Cassandra continues the recent trend of great gags and acting packaged in a totally unbelievable narrative.
PLOT
Lister accidentally signs his friends up to the Canaries, a convict team assigned to investigate dangerous wrecks for any signs of hostile life. Forced to go on a mission to the sunken ship SSS Silverberg, they discover a computer that can predict the future with 100% accuracy. And it has predicted Rimmer's death.
ANALYSIS
Two simple questions:
1) Why did Cassandra not alter the very specific chain of events leading to her death?
2) Why was Cassandra not destroyed by her creators?
The whole bloody thing disintegrates the slightest bit of scrutiny. Don't tell me Cassandra's future was fixed, because it literally wasn't. Even if we ignored all the time travel episodes between this and Future Echoes (conveniently the only one that gets referenced), there's still the simple fact that Cassandra does not see the future like her namesake. She's a computer. She predicts outcomes based on scenarios. They say this in dialogue!
So Cassandra had to orchestrate the series of events leading to her death. Which makes no sense with what the episode is telling us about her trying to take revenge on Lister. And if she really was just magic or whatever and could see the future for real, she should've known that her revenge scheme was going to be a complete waste of time.
Nothing about this makes any sort of sense.
That being said... it's a really great time. I've loved Geraldine McEwan for years as miss Marple, and she's such a wonderful addition to the show. She's got a real grandmotherly twinkle in her eye. Apparently she did the part for her nephew, which just makes it even sweeter.
The whole idea of Kochanski and Rimmer having to deal with the fact that they're inexplicably going to have sex in the future is played to the hilt, with both Chris Barrie and Chloe Annette milking those scenes for all they're worth. Especially Annette. She always nails looking bewildered and freaked out. The way her eyes bulge when Rimmer tries to snuggle up to her was amazing.
I've also got to credit Doug for managing to plausibly bring back the "exploring space wrecks" idea from series 5-6 in a fairly believable way. You'd think the entire season would have the crew rot in prison, but the Canaries concept is solid. Although it does somewhat negate the whole point of bringing the crew back. If the idea was to return the show to its roots, why are we now doing a riff on later-era Dwarf again? This season really is just chucking everything at the wall and seeing what sticks.
CHARACTERS
I wish Holly had more to do. He's gone back to a mere three lines of dialogue per episode, which is very disappointing. And he doesn't even provide useful exposition anymore. They make a special point of how useless he is. It's no way to treat a mainstay, especially one of Norman Lovett's caliber. God, when I remember how great he was in series 1-2... at the very least, all of his line deliveries are superb. He does what he can with what he's got.
If there's anything I truly, sincerely 100% appreciate about series 8, it's that it remembers the show is primarily about Lister and Rimmer, and their dialogue is as wonderful as it was in the very early days. One of my biggest criticisms of Red Dwarf's middle years was how it toned down the dialogue in favor of wacky sci-fi concepts and monsters. Not that those are bad, but the heart of it should still be Lister and Rimmer, and how they drive each other spare but also need each other. Between series 3 and 7, there was barely any of that. They were in character and they occasionally conflicted, but you didn't have that natural back-and-forth of them in a room chewing each other out, talking about their pasts, talking about their hopes and dreams etc. All of this has returned in series 8 and it's beautiful to behold.
This (and the inclusion of the recurring cast) does mean that Kryten, Kochanski and the Cat are put on the backburner. It doesn't bother me at all, but I can understand if it would for others. And they still get some moments to shine! Annette got all the best jokes in this episode! Without all the drama between Kochanski and Kryten, she's fitting in much better and seems to have properly gelled with the rest. Honestly, I'll be sad to lose her now, whereas in series 7, I couldn't have cared less. She's finally found something she does better than anyone else - reacting with genuine horror. Whether it's the prospect of having to drink German wine in prison or being seduced by pre-determinism theory, she is so believably shocked and outraged that it keeps cracking me up. She's the perfect straight man for the jokes.
NOTES
- It's a throwaway line, but the reason Lister joins the Canaries (synonymous with mortal danger) is because Holly inexplicably told him to. What a git. Is this another attempt to "keep Dave sane" with "diversions"??? He could have died!
- Why do Cassandra and Kryten both refer to "Kryten's theory" when it's not a theory? He's reading it off the mission directive file. I get that it's funny that nobody realised this, but why would either of them lie about it? The joke would have worked if he just said "I believe Cassandra was sent here because blah blah blah". Then have the crew ask "how'd you come up with that theory?" and then Kryten reveals it.
- Similarly, Rimmer's attempt to fool Cassandra into thinking that someone else is called Rimmer is spoiled by the fact that in the earlier scene, Craig Charles points his head at Chris Barrie when referring to 'Rimmer'.
- Nobody seems to care about Mr Knot dying. Kryten even advises Rimmer to switch places with him! I know they're prisoners and he's a guard, but that's harsh.
- Jake Wood really committed to that Kill Crazy role, didn't he? Blimey. Great performance.
- Rimmer pointedly reminds Lister that they used to be chicken soup machine repairmen.
- Lister uses Future Echoes as an example of the future being set in stone.
KOCHANSKI: "Why aren't you mad that I'm in bed with him??"
LISTER: "Cause I know why you're in bed with him, and I also know that I don't kill him."
KOCHANSKI: (sounding like there's no ice cream) "Aw, but Cassandra promised..."
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