Red Dwarf/Meltdown

Meltdown
Season 4, Episode 6
Airdate	March 21, 1991
Written by	Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
Directed by	Ed Bye
← 4x05 Dimension Jump	5x01 → Holoship
Red Dwarf — Season Four

Meltdown is the sixth episode of the fourth season of Red Dwarf, and the twenty-fourth episode overall.

Guest Stars: Clayton Mark (Elvis), Roger Blake (Noel Coward), Kenneth Hadley (Hitler), Pauline Baily (Marilyn Monroe), Martin Friend (Einstein), Stephen Tiller (Pythagoras), Jack Klaff (Abraham Lincoln), Tony Hawks (Caligula), Michael Burrell (Pope Gregory), Forbes Masson (Stan Laurel)

Plot Overview

While Lister is suffering through Rimmer's account of how he beat his cadet school training officer at Risk, Kryten materializes out of thin air. He is using a prototype matter paddle that he found on Z deck. He only had to complete some missing curcuits to make the thing work. The paddle will home in on life-bearing planets within a five-hundred thousand light-year radius.

They all take Starbug for an excursion to try out the teleporter. Kryten and Rimmer go first in case the planet does not have a breathable atmosphere, since they will not be harmed by lack of oxygen. If everything checks out, they will send the paddle back for the others.

A moment after Kryten and Rimmer dematerialize, the matter paddle returns. The Cat and Lister both grab the paddle, and press the green button. They materialize in what appears to be Adolph Hitler's strategy room. Hitler, Görring, and Goebbels are busy planning something, so it takes them a moment to notice the newcomers. After a laughable escape attempt, Lister and the Cat are captured.

From the window of their prison cell Lister can see numerous villains from all periods of history lining up for a firing squad. Lister can't believe it. He thought they had gone back in time somehow to the 1940's.

Meanwhile, after being captured by Elvis Presley, Kryten figures out that they've materialized in a wax droid theme park with areas set aside for prehistoric world, villain world, and hero world. The droids, left on their own for millions of years, eventually broke their programming, and have been fighting a war between the good guys and the villains ever since. Upon hearing this, Rimmer decides that it is his destiny in life to lead these wax droids into glorious battle.

Lister and the Cat trick Caligula with the matter paddle, causing him and Rasputin to materialize in a closet. They make their way to the good guys' base, where they find Rimmer on the verge of starting his attack. Lister makes it clear that he will try to talk to droids out of fighting, so Rimmer orders Elvis to tie up Lister and the Cat.

After the battle, Rimmer returns jubilant. He has won, but all of the wax droids are dead.

Arc Advancement

Characters

Rimmer's choice of codenames for participants in the attack on the villains' headquarters underscores his lack of concern for other people. Rimmer's codename is "Iron Duke", while Kryten's codename is "Pawn Sacrifice"

Trivia

The Show

• The music accompanying the ending credits are sung by Elvis!
• Caligula is played by Tony Hawks, whom some call the fifth Dwarfer, because of his many Red Dwarf guest appearances.

Allusions and References

General

• Lister mentions that James Last is numbered among the villains. He remembers him from Rimmer's record collection.
• Rimmer mentions Pat Boone in a neutral fashion.

Wax Droids

Most of the wax droids are references to specific historical figures. These refrences are broken down according to whether they are good guys or villains.

• The Good Guys
  • Saint Francis of Assisi
  • Noel Coward
  • The Dalai Lama
  • Albert Einstein
  • Stan Laurel
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • Mahatma Gandhi
  • Marilyn Monroe
  • Pope Gregory
  • Elvis Presley
  • Pythagoras
  • Jean-Paul Sartre
  • Mother Teresa
  • Santa Claus
  • Winnie-the Pooh
• Former Good Guys (who were lost in battle before Rimmer's arrival)
  • Doris Day
  • Sir Lancelot
  • Joan of Arc
  • John Wayne
  • Nelson
• The Villains
  • Caligula
  • Al Capone
  • The Boston Strangler
  • Joseph Goebbels
  • Hermann Görring
  • Adolf Hitler
  • Benito Mussolini
  • Napoleon
  • Rasputin
  • Richard III

Memorable Moments

• Rimmer recounts how he beat his cadet school training officer at Risk, in exact detail, including every roll of the dice.
• Kryten and Rimmer have determined that the planet is safe, and have just sent the matter paddle back for Lister and the Cat:
  Rimmer: What now?
  Kryten: Well, I suggest we start to run, sir. [...]
  Rimmer: Why?
  Kryten: Because of them, sir! (Kryten points to a pair of 100-foot-tall, winged, dinosaurs)
• When Lister and the Cat transport to the planet, they end up in Hitler's strategy room. They barely manage to transport away, only to end up in the chimney, ten feet away.
• Caligula's interrogation of Lister is also quite memorable.

Quotes

• During his interrogation, Caligula feels that Lister is not being forthcoming enough, so he demands of Rasputin, "bring in the bucket of soapy frogs, and remove his trousers."
• While reviewing his wax droid troops, Rimmer comes to Gandhi, and Rimmer being the smeghead that he is, gets in Gandhi's face and issues these harsh words, "Dont' eyeball me Gandhi! Get on the floor and give me 50! NOW!"
• Kryten has just questioned Rimmer's ability to lead an army into battle. Rimmer responds, "I know what I'm doing Kryten. We attack tomorrow ... under cover of daylight." Not only that, he plans to have them charge across a minefield.
• After his "victory", Rimmer asks if they shouldn't go out to the battlefield to bask in the glow of victory. All of the wax droids on both sides were killed! This is too much for Lister, so he gets Rimmer's light bee and swallows it, saying "It's okay. It'll come out in a few days ... Does anyone fancy a vindaloo?"

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