McKay and Sheppard: The Genius and the Flyboy
For one of the current challenges at stargateland, we have to create a manifesto for our favourite Stargate pairing. I, of course, chose McKay and Sheppard. It's possible that I got a little carried away. This post is long. And heavy on pictures.
McKay and Sheppard: The Genius and the Flyboy
I think Stargate Atlantis could quite easily be named "The John and Rodney Show". I personally watch the show with slash goggles firmly in place, and could list at least a dozen scenes where I think the boys were only moments from jumping each other, but I don't think you need to see the slash to appreciate the relationship between those two characters.
(And seriously, even John and Rodney wear slash goggles, so can you really blame me!? I just love that everyone else is wearing clear glasses, and John and Rodney have their matching yellow ones! Also, if you follow Rodney's line of sight, it looks to me like he's checking out John in that thigh holster. But who could blame him?!)
Anyway, just in case someone has stumbled upon my journal without any knowledge of these characters, I'll start with a warning: escape while you can! an introduction:
Meet Rodney McKay:
He's the Head of Science. He's petty, arrogant, and bad with people, but he's also a genius, and is deceptively brave. He's Canadian, and looks good in a thigh holster.
And this is John Sheppard:
He's military. He likes Ferris wheels, college football, and anything that goes more than 200 miles an hour. He's exceedingly heroic, and is prone to suicide missions. He also has a very geeky and dorky side, and looks great in a thigh holster.
They may seem like an unlikely pair, but they quickly became close friends, and I just loved watching their relationship grow. Let's go right back to the beginning:
In the very first episode, Rodney discovered that John is not just a pretty flyboy; he can also do maths in his head. Rodney was intrigued. Very intrigued.
McKay: Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided there are still hundreds of permutations.
Sheppard: Seven hundred and twenty.
McKay: Yes. I knew that of course. I'm just surprised you did.
Before long they were playing like little boys long friends, finishing each other’s sentences:
Sheppard: “As far as your little secret down here goes…well umm...”
McKay: “We say what giant underground bunker.”
And copying each other's poses.
They also liked to stand in each other's personal space.
A lot.
Sometimes they bickered like an old married couple:
Sheppard: Don't let go of the controls!
McKay: Snapping doesn't help!
Sheppard: This is why parents get someone else to teach their kids how to drive.
McKay: I'm both insulted and touched by that.
And when one of them was in mortal danger, the other one looked absolutely crushed.
This picture of Rodney (when he thinks John has died in The Siege Part 2) breaks my heart.
But they survived! And in season 2 they continued to stand unnecessarily close to each other,
continued to copy each other’s poses,
and continued to finish each other’s sentences. Especially when they were convincing mum to let them play Weir to let them go on a mission:
Sheppard: Even if these men are highly trained and armed to the teeth ...
McKay: ... which most probably they are not ...
Sheppard: ... they're no match for our guys.
Weir: A raid?
Sheppard: Oh, yes, a raid! If this is their main base of operations, I'm willing to bet the ZPM is there.
Weir: And, what, just steal it?
McKay: Well, the Brotherhood stole it from us, Ladon stole it from the Brotherhood - it's not really stealing, it's, um ...
Sheppard: ... recovery! Look, we tell Ladon we're ready to do business; he needs to send a dozen guys here to carry back supplies ...
McKay: ... along with the ZedPM.
Sheppard: He won't do that but, sure, we can ask. When they get here, we detain them, leaving eight men in the building for two small strike teams to deal with.
Weir: OK. It's worth the risk. Go get us a ZPM!
Season 2 also brought us Trinity - the one where Rodney looked absolutely devastated to have lost John's trust, and then so relieved and happy to discover that he could earn it back:
McKay: Oh, Colonel! Colonel! I've been looking all over for you.
Sheppard: I heard. (He turns to face Rodney and folds his arms.)
McKay: I suppose I deserve that. Look, I just, um, I wanted to apologise about what happened. I was wrong -- I'm sorry. And I wanted to assure you that, uh, I intend not being right again -- about everything, effective immediately. (John smiles slightly but keeps his arms folded.) That was a joke.
Sheppard: Good one. (He turns and walks into a transporter room. Rodney walks forward to stop him from leaving. John turns to face him again.)
