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SGA: An Essay on Keller
This wasn't meant to be quite so long, it kinda got away from me. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
xparrot and I have been spending a lot of far too much time discussing one of our growing frustrations with SGA: the character of Keller. Finally, enough was enough, and I realized I just had to get it all down on paper, to get it out of my system, if nothing else. And thus, this monstrosity was born:
A Question of Motivation
First off, I want to be clear: this isn't meant as character bashing. It's a question, a fundamental issue with the character that's been bothering me more and more.
Also important to establish right off the bat: I was never a particularly big Carson fan. I didn't dislike him, but he was in no way my favorite. I say this to make it clear that while yes, I was sorry to see him go, I wasn't heartbroken, and his loss didn't bias me against Keller. Just the reverse: when I first heard that Jewel Staite would be replacing him, I was ecstatic. I loved her in Firefly, enjoyed her portrayal of Kaylee-Wraith in "Instinct," and was enthusiastic to see what she would add to the Atlantis assemble. Sadly, while I continue to love the actress, I don't think the writers have delivered in terms of character.
That said, on to the question: What is Keller doing on Atlantis?
This is really a two-fold inquiry: Why did Atlantis/SGC/IOA bring her on board? and What was Keller's own motivation for going there? For all the other major (and many of the minor) characters, we can easily answer at least one of those two questions, and in many cases, both. But Keller?
I've seen several people cite her ordinariness and her lack of confidence as pluses. Something "normal", "believable" amidst a cast of "superheroes." In other shows, I might agree. But what place does "normal" have on Atlantis? As your Head of Medicine? At that young an age? In that prestigious, not to mention dangerous, a place? She better be damn special, better outshine them all. Because that's how you get and retain a position such as that. Atlantis is not a mundane place and neither are the people on it. Is Keller?
People argue that Keller is no worse off-world/in battle/outside of her standard duties, etc. than Carson or early Rodney. And I agree. She's no worse, but she's no better, either. And she *should* be. Why? No double standard, just a fundamental difference: Carson and Rodney both were on Atlantis from the beginning. That first year was different. They didn't even know if there would be other gates in Pegasus, or if they'd ever need to go off-world. Additionally, they were both *vital* to the mission. No one (except perhaps Carter, who couldn't be spared at the time) knew more about Ancient tech than Rodney, and Carson had the gene, the second strongest manifestation of it after John. Plus there was his research on the gene therapy. Weighed against these skills, their lack of experience in the field was moot.
Keller, on the other hand, joined the project late in the game. By the time she came, everyone knew what they were getting into. Medical personnel had been sent off-world multiple times, not to mention there were all the dangers on Atlantis itself. Back in "Intruder", when Carson is picking new staff, he's bemoaning the fact that all these people are more qualified than him, especially noting their physical prowess: "hobbies include judo, horseback riding and base-jumping". Totally reasonable. The SGC is looking to recruit civilians with varied skill sets, beyond their chosen field. People who will do well in *any* situation Pegasus can possibly throw at them. And Pegasus certainly pitches a lot of extreme ones. What are Keller's "extra" skills?
Then there's her age. Being SG, which is notoriously bad about giving characters' ages, we can't know for sure how old she is. In at least one case (David Hewlett) we know the character is meant to be the same age as the actor. If this holds true with Keller/Jewel, that puts her somewhere around twenty-six. *Maybe* they could bump that up to thirty, but even so, that's awfully young to be the head of anything, especially the Head of Medicine at an international, highly elite facility. Keller mentions skipping grades (which one would assume would be true of virtually everyone on Atlantis) but still, head positions are usually based not just on smarts, but *experience*. 'Quarantine' suggests she got her bachelor's at seventeen. Which means she might have gotten her MD by twenty, so she has six years' experience tops, including her internship. Every other position of authority on Atlantis has been filled by people in their mid-thirties or older.
Now, they might overlook Keller's lack of field experience/physical ability, not to mention her youth, if she had something else going for her. Something beyond 'competent doctor'. But so far we have never been given an example of any special skill, nothing that makes her "vital" or "unique" to the project. Yes, she's a good doctor, I'm not denying that. But there are a LOT of good doctors out there. What separates her from the crowd? Why did the SGC single her out? And not just for any position, but a position high in the command structure, later granting her Head Medical Officer of *Atlantis*?
Moving on to the second part of the question: Keller's own motivation.
When we first meet Keller, she's *begging* Elizabeth to find her a replacement, and Elizabeth denies her request. Leaving aside the question of *why* Elizabeth has faith in her , if Keller didn't want to be in charge, didn't feel she could handle it, why did she take the position? One that placed her one step away from being in command? In a place as dangerous and unpredictable as Atlantis, the odds that you're going to have to step up and replace your boss are *high*.
