Red Dwarf X: Wrap Up

Well, that, my friends, is a series!

Red Dwarf X, the first "real" Red Dwarf series since 1999, is finally finished. So, after all this speculation, after all the waiting, how did this series turn out?

Admittedly, not too bad.

I think some of what worked for Red Dwarf X was the expectations... in that the fans really didn't have too many expectations. Given the shaky quality of VII, VIII, and (to a lesser extent) BTE, it would appear that the only way this series could fail is if every single person onboard was incompetent.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case, given the limitations.

I think that, if this season was any indication, this was largely a case of "playing it safe" actually working.

• Some revelations about Rimmer's family aside, the series really used the current traits of the characters, rather than build on them. Sure, Lister took up a robotics course, but that was more for brief gags.
• This season was very much like a hodgepodge of various series, with emphasis on I-III's "ship-based" comedy. Few scenes were shot outside of Red Dwarf, and there were fewer scenes with location shooting.
• The show tread on familiar concepts- the computer gone rogue, meeting a famous figure, Rimmer battling his inner demons involving his family, etc. While there was some mismanagement involving these ("Dear Dave"), sometimes, they worked out quite well ("The Beginning")

I think Doug Naylor saw the complaints levied to Series VII and VIII, and decided to go "back to basics". Which is fine, but...

...I wasn't so livid at the changes during VII and VIII as much as I was the fact that they were implemented horridly. Kochanski could've been a fantastic character. Instead, she was reduced to a bland character, her one trait being that she was a female on a male's ship. Putting the crew in prison, while a questionable idea, might have worked. Instead, the comedy was reduced to the lowest of levels, and the characters were obnoxious.

Here, the characters weren't annoying, and the comedy worked. Safe to say that the execution was decent.

In hindsight, the main thing about this series is that it feels like the last hurrah. It ended on a satisfactory note. There's really no need for an 11th series.

That, and it seems like they've told all the stories that can be told. I mean, the return was good, but it seems like any more would, again, be unnecessary.

Hopefully, Series XI lives up to the standards of Red Dwarf X.

Which leads me to the TL;DR: Red Dwarf X held it's own against the classics. It wasn't perfect - "Dear Dave" was weak - but it was still a nice return to form.

But we're not really done.

This December, our Christmas Spectacular Thing will be lists related to Red Dwarf. The first list? The top 8 worst episodes of Red Dwarf.

So far.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 6: "The Beginning"

Airdate: 8 November, 2012

Synopsis: In the year 2200-ish, at IO Tech, Rimmer's teacher, Mr Rimmer, uses Rimmer as a guinea pig to make him unsure of his decisions through life... as punishment for being late to class.

Three million years later, a rogue droid named Hogey wants apparently another duel across time and space with the Dwarfers. They aren't even fazed. Making matters stranger this time around is that Hogey stole a map of the various black holes through the universe from a Simulant Death Ship. Said simulants weren't too pleased, and begin attacking Red Dwarf. The crew escape in Blue Midget, where they fear death. Rimmer, in particular, fears death so much he brings a holo-lamp that his father gave him to play the day he became an officer. With his father on his mind, he is unable to concentrate on a plan of action. Thus, he decides to take the ultimate dive, and play the holo-lamp early, proving that he doesn't care about his father's opinion anymore. There, Rimmer's father reveals something stunning about Rimmer's lineage.

Review (SPOILERS): There are three absolutes in life: death, taxes, and Red Dwarf episodes being constructed as "last episodes ever".

Ever since Series V's epic "Back to Reality", every series of Red Dwarf (bar VII) ended with an episode ambiguous to the future of the series. Ironically, the even numbered series since V have ended with Rimmer called upon to save the ship. "Out of Time" was an epic ending for Rimmer. "Only the Good", eh, not so much.

Thankfully, this is quite the improvement over "Only the Good", by giving us actual character development for Rimmer.

