The 10 best episodes of ‘Red Dwarf’ and how to stream them

Since its first broadcast in 1988, the cult British sitcom red dwarf has developed a dedicated fanbase. The show follows the adventures of vending machine repairman Dave Lister (Craig Charles), the sole survivor of a radiation leak that wiped out his ship’s crew. Lister is now the last known human, stranded three million years in deep space with only a holographic recreation of his former supervisor Arnold Rimmer (Chris Barrie) for company, with a creature that evolved from the ship’s cat (Danny John-Jules) and Holly, red dwarfthe possibly senile computer of (played by Norman Lovett and later Hattie Hayridge).

Here’s a roundup of the 10 best episodes of red dwarf. All episodes of red dwarf can be streamed on Amazon and a range of others services.

ten. ‘Lemons‘ (Season 10, Episode 3)

After a hiatus of more than a decade, red dwarf unexpectedly returned to screens with three new seasons starting in 2012. Among the best of these new episodes is “Lemons”, in which the Dwarfs are stranded in the year 23 AD after an accident with an auto shower -assembly sends them back through time. Their quest to find lemons to make a battery for their remote control leads them to India, and a surprise encounter with Jesus Christ.

9.’Legion’ (Season 6, Episode 2)

“Legion” is a superb example of red dwarfthe ability to mix weird sci-fi with character comedy. The crew finds itself on a station inhabited by a single individual, Legion. Despite Legion’s odd appearance and mannerisms, his technology and scientific knowledge far exceeds the Dwarves’ meager skills, and they agree to try to recruit him. The problems start when Legion tells them that none of them will be allowed to leave and that they must stay with him until the day they die.

8.’The Inquisitor’ (Season 5, Episode 2)

red dwarfThe fifth season leaned heavily towards a darker tone with more horror-based storylines, though it did so without ever compromising the comedy the series is known for. “The Inquisitor” is perhaps the crowning achievement of this approach – a story in which the crew encounters a terrifying foe with the ability to completely remove them from time. Deemed unworthy of life and condemned to non-existence, Lister and Kryten must find a way to restore the timeline, while being hunted down by the Inquisitor aboard a version of Red Dwarf in which neither of them never existed. “The Inquisitor” combines a dark and strong sci-fi story with the classic character-driven comedy of Red Dwarf, and the result is an unforgettable episode.

seven. ‘White Hole’ (Season 4, Episode 4)

red dwarfThe fourth season of intensified the high-concept sci-fi side of the series, placing the team in a new star trek– worthy situation every week. One of the best is “White Hole,” in which the ship encounters the titular phenomenon, a white hole. Where a black hole sucks matter out of the universe, a white hole pushes matter back into it. The crew must seal the hole before it destroys them, but with time no longer flowing linearly on the ship, it’s impossible for them to even carry on a normal conversation. “White Hole” is one of the show’s most enjoyable episodes, from the return of Talkie Toaster (a cheap artificial intelligence toaster with an obsession for bread products) to the unorthodox approach and drunk on Lister’s astrophysics.

6. ‘Marooned’ (Season 3, Episode 2)

red dwarf was always at its best when it focused on the complicated relationship between Lister and Rimmer. Although the emphasis on this aspect of the series unfortunately faded in later seasons as science fiction came to the fore, season three’s “Marooned” provides one of the most in-depth examinations and the most hilarious of the two characters to date. Stranded together on a desolate ice moon after their ship crashes, Lister and Rimmer work together to survive. What follows is an episode that consists almost entirely of dialogue and a slowly building mutual respect between the two characters… which Lister ultimately undermines in one of the most excruciatingly hilarious endings of any episode in the series. Chris Barrie named this episode one of his favorites from the entire series.

5.’better than life‘ (Season 2, Episode 2)

A strong case can be made that the second season of red dwarf is his best ever. With more interesting sci-fi concepts than the first season, but more intimate character comedy and a focus on Lister and Rimmer than later seasons, nearly every episode is a winner. “Better Than Life” gives us a classic sci-fi story about a wish-fulfilling virtual reality game, but ultimately gives us a character study of Rimmer – a man who is so used to failure and whose the outlook on life is so toxic that his brain just can’t accept anything positive happening to him. His self-loathing ends up causing such a serious problem in the game that even Lister and Cat are drawn into his nightmare scenarios.

4. ‘Back to Reality’ (Season 5, Episode 6)

Another of red dwarfThe darker fifth season of “Back to Reality” is another movie-worthy sci-fi plot tinged with the show’s signature comedy. After a narrow escape from an abandoned underwater ship, the crew seemingly dies in an accident – only to find themselves awake on a dystopian version of Earth. They’ve been playing a video game called “Red Dwarf” for several years (and, during that time, scored 4 out of a possible 100). With no memory of who they are, the crew must relearn their identities and are horrified by what they find. As the episode reaches its darkest and tensest moments, one of the greatest comedies in history unfolds. “Back to Reality” often tops polls for best episode of the series and was named “The Best-Ever Red Dwarf” by the BBC after a vote by viewers.

3.’Polymorph’ (Season 3, Episode 2)

A shapeshifting mutant who feeds on emotions makes his way aboard the ship. He can disguise himself as anything from a “six-foot-tall armored alien killing machine” to Lister’s underpants. The hunt is on to destroy the creature before it destroys the crew, but with each of the gang having one of their emotions drained by the mutant (turning Lister into a crazed killer and Rimmer into a pacifist), it won’t be easy. “Polymorph” is a fairly light episode in terms of plot, with no real backstory for the Polymorph itself, but it remains a fan favorite simply for the amount of quality jokes it offers throughout.

2.’Queeg‘ (Season 2, Episode 5)

Holly is replaced by the highly advanced Queeg 500 supercomputer (Charles Augins). Rimmer is initially happy to be rid of Holly, but when Queeg proves to be a relentless boss who rules the ship with an iron fist, the crew teams up to stop him and bring Holly back. “Queeg” is not only one of the funniest episodes of the series, but also features some of the best character work, and has a twist ending that may be one of the most hilarious moments of them all. red dwarf. Norman Lovett described this episode as one of his favorites.

1.’Thanks for the memory’ (season 2, episode 3)

After Rimmer drunkenly confesses that he was never in love (at his “Day of the Dead” party), Lister decides to transfer his own love memories into Rimmer’s memory banks, at the unaware of the latter. Lister’s shoddy job editing memories quickly begins to wreak havoc on Rimmer’s mind, as he’s tormented by the failure of a relationship he never even had. When the truth comes out, Lister and Rimmer share one of the most heartfelt moments in the entire series. The story is both tragic and hilarious, and shows what red dwarf may be at its best.