Personal ambition could explain it (like with Kavanagh, who is a much greater coward, but keeps returning regardless because his ego demands it. He believes, however misguided, that he's got the chops). But Keller wants *out* of command, eager to give it away. The very opposite of ambition.
Carson, beyond the needs of his gene, comes because of his research. He states in "Hide and Seek" that the ATA gene therapy couldn't be tested back on Earth, too many regulations. He's come to Pegasus to play mad scientist. But we haven't seen Keller really engage in research, beyond what she did in "Kindred" and "The Seed", which was borne not of personal interest but a desperate need to save Carson and the Athosians, and which was entirely based on Michael's and Carson's previous research.
Doctor Porter, in "Whispers", states she's interested in adventure, exploring, meeting strange new people. Considering Keller's reactions in "Missing" and "Trio", adventure and exploration are the furthest thing from her mind.
Conversely, she's been given several reasons to stay back on earth. Besides her seeming lack of love for danger/adventure/physical exertion, all things she should have expected to face on Atlantis, she mentions her father back in "Missing". She's "all he's got left." Why take a position as far from home as you can *ever*, in any realm of the imagination, get? One in which the odds of coming back from aren't so hot. You'd need some pretty hefty motivation to overcome that. We've never gotten even a hint.
She first tells Elizabeth she hopes the IOA will make a quick decision, she'd like to go back to being "a regular doctor." You can *never* be a regular doctor as the head of medicine on Atlantis. Circumstances won't allow it. What made her want to stay after the grand FUBAR that was "Adrift"/"Lifeline"? What made her want to go in the first place? She's certainly not military, she wasn't assigned there. Atlantis, canonically, has a very rigorous application process. Why struggle through it when you can be a regular doctor in the comfort and safety of your own galaxy?
The reason these questions matter so much to me, besides the obvious fan-urge of "I need to know," is that a character's goals, their motivations and passions, are how I form emotional attachments to them and thus to the show.
Teyla leaves her people for her people. She feels Atlantis is her people's best hope of salvation. She will do *anything* for them, and when she loses them? You can empathize, fully support her drive to find them, cheer when she's reunited, because they are her passion, her focus.
Ronon will keep fighting until "every Wraith in the galaxy is dead". When he's forced to work with them, when they get the better of him, you wince for him, you understand his anger and frustration, and you cheer when he turns the situation back around, kicks some Wraith ass, because you *know* how damn satisfied it's making him.
Rodney's passion, his life, his reason d'etre, is his science, his intelligence, his hope of a Nobel. Every brilliant break-through, every discovery, you know he's a bit closer to that goal. And when it fails him, when his smarts betray him (Trinity), it *hurts*, and the audience sighs/whimpers/writes copious amounts of tag fic.
John never really wanted to come to Atlantis in the first place, had to be talked into it, in face of resentment from his CEO. But he overcame that, made a home there, a family, people he will do *anything* for. His team, his 'family' is John's motivation. And every time he goes batshit crazy determined to help/save them, we cheer (or squee) over his loyalty, his dedication, his ability to protect what he loves.
Their traits, their passions and goals are defined and focused. A clear path for the characters to walk on, for the writers to build upon, for the fans to latch onto. What is Keller's drive, what is her character's destination? What are her obstacles and pitfalls along the way?
Her ambitions are murky and her flaws? Superfluous. Her lack of confidence, which comes and goes, could make for a character arc, except she never has to overcome it.
Professionally, she's told over and over she's doing a great job and never once has she had to face consequences for her fuck-ups. Using the nanites on Elizabeth was originally her idea, but Rodney takes all the heat for it. It's ironic that the decision Elizabeth so loathed started with the person she had such faith in, an irony that's never once touched upon. In "The Shrine", *Keller* blames herself for missing what happened to Rodney, and as his doctor, she's right. It's her fault she didn't diagnose it sooner. But no one else accuses her. On the contrary, they reassure her. Every other character on the show has had their actions questioned, doubted. Argued against. Forced to prove they're correct, or give in in the face of irrefutable fact. Most of them have had their jobs directly on the line, the IOA demanding justification.
In "The Shrine", there's disagreement, but they never outright state they think Keller's wrong, that she won't cure him. They imply it, considering their one want is the chance to say goodbye, meaning they've given up on her finding a cure, but they don't accuse her directly. When tensions run high, the characters often turn the professional personal. "Hot Zone" (John and Elizabeth), "Trinity" (John and Rodney, Teyla and Ronon), "Adrift" (John and Rodney). They get angry with each other. But in "The Shrine", no one gets angry at Keller for refusing them, just frustrated at the situation. Jeannie is the only one who can resist the Keller-love enough to directly point out her failing, that she's no closer to a solution.
