DNA story
A mysterious derelict spacecraft containing extremely advanced technology, perhaps alien, docks with Red Dwarf. On board they discover a DNA modifier, a genetic altering machine that can metamorphose organic life, but havoc ensues as Lister gets turned into a chicken and then a hamster, Kryten becomes human, and a curry monster is created from Lister's vindaloo. Directed by: Ed Bye. Story by: Rob Grant & Doug Naylor.
18 total · 8 major · 10 minor
| Theme | Level | Motivation |
|---|---|---|
| be careful what you wish for | major | The mechanoid Kryten learned that being human wasn't all it was cracked up to be and he soon longed to be a bucket of nuts and blots again. |
| felinoid being | major | The cat-man Cat. |
| human nature | major | Kryten became an endless stream of commentary on the human condition after he turned human. |
| humanoid robot | major | The humanoid robot Kryten. |
| speculative genetic engineering | major | The crew discovered a machine that could transform any one living thing into any other by means of rewriting its DNA. Central to the plot was a machine that could transform any one living thing into any other by means of rewriting its DNA. |
| the desire to be human | major | The mechanoid Kryten described his having been transformed into a human as his "greatest dream come true", but he quickly came to lament his circumstance, after getting a taste of what it is like to be made of flesh and blood. |
| virtual person | major | The Rimmer hologram. |
| what if I underwent a physical metamorphosis | major | The mechaniod Kryten was transformed into a human and got to experience what life was like in that form. |
| biological spaceship | minor | The protagonists explored an ancient and derelict spacecraft that had a distinct organic look about it. |
| cyborg | minor | The crew used the Genetic Modifier machine to transform Lister into a pint-sized RoboCop like cyborg. |