The Beginning (Red Dwarf)

Richard O'Callaghan - Hogey the Roguey
Gary Cady - Dominator Zlurth
Alex Hardy - Chancellor Wednesday
Colin Hoult - Chancellor Thursday
Simon Treves - Lecturer Rimmer
Taylor James - Big Simulant Advisor
Philip Labey - Young Rimmer
Joanne Gale - Wendy

"The Beginning" is the sixth episode of science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf series X, originally broadcast on the British television channel Dave on 8 November 2012. The crew are attacked by Simulants, and in desperation are forced to rely on Rimmer to save them.

The episode Opens during Rimmer's childhood. He is a student at a college on Io, and his father is the teacher. Rimmer's father uses the unwitting young Arnold as a guinea pig. He has prepped the students to make Arnold feel unsure of his decisions, and then he humiliates him when he gets them wrong.

Three million years later aboard Red Dwarf, Rimmer and the others are visited - apparently yet again - by a dim-witted rogue droid named Hogey, who is constantly challenging them to duels across time and space due to boredom. While Lister and Rimmer attempt to talk him into a simpler competition, Hogey reveals he has stolen a map of all the wormholes and derelicts in the galaxy from a Simulant Death Ship. Unfortunately, the Simulants have followed him, and they dispatch three Annihilators to attack Red Dwarf. The hull outside the sleeping quarters is breached, and the ensuing decompression pulls Hogey against the hole, sealing it. The Dwarfers abandon him, but Lister takes his Molecular Destabilizer. Rimmer also grabs a holo-lamp that his father gave him as a child, containing a message that he is supposed to listen to once he becomes an officer.

The Dwarfers escape in Blue Midget, leading the Annihilators and Death Ship (captained by Dominator Zlurg and his assistant Chancellor Wednesday) away from Red Dwarf. They proceed to a nearby asteroid belt, finding an asteroid large enough to hide inside. As the Simulants close in, they are forced to come up with a battle plan, a responsibility that Lister bestows upon Rimmer on the grounds that he's familiar with both Astro-Navigation and military strategy. Rimmer rises to the challenge, albeit uncertainly. He attempts to make a battle plan in the storage room, but he is unable to concentrate. The Cat, while playing with some string, unexpectedly points out to Rimmer why he's never able to focus - his father. He suggests that Rimmer just forget about trying to impress him and move on.