Which brings us to her social "flaws". She tells Ronon it's "the story of my life", never fitting in. But she's been accepted into the inner circle of Atlantis faster and closer than any other character except Jeannie (and she's Rodney's family.) By "Doppelganger", only her third ep, Keller's already eating lunch all chummily with the team, in a way that we never saw even Carson or Elizabeth doing, let alone Zelenka, Lorne, Heightmeyer, etc. Ronon, who hasn't felt ready to be with anyone in nine years, starts expressing interest. Teyla's ready to open up to her about her personal life. Keller's feeling comfortable enough to tease Rodney about his hypochondria by "Tabula Rasa". Her interaction with Carson in "Kindred II" suggests a fairly close relationship with him before he died. She doesn't have to struggle with being accepted; they all love her and welcome her into the group immediately.
Comparatively, Sam, who already had personal connections with Rodney, never gets that close. It takes until "Kindred" for her to feel comfortable enough to invite Teyla to address her by her first name.
So much of Keller, her strengths and her weaknesses, her confidence and her competence, her social awkwardness and familiarity with the main cast, vary wildly from episode to episode. I believe most of this stems from the lack of direction. She has no clear problem to overcome, no obvious goal to strive for, no dream to fulfill, no passion to indulge in. Every writer, in every individual script, has to answer that question anew, instead of having it clearly before them. Here her purpose is as love interest, there it’s being a doctor. Here it suits the plot for her to be meek, there flirtatious is the key. It makes for screenwriter schizophrenia to the extreme, the cure for which, at least in part, would have been to answer, at the character's conception: What is she *doing* here, and why does she stay?
xparrot and I have been spending A Question of Motivation
First off, I want to be clear: this isn't meant as character bashing. It's a question, a fundamental issue with the character that's been bothering me more and more.
Also important to establish right off the bat: I was never a particularly big Carson fan. I didn't dislike him, but he was in no way my favorite. I say this to make it clear that while yes, I was sorry to see him go, I wasn't heartbroken, and his loss didn't bias me against Keller. Just the reverse: when I first heard that Jewel Staite would be replacing him, I was ecstatic. I loved her in Firefly, enjoyed her portrayal of Kaylee-Wraith in "Instinct," and was enthusiastic to see what she would add to the Atlantis assemble. Sadly, while I continue to love the actress, I don't think the writers have delivered in terms of character.
That said, on to the question: What is Keller doing on Atlantis?
This is really a two-fold inquiry: Why did Atlantis/SGC/IOA bring her on board? and What was Keller's own motivation for going there? For all the other major (and many of the minor) characters, we can easily answer at least one of those two questions, and in many cases, both. But Keller?
I've seen several people cite her ordinariness and her lack of confidence as pluses. Something "normal", "believable" amidst a cast of "superheroes." In other shows, I might agree. But what place does "normal" have on Atlantis? As your Head of Medicine? At that young an age? In that prestigious, not to mention dangerous, a place? She better be damn special, better outshine them all. Because that's how you get and retain a position such as that. Atlantis is not a mundane place and neither are the people on it. Is Keller?
People argue that Keller is no worse off-world/in battle/outside of her standard duties, etc. than Carson or early Rodney. And I agree. She's no worse, but she's no better, either. And she *should* be. Why? No double standard, just a fundamental difference: Carson and Rodney both were on Atlantis from the beginning. That first year was different. They didn't even know if there would be other gates in Pegasus, or if they'd ever need to go off-world. Additionally, they were both *vital* to the mission. No one (except perhaps Carter, who couldn't be spared at the time) knew more about Ancient tech than Rodney, and Carson had the gene, the second strongest manifestation of it after John. Plus there was his research on the gene therapy. Weighed against these skills, their lack of experience in the field was moot.
Keller, on the other hand, joined the project late in the game. By the time she came, everyone knew what they were getting into. Medical personnel had been sent off-world multiple times, not to mention there were all the dangers on Atlantis itself. Back in "Intruder", when Carson is picking new staff, he's bemoaning the fact that all these people are more qualified than him, especially noting their physical prowess: "hobbies include judo, horseback riding and base-jumping". Totally reasonable. The SGC is looking to recruit civilians with varied skill sets, beyond their chosen field. People who will do well in *any* situation Pegasus can possibly throw at them. And Pegasus certainly pitches a lot of extreme ones. What are Keller's "extra" skills?
Then there's her age. Being SG, which is notoriously bad about giving characters' ages, we can't know for sure how old she is. In at least one case (David Hewlett) we know the character is meant to be the same age as the actor. If this holds true with Keller/Jewel, that puts her somewhere around twenty-six. *Maybe* they could bump that up to thirty, but even so, that's awfully young to be the head of anything, especially the Head of Medicine at an international, highly elite facility. Keller mentions skipping grades (which one would assume would be true of virtually everyone on Atlantis) but still, head positions are usually based not just on smarts, but *experience*. 'Quarantine' suggests she got her bachelor's at seventeen. Which means she might have gotten her MD by twenty, so she has six years' experience tops, including her internship. Every other position of authority on Atlantis has been filled by people in their mid-thirties or older.
