Parallel Universe thoughts

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

Hey guys,

I think most of you would agree that Parallel Universe is a pretty slashy episode. I've always been curious about some things...

1. Rimmer says, "She accused me of wiggling my bottom in a provocative way! I was just walking! Can I help it if I happen to be sexy?" and Lister looks at Rimmer's bum. What might be going through Lister's head?

2. Rimmer tells Lister, "She's gone to get some sexy videos. She seems to think seeing two men together might turn me on." What exactly gives Arlene this impression and why does Rimmer tell Lister this?

3. Where does Rimmer hide that night and does Arlene ever find him? If she finds him, does she succeed in showing him any "sexy videos?" Or maybe Rimmer comes across those videos himself...

4. Why do the two Rimmers look so smug, and like such good friends the next morning? I thought Rimmer was supposed to be hiding from her...

Well, hopefully this is a bit inspiring or at least leads to some discussion. :)

Comments

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

1) "So you're not doing it on purpose, then?"

2) Arlene thinks this the same reason some men seem to think all women are turned on by lesbians; she's got no clue about the opposite sex. Rimmer's telling Lister this, so that if any gay porn turns up in the future, he's got plausible deniability.

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

1. Haha!

2. I figured that about Arlene, but was more curious about why Rimmer told Lister. That explanation makes sense. I mean, what if Arlene somehow forced Rimmer to watch some, and Lister walked in on them or something. :P

[amy-wolf.livejournal.com]

Or, you know, a couple weeks later Lister found some videos at the bottom of Rimmer's locker. Clearly, they'd be entirely Arlene's fault, an in no way anything he'd ever choose to own, or watch, regardless of when he'd started buying gay porn, and how many times he watched them before Arlene even turned up.

[longlongwaytogo.livejournal.com]

I thought he was telling him (this is the non slashy me talking) because it was a completely 'wth!' situation.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

You know, I do love that little bum-looking moment, because it looks improvised to me. So I tend to see it as RPSy rather than slashy. But it works both ways, of course. ;)

And yeah, that's exactly what I was thinking too. Showing the absurdity that straight people would be turned on by porn with just people of their own gender in it. Though, I mean, I'm sure that works for some people, but the notion isn't terribly logical.

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

It does look improvised, and that's basically how I see it. But it's still fun to imagine what Lister might be thinking. ;)

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

Lister giving that look at his butt always cracks me up, almost as much as when he looks to Rimmer when wondering how he winds up with two babies in Future echoes XD

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

Yes, that too! Something's definitely going on there. :P

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

Hold me back, I am dying to write waaaaay too much about the twins TAT

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

I need to listen to the Bodysnatcher set commentaries on that, if there are any. Maybe Doug and Ed can shed some light on it. I've always wondered if it was intentional or not.

[longlongwaytogo.livejournal.com]

oh yes I'd forgotten about that! :D

[metalkatt.livejournal.com]

3. I think he'd have to keep moving. We saw Arlene's arrogance and pomposity, but we never saw her cowardliness. She'd know all the places he'd choose to hide, since she would have had them herself (unless cowardice was not a part of her, in the same way Cat is not like Dog), and the only way for him to keep avoiding is to keep on the lam, or have himself powered down.

4. That, I believe is Dog's fault. Picture it: Arlene finally has Arnold cornered, and Dog shows up, depressed. He asks the holograms to play with him, and Arlene tells him to buzz off. Dog laments that Deb and Dave told him that, too, when they were doing their *own* playing and howling in the cabin. He feels so left out and unloved...

Right at that moment, I can see both of them forgetting the whole sexual awkwardness, and rushing to the crewdeck to mock their Listers. Though, Arlene seems more interested in mocking *Dave* than Deb, which always confused me. After all, Arnold mocks Dave whenever he can; you'd think Arlene would be picking on Deb.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Well, they need to get across the plot point that Lister might be pregnant, so it could just be a necessity of the script. Though I suppose one could also make the argument that Arlene might be afraid of confronting Deb directly. I mean, talking to Deb about her having had sex would mean confronting the idea that Deb has had sex... in her bunk... which might start a train of though she's not that comfortable with.

[smaych.livejournal.com]

...using HER springs *shudder*

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

Mocking Lister is a shared interest that they use to get over the uncomfortable situation of facing the two of them in bed, I think, and also the uncomfortable situation of talking to each other.

