Lister and Kochanski ending speculation

[Nick R]

At first I thought the grave scene in part 1 was just an acknowledgement of Kochanski being written out, and no more would be said about her. But with the kids revealing in part 2 that there’s more to the story than that, and with that bus scene focusing on Lister’s emotional reaction rather than jokes, I think Kochanski will turn out to be very important to “Back to Earth”.

One of the core overarching themes of everything Dwarf has been Lister’s hope that one day he’ll be able to settle down with her somewhere – if not on the Earth of his time, then in Better than Life’s Bedford Falls, or un-retiring with her on Backwards Earth.

Think back to this dialogue in “Back to Reality” (which, remember, is being repeated after part 3):

ANDY: Did you get Kochanski?
LISTER: Was I supposed to?
ANDY: Supposed to? It’s the objective of the game for Lister, you twonk. You’re separated to begin with, then it’s basically a love story across time, space, death and reality.

So I’m wondering: what if part 3 ends with an appearance by Chloë Annett, and Lister reunited with Kochanski once and for all?

I think such an ending has the potential to be extremely powerful, as emotional as the ending of “Out of Time“. It would be the resolution of something we’ve followed across 52 episodes and a ten-year gap. It would underline why the series at its best is much more than just some people running round saying “smeg!” a lot.

Doug Naylor has been thinking about the movie for years, and I think it’s possible he always had the intention of giving that a more emotional tone. In many ways (such as the absence of a laugh track), I find myself thinking of “Back to Earth” as if it really is The Movie.

I’m aware that a lot of people disliked the Kochanski of series VII and VIII. But in the Dwarfcast after the first part, someone made the point that “we don’t care about Kochanski, but we care about Lister.” So even for Kochanski-haters, it could be a satisfying conclusion.

OK, you might say that a romantic ending is too slushy for Red Dwarf. And, yes, it would have to tread a fine line in order to avoid going over the top. But I think the fact that it appears in a comedy series would make it all the more affecting. When you’ve always laughed along with characters, it helps make you more emotionally invested when something serious happens to them. The Royle Family‘s “Queen of Sheba” special worked so well for that reason – all the more so because, like Red Dwarf, it had been away for a long time. (And of course another example is Futurama‘s “Jurassic Bark”.)

And they could always undercut it with a joke, like with Rimmer’s line in “Holoship”: “We won’t be apart. We just won’t be together… I cannot believe I just said that!”

I don’t know, maybe this speculation is completely wrong. But if that does turn out to be the ending, and it’s well-executed, I think it could be not merely satisfying, but utterly amazing.

Topic

[Dessie]

Although i didn’t really like Kotchanski in VII and VIII i was strangely saddened by knowing she was dead and i really want a happy resolution to it all. Personally i don’t think she’s dead at all. Perhaps she snuck off because she found a way to get back to her own reality and to be with her version of Lister.

[Jonsmad]

She will definately be mentioned further, Wether that means she appears on screen or not I dont know.

I cant see an ending as clearly wrapping up the story as that. It’s been said they could do more after this.

[Dax101]

its just over 25 min episode and u gotta get the coronation street stuff out the way which could last 10 min from what i can tell by the behind the scenes clips, and then u got the chase scene with the gunman, and then u got that stuff with them walking on the road away from carbug, and shots of them in what looks like a bedroom

id be suprised if u have anough time to include a hell lot about kochanski along with the other plotholes that need resolving

[Bob Loblaw]

I could see it ending in 2 ways:

1. The gang remain in “this” dimension: final shot is Lister knocking on door of “the women that plays Kochanski”.

2. The gang get back to their dimension: final shot is Lister beginning his search for Kochanski.

[Mr Flibble]

id be suprised if u have anough time to include a hell lot about kochanski along with the other plotholes that need resolving

Nah, there’s enough time. It’s not as if anything new that turns up will have any reaction or explanation to go through ;)

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

I Think “OfftheTelly” gives us the answer as to what to expect “That plot, then. Just when it feels as though it?s about to twist into something quite ingenous it throws in a disappointing final loop that I was sure had to be a bluff? but wasn?t. Suddenly, and inelegantly, it stops.”

[Jonsmad]

>and then u got that stuff with them walking on the road away from carbug

This has already been in it. It was on the TV’s as part of the advert for Back to Earth. So it isnt definately going to be in part three as well, though it could be seen again.

Cat need to pull a gun on someone and there is other shots from the opening of them in a room not seen yet. Could be that bedroom with the cat and some sticks,
or seperate.

Some people have been pointing to evidence they get separated from Lister. And a lot of the website teasers were around that sort of idea too. So that has to be something interesting there. Even if it’s just to keep the split screen work down with there being more than one craig charles on screen.

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

The bedroom scene which everyone is talking about is another Blade Runner ripoff of the Tyrell (Creator) bedroom

[Dax101]

does anyone think maybe doug watched blade runner before writing the script :P

[ori-STUDFARM]

The Chloe Annett pictures in the magazine Lister looks at on the bus. The ones of her and her kids. Are these existing pictures from an old magazine shoot or have these been done for BtE? If they’ve been done especially for BtE, then I think there’s every chance we will see Kochanski before the ending credits.

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

I’m hoping Doug switched the ending from the press screening.

[Dax101]

hmmm…

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

If not whatever we think will happen in Pt.3 will go Entirely a diffrent way that may be not to everyone’s liking.

[Dax101]

truth be told i will proberly watch it and hate it, if BTE 2 is anything to go by

:(

[Mnoooah]

Still totally confounded by the ‘it will have an end… but could still go on’ talk.

[ChrisM]

>I Think ?OfftheTelly? gives us the answer as to what to expect….

I’ve been avoiding many reviews (not all of them) and I wish I hadn’t read that.

[Jonsmad]

>does anyone think maybe doug watched blade runner before writing the script :P

During!

[Dax101]

hahahahahahahahahaha!

[Dax101]

>Still totally confounded by the ?it will have an end? but could still go on? talk.

prequel

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

Sorry Chris.

[ChrisM]

Never mind. ;)
I’ll see it soon anyway.

[red-dwarf-movie-rip]

Maybe we find out Ridley Scott is Creator.

[Mnoooah]

>prequel.

Still. Wha?

[Dax101]

doug said he proberly wouldnt make a series 9, but will make a series 10, im guessing he just dno how to get around the series 8 cliffhanger but who knows

and then u got back to earth thats set after series 10, and unless there is some huge twist to make it all not real… then its sounds like maybe a prequel

[Nakrophile]

Chloe will appear as herself. I called it.

It will either be horribly rushed or we’ll see a return to the packed-full eps of the first few series.

[Nick R]

In my first post I said…

So I?m wondering: what if part 3 ends with an appearance by Chlo? Annett, and Lister reunited with Kochanski once and for all?

Well, I was right about the first bit… and that Chlo? would appear as Kochanski, rather than “as herself”. But I thought she’d appear on board Red Dwarf, rather than as part of Lister’s happy ending within the hallucination.

I’m quite pleased that I didn’t guess the full story! Quite satisfied with the way it turned out… a good balance between resolution and a jumping-off point for anything else in the future (whether that’s a full new series, specials, novels, comics, or dare I say it: films). At the very least, it was ten times the ending “Only the Good” was!

[Author]

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