Now, they might overlook Keller's lack of field experience/physical ability, not to mention her youth, if she had something else going for her. Something beyond 'competent doctor'. But so far we have never been given an example of any special skill, nothing that makes her "vital" or "unique" to the project. Yes, she's a good doctor, I'm not denying that. But there are a LOT of good doctors out there. What separates her from the crowd? Why did the SGC single her out? And not just for any position, but a position high in the command structure, later granting her Head Medical Officer of *Atlantis*?
Moving on to the second part of the question: Keller's own motivation.
When we first meet Keller, she's *begging* Elizabeth to find her a replacement, and Elizabeth denies her request. Leaving aside the question of *why* Elizabeth has faith in her , if Keller didn't want to be in charge, didn't feel she could handle it, why did she take the position? One that placed her one step away from being in command? In a place as dangerous and unpredictable as Atlantis, the odds that you're going to have to step up and replace your boss are *high*.
Personal ambition could explain it (like with Kavanagh, who is a much greater coward, but keeps returning regardless because his ego demands it. He believes, however misguided, that he's got the chops). But Keller wants *out* of command, eager to give it away. The very opposite of ambition.
Carson, beyond the needs of his gene, comes because of his research. He states in "Hide and Seek" that the ATA gene therapy couldn't be tested back on Earth, too many regulations. He's come to Pegasus to play mad scientist. But we haven't seen Keller really engage in research, beyond what she did in "Kindred" and "The Seed", which was borne not of personal interest but a desperate need to save Carson and the Athosians, and which was entirely based on Michael's and Carson's previous research.
Doctor Porter, in "Whispers", states she's interested in adventure, exploring, meeting strange new people. Considering Keller's reactions in "Missing" and "Trio", adventure and exploration are the furthest thing from her mind.
Conversely, she's been given several reasons to stay back on earth. Besides her seeming lack of love for danger/adventure/physical exertion, all things she should have expected to face on Atlantis, she mentions her father back in "Missing". She's "all he's got left." Why take a position as far from home as you can *ever*, in any realm of the imagination, get? One in which the odds of coming back from aren't so hot. You'd need some pretty hefty motivation to overcome that. We've never gotten even a hint.
She first tells Elizabeth she hopes the IOA will make a quick decision, she'd like to go back to being "a regular doctor." You can *never* be a regular doctor as the head of medicine on Atlantis. Circumstances won't allow it. What made her want to stay after the grand FUBAR that was "Adrift"/"Lifeline"? What made her want to go in the first place? She's certainly not military, she wasn't assigned there. Atlantis, canonically, has a very rigorous application process. Why struggle through it when you can be a regular doctor in the comfort and safety of your own galaxy?
The reason these questions matter so much to me, besides the obvious fan-urge of "I need to know," is that a character's goals, their motivations and passions, are how I form emotional attachments to them and thus to the show.
Teyla leaves her people for her people. She feels Atlantis is her people's best hope of salvation. She will do *anything* for them, and when she loses them? You can empathize, fully support her drive to find them, cheer when she's reunited, because they are her passion, her focus.
Ronon will keep fighting until "every Wraith in the galaxy is dead". When he's forced to work with them, when they get the better of him, you wince for him, you understand his anger and frustration, and you cheer when he turns the situation back around, kicks some Wraith ass, because you *know* how damn satisfied it's making him.
Rodney's passion, his life, his reason d'etre, is his science, his intelligence, his hope of a Nobel. Every brilliant break-through, every discovery, you know he's a bit closer to that goal. And when it fails him, when his smarts betray him (Trinity), it *hurts*, and the audience sighs/whimpers/writes copious amounts of tag fic.
John never really wanted to come to Atlantis in the first place, had to be talked into it, in face of resentment from his CEO. But he overcame that, made a home there, a family, people he will do *anything* for. His team, his 'family' is John's motivation. And every time he goes batshit crazy determined to help/save them, we cheer (or squee) over his loyalty, his dedication, his ability to protect what he loves.
Their traits, their passions and goals are defined and focused. A clear path for the characters to walk on, for the writers to build upon, for the fans to latch onto. What is Keller's drive, what is her character's destination? What are her obstacles and pitfalls along the way?
Her ambitions are murky and her flaws? Superfluous. Her lack of confidence, which comes and goes, could make for a character arc, except she never has to overcome it.
Professionally, she's told over and over she's doing a great job and never once has she had to face consequences for her fuck-ups. Using the nanites on Elizabeth was originally her idea, but Rodney takes all the heat for it. It's ironic that the decision Elizabeth so loathed started with the person she had such faith in, an irony that's never once touched upon. In "The Shrine", *Keller* blames herself for missing what happened to Rodney, and as his doctor, she's right. It's her fault she didn't diagnose it sooner. But no one else accuses her. On the contrary, they reassure her. Every other character on the show has had their actions questioned, doubted. Argued against. Forced to prove they're correct, or give in in the face of irrefutable fact. Most of them have had their jobs directly on the line, the IOA demanding justification.
