I think I wasn’t taking Jeannie’s comments about Rodney as seriously as I should have either – because you’re right – when looked at seriously and not just interpreting it as a “comic moment” it was mean. Like I’ve said before I’ve always viewed the show as comic rather than serious all along and CLEARLY that’s not the best way to view it if I’m going to be dealing with fandom because apparently everyone does take it much more seriously than I’d ever realized. The thing that still bugs me though is that everyone involved with the show (including David Hewlett who apparently lives for self mocking humor) has commented on how the show is supposed to be comic, not taken seriously so I’m stuck between two points of view.

And yes I realize people say that “author intent” doesn’t matter much when people view and react to things but I personally think it DOES actually matter and need to be taken into consideration. This would be why I’d probably never be able to write an original story because I’d be scared about what the readers would make of my characters – what they’d see in them that I never intended. Especially the (not really) disabled characters I’ve got ideas for.

Never mind the fact that she was mostly venting out of fear and probably never meant for Rodney to take her so seriously!

I can agree that sometimes it goes to far – but if you think about it, it works when you consider that John probably wasn’t sure HOW much snapping Rodney would need in a given situation. At least not in the early seasons. I think most of the first and second seasons both of them were struggling to figure each other out and how far they could push each other. John probably realized how quickly Rodney responded when he snapped at him the first time in “38 minutes” with the “Stop using your mouth and start using your brain!” bit. From there he got it into his head something like – “if I snap at Rodney he won’t panic and will be able to focus on getting use out of the situation we’re in”.

I can see how it would bug people on a personal level, especially if you don’t like being yelled at but like I tend to tell people – “you aren’t the characters, your feelings about what is happening are not always the characters exact feelings”. Sure there have been times when Rodney snaps back that the yelling isn’t helping but I think those are more times when John is pushing too hard, not simply because he was pushing at all.

And yes, it’s better they break if off now rather than later. But I’m still vastly irritated with her from the personal, “thinking of myself as a part of that universe, as Rodney’s friend” standpoint: if the lockdown hadn’t happened, they might very well have gotten married, or at least started making plans, and then their break-up could have been much, much uglier.

Good point. *shrug* I think maybe I’m thinking of it to much as a TV show so OF COURSE the plot went the way it did. BUT – considering how nervous he was each time he tried to propose (including the time before the lock down) I’m not sure that he actually would have done it at all… I mean would he REALLY have said anything if the lock-down hadn’t happened? (that’s another “what if” that could be debated for ever which is why I tend to focus on what DID happen not what could have happened).

You know, I think you’re right, that was the point and I totally missed it. It would have worked better if John had had a more sarcastic tone to his words, or said something like, “Yeah, McKay’s going to have kittens when he hears about this. Where is he, anyway?”

*nods* yeah like a lot of things with Stargate the wording and intent could have been clearer.

What’s hilarious to me is that the whole thing with Rodney being trapped with Katie pretty much proved for me my thoughts on what Rodney needs when things go wrong. It seems to me that every time Katie tried to comfort him he just got more anxious, and felt sicker! Clearly he does better when someone (JOHN) is snapping at him to calm the heck down and focus on getting out of the situation, probably because he starts actually thinking about how they can get out of the situation rather than just the worst case scenario. Being coddled like a child only makes things worse. Sure sometimes the snapping from John or Carson goes too far/gets too harsh – but it doesn’t change the truth of the matter.

Very true — I feel much better about John’s yelling at Rodney now. Well, that is to say, it still aggravates me some on a personal level that John does it, but yes, I cannot deny that it is inexplicably effective. This is one area where I apparently differ greatly from Rodney — the more people yell, the more I screw up! LOL

I honestly don’t feel all THAT sad for Rodney – like I said in my review I’m more happy that the relationship ended the way it – It could have been a lot more painful for both of them really. The thing is I still like Katie and not just because I feel like I have to defend her from the rest of fandom. I think she was a good way to show what Rodney needs in a relationship – and it’s clearly not her.

