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gnine posted a long essay on our problems with Keller's character. Feel free to jump in and agree or disagree as you will!
gnine and I have discussed this at length, and she's covered most of our main points, referencing specific episodes. We're not trying to change anyone's minds about the character; really, we're more trying to offer explanations for people who don't like her but can't figure out why. Reading over the essay and comments, I think the biggest question for me comes down to Why Keller?
Why is Keller the head of medicine on Atlantis, and not another older, more experienced doctor? Why is she sitting with the team in "Doppelganger" when we've never seen anyone else sit with them, not Elizabeth or Carson or Heightmeyer or Lorne? Why is Ronon interested in her after nine years of celibacy, out of all the other women on Atlantis and elsewhere in Pegasus? Why does Rodney say "I love you" to her when we never heard him say it to Katie Brown or Sam or anyone else?
Why are we watching this character, and not some other character?
It's not that I dislike Keller. I just don't understand why we're expected to care about her in particular when the show's barely made an effort to distinguish her from anyone else.
Why is she head of medicine, and not anyone else? Most of the characters on the show are defined by their roles first and foremost, so Keller should be as well. It's not that she's a bad doctor - she's quite competent. But we've never seen any hint that she's better than any other doctor on Atlantis or in the SGC. There's no reason it's her and not someone else; there's no reason why she couldn't be replaced by the IOA tomorrow. Carson dies and leaves behind a huge body of research for people have to follow up on, and none of them seem as good at it as him. Elizabeth dies and they need to bring in Samantha Carter, smartest women in two galaxies, to replace her. (I should also note here that I saw similar problems with Elizabeth as I do with Keller...and I never liked Elizabeth much, either.) What legacy would Keller leave; what does she do, what does she bring to Atlantis (the city or the show) that no one else could?
Why is Rodney head of science & research on Atlantis, and not anyone else?
Because he's the smartest man in two galaxies. We've been told this. A lot. We've also seen him outthink other scientists on multiple occasions. Plus he had years of experience with the SGC.
Why is Sheppard the head of the military and teamleader, and not anyone else?
Because the SGC actively recruited him thanks to his super-gene, and then he shot his commanding officer and was the next highest rank, and being stranded in another galaxy no one could replace him. Then Elizabeth fought to keep him in place once they got back in contact with Earth, because she knew and trusted working with him.
Why is Elizabeth the first head of the expedition, and not anyone else?
Because she was in a position of power in the SGC (thanks to political maneuvering in SG-1) and got control of the project. Also she has unique international diplomacy skills that make her well-suited to heading a multi-national expedition. But mostly it's because she was maneuvered into position; like John, it's as much a matter of circumstance as individual skills.
Why is Sam Carter the second head, and not anyone else?
Because she's the smartest woman in two galaxies, and thanks to ten years on SG-1, has the hero clout to get any position she wants. And she wanted the challenge of Atlantis.
Why is Woolsey the third head, and not anyone else?
Because he's the IOA's established pawn, and they want control.
Why is Carson Beckett the first head of Atlantis medicine, and not anyone else?
Because he's a skilled surgeon and a geneticist, and he has a powerful manifestation of the ATA gene. Carson's gene means that he could have beat many people otherwise more qualified for the original position.
Why is Teyla on the main team, and not anyone else?
Because as the leader of the first people they contacted, she had significant diplomatic influence, and she has more experience with the rest of Pegasus than the other Athosians. Again, Teyla's position is as much a matter of circumstance as skill; she had no competition.
Why is Ronon on the main team, and not anyone else?
Because he can take down Wraith with his bare hands, and John, realizing this, begged and pleaded and whined to Elizabeth until she let him have Ronon on the team.
Why was Ford on the main team, and not anyone else?
We don't know. See also: why Ford never starred in a single episode, why Ford was dropped after first season, and why most of us never liked Ford anywhere near as much as the rest of the cast. We never understood why we were supposed to care about Ford, when it seemed like nearly anyone could do what he did. And for the most part, we didn't care.
