Something I've been thinking about concerning "Entangled"

[zara2148.livejournal.com]

Alright, I'm a fairly new to the Red Dwarf fandom, but don't hold that against me. Anyway, my mind has been pondering on and off concerning Kryten's quick infodump in "Entangled" to Rimmer, and I'd thought it could make a good discussion (roughly paraphrased from memory):

"Have you forgotten? If Mister Lister dies, then the computer automatically shuts you down."

Now here's what I'm wondering (and let's pretend for a moment Naylor is not most likely making this up as he goes) - did Rimmer really already know about this, or was it something he was 'conveniently' never told. And if he was told about it at some point, how does this revelation change the previous nine and half series worth of Rimmer/Lister interaction?

Personally, I can see it as perfectly reasonable for Holly to not mention this little detail to Rimmer (assuming the automatic shut-down isn't brought on by a lack of Holly, who might have been able to stop it if s/he wanted to). Not to overly project, but if I was told my life was dependent on someone who shows all the self-preservational skills of a lemming practicing amateur cliff-jumping, I'd be tempted to lock that person in a room indefinitely. So Rimmer's ignorance could have been necessary for the as-normal-as-possible interaction needed to keep Lister sane.

I also have difficulty reading too many mercenary intentions into his previous shows of concerns - Rimmer may be a goit, but he's fairly open about being one. He rarely bothers masking any less-than-savory intentions - actually, if he knew his life was tied to Lister's, I can't see him not complaining about it at some point (aka "You're endangering your life deliberately, aren't you? You want to see me dead that badly?").

Comments

[kronette.livejournal.com]

default backup which kicks in if Holly is disabled

I remember that hand-wave explanation, and if we have to try to fit all of GNP's writings into one cohesive universe, it's a good explanation.

He may have known since around "BTE", which is presumably when this computer took over. He didn't exclaim in surprise when Kryten pointed it out. In fact, neither did Cat.

I figured Cat knew because of the coincidence stuff, and he and Kryten were on the same wavelength. Maybe it was just too much for Rimmer to assimilate in such a short period of time, finding out he'd been bet and lost in a poker game, and not five minutes later, that his existence was tied to said kebab-eating, GELF-hooching drinking poker loser. My head would have been reeling. Or, maybe Rimmer was trying to wrap his head around the idea that he was entangled with Lister, and the idea that if Lister died, he died too, had some odd sort of appeal. He wouldn't be the one left standing, so to speak. I can see him, most of his life, being left at the side of the dance floor in school, the last one picked for any sport, the one seated on the steps alone during recess. To not have that isolation to look forward to, maybe the entanglement isn't such a bad deal to Rimmer's way of thinking.

Even with Holly gone, I can't see the JMC computer deciding to do an inventory and marking down "delete Rimmer when primary objective terminates" and passing it around. I don't think Rimmer knew. I'm not sure how Kryten knew. Maybe Pree said something to Kryten after the deck repair fiasco?

[zara2148.livejournal.com]

I figured Cat knew because of the coincidence stuff, and he and Kryten were on the same wavelength.

I actually spent some time wondering if the Cat would react, and if so how. I don't recall any reaction from him to that revelation, and it's the kind of thing I could see him riffing on Rimmer about regardless of whether it's the first he's heard of it or not.

And I do agree that I don't think Rimmer was really given time to dwell on the fact that he was tied to the curry-soaked goit. I think part of the reason this detail bugs me is that the show does kind of just gloss over it, and with it so do the characters: "You're lifebonded to Mister Lister. Whelp, we better go negotiate with the GELFs."

I can see him, most of his life, being left at the side of the dance floor in school, the last one picked for any sport, the one seated on the steps alone during recess. To not have that isolation to look forward to, maybe the entanglement isn't such a bad deal to Rimmer's way of thinking.

I'll just be over here, crying over fangirl feels/personal sympathies. *huddles in corner and sobs*

The JMC computer is clearly a gossipy little snitch, isn't it?

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Awww, I'm wincing in recognition at your description of Rimmer's childhood isolation. *Hugs him*

Pree telling Kryten makes a lot of sense. If it was that recent then Kryten could still have been trying to pick the right moment to tell him. From the perspective of getting him to help Lister out of trouble despite what he'd drunkenly done, it was a good moment. ;)