Again, very true — and while it would have painted Katie in a better light if she had died instead of breaking it off, and would have made for some loveley angst, from a “Women in Refrigerators” standpoint, I am deliriously happy that the writers didn’t go that route, letting Katie break it off with him on her own terms and basically making her a sronger character for it. I’m also very glad that she was fairly rational about it, rather than getting hostile at him. This is another one of those situations where, while I didn’t care for her on a personal level — and we weren’t *supposed* to think she and Rodney would be good together, so I don’t feel too bad about that — on a storytelling level, I appreciate how the character moved the plot and help Rodney grow as a character.

And no I don’t even blame Jeannie for any of it either – because think about it if he hadn’t tried and failed with the proposal they would have kept going on and on as they were never realizing how bad they were for each other until it was far to late. In a way while Jeannie had had something else in mind she DID push Rodney enough to do something realize something about himself and his relationship with Katie. it IS better that the relationship ended now the way it did rather than farther down the line.

And again, I have two different views simultaneously: I appreciate that he wouldn’t have gone through necessary character growth if Jeannie hadn’t spurred him to do it, so I do see the positive from the storytelling standpoint. And yes, it’s better they break if off now rather than later. But I’m still vastly irritated with her from the personal, “thinking of myself as a part of that universe, as Rodney’s friend” standpoint: if the lockdown hadn’t happened, they might very well have gotten married, or at least started making plans, and then their break-up could have been much, much uglier.

Besides – he’s got John and even my preference for gen over slash doesn’t stop me from considering the possibilities of what could follow for them.

Heheheh, I’m such a corrupting influence. *G*

Could he be thinking Rodney would love teasing Ronon about Keller and maybe Radek about Sam? *shrug* to me it simply felt more like they were trying to indicate that YES they (or at least John) noticed Rodney’s absence and wanted him around.

You know, I think you’re right, that was the point and I totally missed it. It would have worked better if John had had a more sarcastic tone to his words, or said something like, “Yeah, McKay’s going to have kittens when he hears about this. Where is he, anyway?”

What’s hilarious to me is that the whole thing with Rodney being trapped with Katie pretty much proved for me my thoughts on what Rodney needs when things go wrong. It seems to me that every time Katie tried to comfort him he just got more anxious, and felt sicker! Clearly he does better when someone (JOHN) is snapping at him to calm the heck down and focus on getting out of the situation, probably because he starts actually thinking about how they can get out of the situation rather than just the worst case scenario. Being coddled like a child only makes things worse. Sure sometimes the snapping from John or Carson goes too far/gets too harsh – but it doesn’t change the truth of the matter.

I honestly don’t feel all THAT sad for Rodney – like I said in my review I’m more happy that the relationship ended the way it – It could have been a lot more painful for both of them really. The thing is I still like Katie and not just because I feel like I have to defend her from the rest of fandom. I think she was a good way to show what Rodney needs in a relationship – and it’s clearly not her. And no I don’t even blame Jeannie for any of it either – because think about it if he hadn’t tried and failed with the proposal they would have kept going on and on as they were never realizing how bad they were for each other until it was far to late. In a way while Jeannie had had something else in mind she DID push Rodney enough to do something realize something about himself and his relationship with Katie. it IS better that the relationship ended now the way it did rather than farther down the line. Besides – he’s got John and even my preference for gen over slash doesn’t stop me from considering the possibilities of what could follow for them.

Also, I have the feeling that the rumors of her death were meant to be the “death” of the relationship – not the ACTUAL death of Katie.

She also thanks Zelenka, laying a hand on his shoulder; he beams. “McKay would love this,” John says. (Heeeee, he’s totally got Rodney on the brain! *Grin* But … Rodney would love what? Love seeing Radek get praised? Love getting the praise himself? Did I miss something?)

Could he be thinking Rodney would love teasing Ronon about Keller and maybe Radek about Sam? *shrug* to me it simply felt more like they were trying to indicate that YES they (or at least John) noticed Rodney’s absence and wanted him around.