Working title:
Genius
These are scenes from the February 21, 1995 second revision draft of the script for the episode Eggheads with story by Scott Smith Miller & Jacob Epstein, teleplay by Scott Smith Miller. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
Our first missing portion seems to allude to the ending of The Weaker Sex...
TEASER
FADE IN
EXT. A RESIDENTIAL STREET - DAY - THE SLIDERS
emerge from the vortex, check themselves out first, then the neighborhood.
REMBRANDT
How much time we have on this one,
Q Ball?
QUINN
A little more than 5 days.
WADE
At least it looks like San
Francisco.
REMBRANDT
(to Arturo)
Yeah. And you're not our butler
anymore, so you're ahead of the
game already...
The next thing to happen is seeing the Gap ad with Albert Einstein and the kid listening to classical music on the boom box...
The Rap song at the beginning of Act Two was also originally a little different...while the first verse is the same, the second has the slight alterations.
THE FOUR RAPPERS
coming straight at us down the aisle of the public library, still possessing a menacing attitude...
LEADER
I'm moving down the aisle with my
homeys in tow... We're groovin' in
the home of the librarian ho.
(passing a bookish librarian)
She checks us out from behind thick
glasses... We walk right past and
we wiggle our (censored beep).
From there it continues just like the final version.
Remmy also had a line cut...most likely as a continuity clean up measure. Since we find out in season two's premiere that the Sliders find it unbelievable OJ Simpson is on trial for murder...
WADE
Well, you better think of
something.
QUINN
I have. I'm taking a powder.
WADE
What?
QUINN
You heard me: they're gonna have to
play Harvard without me.
WADE
Look, we agreed: we have to
infiltrate our doubles' lives so we
can find the Sliding system.
QUINN
Easy for you; You're not gonna be
making a fool of yourself on
national television.
REMBRANDT
It's too late -- they all think
you're here. You don't show up,
they're gonna come looking for you
like O.J. in his Bronco.
And the color commentary for the first game was different originally...
PLAY BY PLAY GUY
A big test for Cal -- the first
game since the return of
Everybody's All-American, Quinn
Mallory --
COLOR GUY
It remains to be seen how much of
an impact it's gonna have.
Havard's got a tough defense,
they've played Mallory before...
PLAY BY PLAY GUY
An enormous psychological impact --
as Yogi Bera once said,
"Psychology's 90% of the Decathlon,
and don't worry about the other
half --"
COLOR GUY
We're gonna find out -- the
captains are prepared for the
opening face off --
And what's this about Arturo's wife passing away? Not in the original version...of course, originally it wasn't even in the same woman's name...
ANGLE - ARTURO
not paying attention. He's looking at a photo in his wallet, very distracted.
WADE
Professor?
ARTURO
(looks up from his
reverie)
Hmm?
REMBRANDT
Leave him be, girl -- he's going
through a divorce.
ARTURO
It's no joke, Mr. Brown.
(then; off photo)
I know the woman.
WADE
What?
ARTURO
The Arturo of this world is married
to a woman by the name of Evelyn
Fox --
(then)
I must assume it's the same Evelyn
Fox I knew in Graduate School.
REMBRANDT
Let me see --
He takes the photo -
ANGLE - WALLET SIZE PHOTO - EVELYN FOX
handsome; intelligent. Looks like Charlotte Rampling --
WADE
(off the photo)
Were you in love with her?
ARTURO
Worse. She was my wife.
Rembrandt and Wade exchange a look --
ARTURO
I'll spare you the long, sad
story --
(then)
Suffice it to say, I was foolish,
she was young,
(a slif of whiskey)
She ran off with my best friend.
REMBRANDT
Bummer.
Arturo takes another sip of whiskey. Then --
ARTURO
Bummer, indeed.
He sighs, heavy hearted as -- there's a roar from the bar patrons (O.S.)
Jimmy Fountain (the mob boss to whom Quinn owed money) also originally had some different things to say when the Sliders found him waiting in Quinn's house...
JIMMY FOUNTAIN
(To Wade)
Your little superstar owes over a
million dollars in gambling
debts --
(then)
Then he takes a little,
interdimensional powder --
(then)
He wants M.I.T. to win the
Finals -- you vouchsafe that
outcome, he's prepare to absorb
the million bucks --
WADE
He throws the Academic Decathlon,
you're going to absolve his debt?
JIMMY FOUNTAIN
I like this girl -- she's very
quick.
(then; of Quinn)
Not like a lot'a the groupies I see
him with.
WADE
What if he says no?
JIMMY FOUNTAIN
Then Mr. Taylor would be very
disappointed.
With that, Jimmy delivers a rabbit punch to the back of Quinn's neck. Quinn goes sprawling --
JIMMY FOUNTAIN
And disappointing Mr. Taylor would
be a very bad idea indeed.
(to his henchman)
Let's go.
The gangsters go. Off Quinn, gasping for breath as Wade and Rembrandt rush to him.
FADE OUT
END OF ACT TWO
And as you see, the Latin was obviously absent...but it was a nice addition for the final episode.
There is also a missing line which indicates just how much scum Quinn's double really was and why his Mom moved back East...
INT. QUINN'S LIVING ROOM - SLIDERS
all there.
QUINN'S
moving through the room, packing his belongings in a knapsack --
WADE
These guys must be the biggest
jerks in the history of the
universe --
(then)
Adulterers, alcoholics, degenerate
gamblers --
QUINN
Hey. Don't forget my double had
his own mom evicted.
REMBRANDT
(seen it before)
The price of fame. Some people
can't handle it.
QUINN
Yeah, well - I'm one of 'em.
(hoisting his backpack on
his shoulder)
I'm out'a here.
And when Quinn's team mate comes to the door as Quinn is about to leave...he has a different message about the coach...
