In which Zin has opinions...

[zinnith]

So, this week's episode can basically be summed up with two words: Oh, Rodney!

Hey, John and Rodney still have game dates! Yay!

Can I just say something re: the ring? Why does everyone think is such a bad choice of ring for a girl? I think it's a lovely ring, and I would be very happy if someone was to give it to me. Is there some kind of secret female rule that says: 'You must not get engaged unless you get a diamond the size of your head'.? (Yes, I realise there probably is. I've never been any good with those secret female rules.)

Rodney, you have a good taste in jewellery. Don't let anyone tell you different.

But seriously, just look at John's face! That is pure devastation, right there! (And please ignore the fact that Rodney looks like a demented gnome in this cap...)



Things I liked: Zelenka and his pigeons! Teyla's kid has a family on Atlantis (Oh, John!) Keller being so awkward and cute! Ronon also being cute with all the smiles and the glances. Ronon and Keller being cute together! John knows Rodney's password! 42! Oh, boys, you are such geeks and totally made for each other! Radek saving the day like the human hamster he is! Can Radek and Sam have hot sweaty monkey sex resulting in genius babies now, please?

John! Climbing! Tower! Also, John, for your information, you're not Batman. You could try for friendly neighbourhood Spider-Sheppard, but you're not Batman, because Batman is not a dork. And Teyla! What are you doing out that window? You have a baby in your belly! Baby! Belly! That means no climbing walls for you!

Also, how much do I love that both John and Ronon's solution to the problem is to blow things up? Not to mention the fact that Lorne carries C-4 on his person! I definitely want to marry Lorne.

OMG, look at Katie fondling the Rodney-cactus. Someone get that woman a vibrator! It's blindingly obvious she's not getting any from Rodney. (And now I have ideas for fic where Katie hates Sheppard and wants him to die because he keeps cock-blocking Rodney, thus leaving Katie in a constant state of sexual frustration...)

But show, you know I love you, but can we please stop with the Rodney-bashing? Like Zelenka's: "Surprisingly, it's nothing Rodney did." Hello? How many times exactly has Rodney saved your collective butts? Note that the first thing everyone do when the lockdown starts it to try to get hold of Rodney, because Rodney will fix it. Note that the first one people turn to in a crisis is Rodney. And how often does anyone thank him afterwards? Could it possibly be that the reason for why Rodney gloats so much over his sucesses is because that is the only way he gets any recognition? We just take for granted that McKay will fix everything, and as soon as the crisis is over, we're back to making fun of him again. Ronon: "Did you hear McKay thought it was a real outbreak?" Yes, of course he thought it was a real outbreak. He was locked in a room without his radio and his computer, with no means to find out what was going on. Not to mention, he was in a very stressful sitation, nervous to begin with, and possibly sugar-crashing a bit. Could you please treat the man as a human being with real feelings instead of a constant source of comic relief?     

Also, Rodney. Yes, you would've made Katie miserable, but not from being you. Never from being you. It wouldn't have worked because you don't love her! You are a good person, you are probably one of the most underappreciated people on Atlantis, and you should go and let John comfort you right now.

See that look there? That's the look of a man in desperate need of a hug.

Comments

[lenyia.livejournal.com]

I also think that the ring was pretty. And what you wrote about Mckay-bashing - there I also am with you. In fact, all of it are more or less my thoughts about this episode.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Rodney needs lots and lots of hugs and people telling him that they like him.

As a matter of fact, I think I'm going to issue a 'Give McKay a hug'-challenge right now.

[tarlanx]

I agree with every word - except the ring...yes...looked fine in many respects BUT we are talking about a man who probably has a LOT of money and yet he buys a 'cheap in the sale' ring. That ring (and his words) say - my heart is not committed to this, just my mind telling me it's the socially accepted thing to do for normal people in a long relationship that seems to be going absolutely nowhere.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

See that's another thing I don't get - the idea that the more money you spend on someone the more do you love them. Would it had made a difference if he had said 'This is a very exclusive designer ring and I paid a fortune for it'?

Maybe it's just because I've been poor all my life and have learned that it's not the gifts themselves that matter but the thoughts behind them - and there you are completely right. Rodney isn't committed to Katie, he's just doing what he thinks he's expected to do. But I don't think buying a ridiculously expensive ring would have made him any more committed, if you get what I mean...

