Alt-Quinn’s mother died a while back.
- Michael Mallory has shielded his son with the best medical treatment, but doesn’t truly know his son.
- Colin loves his brother enough that he’d give his own life to save Quinn’s.
Money Matters
- Rembrandt has enough money to buy a third-rate book on Nixon.
- The Sliders had enough money to buy a laptop computer on the previous slide.
- The Sliders stay at the Chandler Hotel.
- Maggie offers to buy Sylvia a cup of coffee.
Product Placement
They really went ape in this episode! Not since California Reich can I remember so many products placed in such a tiny space! Here are all the corporate sponsors I could spot:
- Red Bull
- USA Today
- Coors
- Tombstone Pizza
- Scotty Towels
Notable Quotes
- “To see if there are 18 missing pages.” — Rembrandt’s sly remark about the Nixon book.
- “So what do you want, fabric or leather?” — Rembrandt, on preference of stolen vehicle upholstery.
- “I thank you from the bottom of my eyes.” — Quinn, to RJ, after his rescue from MHO.
- “You don’t hurt someone to help yourself. At least, that’s how it should be.” — Colin, teaching Mallory some life lessons about the bond of family.
- “My older son, he would never say zen crap like that.” — Mike Mallory, to Quinn, about Quinn’s, well, zen saying. Forgive me. I don’t memorize the whole episode.
Nitpicks/Errors
- Can someone tell me where Quinn came up with Rudy Zacora? Is that a buddy of Doug Molitor’s?
- When Colin shows Mallory photos of himself and Quinn, the photos appear to be taken during the time they were on Vega$ World in Way Out West. But every bit of evidence in that episode pointed to the contrary that they’d have the ability to photograph anything. At the very least, color photographs should not have been technically feasible.
- RJ has a very special gun. When you aim it and fire, it shoots two holes in objects with only one bullet.
- I guess Alt-Quinn isn’t covered by MHO. After all, his card expired in October of 1998! (A nit only for the United States, which chose to first run the episode in 1999.)
Neatpicks
Colin suggests they use a mattress for a soft slide, and it works!
History Lesson
Twenty-five years ago, Michael Mallory perfected the process of cloning and patented his invention. Whereas before the process of grafting organs from other individuals was commonplace, people with enough money could literally create a doppelganger. Wealthy families literally farmed copies of their children and developed the embryos should the need arise to claim an organ.
While this was all very well and good for the wealthy, the poor saw it as another way of getting screwed. Many had sold their parts to pay bills or simply put food on the table. Now, managed health concerns such as MHO treat their patients by removing healthy tissue from the clone.
Naturally, a resistance has built up to liberate clones and send them to Canada for safety. It was thought that the resistance had created clones that would kill the original, but this is strictly rumor.
The Inside Slide
“In this particular episode, we take a look at the whole cloning thing,” says Kari Wuhrer. “On this world, they clone humans for body parts, so if I go blind I’ve got a clone who lives in relative seclusion. She’s a second class person, cloned for the purpose of giving body parts to the primary humans. It kind of takes a twist on what is going on now in the scientific community.”
· · ·
The final scene featuring three Quinns — the original, his blind double and the clone — was shot and completed on March 12, 1998.
Guest Stars
- John Walcutt1 as Michael Mallory
- Paula Trickey as Nurse Lauren Perry
- Bob Morrisey as Bill Pappas
- Judith McConnell2 as Sylvia
- Malcolm Jamal Warner as RJ
Co-Starring
- David Kallaway as Guard One
- Ross Borden as Doctor
Featuring
- Reba Shaw Alexander3 as Clerk
- David Flynn as Brad
- John Walcutt also appears as Mike Mallory in Genesis, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?, Slidecage and Revelations.
- Judith McConnell plays a Clerk in To Catch a Slider.
- Reba Shaw Alexander appears as Rickman’s secretary in The Exodus, part II and as the maid in A Current Affair.