Series X’s, Lemons was an instant favorite of mine, there are so many utterly genius moments in the script that play out beautifully on screen. The first of which is at the beginning, with the Cat’s invitation to Lister for crazy golf!
The meat that the Cat eats in the first scene is Listers’ organs which Kryten had removed and put into the freezer in case he needs them. We discover that when they figure out that they need to remove a kidney stone from a famous historical figure, whom Lister later fights...
The scene where the crew first meets Jesus is my second favorite moment in the episode. In the making of documentary the cast remarked that they didn’t think the laughter would ever stop during that scene. It's almost as genius as my favorite scene, which is when the crew sit down for supper with Jesus, in the style of the Last Supper...
There are so many other great moments throughout this episode, not least of which was when the Cat asks how old Jesus would be in 23 A.D. Rimmer's reaction to his question was superb. Then there's the scene after the crew have gone to sleep and Kryten brings breakfast to Jesus’ quarters where he finds them empty, “Oh, he hath risen!”.
The bit about Shakespeare early on in the episode sets up two later jokes, which are all the more funny due to having multiple humorous factors in them such as the big hit expressions, “A dish fit for a king.” Or “In a pickle.”
The crew fully utilized elements of the show from way back as far as Series I, such as Rimmer's middle name being Judas, and due to historical events as we know them it makes for several genius gags that run throughout the episode including the very end when the two twins, Jesus and Judas appear and Rimmer stands up only to be hushed by the crew.
The combination of all these wonderful moments help to elevate this episode so high on the list.
Next week, find out which episode narrowly missed out on the top spot in my Red Dwarf Top Ten Countdown.
Previously
10. Meltdown
9. Polymorph
8. Tikka To Ride
7. Trojan
6. Backwards
5. Fathers and Sons
4. Cassandra
Smegging Brilliant
The World loves a bastard!
A look at Kryten 2X4B-523P
Five fantastic moments with the Cat
Dave Lister: The man who fathered himself
Top Ten Episodes: The one's that just missed the mark
Andrew Jero lives in Iowa and has a very strong love of both Red Dwarf and Doctor Who. He enjoys acting and writing plays, television scripts, and short stories. Follow Andrew on Twitter.