We've learned through the history of the series just how Rimmer's parents mistreated the guy. This episode goes beyond the exposition that was featured in "Better Than Life", instead showing that, as punishment for being late, Rimmer's father wants to make him unsure of the choices in life. Now, one could argue that this was an attempt to make it so that Rimmer wouldn't be gung-ho in everything. Yet, the rest of the abuse that he got already made Rimmer insecure. This pushed him over the edge- he became unsure of any of his answers.

It's here where we get a moment where he "mis-gets" the note his seatmate gives to him as an insult. He delivers a far crueller one back. Thus, we see the spark that kicks off Rimmer's odious behaviour- a really bad day in class pushed him over the edge.

Flash forward three million years, and the time comes for Rimmer to formulate a plan against the damned simulants. The thought of his father has weighed him down. He wants to get his acceptance, he's driven down by the fact that he's dead. Yet, at the same time, he barely conveys his hatred of the man's abuse. We saw that in "Better Than Life". We saw him say how he looked up to his father, despite railing against his abuse.

Here, he drops any pretence of a good relationship with his father. He drops the contradiciton between either side. He ignores his father's pressure.

And it turns out... he has nothing to worry about. Why?

Rimmer's father was actually the family gardener.

With that realised, Rimmer now knows that he's already probably made his father proud. Simply not being a dopey labourer, actually proceeding up the career ladder (albeit only one step) would've made him proud. He no longer has to live up to the high standards of Mr Rimmer.

Thus, he's able to formulate a plan that relies on his personality... surrendering with the threat of bureaucracy. This time, it really works.

Oh, and Rimmer's not the only one to get character development. The Cat manages to convince Rimmer, a man he has despised from day one, to give up on pleasing his father. All while playing with a string and a stick. While the Cat might have not gotten too much in the way of character development through the history of the series, it's moments like these that make the character that much more loveable.

Lister and Kryten were somewhat stagnant here. It wasn't their episode. While not a huge problem, it just seemed like they were, at best, bystanders to Rimmer's action. They got some funny lines, but not too much in the way of development.

That, and the simulants were still simulants. At least here, though, there was some interaction between them. It gave us a chance to look into the seemingly everyday actions of the primary antagonists of Red Dwarf.

Looking back on this episode... I really think that Red Dwarf XI might not have been necessary. This provides enough of an open end to continue on. Yet, here, as with "Out of Time", we saw Rimmer finally overcoming his neurosis to provide a great heroic moment. There, it was an impulse, a genuine care for his friends, that got him to step up to the plate. Here, it's realising that his father only served to trash his life, and does not deserve to be given the time of day via reaching the highest of high standards. He banished the ultimate demon from his past.

I'd have been perfectly satisfied if this was the last Red Dwarf ever. It's not "Back to Reality". But, I'd be willing to say that it's on par with "Out of Time". Maybe if there had been a somewhat more unique antagonist like in "Out of Time", it would surpass it.

Will I review Red Dwarf XI? Yes. Will I go back and re-review the early years of Red Dwarf? Likely. Still, for now, after 61 episodes, after the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, the TIVs and the dinosaurs... we have completed the outlook on Red Dwarf.

Look out, Dwarfers.

The slime's coming home.

Tidbits:

• Again, this episode replaced a Kochanski two-parter. It may have given us "Dear Dave", but this more than makes up for it.
• Oh, there's a c-plot about some wacko GELF named Hogey pestering the crew for a duel across time and space to waste time. At least that led into the plot. No commentary about call centres, accident report forms, and Chinese Whispers here!
• Rimmer's father reappears. He had previously appeared in "Better Than Life", played by John Abineri. Abineri wasn't exactly alive at the time of filming this episode, however. So, they brought in Simon Treves, who has done some writing and directing work for other British TV shows. He also acted in the Fry/Laurie show Jeeves and Wooster.

Favourite Scene: "Arnold... I'm not your father." With that, the episode, and the franchise, are forever changed... maybe for the better.

Least Favourite Scene: The scene with one of the Simulants apologising to the Head Simulant just turned me off. It's the darkest thing I've seen on Red Dwarf in a long time.

