DVD Extras (included with season 2):
The main premise of the series is then spectacularly demonstrated as the sliders cross from one world to another. Nice one. Season One has been consistently generous with providing the necessary effects for this process. The episode takes some time to slowly reveal the premise of the adventure at hand, mostly because there is just so much fun to be had with it. Our four series regulars sink their teeth into it, and deliver their usual charm and chemistry. This time they are aided by recurring minor character Gomez Calhoun who once more is there to greet them at this world's most convenient hotel. William Sasso makes his second appearance as Gomez here, gelling well enough with the rest of the cast to create a bit of a break-out performance and become more memorable to the show's audience. Thus his future longevity was well deserved. Some of the other supporting characters in the story seem a bit more like caricatures than real people, but perhaps that's not too uncommon for the show-biz background that most of them spring from. One trusts that Tracy Tormé's connections to that world via his father Mel Tormé give him enough insight into the reality of such a world. Captain Jack Brim seems to have a personality so loud it was designed to sell itself in 30 seconds on cue like clockwork, yet Jack has a scene of being concerned for Rembrandt and taking shrewd action to that effect that goes a long way to balancing his character. Nice. Maurice Fish, one of Rembrandt's former "Spinning Topps" background singers, is also back to give the plot a bit of jeopardy. This he does, while he and Rembrandt pile as much laughter as possible into their scenes, dark humour though it may be. Resolving this strand is a group effort, with Quinn surprisingly taking a bit of a lead in the last-minute heroics department. Not bad. Ultimately though, this is only the penultimate bit of drama for the adventure. The real drama sustaining interest in this episode is between Rembrandt and his double, and kudos must go to the creative use of both Cleavant Derricks and his twin brother Clinton Derricks-Carroll, as the production team proceeds to create and shoot scenes that would have been a prohibitive logistical nightmare had one actor been required to play both roles. It's also such a wonderfully lovely touch to have that slightly recognizable bit of difference between our Rembrandt and his rockstar double. The audience can feel it's the same character yet not the same character in ways you also can never quite accomplish had the same actor played both roles. And the audience probably won't quite figure out why unless they closely examine the credits or get to see some DVD extras, or read reviews by knowledgeable fans like this one. Nice. The concert itself is a good length on the screen, with excellent supporting cutaways to the three other Sliders on the sidelines highlighting and deepening the drama for the audience. Rembrandt's music is enjoyable, without being overbearing as his solo was at the end of the pilot story. This story has a very satisfying and moving finish, and feels like one of the better accomplishments of their first season adventures. Very nice for a late-season story leading into the finale.....
This story has become available on DVD. Click on the Amazon symbol for the location nearest you for pricing and availability:
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