(no subject)

[erda]

Just a couple of things about



1. I’m getting tired of everyone being so mean to Rodney. Look, Sheppard woke up the fucking Wraith and no one ever rubs it in to him because they know how badly he feels about it already. Also, while I really like Jeannie, I’m annoyed at the way she had to give up her career so she could have one lousy kid. I mean, take a couple of years off, fine. But the whole domestic bliss scene gives me creepy flashbacks to the Feminine Mystique. Jeannie maybe learned the meanness from her parents just like Rodney did, but how come her marriage is soooooooooooo perfect. I’d like her a little better if she was either as nice to Rodney as she is to everyone else, or, more realistically, if she snarked at other people as much as she does at him.

Rodney has done everything he can to atone for his earlier behavior. When can people forgive him and start recognizing he’s grown as a person?

2. “I can’t.” It’s so interesting to me the way Joe played this scene, leaving so much glorious room for all of us to fill in whatever we want. I finished “I can’t” with “go there.” He can’t even discuss or consider Rodney sacrificing himself.

3. The scene in John’s bedroom at the end. God. I’ve been reading all the various reactions. Here’s what I like to think: Rodney comes to John to see how he’s coping. John copes the way he always does, i.e. by repressing. Rodney totally knows he isn’t getting the real story and he sees the best way he can help John cope is by glossing over the whole thing and distracting John from thinking about it with trivialities. Because in my world Rodney is deep and subtle and understands John as no one else does. Also he’ll follow John into any morally grey area John wants to go, but he is not fooled.

Comments

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

I feel differently about the Jeannie and Rodney interaction-- it doesn't seem mean to me at all. I relate to it, in fact: I'm snarkier to my brother than to almost anyone else. I can edge towards meanness with him because I know he can give it right back and won't be offended. The funny-sarcastic vs. mean-sarcastic is a fine line, but I think sibs in particular can push it pretty far, in my experience. Jeannie cares about Rodney more than almost anyone, and he knows it. (Also, I think Rodney probably has better friends in Atlantis than he has at any prior time in his life. He has his team, and Zelenka, and even Carter for all their weird interactions still respects him.)

We haven't seen enough of Jeannie and her husband to call their marriage perfect, but I understand what you're saying. (Someone else said that this is the only happily married couple we've seen in Stargate, so in a way it's refreshing.) But I hear you on the feminist stuff. Jeannie is one of the brightest minds on the planet! She should be treated as such!

Someday, someday! We will have a feminist SciFi show. And canon slash. And all these other things we want. *sigh*

Agree with you about 2 and 3, yes.

[keefaq.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the kidding around, but I can't stand to see my Rodney suffering. He already feels so guilty! It makes me want to adopt him and make it all better. And kill people who are mean to him. I'm maybe a tad overprotective.

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

Hee! Yes, I can see people wanting to protect him. That's what his team is for! And John can help him not feel guilty about things. (Yes. Trust John to help him take his mind off his troubles.) :)

[kimberlyfdr.livejournal.com]

As my episode commentary can attest to, I adored Miller's Crossing :)

[maxinemayer.livejournal.com]

I agree with you about Jeannie - she's well beyond "snarky" to Rodney, and her "perfect" marriage gives me the creeps, too! Also, I don't believe it's possible that Jeannie can feel "completely fulfilled" in a marriage that she undertook while completely opting out of her intellectual potentialities and responsibilities (yes, I said "responsibilities" - anybody with the brain-cojones that Jeannie has, has a responsibility to use them if at all possible, and it certainly *was* possible for Jeannie!). I'm down with Rodney's anger at her self-betrayal, and can well understand him being unable to continue his relationship with Jeannie after she gave up her *life* to be married and have a kid! I'm not saying she shouldn't get married; I'm not saying she shouldn't have kids. I'm simply saying, why shouldn't she do anything else????

As far as some of the things Jeannie says to Rodney in "Miller's Crossing" concerning marriage and his prospects for finding somebody to care about him - well, I find the remarks offensive, and was particularly hurt on Rodney's behalf.... And we see how those remarks festered in Rodney's mind when we get to "Quarantine," don't we? He comes within a hairsbreadth of making a marriage with a woman who is so far from "right" for him that it's tragic that Rodney can even *imagine* that she's "the one!"

Okay, you got me started. I'm going to try to cool off, now!

I absolutely agree with you on No. 3 - Rodney is attune to John in ways that no one else is, and is willing to relate to John however John needs him to. That's quite a lot of love, even in a friendship. But John *cannot* really delve into his own psyche with impunity: it's dangerous territory in so many ways, and John's competence and leadership are pretty much founded on the fact that he *doesn't* delve too deeply into what he's doing and how he feels. And Rodney - extraordinarily - really gets that, and goes along with it, to his endless credit. He loves John "as is," so to speak. It's not a bad way to be, because John's not a bad person to be with.

Thanks for your episode notes.
Love, max

[keefaq.livejournal.com]

Yes, poor Rodney, how could he even think about settling for Katie?

Miller's Crossing is my favorite episode and I love that last scene, the way I can read all sorts of subtext going on there with both of them trying to help the other along. I love that John set things up with feeding the wraith in a way that kept Rodney from being or feeling responsible for Wallace's death, that he's willing to take on that guilt for him.