SGA 4x13: Quarantine

[sholio]

LOVED LOVED LOVED this episode.

Like last week, I don't really feel up to meta-ing about it (maybe later) but I really adored pretty much everything about it.

EDIT: Spoilers in comments.

EDIT2: I don't have to write up a reaction: Tipper and Naye have pretty much written down all the thoughts I would have had anyway. *g*

Comments

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

What I really loved about the resolution of the Rodney/Katie storyline is that it was so ... well, mature. She realized that she was going to have to spend her life being the "positive" person in the relationship, or trying to change him into something he's not -- and I liked that there wasn't really any rancor in the breakup; they both, independently, came to the realization that things weren't working out (although I do think he kinda hoped that she wouldn't agree with him at the end there; the look on his face was so sad). But they don't dislike or resent each other because of it.

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, the break up was very well done (and now I want to know why Rodney was so keen on marrying her. They didn't even seem to know each other that well.) Poor Katie, she had no clue how to handle a neurotic Rodney succumbing to doom. It's clear he needs his team around to keep him focused.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I gather that it was sort of an outgrowth of the conversation with Jeannie in "Miller's Crossing" and of his own life goals. Like he'd said back in "Sunday", he likes the idea of settling down with a family and kids. For Rodney, I think that's one of those dreams that looks great from the outside, but he hasn't really given much thought to the details -- sort of like there's a part of me that wants to quit my job, buy a piece of land in the middle of nowhere and build a cabin ... but I don't think I'm actually crazy enough to do it.

In Rodney's case, he's about 40 and I can see how the conversation with Jeannie might have jump-started the idea that, if he wants to have kids and a white picket fence, he can't just sit around waiting for it. It makes sense to me that Rodney would have decided "This is my plan and this is what I have to do to achieve it", without really taking Katie herself into account. Heck, he's probably got it all diagrammed out in his quarters! With spreadsheets and graphs.

I don't personally believe that being in love is necessary for a relationship to work -- I also believe (having seen it) that you can start out not in love at the beginning and fall in love later on. However, having said that, I do think that Rodney could easily have mistaken affection and liking for being in love; it's likely that he's had little enough experience with either.

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Yes, I can see how the notion of marriage would get stuck in Rodney’s head, complete with flow charts and timetables. *g* And I guess after dating Katie for two years, he couldn’t keep stringing her along (as Jeannie not so subtly reminded him); he either had to move forward (“Second base?” oh John..) or call it quits. Credit to the writers for doing an excellent job on the break-up.

And – while I’m at it – they’re doing an excellent job on Teyla’s pregnancy as well.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

My biggest problem with Rodney/Katie was that, whatever Katie really felt about Rodney (and I never could tell, other than her understandable crushing on his awkward adorableness) I never really could tell how Rodney truly felt about Katie as a person. I don't think he disliked her, I just don't think he really liked her that much, either. For him, I always got the impression that it was more about having a girlfriend than the girl herself. He wants to be in love, and be loved, so badly; but he never tried to really bring Katie into his life proper (we never even saw if she met the team!) - as you said, Katie was the dream, the future plan, the white-picket-fence totally apart from his real life on Atlantis.

And I think Jeannie inadvertently hit the nail on the head when she teased him about "You think you're going to find someone better?" because like he talks about in "Sunday," Rodney can't really understand someone genuinely liking him for himself. He likes the part of Katie that likes him, but doesn't really know or even want to know the rest of her...(I've been in a relationship like that myself, and it didn't really work. But then I'm a pretty firm believer that the best relationships are rooted in friendship, not romance, and he and Katie appear to have precious little in common...)

So yeah, I'm glad they broke up - especially for Katie's sake, really, because I agree that he would've made her miserable. Rodney's coming along with the self-recognition. Though even now, he thinks if he ever wants a real relationship, he'll have to totally change himself, fix his flaws...and while that's an important realization and goal, and he'll be a happier person for it in the end, I don't think he understands that it's not the deal-breaker. You should change for yourself, not for someone else - and anyway, while Katie was a poor match for him, there are those who he could make happy just by being Rodney McKay.

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

I do find it kind of hilarious that the episode I supposedly wasn't going to discuss ended up with the discussion all being in the comments! I certainly don't mind; I enjoy that sort of thing, but it makes me laugh because I didn't really feel like I had that much to say. Guess I was wrong!

