odd/interesting/odd about Holly

[kronette.livejournal.com]

Holly calls them "Dave" and "Arnold," doesn't he? Not "Lister" and "Rimmer," at least not Rimmer. Female Holly in Bodyswap says "All right, Dave." In the pilot, it was 'Everybody's dead, Dave." In "Future Echoes," it's all "Arnold."

So it's just the crew that called each other by their last names, or Holly's informal now that they're the only ones left alive? Just something I've wondered.

Comments

[sallycandance.livejournal.com]

I noticed that too, but always assumed it was just Holly being, well, Holly. He is an odd one, a loveable odd one of course, and I figure the fact that the crew doesn't mind him calling them by their first names is an indicator that they accept it as part of his personality.

[derien.livejournal.com]

You're right. I never really thought about it, but it gives him (and later her) a warmer feel. Maybe for a floating head that's necessary, in order to make the crew think of the face of their ship's computer more as a person, thereby making them feel less lonely? I don't know, just tossing out some thoughts.

[missflibble.livejournal.com]

That's right, Holly invariably refers to the crew by their first names. I guess it could be an in-built personality trait to make him seem more 'human'?

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

In "Back In The Red", egghead original Holly calls Captain Hollister Frank, so it seems to be a pre-accident trait.

Agreed that it's probably to make him seem more human, but it's probably also for emergency situations. People are likely to respond more quickly to their first name, especially if they've become used to being addressed by their last.

[veronica-rich.livejournal.com]

I just want to know what insight Holly had to realize while Rimmer would make Lister crazy and keep him mentally active, he would also not be so bad as to drive Lister to holicide.

My guess is that since everybody calls him Holly and it sounds like a first name, his programming/learning is to do the same to them to mitigate the whole "Agent Smith" feel of him hovering and controlling much of their lives.

[fantasysci5.livejournal.com]

That's a good pondering. I think even before the crew got wiped out (in the books), he called them by their first name. Maybe trying to create a friendly friendship betweem all of the crew and himself. That's just how I picture it.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

I'd never really given it much thought beyond getting speech patterns right, but it is interesting now that you point it out. Maybe it's to make Holly seem more like a friend to the crew?

[kronette.livejournal.com]

Interesting conversions, here :) I was wondering about his/her quirks because I realize I've never written Holly and it's hard to figure him out. The personal first-name basis seems a programming choice, possibly as he's an AI that's running a ship and not a mechanoid like Kryten, programmed to serve. Though in reality, they're both ordered around by human beings, though Holly has more autonomy to do what he wants. Or maybe that's part of his going peculiar after three million years by himself. It's just hard to get in his mindset and I'm trying to figure him out.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

I believe the writers were influenced a bit by Hal in "2001: A Space Odyssey". I know that sounds weird, but the name is similar. And although it's ages since I've seen it, I think Hal used first names too.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Isn't Hal's primary human he's interacting with also named Dave?

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it, I think so. ;)

I just checked - the character's called David Bowman.

[derien.livejournal.com]

Aha. :)

[derien.livejournal.com]

Now I want someone (not me) to go through 2001, picking out the bits where Hal talks to Dave, and do a compare/contrast with Holly's "Everybody's dead, Dave," routine, and post it on YouTube. :)

[kronette.livejournal.com]

"Open the pod bay doors, Hal."
"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."

:D

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

"Er, Holly, remember those cargo bay doors we talked about?"

"The phrase "cargo bay doors" does not appear to be in my lexicon. I'm very furry."

:D