The Most Disliked Episode 1

[Warbodog]

I saw this game on a Star Trek forum, and it’s a way to pass the time with diminishing praise or increasing bile, whatever’s your poison.

THE OBJECTIVE: A sudden-death elimination game in which we remove our personal favorite episodes from a themed list, until we arrive at the episode that is, if not the worst, at least the most disliked.

It’s a framework to say positive things about episodes from across the series.

THE RULES: Below is a list of [first episodes from every Red Dwarf series] so far. Eliminate/save the one you deem the ‘best’ of what currently remains.

Post something you enjoy about the episode you are saving, and copy-and-paste the list with your choice removed.

I don’t know whether at least 12 people will care to take part. If not, multiple turns are allowed after waiting patiently. If this goes the distance, I guess we’ll have organised the worst Red Dwarf series ever, which would have been totally impossible to predict in advance.

The End

Kryten

Backwards

Camille

Holoship

Psirens

Tikka to Ride

Back in the Red, Part 1

Back to Earth, Part 1

Trojan

Twentica

Cured

Topic

[Dave]

Polymorph

Terrorform

Ouroboros

Back in the Red, Part 3

Back to Earth, Part 3

Lemons

Give & Take

Timewave

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Ill save Justice

It’s Red Dwarf and Lister at his most philosophical, an era somewhat short lived but something I think we all attribute to making the show great

Polymorph

Terrorform

Ouroboros

Back in the Red, Part 3

Back to Earth, Part 3

Lemons

Give & Take

Timewave

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Thank god me and Dave went for the same episode 

[desbug]

There is no justice unless Justice is saved or something like that.

[Rushy]

I’ll pick Back to Earth Part 3. I think it’s Craig’s best performance as the character, and the way it resets Lister’s modus operandi is very well handled. It was lovely to see Chloe Annette again. I’m sure I’ll appreciate it even more once I see Blade Runner. 

Polymorph

Terrorform

Ouroboros

Back in the Red Part 3

Lemons

Give & Take

Timewave

[International Debris]

I’m going to save Terrorform, because it’s a visually impressive episode that, while some of the metaphors are a little heavy handed, does a great job of getting to the core of who Rimmer is. Also it was the first episode I saw, so that’s always special.

Polymorph

Ouroboros

Back in the Red Part 3

Lemons

Give & Take

Timewave

[clem]

I’m saving Snacky.

Polymorph

Ouroboros

Back in the Red Part 3

Lemons

Timewave

[Jonsmad]

I’m saving The Clitoris 

Ouroboros

Back in the Red Part 3

Lemons

Timewave

[Flap Jack]

I’ll save Lemons, because I love heresy and jokes about bags and flat pack furniture I guess. Funny that 3 of the 4 episodes left involve time travel. Lemons is definitely the strongest.

Ouroboros

Back in the Red, Part 3

Timewave

[Rushy]

I’m saving The Clitoris 

I thought you were saying spit on her wrist 

[Dax101]

I’l save Ouroboros. its a timey wimey story with a sweet ending.

Back in the Red, Part 3

Timewave

[Dave]

Back in the Red, Part 3

Timewave

[Ian Symes]

Sophie’s Choice, but both the kids are complete dicks.

[Rushy]

Now, release your anger! Only your hatred can destroy Back in the Red, Part 3!

[Warbodog]

I don’t have strong feelings either way, except that trying to cultivate a list and it ending up as just the entire Series VIII in order (except probably Cassandra) is funny.

[Dave]

I don’t have strong feelings either way, except that trying to cultivate a list and it ending up as just the entire Series VIII in order (except probably Cassandra) is funny.

It will be that, though.

[Dax101]

The scars are still healing from timewave. It doesnt deserve to be saved!

[Podey]

[Unrumble]

[Rushy]

I’m calling it a draw. If someone wants to speak up in favor of Timewave or the other one, they’re free and welcome to do so. So long as they’re saving Timewave. 

Next one’s a bit of a tough choice for me, as I’m not too fond of any of the episode 4’s. I’ll go with Officer Rimmer, because it’s just Rimmer being an absolute smeghead for half an hour, and I love it for that. 

