mckay & Katie question spoliers

[g.o.d]

That question has already been asked and answered, and I frankly find it offensive that you would suggest he would have sex with a child. I have no interest in arguing with you over kirking so let it go.

OMG that was an irony!!

[Thornyrose]

I have to admit I'm satisfied by how it came out. At least they didnt kill Katie. And she got to see McKay at his absolute worst. It's telling that where Sheppard, or even Sam can pull McKay out of his depressive moods, Katie not only couldnt, but was still wanting McKay to comfort her. Understandable, but makes it clear she's not the one for him. But at least he's learning, and we can hope for more in his next relationship. And yes, i'm one that would love to see him and Sam at least flirt with one another for awhile. Not that I think they're made for each other, but its just fun watching the banter. And given some of Sam's other choices..ah well, that's another thread.
One other comment, on Rodney's "wussiness". In almost every other tight spot, he at least has the tools to try and effect a change in the situation. In Quarantine, he is totally helpless, and left in a position where his imagination has free rein. Now, if Katie had had any sense, she could have found a MUCH better use for all his nervous energy...

[Actionhank]

Ok, I'm honest - I don't like her. I don't know what it is - maybe she doesn't fit in the role... but she is not an interesting character - plus Hewlett outacts her by far. She even annoys me and it takes a lot to do that. I just don't know what it is - maybe the toady voice, maybe the froggy dumb look on her face (sorry for being rude). LOL

[Opener]

I also think he was was freaking out because he didn't have anything to do or work with. And Katie did have a use for all that nervous energy, it just flew over Rodney's head.

His expression at the end was telling, it showed that he finally did notice something. I'd like to see him try to make it work with her towards the end though.(I'm avoiding spoilers so I don't know one way or the other, just the way I like it)

[Ebeneezer_Goode]

I think that when they were talking about not being ready, McKay was talking about marriage but she was talking about the relationship in general. I don't think it dawned on him until she said goodbye.

[txTart]

I'm pretty sure it's over. Katie was disposing of the cactus plant during the last scene. She didn't want to make it grow big anymore.

Bwahaha! Well said!

[YutheGreat]

I am a guy amd I know very little about such things I feel like I am totally simillar to McKay right now down to every character flaw. I am right where he is now. Totally uncertain of the relationship. There is a good chance that its over for the reasons stated. If Katie can see pass this their relationship would survive for good till the end.

I would like to pose a questions.

Do you guys and girls think that they can get back together?

If Katie didn't see him this way do you guys think she could have said yes?

[Seastallion]

I actually feel quite bad for both characters. I totally agree that McKay's attitude would have been helped greatly if he had had some kind of means of communication or tools to work with. Sheppard said it right at the beginning that McKay being trapped was going to make him go nuts, and he was right on the mark. I think their relationship (romance) may very well be over, which is too bad, because McKay could really use a partner to help tone him down a little.

I think having a family would help McKay and his sister see more eye to eye. Jeannie also may have been correct when she told Rodney that he wasn't going to find anyone better. Different maybe, but not necessarily better. I liked Katie and I felt bad for her too. Here she needed they guy she loved to be strong and he MAJORLY wussed out. It would've helped if he had even just lied and told her everything was going to be okay, even if he really didn't believe that at all.

In the end he was being self-centered, and I think sooner or later that would have come to a head between them. Katie was very giving and forgiving, but even she had her limits. I suppose it is actually better it happened sooner rather than later. Hopefully McKay can take this lesson and do something about it. Otherwise he may never have a relationship.

*sigh* "Poor Rodney and Katie..."

[apstertame]

...Do you guys and girls think that they can get back together?

If Katie didn't see him this way do you guys think she could have said yes?

I might have a little perspective on this, being an old married wommyn <grin> - okay, still very close to McKay's age if, as Sheppard says in the ep, he was born in '68.

And I am married 20 - yikes - years! to a guy who shares a lot of traits with the fictional McKay - extreme intelligence, abrasiveness, tactlessness...but no clone, I'll hasten to add. For one thing, he's a lot more empathic and more comfortable showing feelings/being demonstrative than McKay. For another, he's...er...he's considerably, um -- taller!

First off, I think we started the episode with Katie being fairly realistic about how McKay sees her, and very ready to say "yes" to his proposal. But she's not entirely realistic. I think most of the audience has been aware for awhile that this relationship is more about Rodney's growth towards wanting some of the things that has brought personal fulfillment to others, including his sister - the big part of that being marriage and family. Rodney admires and may love Katie, but he is not exactly smitten with her! & without wanting to suggest that Atlantis needs to shoot for a TV-14 rating, there should have been some indication here of some sparks and some measure of emotional/physical intimacy between Rodney and Katie before we got so far as "hand in marriage" talk.

(I did smirk when Rodney told Sheppard that he was ready to go onto the next level and Sheppard shot back, "Second Base"? Seriously - between that and the cactus jokes, this relationship has played like something out of that "40 year old virgin" movie...kinda leaving us well-past-awkward-teen-aged fans scratching our head and wondering if we were ever supposed to take the McKay character as anything more than an avatar for "average awkward male age 16-29 demographic. Maybe not, as the same writers seem to be doing pretty well with the changing, perhaps never-to-be romantic but certainly complex and maturing relationship between, say, Sheppard & Teyla.)

Without too much repetition I hope, I'll just echo what others have already said on this forum. Katie is nice. Very nice. Too nice for Rodney, actually, and nowhere near direct enough in communicating her own needs. A good match for Rodney would be a very smart woman (Katie may well be that, okay) every bit as strong willed as he is (doubts here), and not overly concerned with coddling him or being, well, *nice*.