Score: 8

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 5: "Dear Dave"

Airdate: 1 November, 2012

Synopsis: Lister's having one of those days where he mopes around about being the last human alive. To interrupt his sadness, he realises that two vending machines are fighting for his affections. Making matters worse? He gets a letter from the past, telling him that he may have sired a kid. Meanwhile, Rimmer is threatened with demotion by the ship's on-board computer (not Holly, sadly) for failure to perform duties, putting him on par with Lister. He realises that he'll be able to avoid being put on equal footing if he can convince the computer that Lister's nuts, thus giving him an excuse as to why he didn't perform.

Review: Let's get this off the bat - this is the weakest episode of Red Dwarf X. The reason? It seems like they wanted to siphon elements from Series I and II, yet forgot what made those series... quirky in the first place.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 4: "Entangled"

Airdate: 25 October, 2012

SYMBOLISM!

Synopsis: Kryten and Cat wind up in sync due to an experiment with the quantum rod. The two are full of coincidence, say the same thing at the same time, etc. Lister, meanwhile, winds up on the wrong end of a poker game against Biologically Engineered Genetic Gobblers, losing both Starbug and Rimmer. Making matters worse? A bomb is attached to Lister's crotch. If he doesn't turn over Rimmer within 24 hours, or tries to tamper with the bomb, he gets blown to bits... thus ending Rimmer's life, as Lister's lack of existence terminates Rimmer's runtime. (We can also presume that the bomb could do decent damage to the ship, putting the lives of Kryten and Cat in jeopardy.)

With little hope, Lister has to go down and renegotiate a poker game. However, the Cat mentions that Lister has a tendency to choke. Thus, the BEGG's choke to death. Literally. They eat power cords and choke on them. Kryten and Cat, thankfully, are able to use their newfound power to find the maker of the ship, a chimp who was once a forgetful scientist named Professor Edgington (Sydney Stevenson).

Review: It's often said that "Pete" and "Back in the Red" are the worst ever Red Dwarf episodes. One of the (many) complaints against the episodes is that they had too much material for the originally planned timeslot (one for "Pete" and two for "Back in the Red"), so they were extended to an extra episode. Now, though, this gave them two much time, so they had to add tons of filler. Thus, we got the claymation crew, a wretched Kryten story, and tons and tons and tons of Rimmer and Lister walking into the damn captain's office.

This episode shows that singular episodes with tons of material, while a bit rushed, can actually work... that is, if you pump in tons and tons of comedy, as well as a very quirky theme.

"Entangled" deals with the concept of coincidence, irony, and the antithesis. Oh, boy does it deal with it. I could go into detail about it, but that would require me posting the entire transcript of the episode.

Instead, I will say that "Entangled"'s concept is a microcosm of the entirety of Red Dwarf, if you think about it. Red Dwarf is something of a counter to Star Trek: whereas Star Trek has a very optimistic outlook on the future of humanity, displaying civilisations as enlightened (or at least passionate), Red Dwarf has all of it's characters be people who, well, let's just say wouldn't lead the Enterprise. Coincidently, Red Dwarf premiered mere months after Star Trek: The Next Generation, and both shows hit their stride around the same time. Series VII premiered months after Star Trek: First Contact, with both showing a more "dramantic" turn for the franchises. Series VIII, considered the worst series of Red Dwarf, aired mere months after the premiere of Star Trek: Insurrection, considered one of the weaker Star Trek movies. Both were attempts to return to what made the early years great... and didn't work out too well.

In-universe, meanwhile, this episode's use of coincidence is pretty good. While I do think there could've been a bit more creativity and variety in the coincidence jokes, whether it's the acting, the timing, or the characters involved, almost every joke hits where it's supposed to. Prime examples? Again, I can't list them all... so I'll list three of them.

• The "report forms/lost-ya-in-a-poker-game" double conversation.
• Cat holding Roestler's book on Coincidence just as Kryten points out said book.
• The only person to be traded is the one nobody cares about.

Now, what problems exist in this episode? A few. For one, the pacing makes for a bit of a weak ending. Once you get the tactic, it seems like they're trying too hard to create tension. Secondly, if nobody will miss Rimmer, why would they aim to stop the deal from coming through?

