Krytie TV just ain't right, man...
PLOT
Kryten is reprogrammed by the male prisoners into an arrogant TV producer who records unsuspecting female prisoners in the shower. Meanwhile, Lister and Rimmer try to play nice in order to win an appeal.
ANALYSIS
Let's talk about sexism! That's a cozy start to a review, innit? It's my view that a very, very, very, very thin film of sexism has always covered the show. How could it not? These are a bunch of young men marooned in deep space, as devised by writers who grew up in the 1970s. Much of the comedy of Red Dwarf is "boys will be boys" i. e. trouble-making ne'er-do-wells who are a little too closely tied to their perception of masculinity. That's just part of the charm of it. These characters have never been role models, or sanitized in any way. There's even a precedent for this sort of behaviour with episodes like Bodyswap (Rimmer not caring about other people's bodies) and Camille (Lister trying to seduce a woman under false pretenses).
So if people say that Krytie TV is not in character or not in keeping with the world of Red Dwarf, I can't really agree. I think it's entirely believable that these people put into this environment would become voyeuristic like this. I just don't think we had to see it. It doesn't aid their development as a characters. There's not even a lesson to be learned here. Doug clearly wrote it as just a bit of naughty hijinks, oblivious to how much seeing the crew do this would stick with people. It's the equivalent of seeing them all do drugs and then never mention it again. Yeah, I can believe they'd use drugs to cope with the loneliness of space, but it's not really funny and it diminishes them.
The subplot about Rimmer and Lister working together to win the appeal is the episode's saving grace, and even that doesn't make sense. Lister supposedly made the appeal to win his guitar strings, but he didn't find out the guitar had no strings until after he'd appealed. So it's a bit bollocks, innit? It's only worthwhile because it's fun seeing the two of them be on the same page for once. Especially the sequence where they desperately try to clean out Ackerman's quarters before he returns and then chase after Kryten. That was very funny, and honestly the episode would've been leagues better if the whole point of Krytie TV was to prank unsuspecting prisoners.
CHARACTERS
For a bloke who once accused Rimmer of seeing women as a sex objects to be won over, Lister's morals sure have degraded. Again, I don't think it's necessarily unnatural given how long he's been in space and how much more cynical he would have to be after what he's been through, but it's just a bit sad and the script never notices.
Paradoxically, the Rimmer and Lister interactions in their cell still feel very true to series 1-2. I hadn't remembered this at all and now I'm very impressed at how well Doug was able to recapture that particular style of scene despite the show having long moved past it. Although it feels a little anachronistic with how much their dynamic had developed in series 6-7. I know Rimmer's literally meant to be his old self, but it's weird to see Lister act so childish after such a long while. I think they could've made things a little more interesting by having Lister act more mature and not take the bait.
I am concerned that having the crew under Hollister's authority robs them of their individuality. At no point in this season has a situation brought out anyone's unique worldview or perception. Cat has been completely sidelined and is basically a supporting role now. Kochanski and Kryten's rivalry seems to have ended. Anything interesting about any of them as people comes from their experiences in previous seasons, not what they're doing now.
NOTES
- Why would Kryten be in the women's shower to begin with? They make a point of saying he's not waterproof. Also, why does everyone shower at the same time? Also also, why do all drop their towels on the floor? No manners.
- When the Canaries all get aroused (there's a sentence you don't see every day), Kryten thinks that everyone's frozen in time "again". Was this episode meant to air after Pete?
- Somehow none of the girls can hear the boys openly talking about filming them in this one tiny cramped shuttle that they're all sitting in.
- Why would Lister even tell Kochanski that he watched her for three hours?
- I remember when Holly's jokes used to make sense. "Breakup is very much like a bereavement: it's usually followed by a cremation and some sandwiches." ???
- Kryten was assigned to the women's wing in Back in the Red.
- Kochanski gets back together with her boyfriend Tim, who was mentioned previously in Psirens and Ouroboros.
- Lister gleefully reminds Rimmer of the 'Om song', which was featured in Timeslides. It's never explained how this version of Rimmer knows about it.
KRYTEN : "I presume you've heard the news about Miss Kochanski."
LISTER: "What news?"
KRYTEN: "You haven't heard?"
LISTER: "Heard what?"
KRYTEN: "The news!"
LISTER: "What news??"
KRYTEN: "You haven't heard the news??"
LISTER: "Heard what news??"
KRYTEN: "No one's told you?!"
LISTER: "Told me what?!"
KRYTEN: "About Miss Kochanski!"
LISTER: "What about Miss Kochanski!?"
KRYTEN: "About Miss Kochanski and her ex-boyfriend, Tim!"
LISTER: "What about Miss Kochanski and her ex-boyfriend, Tim??"
KRYTEN: "I can't believe you don't know!"
LISTER: "Know what?!"
KRYTEN: "No one told you??"
LISTER: "Told me WHAT!?"
KRYTEN: "You mean to say that you're standing there blissfully unaware of the news about Miss Kochanski and her ex-boyfriend, Tim?!"
LISTER: "What news about Miss Kochanski and her ex-boyfriend, Tim!?
KRYTEN: "I don't believe it!"
LISTER: "Believe what!?"
KRYTEN: "Psh, tsk - I'm so traumatised no one's had the guts to tell you the horrible, terrible, terrible, appallingly hideous, awful news! I'm not sure I can even speak now."
[Lister grabs Kryten's neck]
LISTER: "Kryten, there's a two hundred foot drop down there; now tell me the news."
SMEG OFF
Well, the plot really. Although seeing Lister's pubes is up there.
CONCLUSION
Terribly misjudged, although there's a few good laughs just from the absurdity of it all. I forgot to mention that Pimp Kryten was a little amusing.
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