The Hooded Hordes, Rimmer's inner demons made real on the psi-moon
Rimmer Demons, also called Hooded Hordes by their master the Unspeakable One, were Arnold Rimmer's insecurities, neuroses, self-loathing and feelings of failure that were manifested into reality by the psi-moon.
History[]
They appeared as diminutive, dark-cloaked, Jawa-like creatures, with glowing red eyes. Only four were seen in the episode. They stalked Rimmer and then captured him, who had a physical body on the Psi-Moon and was no longer a hologram, taking him to be prepared by the handmaidens for the Unspeakable One.
As Rimmer was made to feel better about himself (due to his crewmates breaking him out and lying about how they liked him), the power of the Unspeakable One was broken, allowing Starbug to escape the quicksand it was caught up in. Back on the Psi-Moon, the Rimmer Musketeers rose from their graves and slew the Hooded Hordes, reflecting Rimmer's increased confidence. Once Starbug was clear of the Psi-Moon, however, the Dwarfers told Rimmer what they really thought of him. ("Terrorform", Series V)
Trivia[]
- Whereas the Unspeakable One was a manifestation of Rimmer's self-loathing, the Hooded Hordes represented bitterness, self-doubt, mistrust and loneliness. They are named so by the Rimmer Musketeers as the Hordes are slain by them.
- What became of the moon and it's inhabitants after the Dwarfers escaped the Psi-Moon is unknown. Given that the inhabitants were created by Rimmer's mind, it is likely that they ceased to exist once the Dwarfers escaped.
- They have a passing resemblance to the Jawas from the Star Wars franchise.
Behind the Scenes[]
- The Hooded Hordes had Rimmer's face underneath their hoods, albeit ghastly pale and with bloodshot eyes. This was not seen in the broadcast episode, but can be seen in the deleted scenes on the Series V DVD, when they are slain by the Rimmer Musketeers.
- Among the actors who portrayed the Hooded Hordes include extras John Buchanan, John Denton, Gary Forecast, Steve Jenson, Michael Leader, and Tim Yeates. As seen in the deleted scenes, Chris Barrie was to portray the faces of the Hooded Hordes.
- The Rimmer Demons poking their heads over a wooded ridge one-by-one features in the opening titles for all Series V episodes.