These are scenes from the March 5, 1996 production draft of the script for the episode Greatfellas with story by Sean Clark and Scott Smith Miller, teleplay by Scott Smith Miller. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
Did you find the Sliders' entrance on gangster world to be a bit...strange? Why was Remmy thrown so far when the others weren't? Well, the original script outlined a much different, more believable version...and one can only guess they stretched the final product around production values to make what we saw while keeping it as close to the original idea as possible...
We open inside a church...
LEAH
Look up at these men of God -- resigned to the fate of this loveless match. Reacts -- something very strange is happening. A strange wind is blowing the rabbi's hair. A noise she's never heard before. And suddenly, from behind the chuppa (framed and bracketed so that the wormhole can't be seen) --
THE SLIDERS
come tumbling one-by-one, out from behind the altar, as if shot from a canon.
KAPSTROM
What the hell --?
QUINN
lands right into the chuppa, sending it buckling. Pandemonium. Arturo lands next, somewhere in the middle of this melee.
TOMMY
Son-of-a-bitch!
SECURITY
on either side of the aisle, bristle, draw hardware.
QUINN
Please! Don't shoot!
QUINN
There' smore of us coming here --
don't be alarmed --
As now Wade and then -
REMBRANDT
arrives last, goes barreling right into the caterer's table scattering dishes and silverware --
KAPSTROM
(astonishment)
Brown?
ANGLE - TOMMY
reacts --
TOMMY
(to Gallo)
-- It's The Incorruptibles.
(grim)
Somebody must've tipped them off.
Gallo reacts as --
QUINN
C'mon, guys. Put the guns down.
Whispers from the crowd: "It's Rembrandt Brown," "The Incorruptibles," etc. Off a signal from Kapstrom, the guns are re-holstered. Rembrandt's getting a vibe from the response.
REMBRANDT
(to gathering)
Hello, everyone. Sorry for the
interruption.
(then)
Couldn't be helped, I'm afraid.
(sotto; to Quinn)
I think they're fans.
And as the Sliders leave the church, they were to find it was part of a Casino/Hotel...
INT. HOTEL LOBBY - THE SLIDERS
moving through this deluxe Casino, mingling with one-armed bandits, blackjack tables, etc., toward the street --
ARTURO
It would appear that gambling's
legal in this San Francisco.
QUINN
As well as gun possession --
(then)
Half the people at that wedding
looked like they were packing.
WADE
-- I thought we were goners there
for a second.
REMBRANDT
Lucky for you guys they were
mesmerized by my Superstardom --
celebrity can get you out of a lot
of scrapes.
QUINN
Yeah, well, whoever your double is
on this world, Superstar, he's not
gonna be real pleased when he finds
out you're cutting in on his
action.
ANGLE - TOMMY AND KAPSTROM
watching as the Sliders move off --
Arturo had an extra comment about Reagan running for mayor...
WADE
Why would he want to go back to
being Governor after being
President all those years?
ARTURO
The man loved the political
spotlight.
(then)
Perhaps on this world, he was
spared the ravages of
Alzheimer's --
QUINN
Guys -- let's just get to the hotel
and get off the streets, okay?
Also, the gangster's conversation originally had a bit more insight into the motives of the wedding...
INT. GOLD NUGGET - THE KAPSTROM
family are holed up with the Gallos.
KAPSTROM
How did these people get past
security? Tommy, you got an
explanation?
TOMMY
No go, Pop. Between our two
families, we had men stationed at
every entrance.
(then)
On top of which, our sources in
Washington say that Rembrandt Brown
was scheduled from a meeting with
Interpol over the weekend.
GALLO PATRIARCH
Obviously there's a weak link
somewhere.
TOMMY
What's that supposed to insinuate?
KAPSTROM
Take it easy, Tommy.
GALLO PATRIARCH
We put years of animosity aside to
secure this merger -- because we
hoped to consolidate Las Vegas's
interests with those of Northern
California.
(then)
San Francisco's your turf, Kappy --
You're the one who bears ultimate
responsibility.
