The End

"The End" is an elegant way to start a series, it's a very tight episode that moves everything along at a quick pace yet doesn't drop the ball when it comes to establishing the world and characters. We immediately get how Lister and Rimmer interact with one another which makes the ultimate reveal that they're stuck together hilarious. The ship's low budget atmosphere and dark interiors bring this interesting sense of claustrophobia that contrasts with the bright humor and character dispositions. It's a very unique mix that gives Red Dwarf a subtle bleak backdrop that it ultimately drops as the series goes along (to its detriment in my opinion). "The End" is an episode that shows the series has so much potential while also being a good story in of itself, I find it to be a great example of how to discreetly build an intriguing world.

The End sets up Red Dwarf pretty well. It mainly focuses on the relationship between Rimmer and Lister, with their dynamic being the funniest aspect about the show.

Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer are technicians on board the mining ship Red Dwarf. They loathe each other, being polar opposites personality-wise. Due to being placed in stasis for an infringement, Lister finds himself the only survivor of the crew after a freak accident. He is not alone: unfortunately for him Rimmer is still around, as a hologram. There's also the descendent of the cat he smuggled on board the ship, evolved into human form over the three million years since the accident.

A bit disappointing. Red Dwarf is one of those cult shows that you feel you just have to watch, just to get all the in-jokes from your friends and in other shows. I was expecting something brilliant but this doesn't even come close.

Admittedly it is the first episode and the scene needs to be set. This takes half of the first episode and things do get a bit better after that. However, it's still quite dry and never laugh-out-loud funny.

Ultimately it's good enough to make me come back for Episode 2 but my expectations are now decidedly lower.

I'm quite a bit late writing this, season 12 will air this autumn, but better late than never! Red Dwarf is one of my favourite shows, this episode shows exactly what the show is all about, even as it's progressed throughout the years they've never forgotten their roots. From the drunk, smoking, curry obsessed, lovable Lister to the self destructive, obnoxious, power hunger crazed Rimer to the fashion obsessed, self involved Cat - this show has a fantastic starting!

Before the show got confusing with alternate identities and communities, this show was just a sitcom, but in space. And it was sort of a buddy comedy, even if one didn't want the other to be his buddy. The series establishes Dave Lister and Arnold Rimmer as a sort of odd couple. Even that is too simple. Lister is not as bad as Rimmer, but he is still hugely flawed. He's slovenly, shiftless and can be genuinely annoying. Ironically it's his own cluelessness that saves his life.

Rimmer is established as nasty, insulting, condescending, irate and gets irritated at the slightest sounds. He seems like he's trying to do his job but he's an incompetent know-it-all. Still, I did feel sorry for him when he failed his astronavigation exam yet again.

The show is pretty accessible in tone to anyone not used to the likes of Dr. Who or Cowboy Bebop. But if you like Blackadder, Mystery Science Theater 3000 or The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, chances are you'll also like this.