These are scenes from the January 18, 1996 first revision draft of the script for the episode Obsession with story by Jon Povill and Steve Brown, teleplay by Jon Povill. These scenes did not make it into the final episode due to time and story considerations.
We begin with some missing mentions of the Sliders' recent past history...
QUINN
(checks the timer)
We have a few minutes. Let's slide
from the park. Maybe we'll get
lucky and land on some nice soft
grass.
ARTURO
God knows I'm for that!
REMBRANDT
What's it -- three slides in a row
that we're not running for our lives
to get out of someplace? Gotta be a
record.
WADE
Great! Now you've jinxed us!
ARTURO
Miss Welles, you are the most
unrelentingly superstitious person I
have ever met.
The others exchange an amused look as we --
EXT. PARK - A FIELD - NIGHT
There's a park bench and some grazing cows nearby. Wade looks around, and gets a sudden chill up her spine. Rembrandt notices.
REMBRANDT
You okay, sweetheart?
WADE
Yeah, I think so. I just got the
weirdest feeling -- like a deja vu
or something.
Quinn's attention is on the timer.
QUINN
Okay, here we go.
Quinn activates the timer. Wade jumps into the wormhole the moment it forms.
Another interesting note. The original script had Wade's love interest named Andrew Bond instead of Derek Bond.
Ever wonder exactly how long they were on Prime Oracle earth? This missing line tells the tale...and all other mentions of time in the script are exactly as they appeared in the episode, so it appears to be correct.
REMBRANDT
How does he know our hotel?
ARTURO
And our names...
QUINN
(checks the timer)
Well, we have about 64 hours and 28
minutes to find out.
And some missing Arturo commentary gives more thoughts on the psychic world...
WADE
She told us about ten percent of
the people on this world have
psychic powers. They're trained to
specialize in things like medical
diagnosis, mineral exploration and
criminology.
ARTURO
How bizarre that they could place
such credence in pseudo science and
yet be ahead of our world in space
exploration.
WADE
Unless it's *not* pseudo science.
QUINN
She's in heaven. A whole world of
people who think like her.
As --
ACROSS THE WAITING ROOM - TWO POLICE OFFICERS
look down at --
INSERTS - COMPOSITE DRAWINGS
close, but not exact, sketches of ARTURO and REMBRANDT. The officers exchange a look, confirming --
And just before the officers grab Remmy and Arturo, we have a few missing lines that explore the Quinn/Wade relationship a bit...
QUINN
Oh, come on -- You're not actually
going to dinner with that guy?
WADE
And why not?
QUINN
C'mon, Wade. No involvements --
how many times do we need to say
this?
WADE
Look who's talking.
Quinn looks to Arturo and Rembrandt: "Help me out, guys."
WADE
I think you're jealous.
QUINN
Of who? Your "past life" Romeo?
Get real.
WADE
My "past life Romeo" is obviously a
man who's not afraid to let his
feelings show. I happen to find
that very attractive.
Quinn starts to roll his eyes, anticipating putting up with this attitude through the entire stay here. Suddenly the two POLICEMAN grab Rembrandt and Arturo and pin them to the wall.
And Quinn and Arturo's conversation about this world has a few missing Arturo observations...
QUINN
So from one coincidence, they set up
this whole crazy social order?
ARTURO
More than one coincidence, Mr.
Mallory. Under the apparent
guidance of Prime Oracles, this
society has averted nearly every
major conflict of the last century.
The economy is robust, the
environment is well protected, and
the current Prime Oracle is even
responsible for pushing the space
program forward.
QUINN
You realize, you're starting to
sound like Wade.
ARTURO
Not quite. My theory is that this
society's common belief in their
oracles gives them a heightened
sensitivity as well as a consensus
to act more quickly to problems
than we on our world. By addressing
them before they become critical,
they avoid the more extreme
consequences.
QUINN
Yeah, well, before you start
cheering for the Prime Oracle, let's
remember it was him that nearly ran
Wade down last night.
ARTURO
I know, and it's maddening. Why
would he do such a thing?
Everything I've read about the
current Prime Oracle indicates he's
a remarkable and benevolent man.
QUINN
(sour)
Maybe everything you've read is
wrong.
ARTURO
(soothing)
Mr. Mallory, I know you're somewhat
predisposed against this world, but
I think you overstate --
And we were in on it from there...
A couple of missing lines about the restaurant...
WADE
(aside to Andrew)
Boy, if the food's as good as the
service, they're gonna do a lot of
business some day.
ANDREW
They already do. This is the most
popular restuarant in the city.
WADE
Then why's it so empty?
ANDREW
I didn't want a lot of strangers
staring at us.
(then, sheepish)
I should've warned you. I'm a
little famous.
Arturo also originally gave a bit more explanation to the actions of the Prime Oracle...
ARTURO
Good Lord! It's *him*!
(then, as it sinks in)
Mr. Mallory, this means there's a
link between Miss Welles, the old
Prime Oracle, and his successor.
It could well have something to do
with the attempt on her life.
QUINN
(thinks about it)
Yeah, it could.
(then)
And it could be connected with the
police thinking you and Rembrandt
would kill Wade. If the Prime
Oracle wanted to kill her, maybe the
signals got crossed somehow.
ARTURO
Let's assume for a moment that the
Prime Oracle really *could* see the
future. He could then manipulate
cause and effect in order to set
event in motion...
QUINN
But the only immediate effect of
his action was that we went to the
hospital...
