Your Unpopular Red Dwarf Opinions

[Piplup2003]

The title says it all. What opinions do you have about Red Dwarf that no-one else seems to agree on?

For me, it’s that VIII is my second favourite series (behind V) and that I prefer Chloë over Claire as Kochanski (this may be partially influenced by the fact that I’ve met Chloë).

And please, no arguing.

Topic

[Unrumble]

As soon as you start leaving the shop

[Rushy]

I passionately disagree on Holly becoming less relevant. One, because I don’t think Holly’s role was ever purely expositional and two, because Doug has actually found meaningful ways for Holly to contribute. In the Promised Land, he outwits the crew, then saves their lives and also blows up a whole moon. That’s pretty badass. 

And even though the writing in VIII was horrible, the core concept of Holly influencing the nanobots to reconstruct Red Dwarf in a specific way that would keep Lister busiest is brilliant. I love the little speech he gives: “My job is to keep Dave sane. True, I’m not that good at it, but I do my best. That’s why I create these little diversions to keep him occupied.”

Not only does it make the character of Holly more cryptic (in that you never quite know what he’s up to), but it reinforces what I already felt in series I and II, that Holly was the crew’s father figure. The fact that they get around now doesn’t diminish that.

[Moonlight]

because Doug has actually found meaningful ways for Holly to contribute. In the Promised Land, he outwits the crew, then saves their lives and also blows up a whole moon. That’s pretty badass.

I don’t think you could find a way to incorporate Holly this heavily into every story, though.

[Rushy]

 I don’t think you could find a way to incorporate Holly this heavily into every story, though.

Nor should he be, nor has he ever been with the exception of Queeg. But the level of involvement he generally had in I and II is perfectly feasible. 

[Ben Saunders]

It does suck for Hattie, but it doesn’t really damage the show because there’s so much else going on and most of that is fantastic anyway. She does elevate what she’s given and does some great background acting too, but it does say a lot that after her extremely diminished role in Series V, you barely even notice she’s gone in VI.

[RunawayTrain]

… but it does say a lot that after her extremely diminished role in Series V, you barely even notice she’s gone in VI.

Oh man that’s painfully true.  Absolutely no reflection of Hattie at all, just the way Holly was written by then.

(And just to make it clear, I think Hattie is brilliant – she is the Dwarfer I most want to see on Taskmaster, with zero doubt or hesitation that she’d be right for it.)

Back on topic: Demons and Angels grossed me out too (I saw Blossom mentioned that elsewhere, I don’t think I’ve ever been brave enough to say it before).

[Dax101]

I think it often has less to do with finding something for them to do and more feeling bad that they don’t have a lot to do as part of the main cast. it could be argued in The Promise Land that Doug had to create something for Norman to do. Which i think there is only so many times you can do that until it starts to become forced and has an impact on the quality.

Series 2 had a good balance with how they used Norman, but i feel like Doug tried to do that same type of idea with Series 8 and it didn’t really work. Norman just came across as a joke machine who was often detached from what was going on. Which according to Doug, Norman didn’t like doing exposition and just wanted to do jokes.

[Rushy]

Series 2 had a good balance with how they used Norman, but i feel like Doug tried to do that same type of idea with Series 8 and it didn’t really work. Norman just came across as a joke machine who was often detached from what was going on. Which according to Doug, Norman didn’t like doing exposition and just wanted to do jokes.

Series 8 had Norman deliver about a random oneliner per episode. That’s why he felt like a joke machine. 

In series 2, he’s introducing all the storylines and they find ways to have him be involved without him actually being involved. Like in Kryten, when he gets excited about seeing the girls and puts on a toupee. He’s not part of the story, but it feels like he is because the joke ties into the plot. 

In Better than Life, he’s trapped with them when Rimmer has his breakdown. In Thanks for the Memory, he’s investigating the mystery alongside them. It gives the impression that he’s invested in what’s going on and is a part of the team. That’s what they need to do. 

[Warbodog]

In Better than Life, he’s trapped with them when Rimmer has his breakdown. In Thanks for the Memory, he’s investigating the mystery alongside them. It gives the impression that he’s invested in what’s going on and is a part of the team.

