Ep 2. Samsara

In Red Dwarf season 11 episode 2, titled "Samsara," the crew of the titular spaceship face a complicated moral quandary when they encounter a "Prison Holligram" - essentially a maximum security prison that exists entirely within a virtual simulation. The prison, which has been offline for years, awoke when the crew accidentally docked with it. It quickly becomes clear, however, that something has gone terribly wrong - all of the prisoners in the simulation appear to have died in their cells. The crew must explore the prison and determine what went wrong; but as they do, they begin to encounter strange, unexplainable phenomena that force them to question their own beliefs about justice, punishment, and the nature of the universe.

While the premise of the episode is perhaps more philosophical than action-packed, it's a riveting exploration of some truly complex and thought-provoking ideas. The crew is forced to confront some difficult questions that they've never really had to think about before - for example, what is the purpose of punishment? Is it simply to make the offender suffer for their misdeeds, or is there some higher goal in mind? And if the latter, what happens when that goal is subverted by circumstances beyond anyone's control?

As the crew moves through the prison, they encounter a series of holographic simulations representing various types of offenders - from murderers to white-collar criminals to people guilty of minor infractions. In each case, they are forced to make tough decisions about how to handle these people - for example, when they come across a simulation of someone who was sent to prison for stealing bread, they must decide how to respond to his plea that he only did it to feed his starving family. Should he still be punished for breaking the law, even if he did so out of desperation and necessity?

The crew's exploration of the prison is complicated by a series of terrifying hallucinations they begin to experience as they spend more time there. These visions seem to be manifestations of their own personal guilt and shame, as well as more abstract fears about the universe and their place within it. Some of the characters handle these visions better than others - Rimmer, for example, is deeply shaken by what he sees, while Kryten is almost able to view them objectively, as if they were an academic exercise.

To reveal too much more about the episode's plot would risk spoiling some of the most interesting twists and turns. Suffice it to say that "Samsara" is a remarkable achievement in terms of both writing and acting. The crew members are all given moments of deep introspection that allow their individual characters to shine through, and the weird and unsettling environment of the prison is brought to life with some truly inspired visual effects. While the show has always been known for its funny moments, this episode is a reminder that it can also be incredibly emotionally affecting when it wants to be.

Overall, "Samsara" is an excellent example of what Red Dwarf can do when it's firing on all cylinders. It's a self-contained story that explores complex philosophical ideas in an entertaining and accessible way, while still keeping its sense of humor intact. It's another reminder of why this show has remained so beloved for so many years - it's smart, it's funny, and it's unlike anything else on television.