TOMMY
What're you saying? The Kapstrom's
leaked this thing to the Feds?
GALLO PATRIARCH
I think there's an informant in our
midst. This Mr. Tormé.
KAPSTROM
Mr. Gallo, I assure you -- the
merging of our families -- and all
it entails -- is going forward.
We'll take care of The
Incorruptibles, don't you worry
about that.
(then)
And if there's an informant in our
midst, we'll take care of that,
too.
A look to Tommy. It's clear what this means.
The biggest surprise of the original script is the original identity of the hustling woman who cons away the mob money. Originally, she was meant to be someone Quinn knew...namely Daelin Richards. The change was likely made due to Fox's change in airing order. Originally, "As Time Goes By" was to air before "Greatfellas"...hence the reason this script has no elaboration on how Quinn knows her. Fox pushed the airing of "As Time Goes By" to the end of season two for the reason that they didn't understand the episode. That could be one reason the mention was dropped...another reason? Cost (since the part was relatively small, they may not have wanted to use a higher priced actress like Brooke Langton...you will notice in the script snips below that there is a question whether or not they can afford the actor who plays Dennis. And yes, that is the same Dennis who was Daelin's recurring love interest in "As Time Goes By").
BARTENDER
(as if he had ordered
cocaine)
Beer?
(then)
This look like a speakeasy to you?
Before Quinn can respond, a commotion at the far end of the bar. A man - call him John - and a woman. The man's got the woman by the wrist, they're struggling --
WOMAN
Let me go!
BARTENDER
Hey!
(to the woman)
What'd I tell you about hustling in
here?
(then)
Take it outside.
JOHN
Not til this bitch gives me back my
money.
Quinn's been observing this throughout -- it can't be possible. Or can it?
QUINN
Daelin?
The woman turns at the mention of this name -- It's Daelin Richards.
JOHN
Who's he? Your pimp?
QUINN
A friend.
DAELIN
(you are?)
Please -- I don't know what this
guy's talking about.
(then)
He's got me confused with someone
else.
JOHN
Sure. Some other little hustler
who ripped me off.
He twists Daelin's arm back hard, hurting her --
DAELIN
Ow!
QUINN
Hey! That's enough!
JOHN
You're gonna play Galahad?
John throws a punch. Quinn ducks it, answers with a right cross of his own, sending John flying --
BARTENDER
That does it!
The bartender's emerging from in back of the bar. He's got a baseball bat --
QUINN
Let's go. Hurry!
She and Quinn take off --
CUT TO:
EXT. GOLD NUGGET - ALLEY - NIGHT - QUINN AND DAELIN
She's grateful.
DAELIN
Talk about your knight in shining
armor.
QUINN
Are you all right?
DAELIN
I think so.
(then)
I swear to God, I never saw that
guy before.
He just walked up and started
hassling me.
(then)
How'd you know my name anyway?
Nobody's called me "Daelin" since I
was a kid.
QUINN
It's sort of complicated.
(then)
Think of me as just another guy who
thinks he knows you.
Quinn's stomach does a flip-flop --
QUINN
Listen -- I'm supposed to meet
somebody. Are you sure you're
gonna be all right?
Before Quinn can respond --
A VOICE (O.S.)
Daisy?
They turn to see --
DENNIS MACMILLAN
(of if it's too expensive, some locally hired lowlife) exiting his car, moving towards them.
DAELIN
Oh God --
(then)
It's my husband!
QUINN
What?
DAELIN
Careful. He's incredibly jealous.
(to Dennis)
He's just a friend, Dennis.
DENNIS
(challenging; to Quinn)
You messing with my wife?
(shoves Quinn)
Huh?
QUINN
Hey. Take it easy.
DENNIS
Like hell, I will.
(then)
You try to nail my old lady and
expect everything's okay with that?
DAELIN
Dennis -- no!
Dennis has got a gun. He cocks the trigger, aimed right at Quinn's temple --
DENNIS
Give me one good reason not to blow
your head off!?
