Other ways to become an officer?

[kronette.livejournal.com]

Pretty much what it says on the tin. We saw Lister try to become a chef to outrank Rimmer, but would he have been an officer?

What other postings on Red Dwarf would be officer status besides navigation officer? What other exams could be taken?

Will Lister be an officer if he passes his mechanical engineering exams?

These questions and many others will be answered in the next episode of...Soap! Er...wrong show...

Comments

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Well, in "The End", Holly describes Petersen as a catering officer, which I've always assumed is another name for chef. How on Earth (or Io) did he sober up long enough to pass the exam? ;)

[bayliss.livejournal.com]

I thought Petersen might have been a chef before he joined up with the JMC. IE Culinary School type deal.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

It would make more sense if his drinking habit had got out of control after he qualified rather than before. But if so, "Infinity..." is definitely a separate continuity as in that he's said to have got drunk "every night of his life since he was 12". ;)

[bayliss.livejournal.com]

When has continuity made any sense with Red Dwarf? But, I do know some high functioning alcoholics, (Bio dad was one of them)and Petersen could be one of them.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Maybe he belongs to the My Drunk Kitchen school of cooking.

[kronette.livejournal.com]

So Lister's taking of the chef's exam was to become a catering officer-type, possibly? I love my show, but the non-continuity does drive me smegging crazy now and then.

[slinkhard.livejournal.com]

I kind of liked how they mentioned Kochanski's ex was a chef, so there's a bit of a psychological undertone. (Whereas Kochanski was a navigation officer - which iirc, is what Rimmer wants to be...)

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think that's an example of Doug (by himself at this point) retconning something in a way which makes sense psychologically and doesn't clash with our previous knowledge. Credit where it's due. :)

[fantasysci5.livejournal.com]

haha Good point.

[saylee.livejournal.com]

Are engineers officers? Hasn't Rimmer sometimes been said to have taken that exam rather than the astro-navs? It sounds like two distinct subjects, though there isn't much indication that Rimmer is trying more than one exam path.

[bayliss.livejournal.com]

In one of the books Rimmer takes the Astro-engineering exam... So, yeah he has tried a couple of other paths.

[kronette.livejournal.com]

The show has no continuity, so Rimmer's said 'astro-navs' and 'my exams' and 'engineering exam' interchangeably. He's also changed how many times he's taken and failed the exams, from 9 to 13 times.

I guess Lister will just be a mechanical engineer, but not an officer. I'm trying to match this up against Star Trek's line of command and it will not work. Maybe I'll just make something up ;)

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I always figured that officers were 'degree level'. In other words, if you went to the Academy as Rimmers brothers did to get your degree in whatever subject, then you're automatically an officer on entering the Space Corps. If, like Rimmer and Lister, you didn't go to the academy then you have to pass the equivalent Space Corps exams to become an officer. That's my take on it anyway...

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

That makes sense. What doesn't is why Rimmer is taking (and is allowed to enter) a degree level exam without first having passed the equivalent of GCSEs and A-Levels.

I'm assuming he hasn't got any "traditional" qualifications because of the emphasis he puts on his Bronze and Silver Swimming Certificates. And also because if he had he would surely have risen a little higher during over a decade with the JMC.

Or am I underestimating his capacity for self sabotage? ;)

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I think Rimmer probably does have GCSE's and A-Levels - but probably not at the grade his family would have liked. I can imagine his parents being the type for whom anything less than straight A's would be deemed a failure. The suggestion in Infinity is not that Rimmer is stupid, but that his aptitude was always artistic rather than academic. I can't imagine him having no formal qualifications at all, as he so often mocks Lister for his lack of education. Although, as Lister so readily admits to having failed all his exams, Rimmer wouldn't need to have achieved high results in order to feel superior in that respect!

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

Good points. I should clarify that I don't consider Rimmer stupid either. It's just an unfortunate combination of being brought up to believe he has to follow a path he has no aptitude for or interest in, terrible parents who regard anything less than A as a failure, being constantly compared with his brothers and procrastinating rather than revising.

Perhaps you're right and he does have some qualifications - he just seems odd that he wouldn't display them. Although I suppose there's nothing funny about, say, a C in English. ;)

[saylee.livejournal.com]

I agree with felineranger above, plus I really don't think we should underestimate his capacity for self-sabotage. I assume it's not just the exams holding him back, though presumably they'd have to promote him if he passed them, it's also his attitude. Sure he sucks up a lot, but every now and then his bitterness seems to get the better of him and he flips his shit like when he yells at Todhunter in The End or at Hollister in Stasis Leak. Not to mention the fact that the captain's notes outright state that Hollister thinks he might be mad. It's no wonder they don't want to promote him.

[janamelie.livejournal.com]

See my reply to Felineranger above. :) And you make a good point about Rimmer's bitterness - note also his attitude to Kochanski in the flashback in "Balance Of Power".

If the events in "Stasis Leak" weren't wiped out by timey-wimey stuff, then no wonder Hollister doesn't promote someone who knees him in the balls and chucks paint in his face! :)

[hazeltea.livejournal.com]

Anything outranks Rimmer except Lister, as he is the second lowest rank possible in the Space Corps, with Lister being the lowest rank. So anything he does will make him Rimmer's equal or superior.

[sallycandance.livejournal.com]

Remember when he said that even the man who changes the bog rolls was higher ranked than he and Rimsy? I guess that could be an option ^.^



Or become a skutter.

[kronette.livejournal.com]

bHWAAAA! I think the lab rats were below Lister. I'll figure out something for Rimmer to do, eventually :)

[felineranger.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing the ship would have different departments like any other organisation - facilities, personnel, health and safety, medical, finance, communications etc. There has been mention in the past of 'science officers' which is nicely ambiguous.