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Mrs. Hippo reviews the fourth episode of "Red Dwarf" Series 8
SPOILER ALERT !!
Glen here...
...with a review of the fourth episode of Red Dwarf, series 8. Now, this was supposed
to be run on Thursday, but several rather amazing things have been going on around here the last few
days, the end result of which might make for some very interesting Coaxial / AICN coverage in the
coming weeks. As such, I got a bit distracted - but all for "the bigger cause".
So, I apologize to all of those who came here expecting to find the review before today - and I
apologize to MRS. HIPPO as well. Such a delay should not happen again.
MR. HIPPO is out swimming around in the Atlantic, with his little dolphin friends Itzak and
Stomper. He refused to come inside in time to watch and review this latest episode of Red
Dwarf. As such, the lovely MRS. HIPPO is standing in for him this week.
To answer the one question which is on some reader's minds: as far as I'm concerned, the Hippo's
reviews will keep coming in (more or less) realtime as the shows air in U.K. Yes, much of (if not all
of) Series 8 is currently being aired in the States as part of Public Television's fund-raising efforts.
None the less, a vast majority of the world does not have such a luxury, and since their reviews seem
to be rather popular, I thought I'd just keep running them as the episodes originate in U.K.
Seems cleaner that way.
And now, here's MRS. HIPPO:
Mrs. Hippo wrote:
Tonights episode "Cassandra" is the first stand alone episode of the
series.
It opens with Holly (who is really a highlight of this series)
suggesting that if Lister were to become a dog, the jail sentence would be
reduced from 2 years to 14 days.
When Lister points out the obvious flaw in
this idea, Holly produces a picture from a 20th century publication ( the
National Enquirer) of a man who had surgery to become a dog.
The opening
dialogue between Holly and Lister was the kind of quick clever funny
material we expect from Red Dwarf. The episode centres around the
Canaries, whom Lister believed to be a singing group so joined everyone up
- they turn out to be the prison army.
They...along with the other canaries...
are sent on a mission to explore a crashed unmanned space ship. Did anyone
else notice that Chloe Annett looked rather out of place in the tough
prison army? Is she the only woman in this prison and if she is why is she
there?
Anyway, they go on board on the empty ship - and find the ships
mainframe, a computer called Cassandra, who can predict the future. She
predicts various things and keeps completeing everyones words for them, it
was kind of reminiscent of "White Hole" but not quite as funny.
For various
reasons Rimmer and Chloe are left on the ship, and Cassandra predicts Rimmer
will be killed by Lister whilst making love to Chloe - he thinks he is
going to die a happy man (and you think oh Chloe Annett does have a
purpose) of course things do not go as he hoped and Lister returns to
rescue them.
The ending is quite clever, Lister goes back to Cassandra and
gives quite a serious speach about how he believes he determines his own
future - as he leaves he sets of a chain of events that prove Cassandra was
right. The fate of the computer Cassandra is that of the mythological one
- no one belives her predictions.
Overall the beginning and end were the best bits. Although Lister's analogy
between going to the toilet in a mens prison and playing golf was very
funny, as was the exchange between the warden and Rimmer:
Warden: "behave like a man".
Rimmer: "a man, perhaps if you could remind me sir, it will all
come back"
...and Kryten's observation that Rimmer has the power of ignorance,
were all classic Red Dwarf type moments.
This seemed to be a really good
opportunity to get rid of Chloe Annett, she really seems to be like excess
baggage, the other 4 remember their earlier experiences with future echoes
and it has to be explained for her (and I guess for anyone who hasn't seen
the whole series).
Kryten, Cat and Holly play only a tiny part, which is a pity as all three
can be so good. It's not a bad episode but its not one of the all time
greats either - its somewhere in the middle.
- Mrs Hippo
Glen
Or call:
(512) 347-1992
Mail can be sent to:
Glen Oliver
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
P.O. BOX 160812
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
Austin, TX 78716-0812
USA
USA
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...from American RD fans!
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I am watching the last season 8 Red Dwarf on KCTS right now,but I will let Mr. or Mrs. Hippo review them.
They said on KCTS during the pledge break that season 9 IS being written.
Will there be movies or a new series? Or both?! -
I have just watched season 8 on Seattle KCTS.
I must say that i really enjoyed all 8 episodes.
Very funny.
I can't wait for season 9. -
3 or 4 weeks ago, KSPS in Spokane announced they were having a RD marathon of their own on the 13th of March. I live in Missoula, MT and we get KSPS on our local cable. My girlfriend and I, both big fans of the show, were very excited. We spent the day visiting my mother in a town 2 hours away. We rushed home, got out a brand new VHS tape, warmed up the TV and VCR, tuned in to KSPS and... NOTHING. We called up our cable company in a panic, hoping that they would tell us it was a simple error they were working on fixing. No such luck. They claimed the signal from KSPS (via microwave relay, I believe) was down and wouldn't be fixed until Monday.
I AM _SO_ $^#@!(&! ANGRY AND BUMMED I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!!
My only consolation is that KSPS will probably run them again as part of the normal weekly showing of Red Dwarf. I'll be waiting...
-
Red Dwarf 8 - like Red Dwarf for the last few years, seem to be struggling to come up with something new. 'Cassandra' certainly wasn't that - but it was head-and-shoulders above the rest of the season so far. A straight forward plot, with no great reliance on previous episodes
As ever Holly stole the show, though that's due to Norman Lovett's deadpan delivery - not the script, and the rest of the cast fell into their normal roles with Lister + Rimmer taking centre stage.
I too, like Mr. + Mrs. Hippo, wonder at the continued inclusion of Chloe Annett's Kochanski. Not that I fault her performance - she's great!. It's just the fact that the writers neglect the character. Still, it's an ensemble piece, so perhaps further eps. will use her to a greater effect. Here's hoping! -
you can read a interview with him here talking a bout the film and over things
http://www.chat.beeb.com/chat/transcripts/990226_charles/ -
So far it's all been funnier than series 7, but the opening 3 episodes streched the series "set-up"too thin. This was a fine stand alone and the best one so far. Funny and it even made sense, sort of.
-
Saw eps 5&6 tonight, another 2 parter that really should have been a one parter. Funny stuff, but often rehashed bits from past episodes--though the potatoe peeling virus affects are funny. Does anyone know if the movie may be at least released on tape here? Since PBS has the American rights maybe they will show it eventually?
-
Kolchanski was in a womens prison, along with Kryton who has been classified as female. This was determined in the final part of Back In The Red. Although they are both in the womens prison, whereas the men are in the mens, the Caneries meet in the Mens prison because they are mostly men. Not many women join the Caneries, but Lister signed them up.
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