Characters
I just wanted to say that, over the years, I have come to regard you as … people I met.
— Rimmer ‧ Red Dwarf
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker begins like a sentimental tribute, then deflates it: after all these years, the others have become merely 'people I met'. The pause before the phrase builds false warmth, so the deadpan letdown lands as a brush-off.
Context reviewed