Red Dwarf/Better Than Life

Better Than Life
Season 2, Episode 2
Airdate	September 13, 1988
Written by	Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
Directed by	Ed Bye
← 2x01 Kryten	2x03 → Thanks for the Memory
Red Dwarf — Season Two

Better Than Life is the second episode of the second season of Red Dwarf, and the eighth episode overall.

Guest Stars: John Abineri (Rimmer's Dad), Judy Hawkins (Yvonne McGruder), Ron Pember (The Tax Man), Tony Hawks (Game Guide), Nigel Carrivick (Captain), Jeremy Austin (Rathbone), Debbie Ash (Marilyn Monroe), Tina Jenkins (Newsreader), Gordon Salkilld (Gordon)

Plot Overview

A post pod which has been trailing the ship for three million years has finally caught up. Everyone rushes to see what's in it. There is a little something for everyone:

• a remake of Casablanca.
• some total immersion video games.
• a recording of the Channel 27 news.
• an envelope for the scutters from the John Wayne fan club.

There is also a video letter for Holly from Gordon, the tenth-generation AI aboard the Scott Fitzgerald. According to Holly Gordon has an IQ of 8000. The letter is part of a game of postal chess.

As Lister sorts through the mail, Rimmer gets a bit cross because almost all of it is for Lister. When Rimmer finally does get a letter, it turns out to be from Outland Revenue: a demand for 8500 in taxes. Rimmer also gets a letter from his mother addressed to Rear Admiral Lieutenant General Rimmer. His mother believes that he holds that rank, because every time he takes a test he tells her that he passed even though he failed. The letter starts "Dear Rimmer, ..." His mother calls him Rimmer too! She takes a very formal tone toward him in the letter, and goes on to say that his dad has died.

Later while watching the Channel 27 news, they find out that the total immersion video game Better Than Life can sense your thoughts and make your wildest dreams come true. So they all rush down to play the game.

As soon as they put on the head gear, they find themselves completely within the game. Everything seems absolutely real. They walk through a series of doors and out onto a beach. The host of the game appears and tells them that their goal is to get to the restaurant just few miles down the beach ... in any way they want.

Things just appear out of thin air as they think of them! So, Lister and the Cat team up to imagine a fancy motorbike (and sunglasses for added coolness). They give Rimmer the finger and the bike throws sand in his face as they speed away.

When Rimmer tries to follow, his imagination can only conjure up a rusted-out scrap heap. He tries again and imagines a nice car this time, a Jaguar E-Type. He goes on to imagine Yvonne McGruder, a woman he had once made love to.

When Rimmer finally arrives at the restaurant, he let's everyone know that he was late because he scored with McGruder. Shortly after arriving, Rimmer's imagination decides that he is an admiral with a table of high-ranking officers hanging on his every word.

Later Lister and the Cat play a few holes of golf, where they meet Marylin Monroe, one of Cat's girlfriends. Cat's other girlfriend is Miranda. She is half woman and half fish (her top half is fish).

When we next see Rimmer, his imagination has derailed. His subconsious mind decided that McGruder got pregnant; they got married; had seven kids; and he had to get rid of his car, because it was impractical. She also appears to be pregnant with an eighth child. To make things worse, a goon from Outland Revenue shows up to collect overdue taxes from Arnold.

Lister and the Cat try to help Rimmer by paying the bill for him, but Rimmer has fantasized their money away too! Finally when Rimmer concentrates (to try to make things better), everyone, including Holly, end up buried in sand up to their necks, their faces smeared with jam, and about to be eaten alive by killer ants. All thanks to Rimmer's "diseased" imagination!

Notes

• We see our first reference to Casablanca. Later episodes will also refer to this movie.

Arc Advancement

Characters

After finding out that Rimmer's dad died, both Lister and Rimmer have an honest, heartfelt talk in the ship's observation dome. Rimmer knew his dad was dead. After all, everyone they ever knew is dead. They all died three-million years ago. During their solemn talk, we find out:

• Lister's dad died when he was six.
• Rimmer and his brothers were stretched daily on a traction machine to insure that they would grow up to be tall enough to join the Space Corps.
• Rimmer hated his father, but still wanted his father to be proud of him; to hear him say "Well done."
• When he was 14, Rimmer divorced his parents.

At the end of the episode, we gain additional insight into Rimmer when he says "My brain's rebelled. It just won't accept nice things happening to me."

Trivia

The Show

• In Holly's game of postal chess with Gordon, the tenth-generation AI aboard the Scott Fitzgerald, Gordon's move (Pawn to King Four) is in fact the first move of the game.
• The scutter's address on Red Dwarf is
  
  The Scutters
  Red Dwarf
  Deep Space
  RE1 3DW

Quotes

• When Holly announces that the post pod has taken three millions years to catch up with Red Dwarf:
  Lister: You mean it's taken three million years?
  Holly: Yeah, that's about right for second-class post.
• When Rimmer is grousing about Lister getting all the letters, he ridicules Lister about the kinds of postal offers that he sends off for:
  Rimmer (mocking Lister): Please rush me my portable walrus polishing kit. Four super brushes that will clean even the trickiest of seabound mammals.
• Lister and Rimmer's somber talk in the observation dome is ended when the Cat comes in screaming:
  Cat: I'm so hungry! I just have to eat!
  Lister: Shhh! Rimmer's dad's died.
  Cat (a bit puzzled): I prefer chicken.
• In the game, Better Than Life when Rimmer sees Napoleon standing in the surf:
  Rimmer (to Napoleon): Excuse me! Excuse me! You're probably really busy, but could I just say you are my all-time favourite fascist dictator.
  Rimmer goes on to ask for his autograph.
• And finally when Rimmer's imagination has created his dad, his dad is struggling to tell him something. We know that deep down Rimmer want's his father to say "well done", and this we hope is the game's way of fulfilling that need:
  Rimmer's Dad: ...I just wanted to say ...
  Rimmer: Yes?
  Rimmer's Dad: I just wanted to say ... you're a total smeg head!
  Rimmer: What?! This isn't my fantasy!
  Cat (smiling): No, it's mine!

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