Red Dwarf

[Professor Puzzles]

I hope the next episodes are more like last week's, I didn't really like tonight's episode very much at all.

[pulsemyne]

I'm not really sure to be honest. It seemed to contain much less slow-burning sarcastic humour and loads of fast, pretty weak jokes. The longest running joke in the episodes was literally just chinese whispers and Lister's story was full of gurning and overacting. The pace seems far too artificially high.

Compare it to what's on now, Dimension Jump. At the moment there's a long sequence completely devoid of any action where they're basically just affirming how much they detest Rimmer and how pathetic he is as a person (when he catches them trying to sneak off fishing without him). In isolation it doesn't even sound like a scene from a sci-fi programme, which is what I used to love about it. Anyway I dunno, I'm a massive 1-6 fan and am just moaning. Glad most people enjoyed it!

I think the problem there is you can only write so much about how much you hate rimmer. Everyone knows he's a complete twat!

Anyway it was a good episode, slightly less gag based than last weeks but it was also a case of large sections of it not being filmed with an audience. Still it was a good Lister story that fleshes out the character a bit more.

[NecroMorrius]

I liked that they took an old plot point (Listen being his own Dad) and extrapolated it into a fun gag which worked well.

[Sprite Machine]

I thought that was slightly weaker than last week's, with only one bit that made me genuinely laugh out loud. Kryten and Rimmer designing the computer was up there with Red Dwarf's best moments.

"Female. It doesn't matter. It's not important. Female."

It's Lister's scenes that were weak, and they made up a majority of the plot. He needs some better material; the father's day stuff should have been a single gag rather than the whole premise. Lister comes across as a bit pathetic (ok, yes, that was the point) and I didn't really care about what happened to him. The video to himself was kind of funny, particularly the guitar. The Chinese Whispers joke had a poor (non-existent?) pay-off.

It was okay, but a fairly mediocre Red Dwarf episode.

More generally, from the two episodes shown so far, there seems to be an emphasis on the characters interacting with other characters outside of the main cast. In the old days, it was four(ish) people(ish) on a ship annoying each other. All the interaction was between them. These past two episodes have had Rimmer's brother, a new ship computer, talking vending machines, the AI dentist, shopping channel presenters... the sense of isolation isn't really there any more, and I think it's affecting (whether intentional or not) the style and impact of the comedy and drama. Next week's preview shows that trend continuing.

[Sponge]

...but but but Lister used to have an authentic Gibson Les Paul copy (Antoria)!

[merman]

Really enjoyed that, the Chinese Whispers gag worked for me, as did the bit where Pree said she had repaired B Deck to the standard Rimmer would have ordered. But again it felt recycled (getting drunk to forget things from Thanks for the Memories, predictions from Cassandra) and just dropping things in without explanation - Garby the garbage collecting machine and Kryten installing a new computer - was very poor.

[Dandy_Sephy]

DVD to have reversible sleeve

Warning, contiains season finale spoilers in the text on the back!

[davidcotton]

Really enjoyed that, the Chinese Whispers gag worked for me, as did the bit where Pree said she had repaired B Deck to the standard Rimmer would have ordered. But again it felt recycled (getting drunk to forget things from Thanks for the Memories, predictions from Cassandra) and just dropping things in without explanation - Garby the garbage collecting machine and Kryten installing a new computer - was very poor.

Thought they explained the ai was from the derelict they came across?

[bradigor]

That could've been an episode from series 1-6. Loved the predictive computer idea, lol'd at Rimmer's "goth bastard" comment. The tone and humour were present and correct.

It's only taken 19 years.

I was part expecting a Holly return at the end... a la Queeg.

[Pistol]

Yup, it was a throwaway line you could easily have missed - Kryten said something like "thank goodness for that derelict" when they were discussing the new computer.

Although it could lead to confusion (like in this case), I quite like the way they're just dropping stuff in without feeling the need to recap - like Lister being his own Dad. Rimmer just stated it, there was no kind or "previously, on Red Dwarf!" or awkward crew reminiscing sequence - either you already knew, and remembered, about that, or you didn't know at all and just had to take it onboard. Work for me.

And I really liked the whole thing, Chinese Whispers joke, father/son stuff and everything. Sorry if that means I fall short of some people's standards.

[Nicky]

i particularly liked the predictive explanation about how it was like predictive text on a mobile phone, that didn't need to be explained.

[Paulando]

Man, that was dire. Craig Charles is awful these days.

