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pondering on pairings
How can you like a pairing when you hate one character in the pairing? Do any of you do this? I often have my favorite characters in a pairing (sometimes to the point that I'll stray from my OTP to see my favorite with others - for all I am obsessively McSheppist, I will on occasion indulge in Rodney/various-others, because it's fun to see Rodney getting love.) But even when I have a favorite, I'll still like the other character, else I wouldn't be able to understand what they see in each other. I don't think I've ever had a preferred pairing (not just romantic, friendship, either) that I actively disliked one member. How do you manage it, if you do? How do you explain your favorite char's tastes, if you can't see the appeal yourself? I'm genuinely curious; I can't figure out how it would satisfy me to read or write something like that (break-up fics aside. And I only like writing break-up fics, I don't like reading them...)
(...Brought on by a discussion with another SGA fan who detests Rodney but apparently reads McShep.)
(...while I'm at it, did anyone see The Scene in "Miller's Crossing" as Rodney selfishly and deliberately dumping the problem of feeding Todd onto John? I'd never encountered that interpretation before, and it kind of boggles me. What with Rodney begging John to let him sacrifice himself, and then trying to sneak around John's back later anyway. Yes, Rodney can be an arrogant ass, it's part of his charm. But there's more to him than that. I always saw John as the selfish one in "Miller's Crossing", not allowing his teammate to give up his own life - and I love John for that crazy selfishness, even if it was Rodney's choice; I love that John couldn't. But I didn't suspect that Rodney expected that - I thought he went to John partly to get his affairs in order, but mostly because he needed John's help to do it. Without John's orders, the Marines would've shot Todd the moment he laid a hand on Rodney, and that wouldn't have helped anyone. Rodney went to John prepared for an argument - but not for John's flat refusal. And I think he probably struggled to come to terms with what John did, but in the end forgave John, because John needed his acceptance, and Rodney understood why John did it, even if he couldn't have done the same. It never crossed my mind that he was actually manipulating John to kill for him. I wonder how arrogantly selfish that makes him in "The Shrine," then, taking up John's valuable time demanding comfort and beer, just because he's losing his mind...)
(...Brought on by a discussion with another SGA fan who detests Rodney but apparently reads McShep.)
(...while I'm at it, did anyone see The Scene in "Miller's Crossing" as Rodney selfishly and deliberately dumping the problem of feeding Todd onto John? I'd never encountered that interpretation before, and it kind of boggles me. What with Rodney begging John to let him sacrifice himself, and then trying to sneak around John's back later anyway. Yes, Rodney can be an arrogant ass, it's part of his charm. But there's more to him than that. I always saw John as the selfish one in "Miller's Crossing", not allowing his teammate to give up his own life - and I love John for that crazy selfishness, even if it was Rodney's choice; I love that John couldn't. But I didn't suspect that Rodney expected that - I thought he went to John partly to get his affairs in order, but mostly because he needed John's help to do it. Without John's orders, the Marines would've shot Todd the moment he laid a hand on Rodney, and that wouldn't have helped anyone. Rodney went to John prepared for an argument - but not for John's flat refusal. And I think he probably struggled to come to terms with what John did, but in the end forgave John, because John needed his acceptance, and Rodney understood why John did it, even if he couldn't have done the same. It never crossed my mind that he was actually manipulating John to kill for him. I wonder how arrogantly selfish that makes him in "The Shrine," then, taking up John's valuable time demanding comfort and beer, just because he's losing his mind...)
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I don't think I've ever actively HATED any side of my pairings, but it is true I tend to lean towards one of them more than the other most of the time.
A kinda exception at the moment, however, is the Clex. But it's complicated. Because the truth is, as the show is AT THE MOMENT, I HATE Clark Kent. But I like the Clex because I think Clark was A BETTER PERSON with Lex...
So, could that be a factor, perhaps? You can dislike a character on their own, but like them when they are put with another?
Of course, it's not that simple with me either, because I DID like Clark early on in the show, but now he's developed really badly and I don't. So when I think of Clex it's the Clark I USED to like that I'm thinking of, naturally. But the possibility of liking someone only in connection to someone else that this realisation flagged up was interesting.
Does that help your contemplations any? :p
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But it's an interesting point, that idea of disliking Clark except when he's with Lex, because he's better for being with Lex. I wonder if sometimes what people dislike about a char is that they're refusing to love one's favorite char? So if they pair them up, then the reason to dislike them goes away, and they become a liked char. ...Or something like that!
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Yes. Yes, that is exactly what I meant. Because ultimately what you want is for your favourite character to be happy, and if that means they have to be with a character you don't like that's what SHOULD happen :p Funny the way the mind works isn't it?
Now, the real question is, are you ever gonna return to SV long enough to finish that wicked alternate reality fic you started a while ago? :P
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