The episode starts off with Xander showing Buffy a neckless he bought Cordelia for Valentines day. Buffy in turn makes it clear that she thinks he could do better. She's not a fan of Cordy. Xander points out that this is his first real valentines date and he just wants it to go well. Their heartfelt moment is ruined when Buffy is forced to go to work and take out a newly awaken vampire. The next day at school, Cordy learns that her standing has dropped thanks to her relationship with Xander. Harmony, her number one lackey, now talks down on her. Something that crushes her. Meanwhile in class, while Willow is bragging about Oz being her boyfriend and being in the band to a heartbroken Buffy, who is still dealing with losing Angel, Xander catches Amy using witchcraft on the teacher to get out of turning in homework. He tries to tell the girls, but they are interrupted by Giles who wishes to speak to Buffy alone. Blowing off Jenny in the process. It's clear that neither he, nor Buffy, have forgiven her. On the other side of town, Angelus shows off by getting Dru a gift and making Spike feel like a loser. Being in a wheelchair isn't helping him much. He tries to get under Angelus skin, but that's not an easy thing to manage. Buffy is at home with her mom when a gift is left for her. Her mom is the one who finds the roses with a card. Back at the bronze Xander makes his move to give Cordy her gift, not long after Harmony and the other girls once again hurt her feelings. He gives her the gift, she loves it, even loves how he is dressed up. Alas, that's not even for a girl who is just starting to come out from her shallow world. She breaks up with him. Crushing his heart. You can tell that she doesn't want to do it, but she feels trapped. Like she has no other choice. Xander is pissed, but it comes more from hurt than real anger. He really cared about Cordy and she just tossed him aside. He tried to talk to Buffy but she blew him off and Harmony made him feel even worse about himself. So Xander does the only thing he can do. He hunts down Amy, confronts her and blackmails her into helping him. He wants a love spell, Amy tells him that it's the hardest spell. He tells her that he doesn't want Cordy forever. He just wants her under a love spell so that he can break up with her and hurt her. Amy agrees, but she needs a personal object. Buffy gives the message to Giles. All it says is soon. She demands Giles tells her everything he knows. Elsewhere in school, Xander confronts Cordelia and demands the locket back. She lies and says it is in her locker, but it's not. She is wearing it. He clearly meant a lot to her as well. This part is so heartbreaking. I really like them together! That night Amy does the spell, using the locket. No part of this is moral or even acceptable, but heartbreak and fear of being exposed makes you do crazy things. The next morning Xander walks up to Cordelia, who is back with her group of friends. She wastes no time in insulting Xander. She clearly is not over the moon in love with him. She cuts him down and he leaves heartbroken. In the library Giles is reading Buffy all of Angelus greatest hits on valentines day. He nailed a puppy to a wall. Great great. Giles leaves to get more books while Buffy asks Xander out on a date, even offering to give him a lap dance if he plays his cards right. She's really happy that he broke up with Cordy. After all, she is really seeing him for the first time right now. Just as they are about to kiss, Amy comes in and interrupts them. She tells Xander the spell doesn't work and that they could try it again. He says no, so she asks him out. He starts to notice that something is wrong. Made all the more clear by more women coming and asking him out. He takes off, leaving them alone and heads home. Where he hopes to be safe. Doesn't really work out. Seeing as Willow is in his bed, wearing nothing but his shirt. He tries to tell her what is happening, but she isn't listening to him. She is throwing herself at him. She even starts to kiss on him, he rejects her and flees from the room in fear for his life. Harmony and the other girls are once again pissed at Cordelia, this time for breaking up with Xander. It seems that every girl in school is in love with him. Every girl that is, but for Cordelia. The one girl he intended to make fall in love with him. He makes it to the library and tells Giles everything. As he tries to explain it, Jenny shows up to make amends with Giles. The whole time she starts to hit on Xander. Giles pulls her away and tells him off. Giles orders him to stay in the library and he pulls Jenny out of the room. Leaving Xander alone. He attempts to block the door, only he doesn't do it right and in enters. . .  Buffy in a rain coat. Looking all kinds of sexy. She says all the right things. She is all but impossible to resist. But Xander does. Which only leads to her getting pissed off. A pissed off slayer is not a good thing. It never ends well. Before she can hurt him, Amy shows up and turns her into a rat. Giles and Jenny show up seconds later, only to find that Buffy is now a rat. Xander demands that she turns her back while Giles looks for Buffy and Jenny and Amy fight over him. Harmony and the other girls show up to beat the shit out of Cordy. They have to defend Xander's honor after all. In the library, Giles takes charge. Putting the girls in their place. Just as Xander is about to catch Buffy, Oz shows up and hits him. Knocking him down hard. Buffy escapes. It seems Willow was upset all night. Oz helps Xander up, who explains that Buffy is now a rat. He sends Xander away, while he tries to undo the spell with the girls and has Oz try to find Buffy. Giles is not at all happy with Xander. Can't help but feel bad for him. Or at least I do. As Xander leaves school he find Cordy being attacked. He jumps in and saves her. Or at least tries to.