[Ketchup]

Yeah im not feeling this series that much. I've been working my way through the other series on DVD and theres something just wrong or lacking in these latest episodes. I can't put my finger on what it is, i think its them acting as if there is no audience there or the way they deliver their lines. I was thinking of the bunk scenes even in series 8 were pretty good, but here its almost as if they are not in the same room together. Theres just something not quite right for me. Take the episode Tikka to Ride from Series 7, that did something big with the story and put everyone in a different location but it worked well, but these last two episodes haven't felt anything like that even though it appears they are aiming for that sort of style because its no longer a sit com in space but almost as if they are trying to tell a more detailed story and adding jokes in.

[dan_tm]

I didn't really enjoy yesterday's show too much either, which is a shame as I thought the first episode was a brilliant start.

So yeah, I'm basically echoing what someone else said earlier about hoping the rest of the series is more like last week's than last night's...

[Frosty]

Did anyone else find this interview Craig Charles did very confusing?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19924590

Think he might be on the stuff again you know.

[Yiggy]

I really enjoyed the 2nd episode. Thought it was at least on par if not funnie than a pretty good first.

Listers dad routine was great as was Chinese whispers. Generally think its really panning out well. I think its episode 4 that I saw being filmed so I'm looking forward to that quite a bit.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Can I assume that this Lister being his own dad business was something that happened in series 7? I can't remember anything about it.

[Dandy_Sephy]

Yes, it's from the third episode 'Ouroboros'

Kochanski (the alternate universe one, i.e. Chloe Annett not the other one) is his mum via artificial insemination. They go back in time and leave him under the pool table to keep the human race going.

It's a bit of a stretch but thats scifi for you

[Sponge]

Edit: on yeah

[wev]

See when I saw the initial trailers for the series I thought the Fathers Day card would be from Jim as we know Bexley died, didn't expect the Son/Dad thing even though I knew Lister was his own Dad

[merman]

Thought they explained the ai was from the derelict they came across?

But it was badly done. In previous episodes they would have shown them flying away from the derelict, then the docking bay with the new supplies in and would have said something like "Kryten, what is this?". It would have flowed better.

[Dandy_Sephy]

See when I saw the initial trailers for the series I thought the Fathers Day card would be from Jim as we know Bexley died, didn't expect the Son/Dad thing even though I knew Lister was his own Dad

Do we?

If that was in the novels then it doesn't count

[wev]

He dies in Future Echoes, Lister thinks that its himself but its Bexley, however Jim is never mentioned after Parallel Universe

[PK]

Hang on....so Kristine Kochanski - who Lister spends most of his time fantasising about and/or pursuing across space and time in order to shag - is his mum?

[Dandy_Sephy]

He dies in Future Echoes, Lister thinks that its himself but its Bexley, however Jim is never mentioned after Parallel Universe

Ah that explains it, my series 1 disc has been missing for a few years

Hang on....so Kristine Kochanski - who Lister spends most of his time fantasising about and/or pursuing across space and time in order to shag - is his mum?

The alternate universe one, yes.

Note: They didn't do the business, he filled up a tube.

[PK]

Oh ok, I forgot she was from an alternate universe. That's still pretty grim though.

[Harsin]

Ah yes, Series 7, where they gave them a device that allowed them to go to any point in the galaxy at any time. Which, y'know, cuts the entire premise of the series off at the knees.

[Eats hoops and leaves]

The callback to the camphor wood guitar was excellent. You're all so miserable!

[Jamin]

I've just watched episode 1 and 2 back to back.

Thought episode 1 was fantastic - genuinely funny, the set looked awesome and the cast were looked genuinely enthusiastic being in it. It worked. Storyline was fantastic too, with steady stream of gags. The people in this thread who are trying to poke holes in the plot (why is Rimmer's brother alive, why would there be phone lines for the Stirmaster) need to sort themselves out. This is Red Dwarf ffs. No-one gives a smeg about tenuous plot holes, you'd find one in every episode if you looked hard enough!

Episode 2, whilst good, wasn't a patch on Episode 1. Not so many funny lines but still perfectly watchable and very enjoyable too.

Looking forward to next Thursday already!

[wev]

The callback to the camphor wood guitar was excellent. You're all so miserable!

As someone said earlier, they're really treating it like it should be, a new instalment in a long running series. Even though its been a very long time I'm so glad they didn't treat it like they were starting anew and started explaining every joke. As mentioned previously I was expecting the birthday card to be from Jim Lister despite knowing about Listers own parentage so when they threw that in there without a moments explanation I really enjoyed it.