Gravity Falls Review: "The Love God" (Season 2, Episode 9)

Romance: the sweetest, yet the cruelest, of all emotions.

Airdate: November 26, 2014.

Synopsis: Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, and the rest of the teens find Robbie in a graveyard, mourning his love life (or lack thereof). Imagining herself as a matchmaker, Mabel decides to examine the psyche of Robbie and get him into a love life. Her attempts to match Robbie up with mobilephile Tambry seem to fail, until she manages to procure (read: steal) a potion from a rocker who claims to be a Love God (voiced by John DiMaggio). The two fall in love, but also causes a row within the circle of teenagers.

Review (SPOILERS AHOY): Let's cut to the chase- this episode is among the weakest in the short history of this show, mainly because of the ending. But, let's save why for a bit later on.

This is the first episode written by Simpsons showrunner Josh Weinstein. He, alongside Bill Oakley, ran the last two "classic" seasons of The Simpsons, with episodes taking on a somewhat more "domestic" role, exploring the emotions of the characters and how they interact in the unit of Springfield. This is compared to the episodes run by David Mirkin previously, which tended to using the characters to place themselves in wacky situations that showed the problems of society, and Mike Scully thereafter, which tended more towards campy plots with characters (like Homer, Bart, Homer, Lisa, and Homer) inserted because celebrities are cool. This episode is indicative of Weinstein's run- it's by far the most "down to earth" episode this season, showing an exploration of characters within the town.

Last season, we saw a sizeable portion of the character focus go to the Pines family, with much of the rest going to the antagonists. The teenagers, the Average Joes and Janes of Gravity Falls, were often put in the background. Only Wendy and Robbie got anything approaching development; even then, they were largely denied the pathos that encompassed Stan, Dipper, and Mabel. This episode finally decides to delve into the characters of the teenagers.

Robbie's back, his first time as a "role-player" in an episode since the "CD hypnosis incident" in "Boyz Crazy". Depending on the interpretation of the events of that episode, his actions in that episode showed him at his absolute lowest- willing to hypnotize Wendy into possibly sleeping with him. This episode cements all of his follow-up attempts to get Wendy to date him again- he's literally a broken man.

The thing is, I might have been a bit too harsh in my review of "Boyz Crazy". Don't get me wrong- if Robbie meant to hypnotize Wendy, he deserved his punishment. However, if he didn't, he was merely an idiot that rivals Arnold Rimmer in terms of how pathetic he can be. He has no talent, is a coward, and tries to masquerade it with depictions of grandeur, such as faking songwriting and telling mind-erasing societies that he kicked the ass of a video game character. Beyond his image is that of a man who knows he's broken, who has locked himself out from the world.

Again, going back to "Boyz Crazy", how his breakup with Wendy affected him depends on your interpretation of the events of that episode. If Robbie meant to hypnotize Wendy, we see that Robbie made an attempt (albeit a horrible, callous, self-serving attempt) to maintain what he knew was a failing relationship, and may be regretting his deception (optimistically- pessimists may take the road that he was regretting the exposure of his failure). If he didn't, he realized that something horrible happened, he doesn't know what, and that life screwed with him.

Incredibly, Robbie's gothic tragedy contrasts starkly with his parents. Sure, Mr and Mrs Valentino appear to be chipper and happy. Yet, when you get down to it, they are almost sociopathic. They gleefully run a funeral home, smile when people appear to be on the verge of death, seem to ignore the troubles of their son... I could make a good case explaining that Robbie is rebelling against his parent's strange personalities by taking on an ironic gothic image- one that seems to rebel against society, yet one who runs on the id- this in deep contrast to his parents, who seem happy, yet seem moved by the cheques they get from running a funeral home in Gravity Falls.

The eponymous character in this episode, the Love God, is certainly one of the quirkier one-shot characters in the history of Gravity Falls. This personification of Ares Eros, you would expect to be soft and inquisitive. However, the Love God in here is pure id in the other way- he's a slob, he loves to rock, and he'll make pretty much anything fall in love with anything. However, he knows that he has powers that could cause great danger, that putting it in the wrong hands could cause trouble for all involved.