Why is Zelenka Rodney's second? Why is Lorne John's second? Why are Chuck and Amelia gate technicians? Why was Heightmeyer the base psychologist?
We don't know - we can guess (Radek is plenty smart; Lorne has the gene and previous experience in SG-1) - but we've never been told. We don't know - and we don't have to care. We've become fond of them over time, depending on how amused we are by their quirks, but they're not developed characters, and the audience is not required to care about a single one of them. There's never been an episode that the major plot depended on caring whether any of them lived or died. If any of them did die, they could easily be replaced without fanfare. They're friends with the main characters, but not best friends; they're not key romantic interests. They're only in episodes erratically; if they were never in another episode again, we'd wonder where they went, but it wouldn't be that surprising, and the show wouldn't need to explain their fate.
Kanaan and Katie Brown are romantic interests, but the audience is again, not intended to bond with them the same as with the major characters. They only relate to a single main character (we only briefly saw Kanaan with anyone but Teyla; we never saw Katie talk to anyone but Rodney) - their purpose is to develop the main character they're involved with, not to be characters in their own right. We are expected to care about what happens to them only insofar as it directly impacts our main characters - we never heard about Katie Brown until she got involved with Rodney, and we'll never hear about her again, now that she's out of Rodney's life. Even Jeannie, much as I love her, doesn't have any place on Atlantis except in direct relation to Rodney; she's not used otherwise.
There are single-episode characters we are on occasion intended to bond with in their own right, that the episodes hinge on us caring about them in addition to the leads. Kiryk the Runner in "Tracker" is one such - these characters are hit-or-miss anyway, and still, steps are often taken to establish why we should be caring about this person. Kiryk is special from the beginning because he's a Runner; we know right there that he must be unusually skilled. We are intended to care about him in part because he's there to give us insight on Ronon, information on Runners. Also, if we don't care about him, he's not there next week; we only need to care once. It's a decent risk for a show to take.
If Keller were a secondary character, I would not have a problem with her. With Janet Frasier on SG-1, it was never specified how she got her position - but the show never required us to care about Janet as much as the main characters (or maybe it did? It's been years since I've watched SG-1. If there were Janet-focused episodes, I've quite forgotten them...) She was never as important to the main characters as they were to each other; we didn't see them risking their lives specifically to save her. Nor did we have episodes that the plot depended on whether she survived (save her last episode.) In fact, in several episodes Janet is an antagonistic character; we're meant to side with the main characters against her. And she wasn't romantically involved with two of the main cast.
I wouldn't mind if Keller got an episode once in a while; I wouldn't even mind if she had a minor background affair with one of the main characters. I mind that she's had three episodes center around her this season thus far while Teyla and Ronon and Rodney have each had one-and-a-half, and John's had none. I mind that both Ronon and Rodney are showing so much interest in her - more than any other woman before, in Ronon's case. I mind because Keller's not just a random blueshirt extra; she's Atlantis's head of medicine, and she's in the opening credits, and I don't understand why she deserves this much attention.
And I especially mind because I have a hard time not seeing it as sexist. I can't help but see it as the writers believing that Jewel Staite is answer enough. I seriously doubt the writers would've added, say, Jared Padalecki to the cast, replacing Carson as the new head doctor Gene Keller, given him no specific defined skills, had both Sam and Teyla fall in love with him, and never once explained why he came to Atlantis to begin with. But with Keller, she's a cute girl, so what other reason does she need to be there?
ETA: Much more here - I had an epiphany about why these questions matter to me, and in lieu of posting another essay, I put my latest rant in the comments.
