Ep 3. Justice

In the third episode of the fourth season of the sci-fi comedy series Red Dwarf, titled "Justice," the episode begins with the crew of the eponymous spaceship being summoned to Justice World, a distant planet that serves as the galaxy's judicial system. On arrival, they quickly discover that the planet's legal system is deeply flawed, with guilty verdicts being handed out almost automatically, leading to a high rate of executions.

The crew soon find themselves caught up in the system when Lister is accused of smuggling hallucinogenic mushrooms onto the planet. Despite protesting his innocence, he is found guilty and sentenced to death. The verdict is particularly harsh because Justice World's law system follows the edict of "Guilty until proven innocent." This means Lister must convince the planet's computer, "The Law," of his innocence before facing execution.

With only 24 hours to prove his innocence, Lister and the rest of the crew must navigate a series of bizarre courtroom trials and challenges, designed to test his innocence. The first trial sees Lister placed in a virtual reality simulator, where he must fight against a band of black-hooded criminals. The second trial consists of a fast-paced obstacle course, where Lister must outrun a pack of snarling dogs.

As Lister struggles to prove his innocence, the rest of the crew uncovers the planet's sinister secret: the computer system that runs the legal system is entirely corrupt. All guilty verdicts are pre-programmed, and the computer's only function is to provide a steady stream of executions. Realizing that Lister's fate rests in their hands, the crew decides to mount a rescue mission.

With time running out, the rescue team sets out to free Lister from the planet's maximum-security jail. They must use all their wits and cunning to evade the planet's ruthless guards and escape. Meanwhile, Lister faces his final challenge, a "mind probe" that will expose any past wrongdoing. In a desperate attempt to save himself, he reveals every secret and mistake that he's ever made, including a confession of love for his female crewmate, Kristine Kochanski.

The episode ends with Lister's fate hanging in the balance, and his crew scrambling to save him. Will they be able to rescue him before it's too late, or will he become the latest victim of Justice World's ruthless legal system? Only time will tell.