Murder Most Foul

// K1815 · Originally aired January 3, 1997

Arturo is kidnapped and brainwashed into thinking he’s a great 19th-century detective investigating real murders in a world where assuming different identities is the norm.

Written By // David Peckinpah
Director // Jeff Woolnough
Music // Stephen Graziano

Reviews

// Earth Prime

While doubles are interesting, they also limit our characters to interaction with “themselves” in a consequence-free environment. But take the Professor and essentially transform him into a “double?” How would you react?

// Think of a Roulette Wheel

Peckinpah. That name, to Sliders fans, is synonymous with Pain.

// External Reviews

Martin Izsak

Worlds Visited

Jim Varney World

This world has put Arturo in a very bad mood.

Corporate World

All work and no play turns our country’s finest minds into complete nutcases in need of hypnotic vacations.

Timer Status

Stolen, disassembled and rebuilt by Trevor, who refers to the components as “strictly last year.”

Details

Arturo’s “fracture” occurs in the east end of the park.
The fantasy park that Arturo is taken to is designated as 91-9.
Reginald Doyle’s “lives” at 441 White Hall.
The headline of The Times reads “Ripper Strikes in White Hall!”
Underneath the headline are articles (from left to right) about: “Bigger-Wicket Cricket,” “The King to His Fleet,” “Pitch Made for Freeman” and “Board Leader Gives Decision in Lord ‘Foul’ Dispute.” Inside, on page three, is a published letter from Jolly Jack.
In the fantasy park, the bistro is located in Sector 8.
In the girls’ dressing room, a poster on the back wall is an advertisement for a show called “The Chieftain.”
The murder occurs at the corner of Church Street and Abbey Road at 10:00 p.m.
The killer wears a size 11 shoe.
Shoe store signs on the Sliders’ last day include: “Repairing Neatly Done,” “Park & Penn Remedies,” “Shoe Shine” and “Not Responsible for Lost Shoes.”
Quinn, Rembrandt and Wade are staying in what looks like a bed and breakfast in room B.
As Wade flees from the Ripper, there is a sign in the background that reads “Bakery Fresh Baked Daily.”

Cultural References

As Quinn and Rembrandt walk through the hospital in their mandatory black suits, Quinn laments: “I feel like one of the Blues Brothers,” and Rembrandt scoffs: “Oh, don’t get me started on how they ripped off Sam and Dave.” The Blues Brothers consisted of Juliet “Jake” (John Belushi) and Elwood Blues (Dan Ackroyd). Their union originally began on “Saturday Night Live” and branched into a 1980 feature film directed by John Landis (an original Sliders consultant). Their biggest hit was their 1/6/79 rendition of “Soul Man”—originally written by Samuel Moore and David Prater, aka Sam & Dave. Their version of “Soul Man” reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 40 in 1967 and stayed there for three weeks. Ironically, the duo was co-produced by Isaac Hayes, who played the Prime Oracle in Obsession.

Character Information

Arturo tells the doctor that he hasn’t worn a uniform in 30 years, a possible reference to his time spent in the armed forces.
Wade once dreamed of being in show business.
Wade sprains her right ankle.

Notable Quotes

“I’ve seen libraries livelier than this.”—Rembrandt’s reaction to the bar.
“I think we can handle the different world thing.”—Wade, referring to their expected role-playing conduct in the park.
“Not very sophisticated technology, those microchips are strictly last year.”—Trevor commenting on Quinn’s timer.
“Let me use my key.”—Rembrandt, right before he kicks in the door to Dr. Bolivar’s office.
“I bet you can… just make sure of your home coordinates.”—Quinn, to Trevor, who thinks he can also build a sliding machine some day.

Arturoisms

“Drink it, don’t carry it, you idiot.”—Arturo, to the guy who spills coffee down his shirt.

Money Matters

An angry Arturo says he’s going off to buy some new clothes but doesn’t get a chance to buy anything.
The other Sliders buy drinks at the bar.
Rembrandt, Quinn and Wade purchase suits for their confrontation with Arturo’s doctors.

Nitpicks and Errors

When chasing the boy who stole the timer from Quinn, Rembrandt comes back out of breath saying that he searched the entire park, but he was only gone for 30 seconds.
Wade says she left her “purcom” back at the lounge but it’s never revealed what “purcom” is.
Sure, the adrenaline is pumping but Wade manages to use her sprained right ankle to flip the on-coming Ripper’s feet out from under when she could just have easily used her left foot with the same effect.
Why on Earth would Wade open the vortex nine or 10 feet off the ground? Furthermore, while the four slide off-screen they seem to have no trouble getting up to the gate though they all needed a boost in a similar situation on Tundra World in the Pilot. Sure, Quinn appears to run up a ramp toward the gate but there is no ramp in the wide shots of the alley.

Neatpicks

After Arturo has recovered, Quinn calls him Doyle—a name that the professor can’t figure out: “Have you lost your marbles, my boy?”—an obvious play on Quinn’s alter-ego, Mr. Marples. The Sliders’ alter-egos are Arturo as Reginald Doyle, Quinn as Marples, Wade as a “tart” and tough guy Rembrandt as a police officer.

Guest Starring

Brian McNamara as Inspector Reed
Brigid Brannagh as Erin
David Purdham as Dr. Bolivar
Adam Wylie as Trevor
Lester Barrie¹ as [Elston] Diggs
Suzanne Mara as Dr. Punch

Co-Starring

Taylor Leigh as Mrs. Taylor
Holly Claman as Anne
Frank Castrina as Wonk
Derik Van Derbeken as Security Man
Carmen Nogales as Young Woman
Brandon Michael as Boy

Lester Barrie can be seen playing Diggs in Double Cross, The Dream Masters, Desert Storm, Dragonslide and The Breeder.

Script Archive

Click on the links below to download rare scripts, outlines, and memos associated with this episode.

The Inside Slide

The working title for this episode in pre-production was “The Game’s Afoot.”

· · ·

Actor Derik Van Derbeken [the Security Man in this episode] is a good friend of Tracy Tormé’s—so good, in fact, that Tormé named an unseen Sliders character after him. In The Guardian, it is revealed that one of Quinn’s neighbors is named “Mrs. Van Derbeken.”