I also want to thank the exceptionally patienthorridporrid, who is a Keller fan. If you also like the character, I definitely recommend that you check out her essays and episode reviews - I disagree on most points concerning Keller, but they're a well-written, considered, positive take on the char.
gnine posted a long essay on our problems with Keller's character. Feel free to jump in and agree or disagree as you will!gnine and I have discussed this at length, and she's covered most of our main points, referencing specific episodes. We're not trying to change anyone's minds about the character; really, we're more trying to offer explanations for people who don't like her but can't figure out why. Reading over the essay and comments, I think the biggest question for me comes down to Why Keller?Why is Keller the head of medicine on Atlantis, and not another older, more experienced doctor? Why is she sitting with the team in "Doppelganger" when we've never seen anyone else sit with them, not Elizabeth or Carson or Heightmeyer or Lorne? Why is Ronon interested in her after nine years of celibacy, out of all the other women on Atlantis and elsewhere in Pegasus? Why does Rodney say "I love you" to her when we never heard him say it to Katie Brown or Sam or anyone else?
Why are we watching this character, and not some other character?
It's not that I dislike Keller. I just don't understand why we're expected to care about her in particular when the show's barely made an effort to distinguish her from anyone else.
Why is she head of medicine, and not anyone else? Most of the characters on the show are defined by their roles first and foremost, so Keller should be as well. It's not that she's a bad doctor - she's quite competent. But we've never seen any hint that she's better than any other doctor on Atlantis or in the SGC. There's no reason it's her and not someone else; there's no reason why she couldn't be replaced by the IOA tomorrow. Carson dies and leaves behind a huge body of research for people have to follow up on, and none of them seem as good at it as him. Elizabeth dies and they need to bring in Samantha Carter, smartest women in two galaxies, to replace her. (I should also note here that I saw similar problems with Elizabeth as I do with Keller...and I never liked Elizabeth much, either.) What legacy would Keller leave; what does she do, what does she bring to Atlantis (the city or the show) that no one else could?
Why is Rodney head of science & research on Atlantis, and not anyone else?
Because he's the smartest man in two galaxies. We've been told this. A lot. We've also seen him outthink other scientists on multiple occasions. Plus he had years of experience with the SGC.
Why is Sheppard the head of the military and teamleader, and not anyone else?
Because the SGC actively recruited him thanks to his super-gene, and then he shot his commanding officer and was the next highest rank, and being stranded in another galaxy no one could replace him. Then Elizabeth fought to keep him in place once they got back in contact with Earth, because she knew and trusted working with him.
Why is Elizabeth the first head of the expedition, and not anyone else?
Because she was in a position of power in the SGC (thanks to political maneuvering in SG-1) and got control of the project. Also she has unique international diplomacy skills that make her well-suited to heading a multi-national expedition. But mostly it's because she was maneuvered into position; like John, it's as much a matter of circumstance as individual skills.
Why is Sam Carter the second head, and not anyone else?
Because she's the smartest woman in two galaxies, and thanks to ten years on SG-1, has the hero clout to get any position she wants. And she wanted the challenge of Atlantis.
Why is Woolsey the third head, and not anyone else?
Because he's the IOA's established pawn, and they want control.
Why is Carson Beckett the first head of Atlantis medicine, and not anyone else?
Because he's a skilled surgeon and a geneticist, and he has a powerful manifestation of the ATA gene. Carson's gene means that he could have beat many people otherwise more qualified for the original position.
Why is Teyla on the main team, and not anyone else?
Because as the leader of the first people they contacted, she had significant diplomatic influence, and she has more experience with the rest of Pegasus than the other Athosians. Again, Teyla's position is as much a matter of circumstance as skill; she had no competition.
Why is Ronon on the main team, and not anyone else?
Because he can take down Wraith with his bare hands, and John, realizing this, begged and pleaded and whined to Elizabeth until she let him have Ronon on the team.
Why was Ford on the main team, and not anyone else?
We don't know. See also: why Ford never starred in a single episode, why Ford was dropped after first season, and why most of us never liked Ford anywhere near as much as the rest of the cast. We never understood why we were supposed to care about Ford, when it seemed like nearly anyone could do what he did. And for the most part, we didn't care.