Also, there's a small plot hole. You see, why wouldn't they just return Rimer to the BEGGs, disable the light bee when far enough, and activate Rimmer on a new light bee? The only thing missing would be Starbug, and it would appear that Red Dwarf still has a shuttle or two, as we saw as they were travelling to the BEGG planet!

Yet, this might be solved by the following in-universe explanations:

• The ship really isn't being maintained by a computer- a Holly, a Queeg, a Pree. Granted, we've seen Lister repair Kryten before, so computer repair might be in store for him. Yet, he still might not be "mature" enough to really focus on repairing the computer when it's unnecessary. Thus, the crew might not have the ability to activate a new light bee.
• That shuttle the crew took to the BEGG planet looked small. We know how close to insanity they got in Starbug during Series VI and VII. Using that shuttle long-term would drive them beyond spare.

Again, so far, the second-best episode of the series (surpassed only by "Lemons"). Series X is actually doing decently, if not up there with the "golden years".

Tidbits:

• The "C-plot" of the week? The accident report forms. Boy, Rimsie really is neurotic. Eh, at least it wasn't as pointless as Taiwan Tony.
• Look closely, and Professor Edgington's glasses are upside down. It's the little things like that which make Red Dwarf such a brilliant series.
• This episode had a few production oddities:
• The chimp was restricted to only a few hours on set due to regulations. The original end of the plot was Lister and Rimmer bickering like a divorced couple about how to take care of a chimp. Thank you, animal regulations!
• Stevenson was not available at the time of the transformation from the chimp to Professor Edgington, so they got a model for that scene.
• Also, because details were still being hammered out, the final five minutes were not taped in front of an audience- rather, a copy was shown to a studio of people.
• Steven Wickham comes back as the BEGG chief. He previously played the Kinitawowi Chief's Daughter in "Emohawk: Polymorph II". 

Favourite Scene: The entirety of Rimmer realising he was gambled away in a poker game. Special mention goes to Cat spelling out his Curriculum vitae.

Least Favourite Scene: The ending. So much unnecessary tension!

Score: 8.5

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 3: "Lemons"

Airdate: 18 October, 2012

"Oh, Jesus!"
"Yes?"

Synopsis: The crew of Red Dwarf manage to acquire a Swedish rejuvenation shower. Being the Red Dwarf crew, they assemble it... haphazardly, to say the least. End result? They wind up in Britain in the year 23AD. The remote that can transport them back? Lister tossed the battery, thinking it was used up. Rimmer suggests making a potato battery to power the remote.

Kryten: Britain in 23AD, sir, doesn't have any potatoes and won't get them until the 16th century.

Rimmer's backup plan- lemons.

Kryten: Britain in 23AD, sir, doesn't have any lemons, either. They won't get those until the 14th century.

Cat: He's getting closer!

The nearest lemon source is India... 4000 miles away. At a local lemon market, they manage to procure lemons. Whilst talking about how primitive 23AD is, they manage to attract the attention of a certain fellow. He calls himself Jesus.

Review: No matter what your thoughts on Christianity (or organised religion) might be, it's pretty much a fact that The Bible is the most quoted and referenced book/anthology in the history of modern media. It's influence extended beyond typical media, and has created numerous tropes- forbidden fruit, the Judas archetype, the house divided, etc. Name a trope, it probably originated in The Bible.

Red Dwarf has routinely referenced the book, both via jokes and as plots. Rimmer's middle name? Judas. The religion of Mr Rimmer? Based on a misprint in 1 Cor 13. "The Last Day"? Total send up to the idea of puritanism and the afterlife. Red Dwarf, when dealing with religion, leans heavily to the "atheist" side of the spectrum- bashing organised religion as a means of controlling the masses, as seen in "The Last Day". (Robert Llewellyn is a self-described atheist.) The show also seemed to encourage people, however, to not use their "one life" and completely waste it- "The Inquisitor" was proof of this, with the titular character erasing those whose lives were spent totally slobbing around, unlike Lister.

Most of the brutal critiques of religion were done in the vein of "silicon heaven"- the afterlife for robots.  So, how could Red Dwarf take on the figurehead of arguably the largest religious belief in the West?

