Originally aired April 12, 1995
Written by Lee Goldberg & William Rabkin
Directed by Felix Enriquez Alcala
The Sliders arrive on a world where America lost the Revolutionary War, leading to the rise of the British States of America. Arturo's double plots to seize power by assassinating the heir to the throne, and Arturo assumes his double's identity.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Alien Non-Interference Clause: The Sliders agree to not involve themselves with the locals. That policy lasts the whole of ten minutes.
- Alternate History: In this episode's featured parallel world, America lost the Revolutionary War, and the British States of America was established. A consequence of this is that the French, Russian and Chinese Revolutions never took place and the world is ruled by various monarchies. There is also mention of the Second Magna Carta.
- America Is Still a Colony: The British States of America.
- Artistic License – History: Prince Harold is unfamiliar with the term "democracy," in spite of the United Kingdom (and its predecessor states) having been a parliamentary democracy since 1688.
- Audience Surrogate: Rembrandt bemoans how the group just keeps getting into trouble.Rembrandt: How are we supposed to stay alive until the slide and stay together all the time?
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Before fleeing the hotel, Wade suggests Arturo use his seeming influence to get some extra goods out of the place. Arturo admits she can be surprisingly frightening and then runs with her suggestion.
- Everyone Can See It: When Wade refuses his offer to get together the first time around, Harold asks if she's in love with Quinn.
- Evil Brit: Alternate!Arturo
- Faux Affably Evil: Alternate!Arturo puts on a show of being a benign official, but he's a ruthless villain out to murder Harold and silence anyone who opposes him.
- Global Warming: In the first world seen in this episode, global warming has caused the melting of the polar ice caps and San Francisco has been flooded.
- Hidden Depths: Harold is known as a tabloid joke that the people hold in contempt. He's actually a pretty nice, modest guy who is simply naive about the Sheriff and what his subjects endure.
- Hunting "Accident": Colonel Hurley attempts to arrange this for the Prince.
- Jumped at the Call: Quinn is just itching to do something about a monarchy oppressing people, so he jumps at the chance to give the Oakland Raiders advice on what actions they could take.
- Make It Look Like an Accident: The plan to assassinate Harold was to make it look like a hunting accident. Luckily, Quinn intervenes before Harold can get shot.
- Manchild: Prince Harold admits that he enjoys playing with model trains despite being around 30. A bit more justified than most examples as model train enthusiasts run the gamut from young to old.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: In this episode's Alternate Universe, Michael Hurley is a colonel in the British Army and works directly for Alternate!Arturo. He's not evil, though; he's shown to be visibly terrified of the Sheriff, and shocked when he learns that Alternate!Arturo's actions have amounted to treason.
- Oh, Crap!: Arturo when he hears his name on the television. He's so shocked that he nearly strangles Quinn while adjusting his necktie.
- Pompous Political Pundit: Alternate!Arturo. He appears reasonable on television, but the moment the cameras are off, he starts screaming at people.
- Race Against the Clock: Besides the usual with the timer, the group has mere hours to save Quinn from execution. Also, Rembrandt bemoans the idea of always racing to reunite ahead of a slide being a recurring problem.
- La RĂ©sistance: The Oakland Raiders are this.
- Rousing Speech: How Quinn saves Arturo and Harold from being executed by the Oakland Raiders, as well as gets them to adopt more useful strategies. It's a bit slow going at first (making use of whatever axiom he can think of), but he pulls it off.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: Discussed - Greater Britain is at war with Royalist France (though the breadth of the conflict is not elaborated on) and King Thomas was personally leading soldiers in battle when he went missing, hence Prince Harold's pending ascension.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here:
- Upon learning that Arturo's double is a very prominent figure, the group (Arturo especially) want to get away from the hotel before the manager realizes the truth.
- As the Sheriff is about to get arrested, his nearby underling quickly makes a run for it.
- Take That!:
- Alternate!Arturo mentions he has a "contract with America," which was an actual piece of legislation championed by the then-recently elected Republican House of Representatives.
- Arturo says that, on the bright side, the beautiful glade they're standing in would be downtown Oakland.
- The Triple: Arturo gives Prince Harold a crash course on the Bill of Rights, but forgets what the Sixth Amendment is (right to a fair trial). Rembrandt improvises a new one that guarantees equal rights for everyone "regardless of race, color, or musical preference."
- Threatening Shark: The group spot a shark just before they get ready to slide out of submerged San Francisco.
- The Usurper: Alternate!Arturo schemes to assassinate Prince Harold in order to seize the throne.
- Villain of the Week: Alternate!Arturo, Sheriff of the Western Americas.
- Villainous Breakdown: Arturo's double has a spectacular one after Harold publicly pronounces him a traitor and fired.
- Wide-Eyed Idealist: Harold can't understand why some people are unhappy in his kingdom and doesn't see that the Sheriff is out to get him. Touring the city alone at night is an eye-opening experience for him.
- "You!" Exclamation: While being led away, Arturo's double when he bumps into Quinn.
