Raja's Blog

I didn't enjoy Season Three as much as Season Two; only two and a half episodes struck me as really memorable. “Backwards” is just built on a silly gimmick—but what a gimmick! It takes a stupid idea you sometimes see elsewhere in SF (the final episode of the animated Star Trek for instance) and shows in living color just how stupid an idea it is. “Timeslides”, on the other hand, strikes me as the most interesting of the episodes from a Science Fictional viewpoint—the writers start with a silly idea, but then they build rules around it and try to stay within those rules. Besides, any episode that lists Adolf Hitler as a Special Guest Star does exhibit a sense of humor. Finally, I think that “Polymorph” (which may be a fan favorite, judging by the commentary) is half-memorable; the lowbrow spoof main plot isn't that great, but the scene of Rimmer as a facilitator is rolling-in-the-aisles funny. (Perhaps a “harsh language” warning wouldn't have been out of place.) Finally, all the commentaries are still fun, as the actors still enjoy making fun of each other.

The usability of these sets is improving; you no longer have to agonizingly pick your way across very-slow-to-react graphical menus. I also found the hidden Easter Egg by accident; if you go to the Select Episodes menu and wait long enough (e.g., if you blog something in another window ;-), the polymorph (from the episode of the same name) will show up. If you can get your pointer over it, you'll see a large question mark. Click it for the short but amusing Easter Egg.