reddwarfslash | Making sense of "Back to Earth"

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