Waiting for God

Stasis Leak

Bodyswap

White Hole

Quarantine

Emohawk: Polymorph II

Duct Soup

Cassandra

Entangled

Mechocracy

[Technopeasant]

I’ll take off BTE2 as the meta stuff on Earth is pretty funny in places, and the storyline isn’t weirdly rapey.

Also just Noddy. No notes.

The current selection has a pleasing amount of Steven Wickham.

[Nick R]

Maybe it’s just my fondness for series VII in general, but I like Duct Soup more than Cassandra or Entangled (both of which were ranked better than it in the Coral Canvass). It has the pipe noises bit!

Waiting for God
Stasis Leak
Bodyswap
White Hole
Quarantine
Emohawk: Polymorph II
Cassandra
Entangled
Mechocracy

[International Debris]

White Hole is my favourite episode of Red Dwarf so it gets saved.
Waiting for God
Stasis Leak
Bodyswap
Quarantine
Emohawk: Polymorph II
Cassandra
Entangled
Mechocracy

Also as no one else is going to do it, I’m saving BitR3, because it isn’t Timewave. While the latter is clearly a very worthy episode because it gives the annoying LGBTQ+ crowd the kicking they deserve for wanting Twitter safe spaces, it does have the ‘spit on her wrist’ gag, which makes it worthy of losing.

[Technopeasant]

E11T does definitely beat “spit on the wrist”. Hell, “power sauce!” does…

[Warbodog]

Since Duct Soup has already been taken, I guess I’ll have to go for Quarantine.

Waiting for God

Stasis Leak

Bodyswap

Emohawk: Polymorph II

Cassandra

Entangled

Mechocracy

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

I really like Emohawk. It might have a bit of a bringing back some old favs in a way that makes no sense ending. But it’s only the last few minutes. And even the. It’s still quite fun. Everything up to that is quite fresh, different and down right hilarious 

Waiting for God

Stasis Leak

Bodyswap

Cassandra

Entangled

Mechocracy

[Unrumble]

One of my all time favourite gags. 

From the remainder, I’ll risk Flapjack’s ire and go with Stasis Leak. I’m a sucker for anything vaguely time travel-ly, and it zings with that series II magic.

Cat’s “let’s do it” response to bringing Rimmer back is perfectly pitched, whereas in the Dave era, it feels like they go a bit far with the cruelty sometimes. All the scenes with past-Rimmer slowly losing his sanity are gold too. “In 3 million years you’ll be dead!” “Will I really?” 

[Dave]

I’ll knock out Bodyswap. A fun idea, pulled off in an interesting way, with lots of laughs.

—

Waiting for God

Cassandra

Entangled

Mechocracy

[Podey]

This might be controversial but I’d sooner watch ‘Cassandra’ than ‘Waiting For God’ and, again, I don’t really remember how good ‘Mechocracy’ is or isn’t so I’ll let someone else cast judgement on that.

Waiting For God

Entangled

Mechocracy

[Warbodog]

This might be controversial but I’d sooner watch ‘Cassandra’ than ‘Waiting For God’

Edit: Turns out it beat it in the 2023 one as well.

[Ian Symes]

Well I’m saving Waiting For God because it’s one of the best episodes of Series 1, despite what the sub-human vermin who vote in our polls say consistently every time. 

Entangled
Mechocracy

[Flap Jack]

I’ll save Mechocracy, because that episode is good the whole way through and Entangled is only good for part of it.

* Entangled *

[Warbodog]

Good. Episodes five then:

Confidence & Paranoia

Queeg

Timeslides

Dimension Jump

Demons & Angels

Rimmerworld

Blue

Krytie TV

Dear Dave

Krysis

M-Corp

I hope that person who chose Krytie TV as their #1 episode in the 2013 poll finds out about this in time.

[Dave]

Tough choice between IV and V but I’ll knock out Dimension Jump, a classic. 

—

Confidence & Paranoia

Queeg

Timeslides

Demons & Angels

Rimmerworld

Blue

Krytie TV

Dear Dave

Krysis

M-Corp

[Flap Jack]

I’ll come right back in and save Queeg. Fantastic Holly showcase episode with a captivating guest performance by Charles Augins and a brilliant twist that you can barely believe was thought up so late. Genuinely, when I was first watching the show, Queeg was one of the key episodes to cement my fandom.

