“Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” is episode six of season four of Sliders.
The Sliders arrive on the world where Quinn’s brother is supposed to be, Quinn having programmed the coordinates in the previous episode, “World Killer”. They only have two hours to find him, though. However, Sliders leave a trail and Quinn’s brother is probably the only one who has slid on this world. Maggie calls out as a hang glider passes above, before running into problems and crashing into a tree. The pilot is okay, though.
The locals are none too happy; this isn’t the first time the pilot has done something like this. One suggests burning his wings; another, just shooting him. However, the sheriff arrives at this point and breaks it up. He says he hasn’t seen the others before; they say they saw the man crash – they haven’t looked at him closely yet – and wanted to help. The sheriff asks about their clothing. Quinn says they’re from Canada. The sheriff tells the man, who he calls Colin Mallory, to clean his mess up and get back to town. Quinn speaks to Colin and says there’s no easy way to say this; he’s Colin’s brother (who is played by Jerry O’Connell‘s real-life brother, Charlie).
Colin can see a resemblance, but doesn’t think he has a brother. His parents died as a child and Quinn asks if he has anything they left him. Maybe, maybe not. They head into town and Rembrandt suggests this is Amish world; it looks to be in the 19th century. Colin dabbles in mechanics and electricity, which this world doesn’t have much of and isn’t very popular as a result. Yes, sometimes things go wrong and he did fry a few chickens.
A young woman, Susanna, is pleased to see that Colin is okay after his crash. She’s also never seen clothes like Maggie’s. Susanna’s mother isn’t happy to see Colin, who she calls a necromancer and reminds him that her daughter is promised to another. She also comments on Maggie’s clothes. Maggie says they’re from Canada. She advises Maggie to cover up lest men get the wrong idea.
At Colin’s place, Quinn is impressed with what Colin has invented. Rembrandt says they’re running out of time. Quinn asks his brother what his parents might have left him. Quinn’s parents left him an important message; they may have done the same for Colin. Quinn searches a book and smashes a watch before Maggie reminds him Quinn’s Earth Prime mother had the chip in her arm. Quinn asks for a sharp knife. He does then ask if there was anything about a certain size. There is; a locket. Inside it is the chip. Quinn tells Colin to put the chip on his forehead. And lie down for this.
Quinn sees the message and says it’s true; Quinn isn’t crazy. Quinn explains their real parents came back for him, but his mother hid him. They may have come back for Colin, but his parents had died, so they never found him. Rembrandt reminds them time is running out. Quinn wants Colin to come with; they have to go or be stuck on this world for a long time. The chip is designed to work with Colin and Colin alone and without him, Quinn will never find his home Earth and his real parents. Colin asks about taking his work; it’s not needed. As for Susanna, Quinn reminds Colin she’s promised to another.
The portal opens and all four go through, landing on a road in front of an oncoming truck. The other three get out of the way. Colin, who has never seen a motor vehicle before, is staring at it and has to be dragged out of the way. The whole world is a bit different to what Colin is used to. The Sliders arrive at the hotel they usually use and Quinn explains there tends to be a version on every world. The receptionist asks how they’d like to pay; bone graft or DNA debit. They would prefer cash.
In the suite, Colin is fascinated by the television and Rembrandt opens him a Pepsi. Colin tries it and asks what it is. Rembrandt thinks and tells him no-one knows. They’re on the world for three days, so Maggie suggests she and Rembrandt doing some shopping whilst Quinn and Colin get to know each other. Neither really knows what to say to each other.
Colin bumps into Susanna’s alternate on this world, but no-one has told him there are alternate versions on many worlds. This Susanna decides to take advantage of Colin. However, Colin may be naive, but that doesn’t mean he’s stupid, as his inventions on his own world demonstrated.
‘We’re from Canada’ is used as a surprisingly effective blanket explanation for any peculiarities the Sliders have when compared to locals.