We also see that Dipper finally has gelled with the crowd of teenagers, often falling into the same patterns of behavior and likes as the rest. Is it genuine? Or is it a mere attempt to blend in? I'll go with the former, but it is a decent question worth asking.

Mabel's romantic perspective is also thrown in a loop. Her viewpoint on love is a series of 80s rom-com cliches. She believes that love can occur with a "love potion", that love at first sight can exist, etc. This episode challenges the love at first sight, and she realizes the power that love can have, in both a destructive manner and a positive manner.

Now it seems like I'm giving this episode praise. So why, at the beginning of the episode, did I call it one of the weakest episodes of the series?

Unfortunately, Tambry is effectively relegated to a secondary player in the game of love. Sure, we get insights into her character via her interactions with Robbie, the sarcasm and the snark. Still, she remains an enigma, trapped in the cloud of her cell phone.

This episode also continues on a trend involving Mabel-centered plotlines- a majority of them have involved romance. Hopefully, this episode puts romance in Gravity Falls on the back burner, but given Mabel's goal is to have an "epic summer romance", I doubt it.

The rest of the teenagers also seem to be but mere pawns in the romantic subplot- a pretty weak attempt to create tension. Characters in Gravity Falls normally react less irrationally to situations like this, so why does this cause such a massive rift? I can write some of it off by explaining it as the destructive power of love, but I think Weinstein just needed tension.

Ending an episode without restoring the status quo is a risky maneuver. In this instance, I can't say that the writers succeeded that well. I mean, this episode has Robbie and Tambry hypnotized into loving each other, and it's not reversed. That's a tiny bit creepy. The reason? Because the concept of a love potion is creepy in and of itself. Why?

Well, Rick and Morty actually did a damn good exploration into the drawbacks of a love potion. In the episode "Rick Potion #9", probably my favorite episode of the show, Morty convinces Rick to make a potion, in order to get Jessica to fall in love with him. After that goes horribly wrong (read, almost everybody on earth is turned into Cronenburgs), Rick blasts Morty for even asking him to create the love potion, using the logic that the concept of a Love Potion is essentially a pseudo-date rape drug- essentially forcing the victim to fall in love with the applicant.

Granted, this episode used it's version of the love potion for two external people instead of using it in a "want this person to fall for me, so I'll use a love potion on her" manner. Also, it does provide a bit of irony that one relationship was brought down by hypnosis, while another one was kicked off by hypnosis. Still, that's a bit creepy.

Also, the ending of the "conflict" was also a bit disturbing. The teens are reunited by their mutual love of seeing Thompson as the center of the world's abuse- their picking fence. That's... a bit of a tragic, awkward ending... too awkward for me.

I think the biggest problem with this episode was that it tried a bit too hard to be a comedy-focused episode. Which is fine. After episodes focusing on parental abandonment, mind-erasure, abusive relationships, body theft, extreme nationalism, dangers in romance, and the dangers of ambition, a comedy-focused episode is certainly a necessary evil. Still, it seemed to come at the expense of potential character comedy.

Again, the fact that I could analyze Robbie and his parents as deeply as I could is pretty remarkable, given that this episode was pretty weak. That, and even the weakest Gravity Falls episode is still better than 85% of television.

But, it just didn't gel fantastically.

Who knows? I just think the reason why this episode was weak was because it was Weinstein's first episode. Hopefully, his next episode makes this look like a mere outlier on an otherwise pretty good record.