In "The Shrine", there's disagreement, but they never outright state they think Keller's wrong, that she won't cure him. They imply it, considering their one want is the chance to say goodbye, meaning they've given up on her finding a cure, but they don't accuse her directly. When tensions run high, the characters often turn the professional personal. "Hot Zone" (John and Elizabeth), "Trinity" (John and Rodney, Teyla and Ronon), "Adrift" (John and Rodney). They get angry with each other. But in "The Shrine", no one gets angry at Keller for refusing them, just frustrated at the situation. Jeannie is the only one who can resist the Keller-love enough to directly point out her failing, that she's no closer to a solution.
Which brings us to her social "flaws". She tells Ronon it's "the story of my life", never fitting in. But she's been accepted into the inner circle of Atlantis faster and closer than any other character except Jeannie (and she's Rodney's family.) By "Doppelganger", only her third ep, Keller's already eating lunch all chummily with the team, in a way that we never saw even Carson or Elizabeth doing, let alone Zelenka, Lorne, Heightmeyer, etc. Ronon, who hasn't felt ready to be with anyone in nine years, starts expressing interest. Teyla's ready to open up to her about her personal life. Keller's feeling comfortable enough to tease Rodney about his hypochondria by "Tabula Rasa". Her interaction with Carson in "Kindred II" suggests a fairly close relationship with him before he died. She doesn't have to struggle with being accepted; they all love her and welcome her into the group immediately.
Comparatively, Sam, who already had personal connections with Rodney, never gets that close. It takes until "Kindred" for her to feel comfortable enough to invite Teyla to address her by her first name.
So much of Keller, her strengths and her weaknesses, her confidence and her competence, her social awkwardness and familiarity with the main cast, vary wildly from episode to episode. I believe most of this stems from the lack of direction. She has no clear problem to overcome, no obvious goal to strive for, no dream to fulfill, no passion to indulge in. Every writer, in every individual script, has to answer that question anew, instead of having it clearly before them. Here her purpose is as love interest, there it’s being a doctor. Here it suits the plot for her to be meek, there flirtatious is the key. It makes for screenwriter schizophrenia to the extreme, the cure for which, at least in part, would have been to answer, at the character's conception: What is she *doing* here, and why does she stay?
Re: second part
Also, huge load of assumptions about whether she is experienced or not. You're basing that purely on her *age*, whereas, based on her skill set (namely, being capable of performing brain surgery), she's more than experienced. You don't graduate from medical school and suddenly becoming a qualified neurosurgeon. My brother is one, and it took him close to 15 years to get to the point where he could perform that sort of surgery on his own. She is the head surgeon, as clearly demonstrated by the first episode. You just cannot assume, based on her appearance, that she's not experienced enough when her skill set clearly demonstrates that she is. That's a discriminatory attitude.
Re: second part
I'm basing it on her age, and that she's never once mentioned working at any other hospital or facility, much less in the senior position. And yes, in this case, I'm applying a double standard to her vs Carson - because Jewel Staite is over ten years younger than Paul McGillion.
I try to explain myself here, but I'm not sure I'm managing it clearly...it's in my head but I'm having trouble wording it.
You don't graduate from medical school and suddenly becoming a qualified neurosurgeon. My brother is one, and it took him close to 15 years to get to the point where he could perform that sort of surgery on his own.
This is exactly my point. From Keller's apparent age and from the medical experience Keller has mentioned (none) - Keller has gotten as good as she has purely by natural surgical talent - and they let her head up Atlantis medicine based entirely on belief in that talent, not that she'd proved herself in another setting. The problem I have with "Adrift" is that, based on what she had said to Elizabeth and how Elizabeth responds, I had the impression it was the first time Keller had ever managed such a triage situation.
Keller performed admirably in "Adrift", I'm not denying that. But why would an untested doctor be put in the position that she had to manage triage for the first time, without supervision, on Atlantis? Why are there no more experienced doctors around?
You mentioned your brother - how long was it before he was allowed into a position of authority? Even if he had the ability, didn't he have to prove himself, working under other senior doctors?
Even Rodney McKay had put in years of working at the SGC before they gave him his position on Atlantis. We aren't ever given Carson's history - but he is definitely old enough to have gathered a fair bit of experience; he's not unusually young for his position. Keller is, but it's never addressed.
I can think of a few other unusually young but highly skilled doctors in scifi - Simon Tam, Julian Bashir. In both cases, a big deal was made about the fact that they were extraordinarily gifted, as well as extraordinarily ambitious. And people still questioned their ability to handle the responsibility (hey, if I was going under the knife and my doctor was 26, I'd be a bit hesitant!) Keller went to school early, and she is a good doctor (I'm not denying that) but it's never implied she's amazingly brilliant (I'm talking dozens of papers published, rock-star status) and she's not that ambitious, seeing as she didn't want the position to begin with.