Katie and Rodney would have ended up split up, better that it happened sooner than later. IMO we've already seen (recalling a 10th season parallel universe in SG SG1) that a Carter/Rodney pairing probably would have a poor long term outcome as well. But I think a good match for Rodney would run a little closer to Carter at her most exasperated, than sweet, long-suffering Katie.

When I was in my late teens and early 20s, a breakup with a boyfriend meant a lot of self questioning - "why did I have to be like this or that?" Frankly, even though McKay is trying really hard, going to Katie with "I don't think I am ready/mature enough" was the right thing to do -- not a cop-out as I think some posters on these forums seem to perceive it. Of course she was going to be hurt, dump the namesake cactus, sayonara, get-out-of-my-face...all communicated in the nicest way possible, of course. But she isn't left with the illusion that either one of them is going to become something counter to their basic natures - Rodney may think that this is all about being flawed, but he's missing the point - understandably, having presumably had few or no longish-term relationships before Katie - that someone wonderful may not be someone wonderful for HIM, and that his efforts towards becoming a better person could be successful but still not make him the right person for Katie.

And one other aside - it seems to me that if McKay were truly "in love" with Katie (and putting aside the long-term compatibility issue), then he would have reacted to Katie's "and now...?" as regards the proposal with an unhesitating declaration of his love and the fact that it's even MORE important to give her the ring now, in the face of death - as opposed to that irritated and bloodless "well, it doesn't really matter now if we're going to die." That was Katie's slap in the face, and she got the message, even if Rodney couldn't see that he was sending one.

The right person for Rodney will say "Grow a pair; I may not be a brilliant scientist but right now I've got a better chance of coming up with some insane escape plan that will work than you do having your little tantrum on the ground! Let's brainstorm something, or failing that - we're ALONE...c'mon, what does it take to get more of a response out of *you* than outta that cactus?"

Sadly, the MarySueKatie character got short shrift in her own right --the payoff was this ep, as the writers get to add a bit of 'sadder but wiser' to Rodney resume, so lets say goodbye to Katie and hope that Ronan/Keller or...I dunno, Carter/Zelenka (hehe) end up being a more engaging couple to watch.

[radiosgalore]

IMHO it's over relationship wise. In fact PMSL at McKay in a relationship at all! though he has gotten a bit better he still has a gigh opinion of himself that would turn any woman right off. McKay still needs a lot of work. Ronan on the other hand may be in a better situation though I think he is not good at expressing emotion pefering to fight the Wraith. He is much better at that

[JaguarJG]

The Katie /Rodney relationship is hurting the Carter / Rodney dynamic as I see
it. That is why the writers have made this change. One of the great aspects of Carter/ McKay is his crush on her and her love /hate feelings towards him. ( When I say love I don't necessarily mean she wants to sleep with him. Sam does care about Rodney though.) He is not confident enough to date Katie and think he can flirt with Carter. As evident in this episode and as I have said before Rodney's brain and work abilities are have been his crutch. At least over the years in Atlantis he has gained friends and reestablished with his sister. These things have boosted his confidence.

[FallenAngelII]

The relationship is over. If not in this episode then in a later episode. Joe Mallozzi stated that something "horrible" would happen to Rodney, making any chances of romance, especially with Katie, impossible.

We can only hope "Quarantine" marked the last appearance of this forced relationship.

[ykickamoocow]

The relationship is over. If not in this episode then in a later episode. Joe Mallozzi stated that something "horrible" would happen to Rodney, making any chances of romance, especially with Katie, impossible.

We can only hope "Quarantine" marked the last appearance of this forced relationship.

I just hoping that Mallozzi wasnt refering to the breakup itself as the horrible thing which happens to Rodney as it would be extremely weak if that were the case.

[Emme]

I've been thinking about this relationship thing with tv shows and there is a common thread. When one couple breaks up another get together? They don't often have 2 or more main characters having relationships.

Examples are Voyager Nelix and Kes end so we get tom and B'Elana. Ross and Rachel anyone? We got Monica and Chandler, DS9 Kira just jumped from one to another. Rodney and Katie got together but not Carson and Cadman. Now Ronan and Keller get together sooooo like television magic Rodney and Katie are done.

Sorry for the outside refs but what I'm thinking is that they do it to have one token gesture of a relationship in the series. That what I think TPTB might do.
Just a little either welcome or unwelcome taste of that aspect of things, believing this will keep the various shippers happy. Whether it's their favorite character or not.
I'm not saying this is the standard for all shows but it does happen a lot.

[Opener]

(I did smirk when Rodney told Sheppard that he was ready to go onto the next level and Sheppard shot back, "Second Base"? Seriously - between that and the cactus jokes, this relationship has played like something out of that "40 year old virgin" movie...kinda leaving us well-past-awkward-teen-aged fans scratching our head and wondering if we were ever supposed to take the McKay character as anything more than an avatar for "average awkward male age 16-29 demographic. Maybe not, as the same writers seem to be doing pretty well with the changing, perhaps never-to-be romantic but certainly complex and maturing relationship between, say, Sheppard & Teyla.)

I dunno apstertame, I think Rodney may have been that awkward stereotype in the beginning, but it's my opinion that as the seasons have progressed, the producers and writers have made Rodney grow a lot. He's definitely a different man than he was in the beginning. I mean, things like what happened to him in Tao of Rodney and McKay and Mrs. Miller would have changed him, I don't care how self-centered he is. In fact, I think they were going in that direction even aaaaaaalll the way back in Hide and Seek, when Rodney went down to the gateroom commons to deal with the energy creature. He knew he could die, but he knew that it had to be done. Whby did he do it? Because it had to be done, and he was the only one that could. We saw that he had the same mindset in Before I Sleep, when he stayed behind and drowned, all to give people the time to evacuate.