“The Good, the Bad and the Wealthy” is episode five (originally shown as episode four) of season two of Sliders.
A young boy dressed like a cowboy is looking at a film poster advertising a Harrison Ford film when the Sliders arrive. The boy sees Quinn arrive; Wade notices him. Quinn claims that they are a troupe of magicians practicing their act. The professor asks where they can get food and is told Wall Street.
The place looks like the Wild West, according to Wade, but with modern cars, and Rembrandt indicates the Transamerica Tower. He suggests it’s a theme park, but the professor indicates a sign that says rifles and shotguns made to order. Wall Street’s menu features a lot of steak and Quinn sees something. They’re in San Francisco, Texas. The professor will try and find a newsstand or bookshop.
On the walls are images of former presidents of Texas; Lyndon Johnson and George H. W. Bush. And another that Wade doesn’t recognise but Quinn does; Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas. Wade says it scares her he knows that. There’s a stock ticker over the bar and people playing cards. One wins and another takes offence and kicks the table over. A woman tells him to stop and Quinn asks the winner if he’s okay. The one who lost takes offence, grabs Wade and asks Quinn if he wants to be a hero. The woman says Quinn is unarmed and the man, Jed Dalton, throws him a gun. Quinn can either die like a man or die like a coward. When they go for their guns, it turns out that Quinn is faster and kills Jed.
No-one seems that broken up by Jed’s demise. The sheriff arrives and it’s explained what happened. The sheriff has to take Quinn into town, with some confusing comments about the Bar Association. The professor arrives as Quinn is being taken away.
The sheriff questions Quinn, who says he isn’t a member of the state bar, and doesn’t have a law degree or an MBA. And is asked where he learnt to shoot then. A deputy enters and tells the sheriff someone is here from the man on high. Billy Rae Bledsoe. Billy Rae says that Mr Bullock wants the shooter and will appreciate the sheriff’s cooperation. The sheriff agrees.
The others are at a phone booth; they can find no lawyers. The phone book just says to see ‘Negotiators.’ They head to the hotel and the professor explains that the Republic of Texas never joined the United States. As a result, it wasn’t involved in the Civil War and expanded westwards. Modern business follows the code of the Old West. A lawyer is literally a hired gun. As they arrive at the hotel, the boy from earlier arrives with his mother, the woman from Wall Street. He says the Sliders came to kill Jack Bullock.
Quinn is surprised to find out Dalton worked out of a skyscraper. Billy Rae tells him that Bullock has 1,300 gunfighters in many different offices. Quinn is introduced to Bullock. Dalton was his lead attorney and Bullock is impressed that Quinn beat him. He wants Quinn to join the company.
Quinn calls Rembrandt at the hotel; he’s in a country & western karaoke bar. Billy Rae takes to the stage to introduce Quinn to everyone. Another gunfighter from the firm isn’t happy about Quinn being offered a job. He ends up being shot dead by Billy Rae. Quinn finally arrives at the hotel very drunk.
The woman from the bar is Priscilla Hardaway. It seems she’s using her money on the card tables. Which is a combination of poker and the stock market. However, her gambler isn’t doing so well. She has a chip that will change the PC market but can’t get enough money to bring it to market, and Bullock is after her company.
Quinn does not feel happy about having killed a man. The Sliders are going to be heading out very soon, but they’re already tangled up in the dangerous world of corporate negotiations in the Republic of Texas. Not quite a cut-throat business, because they use guns, not knives.