Nice end to the season, this! We learn a bit more about the characters involved, especially Rimmer, and we also see the Red Dwarf cinema. However, one big observation I've made - how can Rimmer duplicate himself when in "Balance of Power" Holly states that he can only support one hologram at a time? Maybe Holly can't support two different holograms at a time, but I think not. ;-)

Well, that's what I get for missing an episode, I guess! <slapped wrists> ;-)

Answer to Edje:

In Confidence and Paranoia (when the second Rimmer is created) it was the disk labelled Kochanski that Lister had tried to activate. So, Rimmer had obviously played around with the labels on the disks.

Now, there are two crew complements for the ship. 169, being the value given in this series, and some number in the thousands given some series later. Either way, that's at least 100 disks to sort through. It's a lot of work to find a dead girlfriend...

Two Rimmers.... WHUGH! Aparently the guy is so "Smeggy" (To coin a phrase) That his double can't stand himself. That must be a REAL confidence booster.

It seemed that in this episode, the double he created was a bit more strict and a bit more forceful with him self - the reason why they fall about is because the double works him too hard. Yet, surely being a duplicate, he would have the same attitude of planning things but never actually getting round to doing them? Maybe Rimmer programmed his duplicate to be more strict than himself.

I agree. The double also insults Rimmer saying that his parents liked him the least, but surely the double is actually insulting himself too, since they are both the same.

Maybe not...look at Rimmer's personality...Rimmer seems like the kind of person who would say something hurtful to his own doppelganger to win an argument. Why wouldn't he say something like that to himself?

Imagine having yourself as your own best friend... they would know all your fears, insecurities and deep dark secrets. And your double would have them too. So to make yourself feel better about that, put your other self down to seem superior, hiding all of that stuff. Secretly Rimmer loathes himself and it's exactly the sort of thing he would do.
There's also a case of individuality - one would want to be a bit different and as time progressed each one would evolve a little differently. True, they are holograms but they evolve as they go on - otherwise any new experiiences would be useless.

I always thought that the second Rimmer was so much worse because "our" Rimmer had been changed by his experiences... "our" Rimmer (scary thought, that) was a year older... while the second Rimmer remained the same as he was before he died (essentially). Here's the really scary part-- according to my theory, Rimmer has grown as a character... Ack...

To Dori-Ann: There's no doubt Rimmer has grown. Did you ever see "Stoke Me A Clipper"?

Apparently DVD's will not replace Video Tapes as a recordable medium, since it is a video tape of Rimmer's death.

In The End, there are these neat little piles of 'dust' all over the ship that are actually the crew. In the Drive Room Holly tells Lister that two little piles in the center of the room are Captain Hollister and Rimmer, but in this episode we see Hollister and Rimmer pushed away by the explosion. So how did the two piles of dust get to where they are when Lister finds them? (Was Holly having the scutters sweep the piles around?)

Lister sneaks into Rimmers' room and goes to a book, Red Dwarf: A to Zed. I believe they now have that on videotape.

Interestingly, the videotapes in Better Than Life are triangular - so maybe superior videotape technology supercedes DVD in the future?

Not only is our Rimmer changed by his experiences, but the duplicate manages to get in first one what is a very Rimmer thing to do (especially back then). Rimmer deludes himself constantly about his diligence and ability - and what better way to accomplish that than by having the chance to do it literally?

I love the part where Rimmer says to Lister:
"You have been watching my Death Video, haven't you? That's private! It's for MY enjoyment only!" That's one of the best lines in the entire series, and it says A LOT about Rimmer.

Now, there are two crew complements for the ship. 169, being the value given in this series, and some number in the thousands given some series later. Either way, that's at least 100 disks to sort through. It's a lot of work to find a dead girlfriend...

I haven't read it so I can't be sure, but isn't there someone in the Wizard of Ozz without a heart? Next time they make a film of it I think you should apply to play that part, Alasdair.

Peter.

>Answer to Acorcoran: In confidence and paranoia, >they work out how to do it.

IWCD claims they use the Nova 5's projectors to create another hologram.

But with an extra ship, wouldn't that mean an extra computer for Holly to talk to? True, they might not get along as well as Holly & Hilly, but...

In the death video Rimmer gets pushed towards the Captain's desk, but in The End we see his remains just where he was standing. Did he somehow crawl back after saying Gazpatcho Soup or for some reason the Skutters moved the powdered remains back?

I've heard the term "not getting along with yourself", but this takes it to a whole new level!

Imagine if RD had been cancelled after Series One and the last line ever of the show had been "Souper" ;)

But it wasn't.

32 years later, it's with us still.