Anyone else remember this little gem from the 1990s?
Season 1 started out a bit lighthearted, but eked in some interesting themes and genuine fun.
Season 2 got more dramatic, but felt more well-rounded. It's a coin toss as to whether fans prefer seasons 1 or 2 as being their favorite. The Kormaggs are introduced in what is easily their best story, which also relies on "the big unstoppable bad" trope.
Season 3 morphs the show into "let's turn the leads into cardboard and chuck 'em into current movie plots." This led to cast changes and a bizarre series finale...
Season 4: Until The Sci-Fi Channel (Universal) bought the show and drove it into the ground with Kromagg Merde and the odd episode that wasn't focused on hyping up Kromaggs or the fact that Quinn is no longer just a nerd but someome real special and stuff, just like his kid brother, who have special parents and have the special ability to stop all Kromaggs forevermore, moohahaha, if they can do things just right... for more on this shlock, look up Red Dwarf and how Lister, Rimmer, and even Kryten also got one-upped from being characters to these pseudodeified stick figures. If you thought "SpecialSpaceJeebus" was a thing, add in some acid and speed and season 4' is the result.
Season 5: SpecialQuinn and SpecialBro wanted out, so they put in some not-too-bad treknobabble and found a genuinely neat way to bring in a new Quinn. The technology technician was also included to ensure the group remained a foursome. Some acting is hit or miss, as are a couple episodes, but the newfound arc/theme of finding the original Quinn (headcanon: NerdBoy and not SuperQuinn) wasn't bad. A shame they did that series finale, which is pokes too much at the audience but there's nothing better to do to drive away a fanbase or treat any audiences not matter how devoted as something Picard might say in French in TNG season two...
Some standout episodes to try to sit through (IMHO, YMMV, DASBT*?) include:
For season 1 (the other episodes aren't necessarily bad, IMHO none is):
* Pilot - a bit heavy-handed, but if the audience can't figure out the premise that they're in a parallel world, then the show is not for them. A shame since other episodes are a bit softer while still getting the point across and while being more entertaining.
* Fever - the Quinn of this world is patient zero, in a story using the old cliche sci-fi themes but it's still watchable and surprisingly dramatic
* Last Days - not as strong in some areas, but explored the possibility of an asteroid hitting the Earth. Oh, on this parallel world there's no A-bomb to safely destroy the thing from any safe distance.
* Eggheads - a parallel Earth where the intellectual are revered highly. As with a fair amount of season 1, it's rough around the edges with some of its social commentary, uses a couple cliches, but the humor is spot-on and the character interactions to the story keep driving this series along.
* Luck of the Draw - people have quite a nice lifestyle, and even accept a possible high cost for the lottery they must play.
For season 2 (the other episodes aren't necessarily bad (a couple I think are, but those are still generally better than what's to come later):
* Love Gods - a parallel world wiped out most of its population with a virus that kills males. Oh, as a neat little bonus, you'll find one of the Duras Sisters actresses in this one... you'll get Trek alumni from time to time in this series...
* El Sid - possibly controversial and has a few creative liberties, the suspense still won me over
* In Dino Veritas - Surprisingly good considering everything this one has to use as plot fodder. Jerry O'Connell opted to skip out of this episode to film the all-time movie classic, "Joe's Apartment", and the comparison is no-contest: Avoid the flick, watch this one twice in a row instead.
* Post-Traumatic Slide Syndrome - they end up on an Earth that would be the most realistic given the least amount of goofy happenings. The double of Arturo in this world is used to rather good effect. Indeed, pay close attention to the end of this episode and later ones to notice the disturbing truth... Sorry, no spoilers in the OP but replies may contain them and that's A-OK for this 20,000 year-old show.
* Greatfellas - not as tough as it could have been, but Harold T Stone's favorite musician, Mel Torme (father of Tracy), appears.
* The Young and the Relentless - an okay episode buoyed by some fantastic humor
* Invasion - the first Kromagg episode was something creator Tracy Torme did not want to make, but comes across VERY solid. He also had to fight to get season 1 characters brought in as FOX did not want this continuity, which is unfortunate. But how Bennish works out well for both fans and any newcomers.
For season 3 (the other episodes are necessarily bad):
* Rules of the Game - sets up new themes for the quartet (some aspects work better than others) and employs a video game-style approach to the plot to demonstrate the allegedly tighter and fast-paced nature of the revamped season. I liked this one on its own enough despite the quibbles and "roll with it" moments, but the more un-grounded style of plotting starts in this season. YMMV.
* Double Cross - Quinn's got a double who appears later in the episode. It's one of season 3's few watchable episodes.