Welcome to the era where Sliders starts taking plots from movies. We have an episode that borrows loosely from The Running Man, one of my favorite movies. This episode was written by Nan Hagan and directed by Richard Compton.
The episode starts with our heroes walking around what looks to be a giant outdoor mall. They all seem kind of down and out, except for Wade, who is having the time of her life. She just wants to make the most of the two days they have on world. There is a wallet left forgotten on the ground. Remy is about to pick it up, but Wade stops him. After all, everyone is looking at it as if it is the scariest thing in the world. Quinn doesn't understand what the issue is and he picks it up. Just as some random woman shoots a tranquillizer dart at him. It misses and hits some random guy. Arturo suggests that they take off. They waste no time in leaving the area. We catch up with them at hotel where we see on TV a show called the Judgement Game. It seems that on this world there is no crime. Which makes them think there was more to the wallet than meets the eye. The random lady with the dart gun comes into the hotel. She knows Quinn, which means that she knows his double. She handcuffs him before shooting him with the dart gun. She tells them that if they interfere they will end up playing the game as well. The bartender gives them the address of the show, where Quinn was taken. We learn very quickly that the lady was after Quinn's double. It seems that he has played the game many times in the past. Quinn is going to play in the show that very day. He tries to explain that he isn't who they are after, but they don't want to hear it. The others arrive in front of a large crowd, just in time to witness a crowd cheer on someone being whipped. It seems that hurting people is a sport for these people. They walk past and try to get in, but only one of them can get in and speak for Quinn. The audience is already full. They send in Arturo, while Remy and Wade watch from outside. It seems that Quinn is being tried for murder. While they are introducing the show, we see Quinn's double having a beer and watching the show. When Arturo shows up to defend Quinn, they make him swear that he has no legal expertise. The person trying to convict Quinn is an actor, advertising his new show. Arturo objects to the charges, and is threatened. It seems that lawyers were not only banned, but no one is allowed to use the law to defend themselves. They show a video of Quinn's double and the crowd start cheering and chanting that he is guilty. Wade and Remy sneak into the building, trying to find someone who could help them. Wade ends up in the vents and spots people working on computers. It looks as if they are faking video footage. Arturo is planning on telling the viewing audience everything. About how they are sliders. Wade finds the bounty hunter who brought in Quinn and tries to explain everything that is going on. The bounty hunter doesn't want to listen. Meanwhile Quinn is having the same hard time explaining it on the show. One bit of difference. The audience seems to like Quinn's story. Now comes the voting. What is the verdict? Will Quinn be okay? Will it all go to hell? Quinn is found guilty. He is forced to pick his punishment, when he doesn't they pick for him. He is set to have his head cut off. He is going to have it happen the next day on the next episode. The bounty hunter starts to have second thoughts that maybe there is something wrong here. Arturo tries to save Quinn from getting beat up, but it's no use. They throw him in a van and drive off, leaving Arturo alone with the horrible thought that he may never see Quinn again. Our heroes come to see Quinn in the prison . He asks how they are going to get them out of there, but they have no answer. They slide 11 minutes after he is set to die. The only hope they have is to find Quinn's double. They set out to find him. Wade pretends to be pregnant with his child and gets his girlfriend to rat him out. She sets off to go and find him. That night the bounty hunter goes to visit our Quinn and finds out for sure that he isn't the Quinn of this world. The other sliders try to find the double, but he's out on the town and they are having no luck. Arturo and Wade patch things up after their blow up where he insulted her intelligence. At long last, Quinn's double arrives home. He recognizes Arturo and takes off running. He almost gets away when the bounty hunter shoots him and he goes down for the count. The double swears that he is innocent, and Wade figures out that they are faking the videos. It doesn't take Wade and the bounty hunter to find out that the real bad guy is the producer. He tries to stop them but they over power him, but not