Amazingly, he's treated pretty well, and yet they were still able to write a damn good script surrounding the character.

What makes Red Dwarf work is it's combination of subtle humour and louder comedy. There are several send-ups to the bible, several of which your average viewer won't firmly get unless they've been paying attention in Church. Of course, they also make some more... obvious send-ups. One in particular caught my eye.

Of course, The Last Supper has been sent up by almost every piece of media in existence. The Simpsons, for one, used it as a parody of The Da-Vinci Code. (Too bad it was a Season 16 episode, and thus, probably is subpar.) Take a closer look at this, however.

In Da Vinci's painting, the man who's face is right next to Jesus is Apostle Thomas, who is pretty miffed about Jesus's plan. The man sitting next to Jesus on his left? Rimmer, who is not only always miffed about something, but still is a bit stunned that he appears to be meeting the most famous man in history. To the far right, Cat, who is just as confused as anybody else... much like the three disciples to the left of Jesus were. Sitting right next to Jesus on his right? Kryten, who Jesus declares a man of peace- possibly his favourite. To the right of Jesus in The Last Supper were Judas, Peter, and John, who Jesus regarded as his closest disciples (two of whom betrayed him). To the far right? Some guy who also looks surprised.  Lister's just there for comedy purposes.

The characterisation of Jesus is actually pretty brilliant, from a comedy standpoint. Here we have this group, possibly in the presence of the wisest man in history. They send this man from the Roman ages to the future. What is his reaction to the year 3 million? He's fascinated with the bags. You can store stuff in them! Oh, he also needs a kidney stone removed. Joy.

Of course, there's a twist at the end that puts all the puzzles, all the characterisation, in place.

This episode features some well-spread out character development. Compared to "Fathers and Suns", which focused quite a bit on Listy, and "Trojan", which focused more on Rimmer, this episode splits the development between the two. Lister, for one, is again back to his loveable characterisation- one that tries to focus on positive impacts of issues of conscience, even if he has disagreements. He maintains that Jesus's teachings helped the world, despite the wars fought and despite his belief that he's "the ultimate atheist".

Rimmer's revelation that his middle name was Judas because his mother wanted him to be named after somebody honourable is actually pretty deep in and of itself. You see, Rimmer, through the series, is shown to be cowardly and callous, quick to sell out. This comes at the cost of whatever virtues he has, such as those shown at the end of "Out of Time". Same with Judas. While Judas's betrayal was pretty low, little is known about any potential virtues that he had. It's actually a pretty deep naming trick.

Only cons? Well, did we need the Shakespeare gag? Not really. Oh, and why did they have to name-drop eBay? Why? I'm just glad they didn't name-drop IKEA.

Still, this is easily the best episode of Series X so far. Fantastic plot, great humour, great structure, great character... what more do you need?

Tidbits:

• They actually made a battery out of lemons. It did put out eight volts.
• This episode actually used... location filming. I wouldn't be surprised if that ate the budget of half the series.
• Interestingly, the "tongue of Albion" wasn't spoken in 23AD England. The tongue spoken back then was Gaelic.
• This episode actually shares some traits with "Tikka to Ride". Both episodes feature the Dwarfers going back in time, meeting a historical figure known for their idealism, trying to set history right, and cannibalism may or may not have been involved. The differences? Well, this episode was funny, and didn't make me want to slap Lister.

Favourite Scene: Pretty much every scene involving Jesus. The "last supper scene" was fantastic.

Least Favourite Scene: Again, what was with the Shakespeare gags?

Score: 8.75

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 2: "Fathers and Suns"

Airdate: 11 October, 2012

AHHHH!!! DATA DOCTOR FLASHBACKS! GET EM OFF! GET EM OFF!

Synopsis: Every year, Lister sends a Fathers Day card to himself, then proceeds to get wasted so that, when he sees the card on Fathers Day, he has no recollection on what he put in it. With Rimmer telling Lister that he's a pathetic father, and with the help of the Medi-Bot, Lister decides to give himself tough love. Meanwhile, Rimmer and Kryten install a new computer, Pree. Compared to Holly, Pree has extreme intelligence, yet with a twist: her mission is entirely tied to the crew, such as repair standards and final destinations. This proves problematic when, in Lister's act of tough love to himself, he resigns his position on the ship.

