Me2 (Red Dwarf)
"Me2" | |
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Red Dwarf episode | |
Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 6 |
Directed by | Ed Bye |
Written by | Rob Grant & Doug Naylor |
Original air date | 21 March 1988 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Me2" (pronounced "me,
Plot
The Rimmers soon find themselves competing against each other, causing their tempers to fray and an argument to break out between the two.[1] Lister learns that each has determined that the other must go. Deciding which one should go, Lister randomly chooses the original Rimmer. As Rimmer arrives in full uniform, including his medals for his long years of service on Red Dwarf, to prepare for erasure, Lister asks him about his final words before his death. Rimmer, after becoming (stimulatedly) drunk, soon explains he was once invited to the Captain's Table for dinner, and was served Gazpacho soup for starters. Because he did not realise that it was meant to be served cold, Rimmer was humiliated by everyone when he ordered the chef take it away and bring it back hot, and thus was never invited to the Table again. Rimmer remarks that it was the worst moment in his life and prepares for his erasure, only for Lister to explain that he opted to erase the double just to hear his explanation. Rimmer, annoyed at being tricked, demands him to tell no one, to which Lister agrees before teasing him.[1]
Production
When Red Dwarf first went into the studios at BBC Manchester, "Me2" didn't exist. It was originally planned to end the series with "Confidence and Paranoia", but after the BBC electrician strike disrupted the production. This gave the writers, Grant and Naylor, a chance to write a different finale to the series. They discarded the then-second episode "Bodysnatcher", about Rimmer stealing body parts from Lister to build a new body for himself, and wrote "Me2".[2] The plot of "Me2" is partly based on "Bodysnatcher", which featured Lister not getting along with his own hologram—Grant and Naylor took this basic concept and centred it around Rimmer instead.
The two Rimmer scenes were shot using a
Although
Additionally, the line "What a guy!" used by Rimmer 1 when spoken to Rimmer 2 was re-used in later series by other characters in reaction to the actions of Rimmer's parallel-universe alter-ego
Cultural references
- Orson Welles' film Citizen Kane is referenced both directly and indirectly during this episode.[5] Lister tells Rimmer that he and Cat are going to be watching Citizen Kane at the ship's cinema. The more subtle references appear in Rimmer's death scene, where a snow globe drops off the Captain's desk next to his hand, thus mirroring Kane's death in the film, and utters his cryptic last words "gazpacho soup" which hold importance in the episode. Kane's last word, "Rosebud", was the theme of the film.
- 'My Diary, by Arnold J. Rimmer' was Rimmer's journal of his thoughts and deeds. He had hoped it would someday be placed alongside his historic heroes' own work; 'Napoleon's War Diaries' and 'The Memories of Julius Caesar'.
- For the reveal of his April fool's joke, Holly dons a Groucho Marx comedy glasses-nose-and-moustache.
Reception
The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 21 March 1988 in the 9:00 p.m. time slot.[6] Both co-creators/writers, Grant and Naylor, consider "Me2" as one of the successes of the first series. Grant stating that it is one of his favourite shows and the idea of how you would react if you met yourself was an intriguing story.[2] Despite coming 25th in a Red Dwarf Smegazine readers poll, with 0.9% of the votes, the episode was considered one of the better efforts from the first series.[7]
Remastering
The remastering of Series I to III was carried out during the late 1990s.
Changes specific to "Me2" include new music and sound effects over Rimmer's tribute video, fireball corridor shot added to flashback of cadmium explosion, new explosion and sound effects added to scene, shots of Lister smoking tightened or removed to keep in line with current TV standards and Rimmer 2 calling Rimmer 1 a "great nancy" was removed.[12]
See also
- Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers – The first Red Dwarf novel which expands on the episode's premise.[13]
Notes
- ^ a b Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 51.
- ^ ISSN 0965-5603
- ^ "Red Dwarf Me2 (1988) Full cast and crew". IMDb. Retrieved 22 January 2008.
- ^ "Red Dwarf Series I Effects". reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 December 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2008.
- ^ "Red Dwarf movie connections". IMDb. Retrieved 8 January 2008.
- ^ "BBC Programme Catalogue RED DWARF — ME2". BBC. Retrieved 5 December 2007.[permanent dead link]
- ISSN 0965-5603
- ^ "Remasters of the Universe". reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 4 January 2008. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
- ^ "Red Dwarf Series I Remastering". reddwarf.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 January 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
- ^ Remastering Crew (2007). The End Re-Mastered DVD Commentary (DVD). BBC.
- ^ a b Remastering Crew (2007). 'Re-Dwarf' Documentary (DVD). BBC.
- ^ Remastering Crew (2007). Me2 text commentary (DVD). BBC.
- ^ Howarth & Lyons (1993) p. 8-9.
References
- Howarth, Chris; Steve Lyons (1993). Red Dwarf Programme Guide. Virgin Books. ISBN 0-86369-682-1.
External links
- "Me2" at BBC Online
- "Me2" at IMDb