Future Echoes has a solid sci-fi concept at its core, but it doesn't really do anything interesting with it.
PLOT
Red Dwarf enters light speed, causing the crew to experience visions from the future, including one that seemingly depicts Lister's death.
THOUGHTS
Grant Naylor hold Future Echoes in high esteem. Despite being produced fourth in the series, it was aired ahead of the next two episodes as a better example of what the show is capable of. It's also one of the episodes they chose to adapt for their novelisation. I can only assume that this is out of pride for their time travel concept and not the script, because... well, I don't get it. Nothing really happens in this episode. I get that this is a comedy sitcom and not high drama, but still, I would like there to be some stakes or development happening. The ship starts going faster than light (for reasons that are never made clear), the crew get confused about seeing stuff that happens in the future and then it stops.
The closest that the episode gets to actually having a plot is when Lister thinks he's going to die (which is like five minutes from the end, by the way), but Craig Charles is still too inexperienced of an actor to really sell Lister's fear and hurt over his life coming to an end. Then we learn that it's his son who died, which Lister seems strangely unconcerned with. And his son just happened to wear the exact outfit that Lister wears in this episode. That's the resolution.
It just feels like a missed oppurtunity. Grant Naylor show their talent and imagination by taking full advantage of their sci-fi setting to do some non-traditional storytelling and then they just... don't. It's like they figured out how to bake a cake and then left the cracked eggs swirling in the bowl, just sitting there. Bake the damn cake. Use your ingredients.
CHARACTERS
The acting is still very inconsistent (except for Lovett). Chris Barrie has moments of genius spattered here and there, but there's also times when his line deliveries are misjudged, either too loud or too tame. Craig Charles is even worse. I still find the Cat irritating, but I could argue that at least Danny John-Jules is fully committed to his performance. It's just not a performance I'm very fond of.
I'm noticing that all of them go for a lot of background physical comedy in this episode. All of them sneer and laugh at each other's backs. It's as hit and miss as everything else (Rimmer's buck-toothed snarl at Lister is very funny for example, but Lister giggling like a moron when Rimmer insults him to Holly is not).
The Toaster has his first appearance, played here by John Lenahan. I'm quite fond of the character, although he's undeniably more iconic in his David Ross incarnation. I wonder why he appeared so sparingly. The novelisations make much greater use of him, to the point where he's almost a fifth crewmember.
NOTES
- "Bullpats" is a swearword they definitely could've used more.
- Lister's grandma seems to have been pretty awesome.
- The book explains that the ship is going into light speed because it's been steadily increasing speed over three million years (due to the engines being on and the lack of gravity). But why didn't Holly just slow down? Why doesn't he slow down now, before they risk their lives in light speed?
- I like the little quirk of Holly constantly reminding them what time it is.
- The skutters show a little bit of personality, giving Lister a note begging them not to leave Rimmer active. Very cute.
- Rimmer implies that his father tried to commit suicide.
- Rimmer has tried to complete the astronav exam nine times. "Ten, if you count the time I had a spasm".
- At one point, Lister mimes drawing an H on his forehead. Because the episode is aired out of production order, audiences wouldn't have realised it's a callback to Balance of Power (where Lister draws an H on his head with cake icing when he's mocking Rimmer).
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