Why do Lister and Rimmer remain bunkmates?

[deblene]

New G&T user here. I have to say I feel a bit self-conscious
asking a question like this in a 20-year-old forum, since it feels like every
possible comment about the show must already have been made at least 16 times,
but here goes!

I’m rewatching Red Dwarf
after several years and have got up to the end of Series III. Obviously, from a
Doylist perspective I know why sitcom characters have to remain within the
format of their sitcom, but is there a Watsonian explanation for Lister and Rimmer
continuing to bunk together? In Me² we see that there is at least one usable spare room
(and realistically there must be dozens more, considering the size of the ship
– even partially contaminated).

Lister I could believe
simply would not be bothered to move no matter how much Rimmer annoyed him,
especially given that he’s probably created his own personal ecosystem in that
bunk, but why does Rimmer stay? (Particularly as contamination that would
affect Lister isn’t a problem for him.) Is there any real reason – or is it entirely his telling on himself that he actually prefers living with Lister? Of
course they’re the only two humans on board, but it’s not even like moving out would
mean that they wouldn’t see each other all the time anyway; there’s balls all
else to do!

(Also, he must be capable
of making up some other kind of bed so that he isn’t directly underneath Lister
and thus in range for food falling/miscellaneous junk falling/general
unsavouriness, but obviously that would also muck up the sitcom’s premise.)

Topic

[Rushy]

There is no explicit canonical explanation. 

My personal feeling is that Lister rationally knows that he needs Rimmer to remain sane, while Rimmer is irrationally afraid of the dark/being alone. 

So Rimmer provides some Space Corps excuse to stay, and Lister always lets him. 

[Warbodog]

It’s because they are in romantic love with each other, obviously.

[Ben Saunders]

I could believe all of those explanations.

[Dave]

Rimmer stays with Lister so he has someone to exert his petty authority over.

Lister stays with Rimmer so he has someone to irritate and annoy.

And ultimately – given that Cat does his own thing and Kryten doesn’t seem to have quarters – there isn’t anyone else to share with. Grimsby’s better than nothing etc.

Clearly they do sometimes separate for a while, though (like Rimmer’s holiday in the diesel decks).

[Moonlight]

I just realized Rimmer debating whether to move out could be a good addition to my small canon of Red Dwarf short stories.

Posting that so I look like an asshole if I don’t bother to write anything.

[Warbodog]

I like to infer that Lister learned lessons during his Me2 bachelor days too and realised he benefits from a bit of structure in his days of doing nothing.

[Dave]

Yeah, and the novel makes this even clearer by showing just how badly Lister goes off the deep end when he’s completely alone, immediately post-stasis.

[Unrumble]

Yeah, and the novel makes this even clearer by showing just how badly Lister goes off the deep end when he’s completely alone, immediately post-stasis.

Always appreciated the dramatic depth and realism of this breakdown depiction in the novel.

Looking at his nocturnal behaviour in Me², I think when I was young I probably thought “he’s the last man alive with nothing else to do, why not stay up all night having a few cans, that’s cool.” Plus it’s played against Rimmer’s over-officious battle of one-upmanship.

Whereas now, it does highlight the grim reality of his state and situation (despite obviously being played for laughs in this scene.)

 

[Ridley]

Cause they need each other.

[Nick R]

Cause they need each other.

They belieeeeve in one another
And I know theeeeeey’re gonna uncover
What’s sleepin’ in their soul

[Jenuall]

Good old Oasis, the boys have always been fans. Rimmer never did get his vinyl copy of Whatever sadly

[Flap Jack]

Rimmer and Lister need to be around each other, but realistically they could just be neighbours rather than bunkmates.

[Jonathan Capps]

Good old Oasis, the boys have always been fans. Rimmer never did get his vinyl copy of Whatever sadly

Spectacular.

[Unrumble]

[Rushy]

Clearly they do sometimes separate for a while, though (like Rimmer’s holiday in the diesel decks).

Just to be a little pedantic, Rimmer does say “WE went down to the diesel decks, WE decided to camp etc”. I think he had some skutters with him. Or maybe the Toaster. 

[Dave]

Just to be a little pedantic, Rimmer does say “WE went down to the diesel decks, WE decided to camp etc”. I think he had some skutters with him.

He definitely had skutters with him.

The point is he wasn’t with Lister.

[deblene]

Thank you for all the responses! (And sorry about the odd formatting in my original post, I have no idea why the line breaks show up like that.)

Yes, I didn’t mention that in addition to probably not being bothered to move out, Lister does know that Holly brought Rimmer back in order to keep him sane. Even if he initially doesn’t believe that it works, he could realise it on his own terms and recognise that he goes off the deep end without someone else there to maintain a routine. That said, as Flap Jack points out, Holly never said that Rimmer needs to literally sleep in the same bunk as Lister; Watsonianly they do have the option of just being neighbours. I could believe that Rimmer is afraid of the dark and sleeping alone, though – and that actually living with Lister and sharing a space with him allows him a more satisfying way to “exert his petty authority” over him than otherwise! I like the idea of Rimmer inventing an official-sounding excuse to stay and Lister making a show of begrudgingly letting him, while they both kind of know deep down that the other actually just wants to stay with them.

… And on that note, the romantic love explanation is of course always possible!

[Jenuall]

Good old Oasis, the boys have always been fans. Rimmer never did get his vinyl copy of Whatever sadly

Spectacular.

[Ridley]

Noel Gallagher plays the lifted Innes Classics.

[Author]

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