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I like your Dog explanation. You should expand it into a fic. :D

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

You know, I was watching "Parallel Universe" the other day, and I started wondering about point 3 too. It is my firm belief that Rimmer is exclusively gay, but obviously in denial. That cut-scene from "Holoship," where Nirvanah has to DRAG him to her quarters? The man is actually terrified of the idea of sex... at least sex with a woman. And here too - not that I'm suggesting he should have been attracted to Arlene if he were straight. But, well, he's been alone in space for a long time, he can finally touch... wouldn't the idea at least seem somewhat appealing?

Arlene, being his mirror image, would have the same problem, of course, but as Rimmer is being evasive, she's taking on the Fake Bravado role. It's very safe for her to chase after Rimmer, because he's obviously not going to give in. If he'd been the aggressive one, she'd have responded just like him, IMO...

[longlongwaytogo.livejournal.com]

I think the idea would have been appealing to him too. I mean... yeah she's objectifying him... but he'd be able to touch her breasts. And score. I mean, she's after it!!!

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

I didn't used to see Rimmer as gay, but I definitely do now. The first time I watched the series again last year after about 10 years, I mostly focussed on the funny and didn't really think of Rimmer as really one way or the other. But since getting into slash, reading lots of fics, and re-watching the episodes, it does make the most sense to me that Rimmer is gay and in denial. He has sex with women, but it always seems like he thinks it's something he has to accomplish, but he doesn't quite *get it*. Nirvanah worked out ok for him, but yeah...not if you watch the deleted scene. ;)

It's interesting the way the relationship between them changes over the course of the episode. They're getting along ok and neither of them really has the upper-hand, until the turning point when Arlene tries to hypnotize him and Rimmer freaks out.

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Yes, exactly.

The funny thing is, I know men who were in denial IRL now, and they used to act just like Rimmer. Which is no end of lol to me.

[smaych.livejournal.com]

I just watched this with a friend the other day! I wanted to show her Rimmer's cycling outfit :P

I find this episode quite interesting, especially the way (male)Rimmer thinks of women. It's pretty wrong and sick, obviously, but it's also interesting that he's so terrified of them. I suppose his previous experiences with women have included his single, brief liason with the ship's female boxing champion, and his cold, demanding, repressed mother. It's interesting.

1) I love this moment. Like kahvi I think it's rather RPS-y, but also I love the idea of Lister looking at Rimmer's bum. For perhaps obvious reasons. I like to think he's mentally agreeing :P

2) Arlene is turned on by two men together, to mirror the stereotypical idea that men like to watch two women together. What's interesting is perhaps that she would like the idea of male Rimmer and Lister together, and start getting freaked out because it's essentially her and Deb.

3) & 4) I always imagined Rimmer hid inside something, being soft light. He can kind of hide inside furniture. Maybe he hid under Arlene's bunk, thinking she'd never find him there, and witnessed the Lister/Lister sex, then snuck out when they passed out and ran, bumped into Arlene who demanded to know why he looked like he'd seen a ghost, so he told her and they went back and mocked. Or something. What do you reckon?

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Hah, Arlene imagining Rimmer and Lister together! Genius! I love it. It makes perfect sense, all of it.

[smaych.livejournal.com]

I may or may not be writing a Lister/Lister based on this episode for you :) But it's slow going, I've been working on it for a couple of weeks and still only have a little bit to show for it.

[fireformrar.livejournal.com]

I think rimmer could be gay, Nirvanah pretty much dragged him into to bed and he reacted the same way with Arlene and Nirvanah. If he is, I wish they'd address it in an episode, It would make my day :)

1. Rimmer says, "She accused me of wiggling my bottom in a provocative way! I was just walking! Can I help it if I happen to be sexy?" and Lister looks at Rimmer's bum. What might be going through Lister's head?

Hehe Listers agrreeing :)

2. Rimmer tells Lister, "She's gone to get some sexy videos. She seems to think seeing two men together might turn me on." What exactly gives Arlene this impression and why does Rimmer tell Lister this?

Probably because some women think that men are always turned on by lebian pron so because it a paralell universe it would be gay porn if you get me?

3. Where does Rimmer hide that night and does Arlene ever find him? If she finds him, does she succeed in showing him any "sexy videos?" Or maybe Rimmer comes across those videos himself...

Anywheres an option when your soft light :)

[queen-fiend.livejournal.com]

I like your answers! You explanation of the gay porn makes a lot of sense. :)