Does Shep have an instinctual preference for Teyla

[Dorka]

But why do we keep saying that Sheppard has a "preference"...? It wasn't as if there was anybody else he could choose from... It was just Teyla... and the sticks...

*g* your right... Teyla was just at the wrong place at the wrong time...and she's a women (don't think he would have kissed Ronon...even if it's an interesting thought.... )

[Kazan]

I suppose I keep coming back to this point but there's been so little interaction between Sheppard and Teyla in the last 27 episodes for us to come to any conclusion that there's anything more than a working relationship between the two. He's never even looked at her in a way that suggests that he singles her out from any other females in Atlantis. As much as I dislike Sanctuary... at least there I could see that he was immediately attracted to Chaya from the moment they meet. I don't get that when he interacts with Teyla. Even with Weir, where we're seeing a lot more interaction between herself and Sheppard, it's still largely one of developing friendship. From where I'm standing, I think it is a bit of leap to suggest that Sheppard has underlying physical attraction based on a rather violent outburst on his part. It seems to me that the animalistic instincts were gradually taking over and telling him... "female, grab her" rather than "Teyla, grab her".

In the final analysis I don't see that as a "kiss"... To call it a "kiss" would be to dignify the situation. It was an act of violence pure and simple... bestial... instinctual... a violation of Teyla's personal space and of her trust. It's not the stuff of friendship or romance. In the normal course of life, that would be considered sexual assault/harassment. It was a dark moment for Sheppard and he knew it... hence, the apology.

What an excellent post! you have managed to encapsulate the situation perfectly.
I thinks its important to recognise that this was all immediately preceded by an intense physical situation - the stick fighting - after which even under normal circumstances the adrenaline and testosterone would have been flowing, leaving John pumped up anyway. Couple that with the changes he was beginning experience and you see what you get. I agree wholeheartedly about your point about the lack of any evidence to suggest anything more in their relationship and that it was as you put it - "female, grab her rather than Teyla, grab her". I'd tend to think that he'd have reacted the same with any woman at that precise moment.
And I agree, there was nothing remotely shippy or romantic about the situations. Poor Teyla looked absolutely terrified and horrified as would anyone in that situation. Not John's finest moment although he did go some way to redeeming himself with his apology!

[Lord Zedd]

But why do we keep saying that Sheppard has a "preference"...? It wasn't as if there was anybody else he could choose from... It was just Teyla... and the sticks...

Yes ok it was only Teyla in the room but when he was alone with Dr. Weir he didn't try to kiss her but instead he grabbed her troat and pushed her against the wall. If you notice during the entire seasons you sometimes see that he likes her a lot. I saw Rising on dvd yesterday and he liked her from the start ! That is why they use the word preference. He has more a friendship relation with Dr. Weir but he is more interested in Teyla but it takes time.

[FoolishPleasure]

There is a lot of arguing - Teyla didn't fight back, Teyla didn't tell anyone, they really like each other, blah, blah, blah. Check out this website:

http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/rapemyths.htm

It is myth vs. reality. So this scene between Shep/Teyla wasn't a rape? There is more than one definition for rape. Might open a few eyes.

[Easter Lily]

I can't quite believe that people are actually thinking that it denotes a deep down attraction to her. It's precisely what happens with rapists. Rape is a power thing. It means no physical attraction but an urge to overpower. That women are actually giving nods and winks to this very ugly scene makes me quite nauseated by my own gender and quite frankly, worried.

*shrugs* Perhaps underlying that is the thought that just because a man makes mouth contact with a woman, he must somehow be in love with her... consciously or unconsciously...

I blame The Broca Divide... for setting unseemly precedents...

But seriously... when one considers the context of the scene... Shep is assaulting her in the worst way possible because they've been sparring with sticks and with the testosterone overload, he's taking their fight one step further and attacking her directly. The moments preceding his sexual assault was pure aggression not passion which leads me to conclude that the "kiss" is an extension of that aggression.

[Shep'sSocks]

Yes ok it was only Teyla in the room but when he was alone with Dr. Weir he didn't try to kiss her but instead he grabbed her troat and pushed her against the wall. If you notice during the entire seasons you sometimes see that he likes her a lot. I saw Rising on dvd yesterday and he liked her from the start ! That is why they use the word preference. He has more a friendship relation with Dr. Weir but he is more interested in Teyla but it takes time.

FCOL, are you not reading the whole violation bit? I suggest you read Foolish Pleasure's link to the rape crisis site. Honestly, I am getting very worried about various people in this thread. So. Totally. Blind.

[Easter Lily]

Yes ok it was only Teyla in the room but when he was alone with Dr. Weir he didn't try to kiss her but instead he grabbed her troat and pushed her against the wall. If you notice during the entire seasons you sometimes see that he likes her a lot. I saw Rising on dvd yesterday and he liked her from the start ! That is why they use the word preference. He has more a friendship relation with Dr. Weir but he is more interested in Teyla but it takes time.

