Red Dwarf (TV Series) Out of Time (1993) User Reviews

Strong and exciting finish to the series

[snoozejonc · 8/10 · 17 December 2020]

Starbug flies into a region of space with 'unreality pockets' that cause a number of strange phenomena to occur before the crew discover the cause.

Out Of Time mixes comedy with strong sci-fi concepts and excitement in it's run up to a cliffhanger ending. I enjoyed it more for the sci-fi and excitement than the comedy, but it does have some memorably funny moments.

The plot is a pretty mind bending for the time it was written and very much drives the episode more than the characters and humour. For the first time when watching Red Dwarf, I actually found myself on the edge of my seat during the last few minutes.

Humour is there, particularly from Rimmer and Kryten who have some of the funniest moments. Also, when we look at some alternate versions of the characters, their appearances are very memorable, particularly the Cat. However, the plot and excitement does dominate this one more than most episodes prior, with the exception of Back To Reality which seemed to be the perfect combination of plot, characters and comedy.

One thing I want to find out is what happens next, so on a storytelling front, for me it does the business.

Dwarf Crew Running Scared and Out of Time

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 20 June 2023]

Warning don't read unless seen episode.

This is one of my favorite episodes of the show and it's also one of my favorite season finales as this one ends with a bang literally. It's basically your cliffhanger season finale, which was you must realize rare at the time, so you can probably imagine what people felt at the time as they were taken by surprise as they had to painstakingly wait for a whole year. But also, simply just the feeling of what we just saw and the impression it made on us. It's true this episode doesn't have the same impact anymore as this is one of those, you had to of been there when it happened; but still all these years I still never forgotten how it felt.

The episode was also ahead of it's time as it you can say predates the film "Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" and the Multiverse concept going on in the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) let along TV show "Marvel's What If". I always love the concept of alternate realities, just the simple notion of what if life went a different way.

We get our first dose of this as the crew go though this strange alternate reality pocket field, I really like on the first way though we see what it can do as we discover Lister is an android. Ok, not really but for a while it got me and everything thinking that and could have been an interesting premise for season 7 as the concept opens a plateful of questions. Though the experience is funny just seeing how Lister does possess a work ethic as we see him make a fanciful meal for the crew. Another scene that's funny is seeing them go through this montage of reality pockets, and as we see craziness ensues.

Of course, they soon get to the ship and take control of this device that is both the key to their way home but also travels though time which is where we get into the heart of the matter. A funny moment was seeing Kryton in distress as he was expressing sadness for Lister, really like that loud crying noise he made. This is also suspenseful as it really gives a small sense of dread that whatever's happened to Lister isn't good.

We then see the possible future versions of the crew and it's not a pretty picture. It's not so much the fact that their all old but it's really in their character as each of them have become shadows of their past selves, as we see the deadly consequences of time travel used unwisely. It's sad as we see each of them have sold out to historical figures who are unfortunately the scum of the Earth variety, all to fulfill their petty and carnal desires. Though the worst part is seeing how these alternate versions have betrayed themselves by abandoning their consciousness and their dreams.

Really liked the final part as we see the Red Dwarf crew are caught in what seems like a no-win scenario as they must fight off their alternate versions against their ship that is unfortunately a higher class than theirs. It was cool for once seeing Rimmer possess a spine and a sense of honor as he proposes resistance. Same goes for all the crew as they know they might all die but at least it will be with honor, and, they may not have all been perfect but at least they all possess a strong sense of ethos and know exactly who they are and want to remain that way. This I feel is a good lesson as it shows how time does possess changes, but it doesn't possess us, what we want to be during the passage of time is up to us.

The final minutes are shocking, I remember thinking first time watching it, "Oh, my God, I can't believe this is happening." This is part of what makes this episode all the more significant as it reminds us, no matter how long the Dwarf crew survived and how far they traveled their all still mortal.

Can the Dwarf crew save their souls from the complex web of the multiverse, you'll just have to wait and see.

Rating: 4 stars.