Rewatch Podcast (Page 1 of 6)

We're so spoiled and lucky. Too killer podcasts.  Twenty years after the debut, fans still get to enjoy this show because of content creators like you all.

Ib, since you did such a great job with your Sliderscast minisode, it's obvious to me you'd do a great job with some spoken essays to contribute as well.  Maybe these shows can feature your perspective... and now it's time for.... yada yada.

Anyway, keep up the good work Tom!

Hey Everyone! Cory here. Glad to have you all listening and I really appreciate the constructive criticism and feedback.

As you may know, we have our "Messages from Earth Prime" segment in the show, so if you want to use this message board to give your thoughts on the episodes we're discussing, we'd love to include them on the podcast. We're gearing up to discuss "El Sid" and "Love Gods" tomorrow. As always, you can also email us at therewatchpodcast@gmail.com, join us on Twitter @RewatchPod or like our Facebook page Facebook.com/RewatchPodcast.

I also cleaned up the website that Podomatic generated for us, would love your feedback on anything else we could include (keeping in mind that this is a basic page that comes with our subscription to the service, so its nothing too flashy) http://rewatchpodcast.podomatic.com

I loved the last podcast. These guys do have great chemistry.

The new format is superb!

Oh and the new episode is up now! El Sid and Love Gods!

I enjoyed the "El Sid" and "Love Gods" podcast too! I wish they were longer; I love listening to Cory and Tom during my commutes.

I don't have a lot to say about "El Sid" as an episode. Cory and Tom did a great job exploring Arturo's morality in that his 'betrayal' does point to a lot of angry feelings towards Quinn. "El Sid," to me, is a well-intentioned misfire. The main problem for me, aside from too little script, is that I don't enjoy seeing the sliders at each others' throats. I understand the show wanting to vary the interaction a bit. They don't always get on. I just found it ugly and unappealing and I prefer it when sliders arguing is played for laughs.

"Love Gods" is a fun action episode with a hilarious concept, but the breeding program makes no sense whatsoever. There is no way a world this developed could fail to develop in-vitro fertilization. The only explanation I can conceive is that the virus affected even surviving men in some way that their sperm cannot retain viability in storage for some reason. God, world-building is so hard.

I'd disagree with Cory and Tom saying that Quinn was in any way enthused about being so in demand. Jerry plays Quinn as completely disgusted and repulsed throughout the episode. This is not a guy who has any patience or enjoyment for being objectified. Quinn Mallory has a sense of the big picture. This is part of why the character is so special to me. As a kid, I was really confused by girls and hormonal impulses. Quinn's frustration throughout the episode clarified things for me; he wants to be liked for the whole of who he is in body and mind. He's not exactly prudish, but losing his father as a boy makes him hesitate to produce offspring he wouldn't be there to raise. I really felt that in this absurd episode, Quinn Mallory was revealed as everything a man should be in relating to women.

Funny how in the two episodes where Quinn probably had sex (this and "Double Cross"), the show puts in some wiggle room!

I was wondering, what equipment do you guys use so it sounds like you're in the same room when you record this - despite being on opposite sides of the world.

Hey all! We included some of your kind feedback on this thread in the new episode! Just giving you all the heads up, due to real life getting in the way, we are recording our discussion of "Gillian of the Spirits" and "Obsession" on the same day we're releasing the episode about "The Good, the bad and the Wealthy" and "As time goes by." If you want to give and feedback (here or send an email to TheRewatchPodcast@gmail.com) then jump in ASAP. Cheers

Quinn does seem off put. He does smile a tad and smirk along with Remy and the Prof however in that one scene. Not as much as Remy and the Prof but there's still some if you watch the police precinct scene. Overall though he's definitely more of the voice of reason and respect. Im thinking maybe at first he just wasn't believing this was actually happening rather than laughing as enjoyment.

Got it. Makes sense. So you have two recorded audio tracks, you sync them and use skype in real-time to communicate during the recording process.

Yes sorry about the buzzing, guys! I tried to recreate the recording situation and no buzzing was there that time! A fluke!

I enjoyed the podcast. Couldn't really hear the buzzing unless I turned up the sound louder than necessary. But even then, it blended in with the sound of traffic during my drive.

I really enjoyed hearing Cory and Tom dissect Quinn's manifestation on the astral plane. They speak of the laws of physics being violated -- I would say the problem is more that the rules seem totally inconsistent; Quinn is intangible to people yet interacts with furniture. That scene with Gillian would have benefited greatly from Quinn sitting on the floor with her. But at the end of the day, I just can't get too worked up over such issues. It's an emotional and heartfelt episode; the flaws are acceptable to me. I laughed at Cory and Tom noting that sixty seconds in SLIDERS seems to be a pretty stretched out period of time and how the vortex has never been consistent in duration.

