Spinning Jenny
Feb. 13th, 2008 09:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lunabee34While watching "Trio," I found myself wondering what was going on with Keller.
This episode seems to contradict her previous characterization (which I feel is probably a product of too many writers having too many visions for her storyline) but never fear! Lorraine can wank it thusly:
In "Quarantine," Keller tells Ronon that she's really smart, that she went to college way earlier than everyone else, that she didn't do the social scene, that she feels like she missed out on something important by not doing so, and that she feels like she's never really belonged. In "Trio," Keller tries to save the day with a bar trick that ostensibly she should not know.
Wank the first: Granted, in a television show that only airs for an hour each week for less than half the year, every single moment takes on huge significance. TV shows are like poems (or they should be)--every scene, every bit of dialogue furthering plot and character with nothing extraneous. However, Keller knowing a bar trick doesn't necessarily contradict her earlier self-description. Maybe she saw it on TV or read about it in a magazine or a brain teaser book.
Wank the second: Keller said that she didn't go to parties, not that she was friendless. She's every bit as brilliant as the rest of the expedition, maybe even more so given her age (which I've been pegging at somewhere between 25 and 28; what do y'all think?), but she doesn't seem to suffer from the social awkwardness that plagues many of her colleagues on Atlantis. Choosing not to go to parties doesn't mean she wasn't invited. For example, one of my college roommates was a polymer science major and she was always doing homework and reading and going to the labs and studying. It was mind boggling how diligently she worked. All I had to do was read books I was already interested in and pop off a couple papers a semester and I was done. I'd say, "Shannon, why don't you put down the Journal of Incomprehensible Equations and live a little? A bunch of us are gonna go drink Boone's Farm and listen to Eric play Pulp covers out behind the dumpster in Elam parking lot." And she'd shake her head sadly and say, "I'm so tempted, but you just go on without me." Sometimes Shannon would cave and party with us, and I bet Keller did too, and even if Keller didn't, Shannon had a really hard time tuning out my incredibly insightful and interesting party recaps, so something similar could be a likely source for Keller's bar trick. In the same vein, feeling like a misfit also doesn't necessarily equal friendlessness. I felt like a misfit myself throughout most of elementary school and high school but I always had at least one or two people that I considered very close friends.
Wank the third: I have the sweetest image of wee!Keller googling drinking games on the internet to impress the chicks in her dorm or maybe a hot research assistant. "Ooooh," she says. "This is cool. It uses physics and doesn't require me to take my top off."
When I first watched this episode, I loved the scene with Rodney and Keller at the end. I was all, "Keller wants to be Rodney's friend! OMG I squish their preciousness." And then I got online and realized that most everybody else was reading that scene as TPTB setting us up for some Rodney/Keller and then I read the deleted scene (which I won't mention in case you guys don't like to know that kinda stuff) and well damn it. Let me preface this by saying that I think Rodney and Keller would make a much more interesting and successful couple than Rodney and Katie did. Keller is not awkward, she wouldn't let Rodney run all over her, and she wouldn't be afraid to kick Rodney's ass a little if he needed it. (In fact, on a surface level I think the way that she and Rodney interact with each other is remarkably similar to the way Rodney and Sheppard interact.) But I don't want Rodney/Keller at Ronon's expense. I really liked how that relationship developed in "Quarantine" and it's about time something nice happened to Ronon. I mean, Ronon has been injuring himself for weeks now just for the excuse to be near Keller. He is clearly smitten with her and I think she feels the same way. The absolute last thing I want to see on this show is Rodney and Ronon hurting each other's feelings. It killed me when John and Teyla were fighting with each other because as much as I love individual characters on SGA, the Team is paramount. But deleted scenes don't count, right? Sora is still down in the bowels of Atlantis, scratching limericks on the floor of her holding cell with a homemade shank. LOL
Finally, some random notes:
1. Katie filed for a transfer back to Earth; I knew we had seen the last of her. :(
2. I love how each character gets to really shine in this episode. Carter is completely willing to to be the one to take the risks and she keeps soldiering on each time she injures herself. She humors Keller by playing the What-If Game that clearly doesn't interest her and she lets Rodney plug away at tossing the grappling hook with a minimum of eye rolling. Keller is calm and collected and just as much a genius as Rodney and Sam when it comes to thinking under pressure. Rodney hangs on to Keller and, Jesus that must have hurt like a bitch, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that when Carter tells him to go on without her Rodney won't even consider it an option. These people are strong and fun and funny and loyal as hell and this episode makes me proud of them and love them even more.
This episode seems to contradict her previous characterization (which I feel is probably a product of too many writers having too many visions for her storyline) but never fear! Lorraine can wank it thusly:
In "Quarantine," Keller tells Ronon that she's really smart, that she went to college way earlier than everyone else, that she didn't do the social scene, that she feels like she missed out on something important by not doing so, and that she feels like she's never really belonged. In "Trio," Keller tries to save the day with a bar trick that ostensibly she should not know.
