Did you see Red Dwarf? – Spoilers!

[Pete Part Three]

You know; on DVD or TV repeat? What was the episode and was it as good/bad as you remember?

Topic

[Phil]

Missed this week’s due to a collapsed lung. Did they make it back to Earth!?

[Pete Part Three]

Sadly not. I can’t believe (here be spoilers) that Bexley died though.

[Dave]

I don’t think that was Bexley. I think it was Jim’s clone.

It looks like next week’s ep is set in a GELF salon on Bolanski

[Zombie Jim Undead]

I’m so happy with this series so far. Now Rob and Doug are back together the scripts really shine.

Still don’t think that Ice Cube is very good as Holly, though.

[TheLeen]

I want to see the new dwarf!

You bloody Brits and your bloody ITV!

I will stay away from this thread and its spoilers now until I can watch the German episodes of “iZwerg” and compare them for you.

[Seb Patrick]

Murray Gold’s new arrangement of the theme music is SHIT, though.

[Ian Symes]

The switch to using flash-forwards in the new series is really interesting, I think. Lister and Kochanski living together and looking after Michael McGruder is a bit dull, but I’m loving the stuff with Kryten working as a hitman for Ackerman.

[Zombie Jim Undead]

Hmmm. I just wish they’d get on with the bloody story and get that hatch opened.

[Paul Muller]

Enjoyed the first episode, in particular the bits where Blue Midget goes up a cat’s arse, and the twelve seperate occasions where everyone gets an erection.

[Ian Symes]

Do you know what? I reckon that Rimmer is mad, in a coma *and* back in time.

[Ridley]

Which one’s Nick Frost again?

[Pete Part Three]

What I don’t understand is why Rimmer is no longer working for the JMC and why his Dad keeps on appearing. Is he a space-mirage?

[EDIT:

>Do you know what? I reckon that Rimmer is mad, in a coma *and* back in time.

Ah, that explains it!]

And why did they write out Kryten? Was the actor busy?

That scene set in a supermarket made no sense whatsoever. As if Holly would work there!

[Ben Paddon]

Just finished watching the ep after downloading it last night. Overall I thought the story was good, but the pauses every six minutes for Lister to have yet another Appendectomy just seemed poorly shot. Anyone else get the impression that they were filmed much later to pad the episode out?

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>The switch to using flash-forwards in the new series is really interesting, I think. Lister and Kochanski living together and looking after Michael McGruder is a bit dull,

Okay, am I the only one here who just can’t stand Michael McGruder? He’s obviously the author’s pet, ‘cos he doesn’t have anything resembling a real flaw, and nothing really bad ever happens to him except so that everyone can mourn it as The Worst Thing That Ever Happened In The History Of The Universe, Ever. GAH! And oh, God, that painfully contrived “romance” with Todhunter’s daughter…

[Phil]

I nominate this thread for Hall of Fame induction.

[Danny Stephenson]

I recognised the GELFs in the newest episode as the Firey’s from Labyrinth. That was a stroke of genius, and getting them to sing the ending theme was just awesome. Danny john-Jules finally got to sing a version for an aired episode. Good on him!

[Dave]

Agreed, this is series so much better than Series XVI.

I was worried about the recasting of Bob & Madge, but they have been more than vindicated by that ultra-violent domestic abuse scene.

[Ben Paddon]

The teaser for next week’s episode looks good, although I could do without the Ace Rimmer rear-end shot. They’ve been talking about him returning and “coming out” for a while now, but there’s a fine line between good taste and Just Plain Stupid.

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>The teaser for next week?s episode looks good, although I could do without the Ace Rimmer rear-end shot. They?ve been talking about him returning and ?coming out? for a while now, but there?s a fine line between good taste and Just Plain Stupid.

I think they’re just giving the fangirls/slashfic community a bit of fanservice, there. Lots of ficcers keep Lister/Ace Rimmer as their One True Pairing. Or Arnold Rimmer/Ace Rimmer, tho’ I think that’s kind of weird. Or even Michael McGruder/Ace Rimmer (bleah).

[Pete Part Three]

Did everyone get the significance of the empty washing up bowl? Very clever, I thought.

[Phil]

Finally got to see this thanks to a friend with a metal plate in his skull.

I have mixed feelings. I mean, was it ever mentioned before that Lister had a dog before he went into stasis? And how, exactly, did it get “fast fossilized” when everyone else on board the ship was just vaporized?

Some really good moments throughout (Scrappy, the janitor, is an excellent new character and a great addition, and I really enjoyed the wrestling scene between Kochanski and Pete Tranter’s sister) but I hope I’m not alone in feeling that it was VERY out of character for Kryten to toss the dog into the lava pit. (Why did they have one of those on board, anyway?)

