For what it's worth

[zoetrope]

I was completely unspoiled for this ep - hadn't even read a summary - so from the opening scene it hit me really hard - as it has for so many of the people whose reviews I've read subsequently.

I suppose that a subject such as Rodney's mental deterioration will necessarily resonate with a group of people such as those that fandom attracts - those who live in their heads - as well as the high likelihood of there being family-illness-resonance as well, so I guess it's not a surprise.

But it was the slash that hit me hardest. I just... John and Rodney have never been more OTP in canon as far as I'm concerned. They're crow-barring that Rodney/Keller in there as hard as they can, but I just do. not. see. it. Even if I remove my slash-goggles and put on my (admittedly slightly dusty) het-goggles, I just can't see the chemistry between them as anything other than friendly - unlike her relationship with Ronon which, even in this episode, still sparks off the screen.

This is profoundly frustrating mainly because the writers are so obviously phoning it in. It's like they decided to do the relationship and forgot they'd have to actually, you know, write it into the show. It's all tell, no show. We hear from Rodney how he feels, and maybe we see Keller mooning over the footage of him, but, er, anything else? Instead we have Rodney shouting for John, Rodney remembering only John in his worst moments, Rodney running to John for comfort... I mean, as a slasher I love it, but as a viewer of the show I find the inconsistency profoundly irritating. I want to shake these lazy writers and point out to them that just because Keller and Rodney are a man and a woman, just because they exist in the same place together, doesn't mean they're automatically going to fall in love. Hell, you can even be attracted to someone and not want to be romantically involved with them. I know, it's a revelation.

I can't even see their personalities as particularly complementary. Why on earth do the writers insist on pairing Rodney with women with all the backbone of a jellyfish? Rodney needs someone who won't put up with his shit - or rather, the women they're pairing him with need someone who won't grind them under the heel of irritation and arrogance. I can imagine Katie Brown or Jennifer Keller, five years into a relationship with Rodney, completely worn out by his temperament and his arrogance, fantasising about leaving him for a nice quiet librarian or something. Someone who won't continually bark at them. Because that's cute for maybe the first six months, but unless you know how to handle, it gets old pretty soon after that. And I've seen no evidence that either of them can handle it.

I'll admit that this tendency on the part of the writers worries me, slightly, because we all know that some of the writers on SG:A (*cough*Gero*cough*) use Rodney to air their darker, less socially-adjusted sides - see every commentary ever. I can't help but feel like this constant parade of drips is some kind of hideous wish-fulfillment: a nice quiet girl who won't argue back. But maybe those are just my issues.

All that aside, however, the slash in this episode was wonderful, and one can't help but come away with the feeling that, no matter how much Rodney believes he loves Keller, John will always be the one he calls for without conscious thought. And now, that's canon.



















*sigh* Yeah. That's the good shit.

Comments

[reginagiraffe]

It's all tell, no show.

That's it exactly!

I was expecting something like, "I like you a lot and wish I had more time to get to know you." But "I love you"!? Bzuh. Really? I mean, really? You certainly have an odd way of showing it.

[countess7.livejournal.com]

YESYESYES! to everything you just said.

WORD.

[darklock.livejournal.com]

John FEET! *enthralled*

Um... huh?

:-P

[lamardeuse.livejournal.com]

Agree, agree, agree. I don't think I'd mind Rodney/Jennifer half so much if they actually showed how this is happening, even in one freakin' scene. And they even make it clear that nothing's happened off-camera since the beer in Trio. That whole last scene just felt like, "uh-oh, we made the first half of the show way too gay, we'd better fix that." *sigh*

ETA: None of this, however, has dampened my squee over the J/R ONE IOTA. :)

[not-sally.livejournal.com]

YES, thankyou.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

That pier scene was wonderful because it was such natural acting from both of them, which is not always the case with Flanigan and Hewlett. It was terrific.

[sadiane.livejournal.com]

After Trio, I sort of got Rodney/Jennifer - it was cute, they worked well together, they were people who aren't intrinsically brave who got to be brave together, but here it felt clumsy and anvily.

Also, really easy to write off as a symptom of the illness -she only stayed and ate the fruit cup because he's NOT acting like Rodney. He's being nice! And, in her falling for the symptom, Jennifer ignores his condition until it's too late.

And were was Sam? I'm not a shipper, but at least I get all the reasons why people are - she's just as stubborn and smart, and they keep telling us that Rodney likes people who CHALLENGE HIM - be that Sam or John even Ronon or Carson, but Katie and Jennifer just don't fit that bill.

OMG, the Pierdate. I would have thought that this was what the writers didn't understand about slash - that the sex is a part of it, but it's REALLY about these character moments.

[engenda.livejournal.com]

I don't mind McKay/Keller but this did feel a little shoe-horned in to me. Particularly with all the "John! JOHN!" in the ep.

I do wish they'd gone the Keller/Ronon route. They were sweet.

[cincodemaygirl.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. Honestly, I liked this episode, because at least parts of it were brilliant (see screenshots!), and because it was certainly less crap than oh say the last one. But to be honest, I think the writers pretty much continually fail their characters, just as you said. They're not consistently represented, and the writers don't understand what they really need.

All that said, I have always been in this fandom for the fanfic. Bless you and Cari for handing me that palm pilot filled with awesome. I still view the show as poorly written fic but with pretty video, and as such I won't really mind when it starts coming along less frequently.

[cybel]

Word! Plus gorgeous caps!

Thanks!

[tipsywitch.livejournal.com]

A resounding yes!!! to everything you said.

And the caps! *sigh* I've not watched it all yet. Just the beginning and this scene. Start the tear up at the beginning....

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

This episode filled me with nearly-limitless glee.

But not as much glee as your story "Missed the Saturday Dance," which is AMAZING! Oh my God, somehow I hadn't read/watched/heard it before now. I'm in love. I just -- the way the pastiche came together; the trailer, the audio, the letters and stories -- this is utterly spectacular. I'm wordless. I love this so much. I can't even tell you.

[zoetrope.livejournal.com]

Aw thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it :D