Wank the first: Granted, in a television show that only airs for an hour each week for less than half the year, every single moment takes on huge significance. TV shows are like poems (or they should be)--every scene, every bit of dialogue furthering plot and character with nothing extraneous. However, Keller knowing a bar trick doesn't necessarily contradict her earlier self-description. Maybe she saw it on TV or read about it in a magazine or a brain teaser book.
Wank the second: Keller said that she didn't go to parties, not that she was friendless. She's every bit as brilliant as the rest of the expedition, maybe even more so given her age (which I've been pegging at somewhere between 25 and 28; what do y'all think?), but she doesn't seem to suffer from the social awkwardness that plagues many of her colleagues on Atlantis. Choosing not to go to parties doesn't mean she wasn't invited. For example, one of my college roommates was a polymer science major and she was always doing homework and reading and going to the labs and studying. It was mind boggling how diligently she worked. All I had to do was read books I was already interested in and pop off a couple papers a semester and I was done. I'd say, "Shannon, why don't you put down the Journal of Incomprehensible Equations and live a little? A bunch of us are gonna go drink Boone's Farm and listen to Eric play Pulp covers out behind the dumpster in Elam parking lot." And she'd shake her head sadly and say, "I'm so tempted, but you just go on without me." Sometimes Shannon would cave and party with us, and I bet Keller did too, and even if Keller didn't, Shannon had a really hard time tuning out my incredibly insightful and interesting party recaps, so something similar could be a likely source for Keller's bar trick. In the same vein, feeling like a misfit also doesn't necessarily equal friendlessness. I felt like a misfit myself throughout most of elementary school and high school but I always had at least one or two people that I considered very close friends.
Wank the third: I have the sweetest image of wee!Keller googling drinking games on the internet to impress the chicks in her dorm or maybe a hot research assistant. "Ooooh," she says. "This is cool. It uses physics and doesn't require me to take my top off."
When I first watched this episode, I loved the scene with Rodney and Keller at the end. I was all, "Keller wants to be Rodney's friend! OMG I squish their preciousness." And then I got online and realized that most everybody else was reading that scene as TPTB setting us up for some Rodney/Keller and then I read the deleted scene (which I won't mention in case you guys don't like to know that kinda stuff) and well damn it. Let me preface this by saying that I think Rodney and Keller would make a much more interesting and successful couple than Rodney and Katie did. Keller is not awkward, she wouldn't let Rodney run all over her, and she wouldn't be afraid to kick Rodney's ass a little if he needed it. (In fact, on a surface level I think the way that she and Rodney interact with each other is remarkably similar to the way Rodney and Sheppard interact.) But I don't want Rodney/Keller at Ronon's expense. I really liked how that relationship developed in "Quarantine" and it's about time something nice happened to Ronon. I mean, Ronon has been injuring himself for weeks now just for the excuse to be near Keller. He is clearly smitten with her and I think she feels the same way. The absolute last thing I want to see on this show is Rodney and Ronon hurting each other's feelings. It killed me when John and Teyla were fighting with each other because as much as I love individual characters on SGA, the Team is paramount. But deleted scenes don't count, right? Sora is still down in the bowels of Atlantis, scratching limericks on the floor of her holding cell with a homemade shank. LOL
Finally, some random notes:
1. Katie filed for a transfer back to Earth; I knew we had seen the last of her. :(
2. I love how each character gets to really shine in this episode. Carter is completely willing to to be the one to take the risks and she keeps soldiering on each time she injures herself. She humors Keller by playing the What-If Game that clearly doesn't interest her and she lets Rodney plug away at tossing the grappling hook with a minimum of eye rolling. Keller is calm and collected and just as much a genius as Rodney and Sam when it comes to thinking under pressure. Rodney hangs on to Keller and, Jesus that must have hurt like a bitch, and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE that when Carter tells him to go on without her Rodney won't even consider it an option. These people are strong and fun and funny and loyal as hell and this episode makes me proud of them and love them even more.
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no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 04:33 am (UTC)I don't watch SGA any more because I thought the characters were being incredibly mistreated (Elizabeth, mostly, but also Teyla and in my mind, if you're not going to have strong, interesting women, there's not point whatsoever), but when I read posts like this, I wish that the characters had been given the show they deserved. The actors as well.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:16 am (UTC)I have to call the library tomorrow and see if the book came in. I must confess that I forgot about it entirely. In other news, I read the Kite Runner tonight and gave myself a headache crying.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 09:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:16 am (UTC):)
Are you a doctor?
no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:24 am (UTC)Cool major though. I bet you could write some kick ass thinky Daniel fic.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:28 am (UTC)Don't be shy. Everybody's doing it. :)
J/K
no subject
Date: 2008-02-14 01:31 pm (UTC)But I really didn't want to set up an angsty love triangle between Keller, Rodney, and Ronon. Really, really don't want to go there.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:23 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-15 05:26 am (UTC)What will annoy me equally is if she and Rodney start dating and there's no angsty triangle at all or even mention that she and Ronon had a moment.
no subject
Date: 2008-02-17 12:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-02-17 06:52 am (UTC)