I'm experiencing relief and anticipation!
Slightly ropey - almost nervous - first 5-10 minutes, but a strong second half. The cast were clearly getting back into their stride, the jokes were decent and the plot sufficient for the jokes. Only one or two really deep chuckles, but enough to be optimistic about next week. It still needs some sharper jokes (aka the Rob Grant effect), but overall, there's enough about this ep to give me hope.
If it wasn't RD, I don't think I'd watch regularly but as it's RD, I know this cast's chemistry can lead to great humour, so I'll definitely continue to watch the series. I think this return has some real potential to return the show to greatness. This ep was probably about equal to the worst eps of S1-6 (Meltdown, probably) and the very best eps of S7/8 (maybe Cassandra, or the Rimmer S7 episodes). And miles better than BTE.
BTW, it's really annoying to have to register for Dave's website to use their VOD service. I did it, because I really like RD and missed the live broadcast, but most people wouldn't bother. Forcing registrations limits the potential VOD audience.