* The Guardian - due to some terrific technobabble and other bs, Quinn meets his younger self and tries to deal with ramifications that younger Q-Ball made.
* The Fire Within - perhaps too high-concept for some, understandably so, it still has a number of surprisingly good moments. Along with more cliches that season 3 would really go to generic extremes with. Along with overestimating the sheer power of 3.5" floppy disks...
* The Exodus - part 1 - don't let the name of the story's writer fool you, it was rewritten. Pt 2 is particularly un-fun, but for some, the series ends here. That's up to the individual viewer but the show does go on.
For season 4 (the other episodes may or may not be necessarily bad, many are better than season 3's average drek - especially when the Kromaggs aren't back to be diluted some more):
* Common Ground - worth it for Remmy alone
* Just Say Yes - amusing yet creepy take on the drug issue, where in this world if you don't have drugs on you then you get thrown in the slammer
* Lipschitz Live - half-baked parody of Jerry Springer
For season 5 (the other episodes may or may not be necessarily bad, if not unable to live up to potential) - note that Remmy gets prominence as the group's leader in this season and it's a nice change that works:
* The Unstuck Man - the show not only tries to recover its roots as well as cultivating a mission, it's also throwing in a yummy new Quinn and his hawt assistant. Some people are understandably hyperfocused on Quinn being only O'Connell, but there's enough potential in the new version.
* Applied Physics - effectively pt 2
* Please Press One - just as schlocky as every show using the same themes, but entertaining enough
* The Return of Maggie Beckett - Involving Maggie's double, liking the story hinges on your like of the character who was introduced in season 3.
* Requiem - Wade returns, with a coda and it's far more in line with the Kromaggs than the bulk of season 4's use of them combined
* Eye of the Storm - Dr Geiger and Quinn get some closure...
* The Seer - Not sure what they were really trying to do in this one, the idea of a parallel world that would be ours except Sliding is real in it and known by all is a lot to swallow. As usual, Cleavant Derricks still nails it as Remmy. The ending is, you guessed it, a cliffhanger and a potentially depressing one at that. But there's enough that elevates the story above and beyond the crap elements that it ought to be seen anyway. IMHO. Don't get me wrong, the vitriol fans had against it is generally not undeserved, but I have a soft spot for it anyway. Far more than the generic stuff that seasons 3 and to a lesser extent 4 did with the show.
* Don't Acronyms Suck Big-TIme?
Season 1 started out a bit lighthearted, but eked in some interesting themes and genuine fun.
Season 2 got more dramatic, but felt more well-rounded. It's a coin toss as to whether fans prefer seasons 1 or 2 as being their favorite. The Kormaggs are introduced in what is easily their best story, which also relies on "the big unstoppable bad" trope.
Season 3 morphs the show into "let's turn the leads into cardboard and chuck 'em into current movie plots." This led to cast changes and a bizarre series finale...
Season 4: Until The Sci-Fi Channel (Universal) bought the show and drove it into the ground with Kromagg Merde and the odd episode that wasn't focused on hyping up Kromaggs or the fact that Quinn is no longer just a nerd but someome real special and stuff, just like his kid brother, who have special parents and have the special ability to stop all Kromaggs forevermore, moohahaha, if they can do things just right... for more on this shlock, look up Red Dwarf and how Lister, Rimmer, and even Kryten also got one-upped from being characters to these pseudodeified stick figures. If you thought "SpecialSpaceJeebus" was a thing, add in some acid and speed and season 4' is the result.
Season 5: SpecialQuinn and SpecialBro wanted out, so they put in some not-too-bad treknobabble and found a genuinely neat way to bring in a new Quinn. The technology technician was also included to ensure the group remained a foursome. Some acting is hit or miss, as are a couple episodes, but the newfound arc/theme of finding the original Quinn (headcanon: NerdBoy and not SuperQuinn) wasn't bad. A shame they did that series finale, which is pokes too much at the audience but there's nothing better to do to drive away a fanbase or treat any audiences not matter how devoted as something Picard might say in French in TNG season two...
Some standout episodes to try to sit through (IMHO, YMMV, DASBT*?) include:
For season 1 (the other episodes aren't necessarily bad, IMHO none is):
* Pilot - a bit heavy-handed, but if the audience can't figure out the premise that they're in a parallel world, then the show is not for them. A shame since other episodes are a bit softer while still getting the point across and while being more entertaining.
* Fever - the Quinn of this world is patient zero, in a story using the old cliche sci-fi themes but it's still watchable and surprisingly dramatic
* Last Days - not as strong in some areas, but explored the possibility of an asteroid hitting the Earth. Oh, on this parallel world there's no A-bomb to safely destroy the thing from any safe distance.