DAELIN
(to Quinn)
Don't give him any trouble. He's
crazy!
QUINN
Look -- this is all a
misunderstanding. Some guy was
hassling her --
Dennis does a quick frisk search --
DENNIS
(he's got an envelope!)
What's this in your pocket?
QUINN
Look -- You can't take that.
(then)
That money doesn't belong to me.
DENNIS
There's thousands of dollars here.
Dennis flashes a look at Quinn -- thousands?
DENNIS
Looks like you just bought yourself
a drop of mercy, Romeo.
He pistol whips Quinn on the back of the head. Quinn goes down --
DENNIS
Don't even try to follow us.
'Cause I'll kill you.
(to Daelin)
Come on, Daisy.
Daelin look at Quinn -- it's a look that might be genuinely sorry, or might be part of the scam. Hard to tell.
DENNIS
I said: Let's go!
And they take off out of there. Off Quinn --
CUT TO:
INT. DOMINION HOTEL ROOM - ON TV
A photograph of Ronald Reagan (taken in a moment of apparent confusion) --
ANNOUNCER (ON TV)
Ronald Reagan... as President, he
dismantled the federal government.
Now Ronald Reagan wants to do the
same thing for California...
And we saw the rest from there...
Some more missing Arturo commentary gives us a real world comparison to the state the Gangster world has found itself in...
ARTURO
(been reading up, as
usual)
The key seems to be that
Prohibition was never repealed, as
on our world.
(then)
Al Capone, Meyer Lansky, these men
were never stopped here. They
amassed enormous fortunes
satisfying the nation's craving for
bootleg whiskey... they carved the
nation up into competing markets
and territories.
(then)
In many ways, it's similar to what
befell the Soviet Union back home.
REMBRANDT
How do you mean?
ARTURO
When President Reagan decentralized
the federal government, he intended
to shift power back to the states.
(then)
Inadvertently, he only made the
crime families more powerful than
ever.
WADE
Explain something -- Why would they
want to bribe us to let them go
ahead with a wedding?
REMBRANDT
Why's that a big deal, Professor?
ARTURO
Blood is thicker than water, Miss
Welles. Perhaps the only way to
unify two organizations who have
been at each other's throats for
years is through inter-marriage.
And then the scene fades to a nice (but surprising) Mel Tormé country song...
After Mel finishes singing his song, he goes backstage to find Quinn and the original script has some different dialogue...
Mel leaves the stage to the roar of the crowd. Stops in his tracks when he sees Quinn waiting for him there.
MEL
(off Quinn's hurt his
head)
'The hell happened to you?
QUINN
Big trouble.
(then)
I've got to talk to you.
From the auditorium, the fans are chanting: "More, more."
MEL
Can it wait for an encore?
(Off Quinn's look to
stage manager)
That's a wrap for this set, Tony.
Tony doesn't like it. Off which --
CUT TO:
INT. MEL'S DRESSING ROOM - MEL AND QUINN
Quinn's laid it out --
MEL
What do you mean he's not the
F.B.I.?
QUINN
That's what I'm trying to explain.
(then)
He's not the Rembrandt Brown you
think he is.
MEL
So who the hell is he?
QUINN
Believe me, that would take some
explaining.
(then)
The point is, the mafia thinks he
took a bribe.
(then)
Whatever it is that's going down,
they think the F.B.I.'s gonna look
the other way.
(then)
I was gonna bring the money to you.
See if you could get it into the
proper hands.
MEL
But --?
QUINN
I got robbed.
MEL
What?
And that's the point we started the scene in the version we saw on television...
The original script also offered a much more important reason for the mob family merger...
LEAH
Listen - I don't have much time.
(then)
My father has rescheduled the
wedding for tomorrow night.
(then)
I'm asking you to take me into
protective custody.
QUINN
What?
REMBRANDT
Lady -- I can't do that.
LEAH
What do you mean "you can't"? You
know the kind of risk I'm taking?
(then)
The Gallos want to merge with our
family so as to consolidate Nevada
and California into one huge
alliance.
