Well Jim, going back to your first post on the subject.
...And Doctor Who was a bit naff too. Bah.
It's nice to see we agree on
something.
They've taken what was once a brilliant character driven comedy and turned it into a load of self referential, up its own arse meta-humour bollocks (because THAT'S oh so very original and clever) - then, inexplicably and for no good reason, it's now a fucking straight up, so obvious IT NAME DROPS THE SOURCE MATERIAL parody of Blade Runner. What the hell is this? It isn't Red Dwarf. Part 1 *was*, imho. What the fuck happened? Did someone slip some LSD into Doug Naylor's tea once he'd finished writing the first 20 pages?
Well, im not going to say its the best Dwarf that's ever been made (I'll let the Cast toot their own horn on that one) but its hardly up its own ass. Hell, the entire premise of it is tongue in cheek. It's a comeback which asks and answers its own questions as a show - Why the hell did we get dumped 10 years ago? What have we become? Do we have a shot at redemption?
If I wanted to shoot some A Level Media at it, You could (probably) say that each part is (probably going to be) an analysis of the show itself. The first part was its history, two guys, sitting around tormenting each other for laughs which as you pointed out feels like Red Dwarf.
This second part is the show in its "current" (Yes, im fully aware the show is "back" but bare with me on this) state as being a cancelled Television show, with the creators (in this case living through the characters) wondering why their show has been cancelled, was it their fault, can they find a way back to how they were when they were so successful?
Going on this, Im willing to bet tomorrow's third part will be the show finding itself and shaking itself down for answers (in this case, The Characters finding Doug Naylor and begging him to write some more episodes, with Doug Naylor himself being the big bad network which cancelled them in the beginning) and eventually going back to the way it was (Mind wipe, big huge reset button BUT with a strong potential for a new in-universe series) and redeeming itself in the eyes of the characters and literally the fans as were shown in this episode.
Of course, you could throw that analytical bullshit aside and laugh at the Viagra jokes and Blade Runner pisstake which, regardless of how you put it
was Character driven
considering the situation the characters are in. Hell, Rimmer spent alot of time enjoying the fact he doesnt really exist and thus isnt really a self centered smeghead, something the character of Rimmer would do. Lister spent the whole time trying to just survive in his own unique take it at face value way (for example going to the toilet) and then pining over his lost girlfriend (who in Series 7 and 8 spent ALOT of time trying to win over). Kryten was a twisted mechanoid wondering what happens at this time in time, and Cat was just a fashion centric Cat. Ya know, how theyve always been. We havent gone on some Heroes esque idiot plot where the characters act dumb to suit the plot, the Characters have always been Dumb and just happen to find themselves in a bizzare plot.
And after all that Im going to have some beer, christ knows ive earned some.
Oh, and I'd just like to say, No hard feelings eh? I know it looks like ive spent an essay betlittling your opinions, but hey, its all my opinions too, I dont intend to change your mind, I just hope I can fill in what I think is going on and why I dont think its shit. Kinda futile I know but Ive spent all this time writing it so god knows Im gonna make you spend all this time reading it.
Peace.