* Eggheads - a parallel Earth where the intellectual are revered highly. As with a fair amount of season 1, it's rough around the edges with some of its social commentary, uses a couple cliches, but the humor is spot-on and the character interactions to the story keep driving this series along.
* Luck of the Draw - people have quite a nice lifestyle, and even accept a possible high cost for the lottery they must play.
For season 2 (the other episodes aren't necessarily bad (a couple I think are, but those are still generally better than what's to come later):
* Love Gods - a parallel world wiped out most of its population with a virus that kills males. Oh, as a neat little bonus, you'll find one of the Duras Sisters actresses in this one... you'll get Trek alumni from time to time in this series...
* El Sid - possibly controversial and has a few creative liberties, the suspense still won me over
* In Dino Veritas - Surprisingly good considering everything this one has to use as plot fodder. Jerry O'Connell opted to skip out of this episode to film the all-time movie classic, "Joe's Apartment", and the comparison is no-contest: Avoid the flick, watch this one twice in a row instead.
* Post-Traumatic Slide Syndrome - they end up on an Earth that would be the most realistic given the least amount of goofy happenings. The double of Arturo in this world is used to rather good effect. Indeed, pay close attention to the end of this episode and later ones to notice the disturbing truth... Sorry, no spoilers in the OP but replies may contain them and that's A-OK for this 20,000 year-old show.
* Greatfellas - not as tough as it could have been, but Harold T Stone's favorite musician, Mel Torme (father of Tracy), appears.
* The Young and the Relentless - an okay episode buoyed by some fantastic humor
* Invasion - the first Kromagg episode was something creator Tracy Torme did not want to make, but comes across VERY solid. He also had to fight to get season 1 characters brought in as FOX did not want this continuity, which is unfortunate. But how Bennish works out well for both fans and any newcomers.
For season 3 (the other episodes are necessarily bad):
* Rules of the Game - sets up new themes for the quartet (some aspects work better than others) and employs a video game-style approach to the plot to demonstrate the allegedly tighter and fast-paced nature of the revamped season. I liked this one on its own enough despite the quibbles and "roll with it" moments, but the more un-grounded style of plotting starts in this season. YMMV.
* Double Cross - Quinn's got a double who appears later in the episode. It's one of season 3's few watchable episodes.
* The Guardian - due to some terrific technobabble and other bs, Quinn meets his younger self and tries to deal with ramifications that younger Q-Ball made.
* The Fire Within - perhaps too high-concept for some, understandably so, it still has a number of surprisingly good moments. Along with more cliches that season 3 would really go to generic extremes with. Along with overestimating the sheer power of 3.5" floppy disks...
* The Exodus - part 1 - don't let the name of the story's writer fool you, it was rewritten. Pt 2 is particularly un-fun, but for some, the series ends here. That's up to the individual viewer but the show does go on.
For season 4 (the other episodes may or may not be necessarily bad, many are better than season 3's average drek - especially when the Kromaggs aren't back to be diluted some more):
* Common Ground - worth it for Remmy alone
* Just Say Yes - amusing yet creepy take on the drug issue, where in this world if you don't have drugs on you then you get thrown in the slammer
* Lipschitz Live - half-baked parody of Jerry Springer
For season 5 (the other episodes may or may not be necessarily bad, if not unable to live up to potential) - note that Remmy gets prominence as the group's leader in this season and it's a nice change that works:
* The Unstuck Man - the show not only tries to recover its roots as well as cultivating a mission, it's also throwing in a yummy new Quinn and his hawt assistant. Some people are understandably hyperfocused on Quinn being only O'Connell, but there's enough potential in the new version.
* Applied Physics - effectively pt 2
* Please Press One - just as schlocky as every show using the same themes, but entertaining enough
* The Return of Maggie Beckett - Involving Maggie's double, liking the story hinges on your like of the character who was introduced in season 3.
* Requiem - Wade returns, with a coda and it's far more in line with the Kromaggs than the bulk of season 4's use of them combined
* Eye of the Storm - Dr Geiger and Quinn get some closure...
* The Seer - Not sure what they were really trying to do in this one, the idea of a parallel world that would be ours except Sliding is real in it and known by all is a lot to swallow. As usual, Cleavant Derricks still nails it as Remmy. The ending is, you guessed it, a cliffhanger and a potentially depressing one at that. But there's enough that elevates the story above and beyond the crap elements that it ought to be seen anyway. IMHO. Don't get me wrong, the vitriol fans had against it is generally not undeserved, but I have a soft spot for it anyway. Far more than the generic stuff that seasons 3 and to a lesser extent 4 did with the show.
* Don't Acronyms Suck Big-TIme?