And I find it insulting to real doctors, who must put in, as you say, years of experience to become as good as they are, that Keller managed to make it to head of medicine on Atlantis at her tender age, without anyone ever questioning her ability (save her herself), without having to try extra special damn hard, proving herself every step of the way.
(To clarify - I don't think it's Keller who's being insulting - it's the writing of her. The writers could have provided some reason for why Elizabeth trusted her - or else just said she was 35 and happens to look really young for her age! But they mention her inexperience and handwave over how she overcomes it, and that's what's bothering me.)
Re: second part
And that's exactly my point. You're assuming she doesn't have that experience based only on the fact that she looks young and she doesn't talk about where she gets her experience from. I don't mean to pick, but that's absoluately ridiculous. Of *course* she has that experience. Surgical talent isn't something you're naturally gifted at; there is *no such thing* as being naturally gifted at surgery. That's about as realistic a statement as saying you can cure someone with pixie dust. Surgery, especially neurosurgery, is something you have to be trained to do. You don't get given a saw and told, "hey, you look like you have a steady hand, go ahead and cut into that patient's brain, will you?" That argument makes absolutely no sense.
She HAS to have that experience. There's no "maybe" in that statement. She has it because she does it. Elizabeth made her chief of medicine; she didn't tell her she could now do neurosurgery. If she didn't have that experience, she wouldn't be cutting into Elizabeth's brain in that episode--she would have delegated that responsibility to someone else. You have to accept that, practically, she has all the experience to pull off that kind of surgery. If she didn't, she COULD NOT DO IT.
As for why make her chief? Because, as Elizabeth says, everyone in the infirmary looks up to her. They respect her to lead. And that is ALL YOU NEED. If her staff didn't respect her, if the nurses and doctors said she couldn't handle the position, they would have said so. Instead, Elizabeth clearly states that they think Keller is doing a great job (which directly counters you're statement that the writers didn't give us a reason why Elizabeth trusts her. THAT'S why she trusts her). The only one who isn't sure is Keller herself. You can not take Keller's own personal self-doubt expressed in a private moment with a friend and make that the end all be all of whether she can handle the position. Demonstrably, she handles the position brilliantly.
And speaking of brilliant, that's another assumption. You said the show hasn't implied that she is brilliant. First off, being on Atlantis? HUGE implication. They're not shipping mediocre people to this base. Second? RODNEY in Adrift calls her brilliant. Has he ever said that about anyone other than Carter? No. He doesn't say that lightly, and he called her brilliant. I'm not sure you can get a greater implication of her level of intelligence than that.
And it is not insulting to real doctors, any more than in any other profession, to have someone younger put in charge, ESPECIALLY, since that role requires more than just a medical or clinical background. That role requires being able to lead and administer, and most scientists (in fact, all scientists I have ever met) hate the idea. But it always goes back to the crux--the Jennifer runs that infirmary extremely well and her people respect her. That's all you need to know to determine how good a chief of medicine she is.
(By the by, I don't know why this argument is getting my blood boiling, but I hope you're having fun with it, since that's why I keep responding...I'm really getting a kick out of this, and I hope you and gnine aren't taking it personally. I sort of love arguing.)
Re: second part
This is totally true. But I think I'm justified in asking how she got that experience.
This isn't just in the show; it's a double standard that exists in real life. If I were about to get complicated brain surgery, and Dr. Carson Beckett walks in, I'd be, 'Great to meet you, nice blue eyes, oh, are you Scottish?'
If Dr. Jennifer Keller walked in - I would raise an eyebrow, and find a polite way to ask if she was really the senior doctor, and if so, was this her first surgery or what? Because 26 year old neurosurgeons are very unusual. I'd need to know why I should trust her.
I see a fundamental problem with Keller's basic character concept. She has two possible stories, and they're both flawed.
Either she's a decent doctor who got through med-school a few years early, and in her residency somehow stumbled onto Atlantis and into the position of head of medicine without any real experience, and turned out, luckily, to be amazingly good at medicine and administration.
In which case I cry bad writing, because it would be criminally irresponsible to put an untried doctor in charge of Atlantis. Yes, she's working out now. But why did she get the job to begin with? Why does the staff think she's doing a great job before they've ever been tested in a crisis? I've never worked at a hospital, but I have worked in academic environments, and when a new director comes in, people are usually suspicious, especially if that person's an unproven quantity. Did Keller buy everyone off with chocolate or what?
(Honestly, have you ever heard of a 26 year old doctor heading up a hospital, or a department? From my understanding, most 26 year olds are still in med school!)