Oh, and Kryten is also wondering... is a table game that he played with various vending machines the night before offensive?

Review: This was a bit of a strange episode to organise my thoughts about. While the episode had a plot (two, even) that could've fit solidly in the first two series, the end result felt a bit more awkward than it should have been.

This episode is a follow-up on "Ouroboros". In hindsight, I think "Ouroboros" was the moment when Series VII heavily lurched toward it's negative reputation. ("Beyond a Joke" sealed it.) This episode decides to focus on how Lister tries to act like a parent to himself. Thankfully, the result here is much better than the result seen in "Ouroboros"- Lister actually acts on the fact that he's the victim of the "grandfather" paradox. I have to say, the scene where Lister keeps popping in the tapes he made the previous night, with his "father" self in sync with his "son" self, is brilliant in both comedy and character. It shows that, as slobbish and as seemingly unmotivated as Lister is, Lister actually wants to improve- he's just a bit too comfortable in his current state. That, and it's probably the best gag in the show since at least "Cassandra".

"From now on... Red Dwarf is run by Pree!"

Speaking of which, I think the "Pree" plot could best be described as "Queeg" meets "Cassandra", with doses of "White Hole". I think that's why that particular plotline felt a bit off- I think Doug was midway through writing the episode, noticed the similarities between this and "Cassandra", was short on time, and decided to rip off "Queeg", because who gives a damn about creativity anymore? Hell, if The Simpsons can rip of plotlines for 15 straight years and still get nominated for Emmy awards for 14 years after the sell-by date (not saying I like that theory), Red Dwarf can ape from two episodes once and get away with it.

In that plot, we get more of a view into Rimmer's latent control freak tendencies, sexism, and attempts to conceal both. The execution seemed a bit broad, but it is a reminder that, as much as we feel for Rimmer after we see his family life, we have to recognise that he's a git.

Pree, as a character, is actually pretty interesting. After learning that she did a shoddy repair job, she reveals that she takes her personality from the crewmen. Lister was able to predict what he was going to do with the tapes. Rimmer orders everything done, no matter what the cost. Kryten holds everything up to the letter of the law. The Cat is very strategic. Pree holds all of these characteristics- a gestalt, if you will. (And yes, I recognise that this is similar to "Legion".)

The C-plot did split opinion when it first aired, with several reviewers claiming that it toed the line of good taste. In hindsight, I actually sort of liked it for what it was- a running gag that also exposed some aspects of the Red Dwarf universe. I did like how Red Dwarf presented itself as the anti-Star Trek; in Trek, racial issues are seen as largely cosigned to the 20th century, with racism symbolically represented with episodes such as "Let This Be Your Last Battlefield". Red Dwarf, though, still has racism as a question in their universe- that, and the characters are certainly at least a bit ignorant. Fits well with the more cynical universe of Red Dwarf. Yes, it did reach points that bordered on awkward and dated (Taiwan Tony, for one). However, the pay off manages to fuse all three plots in a manner that's pretty damn creative.

So far, Red Dwarf X is holding it's own; not outstanding, but not wretched. Will the next episode break the streak of good episodes? Who knows?

Tidbits:

• This episode also gives some more input as to what happened with Rimmer between "Only the Good" and "Back to Earth", as we learn that he knows about Lister's parental situation. So, he does have some knowledge of the events of Series VII and VIII.
• Craig Charles actually had the flu during filming of the "tapes" sequence. Strangely enough, this made his scenes during and after Lister's rant more convincing.
• If I had to choose between the Medi-Bot and the Data Doctor... I'll choose the Medi-Bot. Simply because I never want to so much as look at Series VIII. Ever.
• It's worth noting that this is the first episode of Red Dwarf since VIII to take place entirely on Red Dwarf itself (barring a brief sequence where Lister is jettisoned out of the ship). If VIII is ignored (which it should be), then it is the first episode since "The Last Day" to take place entirely on the small rouge one.
• One more note: I will be putting off my review of the Gravity Falls episode "Little Gift Shop of Horrors" until we get closer to halloween.

