TV Review: Red Dwarf 10.2 - "Fathers and Suns"
rating: 4
(WARNING: Significant spoilers follow!) Red Dwarf is at its best when it focuses on just how incredibly dysfunctional our group of space travelers are. When they try to break the mold and turn them into heroes, it frequently doesnt work. But showing just how messed-up these people can be really tends to make for comedy gold. This weeks episode was no exception. In it we learn that every Fathers Day, Lister (Craig Charles) gets rascally drunk and writes a Fathers Day card to himself (since hes his own fatherits complicated). He then gives it to Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) hand off to him next year. Since he was completely smashed out of his mind at the time he wrote it, he forgets what he wrote, so when he, the father, sees the card that he, the son, wrote the previous year, he gets to be touched at how thoughtful he is toward himself. Like I said, its complicated. During this time, Rimmer (Chris Barrie) has had Kryten install a new computer system to replace Holly. After constantly saying that appearance doesnt matter, we can be shocked when the system has the face and breasts of an attractive woman. It turns out that this computer can predict peoples actions with nearly 100% accuracy, something which does not bode well for the crew, especially since she views Rimmer as the one who is in charge. From start to finish this episode had a lot of great moments, but I think that the best is the conversation over video tape between Lister the father and Lister the son made by Lister when he realizes hes been a bad father to himself. It manages to be vaguely touching and exceptionally hilarious at the same time. I especially liked the way that Lister kept trying to get around everything he was telling himself to do. I liked less the very predictable outcome of having the new computer system. Once it started doing the whole I know everything you will do, business, I knew it was only a matter of time before it took over things. But that said, at least it was well-done. What I didnt really like, or really get the point of, was the Chinese Whispers business. Other than giving the Cat (Danny John-Jules) something to do in an episode that otherwise lacked anything for him to do, I really dont think it was needed. There had to be a better way of getting him on screen and busy. That set of minor complaints aside, this was a strong episode, and if it wasnt quite as great as last week, well, thats ok. It was still much better than Back to Earth. Imagine how sad it would have been if that had been the last wed seen of Red Dwarf. Next week: time travel!