WORST EPISODE SORT-OF-EVUR News Posted by John Hoare on 22nd May 2005, 17:45 When discussing Dwarf, it’s usually an ep from either Series 1, VII or VIII that people say are their least favourite – even from people who usually like at least one, and possibly all three of those series. So, bypassing any USELESS arguments about them… which is your least favourite episode from Series 2-VI? (And no, I don’t have an opinion of my own. I’ve sat here trying to think of one for the last ten minutes, and MY BRAIN HURTS.)
First off, do note that I like all these episodes; just not as much as others. Least favourite episode from: Series II: Parallel Universe (overrated) Series III: Timeslides (funny, but the logic’s flawed – okay, so logic and Red Dwarf don’t generally mix, but III’s such a good series otherwise) Series IV: DNA (Has it’s moments, but not as good as the rest of the series) Series V: Back To Reality (Shock! Horror! Another overrated episode, nowhere near as funny as Quarantine) Series VI: Rimmerworld (Terrorform II) How’s that?
Oh man. Timeslides is one of my favourite ever episodes! Great story, great characterisation (lots more insight into Rimmer, lots of stuff about Lister’s youth), great jokes (“Apparently the gentlemen’s name is Rimmer, sir”, “What’s the H stand for then, Heavy Metal? / Yes indeed!”). You’re all mad.
Bodyswap is one of my favorites, too, I can’t imagine anybody not finding it hilarious. But…there you go. Also, thinking about Timeslides, I realized there’s a pretty awful continuity error (actually, there’s about several thousand, but here’s a new one)…Rimmer is somehow alive at the end of the episode. He blows himself up, of course, and that’s fine…that’s why he’s a hologram again in subsequent episodes… But that doesn’t change the fact that he WAS somehow alive, does it? Which means he must have survived the radiation leak. However, future episodes, such as Justice, still suggest that he died in the radiation leak. So Timeslides doesn’t seem to fit into the chronology it all. If it altered history, fine…but then future history should be changed to reflect the alteration as well and I’ve been awake too long so goodbye.
I’d never even thought about that. You’re absolutely right. And, of course, along with the fact that Rimmer just *shouldn’t* be a hologram once history changed with Lister/Cat… it doesn’t make much sense at all. There’s just so much to love about the episode though, it cancels out anything like that. Classic oft-quoted lines: “Ignore him! He’s a complete and total nutter! And he’s only got one testicle!” But nearly every other line is a delight. Like the follow-up: “You can’t just stick one on the leader of the Third Reich…”
I really have been trying to think of the worst ep in there – and I genuinely can’t think of one that I find disappointing in any way whatsoever. It really is just “some that are still brilliant but aren’t quite as good as the others”. There’s so many brilliant lines and concepts in each ep that’s it’s just impossible to call any of them bad. > Series II: Parallel Universe (overrated) Probably the worst of 2, yes. Some of it is just a bit obvious. It’s between this and Better Than Life – which I find just not quite as funny as the rest of the series. > Series III: Timeslides (funny, but the logic’s flawed – okay, so logic and Red Dwarf don’t generally mix, but III’s such a good series otherwise) I’d probably go for Backwards. Again, just not quite as funny. Stunning concept for a sitcom ep, though – if only all half-hours of TV were as ambitious as that… > Series V: Back To Reality (Shock! Horror! Another overrated episode, nowhere near as funny as Quarantine) Agreed that it’s probably the least funny. But then, more than any other V ep, it’s trying to do dramatic stuff as well, which is fine – and more than makes up for any lack of jokes. Don’t know what I’d suggest in its place, though – every ep of V is fantastic. Including ‘Demons & Angels’ – an oft criticised ep. > Series VI: Rimmerworld (Terrorform II) I agree, actually – it’s a bit like Terrorform, but not as good. I refuse to vote for Emohawk purely on principle, as it gets so much undeserved flak…
Gah! I didn’t even notice Rimmerworld on si’s list. I love Rimmerworld! I mean…okay…I really wish more of the episode took place ON Rimmerworld, but somehow it works for me. Maybe because the medical-exam and Simulant stuff earlier on works well enough that I don’t really mind the plot being held up. Holy barf. If I had to pick a least favorite from series VI it would be Emohawk, yeah…but not because it’s baaad, I’m just not sure that there are enough great moments in there to justify bringing all the bit characters back. Still. I DO like it. And I said if I HAD to pick a least favorite. Also, I love Demons and Angels. I didn’t even realize it was oft criticised until I came to this site. I guess my tastes just don’t match up with most people.
I’ve never understood what some people have against D&A either. Rimmerworld is still brilliant anyway – it’s pretty much impossible to describe any 2-VI Dwarf ep as “bad”… or even as anything other than bloody fantastic. “That what makes me what I am. / We’re all perfectly well aware of what you *are*, sir…”
DNA, I think. There’s a tone and a feel about it that I don’t really like, and apart from the Kryten-as-human bits, it’s really not very inspiring.
A friend of mine had a good theory about Timeslides. He says the reason Rimmer survives the radiation leak is that when he was visited by the hologram Rimmer, telling him to go into Stasis, he was less skeptical, as he’d been visited by a future self in his youth. Probably never occured to Rob and Doug at the time, but I like the theory.
