Terrorform

"Terrorform" is the third episode of science fiction sit-com Red Dwarf Series V[1] and the twenty seventh in the series run.[2] It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 5 March 1992.[3] It was written by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, and was directed by Juliet May.[4] The episode's plot has the Red Dwarf crew rescuing Rimmer from a terraformed moon based on his own psyche.

"Terrorform"
Red Dwarf episode
To escape from the psi-moon, the crew pretend to like Rimmer
Episode no.Series 5
Episode 3
Directed byJuliet May
Written byRob Grant & Doug Naylor
Original air date5 March 1992
Guest appearance(s)

Plot

While enjoying some peace and quiet on Red Dwarf without Arnold Rimmer, who is away moon-hopping with Kryten's assistance piloting Starbug, Dave Lister and Cat are alerted by Holly that a tarantula-like creature has boarded the ship. Initially panicking when they find it, they find that it is made from Kryten's left hand and right eye and had been sent to find help, alerting them that Kryten is in trouble. Taking Starbug 2, the pair track down Kryten near the wreckage of his ship upon a psi-moon – an artificial planetoid that can tune into an individual's psyche and adapt its terrain to mimic his mental state. After repairing his damaged body, the pair learn that something took Rimmer after their crash, and that the psi-moon is likely re-configuring itself to Rimmer's subconscious. The group confirm this when searching for him, discover the planetoid has reshaped towards his mostly dominant negative qualities, with his positive ones being weak and represented by a graveyard.

When the group find Rimmer, they discover him imprisoned by hooded legions of his negative emotions and a creature made of his self-loathing, with the hologram having been given a physical presence as a side-effect of the moon's transformative abilities. Attempting to rescue him, they find themselves struggling against the creature, until it retreats when Kryten reassures Rimmer they won't leave him behind. When they find their Starbug 2 sinking into a swamp made of Rimmer's despair, Lister and Kryten realise they must boost Rimmer's self-confidence with Cat's help, and persuade Rimmer they like him greatly. In response, Rimmer's self-respect and confidence emerge from the graveyard as musketeers and slay Rimmer's personal demons, allowing the group to escape. After leaving the psi-moon, Rimmer starts suspecting the others only pretended to like him, to which the other three agree they were lying.

Production

Another episode that was cut in the edit room although this time it was felt that some of the dialogue didn't work. The final scenes with the crew gathering around Rimmer to make him feel wanted was trimmed down.[5]

Other small cuts included the Master, who was fully built, but cut down to show only a hand, foot or shadow. This was considered more effective than seeing the character full on.[6]

Some scenes from this episode were incorporated into the second pilot (actually, a promo reel) for the prospective American Red Dwarf series.[7]

Sara Stockbridge and Francine Walker-Lee both appeared as Handmaidens.[4]

Cultural references
  • We see Rimmer's 'self respect' and 'self confidence' rise from the dead, looking like two members of The Three Musketeers.
  • The word 'Terrorform' is a play on the term terraforming.
  • At the start of the episode when Kryten is knocked offline, his CPU plays him a musak version of Copacabana. On the first transmission of this episode the recording used was that by James Last and his orchestra, but subsequent showings used that by Victor Silvester Junior.[8]

Kryten's Colours

During the episode, the viewer can see Kryten's internal display, which among other things shows his system status as various shades of red: Mauve, magenta, taupe, marigold, heliotrope and tangerine.

Reception

The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 5 March 1992 in the 9:00pm evening time slot.[3] One review said that the episode "provides an excellent example of how writers Grant and Naylor combine sci-fi premise with a closer look inside one their regular characters."[9] However, among fans it was considered as one of the weakest episodes from the series.[10]

References
  1. "British Sitcom Guide - Red Dwarf - Series 5". www.sitcom.co.uk. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
  2. "TV.com - Terrorform summary". www.tv.com. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  3. "BBC - Programme Catalogue - RED DWARF V - TERRORFORM". BBC. Retrieved 12 December 2007.
  4. "Terrorform cast and crew". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 29 January 2008.
  5. "Red Dwarf Series V Production". www.reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  6. "Red Dwarf Series V Effects". www.reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2008.
  7. Chris Howarths & Steve Lyons. Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Section 1: The History: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1.CS1 maint: location (link)
  8. Cast & Crew - Series V, reddwarf.co.uk. Retrieved 24 November 2012
  9. Berman, Garry (2011). Best of the Britcoms: From Fawlty Towers to The Office. Taylor Trade. p. 75. ISBN 1589795660.
  10. Red Dwarf Smegazine: Survey Results, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603
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