Tidbits:

• John DiMaggio is pretty much perfect as the Love God. DiMaggio, for those unaware, often voices id-based characters, such as Bender from Futurama and Jake from Adventure Time. It seems like the Love God was made especially for DiMaggio to voice.
• There was actually a subplot focusing on a local indie concert, with Stan trying to get "with the kids" at the concert... for the purpose of making money. I found the send-ups to Oregon-based culture pretty damn funny, and Stan's attempts to get a few extra bucks even funnier.
• Why, when the Love God used the "visions of heartbreak past", did it only show Mabel's crushes? There might be an answer. Is it implying that Dipper never had a crush until Wendy? Possibly. Is it also implying that Dipper is on good enough terms with Wendy that being let down wasn't heartbreak? Maybe... even though "Into the Bunker" still showed him quite solemn after Wendy let him down.
• Dear DisneyXD: Pick a timeslot and STICK TO IT!
• Interesting to note that this is the weakest episode of the season, and it's the 9th episode. Last season brought us the "Time Travelers Pig", the 9th episode of the 1st season, and that was my least favorite episode of the show up to that point. I really hope there isn't a "9th episode curse" developing.
• One last note: it appears we're entering another Gravity Falls drought. No episodes are scheduled for December, so far. If anything changes, I'll edit this.

Favorite Scene: Pretty much every second at the funeral home. Brilliant character analysis and pathos on both sides of the coin.

Least Favorite Scene: The ending of both the romantic plot and the friend breakup plot. Too awkward by half.

Score: 6.5.

(Edit 21/7/15: Score was originally 7. Adjusted down to 6.5. Partially done in hindsight, partially done just to make the scores better fit the reviews.)

Gravity Falls Review: "Blendin's Game" (Season 2, Episode 8)

Airdate: November 10th, 2014

Back and louder than ever! (Image shamelessly taken from Gravity Falls Wiki)

Synopsis: In the year 207012, escaped convict Blendin Blandin manages to temporarily evade remanding into custody by declaring GLOBNAR!!!! on the people he argues ruined his life- Dipper and Mabel Pines, in the year 2012. There, Dipper and Mabel try to get to the centre of Soos's birthday blues. Winding up back with the Time Tape Machine (which is like Red Dwarf's Time Drive), the two morons wind up in the year 2002, where they examine a typical birthday for Soos... while being chased by Blendin and fellow guards to partake in GLOBNAR!!!!!!!

GLOBNAR!!!!, for those wondering, is basically The Hunger Games meets Laser Tag meets koon-ut-kal-if-fee. Winner gets to determine loser's fate, and gets a wish.

Review (SPOILERS AHEAD!): Last time we met Blendin Blandin, we saw him in "The Time Travellers Pig". At that point, I considered "Time Travellers Pig" my least favourite episode of Gravity Falls, due to the many slips in logic prevalent. To recap:

• Why does Dipper give up a chance of a stronger bond between him and Wendy just so Mabel can have a damn pig? I know, Dipper's a kind kid, but that's still a bit too latent.
• Why did we view Blendin as the antagonist when the only bad thing he did was set down his time drive?
• Why does Mabel get off free from learning about sacrifice, when her desires were stupider than Dippers?
• Why set up the Mabel/Dipper/Wendy triangle?
• Why Robbie?

Admittedly, the episode grew on me a little bit. I no longer have the deep loathing that I had from it before- I appreciate it addressing the negative effects of causality (stupid as the example given may be), and in hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best idea to have Dipper get the stuffed animal for Wendy, given that he, up to that point, just wanted to sleep with her because he had the hots for her.

I mentioned that because this episode is a sequel to "Time Travellers Pig". Here, while there are a few slips in logic, these are far easier to forgive, mainly because they don't distract from this episode's raison d'etre.

This episode concentrates on extending some Pathos for Soos. For a long time, Soos sort of fit as the "comic relief character". While there were many hints that he was wise, he just seemed to be the go-to-guy for a quick joke or two. This episode is the first one to really peel away at his background- that, as happy-go-lucky as he appears to be, his "unorthodox" family situation has altered him. It has, however, encouraged him to become what his father wasn't- he tries to be a good, if childish, parental figure to anybody and everybody, often being a paragon of wisdom. Again, this is balanced out by his lack of maturity.

"Blendin's Game" is also a total inverse of "Time Travellers" in the motives of Dipper and Mabel. In that episode, both characters were wondering how they could improve their own self interests. Their goals, however, were so irrational (Mabel's even more so) that, not only was logic skipped, but it made almost nobody likeable. Sure, Dipper wanted irrational romance (i.e. to make out with Wendy). Mabel wanted a pig. Granted, hindsight proved that romance was never going to work out. That, and it did expose flaws within the characters, which is not really a bad thing. But a pig? A freaking pig?