Well... I can't really see that he's more interested in Teyla as I have never seen both of them interact on such a level that compels me to acknowledge any underlying sexual tension.

As for grabbing Weir by the throat... well a) He wasn't sparring with her physically; b) By that stage he was further on in the transformation process and was barely holding on to his humanity. Whatever lucidity he had was helped by drugs.

But the real clue is the terror in Teyla's eyes... She was frightened... This warrior woman who usually whoops Sheppard's behind. She didn't understand what was happening, why Sheppard was doing what he was doing. She didn't recognize him. He was acting out of character, which says to me that he has never given her the impression that he is interested in her romantically. I don't believe she's naive enough that she doesn't know if a man is into her...

[Shep'sSocks]

*shrugs* Perhaps underlying that is the thought that just because a man makes mouth contact with a woman, he must somehow be in love with her... consciously or unconsciously...

I blame The Broca Divide... for setting unseemly precedents...

But seriously... when one considers the context of the scene... Shep is assaulting her in the worst way possible because they've been sparring with sticks and with the testosterone overload, he's taking their fight one step further and attacking her directly. The moments preceding his sexual assault was pure aggression not passion which leads me to conclude that the "kiss" is an extension of that aggression.

That his immediate response is "That was interesting" was rather telling. That when she tells him to forget it at the end gives him a sort of blokey "She's not going to dob me in" relief is even more telling. On her part, the most telling thing about a lack of romantic interest is that as soon as it happens, she calls him "Colonel".

[Easter Lily]

I hope that we're not so desperate to see romance on the show that we lose sight of the violence that was done on Teyla.

[Shep'sSocks]

I think that for various people it didn't even hit their visual cortex.

[SnoggingPicard]

There is a lot of arguing - Teyla didn't fight back, Teyla didn't tell anyone, they really like each other, blah, blah, blah. Check out this website:

http://www.rapecrisis.org.uk/rapemyths.htm

It is myth vs. reality. So this scene between Shep/Teyla wasn't a rape? There is more than one definition for rape. Might open a few eyes.

Thanks for this! Hopefully it'll clear up a few things for people. The kiss WAS a violation -- Teyla knew it, and John knew it. Look at their faces right after it happened and you'll see confusion, apprehension, and worry. They don't understand what's going on, and they both know that it could have gotten a lot worse. Thank goodness this scene happened when it did, otherwise he might not have been able to pull back in time to stop himself from hurting her even more. I'm sure that Shep and Teyla both thought of this later, especially after they found out that he'd been infected with the retrovirus. Just the idea that only a couple of hours could have changed the whole situation is a terrifying one.

[mgbland]

At the very least, it was sexual harrassment. The moment he had her pinned against that wall and said "Call me John," then later, "There you go."

Obviously something was up with John, and I think Teyla was reacting the only way she could to come out with the least amount of damage. The kiss part of the assault lasted only 3-4 seconds, but I think the entire assault was closer to 10 seconds. Because it started the instant he shoved her against the wall.

Also John's reaction after he broke off the kiss, first confusion. "I'm not sure what just happened." Then his eyes widened as the implications of what just happened sank in. "That was interesting." A lot of people use interesting to refer to something unpleasant. Then the concern for her.

After he recovered, and attempted the apology, I think Teyla still didn't want to talk about it. Being a terrifying moment, she wanted to try to forget it, as if she could. And talking about it to the perpretrator was not something she wanted to do. So she donned her dignified leader mask. But John did have to try the apology. I hope we see some scenes with them talking about it to Heitmeyer. It would be interesting to see if one of Caldwells's changes was to split up Sheppard's away team, and if he keeps that change. With Ronan on the team, Teyla's no longer the sole Pegesus expert.

It's interesting the power struggle between John and Teyla sort of mirrors the power struggle between Weir and Caldwell.

After the crisis, both tried to offer the olive branch, and both got rebuffed.

Edited to add:

At least Sheppard did claim responsibility for it. That's more than Zander did when he tried to rape Buffy. He told them he had no memory of the incident.

[Qasim]

This isnt quite what I had in mind when I started this - I just wanted to know if he had a bigger crush on Teyla than Weir

[Dr Weir]

It would be too predictable if because Shep kissed Teyla that meant he was attracted to her. There's something much deeper between Weir and Shep and Shep didn't try to kiss her probably because of what he did to Teyla. I could see he was trying to hold back from being violent towards Weir but eventually it became too much for him and he tried to strangle her. Shep kissed Teyla just because she was a woman and was there at the time, like an animal would. If he was thinking more clearly so to make more of a conscience decision based on whether he was attracted to her or not he wouldn't have hurt Weir.

[mgbland]

Sorry. I'd have to say that Shep doesn't. Other than what a normal heterosexual male has for a woman like Teyla.