10 Red Dwarf Episodes You Absolutely Must See

Ah, here it is, the episode that introduced one of the show's most memorable break-out characters: Ace Rimmer (What a guy!). Hailing from a parallel universe where a single moment changed the entire course of his life, this version of Rimmer is the complete antithesis of his main universe counterpart. Whereas our Rimmer is a spineless, conceited, conniving, sycophantic smeghead, Ace is a brave and dashing heroic Space Corps test pilot who'd rather eat dinner with the boys in engineering than attend a party in his honour.

Chris Barrie is absolutely amazing in the over-the-top role of the charismatic fly boy who elicits exclamations of "What a guy!" from everyone he meets. Apparently Barrie was the force behind Ace's creation, after he grew tired of playing despicable characters. As such, it's obvious that he had fun with the role, dialling the cheesy bravado up to 11.

Most importantly though, this episode offers important insight into Rimmer's character, with Ace's interactions with the Dwarfers giving the audience a glimpse of what could have been. The most ingenious part though, is the revelation of just how Ace and Rimmer's lives diverged: Ace was held back a year at school, while Rimmer was not. It's a beautiful demonstration of the idea that it's not the hand you're dealt that matters, but how you play it.

Of course, Ace would return further down the track, but nothing beats the magic of his first appearance here. "Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast."