Aww, thank you! :) I've been enjoying myself, I think because the conversation hasn't been entirely circular. And sparking epiphanies is always good. :D So diving eagerly in... (Ooh, wait, a little note: I'm heading out of town tomorrow and I'm not sure about computer access until the end of the weekend, so if my end of the convo suddenly stops, I'm not sulking! *g*) Okay, now diving right in...
An inexperienced young scientist - let's call him Daniel Jackson [...] Not exactly the ideal candidate for expeditions off-world. Except for the hieroglyphics. Which only he knows. [...] But Keller's not a blueshirt - she's a medical doctor.
This is such an incredibly valid point. I enjoyed the first StarGate movie for exactly what you're pointing out here: Utterly out of his depth Daniel had the highly trained military guys totally dependent on him because of his geeky skill. It was awesome (and how the movie was recced to me in the first place).
And I agree, as a mere doctor, Jennifer is not fully filling Daniel's role. That would be Rodney. Jennifer is closer to the Rodney/Daniel type (which is what I'm excited about), but she's not at their level. Her "thinky power" just isn't that esoteric and cool. But I don't think she was created to be at Rodney's level. Not as a character (Staite's more supportive than star, like Picardo), and not within the show (Jennifer is not, and won't be, on John's off-world team).
All of which means, I'm not as bothered with how Jennifer got into the city in the first place. I take it as writ that she's qualified, because she's there. And I understand that she needs to be Head of Medicine, because otherwise, we'd never see her, we'd see her boss. (Which actually, is what happened. Jennifer was there before Carson died, but we never saw her, because why would we?) So I'm already primed to suspend some disbelief. Jennifer doesn't have to prove herself worthy, she just needs to show she's not unworthy. Which may seem like a little thing, but I think it's probably a nutshelling of how we're both approaching the character.
Inexperienced is not a trait you want in your doctor. No one wants to be treated by a first-year medical student. [...] Keller's learning to be a better doctor...
Ah, see that's where I disagree. Not the point about inexperience, but the idea that this is what Jennifer is, that she's still becoming a good, or great even, doctor. I think Jennifer is experienced, and I think the show has shown us that.
When the big medical crisis hit in Adrift, sudden and large amount of wounded, Jennifer shined. She came onto the scene, directed and corrected her staff, and got the most injured victim into surgery as quickly as possible. She successfully handled a tricky brain surgery, one with at least one moment of complication. She informed John of Elizabeth's chances fully and compassionately. There was nothing in that episode that showed Jennifer unsure of her doctoring skills and everything to show she had the right stuff and the right amount of training.
Is it an impossibility, given her age? Again, I'm willing to suspend disbelief, helped along by the show telling us she had an accelerated education (how fast did she get through med school and into interning? as fast as possible), and not giving us her exact age (late twenties or early thirties, whatever works best).
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
winterfish
Part 1 of 2 (I hope!), re: 1-4 :D
Date: 2008-09-26 02:04 am (UTC)(Ooh, wait, a little note: I'm heading out of town tomorrow and I'm not sure about computer access until the end of the weekend, so if my end of the convo suddenly stops, I'm not sulking! *g*)
Okay, now diving right in...
An inexperienced young scientist - let's call him Daniel Jackson [...] Not exactly the ideal candidate for expeditions off-world. Except for the hieroglyphics. Which only he knows.
[...]
But Keller's not a blueshirt - she's a medical doctor.
This is such an incredibly valid point. I enjoyed the first StarGate movie for exactly what you're pointing out here: Utterly out of his depth Daniel had the highly trained military guys totally dependent on him because of his geeky skill. It was awesome (and how the movie was recced to me in the first place).
And I agree, as a mere doctor, Jennifer is not fully filling Daniel's role. That would be Rodney. Jennifer is closer to the Rodney/Daniel type (which is what I'm excited about), but she's not at their level. Her "thinky power" just isn't that esoteric and cool. But I don't think she was created to be at Rodney's level. Not as a character (Staite's more supportive than star, like Picardo), and not within the show (Jennifer is not, and won't be, on John's off-world team).
All of which means, I'm not as bothered with how Jennifer got into the city in the first place. I take it as writ that she's qualified, because she's there. And I understand that she needs to be Head of Medicine, because otherwise, we'd never see her, we'd see her boss. (Which actually, is what happened. Jennifer was there before Carson died, but we never saw her, because why would we?) So I'm already primed to suspend some disbelief. Jennifer doesn't have to prove herself worthy, she just needs to show she's not unworthy. Which may seem like a little thing, but I think it's probably a nutshelling of how we're both approaching the character.
Inexperienced is not a trait you want in your doctor. No one wants to be treated by a first-year medical student.
[...]
Keller's learning to be a better doctor...
Ah, see that's where I disagree. Not the point about inexperience, but the idea that this is what Jennifer is, that she's still becoming a good, or great even, doctor. I think Jennifer is experienced, and I think the show has shown us that.
When the big medical crisis hit in Adrift, sudden and large amount of wounded, Jennifer shined. She came onto the scene, directed and corrected her staff, and got the most injured victim into surgery as quickly as possible. She successfully handled a tricky brain surgery, one with at least one moment of complication. She informed John of Elizabeth's chances fully and compassionately. There was nothing in that episode that showed Jennifer unsure of her doctoring skills and everything to show she had the right stuff and the right amount of training.
Is it an impossibility, given her age? Again, I'm willing to suspend disbelief, helped along by the show telling us she had an accelerated education (how fast did she get through med school and into interning? as fast as possible), and not giving us her exact age (late twenties or early thirties, whatever works best).