OK, back on track. This episode has Dipper and Mabel acting purely in the interests of other people- they wanted Soos to have a reunion with his dad, showing a level of innocent selflessness on both ends. They give their wish, which could've been used any which way, to Soos. That, my friends, is friendship!

And what is the wish used for?

Well, let's just say it shows a great sense of maturity from the immature. Soos, as childish as he might seem, is really the most grounded, well-adjusted character in the show.

Oh, by the way, Blendin's back! This is probably the largest issue I took with this particular episode. In "The Time Travellers Pig", Blendin was way too sympathetic to have received the punishment he got. This episode, he's made as annoying as possible, almost wanting to see Dipper and Mabel die. Whatever little logic he had is chucked out the window in favour of a near-murderous rage. Dipper and Mabel don't reciprocate the feelings- they let him go scot-free, and with a new head of hair to boot! Again, this shows a level of idealism on Mabel's part- it's hard for her to hold a grudge. Still, you would think they went a bit far with rewarding Blendin for wanting the twins dead.

Will I say it's perfect? Probably not. Is it an improvement over "Time Travellers Pig"? Hell yes.

Tidbits:

• Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I declared Justin Rolland a genius for his work on Rick and Morty? He voices Blendin Bladin. They actually do a bit of a send-up to the voice acting found in Rick and Morty, what with Blendin stuttering to get words out.
• Take notice of the various backgrounds found in 2002. Once you notice them, it really is a depressing look at the screwed up nature of the town. What, was everybody having their mind wiped?
• I wasn't a fan of the development between Mabel and Candy in this episode. It really does seem like they're using Candy and Grenda for joke fodder now. Mabel seemed out of character in that particular scene.
• Nothing like cake-flavoured pizza and pizza-flavoured cake!

Favourite Scene: The scenes that involve GLOBNAR!!!!!!!!

Least Favourite Scene: Back in 2002, Robbie shows up, squirts Dipper and Mabel with a water gun, and then says "Young Robbie!" I'm sorry- this is not how kids speak. Hopefully, future episodes expand on Robbie's character.

Score: 8.5.

Scullyfied Simpsons: Season 9, Episode 19: "Simpson Tide"

Airdate: 29 March, 1998.

Synopsis: Fired by the Nuclear ("nuc-u-lar") Power Plant again, Homer sees an ad for the US Navy reserve, and promptly signs up. His friends are convinced enough to sign up, as well. During the "war games" scenario, he is placed on a Nuclear ("nuc-u-lar") sub. This can only end well... by which, I mean can only end in a Cold War revival, complete with the Soviet Union.

"We thought you broke up!"

"That's what we wanted you to think!" 

Cue the Berlin Wall and the threat of nuclear ("nuc-u-lar") disaster!

Oh, and Bart gets an earring to try and be cool. Apparently, The Bartman is "so 1991". Homer is not pleased.

Review: This episode is an unusual one, indeed. It's one of those episodes that I should loathe, but can't bring myself to hate.

Let's face it: it has several traits that would become cliches of the Mike Scully era of The Simpsons. Homer gets a new job, becomes supremely respected by his boss (more than he should), has to take charge because his boss is an idiot, his friends join into his "scheme of the week" for no reason, the plot goes from "relatively grounded" to "street-rat crazy" at the flick of a switch, the progression barely makes any sense, and Homer gets off with a slap on the wrist for almost plunging the world into chaos. Oh, and the show dabbles in meta humour.

Sounds like a trainwreck, eh?

Actually, it's pretty entertaining- one of my favourites from this (so far) otherwise mediocre season. As I implied in my "Principal and the Pauper" review, I am willing to reduce the weight of an episode's flaws in my views if the episode is hilarious enough. Now, there are exceptions, but this episode is not one of them.