(then)
They want control of the nuclear
arsenal.
QUINN
Nuclear aresenal?
REMBRANDT
This is unbelievable!
Leah holds out a CD in a box.
LEAH
My father paid off a disaffected
General at Fort Ord -- This disk
contains partial launch codes for
all the missles west of the Rocky
Mountains.
REMBRANDT
Partial launch codes?
LEAH
The Gallos control the other half.
(then)
They intend to force what's left of
the federal government to cede
control of the Western States.
QUINN
It's like the break-up of the
Soviet Union, Professor.
ARTURO
Madam -- you must understand.
(then)
We are not from the Federal
Government. This Mr. Brown is not
the F.B.I.
LEAH
What are you talking about?
(then)
Surely you must've had some hint of
this. Isn't that why you're in
town?
REMBRANDT
Take a look around here,
sweetheart.
(then)
Does it look like the four of us
are ready to face down the mob?
And you know the rest from there...
And of course, events when Quinn goes looking for the girl who hustled are different...
INT. BAR - THE BARTENDER
from before looks up --
QUINN
enters --
QUINN
How're you doing?
(then)
I was in here last night.
BARTENDER
I remember.
QUINN
I'm looking for a girl who was in
here --
(reacts)
Never mind --
DAELIN'S
at the far end of the bar, looks genuinely surprised, maybe even pleased as --
DAELIN
It's you. Thank God, I was hoping
you'd try to find me here.
QUINN
I have to talk to you.
As he draws her aside --
DAELIN
I feel so terrible about what
happened. I wanted to call you,
but I didn't know where you were
staying.
QUINN
Save it.
(then)
The money you took doesn't belong
to me.
(then)
It belongs to the Kapstroms.
DAELIN
What!?
QUINN
You heard me.
(then)
If you and Dennis know what's good
for you, you'll give it back.
DAELIN
Wait a minute. Why would Kappy
Kapstrom just give you a hundred
thousand dollars?
QUINN
It's blood money, Daelin. You want
me to have to explain to him where
it went?
DAELIN
OhmiGod. Dennis.
QUINN
What about him?
DAELIN
He's at the blackjack tables.
Quinn doesn't hesitate. Goes.
CUT TO:
INT. GOLD NUGGET - BLACKJACK TABLES - DENNIS
sits, slumped, a paltry sack of chips in front of him.
QUINN (O.S.)
Where's the rest of it.
Dennis turns --
QUINN, DAELIN
are there --
DENNIS
What the hell are you doing here?
DAELIN
It's the Kapstrom's money, Dennis.
DENNIS
Sure. And Bob's your uncle.
QUINN
Listen, you moron --
(he's got Dennis in a
half-nelson, wrenches him
hard against the
blackjack table)
You're gonna get us all killed.
You got that?
DAELIN
Dennis -- just give it to him.
DENNIS
(in pain)
I don't have it.
QUINN
Then who the hell does?
DENNIS
Ask him.
By whom he means the blackjack dealer --
And from there we get a nice dose of advanced number theory card playin'...
And since the disk contained different information, the conversation with Rembrandt's double went slightly different as well...
ARTURO
Leah Kapstrom is in hiding. She's
willing to trade information that
is crucial to the future of this
country.
Rembrandt 2 takes the CD from him, looks it over as though it is utterly meaningless.
REMBRANDT 2
What's this?
WADE
Some sort of nuclear missle launch
code.
REMBRANDT 2
(highly dubious)
Leah Kapstrom told you all this?
WADE
Her father is making her marry
someone she doesn't love in order
to cement the merger of the
Kapstroms and Gallos.
ARTURO
They plan to force the western
states to secede from the union,
and once they have the ability to
launch nuclear weapons, the federal
government won't be able to stop
them short of risking nuclear war.
REMBRANDT 2
(humoring them)
I see. And what is it you'd like
me to do about all this?
WADE
For one thing, you could start
taking us seriously.
And the episode finishes out just as we saw from that point on...
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