Actually, I disagree. I've always felt there are two categories of Mary Sue. There's the babealicious variety, who can do ANYTHING, no flaw, one hundred percent perfect. I'll grant you, Teyla comes close. With one except. I'll get to that.
And then there's the weaker, "sad girl in snow", I have tragedy, I'm not perfect variety. They often need to be helped, rescued etc. They supposedly have "flaws", even sometimes dark ones An example, Lana Lang of Smallville. A LOT of people call her one of the ultimate Mary Sues. She gets in trouble all the time, but she's not perfect at everything, ( though she can still whip out an amazing skill set at the drop of a hat. She loses such skills just as quickly when they're no longer needed/inconvenience the plot of her needing help.) She has a dark side, even: betrays people, lies, steals. Has commitment issues. Still a Mary Sue. And here's why:
The defining feature for both types? They're ALWAYS forgiven, no matter what they do, no one blames them. It's all love, all the time. For no explainable reason.
Never once has Keller been questioned. "The Shrine", they disagree with her. They sure are implying they don't have faith in her, thinking good-bye is the only thing they have left to do. But not one of them, except Jeannie, comes right out and says: "we don't think you can do it". They never even ask why she really thinks she can do it. Nor press her for details on how she can do it.
Even non-medicine related stuff, still no skepticism, no lack of faith. Teyla, in "Missing" doesn't ask if she can do it, doesn't *doubt* she can do it. Just tells Keller you're stronger than you know. You WILL do it, of course you can do it. Her lack of experience almost gets them killed, but there's no recrimination. Teyla gets a bit impatient. But only because Keller isn't believing strongly enough in herself. Keller doesn't love and believe in herself as much as they do. That's her "flaw".
It's Keller's idea to activate Elizabeth's nanites. At the time, brilliant. But Elizabeth herself abhorrers the idea and it ends in disaster. NO ONE BLAMES KELLER. Time and again, Rodney's guilt over it is brought up, and how much he blames himself. As late as "Ghost in the Machine" Elizabeth is saying "You know how much I thought this was a bad idea when you (staring straight at Rodney) reactivated my nanites." We never see Keller guilt over it and we never see anyone else blame her.
No one ever once even hints she's not as good as Carson. Though Carson was their friend, though they knew Carson for years. It's natural human instinct to question someone who's taken the place of another, to compare people. Ronon does it to Carter "Elizabeth never would have doubted me". The IOA itself questions Carter, their GOLDEN GIRL, the big hero of the Milky Way. Still they come to check up on her. Keller, who we're told is only going to be temporary, whom Elizabeth says the IOA are trying to make a decision on, never, once is questioned.
Elizabeth's, then Carter's, then Woolsey's job, Head of Atlantis, is very prestigious. Practically every season there's questions of who will fill it, political maneuvering, etc. Carter even says to John that he was up for the position. John's fine she got it, but she seems concerned that their are no hard feelings. Rodney clearly wanted the position, didn't get it. Only the very, very VERY best got it. Woolsey takes over after that. Is he the very best? Questionable. Is he highly positioned in the IOA, seemingly their lap dog, and his placement granting what, at least the IOA perceives, is direct authority over Atlantis? Yes. Political maneuvering, oh you betcha.
But the Head of Medicine, another key position on Atlantis, you're going to tell me a junior doctor, who didn't particularly want the position, isn't gonna raise some eyebrows? Isn't gonna create some resentment? There are no ambitions Doctors, in any country in the world, that the IOA doesn't owe favors to?
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And then there's the weaker, "sad girl in snow", I have tragedy, I'm not perfect variety. They often need to be helped, rescued etc. They supposedly have "flaws", even sometimes dark ones An example, Lana Lang of Smallville. A LOT of people call her one of the ultimate Mary Sues. She gets in trouble all the time, but she's not perfect at everything, ( though she can still whip out an amazing skill set at the drop of a hat. She loses such skills just as quickly when they're no longer needed/inconvenience the plot of her needing help.) She has a dark side, even: betrays people, lies, steals. Has commitment issues. Still a Mary Sue. And here's why:
The defining feature for both types? They're ALWAYS forgiven, no matter what they do, no one blames them. It's all love, all the time. For no explainable reason.
Never once has Keller been questioned. "The Shrine", they disagree with her. They sure are implying they don't have faith in her, thinking good-bye is the only thing they have left to do. But not one of them, except Jeannie, comes right out and says: "we don't think you can do it". They never even ask why she really thinks she can do it. Nor press her for details on how she can do it.
Even non-medicine related stuff, still no skepticism, no lack of faith. Teyla, in "Missing" doesn't ask if she can do it, doesn't *doubt* she can do it. Just tells Keller you're stronger than you know. You WILL do it, of course you can do it. Her lack of experience almost gets them killed, but there's no recrimination. Teyla gets a bit impatient. But only because Keller isn't believing strongly enough in herself. Keller doesn't love and believe in herself as much as they do. That's her "flaw".
It's Keller's idea to activate Elizabeth's nanites. At the time, brilliant. But Elizabeth herself abhorrers the idea and it ends in disaster. NO ONE BLAMES KELLER. Time and again, Rodney's guilt over it is brought up, and how much he blames himself. As late as "Ghost in the Machine" Elizabeth is saying "You know how much I thought this was a bad idea when you (staring straight at Rodney) reactivated my nanites." We never see Keller guilt over it and we never see anyone else blame her.
No one ever once even hints she's not as good as Carson. Though Carson was their friend, though they knew Carson for years. It's natural human instinct to question someone who's taken the place of another, to compare people. Ronon does it to Carter "Elizabeth never would have doubted me". The IOA itself questions Carter, their GOLDEN GIRL, the big hero of the Milky Way. Still they come to check up on her. Keller, who we're told is only going to be temporary, whom Elizabeth says the IOA are trying to make a decision on, never, once is questioned.
Elizabeth's, then Carter's, then Woolsey's job, Head of Atlantis, is very prestigious. Practically every season there's questions of who will fill it, political maneuvering, etc. Carter even says to John that he was up for the position. John's fine she got it, but she seems concerned that their are no hard feelings. Rodney clearly wanted the position, didn't get it. Only the very, very VERY best got it. Woolsey takes over after that. Is he the very best? Questionable. Is he highly positioned in the IOA, seemingly their lap dog, and his placement granting what, at least the IOA perceives, is direct authority over Atlantis? Yes. Political maneuvering, oh you betcha.
But the Head of Medicine, another key position on Atlantis, you're going to tell me a junior doctor, who didn't particularly want the position, isn't gonna raise some eyebrows? Isn't gonna create some resentment? There are no ambitions Doctors, in any country in the world, that the IOA doesn't owe favors to?
(Continued in post two...)