I think that most of the reasoning behind this episode's "funniness" would have to be rooted in the showrunners for this episode- Al Jean and Mike Reiss. While their era was not as zany as, say, the David Mirkin Era, they did distance the show somewhat from it's domestic origins, allowing for wider swaths of characters to engage in a plot, as well as characters engaging in less "home-based"/more community-based plots. This episode just happens to take it to the extreme end of the spectrum, dwarfing Mirkin's era in terms of zaniness.

If anything, I'm a bit disappointed that this episode didn't try harder with the jokes about the USSR- a sign of things to come. They could've made jokes about the fall of the union, the failures of central planning, etc. Instead, they chose to colour by numbers- the Berlin Wall, Lenin, the tanks in Moscow, etc. Still funny, but a bit of a low-ball.

Also, while Homer does progress quite far up the command for an "average joe", this episode doesn't exactly use him as a "pain magnet"- a trend in Modern Simpsons episode where Homer would suffer injuries, and walk away unscathed, going on to act like a Macho Sue idiot all the way. Plus, he does give up some of his hubrus- he realises that Bart getting the earring may have saved him in the long run.

That, and it does make note of the influence of the media on modern conflict, what with the Channel 6 News Report pretty much calling Homer a traitor and a communist, followed by the USSR coming back. Or maybe it was just coincidence. Eh, still interesting.

Oh, and character? A little bit mixed. I mentioned Homer and his dubious promotion to captain already. Captain Tenille? Funny, and pretty well developed, what with the relatively small amount of time given to the character. Bart? His rebellion by getting an ear piercing seems to harken back to his rebellious character, yet here, he seems desperate to "follow the leader" of Milhouse... yet failing epically. Maybe it's a sign that his "rebel" character would be phased out in favour of a more "desperate" character. Sad. Still, the other characters did seem to be more than pawns in the adventures of "Captain Wacky", as some have called post-classic Homer.

Let's see- if there were a few changes to the plot, if maybe some of Homer's "progression up the ziggurat" was toned down, if maybe the flow was a bit better, if maybe characters didn't materialise out of thin air (Smithers, anybody), this episode would fit pretty damn well in the Mirkin Era. Instead, I have to take it for what it is- a Scully-era episode (not a Scully episode) that worked pretty damn well, given that I laughed through it. A rare breed, indeed.

Tidbits:

• OK, there was one clever reference to the USSR. When talking about his experience in the Navy, Abe references JFK, and a comment that made his sailors think that he was disloyal to the Allied Forces. Who else was president when tensions between the USSR and the US reached a fever pitch?
• "I'd like to get my ear pierced?" "Well, better make it quick, kiddo. In five minutes, this place is becoming a Starbucks!" That is all.
• Admittedly, I can excuse some of Homer's promotion by a line that indicates that Captain Tenille has some Navy-related trauma.
• One last note: due to personal matters, the review for "Blendin's Game" might not go out until next weekend. I apologise in advance for the long delay.

Favourite Scene: OK, I'll bite: the scene with Tenille getting shot out of the torpedo tubes was a brilliant piece of dark comedy.

Least Favourite Scene: I still can't buy the Village People actually singing "In The Navy" while on a submarine, plus Smithers, plus the sub going underwater while they're all still outside. That was too dark for me.

Score: 7. Again, given mainly for the comedy.

Red Dwarf X: Wrap Up

Well, that, my friends, is a series!

Red Dwarf X, the first "real" Red Dwarf series since 1999, is finally finished. So, after all this speculation, after all the waiting, how did this series turn out?

Admittedly, not too bad.

I think some of what worked for Red Dwarf X was the expectations... in that the fans really didn't have too many expectations. Given the shaky quality of VII, VIII, and (to a lesser extent) BTE, it would appear that the only way this series could fail is if every single person onboard was incompetent.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case, given the limitations.

I think that, if this season was any indication, this was largely a case of "playing it safe" actually working.

