Red Dwarf/Polymorph

Polymorph
Season 3, Episode 3
Airdate	November 28, 1989
Written by	Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
Directed by	Ed Bye
← 3x02 Marooned	3x04 → Bodyswap
Red Dwarf — Season Three

Polymorph is the third episode of the third season of Red Dwarf, and the fifteenth episode overall.

Guest Stars: Kalli Greenwood (Rimmer's Mum), Simon Gaffney (young Rimmer), Frances Barber (Genny)

Plot Overview

Lister has prepared a fancy meal for himself and the Cat. Unfortunately, his food containers and various dining implements all came from the medical unit. The salad is in kidney bowls, which are next to the colostomy bags with chili sauce in them. He is using scalpels instead of knives. When he offers to dispense lemon sauce from a giant syringe used for inseminating cows, the Cat leaves in disgust.

A polymorph, a shape-changing creature, that has been hiding on Lister's plate (disguised as a kebab) leaps up and attacks Lister, but Lister is able to fend it off. It then becomes a blanket and then a snake (Lister's second worst fear). Finally the creature turns into Lister's biggest fear, a huge, slavering monster with vicious teeth. At that very moment, the creature sucks the emotion of fear completely out of him.

Lister awakens in the medical unit. Since he has no fear, he advocates a direct attack with him in the lead. There is much discussion, but in the end they sedate Lister, arm themselves with bazookoids, and go looking for the creature.

One by one the polymorph steals an emotion from each of them. The Cat is first. In the form of a woman, the creature steals his vanity. Then taking the form of Rimmer, it is able to steal Kryten's guilt.

After this, they retreat to the medical unit, where they find that Rimmer's mother has apparently just made love to Lister ... five times, according to her! Holly points out that it is the polymorph trying to make him mad. But the creature keeps goading Rimmer with things like: "He was like a wild stallion!"

Ultimately, what causes Rimmer to snap is her mention of Alphabetti Spaghetti (overcooked pasta letters in tomato sauce). Has she just defiled a treasured, childhood memory of his? Who knows! But whatever the reason, Rimmer explodes with anger ... and the creature sucks it right out of him, before fleeing.

Rimmer without his anger is now a cross between a dork, a meeting facilitator, and a political activist. He moderates a roundtable discussion of their situation. The best he can do is blandly recommend a "major leaflet campaign".

Ultimately, they decide to enter the cargo bay and go on the offensive. Only by accident are they able to kill the creature.

As they are leaving the cargo area, Lister passes by followed by everyone else, and then ... another Lister!

Arc Advancement

Characters

While Lister is having his meal with the Cat, Rimmer shows Kryten one of his home movies. We see a young Arnold Rimmer playing with this three brothers. Arnold has been staked to the ground, and his brothers are sprinkling ants on him.

Trivia

The Show

• According to Lister in the series 4 episode D.N.A., this episode occurs on Easter.
• After having his anger sucked out of him by the polymorph, Rimmer adopts a new appearance, that of a dorky political activist, complete with a T-shirt that says "GIVE QUICHE A CHANCE".

Memorable Moments

When Lister is attacked by the kebab/polymorph, Kryten thinks Lister is just joking. A few moments later when Lister puts on his red underpants that were just lying on the floor, the underpants start shrinking. It is the creature! Lister begs for Kryten's help again.

Rimmer arrives just in time to see Kryten straddling Lister, trying to pull his underpants off. Lister is lying on his back, bouncing up and down yelling "Please, I'm begging you, get them off, man!"

Rimmer says, "I can't say I'm totally shocked."

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