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Does Jerry O’Connell Think Quinn Ever Made it Home on Sliders?
Jerry O'Connell reveals what he thinks happened to Quinn Mallory after Sliders.
When Quinn Mallory (Jerry O’Connell) accidentally built an interdimensional portal machine in the pilot episode of the classic SYFY series Sliders (streaming now on Peacock), he couldn’t have imagined what was on the other side.
Over the next five years, Mallory and the rest of the sliders leapt from one world to another, hoping that the next jump would take them home. They visited worlds where the Egyptian pharaohs still rule, where the United States remains an English colony, where dinosaurs still walk the Earth, and where a vicious species known as the Kromaggs subjugate humanity. Each of these worlds were interesting in their own way and some of them were almost overwhelmingly tempting, but none of them were home.
The series ended on a cliffhanger, the fate of the sliders and of Earth Prime left intentionally vague. Whether Mallory ever made it home is a matter of some debate, but O’Connell says it didn’t happen. According to the series' lead, Quinn is still out there and still trying to find his way home.
Jerry O’Connell says Sliders’ Quinn Mallory never got home
Back in 2016, O’Connell was doing press supporting the animated film Justice League VS Teen Titans (he provided the voice for Superman) when ComicsOnline jumped from superheroes to sliding, wanting to know what we all want to know, if Quinn Mallory ever got home.
“You know, I have to tell you, the producer did call me a little while ago about possibly answering that question in the future,” O’Connell said. “Let’s make it happen. Maybe there’s some sort of online petition or something we should start. Let’s do it.”
That conversation happened at WonderCon 2016, and a number of petitions and campaigns have taken place in the interim, but a Sliders reboot remains elusive. Thankfully, O’Connell was then asked to put his chips down, in the event that a continuation of the story never develops.
“I have to tell you I did not watch the very last season. I was not a part of it, so I don’t know.” O’Connell is referring, of course, to his character being fused with an alternate and portrayed by another actor. “I’m going to say, 'No,' to keep this door open. Maybe we’re still on our journey out there.”
What happened to Quinn Mallory in Sliders?
Of course, fans of the show who did watch the final season know that the fate of Quinn and the rest of the sliders gets pretty complicated. The series finale left our heroes, minus Rembrandt (Cleavant Derricks), stranded on a world filled with adoring fans (not the worst fate), while Rembrandt leapt home with a biological weapon to fight the Kromaggs.
By this point in the story, Quinn Mallory as we knew him no longer existed. He was fused with a fraternal alternate at the beginning of Season 5 as a way for the writers to keep the show going without O’Connell. The alternate’s personality and visage became dominant, pushing Quinn into the psychic background, but he’s still in there.
It’s also worth noting that Quinn did get home at least once, but it was temporary, and he didn’t know it. Arriving on a new world, the sliders have only a moment to evaluate their surroundings before the portal opens again. Quinn checks the gate, which has been squeaky since he was a kid, and it makes no sound. He assumes that means they’re not on Earth Prime, not knowing that the hinges had been greased.
Will Sliders ever return?
As O’Connell suggested, the only way we’ll ever know for sure is for the portal to Sliders to open again. It could happen, most of the cast has expressed their willingness to return, according to past statements. Still, for reasons which aren’t clear, a reboot or continuation has been trapped in some sort of development limbo for more than a decade.
If Sliders ever does come back, it’s unclear if it will pick up where it left off or start anew with a fresh set of interdimensional adventurers. Series creator Tracy Tormé commented before his death that any reboot would likely feature a mix of characters new and old.
Unless and until something definitive comes across our TV screens, maybe Quinn got home and maybe he didn’t. We’re each free to live in whatever version of reality we prefer.
Watch all five seasons of Sliders streaming right now on Peacock!
