Red Dwarf X: Lemons

So, we've now entered the middle section of the series with Lemons. Three more weeks and it'll all be over. I wonder when Dave will reveal if they're going to make any more?

I have a basic problem with this third episode: as a general rule in Red Dwarf there is a certain scientific logic to most occurrences, or at least they don't require massive leaps of faith. In Time Slides, for example, the mutated developing fluid meant the photos could be interacted with, and the Holly Hop Drive that was used a few times at least worked on explained principles. Lemons breaks this. The rejuvenation shower is a nice idea, and yes there is much fun to be had from the crew constructing a device from flat pack, but it doesn't follow by any stretch of the imagination that it should become a time & space travel transmat when it's incorrectly put together and aligned. That's too random. It's from a different strand of comedy (Goons, Python, Hitchhiker, Boosh). More specifically it smacks of lazy writing: 'I've got a nice idea about the crew meeting a Jesus in 23AD, but how do I get them there? Oh, I'll have them create an accidental IKEA time machine, that'll do...' This is particularly disappointing after last week's well-constructed episode with some great concepts.

The episode was fun and there were some good laughs in places (I loved the pay-off with the meat cutlets Lister was grilling at the beginning), but I felt on the whole that it was patchy. This was a double shame as my old mate Nick Richards played Jesus's 'speeching' uncle and it's always great to see a friend on TV!
I'm also concerned that Kryten and Rimmer only seem to be a mechanoid and a hologram when it suits the situation: the crew used to be worried about people's reactions to Kryten's appearance, but no longer it seems. It was an amusing concept to have to create a basic battery to return to the ship and the scene with the lemon seller was a killer, but presumably Kryten's systems or Rimmer's light bee run on less volts than were required to power the remote device? The previous week Rimmer had referred to himself dying if Pree drove Red Dwarf into the sun. Is Doug Naylor slipping up?

I know that in one way or another Lister has returned to Earth several times now, and he always goes back to the ship afterwards. The series has stopped talking about him as the last human being alive now, but I wonder if they should be drawing attention to the fact that he chooses not to stay on Earth when he can on these occasions, in favour of his life on the Dwarf? Does the series still need a clear purpose, or is it fine to just be about four ageing types wandering the galaxy randomly and having occasional adventures?

This was an even-handed group episode in terms of the crew, with no strong main or sub-plot favouring any of the four, but I felt the situation was forced and ideas weren't thought through fully enough. Having said all that, I'm still enjoying the series and wouldn't consider not watching it - which is a real positive. I will be keeping an eye out, though, to see if the rejuvenation shower appears again...