Why is Zelenka Rodney's second? Why is Lorne John's second? Why are Chuck and Amelia gate technicians? Why was Heightmeyer the base psychologist?
We don't know - we can guess (Radek is plenty smart; Lorne has the gene and previous experience in SG-1) - but we've never been told. We don't know - and we don't have to care. We've become fond of them over time, depending on how amused we are by their quirks, but they're not developed characters, and the audience is not required to care about a single one of them. There's never been an episode that the major plot depended on caring whether any of them lived or died. If any of them did die, they could easily be replaced without fanfare. They're friends with the main characters, but not best friends; they're not key romantic interests. They're only in episodes erratically; if they were never in another episode again, we'd wonder where they went, but it wouldn't be that surprising, and the show wouldn't need to explain their fate.
Kanaan and Katie Brown are romantic interests, but the audience is again, not intended to bond with them the same as with the major characters. They only relate to a single main character (we only briefly saw Kanaan with anyone but Teyla; we never saw Katie talk to anyone but Rodney) - their purpose is to develop the main character they're involved with, not to be characters in their own right. We are expected to care about what happens to them only insofar as it directly impacts our main characters - we never heard about Katie Brown until she got involved with Rodney, and we'll never hear about her again, now that she's out of Rodney's life. Even Jeannie, much as I love her, doesn't have any place on Atlantis except in direct relation to Rodney; she's not used otherwise.
There are single-episode characters we are on occasion intended to bond with in their own right, that the episodes hinge on us caring about them in addition to the leads. Kiryk the Runner in "Tracker" is one such - these characters are hit-or-miss anyway, and still, steps are often taken to establish why we should be caring about this person. Kiryk is special from the beginning because he's a Runner; we know right there that he must be unusually skilled. We are intended to care about him in part because he's there to give us insight on Ronon, information on Runners. Also, if we don't care about him, he's not there next week; we only need to care once. It's a decent risk for a show to take.
If Keller were a secondary character, I would not have a problem with her. With Janet Frasier on SG-1, it was never specified how she got her position - but the show never required us to care about Janet as much as the main characters (or maybe it did? It's been years since I've watched SG-1. If there were Janet-focused episodes, I've quite forgotten them...) She was never as important to the main characters as they were to each other; we didn't see them risking their lives specifically to save her. Nor did we have episodes that the plot depended on whether she survived (save her last episode.) In fact, in several episodes Janet is an antagonistic character; we're meant to side with the main characters against her. And she wasn't romantically involved with two of the main cast.
I wouldn't mind if Keller got an episode once in a while; I wouldn't even mind if she had a minor background affair with one of the main characters. I mind that she's had three episodes center around her this season thus far while Teyla and Ronon and Rodney have each had one-and-a-half, and John's had none. I mind that both Ronon and Rodney are showing so much interest in her - more than any other woman before, in Ronon's case. I mind because Keller's not just a random blueshirt extra; she's Atlantis's head of medicine, and she's in the opening credits, and I don't understand why she deserves this much attention.
And I especially mind because I have a hard time not seeing it as sexist. I can't help but see it as the writers believing that Jewel Staite is answer enough. I seriously doubt the writers would've added, say, Jared Padalecki to the cast, replacing Carson as the new head doctor Gene Keller, given him no specific defined skills, had both Sam and Teyla fall in love with him, and never once explained why he came to Atlantis to begin with. But with Keller, she's a cute girl, so what other reason does she need to be there?
ETA: Much more here - I had an epiphany about why these questions matter to me, and in lieu of posting another essay, I put my latest rant in the comments.
I also want to thank the exceptionally patient
horridporrid, who is a Keller fan. If you also like the character, I definitely recommend that you check out her essays and episode reviews - I disagree on most points concerning Keller, but they're a well-written, considered, positive take on the char.