before he locks them in. They escape out of the vents, with the disc that proves it was all fake. This world has grown tired of the criminals having more rights than the victim. So they got rid of the rights of the accused. It's an episode well ahead of it's time. It's what we see more and more of in the internet. People being accused of something and torn apart before the truth can come out. Good sci-fi, is always a reflection of not just where we are, but where we are headed if we are not careful and this episode fits that bill perfectly. As they take Quinn to his death, Wade shows up and pretends to be a reporter. They break him out of his chains and help him to escape under the news van. They tie up the reporter so that they think that Quinn attacked her to escape. They have five minutes to slide, but the producer knows something is up. He is about to find Quinn and Wade when Arturo starts to drive and Remy throws them out. They have to escape before they slide, but now everyone is after them. The van stops in front of a cliff. They couldn't get passed the gate. It's all coming down to the wire. They have less than a minute as everyone shows up. All the cops have guns trained on them with 12 seconds to spare. Quinn jumps before time runs out. The others follow, he opens the vertex just in time before the hit the bottom. They escape the hell that is this world and the bounty hunter tells all the gathered reporters that she has proof the game is fixed. On the new world they land and are filmed coming out of the vertex. They are worried everything is going to hell. Quinn managed to get the tape, telling the others he pretended to be an alien, implying that they were not human. Another fun episode of Sliders is now behind us. I can't wait for the next exciting episode.  What's up ladies and Gentlemen, todays episode is a game changer, not in the heart wrenching way that the last two were, after all, we need a bit of a breather after that gut punch, but in a more fun way that alters the dynamics of the Scoobies moving forward.
This episode was written by Rob Des Hotel and Dean Batali and directed by Bruce Seth Green. Ironically enough, it's a very Seth Green heavy episode. The episode starts off with Oz (Seth Green) weirding out looking at a cheerleading trophy, he believes that it's eyes are watching him. That's a callback to the season one episode the witch. He tells Willow about it and she thinks nothing of it. Which is fair because no one knows what happened to Amy's mother after her spell backfired. Willow and Oz have their awkward flirting which is fun to watch. They are so cute together, what it is less cute is brutish Larry and his over sexualization of women. Oz blows him off while Willow complains to Buffy that Oz isn't making any moves. We also learn that Willow is still bitter about Xander dating Cordelia. Instead of making out with Cordelia, he is complaining about Willow dating Oz. Cordy is not happy about it, she just wants to make out, in her father's car under the full moon. Which is perfect for when we get our first view of a werewolf in the Buffyverse. Xander and Cody don't notice it. They are too busy doing what teenagers do when they are along in the middle of nowhere. Xander stops kissing to ask Cordy if she heard anything, she gets annoyed telling him that his mind just isn't into it, that is until the wolf breaks through the roof. Giles tells the gang that there has been reports of a number of animals have been attacked all over town. We also learn that the Buffyverse mythos for Werewolves is that they turn on the night before the full moon, the night of and the night after. Xander has this whole weird jealousy thing going on, it's a bit weird. He has no interest in Willow and has his own girlfriend, but teenagers are weird. We learn that Larry, the womanizer had been bit by a dog last month. We also learn that Oz was bit by his little cousin. The class is having a self defense class and Larry is paired up with Buffy, she is pretending to be weak, so as to not give away her secret, but when he grabs her ass, she lets loose and flips him over. Buffy's bitterness towards men starts to come out. It doesn't last long, but can you blame her? The whole ordeal with Angel must have been so painful for her. Xander asks how they kill it, but Giles orders that they don't kill it, they capture it. Most of the month they are a human just like everyone else. That night Buffy and Giles go out looking for the werewolf when Buffy gets caught in a net by a werewolf hunter. He doesn't care that they are human most of the month. He makes money off of their deaths and that is what is important to him. Elsewhere in town, one of Buffy's classmates is walking alone when we she her being