Refresh For The Memory: Series IV 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 WHITE HOLE, DIMENSION JUMP and MELTDOWN. Have at it!

Previous threads:

Series 1 Byte 1
Series 1 Byte 2
Series 2 Byte 1
Series 2 Byte 2
Series III Byte 1
Series III Byte 2
Series IV Byte 1

Topic

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

I feel compelled to make a retraction – apparently Terka is in fact an exceedingly rare example of a female Series VIII fan. Not somebody who will tolerate, endure or otherwise sit through it for the sake of a quiet life, not someone watching it and enjoying it ironically, not someone who requires a do-over with the puncture repair kit between Pete Parts 1 and 2, but an actual honest-to-goodness enthusiast.

Somebody tell John they do exist.

[clem]

“Paul Robeson on dope”. A reference I didn’t get for a long time, until more regular Internet access led me to look him up one idle day.

Same here. It’s “on Mars” rather than dope in the novel, and in the Primordial Soup script iirc. I think I prefer that. 

[clem]

DJ 

Danny does the best “What a guy!” That and Chris’ hilariously po-faced delivery on “it’s my job to do it” were laugh out loud moments for me this time.

Only Robert gets a credit for his Ace dimension role, I guess just so that viewers know it’s him without the mask?

Meltdown

“Battle of Neasden” Possibly a reference to Private Eye’s frequent Neasden namechecks.

Don’t really buy the matter paddle being invented on the mining ship Red Dwarf but I suppose they needed something to get them to a plausible location for Waxworld.

The dinosaurs aren’t dinosaurs at all. They’re obviously meant to look fake but they should be from an old Doug McClure film or something instead of Japanese kaiju monsters.

Despite those minor quibbles I like Meltdown a lot, maybe even best of the byte, and what a great byte this is.

[Unrumble]

The dinosaurs aren’t dinosaurs at all. They’re obviously meant to look fake but they should be from an old Doug McClure film or something instead of Japanese kaiju monsters. 

[International Debris]

I see this week’s thread is on time again.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

[Warbodog]

[Jenuall]

[Ian Symes]

WHOOPS.

[Jonathan Capps]

He just does it for the memes about him.

[Unrumble]

He just does it for the memes about him.

[Rushy]

White Hole: This should be an episode I adore. They’re all on the ship, the character interactions are at the forefront and Holly gets stuff to do! But for whatever reason, I’m left a little lukewarm. It lacks tension somewhere. Just feels like they spend the whole episode swatting away a minor nuisance. A rewatch may be in order. 

Dimension Jump: Chris Barrie is fucking phenomenal as Ace Rimmer. I love the twist at the end. Nothing else really happens though. I liked this story much better in the novels. 

Meltdown: Chris Barrie is fucking phenomenal as Patton Rimmer. I enjoyed the war satire (and was delighted that Craig went to bat for it in the commentaries), and the way it pits Rimmer and Lister against each other at the end. The historical figure jokes are all fantastic. It’s got that Winnie the Pooh scene. This one is just delightful. 

[Flap Jack]

A rewatch may be in order. 

Hang on a minute. The whole idea of this thread series is that you rewatch the episodes before giving your thoughts. (Unless you’re saying you’re so on the fence about White Hole that you need to rewatch it again despite just rewatching it.)

[Dave]

Dimension Jump: Chris Barrie is fucking phenomenal as Ace Rimmer. I love the twist at the end. Nothing else really happens though.

“Nothing”:

[Moonlight]

Dimension Jump is like half a bottle episode but it doesn’t feel like it.

[Warbodog]

Dimension Jump’s one of my favourites ever. It takes time to explore the concept and has fun with doubles and a dramatic crash/survival scenario. Maybe it feels like not much happens because Ace just arrives and leaves peacefully rather than dying or trying to kill them.

[Unrumble]

Dimension Jump: Chris Barrie is fucking phenomenal as Ace Rimmer. I love the twist at the end. Nothing else really happens though.

“Nothing”:

Today on ‘Rushy shows antipathy towards widely beloved episodes’.

[Dave]

Looking forward to hearing how Back To Reality is a snooze and Out Of Time is shit.

[Warbodog]

Most of Back to Reality is just imagined, so not much really happens.

[Dave]

Joking aside, it is sometimes interesting to hear new takes on old favourites and to push back against received wisdom. I agree with Meltdown being better than its reputation suggests, for example. But Dimension Jump is an all-timer for me.

[Unrumble]

Joking aside, it is sometimes interesting to hear new takes on old favourites and to push back against received wisdom. I agree with Meltdown being better than its reputation suggests, for example. But Dimension Jump is an all-timer for me.

Agreed, I was careful not to use terms like ‘general consensus’ or ‘accepted classics’, as obviously there is nothing right or wrong about having an opinion on what is a subjective art form, it’s just unusual to see so many negative-ish takes on episodes that are routinely lauded.

Confirmation bias can also seduce one into thinking “I’m clearly in the right”, (see: Coral Canvass) so it’s understandable that seeing ‘Marooned’ being dismissed as not all that, raises a sceptical eyebrow.

[Dave]

I think there’s also the aspect of the more cherished episodes sometimes feeling like they have more to live up to, in terms of their reputation.

Which I think is also why some of the perceived ‘lesser’ episodes have been re-evaluated over the years, as people revisit them and realise they’re quite good.

[Nick R]

 “Nothing”:

[Rushy]

Hang on a minute. The whole idea of this thread series is that you rewatch the episodes before giving your thoughts.

[Author]

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