Refresh For The Memory: Series 1 Byte 2

[Ian Symes]

You asked for it. Ahead of the forthcoming 35th anniversary poll, the G&T community is embarking on a big old rewatch, tackling half a series (or one feature length special) per week. This is your designated thread to make notes, share observations and start pondering your rankings.

This week, we’re watching WAITING FOR GOD, CONFIDENCE & PARANOIA and ME². Have at it!

Previous threads:

Series 1 Byte 1

Topic

[Rushy]

Waiting for God: I appreciate the criticism of religious misinterpretation (unlike Lemons, which bizarrely seems to be a mockery of Christianity as a concept rather than the abuse of the concept). I like the running gag with Rimmer and the Quagarrrrrs. Funnily enough though, the best part of the episode is Talkie Toaster. It’s the one story that makes me wish that Talkie was around more often. Oh, and there’s something about cats. 

Confidence and Paranoia: The first great episode of Red Dwarf, this one is really interesting for me to rewatch and notice how the Confidence and Paranoia characters relate to Lister (Paranoia in particular seems to imply that Lister does admire aspects of Rimmer, which is later affirmed in Fathers & Suns). Great guest performances. Just overall a fun watch. 

Me2: From this point to Thanks for the Memory, every episode is so good I want to have its babies. 

[Rushy]

It ties in with a neat little observation about Rimmer, that he’s the only crew member who seems to adhere to uniform standards. Even senior officers like Hollister, Todhunter and Kochanski dress a lot more relaxed – no tie, open collar, sleeves rolled up etc. – and nobody seems to care that Lister’s only concession to a uniform is wearing his technician’s shirt over a London Jets t-shirt.

I just noticed that VIII Hollister has his uniform loose in his first scene in Back in the Red Part 1, but for the rest of the season, both he and every other officer adhere to uniform standards just like Rimmer. 

[Professor Flibble]

Waiting For God

– Has it ever been explained why Talkie Toaster’s so different between Series I and Series IV?
– “It’s just you, me, the Cat and nothing out there but smegging rocks.” And the Pan-Dimensional Liquid Beast from the Mogadon Cluster.
– Is Rimmer’s H bigger?
– Cut after “Give me a real body”
– “Imagine making love to a woman” great line
– It’s General Smythe from The War Games!
– Why doesn’t the priest have fangs?
– Series I and II are a lot more experimental with the closing credits on an episode-by-episode basis

[Warbodog]

– Has it ever been explained why Talkie Toaster’s so different between Series I and Series IV?

Series IV Grant Naylor didn’t like Series 1 things.

[Dave]

Has it ever been explained why Talkie Toaster’s so different between Series I and Series IV?

In-universe, Lister got pissed off with him and smashed him to pieces. As with Kryten, getting destroyed and reconstructed seems to allow for quite significant shifts in personality for artificial life forms in the Red Dwarf universe. Let’s just hope nothing bad happens to Snacky.

[Rushy]

I like David Ross, but Lenahan is the quintessential Toaster to me. He had a whininess to his voice that was just so perfect. 

[Warbodog]

I read the BTL novel before I saw any of Talkie’s episodes, so I’ve always taken for granted the context that it’s a piece of tat Lister bought on shore leave. But I don’t think that’s explicit in the show, and in series 1 especially it could seem like it’s ship issue and there are lots of them (but White Hole came after the novel).

[Rushy]

But I don’t think that’s explicit in the show, and in series 1 especially it could seem like it’s ship issue 

[Warbodog]

There we go, I knew something was pushing me to the unconfident “I don’t think…”

It does have the same voice-synced lights (/”eyes”) as the vending machines though.

[Doomitron]

Why doesn’t the priest have fangs?

Fell out cause old.

Series I and II are a lot more experimental with the closing credits on an episode-by-episode basis

4 does have the classic Hammond Organ rendition though and the episode after that the Elvis one.

[tombow]

I always wondered why the priest doesn’t look fashion conscious, like he could have had a sharp suit with a priestly robe over it or something. And why doesn’t he sound cool, I’m not saying he has to sound like Cat but he could have had a stereotypical rock n roll voice or something. He just doesn’t seem cat like in the way Cat does at all.

and even in Promised Land we only see feral or Lister worshippers, where are the sharp suited ones? At least we have the Can Polymorph I suppose.

[Rushy]

I always wondered why the priest doesn’t look fashion conscious, like he could have had a sharp suit with a priestly robe over it or something

He specifically says he renounced coolness and chose the righteous path of slobbiness. 

[Professor Flibble]

4 does have the classic Hammond Organ rendition though and the episode after that the Elvis one.

Oh yeah I meant on a more regular basis, though tbf I think there’s only actually one more example of it in the first two series anyway.

Future Echoes: The developing polaroid of Lister with Jim and Bexley 

Waiting For God: “It’s a garbage pod!”

Thanks for the Memory: The jigsaw transition

 

[Flap Jack]

The End also has the “THE BEGINNING” caption persist into the credits.

[Professor Flibble]

The End also has the “THE BEGINNING” caption persist into the credits.

I mean it’s in Microgramma too, sooo

[Ben Saunders]

He specifically says he renounced coolness and chose the righteous path of slobbiness. 

not without great difficulty

[Technopeasant]

But I don’t think that’s explicit in the show, and in series 1 especially it could seem like it’s ship issue and there are lots of them (but White Hole came after the novel).

I always wondered why the priest doesn’t look fashion conscious, like he could have had a sharp suit with a priestly robe over it or something

[tombow]

I thought he’d still be well dressed while being slobby and uncool, maybe my logic let me down

[International Debris]

The religion basically teaches cats to be like Lister who, at that point, had no real cares for how he dressed. 

[Author]

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