Letters from Pegasus Week

[em_kellesvig]

Here's a bit of interesting trivia that plays out -- if you're watching carefully -- throughout the series: Pegasus natives don't shake hands.


It's just one passing moment, but John figures it out fast.





pogrebin explores this concept in her post-finale story, Starting Over (In the Same Place) to great effect. This outsider's point of view of the Atlantis crew on Earth shows how they've adapted to the Pegasus galaxy, been changed by it, and no longer belong on or to Earth. The custom of handshakes is just one glaring facet of the Lanteans' behaviour that makes them so different from their hosts.

neevebrody also hints at it in her story for this year's mcshep_match, Nowhere Man. This beautifully layered mystery gives us a Rodney McKay stripped of his memory -- and everything that makes him of Earth, from Earth. Without that frame of reference, he won't shake hands with John.

Any other stories out there that play with this detail? Any recs?


"Letters from Pegasus" 1x17

To all our fannish friends on the East Coast, stay safe during "Sandy"! And to folks coming home from Squee Weekend, safe travels.

Comments

[schneefink.livejournal.com]

I thought it was fanon that Pegasus natives don't shake hands! I loved it in "Starting Over", but I didn't remember that it was actually in the show. Interesting, thanks for the reminder :)

[em_kellesvig]

This little moment goes by so fast, if you blink, you'll miss it. I was lucky to catch John offering his hand, missed Orin's blank stare altogether, and barely caught John's awkward response. But it's there.

They don't directly mention it again until Todd offers his hand to Carter in season four and then you get it: it's all about the Wraith and their feeding hands. ::shudders::

Yeah, now you know why Teyla does the forehead thing with close friends.