Thanks for the Memory (1988) Review

 

Thanks for the Memory might be the most Red Dwarf-iest episode ever made. 

PLOT

After celebrating Rimmer's deathday on a lonely planetoid, the crew wake up hungover to find that they're missing four days, and all info relating to the missing period has been stolen from the ship. 

THOUGHTS

In terms of overall atmosphere, it's hard to beat this. The crew wallow in their nostalgia and the loss of all they've known, and just try to make a little noise at the end of time, find some small pearl of happiness in their despair. All of this is conveyed beautifully by that tinny disco they play on a forgotten asteroid, and Lister's delusioanl attempt to do something nice for Rimmer. It's a simple story, a mystery without much significance beyond developing the characters. But it's just oozing in the lonely mood that this show can do so well. 

The only drawback is in the lack of a final twist or punchline. The majority of the episode takes place in a flashback, which answers the riddle of what happened to the crew during the missing four days. And once they figure it out, the episode just kind of ends. Even the emotional impact of what Lister did to Rimmer is resolved in the flashback. The narrative device of having the crew watch and comment on these events seems more like a gimmick than anything, because the present-day scenes don't add much. 

CHARACTERS

Similarly to the previous episode Better than Life, an aspect of Rimmer's miserable past comes back to haunt him (the two episodes even share a quiet observation deck scene between him and Lister, right down to the incidental music). You can sort of notice the writers getting into a groove exploring him. Because Rimmer is so flawed and so human in his flaws, there's a lot of emotional depth you can mine out of him. The contrast between Barrie's normal cartoonish demeanour and the quiet sensibility he brings to these scenes is also very effective. The 'Rimmer episode' becomes something of a trademark as the show goes on, but here it's all still new and fresh and more sincere. 

The early scenes at Rimmer's deathday party are just so well done, and always what I think of when I think of Red Dwarf. That beautiful shot of the ship in the distance, the crew dancing around in the dead of night near a little campfire on a miserable planetoid, and then their drunken drive back home. It's very sad, it's charming, it's relatable and it's also incredibly hilarious ("We're grooving tonight! Ahead, groove factor five, yeah!")

I also like how the Cat's been gradually more integrated into the team. There's an evolving family dynamic, with Holly as a bemused dad who's down with the kids, Rimmer and Lister as the bickering siblings and Cat as the younger toddler who tags along and causes chaos from time to time. We're starting to see him slip away from genuine cat-like traits, but he's also more likable now, so it's a decent sacrifice. At least he's not randomly singing in the corridors anymore. 

NOTES

• Holly's head wobbling around after he gets "drunk" is an adorable touch. I think Hattie Hayridge did this sort of thing better than Norman Lovett, but it still works. 
• Rimmer's drunken monologue comparing Lister to a chili chutney sandwich is a classic, and it's also quite revealing about his own private feelings towards Lister ("But people like you, don't you see?").
• For some reason, I always assumed the word 'simp' was something that came about in the 2010s, but here is Rimmer, being a proud simp for Captain Hollister. Wait... 
• Doesn't Lister already know that Rimmer only ever went out with Yvonne McGruder? Or is this strictly about making love?
• Craig Charles was not present for the filming of the spacesuit scenes, because his son was born. 
• The cast's fondness for background acting re-emerges for the bit where Cat silently asks Lister how many times Rimmer got laid. Although in this case it was probably scripted lol. 
• I love that Lister mistakenly has Lisa Yates call Rimmer by his last name. 

THANKS FOR THE MEMORY

• Lister accesses the Hologram Simulation Suite, which produces Rimmer's hologram. On the display behind him, you can see footage from various previous episodes (most notably Rimmer's death from Me2, which is shown several times). 
• Rimmer refers to old crewmates Hollister, Todhunter and Yvonne McGruder.
• Rimmer immediately blames the events of the episode on aliens, much like he did in Waiting for God and Kryten. 

FUNNIEST MOMENT

RIMMER: "Right, smegbrain, prepare to die!"
LISTER: "Eh?"

It shouldn't be that funny, but something about the way Rimmer just barges in with that line and Lister being completely non-chalant about it cracks me up. 

SMEG OFF!

I suppose I can't consider the lack of a great ending as an unfunny moment, so I'll count the bit where Lister and Cat break their feet dragging the Lisa Yates tombstone. It could've been played up much more. Instead it's just a "oh yeah so that's how they broke their feet". 

CONCLUSION

I don't know if it's the best episode... probably not. But it is the Dwarfiest.