Trinity (206)

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Um... Anyone notice that 5/6 (83.33%) is BIGGER than 3/4 (75%)?

Not to go sounding like MacKay and all, but...

Yes, of course it's bigger! MacKay wasn't making excuses, he was pointing out that he had done much better than merely blowing up 3/4 of the gal... er... solar system

He's just insiting on being painfully accurate -- one could even say he's admitting that he made an even bigger mess than Weir thinks.

<nods> It's possible. We don't get to see their faces/body language, unfortunately, but Rodney just doesn't sound very contrite to me when he says that. And isn't it right after he says it that Weir says her "Can you give your ego a rest" line? Makes it sound like he's bragging, to me.

[Lida]

Of course she was pissed at herself: Rodney talked Sheppard into the mess, in turn, he talked her into the mess, and she KNEW that Caldwell was going to press TPTB back on earth to proceed with experiments and thus, that could mean bringing in more people of the management type that could ultimately threaten who controls Atlantis. She was caught in one of those crappy dilemmas where you're damned if you, damned if you don't.

As for the guilt... yes, he felt guilty about it. I'm sure Sheppard felt guilty about those who have died because of his orders as well, but it's part of the job of exploration, which is why if things get nasty, she sends them off to Heightmeyer (i.e., "Duet").

However, I think it's far worse for Rodney to know that Collins would have died in vain (remember his conversation at Shep's door). That would be worse for him, and that was no doubt part of his reasoning to continue plus the incredible science they could achieve if the device had worked. I mean, think back to things Rodney has said, such as in "Before I sleep", saying how he wondered how he would be remembered if he died, and now he knew. He doesn't want his life to have no meaning after he's gone, and I think he applies that thinking to those under him as well.

I saw this episode as basically Rodney's 'breakdown' from all the stress he's been under since arriving at Atlantis, and hopefully now, he can rebuild himself.

I'd love to have a psychiatrist watch all of the SGAs and really analyze Rodney. It could be an interesting book

Believe it or not, at least one shrink is and a book about Rodney, I'll pass the idea along. Sounds great. He is one heck of a great subject....and it would be a huge book.

[Night Spring]

Yes, of course it's bigger! MacKay wasn't making excuses, he was pointing out that he had done much better than merely blowing up 3/4 of the gal... er... solar system

LOL!

<nods> It's possible. We don't get to see their faces/body language, unfortunately, but Rodney just doesn't sound very contrite to me when he says that. And isn't it right after he says it that Weir says her "Can you give your ego a rest" line? Makes it sound like he's bragging, to me.

Hmmmm... Maybe it's Weir who can't do math!

I agree that McKay's voice does sound like he's arguing back, and yes, I can see room for the "fun" interpretation that he's bragging about having blown up MORE of the solar system.

But on a more serious note, I think that he just can't resist correcting an inaccuracy, without regard for whether the correction enhances or weakens his position. And assuming that Weir does know her basic fractions, then I'd have to conclude that it's this reflexive need to correct every slight inaccuracy that Weir is referring to when she tells McCay to give his ego a rest.

Personally, I have to say that McKay wouldn't be McKay if he lost that "ego"...

[Night Spring]

Believe it or not, at least one shrink is and a book about Rodney, I'll pass the idea along. Sounds great. He is one heck of a great subject....and it would be a huge book.

I'm wondering whether a character like Rodney McKay is actually possible in Real Life. He's such a mass of seeming contradictions, it strikes me that trying to write a coherent psychoanalysis of this character might be about as difficult as coming up with a physics theory that shows how the Stargate wormhole actually works.

[Sabre]

And assuming that Weir does know her basic fractions, then I'd have to conclude that it's this reflexive need to correct every slight inaccuracy that Weir is referring to when she tells McCay to give his ego a rest

Yes I noticed that need of correcting too. Also noticed that he doesn't like to be corrected, I loved the super discussion he had with those children in that planet (can not remember the name)

McKay: A grown up is somebody older than you are
children: Then I'm a grown up, I'm older than my sister
McKay: Shut up...

I just sensed that the trigger that made him to be "mean" to them, was not that he was tired of them, but the fact that he just had been "corrected" by the child.

Also he had a bad bad bad time, when Zelenka proved with numbers that he was committing mistakes, no insult, no "suck it up" from Ronon could have done more harm that those numbers, or at least, that's what I saw in his face.

I'm wondering whether a character like Rodney McKay is actually possible in Real Life. He's such a mass of seeming contradictions

In the part of contradictions, yes of course! the part that he's so absolutelly brilliant and clever, it's more difficult to find, IMHO

Sabre

[unowhoandwhy]

I'm wondering whether a character like Rodney McKay is actually possible in Real Life. He's such a mass of seeming contradictions, it strikes me that trying to write a coherent psychoanalysis of this character might be about as difficult as coming up with a physics theory that shows how the Stargate wormhole actually works.

Possible??!! I work for him!!

Well, a far less intelligent Rodney, with a serious problem with OCD and (we all suspect) ADHD... and he is a fidgeter... and he is a racist... and he is a sexist...

Try having all that ego & no reason to, it's WAY more annoying, trust me!!

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

I'm wondering whether a character like Rodney McKay is actually possible in Real Life. He's such a mass of seeming contradictions, it strikes me that trying to write a coherent psychoanalysis of this character might be about as difficult as coming up with a physics theory that shows how the Stargate wormhole actually works.