Or, Keller has another story: that she was an incredibly gifted prodigy who aced med school, then whipped through her internship and residency and trained intensively in neurosurgery and a variety of other disciplines (pediatrics? she seems to like kids) with what had to be obsessive devotion, to accrue the experience you're saying she must have in only a few years.
In which case I cry bad writing, because that's an interesting story that they have never mentioned. Why was she so driven? Why does she act so nervous and diffident when she must have spent her life standing up to people older than her, convincing them that she could do it despite her age? Why, when Elizabeth was reassuring her that she could do it, did Elizabeth not say, "After all, you were the youngest doctor ever to pass the Johns Hopkins program" (or whatever)? Heck, why does Keller ever need reassurance - how could she possibly make it that far, that young, without buttloads of self-confidence? Also, I've heard Keller called "ordinary," but by this story, she is anything but - she is absolutely extraordinary. So why does she call herself a "regular doctor" and why doesn't Elizabeth refute that?
I'm holding Keller to a different standard than Carson because Carson is not that unusual a pick for a hospital director. He's on the young side, but he's not strikingly so. Keller is very, unusually young for her position, but the show's never explained why, and not a single character has ever questioned her suitability. There's no other character on the show that I can think of that, at first glance, I wonder how they possibly got their job. Except Keller. And I maintain it's bad writing that the writers have never bothered to address this question.
(Or else they could just have her mention off-hand that she's a very, very young-looking 35, though she really doesn't act it...at least it would shut my questions up!)
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Though if you're feeling pressured, or if it's going to spoil your enjoyment of the show, or if I'm pissing you off - *please* say something! Friendshipper & I had to back off because it was getting to be too much for both of us.
...you're a lawyer in RL though, no? Or something of the sort? because in my experience the only one who enjoys a debate more than a lawyer is a philosopher...!
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But you could never piss me off! I'm far more worried about pissing off you and gnine, for arguing so much! I promise, this is my last post!
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I think part of the problem is that I have known some quite young people in positions of authority - but they always tend to be unusually ambitious, strong-willed, certain personalities, who never back down. ...Such as here, in which you don't seem to need any reassurances whatsoever; you are very confident arguing your case! *g* That's why I can't reconcile Keller's attitude with her position. She doesn't just express an occasional moment of doubt - she is always needing reassurances, always saying, "I can't," "I'm not good at this," "It's my fault." If she had these thoughts in her head, that would be one thing. But she is always sharing them with her colleagues (who are also her patients, if not always at the same time).
I had the impression that med school is rigorous enough that people who don't have quite a lot of confidence - or don't find some - don't make it, even if they're wicked smart. So how Keller slipped through the cracks puzzles me.
What is your take on the character? You've written her before - how did she get through med school, in your fanon? Or do you see her as very confident in medicine, and prefer to just ignore those moments of doubt? (--er, I swear I'm not being facetious here; a lot of liking a character is in ignoring what doesn't fit your mental image. I definitely drop certain things about Rodney - "my" Rodney is a bit more uniquely vital to the project than maybe he really is. I'm just wondering what "your" Keller's story is...)
Ack! Okay, shutting up now! Really! ^^;
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Did they all accept you unquestioning when you took the position?
As far as I know, yes. No one has ever said anything, and they all come to me with their issues. The deceptive thing about my age is my background. While I'm young, I went to pretty famous schools and then worked at a place where I earned a lot of experience in a short amount of time (four years, about). It burned me out completely and killed any social life I had (as my friends will attest), but it put me years ahead in my profession as a result. I've no doubts that I know what I'm doing. But as to whether they accepted me? As far I know, yes, because no one has griped to my face, or complained to the higher ups, and lawyers are nothing if not outspoken people.
Has anyone ever questioned your qualifications or lack of experience? No. Which is interesting, because none of them know really what my qualifications are except, of course, the people who hired me. I've never told anyone where I went to school, for example.
And do you spend a lot of time talking to them and your friends about how you don't think you can do something, and have them reassure you that you can?
To the people who work for me? Lord no. Nor my clients. To my friends? All the time. And also to my family, and to my bosses. Just a few weeks ago I was in the dumps, trying to determine if I was doing a good job or not, talking it out with one of my best friends, who, yes, gave me reassurances just like Elizabeth gave Keller. I'm always wondering if I'm doing a good job, and I do talk to my boss about concerns I have, about whether anyone is unhappy or if they see any problems. I think it's necessary. If you have no doubts, to my mind, then you ARE doing something wrong. Because we can always improve how we do a job. I don't know everything about every kind of law that I work with, which is why I rely on the people I work with for help, and that's something everyone does. In every profession. You're not expected to know everything--you're expected to be a good leader who can find out the answers to things and, most times, that means relying on the people who work for you to be that resource.
