Series XII – preferred order

[sd99]

It seems a bit odd for the first 3 episodes in the series to all feature starbug, find another ship & meet lots of guests etc. and the back half of the series (so far) to be red dwarf based. And as much as I liked Cured, I think it would work better as a Byte2 opener. So, I think my ideal order would be:

Byte One:
1. Siliconia
2. M-Corp

Byte Two:
4. Cured
5. Mechocracy
6. Skipper

Topic

[bloodteller]

you forgot Timewave

[Rubber]

, which helps.

[Dave]

I think that’s the joke.

[Ian Symes]

Swapping Timewave and M-Corp would be my only change. Solves the imbalance of the settings to some extent and adheres to traditional placement of best/worst episodes.

[sd99]

Well it would be better without Timewave… but M-Corp may have just hidden it.

[(deleted)]

VERSION 1:
Skipper
Mechocracy
Siliconia
Cured
Timewave
M-Corp

VERSION 2:
Cured
Mechocracy
Siliconia
M-Corp
Timewave
Skipper

Come back to me when I’ve seen Skipper.

[Pete Part Three]

M-Corp
Cured
Siliconia
Mechocracy
Timewave
Skipper

Open strong. Continue with something reasonable. Bung in something a bit shite. Reassure people with something good. Throw in the absolute stinker in the graveyard slot. Save the fangasms for the finale.

By the same logic:

Give & Take
Krysis
Can of Worms.
Office Rimmer.
Samsara
Twentica

[cwickham]

Cured
M-Corp
Siliconia
Mechocracy
Timewave
Skipper

[Warbodog]

What do you really hate about Samsara, Pete Part Three? I think it breaks during that boring Cat-Lister conversation about Archimedes or whatever it was, but up to that point I thought we might have a latter day classic on our hands with the sexy skeletons, creepy atmos and gradually unfolding mystery. Damn shame, but I still really like it for the first half.

[Pete Part Three]

Well, first of all I find it bloody boring. I can’t say that about *any* other episode. There’s a fair few I strongly dislike, but I’ve never been bored watching Red Dwarf…until that scene of Lister and Cat exchanging shit dialogue while sat down.

I don’t think solo- Doug has ever really nailed static scenes of just comedy dialogue, which have nothing to do with plot. (Compare Marooned to Duct Soup) and this episode kind of brings it to the fore.

The opening scene does nothing for me. The rest of the episode is Kryten and Rimmer walking into one room, while Lister and Cat sit around in another one exchanging horribly contrived dialogue that relies on Lister knowing things that he would not know.

The flashbacks are clunky in direction and I’m not overly keen on the acting. Find the morality theme slightly dodgy, the central idea is ripped off from a far better episode, the comedy skeletons don’t make laugh, the mystery goes nowhere and the resolution is thrown away.

Apart from that, it’s marvelous. :-)

[Ben Saunders]

The Formica shit really drags it down, and I’m not fond of the guest cast, but Samsara is a worthy episode imo.

[International Debris]

For all the implausible knowledge in the Formica scene, I find it really funny and well performed. I like the episode a lot.

[Warbodog]

Thanks! I’ve seen you bashing it a few times, so just wanted to know. I’ll have to rewatch most of XI-XII to update my opinions beyond first impressions, since I was too annoyed by Krysis’ weird continuity to appreciate it at the time (series 3000, not-quite-3-million-years-after-all, more random undisclosed stasis time and other things that seemed important a year ago).

[Pete Part Three]

Yeah, I’m like a cracked record, I know…:-)

I don’t think I’ve ever changed from my first impressions of any Red Dwarf episode. First and foremost, it has to make me laugh and surprise me; and it’s got a far better chance of doing on first-watch.

[Hamish]

> I don’t think solo- Doug has ever really nailed static scenes of just comedy dialogue, which have nothing to do with plot. (Compare Marooned to Duct Soup) and this episode kind of brings it to the fore … The opening scene does nothing for me.

I still think the Mineoply scenes are the best the Rimmer/Lister two hander Doug has given them in the Dave era. Also the best acting he has gotten out of Chris, with the possible exception of his little tantrum upon losing the game, but at least it is still little.

[Dollar Pound]

sex rise ii

[pfm]

Cured was fine to open the series. I just wish it was a little better. A twist of the professor being the real Hitler would have done it for me.

1. Cured
2. M-Corp
3. Siliconia
4. Mechocracy
5. Timewave
6. Skipper

M-Corp was placed weirdly at episode 5, though we have had some great episode 5’s over the years! That being said, it should definitely have either opened the series or been episode 2. Definitely not in the back 3.

As for Timewave… a little editing and it wouldn’t be THAT bad. The main scene with Johnny Vegas is pretty funny until the Cat lines at the end. In fact, if it was just ‘Lieutenant Asshole’ I don’t think anyone would have cared. Cut out the two shittiest lines from the episode and it’s immediately more acceptable. Of course, you can’t cut the costumes… Though this and Siliconia are definitely the ones with most wasted opportunity. Siliconia is weird because you’re expecting for it to be a decent episode and….it’s just not.

[Hamish]

I still think Lieutenant Asshole is a terrible line myself.

[Ben Saunders]

well you’re WRONG

[Hamish]

Wrong, wrong, absolutely brimming over with wrong-ability.

[Author]

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