Also enjoyed their take on "Obsession," especially the dream/flashback sequences. Period acting isn't every actor's strength and it was most definitely not Sabrina's. Also adored them noting Derek's subtle reference to Quinn's jealousy with the polite, "You have your own reasons for doubting me" without specifying the actual reasons. I thought the episode was a really great exploration of how complicated Quinn and Wade have become without pairing them up or not pairing them up.

Regarding Derek Bond's vision -- it's entirely possible that Derek's vision was not of "Invasion" at all or the subsequent destination of the vortex. I mean, "Invasion" starts with Rembrandt having acquired hockey pads and a helmet on a previous Earth; surely Derek wasn't horrified by an image of Rembrandt at a sporting goods store. Derek's vision may have been of something farther in the future (therefore well past whatever episode aired after "Obsession"). Perhaps "Invasion." Perhaps "Paradise Lost." Perhaps "The Exodus" or "This Slide of Paradise" or "Genesis" or "The Chasm" or "The Great Work" or "Please Press One" or "Requiem." Or perhaps he had a vision of Jerry O'Connell's career immediately following SLIDERS.

While I'm flattered to be called a god of this Bboard, I'm going to have to reject such claims. I am in no way a deity even in this tiny realm. My likes and dislikes for SLIDERS are eccentric; even my fanfic isn't really reflective of SLIDERS as much as it's reflective of COMMUNITY with SLIDERS characters. I can speak with some authority on many SLIDERS subjects, but only because Temporal Flux was so very generous in public and private; anything I know about SLIDERS' behind the scenes stuff came from him.

Totally agree with that! Nitpicks are just that: Nitpicks. I don't let it interfere with my enjoyment either.

Haha yes, that! We actually discuss that in the newest episode. I had never thought about it before that way, about how Derek may have been looking elsewhen and not the immediate next slide.

Also, wait until next week's episode! We wanted to time things a certain way, so we would end seasons together in one podcast, and so that a certain two parter would be in the same episode together as well, sooooo we have a "very special episode" of the Rewatch Podcast coming up in where we discuss THREE Sliders episode together! 3 for 1! Wotta deal, eh?

Hey guys, we're just sitting down to record the new ep on "Desert Storm" and "Dragonslide" so feel free to give any feedback. We won't get to it now because we're recording but the next ep we are discussing “The Fire Within” and “The Prince of Slides”

Cheers,
Cory

I loved the latest podcast.  For whatever reason it was one of my favorites.  Fantastic coverage of The Guardian - one of the all-time great sliders episodes, and completely unique.  Torme got a lot of pushback on it.

Getting set to sit down and discuss The Prince of Slides as well as that utterly amazing, incredibly well-written seminal episode, The Fire Within. Got anything to say about those episodes? Post it here within the next hour!

Oh the audio yesssss we have that figured out. What happened was there was an update to Cory's OS that broke his Skype recorder so we had to come up with a new method which resulted in an aggressive noise reduction filter unfortunately.

But alas all is not lost! Cory went and upgraded the Skype recorder (for an additional fee because everyone's gotta make money) and so the last few episodes should sound like the episodes of old, sounding as if Cory and I are back together sittin in the Sydney Opera House, recording the podcast!

Sorry to hear about the tech issues.

Continuing with thoughts on the "GF"/"Y&R" podcast -- I enjoyed Tom and Cory performing the 29.7 exposition scene that was cut from "Summer of Love." They did a fun job of playing the characters and Cory and Tom's impressions of Jerry, Cleavant and John are very funny.

However, this makes me more certain than ever that imitating the actors for a SLIDERS audioplay would be a very bad idea. I'm not saying it's impossible: Robert Floyd can imitate Jerry's voice well and Bob Joles made a career of copying John Rhys-Davies. But at the end of the day, I think a new actor playing these roles would be better off playing *Quinn* rather than imitating Jerry. If Rob found the time to perform dialogue for me, I wouldn't ask him to play Quinn the way Jerry O'Connell played him. I'd ask Robert Floyd to play Quinn the way Robert Floyd would play him. Same thing with Tom and his acting troupe.

Yes indeed every week and usually Monday though sometimes they may have shown up early here or there. We like to keep the weekly format. This way people know when to expect it!

Every once in awhile we may need to adjust if we go on vacation but we have so far been able to keep it going weekly!

Speaking of being a busy boy, it IS a bit off topic but you're all invited to check out my site www.tom2point0.com where you can hear and see some of the stuff that keeps me busy. I'm a musician and I play several times a month local here in Phoenix. If you're ever around online during one of the shows on my calendar, you can even listen to me live since I stream my shows out to the Internet for others to hear. You can even make requests!