stalked, we think it's the werewolf, but instead it's Angelus. At the same time, Cordelia and Willow are bonding over being annoyed at Xander and Oz. Boys, just can't do anything with them. Seems to be the main point of this episode. Their conversation at the Bronze is interrupted by the attack of the werewolf, luckily Buffy shows up in time to stop it. It manages to escape. The hunter talks shit to Buffy, telling her that since she is a woman, she can't do this. He tells her that if it hurts anyone it's her fault. The wolf stumbles across Angelus, who had just murdered the classmate. Buffy and Giles hear on the radio that the girl is dead and Buffy blames herself. She let the werewolf get away, she could have saved this poor girl. If only she knew the truth. This is about the time we learn the truth as the sun comes up and we see the werewolf turn back into . . . Oz. Turns out his cousin is a werewolf. He just calls up his aunt and asks her, she tells him. It's all played as if it's no big deal. He goes to the library to tell the gang what he found out, only to hear that Buffy says she should have killed it. He also learns that he might have killed someone the night before. Oz is scared. Xander wants to hunt down the werewolf, he points out he has experience in what it's like. Until Buffy points out he said that he told her he couldn't remember. He then changes his tactics and says he knows who it is. Oz gets worried, until Xander says it's Larry. Willow invites Oz to help her, stay up all night researching stuff, but he blows her off and runs off. Hurting poor Willow. Little does she know his real reasons. Xander confronts Larry, who gets pissed. He offers to pay Xander off. Xander tells him that he has been through what he is going through. Larry doesn't want to own up to, but Xander keeps pushing, only to learn that Larry isn't the werewolf, he's gay. Xander starts backtracking, pointing out he isn't gay, but Larry tells Xander he just brings it out in him. Larry promises not to tell anyone Xander's secret. While this is happening, Willow looks up who else could be the werewolf, the only other one who fits the profile is Buffy. Buffy talks Willow into going to speak to Oz. Xander reports back that Larry is not their guy and also worries a bit about how close Cordelia and Willow are getting. While Xander and Buffy are talking, she starts thinking about the girl who was killed. They go and check out her body, learning she wasn't killed by a werewolf, but instead killed by Angelus. The girl comes back as a vampire and attacks them. She tells Buffy that Angelus gives her love and it distracts Buffy, giving the vampire the advantage. Xander saves the day and points out that Angelus is not Angel. That's not her fault. They almost kiss, but Buffy pulls away. Oz is getting ready chains, which he plans to tie himself up. Makes me wonder where his parents are at that they wouldn't notice all night. Willow bangs on his door, he tries to get her to leave, but she doesn't want to listen. Just as she starts to notice something is wrong he starts to go through the change. He chases Willow though the house and out the back door. The hunter spots Oz. Giles and Buffy get the dart gun ready. They still want to take the werewolf alive. The werewolf who corners Willow. Just as it's about to go in for the kill it smells something and turns and leaves. Willow makes it to the library and tells Giles and Buffy. It's now a race against time. They have to get to Oz before the hunter, who has already tracked him down. Buffy stops the hunter just in time, fighting him off. Oz joins into the fight and Buffy has to battle him as well. Giles knocks the werewolf out and Buffy sends the hunter on his way. The next day as Buffy and Xander talk about Oz, we see that Larry is acting like a human being for once. He thanks Xander for everything, but Xander won't tell Buffy. Xander worries about Willow being safe with Oz, but Buffy puts him in his place. Willow and Oz have a heart to heart. He offers to leave her alone, but Willow tells him that she doesn't want him too. This is the start of a beautiful relationship that involves no biting, as per the rules they set out. I love this episode, Willow and Oz are one of my favorite couples on this show. They are just so cute together. I hope you guys enjoyed it as well! Welcome back one and all, todays episode of Sliders is the first episode of season 3 to come out, but should have been the second. Due to the fact that we learn important information in the episode that comes after this for why the rules of Sliding have changed. Like most things in life, Fox messes it up. Firefly still hurts and always will. This episode was written by Josef Anderson and directed by Oscar L. Costo.
