Emohawk: Polymorph II

Did You Know?

• Ainsley Harriott later hosted the television shows Can't Cook, Won't Cook and Ready Steady Cook for the BBC.
• Steven Wickham, who played the chief's daughter, would 19 years later play the BEGG chief in the episode "Entangled".

Plot

Starbug is pursued by a computer-controlled Space Corps enforcement vessel that scans the ship. Dave Lister, Arnold Rimmer, Kryten and Cat are charged with looting derelict spaceships and sentenced to death under frontier law. They escape but crash-land on a GELF moon. Needing a new oxygen generator, they seek a GELF tribe willing to trade. The group meets the Kinitawowi tribe, and Lister discovers he must marry the chief's daughter in exchange for the oxygen unit. Fearing his wife's advances, Lister flees to Starbug, forcing the others to escape with the parts. The chief sends his pet Emohawk, a domesticated polymorph, after them. The polymorph boards Starbug and drains character traits from the crew: Cat loses his cool and becomes Duane Dibbley, while Rimmer loses his bitterness and becomes Ace Rimmer. Rimmer traps the others in the cargo hold and prepares to sacrifice himself and Cat via an airlock. Lister and Kryten break free and convince him to freeze the creature instead. The group neutralizes the polymorph. Rimmer asks to remain as Ace for another 24 hours, while Cat asks to be changed back immediately; his fears are realized when he accidentally freezes the others.

Production

The GELF settlement was created by redressing a medieval village set originally built for the abandoned series Covington Cross. Ainsley Harriott, who later became a celebrity chef and hosted BBC programmes like Can't Cook, Won't Cook, portrayed the GELF chief. In 1998, he presented a special anniversary edition of that show titled Can't Smeg, Won't Smeg for Red Dwarf. Steven Wickham played the chief’s daughter, Hackhackhack Ach Hachhachac; nineteen years later, he appeared as the BEGG chief in the episode Entangled. Hugh Quarshie took the role of a Computer, and Martin Sims performed as a GELF.