“Eggheads” is episode eight (originally shown as episode seven) of season one of Sliders.
The Sliders arrive in a street on a new world, one they will be in for the next five days. There’s a sign saying that by popular request there are longer library hours and a man walks past carrying a boombox playing what Rembrandt says is Tchaikovsky. There’s also a Nikke advert with Quinn on it. Then a kid wants Quinn’s autograph, followed by others. The boy wants to be an academic decathlete like Quinn. He also recognises Profe4ssor Arturo. Wade and Rembrandt are asked if they are anybody. Seemingly not.
More and more people gather and Wade asks what’s going on. Quinn and Professor Arturo are the Sliders. They get in a cab; the professor says in this world the accolades their world would ladle on actors and athletes is instead transferred to academic achievement. Wade tells the others that this world’s Quinn and Arturo supposedly Slid a couple of months back. Quinn says that his alternate must have built a Sliding machine. They could use it to go home.
Quinn is greeted at his house by a realtor; this world’s Quinn asked her to put the house on the market. For a lot. Quinn’s mother was forced to move back east. The furniture is still; inside for the estate sale. Inside. Wade calls out; Quinn is on the Weeties box. Rembrandt wonders why Quinn is so broke with so many sponsorships. In the basement there’s no Sliding equipment; the professor suggests it’s in a lab at the university. There are two options: avoid all contact and risk missing out on using the technology. Or assumer the identity of their doubles and find the Sliding equipment. If they do, Quinn might be able to get them home.
They are greeted at the university where it seems the professor is the chairman and are let into his office. He has a poster of him lecturing live at Las Vegas. Arturo finds a phone bill with his home address and phone number on it and calls it. The woman who enters recognises his voice. He hangs up but she rings back. The professor wants to get out of there but Quinn is told he’s wanted down at practice.
Practice is for some sort of game that is a combination of athletics and a quiz. One of the other people, Wilson, isn’t happy Quinn has returned and rings someone called Joey, telling them that Quinn didn’t take Joey’s threat seriously. Joey should do them bot a favour and take care of the problem.
Wade and Rembrandt are watching a rap song about going to the library whilst Quinn is trying to read the Mindgame Rule Book, by Professor Stephen Hawking. He says it’s the weirdest game; you run around carrying a ball and answering questions whilst the other team tries to tag you. Quinn’s return is even on a sports show. He wants to bow out but there’s no option if they are to find the Sliding system.
The professor returns to his office having gone to his lab. He asks his secretary for a bunch of files, including those on the Sliding machine. Apparently, those are kept on his home computer. There’s also a young woman waiting in his office. A process server, as it turns out; he’s being sued for divorce.
Quinn, having remained on the team, is now playing whilst the other three watch in a pub. Quinn doesn’t look as if he knows what he’s doing – because he doesn’t – and the commentators agree. The professor is concerned about the divorce. He knows the woman in question. They were married, but she died of a brain aneurysm at 27. She was the love of his life.
There’s absolutely no evidence of a Sliding machine anywhere, and it seems this world’s professor and Quinn were not the best of people. A bit of a problem when you’re impersonating them. The professor also starts trying to do something about his wife in this world.