Desert island episodes?

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

If you were marooned on a desert island (ice planet?) with only five episodes,

• which ones would they be, and
  
• why?

I think the "why?" is the really interesting part. I love it when someone points out something I hadn't noticed, or makes me think about an episode a different way.

Here, I'll start off with mine:

1. "Thanks for the Memory"
Some neat plot twists, and some fantastic acting from Chris Barrie showing Rimmer in various stages of inebriation/self-assurance/resignation. Lister and Rimmer are surprisingly sweet to one another throughout, and though RD wouldn't be RD if this happened all the time, I'm a total sap when it does.

2. "Better Than Life"
Love the way the script sets up all the elements at the start. Lots of background on Rimmer, which is always welcome! The observation dome scene is one of my all-time favorites, with Lister's funny-yet-touching speech about his dad. Also contains one of my top RD one-liners in the way that only Cat can deliver them, "I'd prefer chicken!"

3. "Future Echoes"
A super-clever script and great character interaction. Lister's indulgent attitude towards Cat in the "photo album" scene makes me smile, and the "shaving mirror anomaly" scene is one of my favorites (or perhaps I just like seeing Rimmer come running when Lister calls). My only quibble is that Rimmer's motivations are inconsistent throughout: he's afraid of being shut down when Lister talks about stasis/going home, yet shutdown doesn't seem to occur to him later when faced with Lister's "imminent" death.

4. "Marooned"
It's the Lister & Rimmer show, and a drat fine one, too, though my interpretation of their motivations keeps changing every time I watch it. There's a tiny heartbreaking bit just at the end, when Kryten and Cat arrive and Rimmer casts a couple of delighted glances at Lister in the way you do when you excitedly want to share a moment, and Lister doesn't so much as look at him.

5. "Queeg"
What's not to love? An ensemble script, suspense, Rimmer wearing shorts and looking thoroughly worn out, pathos, and a hilarious twist ending. Did I mention Rimmer looking thoroughly worn out? I love love love Norman Lovett's Holly, and here he gets to play his part to deadpan perfection.

Haha, from this it looks as though I thought the series ended shortly after the start of III, but that's not true! Hands down though, II is my favorite series.

Let's hear yours.

Comments

[debris_k.livejournal.com]

Neat idea! Also, cool bunch of eps - wouldn't mind having them with me on a deserted island. :-)

For me, at this moment I'd have to say my absolute faves are the first five series Smeg-Ups (handy youtube link (http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=red+dwarf+smeg+ups), as I've been grabbing them) - I love seeing Chris Barrie actually do voices live (I enjoyed the first two RD audiobooks only because he was the reader, but couldn't figure out how much technological help he'd had with doing the voices - answer, what technological help? The man is a genius! With voices, that is *g*) and the crew goofing off and bloopering... The only reason I can pick the first five out of the bunch is because I haven't seen the rest yet. :-)

[ryanbrendonlove.livejournal.com]

Oh what a fantastic idea! It's so hard for me to choose though!

1. "Quarantine"
Mr Flibble. Rimmer in a dress. Luck virus. Dart in Kryten's head. These things are just very, very awesome.

2. "Blue"
Lister misses Rimmer, and it makes my life complete. I love how it shows that true companionship isn't about getting on, or liking each other, or even sharing civil conversation most of the time. It's about just having someone there to share things with you, to help you, to laugh at when they fail at the locker game. And hell, they kiss. Could anything be better? (Well, yes, The Rimmer Song :P)

3. "Gunmen of the Apocalypse"
Something about this episode just makes me want to watch and watch and watch. Also, "It's ten to Death!" is one of my favourite things to say. I love the Western versions of them all, showing what characteristics they'd all love to have.

4. "Back to Reality"
Expanding that idea, I just love how in this episode all they've ever wanted is shown to be sour. I think it's such a clever way of showing us how much they should appreciate having the ship and each other.

5. "Duct Soup"
I love Kochanski in this. I think this episode is such a perfect way to introduce her. Her obsession over the noises coming from the pipes is priceless. The way all of them bond through their insecurities is so clever too.

Haha, I'm completely the opposite to you! Only 5,6 and 7 exist for me. 7 is definately my favourite series. I'm interested though, what are your favourite moments from the show, and do they differ from your favourite episodes?

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

What's funny is that the Smeg-ups (on Youtube no less) was what got me watching RD (after several attempts by friends to pimp RD to me failed). I came in via Brittas Empire, thought Chris was very funny in their blooper reel, and then started watching the Smeg-ups because I couldn't get enough.

And then I thought, "Well, I ought to give the real show another try shouldn't I?" The rest is history...

