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.
Ahhh, that's part of the divide - I wasn't sure in "Adrift" whether it was Keller doing what she'd done before, or Keller doing something totally new, directing the triage and such. And she did it well, I'm not arguing that - my point is that on a place like Atlantis, there is no way anyone should be handling a crisis like that for their first time without an older, more experienced doctor standing by.
If we're watching Rodney install a ZPM in a hurry, he can't have supervision - it's the first time he's done it, but it's the first time anyone would. And I imagine he does supervise such training. But triage is something any city ER doctor would have to face. It should not be Keller's first time.
And that's the problem with her conversation with Elizabeth - because it's worded like it is her first time, like Keller feels unprepared to handle something like this. I'm not disputing that she came through; I'm disputing that she would be forced to come through when she didn't feel ready. No ER doctor in an expensive hospital on Earth would be allowed in a position of authority until they felt ready for it, and they'd have senior doctors standing by, too.
Maybe she's actually in her 30s and does have previous experience running a medical facility. I wish they'd just have said this somewhere - because with Carson, he's old enough that you can assume he has; but with Keller, she doesn't look old enough, and she never has talked like she has significant experience. She's doing good at the job, but it's set up, the way she looks and talks, is like she's learning on the job, and that's something no doctor should ever have to do without supervision. That it's never been addressed is bad writing, I can't help but believe.
I get that from Rodney never worrying about someone trying to take his position, or any mentions of bickering amongst the underlings for a seniority position (either with Rodney or with Carson).
Which is where my own personal fanon starts contradicting with canon - having some experience with academic environments, I always had the impression such bickering and jostling does take place, we just don't see it because we almost never see the underlings saying anything. We've never seen it (save Rodney hoping to get Elizabeth's job at the beginning of "Reunion"), I just was assuming it was there. Keller is the first outright contradiction we've had to that fanon, and that's what bothers me. It's not her character, so much as that the way they've written her story denies my fanon (and makes me want to cry bad writing, because seriously, unambitious doctors and scientists? ain't no such thing!)
If Jennifer had an esoteric skill, she'd have either been pushed up to Rodney's level, or been such an oddity they would have had a hard time working her into episodes.
Ah, you misunderstand - I meant a skill in addition to her general doctorly duties, as Carson had the ATA gene and his genetic research.
I want this is partly because doctor characters are handicapped in scifi - since they do real-life stuff a lot, they're just not as cool by nature - and to counter this, to give Carson storylines, they made him a scientist as well. They didn't give Keller a counter, and it bugs me.
(I really do see Atlantis as the sort of red-headed step-child of the SGC.)
Yes, that's how it's being portrayed - and that's what's bothering me! (Especially since in SG-1 they bitch about how Atlantis is getting all the funding and such...) Far from being a competitive environment, Atlantis is like Alaska, where you get banished if you screw up...except that Dr. Porter wanted to come...ah, I don't know! Except I know it frustrates me! XP
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winterfish
Re: Part 2 of 2, re: 1-4 :D
Date: 2008-09-26 04:20 am (UTC)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.
Ahhh, that's part of the divide - I wasn't sure in "Adrift" whether it was Keller doing what she'd done before, or Keller doing something totally new, directing the triage and such. And she did it well, I'm not arguing that - my point is that on a place like Atlantis, there is no way anyone should be handling a crisis like that for their first time without an older, more experienced doctor standing by.
If we're watching Rodney install a ZPM in a hurry, he can't have supervision - it's the first time he's done it, but it's the first time anyone would. And I imagine he does supervise such training. But triage is something any city ER doctor would have to face. It should not be Keller's first time.
And that's the problem with her conversation with Elizabeth - because it's worded like it is her first time, like Keller feels unprepared to handle something like this. I'm not disputing that she came through; I'm disputing that she would be forced to come through when she didn't feel ready. No ER doctor in an expensive hospital on Earth would be allowed in a position of authority until they felt ready for it, and they'd have senior doctors standing by, too.
Maybe she's actually in her 30s and does have previous experience running a medical facility. I wish they'd just have said this somewhere - because with Carson, he's old enough that you can assume he has; but with Keller, she doesn't look old enough, and she never has talked like she has significant experience. She's doing good at the job, but it's set up, the way she looks and talks, is like she's learning on the job, and that's something no doctor should ever have to do without supervision. That it's never been addressed is bad writing, I can't help but believe.
I get that from Rodney never worrying about someone trying to take his position, or any mentions of bickering amongst the underlings for a seniority position (either with Rodney or with Carson).
Which is where my own personal fanon starts contradicting with canon - having some experience with academic environments, I always had the impression such bickering and jostling does take place, we just don't see it because we almost never see the underlings saying anything. We've never seen it (save Rodney hoping to get Elizabeth's job at the beginning of "Reunion"),
I just was assuming it was there. Keller is the first outright contradiction we've had to that fanon, and that's what bothers me. It's not her character, so much as that the way they've written her story denies my fanon (and makes me want to cry bad writing, because seriously, unambitious doctors and scientists? ain't no such thing!)
If Jennifer had an esoteric skill, she'd have either been pushed up to Rodney's level, or been such an oddity they would have had a hard time working her into episodes.
Ah, you misunderstand - I meant a skill in addition to her general doctorly duties, as Carson had the ATA gene and his genetic research.
I want this is partly because doctor characters are handicapped in scifi - since they do real-life stuff a lot, they're just not as cool by nature - and to counter this, to give Carson storylines, they made him a scientist as well. They didn't give Keller a counter, and it bugs me.
(I really do see Atlantis as the sort of red-headed step-child of the SGC.)
Yes, that's how it's being portrayed - and that's what's bothering me! (Especially since in SG-1 they bitch about how Atlantis is getting all the funding and such...) Far from being a competitive environment, Atlantis is like Alaska, where you get banished if you screw up...except that Dr. Porter wanted to come...ah, I don't know! Except I know it frustrates me! XP