These are scenes from the January 6, 1999 first revision draft of the script for the episode Easy Slider with story by Janet Saunders and Jennifer McGinnis, teleplay by Tim Burns. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
Our first venture to the almost-was is a missing line from Rembrandt immediately after coming out of the vortex...
ANGLE - THE VORTEX
dumps the Sliders onto this bleak landscape. They take a moment to get their bearings, turning slowly, as if looking for something besides what they see.
REMBRANDT
Figures. I would have to be thirsty.
MAGGIE
This place looks familiar.
REMBRANDT
Maybe all these barren, empty, God-
forsaken deserts are just starting to
run together.
When the Sliders get on the bus, we were cut out of the the conversation the other Sliders were to have had with Mallory...it shed some light on why they were broke...
INT. BUS - MOVING - DAY
The bus is nearly filled with male and female workers dresssed in clothes that suggest they do outdoor labor. A few have on hardhats. Rembrandt and Maggie find empty seats. Diana sits next to a worker. Mallory looks around for an empty seat, finds a place next to a beautiful woman in her mid-20's, who seems to be asleep. He sits beside her. She opens her eyes, smiles. We'll get to know her as SAM.
MALLORY
Sorry to disturb you.
She looks him over, sizing him up, likes what she sees.
ANGLE - REMBRANDT AND MAGGIE
REMBRANDT
We get to wherever we're going, maybe
we can get some jobs. Running low on
cash again.
DIANA
(to Mallory)
Why did you think you needed a bomber
jacket?
MALLORY
Never had one.
REMBRANDT
Looked great on you too, till it went into
that wood chipper.
MAGGIE
I wonder how far the next town is.
We might get there tomorrow if it's
no more than ten miles.
ANGLE - MALLORY
Sam is looking out the window. Mallory wants to break the ice.
MALLORY
You work for Kincaid?
SAM
Yeah. We're B crew. On two weeks,
off two weeks. My name's Sam.
From there we were privy to the conversation...
Another missing line is found near the beginning of Act One...
MALLORY
Looks like everybody's getting ready
to leave town.
SAM
No. They're just getting ready.
DIANA
For what?
SAM
The propaganda arm of the AQMD's got
everyone freaking out that the
Smokers are going to raid the town.
REMBRANDT
'Propaganda arm?' Sounds like the
Gestapo.
SAM
If it walks like a duck... and so
forth...
DIANA
The guards at the check point called
that dead guy a Smoker. They must be
pretty nasty folks.
SAM
Depends on who you ask. The AQMD
says they're outlaw bikers. They
won't give up their machines, so now
there's a bounty on them.
MAGGIE
Sounds like the Old West.
After that, we found that combustion engines had been banned by a Clean Air Act...and the bus ran on Hydrogen power.
Did you wonder how Rembrandt, Maggie and Diana knew about the polygamy on this world? It happened during their bar conversation...and don't miss the glimpse of season three Maggie in there!
BARTENDER
Your head isn't on the bar yet. I'll
run a tab.
He refills their pitcher from a draft beer tap.
BARTENDER
You folks are new to Kincaid.
MAGGIE
Just arrived.
Just then, a female worker walks past. She's bracketed by two men and has her arms around each. The Sliders watch them walk by.
REMBRANDT
What's the ratio of men to women here?
BARTENDER
'Bout even.
REMBRANDT
Then how come some of the women got
three, four and five guys hanging
with them?
BARTENDER
You people are from way out of town,
aren't you? We're polygamous in
these parts.
The Sliders react to that.
DIANA
Polygamous?
MAGGIE
You mean you can have as many wives
or husbands as you want?
BARTENDER
Wives? You asking for trouble?
Husbands. The women can have as many
as they can handle. But only one
wife per man.
MAGGIE
I could probably get used to that.
REMBRANDT
I used to be just a bachelor. Now I
might become a monk.
ANGLE - MALLORY AND SAM
Their pitcher of beer has hardly been touched. They can't seem to take their eyes off each other.
MALLORY
I know we've just met, but it seems
like I've known you for... oh...
hours?
And from that, we continue with the lust fest as we saw it...
A humorous scene was deleted just after Diana asks what a Humvee is (only the Sliders stock vehicle since season three)...