McKay: I've already apologised to Elizabeth ... and Radek ... and I thanked Colonel Caldwell for, uh, caring enough to spy on the experiment from orbit. I sent him a nice little email, actually. But I saved you 'til last 'cause, um, honestly, I would ... I would hate to think that recent events might have permanently dimmed your faith in my abilities, or your trust. At the very least, I hope I can earn that back.
Sheppard: That may take a while.
(Rodney's face falls.)
McKay: I see.
Sheppard: But, I'm sure you can do it, if you really wanna try. (He steps inside the transporter room and presses the panel on the rear wall. As the doors close, he smiles at Rodney. Rodney smiles back, then sighs in relief.)
And it brought us one of the most impressive displays of jealousy cockblocking in two galaxies. Here's John rolling his eyes at Rodney ...
And then he quickly moves in.
In season 3, they were usually found right next to each other.
John was often in Rodney's lab,
usually hovering right by his side,
with one of those ridiculously adorable expressions on his face.
Sometimes Rodney was found in John's room. (And I don't want to get all psychologisty, but John is playing with his golf club. I'm sure Freud would have a thing or two to say about that.)
But John made sure to point out that he only loved Rodney "in a way a friend feels about another friend".
I loved the scene in McKay and Mrs Miller, where John showed Jeannie the tape that Rodney recorded for his sister. This shows us that (a) John really cares about Rodney, and (b) John had a copy of that tape on his personal laptop. (Sure, it's possible that he picked it up from storage or something, but in my version of canon, it was already there on his laptop)
Unfortunately, the boys were made to return to Earth and spend some time apart, but they talked on the phone regularly at least once.
(John is looking at his phone like it's a toy that's been taken away from him or something. He looks so sad and confused)
Luckily they returned to Atlantis, where they faced danger literally shoulder-to-shoulder (or elbow-to-elbow!)
But still found time for fun things, like whale watching,
computer games (I must point out that John seems to be wearing his best jeans with a tight black top, and Rodney is wearing a shirt that brings out the blue in his eyes. I'll leave you to make your own conclusions about that),
and whatever it is that John is dragging Rodney away for!
Then, TPTB were kind enough to give us season 4, which brought so many amazing McShep moments.
Sure, there were some arguments,
and life-or-death situations,
but the boys were usually side-by-side,
looking at each other
with affection.
They continued the habit of saving each other’s lives, and even entered each other’s nightmares.
John was so unwilling to see his friend die that he talked a man into killing himself. He talked a man into killing himself. Because he couldn't live without Rodney. Just take a moment to stare into John's eyes, and see the depth of emotion there.
And then there was the scene where Rodney showed John the engagement ring he planned to give Katie, and John looked so... sad. He looks like he could cry in that picture.
But Rodney spent most of season 4 trying to copy John's hair an entire lifetime trying to save John's life, so I'm pretty sure the love was mutual.
I've now been writing this post for about 17 million years longer than I care to admit, so all I have to say about season 5 is RACING CARS! (They're such BOYS!)
And I'll leave you with my favourite quote from that amazing scene on the pier:
McKay: How about we say goodbye now?
Sheppard: No!
McKay: What d'you mean, "no"?
SHEPPARD: I mean I'm not saying goodbye.
McKay: Well, I'm saying it anyway!
Sheppard: Well, I'm not listening!
McKay: Yeah, but pretty soon I won't even know who you are!
Sheppard: Then I'll remind you.
McKay: Yeah, but I don't want you to see me like that. I want you to remember me as I am -- as your genius friend, not as some ...
Sheppard (firmly): Not happening.
McKay: Please.
Sheppard: You're stuck with me, Rodney. Just accept it.
McKay: Yeah, but I ...
Sheppard (loudly): No! (He waves a finger at him.) That's final.
McKay (mildly): Okay. (He looks away.)
Sheppard: Okay.
(He takes several swigs from his can. Rodney gazes down at his own can.)
McKay: You're a good friend, Arthur.
(John looks round at him. Rodney turns his head and looks back at him. They hold each other's gaze for a moment, then start to giggle.)