• Some revelations about Rimmer's family aside, the series really used the current traits of the characters, rather than build on them. Sure, Lister took up a robotics course, but that was more for brief gags.
• This season was very much like a hodgepodge of various series, with emphasis on I-III's "ship-based" comedy. Few scenes were shot outside of Red Dwarf, and there were fewer scenes with location shooting.
• The show tread on familiar concepts- the computer gone rogue, meeting a famous figure, Rimmer battling his inner demons involving his family, etc. While there was some mismanagement involving these ("Dear Dave"), sometimes, they worked out quite well ("The Beginning")

I think Doug Naylor saw the complaints levied to Series VII and VIII, and decided to go "back to basics". Which is fine, but...

...I wasn't so livid at the changes during VII and VIII as much as I was the fact that they were implemented horridly. Kochanski could've been a fantastic character. Instead, she was reduced to a bland character, her one trait being that she was a female on a male's ship. Putting the crew in prison, while a questionable idea, might have worked. Instead, the comedy was reduced to the lowest of levels, and the characters were obnoxious.

Here, the characters weren't annoying, and the comedy worked. Safe to say that the execution was decent.

In hindsight, the main thing about this series is that it feels like the last hurrah. It ended on a satisfactory note. There's really no need for an 11th series.

That, and it seems like they've told all the stories that can be told. I mean, the return was good, but it seems like any more would, again, be unnecessary.

Hopefully, Series XI lives up to the standards of Red Dwarf X.

Which leads me to the TL;DR: Red Dwarf X held it's own against the classics. It wasn't perfect - "Dear Dave" was weak - but it was still a nice return to form.

But we're not really done.

This December, our Christmas Spectacular Thing will be lists related to Red Dwarf. The first list? The top 8 worst episodes of Red Dwarf.

So far.

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 6: "The Beginning"

Airdate: 8 November, 2012

Synopsis: In the year 2200-ish, at IO Tech, Rimmer's teacher, Mr Rimmer, uses Rimmer as a guinea pig to make him unsure of his decisions through life... as punishment for being late to class.

Three million years later, a rogue droid named Hogey wants apparently another duel across time and space with the Dwarfers. They aren't even fazed. Making matters stranger this time around is that Hogey stole a map of the various black holes through the universe from a Simulant Death Ship. Said simulants weren't too pleased, and begin attacking Red Dwarf. The crew escape in Blue Midget, where they fear death. Rimmer, in particular, fears death so much he brings a holo-lamp that his father gave him to play the day he became an officer. With his father on his mind, he is unable to concentrate on a plan of action. Thus, he decides to take the ultimate dive, and play the holo-lamp early, proving that he doesn't care about his father's opinion anymore. There, Rimmer's father reveals something stunning about Rimmer's lineage.

Review (SPOILERS): There are three absolutes in life: death, taxes, and Red Dwarf episodes being constructed as "last episodes ever".

Ever since Series V's epic "Back to Reality", every series of Red Dwarf (bar VII) ended with an episode ambiguous to the future of the series. Ironically, the even numbered series since V have ended with Rimmer called upon to save the ship. "Out of Time" was an epic ending for Rimmer. "Only the Good", eh, not so much.

Thankfully, this is quite the improvement over "Only the Good", by giving us actual character development for Rimmer.

We've learned through the history of the series just how Rimmer's parents mistreated the guy. This episode goes beyond the exposition that was featured in "Better Than Life", instead showing that, as punishment for being late, Rimmer's father wants to make him unsure of the choices in life. Now, one could argue that this was an attempt to make it so that Rimmer wouldn't be gung-ho in everything. Yet, the rest of the abuse that he got already made Rimmer insecure. This pushed him over the edge- he became unsure of any of his answers.

It's here where we get a moment where he "mis-gets" the note his seatmate gives to him as an insult. He delivers a far crueller one back. Thus, we see the spark that kicks off Rimmer's odious behaviour- a really bad day in class pushed him over the edge.

Flash forward three million years, and the time comes for Rimmer to formulate a plan against the damned simulants. The thought of his father has weighed him down. He wants to get his acceptance, he's driven down by the fact that he's dead. Yet, at the same time, he barely conveys his hatred of the man's abuse. We saw that in "Better Than Life". We saw him say how he looked up to his father, despite railing against his abuse.