Great site.

I love state of the ART - although as i recall it might start getting sort of bad.

Season's Greedings is one of the best sliders episodes for me, and i love the locations.

Hey Sliders Fans!

Our new episode is up! We discuss "State of the Art" and "Season's Greedings"

Next week we discuss "Murder Most Foul" and "Slide like and Egyptian" if you have any feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you.

Enjoy the new episode

I'm lucky to be able to listen.  Thanks to everyone keeping Sliders alive!

Okay. I'm jumping ahead a bit -- but I feel I must. At one point during the "State of the ART" podcast, Cory described Eddie Mills (Derec) as doing a good job on DAWSON'S CREEK, playing a devout teenager who romanced the Jen character, whom Cory describes as "a slut."

When hearing that, I paused the podcast and pulled my car over to the side of the road. I hurried into the nearby newsagent and spoke briefly to the man at the counter, desperate to make sure that I was still living in the year 2015.

Putting it simply -- I think we should all be above using such derogatory terms to describe sexually liberated / adventurous women with extensive sexual exploits with multiple partners. We don't deride men for having a range of partners and experiences; why we do with women speaks greatly to how women are viewed as commodities rather than people with their own desires and wishes.

A woman being a terrific human being and a woman being someone who enjoys sex with many different people -- the two are not mutually exclusive. Nor should we ever do anything to say that women with wide and varied sexual histories are to be mocked and looked down upon. This is the twenty-first century, for God's sake.

Now, I don't actually think Cory believes that women who act on their sex drives are damaged goods who deserve neither respect nor consideration. I suspect it's a vocabulary issue; lacking the words to describe women with sexual ubiquity, he used the word slut. It happens. Let's try to be better?

I'll be responding the the podcasts individually when time permits.

He was referencing a show that's almost twenty years old in which the character he mentions literally arrives on scene because of her slutty behavior. There's nothing wrong with this for two reasons: 1) the dictionary definition is an accurate descriptor (even if it requires a trigger warning) and 2) that's how the show described and explained Jen. That's the whole point - she carries that stigma and spends a ton of the series owning and overcoming it.

We now return to your regularly scheduled discussion on Sliders podcasts.

I'm not going to listen to the podcast now. I'll listen to it during my commute tomorrow. :-) Thank you, Cory.

As for DAWSON'S CREEK -- I dunno! I watched it when I was 18/19 and I was kind of a Puritanical jerk who totally agreed with the show's characters holding Jen in judgement for the apparently horrific sin of having sex. I wonder if, rewatching it today, I'd see it as the authorial voice or merely the judgments of flawed characters. Also, I enjoyed Seasons 1 - 2 a lot, but found that when Kevin Williamson left after that, he took all the humour, fun and wit out of the series. Season 3 was crass and ugly; Season 4 was bland and I never made it to Seasons 5 - 6. Loved the series finale that Kevin Williamson returned to write, though.

Anyway. Matt and I are in that situation that even the very best of friends will find themselves in -- where we must agree to disagree.

Cory and Tom's "Double Cross" and "Rules of the Game" podcast were interesting. The shift from Season 2 to Season 3 is severe. Quinn and Wade are now styled and dressed as models. The show is drenched in Los Angeles glamour and sunlight. There's a heavier emphasis on physical action and eye-candy, as Cory and Tom note from Quinn and Logan nearly being sucked into a vortex and Rembrandt sneaking on top of a bullet train.

I think the guys hit on a neat angle: this could have been good. SLIDERS was never a set, strict set of parameters to be followed. If any story can be a SLIDERS story, why not an action story? "Double Cross" has some strong sci-fi ideas: sliding is presented as an avenue of conquest and a corporate interest, the female-double concept is intriguing and Logan St. Clair is terrific; a vengeful antagonist who is a slider.

Cory and Tom observe, however, that Logan could have easily been an evil scientist; there was no need to make her a Quinn-double. To me, this is another fascinating exploration of the Quinn Mallory character. The Quinn we know is a daring adventurer and a scientist with a uniquely creative mind.

Quinn's creativity is also shown to be amazingly improvisational; the guy thinks on his feet and cobbles together capable solutions to bad situations all the time. It's how he's survived Seasons 1 - 2. All this is tempered with compassion. We don't know where Quinn gained his idealism or care for other human beings -- but Logan represents a Quinn without scruples or morality and she's terrifying.

"Double Cross" is also well-written in many ways. The sliders learn about the resource-drained situation of this parallel Earth effectively. Characters have personality beyond their plot function, from Logan's boss to the alternate-Wade. The scenes are crisp and forceful, the action is exciting and drives the plot and characters. Season 3 of SLIDERS could have been just like this: all the alt-history and world-building of Seasons 1 - 2 -- but with a bit more action and with the LA production.

