Slide Like an Egyptian

Wade and Quinn interfere in a pharaoh’s funeral rites and are condemned to die with his servants. Arturo rescues Wade at the pyramid, but Rembrandt finds Quinn dead in the necrology ward of the hospital. Quinn visits the afterworld where he meets his father but is brought back to life by physicians experimenting with what happens when people die. The other Sliders don’t know this, and, despairing, attempt to rescue the woman Quinn died to save from the pyramid. Once inside, she tells them that Quinn is probably alive. They must choose to slide without Quinn or let the window of opportunity pass.

No one will leave Quinn, but their delay causes them to be trapped in the pyramid with a genetically enhanced scarab on the loose. However, they learn of a secret passageway. If they can avoid the scarab long enough to find it, they can still make it out. On the outside, Quinn works with his doctor to find a way into the pyramid to rescue them with the authorities on their tail. Quinn discovers a second timer, supposedly used by royalty, that the pyramid’s architect had stolen as an escape plan. A good thing, too, because the old timer is finished.

Worlds Visited

Egypt World The Egyptian empire and its culture have spread all the way to the Pacific. Read the full Travelogue entry »

Details

• In the beginning of the episode, the Sliders walk past a building with the street number 618.
• The headline on the New Alexandria Times reads “Pharoah [sic] Sealed in Pyramid Tomorrow.” Below are the sub-headings “Ceremonial Sealing of Tomb to begin at noon” and “Seven Die in Hi-Rise Fire.”
• The postal service motto: “Neither locusts nor sandstorms nor gloom of night [shall keep us from our appointed rounds.]”
• The sign on the wall as the procession begins reads: “No admittance — Hospital employees only.”
• Running from Dr. Mubaric, Rembrandt hides in the Necrology Ward.
• Quinn’s time of death is 3:15 p.m.
• The Sliders are staying (again) at the Royal Chancellor Hotel.
• Dr. Mubaric says that the reason Quinn was operated on was because scans show that he has a tumor. Quinn scoffs at that assumption, claiming he’s in perfect health, but is it possible that that ‘tumor’ is the tracking device implanted by the Kromaggs in Invasion?
• The license plate of Deera’s red BMW is 1E49953.

Character Information

• As a boy, Quinn would often play pass with his father who instilled in him the motto: “If you can touch it, you can catch it.” The phrase obviously served him well — Quinn went on to quarterback for his team in high school.
• Quinn once dreamt that Arturo was his father. Looking back on that time, Arturo says “I never had the courage to tell him that I so often wished he was my son.”

Money Matters

• The four check into the Royal Chancellor Hotel for one evening but other than that, they don’t need currency on Egypt World.

Notable Quotes

• “No, I’m not royalty. I’m just a scientist, trying to find his way home.” — a very defeated Quinn to Deera.
• “Success covers many evils.” — the Kheri-Heb on using healthy people in afterlife experiments.
• “Yeah, it probably cost twice as much as the estimate. You know how contractors are.” — Rembrandt, in reference to the unfinished section of the pyramid.
• “Ouch, you’re a real sweet talker.” — Deera to Quinn who says that he doesn’t care if helping him will damage her career.
• “Think of it as an impromptu phaser.” — Rembrandt’s reference to Star Trek about his electrical scarab-prong.

Nitpicks/Errors

• When the scarab attacks the architect, it seems that it has grown two-fold since the earlier scene where it’s being pushed in the wooden crate.
• The CGI for the above-mentioned scene is atrocious.
• At the end, as the Kheri-Heb is being pulled up by the scarab, he leaves his feet before the beetle even touches him.

Rewind That!

• When Wade and Arturo return to the hotel after Rembrandt has seen Quinn, she comes in and says, “Hey. Rembrandt, what’s wrong?” but in closed captioning she says, “Hey. Quinn back? What’s wrong?”
• As the Sliders enter the pyramid, with 90 seconds until the slide, Rembrandt says “Wait a minute, I hear that thing again.” But the thing, the scarab, hasn’t really made a sound yet. Probably because in CC he says (and he mouths) “Wait a minute, I smell that thing again.”

Guest Stars

• Shaun Toub as Kheri-Heb
• Claudette Mink¹ as Sheilah
• Rocco Vienhage as Dr. Achtbit
• Jim Turner as Mike Mallory
• Armando Valdes-Kennedy as Seyn Jebid, Royal Architect
• Steven Meek as R.D.I. agent
• Apollonia² as Dr. Deera Mubaric

Co-Starring

• Justin M. Gorence as Priest
• Terry Markwell³ as Reporter

Unaccredited

• The male voice of the first newscaster.
• The female R.D.I agent.

1. Claudette Mink also stars as First Mate Brice in Heavy Metal.
2. Apollonia’s real name is Patricia Kotero.
3. Terry Markwell also stars as a reporter in The Fire Within and The Prince of Slides.