Plot
This story starts with a Star Wars-esque pre-title sequence revealing the events after what happened in "Parallel Universe". Lister has given birth to twins, but unfortunately, they suffered from highly accelerated growth rates and became 18 years old within three days, and his twins were returned to the universe of their own origin. Meanwhile, the ship's computer Holly had a head sex-change operation to become like Hilly, his alternate universe female counterpart with whom he fell madly in love. And then, Kryten, who was last seen leaving the Nova 5 on Lister's space-bike was found in pieces on an asteroid, which meant Lister ended up rebuilding the droid, but unfortunately, he was incapable of recapturing Kryten's former personality, which gives him a brand-new personality and he became a permanent member of the crew.
Rimmer (Chris Barrie) takes Kryten (Robert Llewellyn) out in Starbug 1 for his piloting test and while answering recognition questions they travel through a time hole. They crash-land on a planet which appears similar to Earth. As they reach a roadside they notice a sign which says "Nodnol, 871 selim". Although Rimmer is confused, Kryten correctly states that the sign (when read backwards) actually reads "London, 178 miles", and that they're on a backwards Earth.
Meanwhile Lister (Craig Charles) and Cat (Danny John-Jules) have been flying around in Starbug 2 for the past three weeks searching for them. They come across the same "time hole" that Starbug 1 did and, despite Cat's reservations, go through it. They close in on Starbug 1 using a homing device and land near the lake where it crash-landed. Upon exiting Starbug 2 Lister complains of feeling some pain—he suddenly has a black eye and his ribs feel like they've been cracked.
Kryten and Rimmer are initially disgusted with this "backwards" world. Here, people take money from buskers' hats, and cafes are populated by customers who spit tea back into teacups and messily disgorge chocolate éclairs. Newspapers report events that have yet to happen, and advertise job vacancies that offer good demotion prospects. Rimmer and Kryten quickly discover that they can use their forwardness to their advantage, however, starring in an act called "srehtorB esreveR lanoitasneS ehT" ("The Sensational Reverse Brothers").
Lister and Cat eventually track down Kryten and Rimmer at the club where they work, whereupon Lister finally discovers that everything is backwards, after initially thinking they had landed in Bulgaria. However, Kryten and Rimmer are quite content on this planet. Lister tries to convince them to come back, but they intend to stay. The club owner then fires them for starting a fight, but Kryten argues that they have not started any fight. At the same time, a man takes offence to Lister and Cat "uneating" his pie, and punches Lister twice, healing his black eye and broken rib. Kryten realises that this is actually the beginning of the barroom brawl that got them fired, and a huge fight breaks out in reverse. Eventually everything is restored to its original state and they realise that they cannot stay on a backwards Earth. The final reinforcement of that occurs when the Cat attempts to relieve himself in the bushes, forgetting that everything happens in reverse.
Read more about this topic: Backwards (Red Dwarf Episode)
Famous quotes containing the word plot:
“There saw I how the secret felon wrought,
And treason labouring in the traitor’s thought,
And midwife Time the ripened plot to murder brought.”
—Geoffrey Chaucer (1340?–1400)
“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
“Morality for the novelist is expressed not so much in the choice of subject matter as in the plot of the narrative, which is perhaps why in our morally bewildered time novelists have often been timid about plot.”
—Jane Rule (b. 1931)