Which is why "Rules of the Game" is such a trainwreck. It's a complete reversal of the strengths in "Double Cross," and Cory and Tom really notice the severe dropoff in care and craft in the episode. We have a guest-character, Nicky, a fellow survivalist in the deadly game -- and the episode forgets to establish her character's name! Or anything distinct about her or her poor teammates, Frankie and Oscar! It is simply unprofessional for a mass-market TV show to fail to provide a guest-star with an introduction that identifies her or any clear individuality.

The alternate history for "Rules of the Game" is also nonsensical. All sports are banned, so the deathmatch is all that exists to entertain? How is that even enforceable? How does anything in this world work? Cory notes that there are all sorts of fascinating angles for this episode; what do the viewers of this televised game make of the sliders? What is the world outside the game? How desperate must Nicky and the other competitors be to take part in this absurd and suicidal contest? None of it's addressed.

The sliders have some terrific scenes of conversation, but the story around them is a mess. As Tom and Cory note, the passengers aboard the flight simulator are terrified when the plane 'crashes,' yet the story indicates everyone but the sliders would have known it wasn't a real plane. The idea of Rembrandt being a former Navy man is absurd. Quinn letting Nicky's family win the prize is meaningless because Nicky was largely undefined as a character.

The sad thing is that "Rules of the Game" isn't even the worst of this version of SLIDERS, focused on spectacle without concern for content.

"The Guardian" is a great episode and I enjoyed Tom and Cory working through it. Interestingly, "The Guardian" features a massive retcon to Quinn Mallory's backstory akin to declaring that Rembrandt once served in the Navy. Few have ever commented on it. Anyway. Tom and Cory noted it somewhat ridiculous that Quinn wouldn't reveal his childhood trauma to the other sliders. It never bothered me. I couldn't articulate why until Ian McDuffie said it was because the sliders spend too much time together.

I was intrigued by Cory and Tom taking issue with the vortex behaving strangely at the start of "The Guardian" with an unusually smooth exit for the sliders. To me, that was connected to the altered gravity of "The Guardian's" Earth; sliding was an attempt to create a confined gravity field, after all, and the attempt to manipulate gravity was what opened the first wormhole in the show. But maybe that's just me reading into it too much.

The curious retcon of "The Guardian" is this: the Pilot establishes that Quinn lost his father as a teenager (and Jerry plays Quinn standing with Michael in a photo). "The Guardian" says Quinn lost his father at age-11. The reason I think Tracy Torme did this: Quinn's character was scripted as an isolated shut-in without much of a social life. This makes little sense when Quinn is played by an athletic Jerry O'Connell with his full-charisma.

"The Guardian" offers an explanation for Quinn's social awkwardness. He skipped two grades and was physically smaller than his peers; his father's death traumatized him. This is entirely in opposition to the Pilot, also written by Torme -- and it suggests that Torme is attempting to reconcile the actor/character disconnect after the fact. Interestingly, Cory noted that the death of Quinn's father was an unspoken reason for his reluctance to father a child in "Love Gods." Michael Mallory doesn't appear in this episode, but his presence is constant.

I've never seen "The Dream Masters." But I loved listening to Cory and Tom talk about how ridiculous it was that a few guys who could control dreams would have the police running scared and how nobody could possibly be intimidated by a Dream Master. Also loved listening to them read the message board post from the fan who loved the special effects and considered the "Dream Master" to be the pinnacle of SLIDERS storytelling.

"The Fire Within." Dear God, "The Fire Within." As Ian McDuffie angsted, we have here a perfectly workable story about unions and mistreated workers and SLIDERS instead obsessives over a ****ing talking flame. What the ****?! This is Season 3 at its lowest point (for now), abandoning social exploration for special effects. And it's so pointless. TV special effects looked as silly in the 90s as they do now. SLIDERS CGI looks like overpriced cartoons. That ridiculous bullet train in "Double Cross," the pathetic dragon in "Dragonslide" -- why would anyone be drawn in by such sloppy spectacle? The laziness of the production is perhaps best exemplified by the show staging a fire by filming the BACKDRAFT ride at the Universal theme park and using the footage in "The Fire Within." When you read Ian's blog entry on this moment, you can feel the will to live ebbing from Ian's soul.

I laughed myself silly when Tom and Cory dissected Wade's desire to have a baby and their noting how ridiculous it is that the flame can understand the English language and sliding. I will say, however, that despite the clumsiness, I am somewhat intrigued by the talking flame. It's an interesting idea, although "The Fire Within" does very little with it.