Favourite Scene: Tapes. Sequence. Excellent acting, excellent writing, excellent timing... excellent.

Least Favourite Scene: I'll admit- Taiwan Tony was a tiny bit dated.

Score: 7.5. It would've gotten an 8.5 if it wasn't so derivative.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 1: "Trojan"

Airdate: 8 October, 2012

Synopsis: The scouters aboard Red Dwarf pick up a derelict ship, the Trojan. Despite the derelict being unworthy of flight, this ship fascinates the crew, who are still stuck on a ship "slower than the speed of dark". After Rimmer fiddles around with a quantum rod, the Trojan comes in close contact with the Columbus III. The hologram on that ship is Howard Rimmer. Yes. Rimmer's brother. Already dejected from failing the Astro-Navs again, Rimmer's resentment fills up his hard drive, causing him to suffer a crash. After being cleared of some of the "malware", he realises he has two options- fess up to his failures, or lie to his brother.

No prizes for guessing what he chooses.

Review (SPOILER-ISH): One of the central tenants of Rimmer's character has always been the conflict between the guy and his family. It's strongly implied that, as much as he uses them as a crutch for his aloof and insensitive behaviour, that his strained relationship really did mess his psyche up. His father physically abused him, mentally abused him, his brothers tortured him beyond typical "brotherly" fights, and his mother was aloof to the whole situation, sleeping around to avoid the situation. Bringing Rimmer's supposedly more successful brother to the centre of an episode- the premiere of the first "regular" Red Dwarf episode in 13 years, mind you- was, in hindsight, a bit of a daring manoeuvre. Does it work?

Mostly.

Being that Red Dwarf has traditionally made Rimmer the centre of an eccentric ensemble, it's no surprise that he gets the first episode out. They had no choice- if they had focused on, say, Cat, enough viewers might have been alienated to put the franchise in danger. In some regards, the writers had no choice but to play it safe. Yet, again, they also took the risk to introduce us to Rimmer's brother, Howard. That was cool of them.

This episode drops a damn huge revelation on us concerning Howard, however. Let's just say that he never really was the person he was hyped up to be. Yet, he also manages to do something that would take a lot of chutzpa for anyone- especially Rimmer- to do. What we see is the impact Rimmer's poor childhood had again, through Howard. His life was a lie- what makes you think Rimmer's other brothers were failures themselves? Did Rimmer's parents lie to him in a failed attempt to motivate Rimmer to succeed? Or were they too selfish about their own failures, that they would lie to their own son? It's a pretty interesting twist.

Rimmer's character, yet again, has to be reset somewhat, just to give a feel to potential new viewers. As such, as awful as we saw Howard in previous episodes (and as awful as Rimmer said he was here), we saw Rimmer return the favour. Granted, it blows up in Rimmer's face, but Rimmer still pulled a cruel manoeuvre. In fact, in my first ever edition of "Not Another Top X List", I placed Rimmer's betrayal of his brother at #1. Yet, if what we know about Howard is true... he totally deserved it.

The big problem with the episode lies with Lister and his stupid call centre plot. Really, there was little humour to mine from it. Granted, I loved Kryten freaking out at the call centre operator. However, it also forces him to act way out of character in order to resolve the plot (here's a hint- it deals with jumping at the risk of getting hit with phasers.)

After two series of slapdash/nonexistent comedy and a series that tried too hard to be a postmodern drama, the comedy here is back to form. It's not really too hysterical- there's not too much character comedy here- but I'll take this far over "Beyond a Joke" any day of the week. Favourites of mine include the "Trojan moving gag", the "orange glow paint" joke, Rimmer's interactions with Trojan, and Rimmer trying to revise for his test.

So, was "Trojan" worth the wait? I'm willing to say so. It's probably not too much of a masterpiece (the call centre was pretty stupid, for one), but it serves it's purpose- bring Red Dwarf back to it's roots. Driving the point home, the episode was given a generally positive reception after three series of divisive-to-scathing reviews. That's just how pleased the fans were.

