Red Dwarf/Justice

Justice
Season 4, Episode 3
Airdate	February 28, 1991
Written by	Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
Directed by	Ed Bye
← 4x02 D.N.A.	4x04 → White Hole
Red Dwarf — Season Four

Justice is the third episode of the fourth season of Red Dwarf, and the twenty-first episode overall.

Guest Stars: Nicholas Ball (Simulant), James Smillie (Justice Computer voice)

Plot Overview

Red Dwarf encounters an escape pod from a prison ship that was carrying 40 psychotic, half-crazed, super-strong simulants. The pod is already defrosting; and it may either contain a woman, Barbara Ballini, or a killer simulant. To solve their dilema, they go to the facility that the prison ship was originally heading for, hoping that there they will be able to handle a simulant, if that is indeed what's inside.

When they arrive at the penal facility, they are told by the facility's computer that until they are cleared for access, they must wear escort boots (boots that only go where the computer wants you to go). Everyone is mind probed to check for past crimes. Lister is worried that they'll get him for "scrumping" as a youth.

One by one everyone is granted access to the facility, except for Rimmer. He is charged with 1167 counts of second degree murder, and sentenced to 9328 years in prison for willful negligence in failing to seal a drive plate. The drive plate subsequently failed killing the entire crew of Red Dwarf.

Rimmer must now live in the Justice Zone, where it is impossible to commit any act of injustice. Any illegal action taken, is turned back against the perpetrator.

Kryten gets Rimmer a retrial before the Justice Computer, and after some incredible oratory, he essentially proves that Rimmer is a "dork", and wins his freedom.

Upon returning to Starbug, they remember why the came here in the first place. The escape pod is now open, and it wasn't Barbara Ballini who was inside! They run from the bazookoid-wielding simulant, back into the Justice Zone.

Lister has brought a bazookoid, but he doesn't want to shoot the simulant in the back. It's just not right. So he arranges an unarmed, face-to-face meeting between the two of them on a catwalk. Unfortunately, the simulant lied and brought a weapon. Luckily, Lister lied too, and he also has a weapon! Alas, the simulant lied twice, and has a really nasty gun now as well.

He shoots Lister in the chest, but Lister isn't harmed, the simulant is -- the Justice Field is turning the attacks against the attacker. Lister picks up on this (eventually) and starts handing weapons to the simulant, positioning himself for easy attack, until the simulant renders himself helpless.

Trivia

The Show

• Rimmer has just returned from vacation: a rambling tour of the ship's diesel decks.
• There were apparently 1167 crewmembers killed during the radiation leak aboard Red Dwarf.

Allusions and References

• When Lister is thanking Kryten for all his attention during his illness, he likens Kryten to Florence Nightindroid (a fairly obvious reference to Florence Nightingale).

Memorable Moments

• As the show opens, Lister's head is swollen to the size of a large mellon, due to space mumps. Later on Starbug, during Rimmer's showing of his vacation slides (which he spent 24 hours loading into the projector), there is a nasty, wet, popping sound. Lister's swollen, pus-fulled head has burst, and it's all over him and the Cat.
• Kryten's court speech reveals many, many things that Rimmer would rather not make public. Such as how he used to spend his evenings sewing name labels into his ship-issued condoms.

Quotes

• Kryten describing his proposed stategy for Rimmer's retrial:
  I simply have to establish that you are a neurotic, under-achieving, emotional retard, whose ambition far outstrips his miniscule ability ...
• At Rimmer's retrial Kryten has this to say about Arnold Rimmer:
  An incompetent vending machine repairman with a Napoleon complex, who commanded as much respect and affection from his fellow crewmembers as Long John Silver's parrot.
• Kryten's closing remarks bring a baleful stare from Rimmer at his retrial:
  He's not guilty of manslaughter. He is only guilty of being Arnold J. Rimmer. That is his crime. It is also his punishment.

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