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

Haha, I'm completely the opposite to you! Only 5,6 and 7 exist for me.

That's why I find these things so interesting. Although it's not as disjointed as it appears--GOTA and BTR are both immediate runners-up to my five ("Dimension Jump" is up there with them too), just that I couldn't fit them all in! I love them for the same reasons you do, and I'm drawn to the sense of dread/dystopia in BTR and the sheer cleverness of the script.

what are your favourite moments from the show, and do they differ from your favourite episodes?

Great question! I'm going to go mull it over a bit.

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

I love Brittas :B

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

I really like all of the episodes for different reasons, but my favorite is probably Back to Reality. It's such a compact, neat piece of great writing, and the interaction just feels exactly right.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

I think for the most part my favorite scenes are in my favorite episodes. But I've only just realized that "Confidence & Paranoia" contains some of my very favorite scenes (shiny thing, Chicken Marengo/the monkey's sick, and whole bit where Cat gives Lister "presents" and interrupts Rimmer's attempts to ask how Lister is) even though the episode itself isn't among my top ones.

(Also, any scene which features Rimmer focused intently on a console, being all business-like, makes me swoon regardless of which episode it's in. Just sayin'.)

[laurenthemself]

This is really difficult. In no particular order:

1. 'Thanks for the Memory'. It was the first episode I ever saw -- I came into it halfway through, then watched the whole episode from the beginning because my mother had taped it, thank gods. The 'What time is it?'/'Saturday' bit is one of my favourites. The main thing that really gets me is Lister trying so hard to make Rimmer happy and it just backfires so badly and I feel so sad for him.

2. 'Cassandra'. I'm one of those freaks who actually liked season eight (although one of the main reasons was because it made such an excellent jumping-off point for so much fic), and this is my favourite season eight episode, because I'm really fond of the causality and time paradoxes and... um, I stopped writing this comment to eat diner and forgot what I was going to say, but the end of the comment was going to be OMG KOCHANSKI IN A BLANKET, so I'll leave it at that.

3. 'Stoke Me A Clipper'. Makes me cry every single time, particularly when they show all the little yellow capsules in a ring around the planet. Again, it's all about the interactions between the characters, and I didn't want to say 'Blue' because I thought it would be the obvious answer.

4. 'Back to Reality'. Season five is my favourite season and I think this episode is one of the most representative of the need to work together and appreciate what they have and try to make their existing situation better instead of spending too much time thinking about what could have been.

5. 'The End'. An absolutely fantastic introduction to all of the main characters and the situation in which they find themselves. The dialogue is spot-on between Lister and Rimmer from the very first exchange to tell the audience exactly how these two interact.

[tits-teapot.livejournal.com]

Nice idea!
Oh, that's scary! 5 episodes only?! Ok, lets see...

1.Marooned
It's just lovely Rimmer-Lister show, wonderful acting of Chris Barrie, funny Smeg ups to this episode, and Rimmer's "Cast them into the flames: let them lay down their lives for the sake of friendship.", which makes me love this.

2.Body Swap
Yay! Great L/R acting! And this: Oh smeg! What the smeggin' smeg's he smeggin' done? He's smeggin' killed me!. And yay for Chris' voice in Craig's mouth!

3.Timeslides
I just love Emile Charles and his "totally shay-dee" and little Rimmsy is cutieee as well. And there's great music in this episode!

4.Holoship
That just doesn't need words. Craig is amazing in this episode, his imitation of Binks is masterpiece. And Natalina's russian accent is lovely. And clever Rimmer is very funny:D.

5.Pete (part 1)
Ohhh! I think this is my totally favourite episode! I know that boys are much more older and script is very simple, but I love it! It looks like they are enjoying this acting, because they are relaxed and that makes me relax too.
Rimmsy and Listy in one cell? Yay! Listy and Rimmsy - both naked? Yay! Reddwarfers playing basketball? Yay! Cat and Kochanski in "Turkish entry in the Eurovision song contest" outfit? Yay! And Hollister is amazing in eighth series. Luv him.

[ryanbrendonlove.livejournal.com]

See, now I'm completely different again. My favourite moments are mostly not from my absolute favourite episodes. I think that's because in my favourite episodes I can't choose the best moments, I love every second equally, but in the episodes I like a little less some bits just stand out as gold compared to the rest. Like, for example, my one of my least favourite episodes is Legion, but the Lightbulb gag is possibly my favourite joke of the whole show.

(Lol I'm the same but with Cat. If he's preening or dressing up or being especially cat-like I turn into jelly!)

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...only 5? Well here goes!

1. Thanks For The Memory. Because it's a classic Red Dwarf plot with great concepts and also because it's a turning point in the Rimmer/Lister dynamic. It's extremely funny, clever and tender.