Welcome back, Red Dwarf. Nice to review episodes of you again.

Tidbits

• I forgot to mention- the acting in this episode is pretty damn good. Strangely enough, compared to the first 8 series, Craig Charles did give off a bit more of a "dramatic", toned down vibe to Lister's character. Granted, Charles does play Lloyd Mullaney in Corrie. Oh, and Lister is at least in his mid 40s (physically).
• Like always, the Cat makes pretty much everything funny. Danny John-Jules just has that midas touch.
• The question is- will I review Series XI when it comes out? If I'm still doing this blog (which I probably will), then the answer is a resounding yes.
• Again, very pleased to see that the models for the ship are back. CGI? Who needs CGI?

Favourite Scene: Going to have to go with Rimmer, post resentment-removal. Lots of character comedy there.

Least Favourite Scene: Three words. Call. Centre. Plot.

Score: 7.5

Red Dwarf X Preview

No matter what the critical response to Red Dwarf: Back to Earth was, the ratings were deemed to be extraordinary. Gaining the highest ever ratings for the Dave network, speculation was rampant and immediate concerning a tenth series. First word came out in June 2010, when the actors stated that more Red Dwarf would be made. However, nothing was confirmed then. It wasn't until April 2011 when UKTV finally confirmed that Red Dwarf would be back for a full series.

The reaction was cautiously optimistic. TV series have been revived before due to strong interest. Doctor Who was brought back in March 2005, Family Guy was brought back two months later, Futurama was revived twice, etc. However, the quality of these revivals has been debated time and time again. While Doctor Who came back to rave reviews for it's more character-focused plots, Family Guy and (to a lesser extent) Futurama got a more lukewarm reaction, accused of lacking the magic the original seasons had, or going in a more crass direction. On top of that, the past three installments of Red Dwarf have been blasted as being far weaker compared to the original six series. (You saw me getting more frustrated with the show as we ended the eighth series!)

So, would Red Dwarf get the same critique as other shows? Or would it be a return to form?

Well, before we dive in, let's just see how the production went. This will be quick, because the fact of the matter is that it all depended on the budget... which was, yet again, barely there. Doug Naylor had to fight just to get a studio audience. Once the sets were dismantled, any extra scene had to be shot in front of a green screen- any episode containing these were aired to a studio audience, not taped like the other episodes.

However, this series did go "back to basics". The Red Dwarf models were brought back (thank smeg), the sets gained vibrant colours again, Howard Goodall was brought back to do the music, Howard Burden was back to do the costumes... it really felt like the show was being returned to the "tried and true". Granted, budget limitations constrained the episodes. Ambitious projects such as "Back to Reality", "Gunmen of the Apocalypse", and "Dimension Jump"? Not done this time around. This was more like Series II- back to basics.

So, what was the end result? Was the show back to form? Or was it proof that Red Dwarf should've ended with Rimmer blowing the Time Drive out of the sky?

Well, here's the episodes!

• Trojan: Rimmer gets an SOS call from a ship... where his brother is the ship's hologram. He realises that he needs to beat his brother at his own game, and pass the astro-nav exam... the one that he failed several times.
• Fathers and Suns: Lister decides to help himself on Fathers Day, by trying to be a better father to himself. Makes sense. Oh, and Rimmer installs a new computer, Pree.
• Lemons: After a time-travel incident involving flat-pack furniture, the gang are sent back to 23AD England. They have to travel to India to get some potatoes to get a battery to go back to Red Dwarf.
• Entangled: A game of poker goes deadly when Lister loses Rimmer. He is given 24 hours to turn over Rimmer, or have a bomb that's attached to his pelvis blown up. Oh, and Kryten and Cat become quantum entangled.
• Dear Dave: Lister gets in a love triangle with an old girlfriend and two snack dispensers. 
• The Beginning: Simulants finally begin playing war games with the Dwarfers. This seems like the end for the gang... even Rimmer, who never accomplished any of his goals.