I know that there are no absolutes, especially in matters of the human psyche, but maybe a psychoanalist could answer this for me.

Is it possible that a guy like Rodney would actually survive for much longer under stressful conditions because he immediately vents his frustrations? Okay that's definitely not good for the heart(or other people ), but, the mind?

If Rodney and Sam Carter were put to a stress test, shouldn't the bottled-up Sam be the first to crack, mentally speaking?

[FoolishPleasure]

And Elizabeth had the bad judgement to yell at Rodney where others could hear. Really, what kind of manager does that make her? Was some of that anger for herself? Didn't she know how much Rodney would be hurting already from his own guilt? She heard how he felt about Collins. She knows how he must feel about all the others.

I have worked for several corporations, as well as gov't entities (including a school district) and I have yet to find a place where bosses DIDN'T rage at one point or another. Most of the time, the employee deserves the "lashing". It isn't pretty, but it happens all the time. The employee goes back to their area *hanging head in shame*, knowing they were lucky they still had a job.

Those who find Weir a bad manager are rather naive in regards to the world of work.

[Night Spring]

McKay: A grown up is somebody older than you are
children: Then I'm a grown up, I'm older than my sister
McKay: Shut up...

I just sensed that the trigger that made him to be "mean" to them, was not that he was tired of them, but the fact that he just had been "corrected" by the child.

Great point! I've only seen that episode once, but you're absolutely right that McKay hates to be corrected.

In the part of contradictions, yes of course! the part that he's so absolutelly brilliant and clever, it's more difficult to find, IMHO

Exactly. See below.

Try having all that ego & no reason to, it's WAY more annoying, trust me!!

The thing is, in my experience, the more a person has real ability, the less he/she has need to defend their ego. So, somebody like unowhoandwhy's boss, with totally annoying inflated ego and not much ability to justify it is, unfortunately, very common. And on the other end of the spectrum, somebody like, say, Zelenka or Sam Carter, who is very brilliant and capable without behaving egostically about it, is, in my experience, the norm than the exception.

But McKay is supposed to be both absolutely brilliant *and* annoyingly egostical. And that's a combination that I haven't come upon very often in my Real Life experience.

[prion]

Believe it or not, at least one shrink is and a book about Rodney, I'll pass the idea along. Sounds great. He is one heck of a great subject....and it would be a huge book.

More like a boxed set.. .I could see multiple books from his time on Atlantis, heck just ONE book from "Duet" alone!

[ToasterOnFire]

Those who find Weir a bad manager are rather naive in regards to the world of work.

No no, that argument is flawed. Boss-yelling does occur in real life, sure (though I've never seen it in my line of work). However, many people would argue that it's still inappropriate and those real world people are indeed bad managers. It all comes down to whether one thinks that yelling at an employee in a relatively public place is appropriate and useful or not.

And I don't see Weir as a bad "manager" per say, more inconsistant. She has a (rightful, IMO) fit with McKay after Trinity, but nothing similar toward Shep after the events of Hot Zone? Both men intentionally or unintentionally broke her trust and/or authority. Granted, Shep was able to save the day in HZ (of course, he had to since they were in Atlantis and eveyone would have died, show over, if he failed) while Rodney failed ( and it was conveniently set in another solar system so he could fail on a spectacular level without having everyone on the show die), but the initial breaking/misusing trust or authority still stands in both cases.

[ShadowMaat]

They were in Weir's office. It just happens that her office has really big windows and no soundproofing.

I guess the custom window blinds are on backorder from Earth, too....

[the dancer of spaz]

They were in Weir's office. It just happens that her office has really big windows and no soundproofing.

I guess the custom window blinds are on backorder from Earth, too....

Don't even get me started on how EASILY it is for them to get things to and from Earth now...

I mean, I kinda like it better this way (more conflict with the military and MP's characters), but it just seems so... ironic.

They said there would be no canon ship.
They said there would be no opportunities for crossovers or help from the SGC.
Hmmm...

Not that I'm complaining or anything! Don't get me wrong. I like ship and crossovers as much as the next gal... It's just REALLY funny to me.

[prion]

No no, that argument is flawed. Boss-yelling does occur in real life, sure (though I've never seen it in my line of work). However, many people would argue that it's still inappropriate and those real world people are indeed bad managers. It all comes down to whether one thinks that yelling at an employee in a relatively public place is appropriate and useful or not.

Gotta admit, in all my years working in corporate america, I've only seen a boss yell maybe once or twice. Usually it's the employee yelling AT the boss that I've seen, and I've seen one or two doosies, which could be heard all the way from end of the floor to the other (followed by slamming doors).

However, I've never seen an employee blow up a planet either

[Bobthespirit]

I really liked this episode. It just goes to show the *right* way to introduce a character into a series.

This is the wrong way: Make your character of a race that has a reason to be smarter, stronger, and more immune-to-weird-things than all the other characters. Put said character in skimpy revealing outfits, and make that character the focus of 50% of all episods. This is what Voyager did with their new character, and it turned out really badly for them.

This is the right way: Make your character unique and engaging, different from the others in the cast, and funny. Give this character his own character development and plot, but not in a way that detracts from all the other characters. This is what Atlantis did.

I liked that whole Ronon sequence.

Mckay's half of the episode was...well, waaaaaayyy too predictable. (Seriously. Did anybody NOT see the entire progression of the weapon plot from the very beginning?) But it's nice to see him get knocked down a few pegs.