Me2 is perhaps the quintessential Rimmer episode.
PLOT
Having activated a second hologram of himself, Rimmer moves out of Lister's quarters to spend time with his doppelgänger. Meanwhile, Lister tries to work out the meaning of Rimmer's last words in life.
THOUGHTS
Me2 starts off fairly inauspiciously as just a bit of situational comedy surrounding Rimmer's inability to get on with anyone, including himself. But as it goes on, we start unpeeling the layers of his deep self-hatred, his miserable childhood and desperate need for validation. The episode's final monologue where Rimmer rants about gazpacho soup like a lunatic is really masterfully written, being both funny and sad in equal measures.
I really think this is the story where the proverbial ice was broken between Rimmer and Lister, as his rivalry with himself forces him to regard Lister as the closest thing to an understanding voice that he can get (and possibly ever has had). Lister deliberately winds him up, but he's never really a bully and he's also someone Rimmer can feel superior it. At the same time, Lister refuses to take any of Rimmer's smeg, but he does pity him and take notice of his rare good qualities. On some subconscious level, the two realize this by the end of this episode when they go to have a drink together, and it moves the show forward from the vicious bickering it had been up to this point.
CHARACTERS
Double the Chris Barrie, double the fun. This is very much his hour to shine. I like that he very subtly differentiates the two versions of Rimmer. The new one has a sadistic edge to his voice, whilst the original is reduced to being more childlike, helping the viewers relate to him a little. I'm not sure if there's any logic behind them being different (after all, the whole point is that Rimmer drives himself nuts). I suppose being the new hologram might push Rimmer to being a little more aggressive.
Craig Charles, whilst still being rough around the edges, thankfully had the brains not to make any grimaces behind Barrie's big speech and instead let Lister mournfully watch him pour his heart out. He's getting there!
This is probably Cat's best episode so far too. His "courting" and mysterious messing about in Rimmer's closet are peak anthropomorphic cat behaviour. There's also a throwaway line about him refusing to admit to himself there aren't any lady cats onboard, which is played for laughs but is also really quite telling and sad if you think about it.
Holly. Norweb. Enough said. April fool. I love him.
NOTES
- I talked a lot about Rimmer's breakdown, but Lister completely snapping once Rimmer is gone and throwing his socks around the bunkroom was hilarious.
- Rimmer is wearing a peculiar vest variation of his work suit in the flashback, which is the only time we ever see him wearing that.
- I love how Rimmer assumes a random cartoon is Citizen Kane, purely in a vain effort to impress Lister. He's so cute sometimes.
- Rimmer could have gone to sleep anywhere after the other Rimmer threw him out, but he picked his quarters with Lister. Aww. (And ofc the two continue to bunk together for the whole show despite having the run of the ship)
- Rimmer admitting that Lister may be a slob but he keeps his word is probably the nicest thing he's ever said.
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY
- Rimmer references how Lister's incessant humming of "Ganymede and Titan" interfered with his work, which we saw in The End.
- Lister suggests that Rimmer and Rimmer talk about Yvonne McGruder.
- Lister reminds Rimmer that he could have avoided this situation if he'd just given him Kochanski's personality disc in Confidence and Paranoia.
- Captain Hollister has a cameo in Rimmer's snuff film.
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