This episode of SMEGHEADS will mostly be remembered for descending into "bad date" stories. Daniela's story was about ice cream and my story was about urine. Besides that, this was surprisingly a GREAT episode of Red Dwarf, and I really don't remember it being this good.
Its the episode where Lister gets radiation poisoning which - being a sci fi comedy - means his hallucinations come to life. This comes in the form of a creepy old guy which is the physical manifestation of Lister's Paranoia; and a smarmy loud American which represents Lister's Confidence. Things escalate quickly and it does not end too well.
This episode is also the first time the crew encounter another human, in the Mayor of Warsaw. Its too bad he instantly combusts the second he appears, but then some relationships are like that right?
For more info on this episode of Red Dwarf, here is some excellent data!
Notes
- According to the Series I DVD, this episode was intended to be the final episode of the series, withKochanski's hologram appearing and thus becoming a regular character in Series II. However, an earlier episode featuring Rimmer trying to build himself a new body was scrapped and the plot of "Me²" was devised. Ultimately, although Clare Grogan would reprise Kochanski a couple more times in later seasons, the character would not become a regular until Series VII, when another actress, Chloë Annett, would play the role as a living version of Kochanski from another dimension.
- Not counting the regular characters, or artificial intelligences such as the Revolving Toilet or Talkie Toaster, the Mayor of Warsaw, Confidence and Paranoia are the first human characters to be seen onboard Red Dwarf since the accident three million years earlier (the Cat Priest was course of the felis sapiens).
- Rimmer reveals that, as a hologram, he undertakes "Necrobics", hologramatic exercises for the dead. This may explain the exercise chart above the mirror in the sleeping quarters, since Lister and the Cat certainly never exercise. Rimmer is seen exercising frequently in the earlier series.
Background Information
- Craig Ferguson and Lee Cornes originally auditioned for the parts of Lister and Rimmer, respectively. Ferguson later relocated to the US and became known for his work co-starring on The Drew Carey Showand, later, as host of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Hattie Hayridge was once a guest on his talk show.
- The exterior of the ship seen during the space walk was a large, purpose-built set by designer Paul Montague.
- Peter Wragg's effects team built a full-sized dummy of Confidence to explode outside the ship with a high pressure burst. Actor Craig Charles appeared to be hurt, but was only acting.
- Red Dwarf composer Howard Goodall made a unique musical theme for the space walk scene. It is heard in the episode (as Confidence "cha-cha-cha"s) but the full isolated cue can be heard on the Series I DVD special features. It is a mash up of the 2001: A Space Odyssey-like opening cue of the old series with theThe Blue Danube Waltz.
- References
- The episode contains the first mention of Dream Recorders; these would become significant in the Series IIepisode "Parallel Universe", where as a one-off joke would transform into the Tongue Tied music video.
- Rimmer reveals that he was part of the "Love Celibacy Society" because he believed "their philosophy that love is a sickness, holds back your career and takes all your money"; but Lister says it was because he couldn't get a date. Ironically Rimmer would later fall in love with Nirvanah Crane on-board the Holoshipwhere love is also seen as something primitive.
- Inside the space suit, Lister mentions his claustrophobia. This would be mentioned again in the Xpress Lifts, and would became a major plot point in the Series VII episode "Duct Soup".
- Goofs
- When Lister is about to activate Kristine Kochanski's hologram disc in the Drive Room, her name is written on the box. Her first initial is incorrectly labelled as a "C" instead of a "K".
- This is perhaps referenced in the Series VII episode "Duct Soup", when Lister and Kochanski give Kryten a pendant with his name inscribed in the wrong way, similarly with a "C" instead of a "K".
- Despite the fact that Lister and his Confidence were in outer space to recover the Hologram disks, they don't seem to be experiencing zero gravity. The only instance of "zero gravity" shown is a shot of Lister jumping the barrier in an effort to evade Confidence which was edited in slow motion.
- This is maybe not a goof. It is possible that whatever generates artificial gravity aboard Red Dwarf also works on the walkways along the outer hull. It is possible that the artificial gravity "stops" just past the hull, and is why Lister enters "slow-motion" when jumping the barriers further out.
Dont forget that tickets for the filming of the new season will be available soon; apparently the announcement will be made next week!
Thanks for listening and we will see you next week for the super finale episode! Subscribe and Share! See you later SMEGHEADS!
jed & daniela
xxx