All in all a 7/10, but if you don’t cry during the ending sequence that shows Lister’s dog waiting for him for three million years set to the tune of Don’t Go Breakin’ My Heart, then you’ve got no soul man. No soul.

[John Hoare]

FUCKING FILM EFFECT FUCK OFF

[Paul Muller]

I’m still not sure about Doug Naylor singing over the closing credits, but I think the full-time addition of Bird Man to the crew is great. I think the one thing a sitcom will always benefit from is a comedy Welshman – look at Dad’s Army!

Best scene so far? Kryten masturbating into Kochanski’s tea.

[Pete Part Three]

I wish Craig Charles would stop breaking the 4th wall and addressing the audience, it really spoils the reality of the show.

Not sure that teenage pregnancy is a fitting subject for a sitcom, either. I know it’s a valid issue but it got REALLY downbeat at one point with the b+w montage and the Esther Rantzen cameo.

[Seb Patrick]

Right, so we know that five of the JMC Six are Lister, Rimmer, Kochanski, Kryten and Ackerman (McGruder doesn’t count as he was born after the ship left, obviously). So who’s the last one? I’ve got a feeling it’s NOT going to be the Cat, which would just be crazy…

[Ben Paddon]

Also, I find that Captain Hollister’s new character quirk of happy-slapping people he sees eating donuts to be a bit much. It’s taken the throw-away “Dennis the Donut Boy” gag to unnecessary limits, if you ask me.

[Ian Symes]

Right, so we know that five of the JMC Six are Lister, Rimmer, Kochanski, Kryten and Ackerman (McGruder doesn?t count as he was born after the ship left, obviously). So who?s the last one? I?ve got a feeling it?s NOT going to be the Cat, which would just be crazy…

Well, we know Cat’s not going to leave now that he’s taking over from Hollister as the “chosen one”.

[Phil]

I’m having trouble understanding how much of series XV was part of Rimmer’s dream. Obviously it’s clear by now that he never bought the hotel on Mimas and employed Hollister as the lowly bellman, who then had to cater to a hilariously rude but famous orangutan, and that Cat did not really win the Fish-For-A-Lifetime Sweepstakes. But how come Lister remembers solving all of those curry-related murders since we’ve only ever seen his detective agency in connection with those two stories?

Still not convinced Kryten could have gotten Kochanski pregnant, either. The synthetic sperm explanation was logical, sure, but I’m not sure why they would have bothered having it installed…

[Phil]

Also, whomever knocked this thread off the front page deserves to die.

[Joey TORDFC]

>>The switch to using flash-forwards in the new series is really interesting, I think. Lister and Kochanski living together and looking after Michael McGruder is a bit dull, but I?m loving the stuff with Kryten working as a hitman for Ackerman.

HA!

[Dave]

>Also, whomever knocked this thread off the front page deserves to die.

And with something as substandard as that Lucky Bobby bollocks as well

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>Still not convinced Kryten could have gotten Kochanski pregnant, either. The synthetic sperm explanation was logical, sure, but I?m not sure why they would have bothered having it installed?

Speaking of, I know it’s been with him for ages and it’s practically tradition for him to have it, but does anyone else think the writers have really been overusing the artificial penis lately? I mean, Kryten all but whips it out every five minutes–it’s been used so often and for so many different purposes, it’s practically a magic wand now. Give it a rest, writers, and stop using the artificial penis as a crutch. It’s lazy writing.

[Pete Part Three]

Does anyone know if the sponsor adverts for Vagisil come out of the running time of the episode, or the alloted commercial break time?

[Ben Paddon]

Arleeeeeeene!
Speaking of, I know it?s been with him for ages and it?s practically tradition for him to have it, but does anyone else think the writers have really been overusing the artificial penis lately? I mean, Kryten all but whips it out every five minutes?it?s been used so often and for so many different purposes, it?s practically a magic wand now. Give it a rest, writers, and stop using the artificial penis as a crutch. It?s lazy writing.

I stopped paying attention after he used it to remove Lister’s appendix three or four times towards the end of the episode. Incidentally did anyone actually count how many appendixes Lister’s had taken out now? I lost count – I think it’s twelve, not including the ones he had removed prior to his trip into the Genetic Makeover Machine (which, bluntly, I think was just a device invented by the writers to re-cast the role).

[Jonathan Capps]

YOU WATCHED IT. YOU CAN’T *UN*WATCH IT.

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>Incidentally did anyone actually count how many appendixes Lister?s had taken out now? I lost count – I think it?s twelve, not including the ones he had removed prior to his trip into the Genetic Makeover Machine (which, bluntly, I think was just a device invented by the writers to re-cast the role).

Y’know, initially I really had my doubts about the recasting (you remember, after Craig Charles’ kinky sex tape got leaked to the public), but I think it’s worked out.

