SGA 509 - And the real love-triangle is...

[patk]

But rather John/Rodney/Keller. *puts tinhat on, steps up on soapbox, grabs pointer and flip chart*

Rodney:

We know that Rodney was thinking about "reproducing" since as early as season 2. The only remark I can think of immediately is from "Runner", when he talks to Lorne: "As it is, I may have to forego reproducing." But I think we heard something similar from him (passing on his genes or something like that) at least once more and I *think* it was even earlier (though not sure, if someone can remember this, please, let me know). It seems the nebulous, vague idea of "reproducing" was there before he even had an "appropriate" candidate who could participate as well in said "reproduction".

The next ep is "Duet" which has Rodney having a (first?) date with Katie Brown and Carson being very surprised about Rodney having a date "with a woman". Which I don't count so much as a pointer towards him being gay but rather towards him having dated not noticeably before, hence Carson's surprise.

Notice the order: first the idea of "reproduction", *then* the sudden dating of a woman of appropriateness, so to speak.

Disaster strikes in the form of Cadman possessing his body and the next time we hear from Katie it's almost two years later in "Sunday", when we learn that

a)Rodney avoided her for a few month after "Duet" and
b)quote Rodney: "I mean, she and I see so little of each other, I’m not sure we even count as a couple. "

Yeah, seems like a true, hot love affair.

Interesting that this is the same episode in which we see John addressing the possibility of Ronon being interested in "a man" which makes it pretty clear that Sheppard apparently doesn't have any big problems with this particular concept.

Anyway.

Rodney has a pretty awkward talk with Katie in "Sunday" in which he admits:

"It’s funny, you know? I mean, much as I hate to admit it, seeing my little sister so happy with her family, I just ... Well, it kind of made me realise that, uh ... well, I’d like to get married."

Which gives me the impression that he hasn't fallen so much for a certain woman - like Katie - but has fallen for the *idea* of having a family, meaning a wife and kids, triggered by - I guess - the events in "McKay and Mrs. Miller".

And their smoldering hot relationship smolders on and on and on - over "Tabula Rasa" where he almost loses her (but even this doesn't trigger an immediate response in form of a proposal) and it takes *Jeannie's* prodding, to spur him into action.

JEANIE: So, are you gonna marry her?

McKAY: I don't know.

JEANIE: You've been dating for over a year now.

McKAY: I'm aware of that, thank you!

JEANIE: You think you're gonna find someone better?

McKAY: No, it's not that.

JEANIE (laughing): ‘Cause you're not!

And finally, a few eps later, in "Quarantine" we see the train-wreck of proposal happening with the foreseeable result.

And the *next* thing we see on this front is Rodney considering Keller.

What can I say, to me, this looks suspiciously as if Rodney still hasn't given up on the "I want a family"-concept but has just wandered on to the next "appropriate" and "available" woman who might be a good candidate to bring that concept to life. Don't get me wrong, I actually believe that he *thinks* he loves her - after all, she *is* not bad in handling him - and doesn't actually acts consciously in the way I spin the tale here.

If he would, he wouldn't chose Keller since a woman like her most likely won't share his (assumed) idea of a Miller-like model-family because, who do you think would be supposed to take back a step or two from the job in order to take care of Rodney's kids? Rodney? Between Jumper-maintenance, looking for a way to build ZPMs and saving the Pegasus-galaxy on a weekly basis? Yeah, thought so.

Plus, as it was with Katie, he has already started to put on an "act" around her. He's trying to impress her, "change" himself in order to appeal to her and since he doesn't do this because he himself wants it but only for her sake, this is bound to fail sooner or later. He may even marry her but I bet a year's salary this marriage won't (or wouldn't, depending on what happens during the rest of the season) survive either the first year or the birth of their first child, whatever comes first.

Now, since we know the *real* reason why Rodney McKay chases after women but somehow seems to lack a certain passion while doing so, let's take a look at the question who he might actually *want* to chase after, but hasn't *realized* it up to now because he got on the wrong track with that family-idea and hasn't left it yet.

This question is answered with two words: "The Shrine".

And what is John's position on all that?

John is seriously and silently pining after Rodney, of course, but won't *ever* act on it 'cause Rodney is chasing persistently (though so far *literally* fruitlessly) his dream of kids and family and therefore marriageable women.

Seriously.

