Making sense of "Back to Earth"

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know that subject line is kind of an oxymoron, since making sense out of a sitcom is probably being ambitious, but I can't help trying to figure things out. *G*

Since this is a slash community, I'm curious about your take on the Lister and Rimmer relationship and changes between the series and this movie. (Note: I'm going through old posts, still, and I'm certain you longtime members have already hashed all this out, but I haven't gotten quite up to 2009 yet - and at any rate, who's likely to go back that far and look at any question a n00b might ask in the comments to any relevant entries?)

It's plain that Lister is unhappy, or dissatisfied at least, by the events of BTE. I have not read/listened to any creator remarks as to why this would be, so forgive me if this has been explained by the canon sources - but I'm guessing it's probably mostly down to having been stuck out in deep space for over 20 (conscious) years, which would be nearly half of Lister's life - and not only stuck on a ship, away from his home, but with very few companions. There aren't many of us who could have all our daily social needs satisfied by just five people (if you count Holly - speaking of which, why wasn't a Holly around in BTE? Hmm ...).

What I found interesting was the argument he and Rimmer have following the diving-bell incident. I know it's mostly written for laughs - "oh, look, here's Rimmer being a jerk yet again and failing to see how his actions left the others in needless danger" - but since it's my right as a fan to look for things in the source material and interpret them in various ways, I guess I'll try. *G* The wording is what struck me as interesting:

(paraphrasing from memory) Rimmer: Is this about you, again? Can't you see I need some "me" time?

This seems terribly callous, but if Lister's been moping around for a while, maybe it's possible Rimmer's been doing what has worked in the past to bust him out of a funk - and instead of working, it's just been contributing to the "sameness" of Lister's annoying life, which has in turn become irritating to Rimmer? (Although it can't be all thunderclouds and rainshowers for Lister, if he can plan that elaborate tomato prank and get such a kick out of it.) Lister's always been the cheerful one, and I can imagine it would really throw a spanner (pun not intended) in the works of how Rimmer sees things if Lister becomes the depressed one.

Also, what's the deal with Kochanski, anyway? We can figure Lister's not wholly depressed because of her death/departure - I mean, the whole reason she left was to get away from him being like that. (a) If he was with her, why would he be depressed? It's half his lifelong dream, supposedly. (b) If he WASN'T with her, why did he not make some sort of move in all those years she was aboard, and then suddenly decide he wanted to get her back? (That bit sort of screwed me up, too - he's depressed being on Red Dwarf with just the guys, stuck out in deep space, but he chooses to go back to that when he could stay in the "alternate reality" with a Kochanski - it's not like the one he's pursuing is the original pinball-smile anyway, right? - and kids, and Earth, and such?)

Anyway, I hope at least someone hasn't already discussed this to death previously and will chat back at me. :-D

Comments

[missflibble.livejournal.com]

Lauren already knows my thoughts on their relationship in BTE (I've tainted her reading on it beyond repair, mwaha)

In the first scene with the tomato prank, Rimmer berates Lister, asking him whether it was worth spending hours of planning for just a few seconds of pleasure.

And then comes my tragic mishearing which has skewed my entire reading of the specials.

Lister: Sounds like the last time *we* had sex

GAH.

[missflibble.livejournal.com]

So glad I'm on someone's wavelength ^__^

*nods* A very interesting reading. Me likey. Fic?

[nice-girls-play.livejournal.com]

What surprised me about Back to Earth is how much of the plotline is focused on Rimmer's fear. Not fear for his own safety, per se, but his fear of watching Lister age and die. On my second viewing of part one, I really felt for him (in between giggling), because I got the feeling that he really was scared of impending danger and potential harm coming to Lister. "You wasn't even there!" "I had to watch it." Maybe I've read too much angst-ridden fanfiction, but in another context, that dialogue would have a whole different meaning.

And Lister misses the point entirely.

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

One of the big question marks raised by BTE is exactly what Lister's relationship with Kochanski was before she walked. In the dvd commentary Doug talks about how most of what BTE is about is Lister's own lack of self-esteem and how he never felt he was good enough for Kochanski. The inferrence throughout the show is that the relationship could have happened, but Lister was too scared of rejection to ever make it happen. However, clearly there was some kind of relationship, or why would Kryten say 'she dumped you?'. My reading of it is that there was a sexual relationship (they would have had to have been made of stone not to need something from each other in all that time) but that Lister was too nervous to try and make it something more by telling her how he felt and she got sick of waiting for him to say it. The depression clearly doesn't just stem from Kochanski's death as he was already messed up when she decided to leave.
I like to think that he never sorted things out with Kochanski because he never wanted to completely close the door on the possibility of something with Rimmer. He didn't have the guts to choose between them, so Kriss made the decision for him. But, as has always been the case throughout the shows history, they've still never been able to admit how they feel, leaving them both angry, frustrated and depressed.
One of the best cut-scenes from BTE is of Lister and Rimmer talking about jammy dodgers. It starts with Lister reminiscing about a sexual encounter with Kochanski and how he now accosiates jammy dodgers with sex. He tells Rimmer he found the last jammy dodger onboard and although it was a bit old and manky he was still thrilled when he found it. Rimmer askes in disgust if he eat it and Lister says earnestly, 'No, I gave it to you. I know how much you like them.' QED, methinks. And the look on Rimmer's face, torn between disgust and tenderness says it all.

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

As the undercurrent has been in place from the very start, I would guess that it was down to both writers, however I think it's easy to over-interpret a lot of what they were trying to do. The majority of overt slashiness in the show is there to be played for laughs and nothing more- it's not meant to be taken all that seriously. What's nice about Dwarf is that you can watch it and take it at face value, but it has enough background and character depth to allow fans like us to explore further possibilities and meanings to our heart's content.