I never did really get the people who were all "I hate the Rodney/Katie pairing because they're so different!" because people fall in love with those who are different from them all the darned time. On the other hand, I think this episode did a really fantastic job of developing the idea of two people breaking up because of their differences ... in a way that was very fair to both of them. And yeah, I think they were definitely more in love with the idea of being in love than actually with each other. I've liked the Rodney/Katie pairing from the beginning because I found it very convincing on a human-interest level -- ditto for Ronon and Keller, too; they aren't grand love stories with hearts and flowers, but rather, fumbling and sweet and possibly destined for disaster (well, certainly destined for it, in Rodney and Katie's case, obviously). I can occasionally go for the grand "love will overcome all!" sorts of stories, but I find more appeal in the more low-key, less romantic and more real-world-ish sorts of relationships ... which is what I saw here, including the way it fell apart at the end.

I think Rodney really did care about Katie, and put her on a pedestal, but never got to know her as a person. And, in Katie's case, obviously she was having much the same problem -- she'd apparently never really seen Rodney's less fluffy side before this episode, and the deeper she dug, the less she wanted to deal with his problems. Which, of course, just makes the problems worse, in a way. Poor Rodney ... he's actually had a whole roomful of people tell him to his face that they love him, and he's still got that much insecurity in his little bitter-marshmallow soul.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's odd...I am a hardcore 'shipper sometimes, and I do go for love-conquers-all!!!11! hopeless romance in some cases. And then...I actually liked Rodney/Katie, but not as a 'ship, because I knew it was doomed, I never once thought it was going to work out. Not because they're different, but because the way they were different, I couldn't see a real relationship developing (much of that was in how Katie was written. If they had wanted her to be a serious match for him she would have needed to be developed as a person beyond shy dates with McKay - she'd need relationships with the other chars, with Atlantis. Ronon/Keller, now, has a chance, because Keller is an actual char and not just a love interest; we'll see.)

But I liked the Rodney/Katie for being a fascinating exploration of Rodney's character, of his insecurities, and how he is slowly growing and changing, even now. The human-interest level, like you said. I'd never say I 'shipped it, because my 'ships are the relationships I want to see working out, at least in theory, and I had no particular interest in seeing Rodney/Katie succeed (now, Rodney/Sheppard, or Rodney/Sam, that's a different story, I will concede to 'shipping' them.)

(...Gotta say, when it comes to realistic, low-key relationships I think Numb3rs is totally spoiling me; there's a whole lot of romance and friendship there that I wouldn't really say I 'ship, but I enjoy watching play out, because it's people working through their lives together in this warm and feeling and believable way. And unlike Rodney/Katie, I can't really guess from the writing whether the romances are 'meant to be' or not, so they're a happy surprise when the chars do come together.)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

(one more thing! ...heee, yes, this ep left us all with much to discuss, it seems! such a fun show <3)

she'd apparently never really seen Rodney's less fluffy side before this episode, and the deeper she dug, the less she wanted to deal with his problems.

Totally right about the pedestal thing, and this especially - the ironic thing is that if Katie were a more confrontational person, it would've worked out...his negativity was clearly bothering her, but if she would have just jumped on him for it, yelled at him to stop being such an Eeyore, Rodney would've handled things much better. The real problem I saw with Katie is that she's so sweet and shy that Rodney would walk all over her without meaning to...or as it turns out, would lie down on the floor and give up, but it comes to the same thing in the end, that she just doesn't have the attitude to handle him, or the mindset to enjoy it (unlike say, Sheppard, who seems to consider McKay-wrangling one of the top 5 most entertaining sports in Pegasus.) And Rodney requires a lot of handling...

[aelfgyfu_mead]

Yes! I think I liked the couple for the same reason--more for what it showed of Rodney, and what developed in Rodney, than because of Katie. I liked her okay, but she wasn't a fully rounded character; I ended up filling in bits in my own head.

I am convinced one of the most attractive things about Rodney for Katie must be that he doesn't play games. Sometimes he hems and haws and can't get things out, but he doesn't say one thing and mean another or play "Guess what I'm thinking." If he compliments her, it's real!

I love your whole last paragraph there: Rodney as Eeyore (yes!), Sheppard's McKay-wrangling as sport.