Medical Fitness Report

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

So...

You're getting ready to send Atlantis back to Pegasus.  Or perhaps you are among a handful of secret plotters planning to steal the city and return it on your own, knowing it means permanent estrangement from Earth.


Which doctor inspired more confidence, Carson or Keller? (names chosen in this format because it had a nice ring to it)

Who made the better CMO?

Which is more likely to say, "Yes, I'll go back to Pegasus?"

Which is more likely to turn a blind eye to the stealing of Atlantis if TPTB won't send the city back?  Which is more likely to actively aid, even if they didn't intend on going back themselves?  Would either one rat on the rest of the expedition planning such a risky move?

If you could send *any* medical doctor, either in this fandom or another, who would you choose?

Comments

[hilde.livejournal.com]

LOLOL I just had a vision of Dr. House snarking with Rodney :)And he wouldn't bat an eye about stealing Atlantis ;)

For me, Carson inspired more confidence, and made an excellent CMO. Keller was not that interesting to me. I think she'd have more qualms about leaving Earth behind, as this would most likely be a one way trip.

I don't know if I see her ratting on the others, unless as a way of keeping Rodney from returning. But, in my mind, they broke up three days after returning to Earth :)

[tavabean.livejournal.com]

I agree with this. :)

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Wait, but wouldn't House have to kill you at least once per illness before he could find a cure? :-)

On the other hand, I could really see House getting off on a whole other universe of things to add to the rule out list. And he'd be sending his poor slaves colleagues on wild goose chases off world to track down Iratus bugs in their nests. Oh. Wait...

Might be hard to keep him supplied in pain killers though!

Carson inspired more confidence in me as a *doctor* than Jennifer. I can appreciate both having qualms about being in Pegasus in the first place or feeling like they were way in over their heads. But I feel that Jennifer's youth and clinical inexperience makes her a poor CMO choice.

Also, John showed more out of the box thinking during The Shrine than she did. That should have been *her* place to shine. And in Brainstorm, apparently when the writers placed her in a little black dress, they revoked her medical license. Shouldn't she have been attending to the flash frozen guy? Why didn't she demand warm dry clothing when moments before she was dying of hypothermia? Okay, maybe her brain wasn't working for a while there, but the whole plane ride home? In wet clothes?? That was just silly on the part of the writers there.

Yeah, I think Jennifer and Rodney broke up pretty quickly as well on the return to Earth. I suspect without the joint experience of Atlantis, they discovered that they really had very little in common. :-)

[lavvyan.livejournal.com]

They could take Dr. Frankenstein! His hybrids would put Michael's to shame! ;D

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

The original version or the Young Dr. Frankenstein one? :-)

[oceania.livejournal.com]

Which doctor inspired more confidence, Carson or Keller? Totally Carson for me. Although Keller is clever, she majorally fucked up in The Shrine.

Who made the better CMO?
Carson.
Which is more likely to say, "Yes, I'll go back to Pegasus?"
Carson.
Which is more likely to turn a blind eye to the stealing of Atlantis if TPTB won't send the city back? Carson Which is more likely to actively aid, even if they didn't intend on going back themselves? Keller/Carson Would either one rat on the rest of the expedition planning such a risky move? Never.

If you could send *any* medical doctor, either in this fandom or another, who would you chooseCarson has to go back. Because Keller and Rodney have broken up, she will likely stay on Earth. But her work with the people of Pegasus is important to her as well and since she and Ronon belong together....or maybe she'll follow Evan?

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I thought Jennifer and Ronon had more chemistry than Jennifer and Rodney. Wish they would have explored that more before they decided Rodney was the 'winner'. In fact, I would have tolerated McKeller a lot more if I'd been given any time to see it develop rather than have it spring, wearing full armor, from the forehead of Martin Gero.

Me, I'd want Janet Frasier. Though I am leaning towards Bones now (especially if he's Karl Urban). And The Doctor from Voyager--that would be a nice touch! (If they can clone Carson, why not Janet? And do we know what happened to clone!Carson all those months in Micheal's prison camp? Is there any fic?)

[tygtig.livejournal.com]

Gah!
Since I am a doctor myself, I tend to like about any doctor I come across in a tv-series. I actually became a doctor because I used to watch MASH as a kid - yes, I want to be Hawkeye, no, I don't drink on the job.
I liked Carson a lot because he was, well, Carson. He had the bedsidemanner down pat (Keller? Seriously? "Let me play around with your insides?" WTF?) and he was a brilliant geneticist who killed mice and fucked sheep - oh, wait, that's not a good thing. And probably not even true. And the scottish brogue and the nice eyes, and all that.
Keller is sweet and in fandom at least a brilliant surgeon, but honestly, she IS a bit too young to be CMO. I know my people, doctors are fiercely loyal against any outsiders but we bicker and fight among ourselves, and the one thing that is always respected is a solid medical knowledge together with experience. She might be a prodigy but you have to see a certain number of patients to get your intuition working (And Carson would NEVER, EVER have missed Rodney being too nice in the Shrine! And he WOULD have brought a full medical kit!)

Sooo - I'd pick Carson. And maybe he could talk Keller into staying as his second. I don't think either of them would have ratted on the rest if they planned to steal Atlantis, though.

If I could bring any doctor at all to Atlantis it would be Bones McCoy, since he can cure about anything in Star trek at least. Age, experience, knowledge, a nice ass and a bitchy attitude.

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Keller was way too young, IMO. She shouldn't have even finished her residency. I think she would have made a good pediatrician--her manner with children seemed better than with adults.

As a medical professional, does it bug you when they get the medical details wrong or can you just enjoy it anyway? I used to know someone who would go into elaborate detail as to why everything depicted was wrong, wrong, wrong. I can usually watch it with suspension of disbelief unless it is blatantly wrong, you know?

