Red Dwarf

Parallel Universe

Season 2, Episode 6, Aired 10/11/88

Episode Summary

Holly claims to have invented a faster than light device called the "Holly Hop Drive" which appears to be nothing more than a red box with a stop and start button on it. The crew try and use it, but it doesn't bring them to Earth, it brings them to a strange parallel universe where women are the dominant sex and each of them has a female analogue. ''While Rimmer is trying to avoid his opposite's voracious sexual demands, Lister seems to be getting on very well with his. Cat's opposite (unfortunately for him) is a dog, and even Holly has an opposite, Hilly. ''After partying all night long while Holly and Hilly fix the Hop Drive they wake up to find Lister has accidentally slept with his opposite, who tells him that in their universe, the men give birth to the babies. ''After returning to their own universe, Lister uses a pregnancy test, and much to Rimmer's delight, they learn that Lister is, in fact, pregnant!moreless

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Cast & Crew

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Craig Charles

Dave Lister
Chris Barrie

Arnold Judas Rimmer
Danny John-Jules

Cat

Fan Episode Reviews (2)

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Lister, Rimmer, Holly, and the Cat stumble on their opposites....plus...the cat has a dream.

8.0

"Great"

By The_AG, May 05, 2010 Report Abuse

It starts off the best way an episode can. An attention grabbing dream sequence that has you rolling in laughter. The Cat, Danny John-Jules, sings a love song and who are his back up singers? None other than Rimmer and Lister! Danny actually sings the song and does a fine job! His dancing is first rate!

After the dream sequence they talk about lame pick up lines. This is so true for so many men. They just can\'t seem to say the right things! It is no surprise that Rimmer picks up girls using lame tricks as he says he does.

Holly was wonderful in this episode. His Holly Hop Drive is very Holly.

After they enter the Parrellel Universe you meet the other versions of our characters. Lister\'s opposite was good. She copied his mannerisms wonderfully. However, Rimmer\'s opposite was not so great. They made her very perverted. Sure it fits Rimmer but also his pompousness, his obsession with being an officer, his selfishness are not shown through this female version of Rimmer. It kind of takes me out of the episode.

It was a fun way to end the episode with Lister being pregnant. Plus the fact that they were able to bring the story line of future echos back into the show.

All in all it was a fine episode...some kinks, but what show doesn\'t have kinks?moreless

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Holly creates the Holly Hop Drive which sends the ship into an parallel universe, where the crew meet opposites of themselves on another Red Dwarf. All of the opposites are female, save for the Cat's opposite, who is a dog.moreless

8.0

"Great"

By mellotron12, May 05, 2010 Report Abuse

Lister and Rimmer's opposites are interesting characters, very much like their male counterparts. The female Lister is gross and loud. The female Rimmer treats her male counterpart like a sex object and constantly attempts to seduce him, using such devices as hypnosis and corny jokes.

The dog isn't interesting. Why did the writers choose to give him an American South accent? The Cat is naturally repulsed by him. Thankfully, not too much time was focused on this character.

As Holly and his counterpart Hilly attempt to repair the Holly Hop Drive, the pairs chill at the disco. The two Lister end up in bed together after drinking all night. Lister soon discovers that, since he is in a parallel dimension where women have been the superior sex, he may very well be pregnant. Rimmer's delight with discovering that Lister actually is pregnant is funny.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- In the Female Dwarfers' quarters the newspaper clippings still include the name "Arnold" and anything signed has the signature of "Arnold Rimmer" Edit
Notes
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- On the DVD boxset release Just The Shows -Volume 1, the title "Parallel Universe" is missing. Edit
- It also marks the final appearence of the original Red Dwarf/JMC uniforms. For Season 3, new costumes were designed for Rimmer and Lister. The Red Dwarf crew do wear similar (though not identical) uniforms to the original Season 1/2 uniforms in Season 8. Edit
- This marks the final appearence of Norman Lovett, until season 7's "Nanarchy"; and also the first appearence of Hattie Hayridge, who will replace Lovett as Holly in seasons 3-6. Edit
Quotes
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- Cat: (to the camera, about Dog) I don't know what that is, but I'm sure he wants to eat me. Edit
- Dave: Yo, I'm going down the bar. You want anything? Cat: Yeah, I'll have a grenade, thank you. Dave: A grenade? Cat: Yeah. [looks over at Dog] I'm gonna play fetch with the Dog. Edit
- Arnold: You're disgusting! You're only after me for one thing! Arlene: [Looks him up and down] Why? How many have you got? Edit
Allusions
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- Holly: Somehow, don't ask me how, we've jumped to a parallel universe. We've entered the fifth dimension. Rimmer: What's the fifth dimension? Lister: Didn't they get to number four with "Baby, I Want Your Love Thing"? The Fifth Dimension was an American pop vocal group, formed in the mid-sixties. However, they never had a song titled "Baby, I Want Your Love Thing". Edit
- This episode is a parody of many sci-fi shows which invoke parallel universes, such as Star Trek. Edit