Unanswered Questions

[GlenTokyo]

Am I the only one who’s never noticed the Inquisitor only has three fangs on his helmet?

Because I save any Red Dwarf picture that’s interesting due to the internet being shite and forums, message boards, and even official sites disappearing, I have this picture of the intact Inquisitor mask.

I don’t know who the people are or where I found it, but I assume they’re in the workshop at BBC VFX.

[clem]

The Last Temptation of Eddie the Eagle 

[Dave]

The Inquisitor mask might be my favourite design in all of Dwarf. It’s fucking great. 

[tombow]

The Last Temptation of Eddie the Eagle 

ha ha. I saw him training for “dancing on ice” the other day. He’s filling in for the contestant from gogglebox who got injured during training. It looks like he’s going to be skating to a certain 1970s slightly sci fi themed rock song, but I don’t want to give too much of a spoiler. 

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

It’d make a great story in-universe explaining how he lost it.

[Moonlight]

Somebody call Big Finish.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

I’ll preface this comment by apologising for what you are about to read

After the events of The Inquisititor, Lister has alt-Lister’s hand. 

Given that it’s sort of his hand, would it just be an elaborate form of masturbation if he used it?

[Flap Jack]

Alt-Lister’s hand isn’t Lister’s hand. They’re sperms-in-law, not the same guy.

But yes, I think it’s fair to say that wanking using a severed hand would indeed be regarded as “an elaborate form of masturbation”, thanks for asking. (The identity of the hand’s original owner does not affect the answer.)

[Dave]

Yes, I think using the severed hand of an alternate dead self created via a battle with a time-travelling simulant qualifies as elaborate.

[Frank Smeghammer]

I’ll preface this comment by apologising for what you are about to read
After the events of The Inquisititor, Lister has alt-Lister’s hand. 
Given that it’s sort of his hand, would it just be an elaborate form of masturbation if he used it?

[Moonlight]

Yes, I think using the severed hand of an alternate dead self created via a battle with a time-travelling simulant qualifies as elaborate.

I don’t think The Inquisitor is ever referred to as a simulant. They very pointedly only say “droid” unless I’m hideously misremembering.

[Dave]

Oh my mistake, if he’s just a regular droid and not a simulant than that’s perfectly commonplace run-of-the-mill masturbation.

[Dave]

Although just on a point of pedantry:

Although of course we all know now that the Inquisitor is actually Kryten from the far future, so maybe this is a moot point.

[Moonlight]

Well, I remembered half the line at least.

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

Fancy you not having memorised the entire script of The Inquisitor word for word. And you call yourself a Dwarfer? For shame, KT!

[Moonlight]

In my defense, I melted my brain with drugs.

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

This is your brain on that marijuana gin again.

[Moonlight]

I can’t decide if Rob and Doug didn’t realize how fucking horrendous of an idea marijuana gin is or if they absolutely knew.

[Formica]

I can’t decide if Rob and Doug didn’t realize how fucking horrendous of an idea marijuana gin is or if they absolutely knew.

Had a bad night, did we? Should I try some too?

[Flap Jack]

Inspired by Quinn’s unanswered question, here’s another good taste enquiry:

If Lister had had sex with Caroline Carmen while she was still being animated by Epideme, would that have counted as necrophilia?

[Dave]

When Rimmer and Nirvanah Crane had sex, did that count as necrophilia?

[Warbodog]

When Lister continued to want to shag his own mum long after learning that fact, was that weird?

[Warbodog]

If the scene where Archie violated Hollister hadn’t been deleted, would that have counted as gay?

[Moonlight]

Had a bad night, did we? Should I try some too?

I once accidentally grabbed an alcoholic seltzer out of the fridge while stoned and thirsty and didn’t realize it was booze until I’d guzzled half of it.

Yes you absolutely should try it. There are no downsides.

[Formica]

When Lister masturbates after learning he’s his own son, is that weird?

Also, why is he so concerned with his dad’s sex life?

[Future Producer of Series IX – aaaaany day now]

If the scene where Archie violated Hollister hadn’t been deleted, would that have counted as gay?

Who’s to say? Let’s ask Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre, I got a question if I may. Is that gay? I just need to clear things up. ‘Til then I’ll just walk around with a manly strut.

[Warbodog]

Is the Inquisitor a Polymorph episode, or are the trials in some kind of simulation?

[loadoftottnumb]

I think he teleports them to his court/lair whatever 

[Warbodog]

His “self-repairing” nanobots or whatever he has could rearrange his face to look like theirs, but how does he know what they think about themselves?

I guess he’s also psy, it’s a series V theme.

[Moonlight]

I always assumed that the trials were a more metaphysical thing than a place they literally go where The Inquisitor’s face literally morphs, but I also don’t think I’ve ever sat down and thought too hard about it.

[Warbodog]

I hadn’t really thought about it before in the 25 years since I first saw the episode and will probably go back to not thinking about it.

How does the Justice Field work?

[Dave]

His “self-repairing” nanobots or whatever he has could rearrange his face to look like theirs, but how does he know what they think about themselves?

[Dave]

How does the Justice Field work?

[Dave]

This is going to be my go-to response for any unanswerable question or apparent continuity error now.

