The remastered episode of this was shown on BBC2 recently, and I believe that the new version contains a nit (please correct me if I'm wrong, I didn't get to see the original version).

When Rimmer and Lister have that conversation about Rimmer's dad in the very top of Red Dwarf on the back of that starry backdrop, you see what looks like nebulas and other features of space in the background. A shooting star also flickers past very quickly at one point.

But don't these only do this when they enter a planet's atmosphere? From what I saw they weren't THAT close to a planet (and if they were, isn't that a tad dangerous when you're just passing through, with the gravity an' all?*).

*This sentence is written in true Mancunian language. Sorry for any inconvenience. ;-)

The Quote in the summary is wrong. I don't have this on tape so I can't post the exact quote, but basically Holly explains that the mail pod has been following Red Dwarf for 3 million years and only caught up with them when they turned around. Then I believe Lister comments on the 3 million years and Holly says, That's about right for second class post.

I was watching the remastered version of this and I didn't see Cat's half-woman half-fish. Was this removed from the remastered versions, or was I just not paying attention?

I think this episode features the first named scutters, Pinky & Percy.

Lister mentions his dad, mom and grandmother, which seems odd for an orphan, but I suppose he could have been adopted.

If Better Than Life creates your desires, then why don't we see Kachansky with Lister?

Andrew: What's Mancunian?

Keith, unless you think that scutter in Confidence and Paranoia really is named Stabem.

Keith, they didn't have Kochanski, because unknown forces had temporarily replaced her from history. Other unknown forces restored her later , but mucked it up slightly and ended up with Chloe Annette. Bugger, that still leaves Stasis Leak.

Maybe Lister's subconcious didn't want Kochanski? Or maybe Rimmer was already influencing the game? Or maybe it didn't occur to Lister. A better explanation for the other Kochanski problem would be the inquistor.

Doh! I forgot about Stabem. ;-)

Interesting theory Ed.
Presumably Kochanski 2 (Chloe Annatte) is the original Kochanski who was wiped out and replaced with Kochanski 1 (CP Grogan) and when Lister erased the Inquisitor from history all the changes he had made were wiped out as well. Except that the Kochanski we see in Psirens after The Inquisitor looks like Kochanski 1. Good try though.
(Personally, I like to pretend that every series of Red Dwarf is set in a parrallel universe, so that some of the more glaring changes are easier to swallow.)

Kotchanski changing: In #2's universe The Inquisitor may have replaced her, & the crew accepted this, or one of her ancestors have have been replaced.

I beleive that Lister recognized her as Kochanski and the resurrected crew in Series 8 recognized her as Kochanski. I don't remember one line of dialogue questioning her different appearance or accent.

I think Stabim was one of Pinky and Perky (I think the only to skutters we see in series 1+2 are 4457 and 129). Lister says there are 4 service robots (presumably skutters) in "The End", the other two perhaps being "Bob + Madge" from series 8.

Bob first appears in series 3 actaully (in the Last Day he brings Kryten his invitation).

And were Pinky and Perky official names? Wasn't that just Rimmer being insulting?

Anyone notice the guide in Better Than Life was the same actor who does the voice for the food dispenser in series one, the one that says "Today's special is trout a la creme" ???

You mean Tony Hawkes, who was also the host in Backwards.

Probably. The host of where? The pub?

In this episode Rimmer is broken up to learn that his dad died in his sleep, (or was it jeep?;-), but in Future Echoes, Rimmer says of his dad, shame about that suicide business. Indicating that his dad committed suicide and was dead before Red Dwarf left Earth.

It could also have been a botched suicide attempt.

It might not have even been his dad who attempted/committed suicide.

Tony Hawks was the MC at the comedy show where Rimmer and Kryten were performing in Backwards. He is, or at least, was the audience warm-up bloke for Red Dwarf.

The way Rimmer mentions it implies that his dad did commit (or attempted) suicide.

About Kochanski: I know Lister's obsessed with her, but if I were his subconcious, I wouldn't want myself thinking about some girl who I loved utterly and in return got called a 'rebound'. It's probably revenge: KK threw Lister out of her life, so he threw her out of his fake life.

About "suicide business" line, perhaps Rimmer was saying that it was a shame that he didn't try it, considering his attitude towards him in this episode

Mancunian is the dialect spoken in Manchester.

This version of Better Than Life was very different than the one that appeared in the novel of the same name.

This BTL was not lethal and addictive.

True, Tim. IIRC, in the book, by the time they finally escape from the lethally addictive BTL, Lister and the Cat's muscles have severely atrophied, they are barely alive, and will need months of physical rehabilitation.

I know.

I have the book in question.

I love the outtake from this on the Smegups VHS release hosted in-character by Kryten - Arnold's BTL wife is complaining while his daughters in sailor suits are playing and suddenly there's a prop failure and the actress goes "Sorry, my pregnancy just fell out!"

Sounds funny.

Never seen that video myself though.

I'll send you the clip I have of one of Kryten's links. Check your email.

I got it.

Thanks.

Better Than Life has one of my favourite episode endings: When the loan shark suddenly appears to break Rimmer's bones.

"Now where's them thumbies?!"

*THWACK*

Which made them realize that they were still in the game.

How do they find a way out, i wonder?

After Rimmer's knuckled get cracked, the words GAME OVER flash onto the screen. That might be when the game ended.

Even though the TV version of the game wasn't lethal, would the creators really want to make it easy for players to leave? Even in the TV episode they fooled the boys into thinking they could just stop the game - until the loan shark showed up.

Yes, they didn't stop the game in the show, it ended itself after the loan shark thing.

trapping players in VR could become a weapon if - when - we reach that level of tech in real life. I certainly know of speculative fiction where vengeful people trap enemies in a virtual world.

At least in the TV version, they knew they'd were in the game.