“California Reich” is episode eleven of season four of Sliders.
A man is being attacked by some young men in a type of uniform. The leader comments on migrants stinking up the city. The man gives his wallet and says to take it; he has a family. The leader says that makes things different; they’ll have to visit his family next. The man is bundled into a van. No-one does anything.
The Sliders are on the world for 36 hours. Rembrandt thinks it seems friendly enough. They’re a little light on cash so Rembrandt picks up a paper to check out the local music scene. The newspaper seller calls someone once they leave. Rembrandt can’t find any R&B clubs in the paper. Then the black van from earlier pulls up and he’s bundled inside.
The others steal a newspaper van to pursue. Rembrandt is saying they got the wrong man. He’s told they got the right one. A garbage truck blocks the way of the others and they have to stop. Rembrandt tells the man in it they need to borrow the truck. Only he’s not entirely human. He has a grey face with only eyes and a collar with a flashing light.
The being isn’t responding to them; Quinn thinks it may be a genetically engineered worker. Maggie says they can deal with it later. If Rembrandt gets loose, he’d expect them to go to the Chandler. Colin says they must find Rembrandt but Quinn says they won’t get far in a stolen truck.
Rembrandt is taken to a prison-like facility called a repatriation centre. He says he hasn’t done anything; he’s told that’s the problem. But they’ll make him very productive. Inside, someone welcomes Rembrandt to the Condos, calling him boy. Rembrandt objects; the man says no insult intended. Anyone south of 50 seems like a kid. His name is Harold. Rembrandt asks what the place is. He’s told the thugs are economic recovery facilitators, part of Governor Shick’s economic recovery plan, and Prop 286 is the Racial Repatriation Act. To preserve American jobs for American workers. Meaning white. Rembrandt thinks Schick sounds like Hitler. It seems this world never had a Hitler or World War II.
Outside the hotel, Colin suggests talking to the police. Quinn tells him that’s not a good idea; the thugs are talking to the police. Colin can’t understand why Rembrandt was taken. He’s told that race not making a difference is the exception, not the rule.
A woman is handing out Schick for president flyers. One of the beings bumps into them; Colin apologises. He’s told Eddies don’t feel anything. Inside the hotel, Rembrandt hasn’t check in and when Colin mentions he’s black, the woman, Vanessa, says they aren’t from around here. They’re passing through and Vanessa says to keep moving. Things are getting worse. She has Eddies’ zero-cost labour provided by the government. The thugs who got Rembrandt come in and Vanessa recognises one of them. Her son, Kirk. She is not happy about him hanging around with them.
Rembrandt wants to get out. Harold tells him this isn’t his America, not anymore. The warden says it’s deportation time. Rembrandt plans to make a run for it. He knocks down one guard but is shocked and then beaten. He’s going to be driven off but Harold ells the warden he could do with another on his work crew; he’s a man down.
Afterwards, Rembrandt accuses Harold of sticking his head in the sand. Harold says he fought before and has the scars to prove it. But times change and politics change; this will blow over eventually. Rembrandt knows it won’t.
Quinn tries fishing for information with the thugs, known as Stompers. That doesn’t go so well. They need to find Rembrandt on a world that hasn’t had a Hitler, so doesn’t know what one can do. There are definite parallels with Germany of the early 30s.