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Date: 2008-09-25 01:33 am (UTC)But why not? Did they all have their own projects? Did they all quit because Carson died? Where were they? THAT is my problem. We know there are other doctors on Atlantis - Biro, the woman in "Sunday", the Indian-looking guy who keeps having to deal with Ronon, the entire team gathered with Carson in "Conversion." Where were they? That is my question.
If this were s1 Atlantis, I could believe that a junior doctor could be forced to "step up" due to personnel loss, and the IOA wouldn't be around to stop it. But s4 is when the IOA, thanks to the gate bridge, is most entrenched in Atlantis's politics...(this has given me the personal theory that Keller is an IOA plant. If not a Trust plant...)
And why did Keller come to Atlantis to begin with? This annoys me because in the recent ep "Whispers", they answered it for two throwaway characters we'll never see again - but they've never answered it for Keller. You can ascribe her reasons - she wanted the challenge, she was recruited, whatever - but none have ever implied in the show.
I know you feel that Rodney is made "superhuman" because of his science, but in his establishing episode (Hide and Seek) it's not his science-genius that gets him a place at the table. It's him putting on the shield, walking into the energy creature, and throwing that box through the open stargate. Being a scientist brought him to the room, but being brave brought him to the table.
It's what won him the hearts of some viewers; I don't think it's the only reason Rodney's on the show or on the team. His reasons for coming at all are given in "Rising" when it's clear he's got special skill with Ancient tech and ZPMs, and his reasons for being on the team are established in the next episode, "38 Minutes", where he consistently outthinks an entire room of Atlantis scientists, proving just how well & brilliantly he works under pressure. "Hide & Seek" proves that he's got some courage under the cowardice, but it's not his only or most defining moment.
Oddly, the very reason I like Keller, was so excited to see her in her role (played by Staite, written as she is) is because it's breaking what I think is a common action/adventure sexist trope. We get boys all the time, who are fair to middling, thrown into adventures where they're over their heads and having to hang on by their fingernails.
I understand this in principle. It would be really interesting to get a female Rodney character - a character with enormous ability but enormous flaws as well. I just don't see how we get that with Keller.
Even in "Missing," she had to be coddled by Teyla most of the way (albeit Teyla-style coddling). Her picking up the gun at the end did show initiative (though it was to help Teyla and to save her own life, and not risking it as Rodney's situation was). And considering Teyla was already inviting her to a special Athosian feast, just the two of them, without her teammates, I'd say she was pretty accepting of Keller already.
--Ack, I've got to go to work! I apologize for my brusqueness here, writing under time pressure ^^; Will try to sound less ruffled when I return...!
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Date: 2008-09-25 03:26 am (UTC)Apparently. :) Since Elizabeth implied the IOA was going to have to send someone else in if a replacement was needed. (I've never been that clear on how much the IOA cared about Atlantis, beyond making sure the US military didn't have too strong a hold.)
And why did Keller come to Atlantis to begin with?
Jennifer constantly pushes herself, so I think an answer is implied, but yeah, she's never specifically said why exactly she came.
His reasons for coming at all are given in "Rising" when it's clear he's got special skill with Ancient tech and ZPMs...
Rodney in Rising isn't really Rodney, though. At that point he's written as, and Hewlett is playing him as, a different character. There's the science stuff, yes, but it's not character stuff. His character gets established in the next episode, where we see why John would choose Rodney for the away team. It's when Rodney showed himself and established his place in the series.
"Hide & Seek" proves that he's got some courage under the cowardice, but it's not his only or most defining moment.
I'd argue that it was the episode that defined his character; especially as this is the first we really see the "real" Dr. Rodney McKay. There was nothing in Rising to suggest Rodney could handle going off world. Hide and Seek established that when push came to shove, Rodney could handle the life and death stress of an adventurer. It's only because of what Rodney did in Hide and Seek that he was on the puddle jumper in 38 Minutes.
