Waiting for God (Red Dwarf episode)
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| Red Dwarf episode | |
| "Waiting for God" | |
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| Episode № | 4 |
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| Airdate | March 7, |
| Writer(s) | Rob Grant & Doug Naylor |
| Director | Ed Bye |
| Guest star(s) | Noel Coleman as Cat Priest; John Lenahan as the toaster |
| Series I February 15 – March 21, 1988 |
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| List of all Red Dwarf episodes... | |
Waiting for God was the fourth Red Dwarf episode to air.
[edit] Synopsis
Red Dwarf stumbles upon a pod drifting in space, which Rimmer orders to be salvaged believing it to be a stasis capsule carrying a dormant member of an alien race which he has named "Quagaars". After careful inspection, Lister discovers that the capsule is actually nothing more than a jettisoned Red Dwarf garbage pod (with the writing partially obscured), but Rimmer is oblivious (due to the fact he never worked in waste disposal) and continues his quest to discover "aliens".
Lister learns more about the Cat's people's mystical belief in him being their god, known as "Cloister the Stupid". The Cat, who is known to go "investigating" goes off on one of his exscursions, and Lister follows him, deep into the cargo hold. There Lister discovers an old blind cat priest — the only one of their race left other than Cat — who is dying and proclaims that he has lost his faith, feeling that he has wasted his life following Cloister. The priest takes his hat off, asking Cat to burn it (which Cat puts on his head and lies to him, telling him, "It's burnt"). In his final moments, Lister shows up and convinces the priest that he has led an admirable life and has served Cloister well, and as such will reach 'Fuchal', the Cat equivalent of Heaven. Lister takes the hat back from Cat and puts it back on the priest's head. Convinced by this "miracle", the cat priest joyously exclaims, "This is the happiest day of my—" and dies.
Back in the observation room, the pod is ready to be opened, and Lister opens the hatch and pulls out a discarded roast chicken carcass, which Rimmer obviously believes to be the preserved remains of a Quagaar warrior.
The credits roll, and suddenly the music stops and the picture freezes, as Rimmer yells, "It's a smegging garbage pod!"
[edit] Continuity
- When the Cat Priest gets up and has a heart attack, the hat he is wearing falls onto his face when he falls back onto the bed, yet in the close-up of him lying dead, there is no hat visible.
- When Lister is just about to sit down by the cat priest, he moves his leg so Lister can sit down.
[edit] Quotes
- Holly: [Reading Lister's confidential report] "David Lister: Technician, 3rd Class. Captain's remarks: 'has requested sick leave due to diarrhoea on no less than 500 occasions.' Left his previous job as a supermarket trolley attendant after ten years because he didn't want to get tied down to a career. Promotion prospects: zero."
- Holly: [Reading Rimmer's confidential report] "Arnold Rimmer: Technician, 2nd Class. Captain's remarks: There's a saying amongs the officers: "If a job's worth doing, it's worth doing well. If it's not worth doing, give it to Rimmer." He aches for responsibility, but constantly fails the engineering exam. Astoundingly zealous, possibly mad; probably has more teeth than brain cells. Promotion prospects: Comical."