Due to the changes that Quinn's double made to the timer, our gang lands on a jet in the air. That's a scary thought. They are just lucky that they landed on a jet and not in the air. Wade rushes off to the restroom due to the fact that she gets airsick, while the rest of the gang hears about the games for the first time. They don't bother to ask any questions so they are blindsided by what is about to happen. The airplane starts to go down and they learn that no one is flying the plane. Quinn and Professor Arturo attempt to right the plane while everyone gets ready for a crash landing. Remy takes Wade's hand to help keep her from freaking out. The plane lands and we hear rules for the game being told to everyone. Wade and Remy go to find Quinn and the Professor who have figured out that the plane was just a simulation. It wasn't real. They didn't land in the air. The Sliders are in the middle of a real life war game. The other contestants tell them to get some gear before it's too late. They want to stay in the simulator until the 36 hours pass by and they can slide. That's not an option as the place heats up and catches fire. They take what they can and rush out of the simulator which looks to be a house from outside where they are immediately shot at. Quinn and the Professor take out the guns that are coming out of the ground. Not a fun start to this new world. They find out that some of the cars have bombs. Remy and the professor look the car over to see if it has a bomb in it. Turns out Remy overstated his skill level at finding them, but luckily the professor knows what he is doing. Remy goes in alone to test the car but everything works out fine. They now have wheels. It isn't long before they come under attack and have to flee the car. Which is made all the worst by the professor getting hit and going blind. The game moves up to level 2 with only 18 teams left. The professor is not taking going blind well. I wouldn't either. As the sliders make their way through the game we come across the team that was trying to give them advice, one of their members is dying. The Sliders learn that the teams don't fight each other until the last level. They have some time before things become even more hellish. Their somewhat friends give them a keycard to get into a safe haven before taking off and leaving them behind. They find their safe haven. It's a rundown looking building. It gives them food, water and ammo. Also letting them know that they are down to the last 16 teams. You really have to wonder about a world that takes enjoyment from watching people kill each other for fun. This type of event would take a toll on anyone, but the professor, dealing with the loss of his sight, is having a really hard time accepting it. He tells Quinn that every teacher goes through life wishing for a student as great as him. It's a sweet moment that makes it seem like he is saying goodbye to him. So of course the next scene we find the professor gone. We think he ran off, but it turns out he was trying to use the restroom, got hurt and busted his head open. Quinn helps him get up and inside just as robot hunters show up. Things are getting intense. Quinn, a book warm scientist, is a surprising good shot and takes out the robot. He and Wade are separated from Remy and the Professor. They decide to both head to the finish line and try to catch up with each other. Wade starts playing an old hopscotch game, talking about when she was kid. Little did she know that it was a trap. A beam full of nails comes out behind her. Quinn tries to find a way to get her off without killing them both. He needs to displace her weight. It works, but only for a second. They manage to make it behind a wall before it goes off. They aren't hurt. The professor tries to talk Remy into leaving him behind. He doesn't want to go to new worlds if he can't see them. Remy offers to explain everything to him, but that isn't good enough. He wants to just give up. I love the professor, but he's very melodramatic. He just can't handle asking for help, or needing other people. He attempts to walk off, but walks into a truck and get caught. He finally caves and asks for help. Pride is the downfall of us all. Quinn and Wade keep looking for their lost friends, who have gotten stuck on a magnetic spiderweb. The professor is fine, but Remy needs him to the spiders. Who in their right mind would ask a blind man to fire in their general direction? It's insane, but Remy has no other choice. He directs him on where to aim. The first spider is toast. The second escapes, the first two times. The professor gets it at last. There is only one left and it's closing in on Remy. Getting way too close. The professor tries to shoot but is out of ammo. Shit is getting tense. Remy is sure that he is going to die, but the professor manages to reload and fire, just in time. Saving him just in time to join the final 12 teams in level four. While they are recovering, Quinn and Wade start to get closer. They have such an interesting relationship. Life long friends who have something more than friendship just under the surface. Just as they start to connect they are attacked and forced to run. Where they are saved by the sole survivor of the group that they keep befriending. She feels them in on everything that they are playing for. Just one member of the team needs to make it to the finish line. The three of them decide to stick together, because as long as one of her team makes it to the finish line, all their families get the five million dollar prize. The professor and Remy get attacked by a robot dog. They are having no luck in this damn game. Every three seconds they are attacked by something. Made all the harder by the professor's blindness. Quinn starts to bond with the other girl as the timer goes down to 2 hours. Still no sign of the others. She asks Quinn to place her medallion in the recorder in case she doesn't make it. She wants to make sure her family is taken care of as they enter the last level where only three teams are left standing. No sooner do they announce that there are three teams left, then we witness one of those teams getting gunned down. Our heroes and their new friend are all that is left. Remy and the Professor find Quinn and Wade. It's all coming down to the wire now. Just as the Professor starts to regain his ability to see. Just as everything seems to be over, the new girl is shot. She is dying, but she reminds Quinn of her final request. Quinn tries to save her, but there isn't time. They only have a few minutes left, but Quinn wants to place the medallion on the victory pad first. The professor figures out they see heat so they use CO2 to blind the robots and get to the finish line. He places it in the machine and everything stops. The game is over and the Silders still have time to slide. Alls well that ends well. They leave this horrible world behind. The professor lets out a shout of glee as he can see the vertex. It's a fun episode that is well worth the watch. |
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