2. The Last Day. Often overlooked but I think this has a collection of some of the best one liners of the series. Rimmer and Lister's rare post-series 2 bunkroom scene and krytens party all make me laugh no matter how often I see them.

3. Justice. Another fantastic concept and another show that manages to be as touching as it is funny. The courtroom scene where Kryten just destroys Rimmer's ego is classic Dwarf and Lister once more cements his position as the crews moral heart. Lovely.

4. The Inquisitor. Another one that's often overlooked maybe because it's so dark. Perhaps not the funniest show but very clever and very character-driven. I think Craig gives one of his best Dwarf performances in this. The final scene on the gantry is one of the rare moments when we get to see the Lister who grew up in the inner-city slums - and he's tougher than we thought. As the Inquisitor tells him 'You don't have it in you' and he replies glibly 'Oh yeah?... Bet ya life?' there's a moment where the whole audience wonders 'Does he?' As Mr Barrie would no doubt put it; 'Nicely done, Craigy.'

5. Cassandra. Series 8 as a whole lost the drama and focused on the farcical - except for this one show. As well as a cracking sci-fi concept, the emotional twists of Rimmer's supposedly impending doom and the Lister/Kochanski/Rimmer emotional triangle really make it shine. And Lister's final confrontation with Cassandra is an intelligent, challenging conclusion that makes us think before it makes us laugh.

[ldhenson.livejournal.com]

'Stoke Me A Clipper'. Makes me cry every single time, particularly when they show all the little yellow capsules in a ring around the planet.

Aw, I know. Call me a sap, but SMAC is too depressing for me to re-watch, mostly for that scene. (It's not just that, really; I have some issues with the script as well, but either way I haven't seen the episode in full a second time.)

'Back to Reality'. Season five is my favourite season and I think this episode is one of the most representative of the need to work together and appreciate what they have and try to make their existing situation better instead of spending too much time thinking about what could have been.

BTR's in my top 10 so I love it, yet the whole "appreciate what they have" angle has never occurred to me. I'm going to keep that in mind next time I watch.

[(Anonymous)]

Oooo, yes please. :D

1. Stoke Me A Clipper. Mainly for the music - that episode's music score, particularly the tune when they're following Ace's coffin, is bloody amazing. Musical highlights also include Ace's theme, the duel music and their training song. <33 Luvs luvs LUVS it. I like the episode, but I'd take it for the musical beauty alone.

2. Thanks For The Memory. Absolutely gorgeous episode that completely threw me on my first viewing of it - and that killer line of 'I wouldn't wanna be around when one of these suckers is making a SPEECH" makes me die every single time.

3. Legion. Admittedly a bit of a filler, but I genuinely enjoy the fusion of the boyz everytime I watch it, and Rimmer being 'unknockoutable' is just brilliant. I'd have loved to have seen that cyber park. ;D

4. Better Than Life! I adored Rimmer's angst, the observation dome scene and the unique nature of the episode - and I love the little sweet parts where Lister attempts cheer Rimmer up.

5. Kind of cheating, but I'd love to actually watch The Identity Within. xD The storyboard looks excellent, and I'd take the comic version alone.

[the-summoning-d.livejournal.com]

Boy did I ever come to this party late, but I'm coming off an all-day Red-Dwarf-athon, and I need to ramble XD The difficult bit was norrowing it down to five - those which didn't make the cut include White Hole, TImeslides, Duct Soup, Waiting for God, Backwards, The Inquisitor, Demons and Angels, and Epideme

1: Marooned
Everyone's already talked about this one so I'll keep it brief. It's just such a lovely character piece.

2: The Last Day
The party is brilliant, and I love the crew's (Okay, mainly Lister's) attempts to protect Kryten when the new model arrives. Plus Silicon Heaven - what a fascinating concept.

3: Terrorform
Mmm, Rimmer in bondage...
Sorry, what? Okay, the concept of a Psi-Moon is really cool - I love the insight into Rimmer's mind it gives us. And this ep has one of my favourite non-comedic Lister moments ever (Which I have, [pimpage] mentioned in my idol_reflection essay on Lister [/pimpage]):
"Reload"
"Sir! Another barrage could bring down the ceiling and bury us all!"
"Reload!"

4: Back to Reality
I love this episode for the giant mindfuck it is. Again, I enjoy character pieces, and this episode is brilliant in that it shows us the one thing each character just CAN'T cope with.

5: Gunmen of the Apocalypse
Red Dwarf. In the wild west. Do I ACTUALLY need to say anything else? If I do, then: the Riviera Kid, Simulants, and the most awesome tweaking of a themetune EVER.