[NOTE: You can click a lot of these pictures to get larger versions. Also, most of the screencaps are not mine. Most were made by dbw or tehshroom. Other resources are listed in this post]
McKay and Sheppard: The Genius and the Flyboy
I think Stargate Atlantis could quite easily be named "The John and Rodney Show". I personally watch the show with slash goggles firmly in place, and could list at least a dozen scenes where I think the boys were only moments from jumping each other, but I don't think you need to see the slash to appreciate the relationship between those two characters.
(And seriously, even John and Rodney wear slash goggles, so can you really blame me!? I just love that everyone else is wearing clear glasses, and John and Rodney have their matching yellow ones! Also, if you follow Rodney's line of sight, it looks to me like he's checking out John in that thigh holster. But who could blame him?!)
Anyway, just in case someone has stumbled upon my journal without any knowledge of these characters, I'll start with a warning: escape while you can! an introduction:
Meet Rodney McKay:
He's the Head of Science. He's petty, arrogant, and bad with people, but he's also a genius, and is deceptively brave. He's Canadian, and looks good in a thigh holster.
And this is John Sheppard:
He's military. He likes Ferris wheels, college football, and anything that goes more than 200 miles an hour. He's exceedingly heroic, and is prone to suicide missions. He also has a very geeky and dorky side, and looks great in a thigh holster.
They may seem like an unlikely pair, but they quickly became close friends, and I just loved watching their relationship grow. Let's go right back to the beginning:
In the very first episode, Rodney discovered that John is not just a pretty flyboy; he can also do maths in his head. Rodney was intrigued. Very intrigued.
McKay: Even with the six symbols Lieutenant Ford provided there are still hundreds of permutations.
Sheppard: Seven hundred and twenty.
McKay: Yes. I knew that of course. I'm just surprised you did.
Before long they were playing like little boys long friends, finishing each other’s sentences:
Sheppard: “As far as your little secret down here goes…well umm...”
McKay: “We say what giant underground bunker.”
And copying each other's poses.
They also liked to stand in each other's personal space.
A lot.
Sometimes they bickered like an old married couple:
Sheppard: Don't let go of the controls!
McKay: Snapping doesn't help!
Sheppard: This is why parents get someone else to teach their kids how to drive.
McKay: I'm both insulted and touched by that.
And when one of them was in mortal danger, the other one looked absolutely crushed.
This picture of Rodney (when he thinks John has died in The Siege Part 2) breaks my heart.
But they survived! And in season 2 they continued to stand unnecessarily close to each other,
continued to copy each other’s poses,
and continued to finish each other’s sentences. Especially when they were convincing mum to let them play Weir to let them go on a mission:
Sheppard: Even if these men are highly trained and armed to the teeth ...
McKay: ... which most probably they are not ...
Sheppard: ... they're no match for our guys.
Weir: A raid?
Sheppard: Oh, yes, a raid! If this is their main base of operations, I'm willing to bet the ZPM is there.
Weir: And, what, just steal it?
McKay: Well, the Brotherhood stole it from us, Ladon stole it from the Brotherhood - it's not really stealing, it's, um ...
Sheppard: ... recovery! Look, we tell Ladon we're ready to do business; he needs to send a dozen guys here to carry back supplies ...
McKay: ... along with the ZedPM.
Sheppard: He won't do that but, sure, we can ask. When they get here, we detain them, leaving eight men in the building for two small strike teams to deal with.
Weir: OK. It's worth the risk. Go get us a ZPM!
Season 2 also brought us Trinity - the one where Rodney looked absolutely devastated to have lost John's trust, and then so relieved and happy to discover that he could earn it back:
McKay: Oh, Colonel! Colonel! I've been looking all over for you.
Sheppard: I heard. (He turns to face Rodney and folds his arms.)
McKay: I suppose I deserve that. Look, I just, um, I wanted to apologise about what happened. I was wrong -- I'm sorry. And I wanted to assure you that, uh, I intend not being right again -- about everything, effective immediately. (John smiles slightly but keeps his arms folded.) That was a joke.
Sheppard: Good one. (He turns and walks into a transporter room. Rodney walks forward to stop him from leaving. John turns to face him again.)