Hmm... actually, chatting about this... I'm wondering if we ask different questions about the characters? How we define for ourselves who they are and how they work? (I'm kind of thinking as I type, so this might not make any sense, fair warning! *g*) The stuff about Rodney's expertise with the science stuff (ZPM, etc.) left me cold. I mean, it didn't tell me anything more about his character than his uniform and props did. For me, it was his reactions to the personal shield (cool way to play), and his handling of the final danger (willing to cowboy up) that told me what made Rodney tick.
So now we have Jennifer. She shows up with a doctor's bag, that fact gets tucked into my "character bag". What I'm looking at is her behavior during the medical crisis that follows, in which she reacted with professionalism and authority. So Elizabeth's faith (and that of her staff) was well placed as far as I'm concerned. Next up, Missing.
Even in "Missing," she had to be coddled by Teyla most of the way...
But that's my point. She started off having to be coddled, scared, etc. But she stepped up. She crossed the bridge, though it terrified her. And she refused to let Teyla compromise her ethics for Jennifer's sake. And she shot the bad guy.
Her picking up the gun at the end did show initiative (though it was to help Teyla and to save her own life, and not risking it as Rodney's situation was).
Well, I said Jennifer was like Rodney, not his clone. ;) But Jennifer did risk her life in saving the bad guy in the first place (that's where she told Teyla not to compromise her ethics for Jennifer's sake). Which is why he thought she'd be unwilling to shoot him. And why I see this as a character defining episode and a character defining scene. Jennifer is willing to risk herself to help others, but she's also willing to stand up to aggressors to protect others. She's compassionate but not weak.
And considering Teyla was already inviting her to a special Athosian feast, just the two of them, without her teammates, I'd say she was pretty accepting of Keller already.
Jennifer replaced Carson. Which means she replaced Carson's role as personal doctor to the Athosians. This was Teyla introducing the new doctor to her people. It wasn't Teyla inviting her new gal-pal to a night of picking up guys and painting toe nails. (Teyla wasn't actually planning to hang around with Jennifer considering her dressing up for Kanaan. Probably the reason Teyla didn't invite her teammates. *g*)
no subject
Date: 2008-09-25 02:51 pm (UTC)(I should explain that I had seen Rodney in SG-1 and was one of the few people who actually enjoyed him there...!) Then in "Hide & Seek" he showed different sides - playful with Sheppard in the beginning, hypochondriac and cowardly (and funny) in the middle, brave at the end. And then in "38 Minutes" he proves his ability - I see "Hide & Seek" and "38 Minutes" as equally important to establishing what Rodney's character is to me.
...Ummm. I don't think I actually have a point here, except that I like talking about Rodney. Where was I? Oh yes! One of the things I liked about Rodney from the beginning was the conflict inherent in his relationships - that people often didn't like him initially, didn't even like working with him, but they respected him for his ability. They put up with him because he's the only man for the job. (And a lot of Rodney's inner issues stem from this; his ego is so out of control because he believes his genius the only thing worthwhile about him. He has to be the best, because otherwise people have no reason to put up with him at all.)
In this, Keller is pretty much the opposite of Rodney - she's unsure of her abilities, and she's not afraid of admitting to Elizabeth that she doesn't think she's up to the challenge. While when it comes to anything related to his science, Rodney never says he can't do something; he always says, it can't be done (even if often it can.)
That isn't really a criticism of Keller's character, just an observation (it's probably one reason I haven't attached to Keller as much; I also have a thing for out-of-control egos. Keller's too well-adjusted for me to really get into her!)
I also mention in a comment above...I wonder if one of the reasons I'm reacting so badly to Keller is that she's undermining my fundamental concept of Atlantis. I have an internalized fanon of Atlantis as this highly competitive, elite place, home to brilliant misfits, gifted screwballs who are so personally flawed that they can't fit in anywhere else. Keller is nowhere near competitive enough to have made it to "my" Atlantis, and is neither gifted nor flawed enough to really bond with the team. Her relatively ordinary presence ruffles my feathers, because it's contradictory to my idea of the show.