[tarlanx]

1/8 carat diamond ring cost around $160 - and he got it sale price! That is the equivalent of two pairs of Levi jeans. That was the point the writers' were making by having Rodney say those lines. It showed that his commitment was not there, that he wasn't prepared to put a lot of commitment, financially or otherwise, into the gesture...which is why John thinks it's a pretty bauble gift rather than a commitment/engagement ring.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Well, to me that is a very very expensive ring... To be honest it's a complete mystery to me why people spend so much money on rings and weddings and so on when they could put that money towards having a good life together instead. Two of my best friends got engaged to each other last year. Their rings are silver, very simple and didn't cost much at all, and no one questions their commitment to each other. But I get that there are people to whom it is important, and I respect that even if I don't understand it.

Ah well, it's two completely different issues, and I see your point about Rodney's lack of commitment. Only, what speaks most clearly to me is the fact that he told John about the cost of the ring in the first place instead of saying 'I got this ring back on Earth and I think Katie will really like it.'

[tarlanx]

Rodney is a contractor working full time for the government in a high position so I would be surprised if he earned anything LESS than $6000 per month. (Someone fresh out of college with a computer degree earns at least $4000 per month)

$160 ring would be a lot to someone on a low wage setting out to make a life together....but it would be little more than loose change in Rodney's pocket, especially when you consider that he has spent a year in Atlantis with nothing to spend his money on. That's the perspective you need to have on this.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

I see your point and I know Rodney's economical situation is a lot different from mine.

But consider the possibility that maybe Katie's grandmother had a ring just like that and Rodney knew about it and wanted to give her something similar because he knew how important her grandmother was to her. Now, we know that's not the case, because if it was, he wouldn't have talked about the cost of the ring, but instead he would've been all bouncy over how he found the perfect ring for the girlfriend he loves so much. But that, to me, would have done more to convince me of his seriousness than if he'd bought her a huge diamond.

Am I making any sense at all?

[tarlanx]

Oh yes...and I agree with you. If it had been an heirloom or a ring specifically bought because he knew it was exactly what Katie would want to wear on her ring finger for the rest of her life - like the character in Independence Day giving his girlfriend and engagement/wedding ring shaped like a dolphin - then the cost of the ring would *never* be the issue; the same way your friends were content with plain silver bands. It simply wouldn't matter then if the ring was made of plastic and had come out of a Christmas cracker... but that was not the case here, and that's what made the difference.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

I'm glad we're on the same page there! Then do you also see my point, how it's not the fact that Rodney bought a cheap ring, but that he mentioned the cost at all that convinces me that he's not as serious about Katie as he thinks he is?

Even if he'd bragged about spending a huge amount of money, it would still have been all about the ring and not about Katie. Mentioning the cost at all just shows to me that in Rodney's mind it's the ring that matters and not Katie herself, which is not a very good place to be in when you're planning to get married ;-)

(Sorry if I'm beating the discussion to death... I have no life.)

[the-cephalopod.livejournal.com]

I've not watched the episode yet, so will be back once I have... In the meantime, I just wanted to say that your "Give Rodney a hug" challenge is a fab idea! But, eek - only a week?! Oh dear, *so* much to write!! :) cep xxx PS I think John (in my fic, this is) is going to you know what...!!

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

:-D Go John!

It doesn't have to be any epic hugs. Just a little squeeze so he knows he's loved...

But I get what you mean. I have far too many ideas for fic and far too little time. And I was just attacked by a TW-plot in which Jack dies a lot.

[wanted-a-pony.livejournal.com]

Can I just say something re: the ring? .... Is there some kind of secret female rule that says: 'You must not get engaged unless you get a diamond the size of your head'.?

No, thank you! All the so-called rules about "spending so much of your annual salary for rings" & so forth are complete balderdash, made up by diamond promoters & jewelry store chains. Those who pay attention to such stuff should extract their brains from their butts & notice that, since women haven't been considered chattel for some years now, they don't go to the highest bidder even if the bid is sparkly & set in precious metal.

That being said, I think the best rings or other tokens of bonding are chosen by all the (2 or more) people directly involved. If one or both want custom-designed jewelry with gems the size of plover's eggs set in platinum, more power to 'em! If they want matching or complementing tattoos, also fine. If one person is "surprising" another with a ring (a dubious idea in almost every case, IMO) he or she had better know the recipient well enough to get something sure to be acceptable.