[Moonlight]

Not that the show seems all that concerned with the internal life of Lister but I feel like there’s a very interesting angle on his character in the idea that in the back of his mind he sees traits of Rimmer’s like his drive and determination as things he wishes he had (Lister has repeatedly been told he’s “quite bright” but fails to apply himself) despite how much Rimmer fucking sucks as a person. It’s kinda the reverse of the sandwich bit from Thanks for the Memory.

[Starbugger]

If the nanobots deserted Kryten after “Back to Reality”, how could he operate his self-repair unit after being crushed in the waste compactor in the very next episode?

[Moonlight]

I’m going to be a dick and say it’s because the nanobots were invented for Nanarchy.

Or maybe Lister beat him back into shape with a tire iron.

[Dave]

Not that the show seems all that concerned with the internal life of Lister but I feel like there’s a very interesting angle on his character in the idea that in the back of his mind he sees traits of Rimmer’s like his drive and determination as things he wishes he had (Lister has repeatedly been told he’s “quite bright” but fails to apply himself) despite how much Rimmer fucking sucks as a person. It’s kinda the reverse of the sandwich bit from Thanks for the Memory.

I think there’s definitely an element of that to Lister’s psyche, maybe most clearly in the “you’ve got brains man, brains you’ve never used” bit from The Inquisitor.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

The thing is, Lister never had any desire to use the supposed intelligence he has. At least not in space exploration or whatever. 

His goal, his desire, was to own a farm and a restaurant. That takes a lot of intelligence to make those things work. And I believe he absolutely would have done. 

It also takes a lot of drive to get to the position where that is possible. Coasting on a spaceship for a few years doing nothing but save wages is an absolute drag. He may enjoy being a bit of a slob but I bet it’s hard given he does have something going on up there. There’s nothing engaging. It’s not challenging. But he does it to earn what he needs to actual achieve his dream. 

You could read his jealousy or whatever it is he shows towards Rimmer trying to apply himself, or Inquisitor pointing out he didn’t engage himself, as the frustration he felt at not doing anything challenging to achieve a dream that was then whipped away from him. 

[Formica]

Is the Inquisitor a Polymorph episode, or are the trials in some kind of simulation?

Is Camille a Polymorph episode?

[Flap Jack]

I think it’s plausible that deep down, Lister realises that his Fiji plan is more of a pipe dream than a realistic plan for his future, and so on that level he might feel that Rimmer’s more straightforward and sensible (albeit impossible for Rimmer himself to obtain due to his habitual incompetence) career goals are better.

Although I don’t know if everything Confidence and Paranoia say has to be something that Lister has thought about himself. They are their own people after all.

[Warbodog]

Is Camille a Polymorph episode?

Camilles, like Psirens, are confirmed by multiple viewpoints not to be physically changing (which raises questions about how she can sit in a chair and on the medibay bed and things, but maybe she bends the light to cloak herself around the edges like Starbug did that one time ever).

[Moonlight]

Just because it doesn’t have a literal polymorph doesn’t mean Psirens isn’t spiritually a polymorph episode.

[Dave]

Balance Of Power is also a spiritual Polymorph episode for the scene where Rimmer disguises himself as Kochanski.

In fact, given the chronology, you could say that all the Polymorph episodes are spiritual Balance Of Power episodes.

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

Queeg is a polymorph episode 

[Flap Jack]

Justice, The Inquisitor, Out of Time, Fathers & Suns, The Beginning and M-Corp are all Confidence & Paranoia episodes, because the villains defeat themselves.

[Formica]

Future Echoes, Balance of Power, Waiting for God, Confidence & Paranoia, Me², Kryten, Better Than Life, Thanks for the Memory, Stasis Leak, Queeg, Parallel Universe, Backwards, Marooned, Polymorph, Bodyswap, Timeslides, The Last Day, Camille, DNA, Justice, White Hole, Dimension Jump, Meltdown, Holoship, The Inquisitor, Terrorform, Quarantine, Demons & Angels, Back to Reality, Psirens, Legion, Gunmen of the Apocalypse, Emohawk – Polymorph II, Rimmerworld, Out of Time, Tikka to Ride, Stoke Me a Clipper, Ouroboros, Blue, Back in the Red – Part I, Back in the Red – Part II, Back in the Red – Part III, Cassandra, Krytie TV, Pete – Part I, Pete – Part II, Only the Good…, Back to Earth – Part I, Back to Earth – Part II, Back to Earth – Part III, Trojan, Fathers & Suns, Lemons, Entangled, Dear Dave, The Beginning, Twentica, Samsara, Give & Take, Officer Rimmer, Krysis, Can of Worms, Cured, Siliconia, Timewave, Mechocracy, M-Corp, Skipper, and The Promised Land are all The End episodes because there is Lister and Rimmer.

[Nick R]

Out of Time, Tikka to Ride, Stoke Me a Clipper, Ouroboros, Blue, Back in the Red – Part I, […]  because there is Lister and Rimmer.

If your aim was to make me skim over that list, see that “and Rimmer” qualifier at The End, then go back up to check the series VII titles…

[Warbodog]

[Dave]

I don’t think that one works as he never actually said anything about wanking himself off with a severed hand in the original episode. 

[Author]

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