Now, Ricky Gervais’ turn as Arnold Rimmer–that was terrible. It’s a good thing he didn’t stick around, huh?

>YOU WATCHED IT. YOU CAN?T *UN*WATCH IT.

You say that almost like we don’t have a right to complain. This is the Internet; what else is it for? (Besides porn.)

[Phil]

>Now, Ricky Gervais? turn as Arnold Rimmer?that was terrible.

His turn as Kryten however…mwah! Perfecto.

[peas_and_corn]

I must say that series XIV remains my favourite. This is mainly because it was all one long arc, and we all know from experience that Dwarf fans love having ‘to be continued’ displayed at the end of as many episodes in a series as possible. Not only that, but the shipwide AIDS epidemic was handled brilliantly. The proposed solution of removing everyone’s appendix was somewhat hard to believe, but then again Kryten did it, and he did have magical powers for the series.

BUT I digress. XVI is a good series so far, but what about Lister’s third GELF bride? I mean, a new condom vending machine in the disco was required, but surely marrying was a bit too silly. Of course Rimmer’s fluent GELF (well, he does have a thing for languages) created a great situation for them to annul the marriage, but it all felt a bit much like padding- and what’s with the set they used for the trial? black and white floors and no backdrop? LAME.

[Ben Paddon]

GNP are livecasting the next episode live online for free all day Friday. You can catch the broadcast here from 12pm BST, and then on the hour every hour afterwards until the episode is broadcast on Groovy Funky Channel 27 in the evening. It’s locked out to everyone outside of the UK though, so I’ll have to wait.

[Seb Patrick]

So, who do we reckon shot Mr Ackerman?

I’m betting it was Killcrazy. When Ackerman landed on the sundial, his hands pointed to W and S – meaningless you might think, but remember that in the Mimosian dialect, the words for “West” and “South” are “Kraal” and “Cato’ch”. And as we all know, Ackerman is from Mimas. So in his own language, pointing at those letters would really mean he was pointing at… K.C.

Of course, why a sundial would have directional markers rather than numbers on it is BEYOND ME.

[Pete Part Three]

>Of course, why a sundial would have directional markers rather than numbers on it is BEYOND ME.

I’ve never actually questioned that before!

Oh, and how did Rimmer lose the leg? I’m finding it hard keeping up with the series. You’d think ITV2 could find a better timeslot than 1.20am on a Wednesday morning.

[Dave]

>So in his own language, pointing at those letters would really mean he was pointing at? K.C.

Karen Carpenter

[Phil]

>I?ve never actually questioned that before!

I’d hate to bring reality into this discussion, but my old college had a sundial with directional markers as well…that said, it ALSO had numbers (or numerals, I guess I should say). The idea is that the sundial serves a dual purpose. I reckon they left the numbers off the sundial in that particular mystery as it would have been distracting from the main clue.

Also, I do like they way they set Kryten up to be the obvious suspect. I wonder how many of you realize, though, that Ackerman was shot at 3:30, which, as we know from the television in the background of Parrot’s, is when Channel 27 airs Androids.

That was a brilliant way of layering the mystery, I thought.

A less-brilliant move was revealing that Kryten’s surname is actually Connor, just so he could be referred to in the same clue as Kill Crazy.

Lazy writing.

Still not as bad as revealing Kevin to be Cat’s first name…

[Seb Patrick]

*kisses Phil*

[Ben Paddon]

Now they’re putting Lister’s appendixes back in? My Glod, they’ve run out of ideas.

[Ridley]

No, no, these are NEW appendixes.

[Seb Patrick]

Wow, so McGruder DOES count as one of the JMC Six after all. You know, when it showed them on that shuttle heading towards the press conference on Ganymede, I thought it was being really clever and “hiding” the sixth one. Ah well.

[Arlene Rimmer BSc SSc]

>Wow, so McGruder DOES count as one of the JMC Six after all.

Oh, God. As if Michael McGruder needed to be made any more of a Speshul Snowflake. Wasn’t being told by the ancient compu-oracle that he was the One Twoo Bearer of the Magical Heart of Red Dwarf that can fix time and Save All Humanity and getting the power to create and manipulate any kind of matter with his mind enough?

[philmyer92]

What amazes me is that they manage to fit all this into a 30 minute episode never mind the two advert breaks as well. However the ratings aren?t very good it turns out they only managed to pull in about 20 people. It’s not what it used to be after they changed the colour of red dwarf to the same colours as mr blobby. Never mind what they did to starbug. I mean don’t get me wrong it was a good idea to mark the 10th series by changing the ships colour and making Mr. blobby a regular cast member. But it?s when they brought noel in with his boxes and reviled kryten as the banker from deal or no deal.

[Dave]

>It?s not what it used to be after they changed the colour of red dwarf to the same colours as mr blobby

But is it Ocean Pink or Military Pink?

[Author]

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