Personally I dislike diamonds & prefer colored & patterned stones, so I wouldn't wear a diamond of any size or cut. My first wedding ring was a plain band of (legal) ivory. My second wedding ring was a band of interlocking celtic knotwork in rose gold. Both meant everything they were supposed to without putting me/us in huge debt, & I never heard a word of doubt from family, friends & co-workers--either time. ;-)

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

I agree completely! To me the most important thing is the engagement itself, not what the ring looks like. When my two best friends got engaged to each other, they chose very simple silver rings. Another couple I know got engaged with beertabs, and it didn't make their engagement any less real. They are now married and very happy together.

If my future husband/wife tried to woo me with gold and diamonds it would be a pretty clear sign that the person in question doesn't have a clue about who I am.

[orandream.livejournal.com]

Well said! (here from the challenge post and just read the entry out of interest when you said you had opinions.) I admit I kinda almost gave up on watching the episode, the humour just didn't work for me I'm afraid. Guess I'm an old stick in the mud. Thanks O. xx

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

There were things I liked very much (Sam/Radek and Ronon/Keller to take a few examples). And I have nothing against using Rodney for comic relief when it's actually funny, when he gets to be in on the joke. But the whole 'Let's watch McKay being really really miserable and laugh about it' thing is not funny, it's just cruel and pointless, and his team should know better.

[sparrowhawk17.livejournal.com]

Rodney so needed a hug at the end of this episode...of course John did as well...the way he looked when Rodney showed him the ring was made of so much sorrow. Can they go hug each other (and do other stuff as well)?

And I am completely with you there on the whole issue of the ring...I thought it was beautiful.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

There should be many many hugs in Rodney's future. And John's too, of course. Preferably naked hugging ;-)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

[I wandered in via the 'give Rodney a hug' post - amen to that. So, er, hi *waves*]

I hear you on the Rodney bashing front. I don't actually have a problem with episodes like 'Trinity' that remind Rodney that he's got to live with the rest of us. Without his 'shortcomings' he'd be utterly unbearable. I find it almost impossible to connect to Carter because she's just too good, too right all the time, too nice. I don't dislike her, I just find it hard to root for her. But Rodney? I can adore because, while being truly brilliant, he's also a complete dork who can't understand normal human interactions even when they're pointed out to him. And if he didn't slip up from time to time, he would be completely and utterly unlikeable.

BUT, having said that, the writers do seem to have been a little hard on him lately, especially in this episode. As a side note, I really wish the whole 'hypoglycaemia' thing would come up again, because if I'd been on my way to lunch, then got stuck in a room for a few hours without food, I'd have been pretty much climbing the walls and eyeing up whoever I was stuck with to see if there was good eating on them. *ahem* Where was I?

I've been trying to get this straight in my head for a while - how you can keep Rodney loveable without making him annoying or without walloping him, character-wise. It's not easy and I don't think the series always succeeds. Characters like him are tricky - it's such a fine line, and too easy to topple one way or the other.

Er. Hope you don't mind my rambling in your journal :) I have a tendency to do that to people...

Oh, BTW, I'm with you on the ring front. The important thing was that he thought Katie would like it. Who cares how much it cost? My husband got a really cheap ring to propose with, as a kind of 'holding ring', then we went and chose one together so that he knew I liked it. Maybe he was doing that? Or maybe he just really, really liked it. That should be enough.

[zinfic.livejournal.com]

Sorry I haven't answered before. I don't mind you rambling! I like ramblings!

What annoys me the most is that the show keeps making a joke out of Rodney's lack of people skills, when it's not really funny. It would be one thing if he wasn't aware of his flaws, but over the past three and a half years in Atlantis, Rodney has learned a lot about himself and his shortcomings. He knows he's not perfect. He really doesn't need his friends pointing it out to him at every available moment. I'm bad with people myself and I know it's not funny! If my friends treated me the way Rodney's friends treat him, I wouldn't stick my nose outside the door.

I mean, take Rod from McKay and Mrs. Miller. He was a great example of what Rodney would be like without his flaws, and he was completely insufferable. Everyone thought so! So why can't they accept their Rodney the way he is and stop mocking him all the time?