Red Dwarf/Thanks for the Memory

Thanks for the Memory
Season 2, Episode 3
Airdate	September 20, 1988
Written by	Rob Grant, Doug Naylor
Directed by	Ed Bye
← 2x02 Better Than Life	2x04 → Stasis Leak
Red Dwarf — Season Two

Thanks for the Memory is the third episode of the second season of Red Dwarf, and the ninth episode overall.

Guest Stars: Sabra Williams (Lisa Yates)

Plot Overview

As the episode opens, we see that everyone, including Holly and the scutters, are having a party on an asteroid with a breathable atmosphere, celebrating Rimmer's deathday.

After returning to Red Dwarf, Rimmer, still quite drunk, tells Lister in a slurred voice that he has only made love to one woman ever: Yvonne McGruder, the ships female boxing champion (March 16th 7:31PM to 7:43PM). Rimmer would trade his whole life just to be loved.

The next day, Rimmer wakes up hating himself as he remembers (in bits and pieces) what he told Lister about Yvonne McGruder the night before.

When Lister wakes up, he has a broken ankle set in a cast, and so does the Cat. After working through various theories as to what happened, they decide to check Red Dwarf's black box, but it's missing. Eventually they track it down by following the signal it gives off. It is buried in a shallow grave marked "Lisa Yates". Lisa Yates was someone that Lister had once gone out with.

The black box recording starts with a warning by Holly that some things are better off forgotten. They watch the tape anyway. It begins by showing Rimmer telling Lister about Yvonne McGruder. Then it shows Lister getting the bright idea to give Rimmer 8 months of his memory: his memory of being in love with Lisa Yates.

The next day Rimmer wakes up happy (and a bit slobby too). He carries on about how he's been in love, and how Lister couldn't possibly understand! But his happiness doesn't last long. He finds Lister's love letters from Lisa Yates and assumes that she was cheating on him with Lister. Faced with mounting evidence, Lister has no choice but to come clean and tell Rimmer what he has done.

Rimmer is devastated. After some discussion, everyone decides that they will erase their memories and bury the black box. Unfortunately, Lister and the Cat break their ankles while carrying the headstone for the black box's grave.

Trivia

The Show

We see the hologram simulation suite for the first time in this episode. Lister enters the suite to copy his memories of Lisa Yates into Rimmer's mind.

Memorable Moments

Rimmer's explanation of the lost time, unexplained injuries, etc. is bizarre. Rimmer has this thing about aliens -- it must be "aliens!" And his theory about the injuries being part of the alien's language and Cat's opinion about it is great!

Quotes

• When everyone is on the asteroid celebrating Rimmer's deathday:
  Lister: ... I have baked a cake.
  Holly: What's that then?
  Lister: It's in the shape of a spanner Hol, 'cause he was a technician.
  Holly: That's very apt that is. If he'd have been a postman, you'd have baked it in the shape of an envelope I suppose.
  Lister (nodding): Yeah!
  Holly: Gordon Bennett! It's lucky he's not a gynaecologist!

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