The Inquisitor (Red Dwarf episode)

Infobox Red Dwarf episode
name = The Inquisitor


image_caption = The Inquisitor visits "Red Dwarf" to assess if they are worthy of their existence
number = 2
airdate = February 27, 1992
writers = Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
director = Juliet May, Rob Grant & Doug Naylor
guests = John Docherty
James Cormack
Jake Abraham
series = 5

"The Inquisitor" is the second episode of science fiction sitcom "Red Dwarf" Series Vcite web | url =http://www.sitcom.co.uk/red_dwarf/series5.shtml | title =British Sitcom Guide - Red Dwarf - Series 5 | publisher =www.sitcom.co.uk |accessdate =2008-01-29] and the twenty sixth in the series run.cite web | url =http://www.tv.com/red-dwarf/the-inquisitor/episode/10970/summary.html | title =TV.com - The Inquisitor summary | publisher =www.tv.com |accessdate =2008-01-29] It was first broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 27 February 1992.cite web | url =http://catalogue.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/NMRE195F | title =BBC - Programme Catalogue - RED DWARF V - THE INQUISITOR | publisher =BBC |accessdate =2007-12-12] Written by Rob Grant & Doug Naylor, and directed by Juliet May & Grant Naylor.cite web | url =http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0684182/fullcredits | title =The Inquisitor cast and crew | publisher =www.imdb.com |accessdate =2008-01-29] The episode's plot deals with a time travelling simulant who visits "Red Dwarf" to assess if they are worthy of their existence.

Plot

"Starbug" is taken under control by a being called The Inquisitor and returned to "Red Dwarf". The Inquisitor is a self-repairing simulant who survived until the end of time and, coming to the conclusion that there is no God and no afterlife, decided that the only point of life was to live a worthwhile life. He is on a journey through time, seeking out the worthless and erasing them from existence, allowing a different person to exist in their place — the person who would have been conceived.

Each crew member comes up for judgement, with the Inquisitor morphing into each crewmember during their respective trial meaning that they are actually being judged by themselves (which the Inquisitor claims is to make things as fair as possible). Rimmer pleads mitigating circumstances; the Cat cites his beauty; Kryten questions the Inquisitor's authority; Lister tells him to get lost. Rimmer and the Cat are excused on the grounds of "their own low standards", but Kryten and Lister are not so lucky: they both had the potential to make something of themselves but failed to do so. The Inquisitor decides they'll have to go, but with a bit of help from Kryten's future self he and Lister manage to escape before their physical forms are deleted.

The Inquisitor, however, has altered the time-lines and created replacements for the two escapees. Now the two fugitives not only have a very irritated simulant to contend with but they all get a hostile reception from their old shipmates who no longer recognise them. All is not lost, however, and with the Inquisitor's stolen power-glove and a secret password from Kryten's future incarnation ('enig'), Lister manages to save the day.

Production

"The Inquisitor", which was the second episode to be filmed,Series V Preview, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 1, March 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603] was considered by Grant and Naylor to lead the series, but as it was heavily science fiction influenced the casual viewer friendly Holoship was chosen to go out first instead.Grant and Naylor Look Back, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 11, January 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603]

With the show returning to Stage G for filming, new director, Juliet May decided to shoot "Demons and Angels" first over "The Inquisitor". "Holoship" had been put back in the filming schedule because of guest star availability and "The Inquisitor" was passed on by the new director as she was still trying to make sense of the script.cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_5/production.html | title =Red Dwarf Series V Production| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2008-01-07]

John Docherty played The Inquisitor, James Cormack played Thomas Allman and Jake Abraham played the alternate Lister.

Cultural references

At the start of the episode, Kryten observes that Lister is reading a comic-book version of Virgil’s Aeneid: “The epic tale of Agamemnon’s pursuit of Helen of Troy." In fact, although the Trojan horse is referred to in the "Aeneid", the work as a whole is not about Agamemnon or Helen (who both feature more prominently in Homer's "Iliad"). Kryten and Lister chained together and on the run references "The Defiant Ones".cite web | url =http://www.imdb.com/rg/title-tease/movieconnections/title/tt0684182/movieconnections | title =The Inquisitor movie connections | publisher =www.imdb.com |accessdate =2008-01-08]

Reception

The episode was originally broadcast on the British television channel BBC2 on 27 February 1992 in the 9:00pm evening time slot, and received a mixed reaction from viewers.Red Dwarf Smegazine: Survey Results, issue 10, December 1992, Fleetway Editions Ltd, ISSN 0965-5603] Although the episode was viewed by over 5 million viewers,cite web | url =http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck05/series_5/aftermath.html | title =Red Dwarf Series V Aftermath| publisher =www.reddwarf.co.uk |accessdate =2008-01-07] the episode has been regarded as very Sci-Fi,cite web | url =http://www.reviewsbygavrielle.com/dwarf3.shtml | title =Series V review by Gavrielle | publisher =www.reviewsbygavrielle.com |accessdate =2008-01-29] and some people found the ending of the episode confusing, and the time travel aspect had added to the confusion.Grant and Naylor Look Back, Red Dwarf Smegazine, issue 11, January 1993, Fleetway Editions Ltd, issn 0965-5603]

ee also

*Predestination paradox
*Time travel in fiction

References

External links

*
* [http://www.tv.com/red-dwarf/the-inquisitor/episode/10970/summary.html Red Dwarf: The Inquisitor - TV.com]
* [http://www.reddwarf.co.uk/deck03/season5.html Episode Guide - Series 5]