McKay: I've already apologised to Elizabeth ... and Radek ... and I thanked Colonel Caldwell for, uh, caring enough to spy on the experiment from orbit. I sent him a nice little email, actually. But I saved you 'til last 'cause, um, honestly, I would ... I would hate to think that recent events might have permanently dimmed your faith in my abilities, or your trust. At the very least, I hope I can earn that back.
Sheppard: That may take a while.
(Rodney's face falls.)
McKay: I see.
Sheppard: But, I'm sure you can do it, if you really wanna try. (He steps inside the transporter room and presses the panel on the rear wall. As the doors close, he smiles at Rodney. Rodney smiles back, then sighs in relief.)
And it brought us one of the most impressive displays of jealousy cockblocking in two galaxies. Here's John rolling his eyes at Rodney ...
And then he quickly moves in.
In season 3, they were usually found right next to each other.
John was often in Rodney's lab,
usually hovering right by his side,
with one of those ridiculously adorable expressions on his face.
Sometimes Rodney was found in John's room. (And I don't want to get all psychologisty, but John is playing with his golf club. I'm sure Freud would have a thing or two to say about that.)
But John made sure to point out that he only loved Rodney "in a way a friend feels about another friend".
I loved the scene in McKay and Mrs Miller, where John showed Jeannie the tape that Rodney recorded for his sister. This shows us that (a) John really cares about Rodney, and (b) John had a copy of that tape on his personal laptop. (Sure, it's possible that he picked it up from storage or something, but in my version of canon, it was already there on his laptop)
Unfortunately, the boys were made to return to Earth and spend some time apart, but they talked on the phone regularly at least once.
(John is looking at his phone like it's a toy that's been taken away from him or something. He looks so sad and confused)
Luckily they returned to Atlantis, where they faced danger literally shoulder-to-shoulder (or elbow-to-elbow!)
But still found time for fun things, like whale watching,
computer games (I must point out that John seems to be wearing his best jeans with a tight black top, and Rodney is wearing a shirt that brings out the blue in his eyes. I'll leave you to make your own conclusions about that),
and whatever it is that John is dragging Rodney away for!
Then, TPTB were kind enough to give us season 4, which brought so many amazing McShep moments.
Sure, there were some arguments,
and life-or-death situations,
but the boys were usually side-by-side,
looking at each other
with affection.
They continued the habit of saving each other’s lives, and even entered each other’s nightmares.
John was so unwilling to see his friend die that he talked a man into killing himself. He talked a man into killing himself. Because he couldn't live without Rodney. Just take a moment to stare into John's eyes, and see the depth of emotion there.
And then there was the scene where Rodney showed John the engagement ring he planned to give Katie, and John looked so... sad. He looks like he could cry in that picture.
But Rodney spent most of season 4 trying to copy John's hair an entire lifetime trying to save John's life, so I'm pretty sure the love was mutual.
I've now been writing this post for about 17 million years longer than I care to admit, so all I have to say about season 5 is RACING CARS! (They're such BOYS!)
And I'll leave you with my favourite quote from that amazing scene on the pier:
McKay: How about we say goodbye now?
Sheppard: No!
McKay: What d'you mean, "no"?
SHEPPARD: I mean I'm not saying goodbye.
McKay: Well, I'm saying it anyway!
Sheppard: Well, I'm not listening!
McKay: Yeah, but pretty soon I won't even know who you are!
Sheppard: Then I'll remind you.
McKay: Yeah, but I don't want you to see me like that. I want you to remember me as I am -- as your genius friend, not as some ...
Sheppard (firmly): Not happening.
McKay: Please.
Sheppard: You're stuck with me, Rodney. Just accept it.
McKay: Yeah, but I ...
Sheppard (loudly): No! (He waves a finger at him.) That's final.
McKay (mildly): Okay. (He looks away.)
Sheppard: Okay.
(He takes several swigs from his can. Rodney gazes down at his own can.)
McKay: You're a good friend, Arthur.
(John looks round at him. Rodney turns his head and looks back at him. They hold each other's gaze for a moment, then start to giggle.)
[NOTE: You can click a lot of these pictures to get larger versions. Also, most of the screencaps are not mine. Most were made by dbw or tehshroom. Other resources are listed in this post]