Here, he drops any pretence of a good relationship with his father. He drops the contradiciton between either side. He ignores his father's pressure.

And it turns out... he has nothing to worry about. Why?

Rimmer's father was actually the family gardener.

With that realised, Rimmer now knows that he's already probably made his father proud. Simply not being a dopey labourer, actually proceeding up the career ladder (albeit only one step) would've made him proud. He no longer has to live up to the high standards of Mr Rimmer.

Thus, he's able to formulate a plan that relies on his personality... surrendering with the threat of bureaucracy. This time, it really works.

Oh, and Rimmer's not the only one to get character development. The Cat manages to convince Rimmer, a man he has despised from day one, to give up on pleasing his father. All while playing with a string and a stick. While the Cat might have not gotten too much in the way of character development through the history of the series, it's moments like these that make the character that much more loveable.

Lister and Kryten were somewhat stagnant here. It wasn't their episode. While not a huge problem, it just seemed like they were, at best, bystanders to Rimmer's action. They got some funny lines, but not too much in the way of development.

That, and the simulants were still simulants. At least here, though, there was some interaction between them. It gave us a chance to look into the seemingly everyday actions of the primary antagonists of Red Dwarf.

Looking back on this episode... I really think that Red Dwarf XI might not have been necessary. This provides enough of an open end to continue on. Yet, here, as with "Out of Time", we saw Rimmer finally overcoming his neurosis to provide a great heroic moment. There, it was an impulse, a genuine care for his friends, that got him to step up to the plate. Here, it's realising that his father only served to trash his life, and does not deserve to be given the time of day via reaching the highest of high standards. He banished the ultimate demon from his past.

I'd have been perfectly satisfied if this was the last Red Dwarf ever. It's not "Back to Reality". But, I'd be willing to say that it's on par with "Out of Time". Maybe if there had been a somewhat more unique antagonist like in "Out of Time", it would surpass it.

Will I review Red Dwarf XI? Yes. Will I go back and re-review the early years of Red Dwarf? Likely. Still, for now, after 61 episodes, after the highs and the lows, the good and the bad, the TIVs and the dinosaurs... we have completed the outlook on Red Dwarf.

Look out, Dwarfers.

The slime's coming home.

Tidbits:

• Again, this episode replaced a Kochanski two-parter. It may have given us "Dear Dave", but this more than makes up for it.
• Oh, there's a c-plot about some wacko GELF named Hogey pestering the crew for a duel across time and space to waste time. At least that led into the plot. No commentary about call centres, accident report forms, and Chinese Whispers here!
• Rimmer's father reappears. He had previously appeared in "Better Than Life", played by John Abineri. Abineri wasn't exactly alive at the time of filming this episode, however. So, they brought in Simon Treves, who has done some writing and directing work for other British TV shows. He also acted in the Fry/Laurie show Jeeves and Wooster.

Favourite Scene: "Arnold... I'm not your father." With that, the episode, and the franchise, are forever changed... maybe for the better.

Least Favourite Scene: The scene with one of the Simulants apologising to the Head Simulant just turned me off. It's the darkest thing I've seen on Red Dwarf in a long time.

Score: 8

Red Dwarf Review: Series X, Episode 5: "Dear Dave"

Airdate: 1 November, 2012

Synopsis: Lister's having one of those days where he mopes around about being the last human alive. To interrupt his sadness, he realises that two vending machines are fighting for his affections. Making matters worse? He gets a letter from the past, telling him that he may have sired a kid. Meanwhile, Rimmer is threatened with demotion by the ship's on-board computer (not Holly, sadly) for failure to perform duties, putting him on par with Lister. He realises that he'll be able to avoid being put on equal footing if he can convince the computer that Lister's nuts, thus giving him an excuse as to why he didn't perform.

Review: Let's get this off the bat - this is the weakest episode of Red Dwarf X. The reason? It seems like they wanted to siphon elements from Series I and II, yet forgot what made those series... quirky in the first place.