And, see, this is where I find your comments strange. I've never heard Keller say "I can't" in a way that suggests she's doubting her abilities as a doctor or her ability to lead, which is the key here. And she has *never* expressed that doubt in front of her colleagues (whom, by the way, would be the doctors and nursing staff in her infirmary, not the senior staff of the expedition). She also doesn't show her doubts in front of her "clients", who would be her patients. Take the Shrine--while she showed doubts in front of John, she was absolutely confident in front of Rodney, saying, unequivocally, "I can do it." I also don't see all those instances of "I'm not good at this". I don't think I've ever heard her say that, or express it. When she's in doctor mode, she's completely confident. As for "it's my fault?" Not sure I've seen that either. She expresses that about other things, like her inability to keep up with Teyla in Missing or climbing up beams in Trio, but never about her skills as a doctor, and, to me, that's key. Show me an instance where she has doubted her skills (and I don't mean, showing doubt at being able to, say, synthesize a drug in time to cure the people in Tabula Rasa, or that sort of thing. That's a time issue, not a doubt of her ability). The closest I can come is doubting the efficacy of drilling into Rodney's brain in the Shrine, and that was basic medical facts 101. She was just expressing what any doctor would have expressed in that situation--letting the family know the potential results of the activity. Doctors always tell you the chances of the patient, provide the worst case scenarios. It's what they do.
I have to answer the rest in a separate post...
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Long answer to your post. Sorry!
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(I also wish Keller were funnier. I like Rodny's pessimism because his babbling panic attacks make me laugh. Keller's uncertainty is played for sympathy - rather than smacking her upside the head, the other characters jump to reassure her. Ironically, this makes me less sympathetic to her. But SGA never has been able to give women good humor (the few times they let Torri Higginson be as funny as she can be were my favorite moments with Elizabeth; the couple times I've warmed to Keller were when she's gotten funny lines.) So I can't really blame Keller for that, though I do blame the writers. Jewel Staite can do comedy - let her do it!)
Oh well. I wish I liked the char, I don't. I wish I could see the char you see!
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I'll make one comment:
She also doesn't show her doubts in front of her "clients", who would be her patients.
Yeah, but Keller's friends & bosses are also her patients. She tells Elizabeth to find someone better, and then Elizabeth is under Keller's knife the next day. So her expressing doubts to the rest of the crew is a bit iffy, even though she's got no one else to lean on. I know I personally wouldn't want to be operated on by a doctor who had just told me she thought there were better people for the job than her...
("It's my fault" was to Jeannie at the beginning of "The Shrine," and John immediately contradicted her. I do wish just once, just one character would question Keller when she doubts herself, rather than always cheer her on...)
--okay, I'm stopping now. To be honest, I was thinking over all the crazy meta I've been doing on this, and I don't really know if my problems with Keller's story are the reason I have trouble with the character, or if it's because I don't like the character, so am searching for reasons. It's a bit of both, I suspect. I do believe there are definite problems in Keller's basic character concept, more than the other characters, but they probably wouldn't bother me so if I weren't annoyed with her already. But that's just personal taste; Keller's character isn't one that would especially appeal to me under most circumstances anyway, and that they're using her for romance (rather than exploring, say, her friendship with Teyla) was the final nail for me. There's probably no way they can make me like her now without changing her concept pretty completely, so I'm just going to have to do my best to ignore her for the eps we have left!
Err, and sorry if we harshed on your squee; we never meant to do that...I am kind of jealous of those of you who do like Keller. I wish I could; it would make this final season more fun...
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I think it's because I'm approaching her from a fic perspective - I keep trying to get into her head, and I cannot figure her out well enough to do so. If she were more self-confident, I could understand how she made it this far so young. Or if she were older, I could believe that thanks to her ability she gradually rose through the ranks of medicine, accruing experience over time. But I cannot reconcile her youth with her experience. The reason I am so desperate for answers is that I have failed to invent any backstory for her that makes sense to me with what we've been given - so I am absolutely desperate for the writers to give us one.
...I know this isn't going to help my argument any, because obviously this backstory is evident to many of you, since you don't see any contradiction and her story seems clear to you. But I honestly can't see it!
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Ultimately, I think...somewhere else in these comments...heh...it was pointed out that our perspectives color our opinions, and, thus, it causes us to all read between the lines differently regarding the characters. Sort of like me rarely ever seeing the slash moments that other folks see all the time. If someone points me to it, I can generally reconnect my brain to think that way, but most of the time I just don't see it--I don't even think it--partly because I've always perceived, say, Rodney and John's relationship as siblings (so putting them together is squicky for me, like incest). But a huge, huge part of the fandom sees slash in almost every scene they're together. So, much in the same way I can't understand why you can't see Keller as clearly as I do, I'm betting folks who write slash can't understand why I don't see slash on the screen they way they do.
I don't know if that's a good analogy, but it's the closest I can come up with.
Anyway, point is...I get your point. *bg* After all, no one watches the show the same way, right?