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Legion (Red Dwarf episode)
Encyclopedia
"Legion" is the second episode of science fiction
sit-com Red Dwarf
Series VI and the 32nd in the series run. It was first broadcast on British
television on 14 October 1993. Written by Rob Grant
& Doug Naylor
and directed by Andy de Emmony.
is served space weevil for dinner.
They are distracted when a tractor beam
locks onto them and pulls them into an apparently deserted space station
. They decide to explore the station for supplies when they meet a being called Legion. He proves his good faith (and incredible technology) by converting Rimmer
from a "soft light" to a "hard light" hologram (thus making him able to touch and feel), as well as by performing an instantaneous emergency appendectomy on Lister. The crew invites him to join them, but Legion insists that they stay with him. They are shown their ideal bedrooms with the entire room stocked with their own unique personal tastes and requirements.
Kryten
states that despite the pleasantness and charm of their host, they are still prisoners, and continue to lose ground on Red Dwarf. Following Lister
's advice, they attempt to escape using a method from the film "Attack of the Surfboarding Killer Bikini Vampire Girls". When they confront Legion and the plan fails dramatically, they discover that he is a gestalt entity - a combination of all active minds present on the station, melded together to form one. The space station used to be occupied by a group of scientists who created Legion, but all have perished from old age. Without conscious minds, Legion is a mindless, formless entity. Kryten discovers a solution by knocking out the rest of the Red Dwarf crew, reducing Legion to purely Kryten's persona. Legion claims a stalemate, but Kryten reminds him that he now shares the android's overriding servitude to the needs of his companions, with nothing else to dilute it. As he is forced to help the crew safely leave the station, Legion admits relief that he will no longer be sharing their assorted neuroses.
Legion also provides the crew with an experimental stardrive engine that should allow Starbug to catch up with Red Dwarf in mere nanoseconds, which Kryten installs despite the (now revived) others doubting it'll work. Once activated, the engine crashes through the wall and shoots out into space on its own, leaving the crew struggling against decompression:
KRYTEN: Well, we know one thing, sir.
LISTER: What's that?
KRYTEN: It DOES work!
Nigel Williams played the character of Legion, whose costume was so tight he had to be sewn into it. Once he was in it he had to stay in it until the shoot was finished.
and certain dialogue reference Mark 5:9, wherein Jesus
confronts a possessed man: "My name is Legion
," he replied, "for we are many."
The "Ionian Nerve Grip" which Kryten pretends to use on Rimmer is patterned after the famous Vulcan nerve pinch
from Star Trek
.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
sit-com Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf
Red Dwarf is a British comedy franchise which primarily comprises eight series of a television science fiction sitcom that aired on BBC Two between 1988 and 1999 and Dave from 2009–present. It gained cult following. It was created by Rob Grant and Doug Naylor, who also wrote the first six series...
Series VI and the 32nd in the series run. It was first broadcast on British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
television on 14 October 1993. Written by Rob Grant
Rob Grant
Robert Grant is a British comedy writer and television producer, who was born in Salford and studied Psychology at Liverpool University for two years....
& Doug Naylor
Doug Naylor
Douglas R. Naylor is a British comedy writer, science fiction writer, director and television producer.Naylor was born in Manchester, England and studied at the University of Liverpool. In the mid-1980s, Naylor wrote two regular comedy sketch shows for BBC Radio 4 entitled Cliché and Son of Cliché...
and directed by Andy de Emmony.
Plot
Starbug is now twenty-four hours behind Red Dwarf and is losing ground on the larger ship. The piloting of Starbug is now a long-term menial task which is carried out by using shift changes. Food and water supplies are running low, so much so that water is recycled and ListerDave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
is served space weevil for dinner.
They are distracted when a tractor beam
Tractor beam
A tractor beam is a device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Since the 1990s, technology and research has labored to make it a reality, mostly at microscopic level. Less commonly, a similar beam that repels is called a pressor beam or repulsor beam...
locks onto them and pulls them into an apparently deserted space station
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
. They decide to explore the station for supplies when they meet a being called Legion. He proves his good faith (and incredible technology) by converting Rimmer
Arnold Rimmer
Arnold Judas Rimmer is a fictional character in the science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, played by Chris Barrie. He is unpopular with his crew mates, and is often the target of insults or pranks...
from a "soft light" to a "hard light" hologram (thus making him able to touch and feel), as well as by performing an instantaneous emergency appendectomy on Lister. The crew invites him to join them, but Legion insists that they stay with him. They are shown their ideal bedrooms with the entire room stocked with their own unique personal tastes and requirements.
Kryten
Kryten
Kryten is a fictional character in the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf. Kryten's registration code on Red Dwarf is "Kryten additional 001". The name Kryten is a reference to the head butler in the J.M...
states that despite the pleasantness and charm of their host, they are still prisoners, and continue to lose ground on Red Dwarf. Following Lister
Dave Lister
David "Dave" Lister, commonly referred to simply as Lister, is a fictional character from the British science fiction situation comedy Red Dwarf, portrayed by Craig Charles...
's advice, they attempt to escape using a method from the film "Attack of the Surfboarding Killer Bikini Vampire Girls". When they confront Legion and the plan fails dramatically, they discover that he is a gestalt entity - a combination of all active minds present on the station, melded together to form one. The space station used to be occupied by a group of scientists who created Legion, but all have perished from old age. Without conscious minds, Legion is a mindless, formless entity. Kryten discovers a solution by knocking out the rest of the Red Dwarf crew, reducing Legion to purely Kryten's persona. Legion claims a stalemate, but Kryten reminds him that he now shares the android's overriding servitude to the needs of his companions, with nothing else to dilute it. As he is forced to help the crew safely leave the station, Legion admits relief that he will no longer be sharing their assorted neuroses.
Legion also provides the crew with an experimental stardrive engine that should allow Starbug to catch up with Red Dwarf in mere nanoseconds, which Kryten installs despite the (now revived) others doubting it'll work. Once activated, the engine crashes through the wall and shoots out into space on its own, leaving the crew struggling against decompression:
KRYTEN: Well, we know one thing, sir.
LISTER: What's that?
KRYTEN: It DOES work!
Production
The working title for the episode was "Call Me Legion", and later shortened to "Legion". This episode introduces the hologram Hardlight - an indestructible physical form which Rimmer could form into. It was becoming tiresome for the writers that Rimmer couldn't touch anything, so it was retained for the remainder of the series.Nigel Williams played the character of Legion, whose costume was so tight he had to be sewn into it. Once he was in it he had to stay in it until the shoot was finished.
Cultural references
The episode titleLegion (demon)
Legion is a group of demons referred to in the Christian Bible. The New Testament outlines an encounter where Jesus healed a man from Gadarenes possessed by demons while traveling, known as Exorcising the Gerasenes demonic.- In the Bible :...
and certain dialogue reference Mark 5:9, wherein Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
confronts a possessed man: "My name is Legion
My name is Legion
Legion, the demon of Gadarenes, appears frequently as a character in popular culture. The Christian New Testament gospels of Mark, Luke and Matthew describe an incident in which Jesus meets a man, or men, possessed by demons who, when asked what their name is, respond:The quotation has been...
," he replied, "for we are many."
The "Ionian Nerve Grip" which Kryten pretends to use on Rimmer is patterned after the famous Vulcan nerve pinch
Vulcan nerve pinch
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
from Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
.