Rembrandt moves to the door, opens it --
BOYER
Quinn's teammate --
BOYER
Where's Mallory?
(then)
Quinn? You gotta come quick. It's
Coach Almquist.
(off Quinn)
He's had a heart attack.
Quinn just stands there.
BOYER
It's real bad, Quinn.
QUINN
What does he want me for? I'm not
a doctor.
BOYER
After all he's done for you? For
all of us?
(then)
You really are amazing, Quinn --
Mr. Showboat, Mr. One-Man band.
(then)
Can't even honor the man's dying
wish?
Off Quinn -- caught in yet another web.
CUT TO:
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - COACH ALMQUIST
rigged up to a respirator, IV's in his arms and tubes in his nose. The old man looks even older -- if the heart monitor wasn't doing it's intermittent blip-blip, you'd think he was dead.
BOYER AND QUINN
enter --
BOYER
(to Quinn)
See what I mean?
(sotto)
I was with him all last night --
he just kept calling your name.
Quinn approaches the coach's bedside.
COACH ALMQUIST
I knew you'd come --
QUINN
How're you feeling?
COACH ALMQUIST
'Like hell, how'd you think I feel?"
(then)
Give us a minute, will ya Boyer?
Boyer looks at Quinn --
BOYER
(means it; to Quinn)
Whatever you do, don't upset him.
Goes --
COACH ALMQUIST
Come closer.
Quinn does so --
COACH ALMQUIST
Gonna be my last game tomorrow.
QUINN
That's not true --
(then)
You're gonna win lots more
championships.
COACH ALMQUIST
No.
(then)
Docs are trying to put a good face
on it, but I know.
(a beat)
You put a lot of wear and tear on
this old ticker, Quinn.
QUINN
I guess I did.
COACH ALMQUIST
The great ones are always worth it.
Steve Hawking, Carl Sagan -- those
were scientists. You've got a
chance to take your place in that
pantheon, kid. But you're lazy --
(Burgess Meredith)
You coast, you get by on raw
brainpower -- I'm asking you; play
the game of your life tomorrow.
Win this one for Coach Almquist --
Quinn doesn't know what to say --
QUINN
I'll do my best, Coach.
COACH ALMQUIST
Promise me --
The coach is squeezing Quinn's in his gnarled fingers. A knock, the door opens (O.S.)
A VOICE
Excuse me --
Quinn turns --
TWO GUYS IN SUITS
Just as in the final version, the TWO SUITS are FBI. Their dialogue is identical...except for the end...
O'BRIEN
Everybody's All-America... Big Role
Model --
(then)
You make me sick.
QUINN
Look, if you're arresting me, why
don't you just get it over with.
You'd be doing me a favor.
O'BRIEN
We're Federal Agents, Mallory --
we're not in the favor doing
business.
CANNON
Gonna offer you a chance to do
right by all those kids who eat
your cereal and buy your sneakers,
Mallory --
Quinn doesn't know where the hell this is going --
O'BRIEN
How's your friend, Jimmy Fountain,
Quinn?
QUINN
Look - don't worry about that.
I'm not gonna play.
O'BRIEN
See, that's where you're wrong.
Off Quinn --
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT THREE
Arturo's conversation with his ex wife's double was also original to reveal the age Arturo married her...
EVELYN
(unmelted)
Have you been seeing a shrink?
ARTURO
(the old ego)
Hardly.
(then)
No - this is entirely the result
of tortuous self-scrutiny.
(then)
If I treated you badly --
(corrects himself)
-- When I treated you so badly, it
was because I feared I could never
live up to hte expectations you had
of me...
EVELYN
Go on.
ARTURO
You married a physics prodigy -- a
twenty five year old youth who had
advanced intellectually but
emotionally retarded.
(then)
I was a child.
She looks at him. Maybe he has changed.
ARTURO
I'm asking you to forestall the
divorce.
The rest is as we saw it...
In the aired episode, the play by play commentator states he doesn't see the strategy for taking out Quinn to put in the other guy, and that's all we hear. But the original script had the color guy jumping in with his thoughts...
PLAY BY PLAY GUY
Victor has reported into the game
for Mallory. I'm not sure if I
follow Cal's strategy here...
COLOR GUY
Victor's a defensive specialist --
he could certainly stop any "Hail
Mary's" M.I.T. might attempt in the
fourth quarter...
And lastly, there was a scene meant to be shown after the final scene that we saw...
The wormhole vanishes, leaving the F.B.I guys and the gansters standing there speechless.
Off the stalwart O'Brien, Canon in disbelief -
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
INT. ARTURO'S OFFICE - ON TV - ARTURO'S FACE
in close-up.
ARTURO (ON TV)
... I'm assuming, of course, that
you detest taking advice as much as
I do -- but as I have already lost
the love of this woman on my world,
let me play master, and speak from
experience.
(then)
You are a brilliant man, Arturo --
but in your brilliance, you've
overlooked what's essential --
Freeze frame and we --
WIDEN - EVELYN AND LYDIA [the assistant]
watching as Arturo's message to his double plays out.
LYDIA
When I saw what it was, I knew you
should see it.
EVELYN
I'm grateful.
(then)
I'd like to be alone if that's all
right.
Lydia nods, exits. Once she's gone --
EVELYN
hits the play button --
ARTURO (ON TV)
-- the joys of a home, a family --
these are the thing's that sustain
and enrich us. They are what make
our work worthwhile --
(then)
Ironic, really -- though Evelyn is
your wife, I find the thought of
leaving her almost unbearable.
Broken promises, shattered dreams.
(then)
Alas, it is too late for me. God's
grace, it will not be too late for
you...
Off Lydia, moved beyond comprehension --
FADE OUT.
END OF ACT FOUR
THE END
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