Rodney McKay/Jennifer Keller Discussion/Ship/Appreciation

[StargateHERO]

So one of the posters mentioned that one of the reasons Rodney and Jennifer could never work is because Rodney has consistently demonstrated his distaste and disrespect for the medical profession and those who practice it. And the fact that he is generally a mean person. My response was this.....



But he hasn't with her [mean, cruel, or disrespectful]. And therein lies the very heart of why I think their relationship stands such a great chance at working.

He is a sometimes cruel, always cynical, often bitter, very insulting man, with almost no regard for the feelings of others.

We have definitely seen him downplay medicine as a fool's game - a charade of a science if there ever was one. We've seen him call Beckett a vampire, belittle his jobs and responsibilities, and overplay his own to demonstrate his superiority.

We have seen him do all this with Beckett and with countless others...but not with Jennifer.

He's called her a genius when she came up with the nanite idea to save Weir. He has opened up to her about his experience with Katie and we've seen him be touched by her response to it. He was perhaps the most open with Jennifer with regard to his lack of social skills in Trio.

He's never belittled her or insulted her. Sure he's been sarcastic and snarky, but without his usual bite.

He respects her as we've hardly seen him respect another person and that is telling. Very telling.

Despite the lack of physical attraction you claim (and I maintain in all seriousness that DH is not a bad looking guy so there is some of that too), Jennifer is drawn to him. They do have chemistry. It may not be all sparks and fireworks, but it doesn't always have to be.

She is drawn to his intellect as much as he is to hers. She sees in him a man unsure, nut unwilling to admit to it and she is intrigued not only as to why, but as to whether she can do anything to change that.

His wit challenges her and his humour amuses her. And his belief that she is "a genius" does instill confidenc in her because she does in fact consider him to be something of a genius himself. And she is perhaps one of the few people that can truly appreciate how alone that must make him sometimes.

Rodney doesn't deify Jennifer as he may have done with other women in the past. He doesn't hold her on a pedestal, nor does he speak innapropriately to cover up his insecurities with her. He doesn't do this, not because he doesn't have them, but because (probably for the first time) he's not in danger of scorn or humiliation from her.

His ability to communicate with her, to show concern for her openly, and to treat her with respect shows more from Rodney than hundreds of flowers could from any other man.

really nice said. that's one of the things about them; they seem comfortable with eachother, and doesn't a relationship need that if it's ever going to work? with ronon and keller, it was just plain awkward and painful to watch, but with mckeller it was just so natural, and amazing to see on screen.

and the thing is, jennifer actually sees something in him. Doesn't Rodney deserve to be happy? he deserves to have someone love him, and he deserves to love someone as well. they are both the best at what they do in atlantis, even though it is different fields. they both have contrasting personalities that just work so well and mesh so naturally together.

in "the seed"

Spoiler:

he openly showed a deep concern for her when she was stuck in the foom all alone. he was clearly disturbed by the idea that they were treating her that way. sure, people could argue that he would be just as upset if it was Sheppard or Teyla in that situation, but you can tell by his voice it's much more than a professional worry; it's something personal, and we don't get that from Rodney much.

[KindlyKeller]

Very nice post, PB. That's a big thing -- that he doesn't belittle her profession simply because he detests medical fuss and prodding, as he did even with Carson, who was a close friend.

The other reason this is so appealing is because they're BOTH insecure. So it makes them equals, allows for an interdependence she could never have with Ronon. I think that's what bothers me so much about Ronon/Keller, is the "hush now, little girl, the big strong man is here" vibe.

Rodney and Jennifer take care of each other.

[Jeyla4ever]

Did you guys see the Comic Con vid? Jewel stated that Keller will make a decision...and I KNOW who that will be!!! WOOHOOOO!!!

[Jeyla4ever]

Yes, it's The Seer. That's the only episode Jen had her hair up like that, which is kind of a shame. I think it's cute that way. But maybe it's not comfortable.

*high-five Kill*

Chickey...what's cooking good looking!

[KindlyKeller]

A great post from you too, Hero!

There was definitely a difference in his voice between say, Seed and Broken Ties. In Seed, he was desperate to help her on a personal level. In Broken Ties, he works hard to find Ronon, but it's more of the "we don't leave people behind" Sheppard mentality.

[StargateHERO]

Did you guys see the Comic Con vid? Jewel stated that Keller will make a decision...and I KNOW who that will be!!! WOOHOOOO!!!

yes i saw it!!! AND...

Spoiler:

*SQUEE*

[Jeyla4ever]

I"ll join you!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

[atlantisk]

Did you guys see the Comic Con vid? Jewel stated that Keller will make a decision...and I KNOW who that will be!!! WOOHOOOO!!!

I didn't see it!! Where can I find it??

[StargateHERO]

A great post from you too, Hero!