ANGLE - CLOSER - SLIDERS AND SAM
They're checking out the assignment sheet.
DIANA
Great. Maggie, Remmy, we're escort
guards. I don't have to learn to
drive an eighteen-wheeler. What's a
Humvee?
REMBRANDT
(indicating o.s.)
That.
THEIR POV - TWO HUMVEES
are parked near a couple of eighteen-wheel rigs.
RESUME SCENE
DIANA
I think I can handle that. On the
other hand, Remmy, maybe you should
drive. I'll ride shotgun.
REMBRANDT
Then go get it.
DIANA
Go get what?
REMBRANDT
The shotgun. Says right on the sheet
shotguns are being issued to the
guards, along with the standard
weapon, 'cause of the Smokers alert.
ANGLE - MALLORY AND SAM
SAM
We've got two hours before the first
run. Let's get you some time behind
the wheel.
And that they did...and if you listened closely, you could hear the poor transmission screaming in agony.
In fact, after Mallory blasts the air horn some more...we find out that Sam was to have heard it's pain...
INT. TRUCK'S CAB - DAY
Sam scolds Mallory with a shake of her head. He pulls her close. They kiss.
SAM
I wonder if there's any teeth left on
the transmission.
MALLORY
Speaking of teeth, yours are awesome.
SAM
How many forward geers are there in
this rig?
And oh how quickly Mallory turned that into a sleazy pick up line...
And after Sam admits she actually likes this sleazy style, she was supposed to be realistic for a brief moment (a shock, I know)...
SAM
I like your style.
He kisses her again. Then she pulls away and looks at him.
SAM
Mallory, I have to know something, am
I subsituting for the other Sam?
The one who ran out on you?
MALLORY
You mean, am I pretending you're her?
(off her nod)
I've only known two Sams in my life.
I went for the first, and I'm going
for the second. Other than that,
there's no connection.
They hold a meaningful look, then Mallory shifts into firt gear and accelerates, shifting smoothly through the gears, with a grin on his face.
SAM
You faker!
MALLORY
I'll do anything to get you alone.
And then the scene cuts to later when the convoy is making its first run...
And after the successful run, the Sliders were to make a mention of their thoughts about Sam having other husbands already...
MALLORY
Or maybe just good.
DIANA
Don't press your luck, Mallory.
REMBRANDT
She's got a point.
MALLORY
Hey, we're making beaucoup dinero.
Everything's beautiful.
He puts his arm around Sam. She gives him a smile. He and Sam veer off, heading for the bar. The others follow a few yards behind.
REMBRANDT
Looks like our boy's fallen in love.
MAGGIE
I don't know if I would call it love.
But he's fallen in something.
DIANA
Do you think Sam has other husbands?
REMBRANDT
Wouldn't surprise me. It'll surprise
the heck out of Mallory.
MAGGIE
I'm kind of looking forward to that.
And the Sliders head to the bar to be met by cheers...
After the Sliders find out Sam is a Smoker, we were to have a bit more clarification on their thoughts about finding him...
REMBRANDT
We've got thirty-six hours till the
slide. If the cops don't know where
to find her, where do *we* start?
DIANA
And if she hasn't told him the truth
about who she is, he could be in
danger.
REMBRANDT
I'm guessing she told him. Gangsters
fall in love, just like the rest of
us. Besides, I'm still not clear on
who's who in this deal. Heard a lot
of talk about how bad the Smokers
are. Yet to see any proof.
REMBRANDT
Anyway, Mallory's old enough to make
up his own mind. And he knows when
we have to slide.
The scene then cuts to the medieval like biker joust...
And near the beginning of Act Three, there was one last bit of missing dialogue...
MALLORY
She's a revolutionary.
The Sliders exchange looks - "Oh, brother."
MAGGIE
Revolutions have a way of turning on
you.
MALLORY
I love her, and I believe in their
cause.
REMBRANDT
Even if their cause is just, they're
going about it the wrong way.
MALLORY
It's the only way they've got.
MAGGIE
Look, Mallory, we're not passing
judgement. If you're in love,
great -- but don't let it blind you.
She's an outlaw.
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