Uh, hi. I've sort of been reading your excellent meta posts on SGA (new SGA fan, though my timing could've have been better *winces*) and while I've been tempted to sort of add my (mostly incoherent) two cents, I managed to resist. Except for the Keller meta, apparently. ;)
The interesting thing is that I've read about your points regarding Keller as a character and what doesn't work for you and I agreed with it—it made me think and nod even when I thought Keller was okay in a neutral sort of way. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't love her either. I liked her in a casual sense, I guess, in that she fulfilled her role and interacted with my favourites well and that was about it. However, once I started reading gnine's essay/post and the comments there (and here), to my discomfit I found myself liking Rodney (and by extension, some of the team, particularly John) less and Keller more, which is... incredibly confusing considering how much I love Rodney, John, etc.
I thought about it some more and I think it's because of the way I view SGA. I'm in love with the show, but I'm not in it for the brilliant writing, nor do I expect brilliant writing, but I love it anyway, inconsistencies, plotholes and all. ;) So I give the show (and by extension the characters) a lot passes. And I guess when I read all the comments and etc, it seemed a lot like because so and so (Rodney, John, etc) were the favourites (as they are mine), they get much more leeway than say, Keller, who seemed like she has never done anything to warrant the amount of questioning and dislike that seems so common. I don't know, I had no problems with your questions regarding Keller's experience and why she's even in Atlantis. I'm kind of wondering about that too... but neither do I think she's really that inexperienced in the first place. She displays fear and insecurity but she's calm and efficient in a medical crisis. She had personal/professional doubts about herself, but I don't think she's ever been anything but confident and compassionate with her patients so for me, it wasn't really an issue.
I don't see the reason why her experience has to be questioned when none of the others have, which I guess is discomfiting. It makes me feel more sympathetic to Keller, and to me, it kind of makes her seem like the underdog. I know she looks young, but seeing as the show didn't provide an age, I usually let it pass.
It was also surprising at how many of her accomplishments were so easily dismissed while Rodney's were highlighted as being so much greater. I love Rodney like whoa and I get a high out of all the geeky genius stuff but. It feels uncomfortable when one person's accomplishments are somehow... dismissed when comparing to another one.
And I think I'll end it there. I've rambled too much already. :)
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The interesting thing is that I've read about your points regarding Keller as a character and what doesn't work for you and I agreed with it—it made me think and nod even when I thought Keller was okay in a neutral sort of way. I didn't dislike her, but I didn't love her either. I liked her in a casual sense, I guess, in that she fulfilled her role and interacted with my favourites well and that was about it. However, once I started reading
I thought about it some more and I think it's because of the way I view SGA. I'm in love with the show, but I'm not in it for the brilliant writing, nor do I expect brilliant writing, but I love it anyway, inconsistencies, plotholes and all. ;) So I give the show (and by extension the characters) a lot passes. And I guess when I read all the comments and etc, it seemed a lot like because so and so (Rodney, John, etc) were the favourites (as they are mine), they get much more leeway than say, Keller, who seemed like she has never done anything to warrant the amount of questioning and dislike that seems so common. I don't know, I had no problems with your questions regarding Keller's experience and why she's even in Atlantis. I'm kind of wondering about that too... but neither do I think she's really that inexperienced in the first place. She displays fear and insecurity but she's calm and efficient in a medical crisis. She had personal/professional doubts about herself, but I don't think she's ever been anything but confident and compassionate with her patients so for me, it wasn't really an issue.
I don't see the reason why her experience has to be questioned when none of the others have, which I guess is discomfiting. It makes me feel more sympathetic to Keller, and to me, it kind of makes her seem like the underdog. I know she looks young, but seeing as the show didn't provide an age, I usually let it pass.
It was also surprising at how many of her accomplishments were so easily dismissed while Rodney's were highlighted as being so much greater. I love Rodney like whoa and I get a high out of all the geeky genius stuff but. It feels uncomfortable when one person's accomplishments are somehow... dismissed when comparing to another one.
And I think I'll end it there. I've rambled too much already. :)