Confidence & Paranoia

Timeslides

Demons & Angels

Rimmerworld

Blue

Krytie TV

Dear Dave

Krysis

M-Corp

[Warbodog]

A lot of these hover around exact-median Red Dwarf for me and I basically like them the same, but Confidence and Paranoia might be the most interesting, and it has more weight with continuing (concluding) the series 1 Kochanski arc.

Timeslides

Demons & Angels

Rimmerworld

Blue

Krytie TV

Dear Dave

Krysis

M-Corp

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

This is tough, but I think the teleporter gag in Rimmerworld inches it above the others 

Timeslides

Demons & Angels

Blue

Krytie TV

Dear Dave

Krysis

M-Corp

[Rushy]

I’m very fond of Dear Dave. I like the lazy Sunday afternoon vibes it’s got. The love triangle between Lister and the vending machines was cute. 

Timeslides

Demons & Angels

Blue

Krytie TV

Krysis

M-Corp

[clem]

I’m saving Blue. It’s got the deservedly iconic munchkin song, and that whole Rimmer Experience section is hilarious.

Timeslides

D&A

Krytie TV

Krysis

M-Corp

[International Debris]

Callback at the end notwithstanding, M-Corp is a bloody great episode with a creative concept and doesn’t feel like an attempt to recapture the past like so much Dave Dwarf does.

Timeslides

D&A

Krytie TV

Krysis

[Nick R]

The low version of me would save Krytie TV for the lulz. The high version of me would pick Timeslides.

The actual version of me is going to save Demons and Angels.

Timeslides

Krytie TV

Krysis

[Moonlight]

There are better episodes still on the list, but I would like to save Lemons because the last time I watched Series X it suddenly felt like it was obviously the best and most cohesive episode in the run. The Beginning may have higher highs but it feels far more compromised.

Polymorph

Justice

Terrorform

Ouroboros

Back in the Red, Part 3

Back to Earth, Part 3

Give & Take

Timewave

[Dax101]

Id like to save Krysis but the meeting the universe stuff drags it down for me, so obviously im going to save Timeslides.

Krytie TV

Krysis

[Jonsmad]

A Save for Krysis is a save for the whole universe.

I’m weeping for Entangled. Saw the best of it recorded live.

So that’s a lose for Jeremy Beadles Shower Porn VHS.

Next round…

[Dave]

Episode 6 is usually pretty good, eh?

Me²

Parallel Universe 

The Last Day 

Meltdown 

Back To Reality

Out of Time

Beyond a Joke

Pete Part 1

The Beginning 

Can of Worms

Skipper

[Dave]

I’ll save Out of Time, because it’s the most exciting Red Dwarf has ever been.

That leaves:

—

Me²

Parallel Universe 

The Last Day 

Meltdown 

Back To Reality

Beyond a Joke

Pete Part 1

The Beginning 

Can of Worms

Skipper

[Warbodog]

Me² has my favourite Lister-Rimmer interactions and is peak bumming-around-making-their-own-problems-unnecessarily Red Dwarf.

Parallel Universe

The Last Day

Meltdown

Back to Reality

Beyond a Joke

Pete, Part 1

The Beginning

Can of Worms

Skipper

[Unrumble]

I’ll save The Last Day, even though I’d pick BTR in a straight shootout (it’s not like it’s going to lose the round). Strikes a great balance between comedy, melancholy and thriller.

Parallel Universe

Meltdown

Back to Reality

Beyond a Joke

Pete, Part 1

The Beginning

Can of Worms

Skipper

[clem]

I’m saving Can of Worms. 

Parallel Universe

Meltdown

B̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶R̶e̶a̶l̶i̶t̶y̶

Beyond a Joke

Pete Part 1

The Beginning

Can of Worms

Skipper

[Rushy]

The Last Day is my favourite Red Dwarf episode. It’s got a little bit of everything. All the crew get to shine, there’s a lot of casual everyday interaction onboard the ship, there’s also a memorable monster encounter at the end. It’s heartfelt, smart and very funny. 
Parallel Universe
Meltdown
Back to Reality
Beyond a Joke
Pete, Part 1
The Beginning
Can of Worms
Skipper

Edit: Nevermind, seems I’m late for the game. Uh, I’m saving Meltdown then! Barrie’s drill sergeant shtick is iconic. And I love how it’s one of the few episodes where Lister is genuinely pissed off at Rimmer. 

[Author]

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