Future Echoes

The crew experience some quite disorientating space-time phenomena.

This episode combines a pretty cool sci-fi concept with some strong comic banter and one superb sight-gag.

As sci-fi plots go its not earth-shattering by today's standards, but in 1988 when all the world really had for mainstream TV sci-fi was Star Trek and Dr Who, this is a pretty mind bending plot done in a comical way.

The performances of all are great as always with the Lister/Rimmer chemistry on good form and excellent contributions from Holly and the Cat. Norman Lovett's deadpan delivery is perfect and an excellent foil for the craziness of Chris Barrie, Craig Charles and Danny-John Jules.

Production values are no where near as high as the later series, but the camerawork and effects are put together in a practical way to make the sci-fi concept plausible, the visual humour work and the sense of isolation feel genuine.

While the first episode of the series focused more on character based humor, this is the sort of comedy that would dominate later Red Dwarf. It's more outlandish and goofy, and a lot of the humor revolves around a single sci-fi concept. There are some things that bug me here like Talkie Toaster who I've never found funny, but that's a small stumble. The episode is consistently funny and the implementation of the concept of future echoes is well done for a small production like Red Dwarf. It also still has great characterization for its protagonists, Rimmer is particularly a huge jerk in this episode which makes him really fun to watch. I'm glad they made this the second episode of the series because it keeps the momentum from the first episode going.

The series started strong and remained strong into the second episode. Again I commend the acting, writing and in this episode even more so than the previous: the plot. Another great original plot. What more can I say?

"Future Echoes" is where Red Dwarf starts to fully embrace its sci-fi potential, blending high-concept ideas with its signature comedy. Picking up after "The End", Lister, Rimmer, and Cat are now alone in deep space, and the show wastes no time introducing the first of many time-bending paradoxes.

The episode revolves around "future echoes," distorted glimpses of the future caused by the ship reaching light speed. This leads to some great comedic moments, particularly with Rimmer's exaggerated reactions to events he assumes will unfold. Lister's fate seems sealed when he sees a vision of himself dying, leading to a hilariously chaotic yet surprisingly well-structured mystery.

The writing is sharp, and despite the show's budget constraints, the clever script compensates for the lack of flashy effects. The chemistry between Craig Charles and Chris Barrie is already solidifying, with Rimmer's smug self-importance clashing perfectly against Lister's laid-back approach to life. The Cat's self-absorbed antics provide additional laughs, though he plays a smaller role here.

"Future Echoes" proves that Red Dwarf isn't just a sitcom in space-it's a sci-fi comedy with genuinely interesting ideas. It's one of the standout early episodes, setting a high bar for the show's unique blend of humor and speculative fiction.