Yeah, it would have been simple to put Holly into Quarantine with them, since she already establishes that Rimmer’s locked her out with overrides. Rather than just disappearing her until Demons & Angels with no mention.

[Dax101]

That probably would have been complicated to do. Holly wouldn’t have been able to mix into the misery of quarantine the same way Kryten, Lister and Cat could. Which is probably a reason why Holly would just have been pushed aside to concentrate on those 3.

Which is something that did happen often in Series 2 also. There was no reason Norman couldn’t have been on the monitor more often during bunkroom scenes. But i guess it was felt Holly struggled to add anything.

[Rushy]

That probably would have been complicated to do. Holly wouldn’t have been able to mix into the misery of quarantine the same way Kryten, Lister and Cat could. 

So do the opposite. Have them feel bitter towards her for being able to move around the ship, or some joke about how she’s always in quarantine, because she has no physical body. 

[Quinn: Clochebusters World Champion]

That probably would have been complicated to do. Holly wouldn’t have been able to mix into the misery of quarantine the same way Kryten, Lister and Cat could. 
So do the opposite. Have them feel bitter towards her for being able to move around the ship, or some joke about how she’s always in quarantine, because she has no physical body. 

What scenes do you suggest they remove or change to include Holly?

[Ridley]

You had to ask.

[Unrumble]

[Dave]

[Warbodog]

[Dave]

[Rushy]

I like every post-bubble Red Dwarf episode more than Into the Gloop. 

[Rushy]

I despise series 1 Cat with the passion of a thousand suns. The way he keeps singing and screaming random nonsense, that stupid jaunty music cue, the fourth wall breaks… it’s like watching a crap CBBC character. I think Dennis the Donut Boy is more respectable to Hollister than series 1 was to the Cat. 

[Technopeasant]

[Unrumble]

I think Dennis the Donut Boy is more respectable to Hollister than series 1 was to the Cat. 

What can it be disrespecting when there was nothing that came before?

It was a performance born from the writers and the actor’s interpretation of what an evolved Cat might act like, it’s not like he started off with his series V characterisation and they then said “hey, let’s make him more like cat-like with a dash of James Brown”.

This was the original take on it, even if you personally prefer the way it evolved over time. 

[Rushy]

I believe Chloe Annette gave a genuinely fantastic performance in series 8. She develops a kind of manic impish energy similar to the Thirteenth Doctor. 




Moments like the kettle on her head, the entire sequence of her reacting to Cassandra’s prophecy, “Aww, but Cassandra promised” and “Ruthless little rrrat bag!” wouldn’t be nearly as funny if Chloe hadn’t played them to the hilt. She even nearly salvages the Dibbley family with her bug-eyed impression. 
The writing does her no favors, but compared to the stuck-up nerdy series 7 Kochanski, it’s night and day. It’s like she stopped repressing her true self. 

She’s also clearly the sweetest of the group, and added a lot of warmth to their dynamic. 

[Technopeasant]

 This was the original take on it, even if you personally prefer the way it evolved over time. 

And chiefly at least it is a character. Domestic Cat gets a bit too generic for his own good. Just a vain selfish man.

It is certainly true that Kochanski in VIII is neigh unrecognizable compared to VII.

[Nick R]

It is certainly true that Kochanski in VIII is neigh unrecognizable compared to VII.

That’s true – in VIII she never once mentions her pony named Trumper.

[Rushy]

And chiefly at least it is a character. Domestic Cat gets a bit too generic for his own good. Just a vain selfish man. 

I agree that there’s more effort put into his identity, I just wish it wasn’t such cringeworthy comedy. I think the way they handled the Cat in series 2 and later in the Dave era is the sweet spot when it comes to his characterisation and humour. 

[Dax101]

By series 8 Doug reduced a lot of Kochanski’s series 7 characterisation to become more soft and open to whatever is going on by series 8. I assume the fandom wasn’t all that fond of her in series 7. 

I feel Kochanski didnt have much to her by Series 8

[Author]

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