There was definitely a difference in his voice between say, Seed and Broken Ties. In Seed, he was desperate to help her on a personal level. In Broken Ties, he works hard to find Ronon, but it's more of the "we don't leave people behind" Sheppard mentality.

thanks, KK!

in broken ties, that's exactly what his mentality was. Ronon is a part of the team, and no one gets left behind. that shows another side of his character as well. it shows that he cares for Ronon is a professional way, and even though they aren't the best of friends, they do get along in the professional environment.

with rodney and jennifer, they get alone well in both the professional and personal environments. both of them are completely different too. you can talk to someone so easily at work, but once the time to go on a date comes it just gets awkward and not so good. but they don't do that. as we saw in "the last man," they work so well together, and he cares about her probably more than we can imagine.

[StargateHERO]

I"ll join you!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

yay! let's all give mckeller a nice good... *SQUEE*

[Pandora's_Box]

really nice said. that's one of the things about them; they seem comfortable with eachother, and doesn't a relationship need that if it's ever going to work? with ronon and keller, it was just plain awkward and painful to watch, but with mckeller it was just so natural, and amazing to see on screen.

and the thing is, jennifer actually sees something in him. Doesn't Rodney deserve to be happy? he deserves to have someone love him, and he deserves to love someone as well. they are both the best at what they do in atlantis, even though it is different fields. they both have contrasting personalities that just work so well and mesh so naturally together.

in "the seed"

Spoiler:

he openly showed a deep concern for her when she was stuck in the foom all alone. he was clearly disturbed by the idea that they were treating her that way. sure, people could argue that he would be just as upset if it was Sheppard or Teyla in that situation, but you can tell by his voice it's much more than a professional worry; it's something personal, and we don't get that from Rodney much.

I completely agree.

Their chemistry has always seemed so much more natural and unforced. Their progression from colleagues to friends to something more was well documented in Season 4. But above all, it made sense! You could see it happening and understand where it was all coming from.

I don't see that with Ronon and Jennifer. Seeing as how their lone series of moments or interaction came in a single episode really.

Very nice post, PB. That's a big thing -- that he doesn't belittle her profession simply because he detests medical fuss and prodding, as he did even with Carson, who was a close friend.

The other reason this is so appealing is because they're BOTH insecure. So it makes them equals, allows for an interdependence she could never have with Ronon. I think that's what bothers me so much about Ronon/Keller, is the "hush now, little girl, the big strong man is here" vibe.

Rodney and Jennifer take care of each other.

Again, I completely agree with you here.

There's no sense of the big knight in shining armour coming to the rescue of the damsel in distress.

Jen doesn't need rescueing or protection. She doesn't need someone to set the example of confidence or strength. She just needs someone to believe in her however she may be. That's what they both need.

A relationship shouldn't be about finding someone that will love you when you become more of something else, may it be stronger or more confident or whatever. At least I don't think it should be.

Rodney and Jennifer understand each other more than anyone else is capable of understanding either of them.

I understand the romance of the sentiment, "opposites attract". It's a wonderfully romantic one, but that's all it is - a sentiment. And often it's a fantasy.

More often than not, the relationships that stand the test of time are the ones consisting of equals. Two people who recognize each other faults and vices, recognize things that need to improve, but love each other regardless.

Falling in love with a fantasy is all well and good, but infatuation and sparks fade. Fantasies change and, in the end, it's the real, everyday stuff that lasts.

Did you guys see the Comic Con vid? Jewel stated that Keller will make a decision...and I KNOW who that will be!!! WOOHOOOO!!!

I heard! That is exciting. Does this mean we'll finally get a canon ship?

[KindlyKeller]

Well said yet again, PB.

The thing for me that's interesting is, of any male character on Atlantis (except maybe Woolsey), Ronon is the one who seems least likely to end up with her.

Sheppard- generally a pretty nice guy, who given that he's best friends with McKay, obviously has a high tolerance for quirkiness, insecurity, and bluster.

Carson- a very compassionate guy, who understands how stressful her job is and developed a friendship with her before he died.

Lorne- similar to Sheppard, and he has an artistic bend too, which softens the military side of him.

Now let's look at:

Ronon- values loyalty, toughness, bravado, and gritty self-reliance above all else.

To be honest, given his narrow scope, I don't even see how he could respect her, much less love her.

Now, I'm not saying Sheppard, Carson, or Lorne would work with Jennifer. In fact, they probably wouldn't. But in my opinion, there's an awful lot of options below Rodney and before Ronon.

[atlantisk]

Just saw the Comic con! And I Hope that Keller's Choice Is Mckay

[Pic]

I didn't see it!! Where can I find it??

http://www.scifi.com/video/

Under Online Exclusives, scroll to the Comic Con panel for Atlantis (although some of the others are fascinating, too)

[atlantisk]

Thanks!

The spoiler= funny