Originally aired November 1, 1996
Written by Matt Dearborn
Directed by Jim Johnston
The Sliders land on a desert world with little water, where they help a mysterious young woman whose ability to find water is being exploited by a gang of thugs.
Tropes present in the episode:
- Arbitrary Skepticism: As a man of science, Arturo scoffs at the tribe's local healer being able to help him with his illness.
- Bad Boss: By the end, Cutter openly insults Wolf's intelligence and threatens to cut his throat out for asking questions he considers stupid.
- Batman Gambit: Quinn distracts Cutter with a fight, leaving Rembrandt free to grab Devin and get her back to the group's truck.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: After being freed from Jeremy and found by Cutter's gang, Devin vouches for the Sliders and gets them water.
- Berserk Button: Quinn over Arturo passing up a possible cure for his illness out of stubborn pride. Arturo apologizes, noting he keeps forgetting Quinn is struggling with the Professor's condition more than he is.
- Bound and Gagged: Devin is this in Jeremy's car.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Wade insists on helping Devin escape Jeremy. Quinn soon agrees, but he calls for a more team strategy in order to subdue Jeremy.
- The Dragon: Wolf is this to Cutter, being somewhat simple-minded but overall easy-going and generally loyal.
- Flashback: Devin when remembering her father's death and how she was kidnapped.
- Freudian Excuse: Quinn lost his father at a young age, so he struggles with his Parental Substitute's terminal condition.
- Friend in the Black Market: Diggs runs a business selling water (clear or not) and other goods. He charges very valuable trades for what he's selling, but they're of good quality and exactly what his customers want.
- Good is Not Nice: Jeremy is just trying to get Devin back to her home and isn't going to leave another woman stranded in the desert, but he's still a bit surly in his dealings with Wade and the others. Then again, they did muck up his big chance to accomplish a mission he'd been on for two months. He's in a much better mood by the end of the episode.
- Irony:
- For once, the Sliders actually have some cash on hand, but they find themselves on a world where said money is useless.
- While hoofing it in the desert, Wade is amused at how Jeremy ran out of gas and observes that was always a date's excuse to park.
- Lampshade Hanging: In the Master Healer's chamber, Arturo dismisses the stereotypical "hocus pocus, mumbo jumbo" trappings. The Master Healer admits the decor is just for show and playing to the tribe's expectations.
- Let Us Never Speak of This Again: In light of Arturo's illness, Quinn asks early on if the Professor is doing fine in the desert. Arturo is irritated with this because he had insisted his illness not be discussed, either with the others or between themselves.
- Mind Rape: Devin pulls this on Cutter in the final act.
- Not Quite Dead: According to Jeremy, the tribe had no idea Devin was still alive and only just started looking for her two months ago when her mother suddenly made telepathic contact.
- Not What It Looks Like: Jeremy seems to be a cold-hearted kidnapper plaguing an innocent woman, but he's trying to return her to her home.
- Practical Currency: On this world, people have to trade valuable items for services and goods like water. This leaves the Sliders in a bind, as even Quinn's watch isn't good enough to secure some water.
- Properly Paranoid: When Wade is kidnapped by Jeremy by mistake, the Sliders set out to find her, but Devin insists on rallying Cutter's gang to deal with her would be kidnapper. Arturo suggests to Quinn and Rembrandt that they find Wade before these thugs do.
- Real After All: The water tribe is considered a local legend and something on par with alien visitors, but they're real and Devin is one of their members. Cutter is practically kicking himself for not realizing what he had, until she was gone.
- Stockholm Syndrome: Devin's affection for Cutter.
- Telepathy: Devin pleads to Wade for help while Bound and Gagged. According to Jeremy, this is an ability exclusive to the women of his tribe and would inadvertently become the catalyst into getting Devin back all these years later. This was also used explain to why only Wade was able to hear her.
- Trauma-Induced Amnesia: Jeremy reasons that what Devin saw and experienced when kidnapped is why she doesn't remember her past. The flashback shows her being kidnapped soon after her father was murdered.
- Villain of the Week: Cutter.
- Wham Line: "Please, help me." The whammy part is that Wade heard it while Devin's mouth was completely covered.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Quinn berates Arturo for immediately dismissing the Master Healer and being unwilling to even consider the possibility that something other than science has an answer.
- Whole-Plot Reference: This episode is Waterworld in reverse.
- You Keep Telling Yourself That: After the group gets Devin away from Cutter, Arturo's not looking or feeling so good, but he suggests it must just be the heat.