From John's "like a friend" (Tao), over Rodney's dead being his biggest fear (Doppelgänger), his anxious question for McKay at the end of "Tabula Rasa", his "I can't" from "Miller's Crossing" (the moment that turned "John loves Rodney" into my personal canon) and the whole Wallace-thing, his face in "Quarantine" when he learned about Rodney's plan to marry Katie right up to his "McKay's alive?" in "Search and Rescue" and the way he looks up and down Keller's back in "The Seed" - the moments where you can see how much Rodney means to John get more frequent and stronger, compared to the earlier seasons.

And then came "The Shrine" and I don't think I have to comment on that.

Now "Tracker" opened with a scene that's very hard to interpret in any other way than John feeling hurt an jealous. Yes, granted, he could feel hurt and jealous because suddenly he plays the second fiddle to Keller when it comes to Rodney's priorities on with whom he wants to spend his day off, but I have my tinhat firmly in place right now. *G*

The way John presses his lips together and turns around to leave without another word or so much as a "later" ... well, what can I say...

I can't help it, it makes so much sense to see it like that. Rodney chasing after his idea of having an ideal "Miller-family" and therefore approaching women like Katie and Jennifer despite John (unperceived) being the most important (and as we saw in The Shrine most unforgettable) person in his life, the one he gravitates towards when everything else is leaving him, and John watching him year after year after year, falling in love with him and never saying a word 'cause, yeah, Rodney's going for a *family*, with kids, something John can't provide anyway and seeing him "falling" for Keller hurts a little more than everything else before 'cause he knows from "The Last Man" that Keller actually *is* a possible match for Rodney.

*takes tinhat off, polishes it happily with a sleeve*

Yeah, they *do* have their love-triangle on SGA but it's not quite the one they were aiming for.

And I love it. *G*.

Comments

[tmz-cori.livejournal.com]

Carl Binder did a Q & A session in Joe Malozzi's blog and was asked if the subtext in this scene was intentional.
I read that. And squeed. Because it either means, that Flanigan is really bad at acting put out (which no, we saw he can do that), or he intentionally put the subtext in it (Yeah. I believe that. I really, really do) . I don't know about the scripts, but they don't have things like "Sheppard is supposed to be put out" written on it, have they? *ggg* So it's all Joe's fault really. And David's a bit, because he just goes with the flow. *g*

And there's no way, you can see that scene as Sheppard being put out. Like you pointed out. The way he just went away? Without a word, with that look? No, definitely not put out, but hurt.

And a Rodney who knew perfectly well that he did - somehow - hit a sore spot of John's
Absolutely. The way he averts his eyes and everything? It's a tell tale sign for Rodney lying and being uncomfortable. And you really have to wonder why that is, because, like you said, Rodney did never make a big deal out of his crushes. He always talked to John in one way or another. Not here, though.

And yeah, if Rodney would've been a woman, no one would question the big epic love thing. No, tptb would've made a big deal out of showing that they're crushing on each other like with Carter and O'Neill. *rolls eyes*


*puts her tinhat on your head*

There - perfect fit! *G*

It looks like mine, too! *gg*

[patk.livejournal.com]

>>that Flanigan is really bad at acting

Which he isn't. *G*

>>So it's all Joe's fault really. And David's a bit, because he just goes with the flow. *g*

And the director's because he lets the actors get away with a performance that clearly telegraphs "meaningful things/emotions happening" and shoots the scene in a way which even enhances this - the mirror-thing.

You know, I *think* it was in Cupidbow's journal lately that someone mentioned she/he could remember that JoeF said in a con-report (or something similar) he plays Sheppard secretly in love with Rodney intentionally but the commenter couldn't remember where she/he read that.

The funny thing is, I also can vaguely remember having read something like that (and yes, I think it was a con-report but I can't remember *where* I read it), though my feeling says what I read wasn't as clear cut as this sounds at first sight. More a hint or a joking remark. Just enough to get the audience excited with the *possibility* of a sliver of truth being in the idea that JoeF might play Sheppard intentionally in love with Rodney rather than a flat out "Yes, I do" from JoeF.

Now, if I could just *find* that report again...

[tmz-cori.livejournal.com]

If you find that report, link me to it. *ggg*

But yeah, Flanigan so knows what he's doing! I remember the ComicCon Video, where he stated his favorite scene was the Pier Scene from The Shrine, with him and McKay there and all.

And then the audience of course cheered. And he just said "It involves beer" and the crowed cheered louder. He knows it and loves it. *ggg*

God, I would love to ask him, I just never will. lol. (Maybe we'll get lucky and one day, when SGA is over, Joe really does answer that question heh)