ARTURO
But that starts a ripple effect, Mr.
Mallory. We met the police there,
and the nurse, Lori... He might
have foreseen a whole chain of
events from any one of those
encounters...
And then Wade walks in as we saw...
The original script also offers a bit more clarification as to why they didn't tell Rembrandt about the engagement proposal until the next morning...
Wade has just hung up the phone from talking with Derek...
INT. MALE SLIDERS HOTEL ROOM - MORNING - REMBRANDT
still in bed, has apparently just been given the news. He isn't taking it well.
REMBRANDT
How can you tell me something like
that first thing in the morning?
QUINN
Because you got in too late to tell
you last night.
REMBRANDT
Oh, man! This is terrible news. I
can't even deal with it.
ARTURO
Keep in mind she hasn't said, "Yes"
yet.
REMBRANDT
But she's wearing the ring.
(then)
Man, if she's wearing the ring,
she's gonna say yes.
QUINN
She said she didn't want to take the
ring. He insisted.
REMBRANDT
Don't you know *anything* about
women, Q-Ball? Once they put the
rock on their finger, it's all
over.
And later in the conversation, Remmy had a missing line...
REMBRANDT
I guess you had quite a night. I
hear congratulations are in order.
WADE
Rembrandt, I didn't say "Yes."
REMBRANDT
You didn't say "No," either, did
you, girl?
WADE
No. I didn't say "No." But he
called this morning and sent a car
for me. It's waiting downstairs.
I'm gonna go to his house and talk
to him.
And when Wade first arrives at the house of her obsessive, past life lover...he originally made an excuse for something which would be revealed shortly after...
INT. PRIME ORACLE'S RESIDENCE - ENTRY HALL - DAY
ANDREW comes down the grand curving staircase. PAINTERS in coveralls can be seen mixing paint at the top of the stairs.
ANDREW
Good morning! Sorry about the
mess, I'm having some special work
done...
He gets to the bottom of the stairs, takes both her hands and looks her in the face, appreciating her.
ANDREW
You look even more beautiful in the
daytime.
He goes to kiss her, but she turns her face, giving him her cheek. He accepts this, but knows something is wrong.
WADE
We have to talk.
And not much later, we would find that the "special work" being done was the reproduction of Wade's Earth Prime room...
And why did Andrew/Derek so desperately need Wade to stay? The original script provides one missing line that gives a bit more illumination...
ANDREW
... The old Prime Oracle
called you a nexus in my life
-- a crossroads. Everything changes
based on what happens with you.
WADE
Then do the right thing. Let me go.
ANDREW
Wade, the only thing I know for sure
is that I've always loved you, and I
always will. That's my anchor. I
*have* to keep you here.
The news cast of the President arriving in San Francisco was missing its dialogue in the final version of the episode, and that dialogue shows that a face famous was in the White House on this world...
ARTURO
This world is not the problem, Mr.
Mallory, just one person in it.
QUINN glance up at the:
TELEVISION - AIR FORCE ONE TOUCHING DOWN
TV REPORTER (V.O)
President Jerry Brown and First Lady
Tori Spelling Brown have now arrived
in San Francisco for this evening's
ceremony investing Andrew Bond as
the New Prime Oracle.
QUINN
(pained)
Just one person -- trouble is he's
probably the most powerful man on
the planet.
Also, the original script has Andrew/Derek actually making his acceptance speech for Prime Oracle...something he avoided doing in the final version...
INT. ACADEMY RECEPTION HALL - NIGHT
Cameras FLASH incessantly as the Regent places a Medallion of Office around Andrew's neck. The assembled THRONG APPLAUDS, politely, but loud and long as Andrew steps to the microphone and removes a prepared speech from his inner pocket.
He looks at the speech, then out at the crowd, then back to the speech.
ANDREW
I can't read this...
He puts the speech back in his pocket.
ANDREW
Americans... People of the world...
Someone I loved died tonight because
I misused my God given power. I saw
only what I wanted to see, and
thought I could shape events to my
own design. If any good has come of
this -- and I desperately need to
find some -- it's that I now see how
easy it is to be arrogant, and how
dangerous my power can be unless I'm
*totally* committed to the highest
possible good. In memory of Wade
Welles, I make that my pledge to
you...
And then the scene was to cut over to Quinn riding in the ambulance...just now realizing they aren't going to the hospital.
One last note of the episode shows just how important the events of this episode were to that world...
Quinn hits the button. The WORMHOLE starts to form.
Andrew helps Wade stand, then gives her over to Quinn.
ANDREW
I'll say it again. Take good care
of her.
Quinn nods, and leads Wade into the vortex.
LORI
beside Rembrandt and Arturo, looks on in wonder as they depart. Arturo turns to Rembrandt and Lori
ARTURO
Amazing. Do you realize that when
the Prime Oracle nearly ran Wade
down, his intent was actually to
engineer that you two would meet?
REMBRANDT
Huh? Why'd he care about that?
ARTURO
Because if you *hadn't* met, Wade
would have been trapped here, and
Mr. Bond would have been a very poor
Prime Oracle.
LORI
(to Rembrandt, smiling)
We're part of history.
REMBRANDT
(proud)
I can live with that.
He and Lori exchange a look, deep affection.
ARTURO
Come along, Mr. Brown. New worlds
await.
REMBRANDT
I gotta go...
(he kisses her)
Thanks for everything.
Rembrandt turns and joins Arturo. They leap. A beat as the wormhole fades into nothingness.
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