[stella-pegasi.livejournal.com]

Keller seems more like a research doctor to me...no bedside manner as you say (I was a clinical microbiologist for years...had to deal with the clinical and the research doctors at a teaching hospital), My fanfiction writing will almost always have Carson doing the surgery if someone (especially Sheppard) is badly hurt!

I agree with you about Bones...I've been itching to have Bone and Carson in a crossover. That would be a hoot!

[mezzo-cammin.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, interesting questions!

Hmmmm. I'll be honest - I'm not sure either one were the confidence-inspiring types. Carson probably had a bit of an edge over Keller, until you think of his wishy-washy ethics. Not so sure I'd want him making decisions for me. I think in order to inspire confidence, you have to BE confident, and both of them seemed to lack that.

Better CMO? We weren't really shown that part of their life, were we? And wouldn't that have been an interesting episode? A day in the life of the Chief Medical Officer of Atlantis. What would that have been like? Four parts mundane mixed in with one part terrifying?

Who is more likely to go back? Carson. Keller might go back, but I'm thinking not as CMO. I don't think she ever got comfortable in that role, and doubted herself too much. But go back as what she was when she originally joined, (which was what, by the way? Do we know?)I think she might.

I really like the idea of Keller staying back on earth and setting up some kind of smokescreen, though, and actively aiding and abetting the Lanteans to steal their city back.

As for which medical doctor? Hee. Dr. Cuddy. No, seriously. She's put up with House for years, and she's smart, sexy, and tough as nails when she needs to be. Yeah. Plus, I might be able to see a Carson/Cuddy ship. *g*

[oceania.livejournal.com]

I have only one problem with Cuddy...she dresses like a whore. Seriously, no woman in power wears those heels and has her tits on display all the time. It bugs me because it objectifies her and undermines her credibility as a leader and a healer.

I want the Aussie. Even if he revealed a hatred of fat people in the early years. THAT episode infuriating me.

[sp23.livejournal.com]

1) Carson
2) Carson
3) Carson
4) Carson (Hell, he's (well, V1.0) already aided and abetted a mutiny in The Return. *g* I do think that Keller would rat them out, especially if she didn't want to go back and Rodney did.
5) Ooh, Robert Picardo's doctor from Voyager because that would be fun and confusing. LOL

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Ooh, Robert Picardo's doctor from Voyager because that would be fun and confusing. LOL

This made me grin--I really like that idea, but do you think Woolsey would go back? Somehow I don't see him doing that...in so many ways, he seemed like the fish out water there and I don't think we really got a chance to see him come into his own before the show ended--so does Woolsey belong or not?

[kimboosan.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm going to second the vote for Dr. McCoy. LOL! He'd be perfect.

However between Keller and Carson...well, honestly, Keller clearly made the cut to get the position in the first place, and I think her fuck up in The Shrine was not as glaring as some fans tend to spin it. And it is not as if Carson was always perfect himself.

So, I can't stand on the medical issues to declare one the winner. What I think is important are two facts:

1. Keller is more of an Earthling than an Lantean - thinking outside the box isn't exactly her forte, and personally I can only see her being horrified at the idea of going back to Pegasus "for good."
2. Carson is a clone - the SGC can make a place for him and he remembers his mother and all that, but he's not really Carson, and he knows it. He's got nothing to lose by leaving Earth.

Carson is cautious by nature but pragmatic, so I don't see him crying in his beer about the idea of moving camp to Pegasus permanently. He is also someone who does think outside the box, and would be more valuable as CMO for that reason.

....I hope that all made sense?

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

1. Keller is more of an Earthling than an Lantean - thinking outside the box isn't exactly her forte, and personally I can only see her being horrified at the idea of going back to Pegasus "for good."
2. Carson is a clone - the SGC can make a place for him and he remembers his mother and all that, but he's not really Carson, and he knows it. He's got nothing to lose by leaving Earth.

I think this is a very good assessment of the two of them. Something that has always bothered me about Keller is how they set her up to be insecure about her ability to head the medical department after Carson's death. I mean, she's brilliant, right? She's the Doogie Howser of Atlantis. She's been chosen to *be* in Atlantis. So why the hand-wringing and the difficulty deciding whether she wants the role?

Seems to me that in many ways she should have been a female version of Rodney. Confident in her own abilities and knowledge until it is proven she doesn't know everything. Even in the situations where her ideas did prove problematic (like Elizabeth and the nanites), you don't see any consequences of *her* decision making, only Rodney's. I think Keller would have been a far more interesting character if she'd been competent and arrogant by day, but we were allowed to see her haunted by her choices and decisions when everyone else had gone to bed.

Carson is cautious by nature but pragmatic, so I don't see him crying in his beer about the idea of moving camp to Pegasus permanently. He is also someone who does think outside the box, and would be more valuable as CMO for that reason.

Makes perfect sense to me. :-)

[lysambre.livejournal.com]

Well, we've seen Carson "helping" to take the city back in "Return I & II", so we can assume that if something was done, legally or not, he might decide to help.

Keller, I wouldn't see her leaving with the City if she had a choice, but I think she would help them leave any way she can.

To be honest, for either of them, I've never felt much that they actually belonged to the Pegasus Galaxy, unlike some other people. It always felt as if they would rather be somewhere else, doing something else.

The only Doctor I've ever really liked in the Franchise was Janet Fraser from SG1, she had ethics, was very much no nonsense and yet had enough of an open mind to accept that some things where just out of her realm.
I don't know how she would fair on Atlantis though.

In SGA, I don't know if Marie was supposed to be a nurse or a doctor, but she's the one I liked the best of all the medical team. She felt... there. She felt Atlantian, if you know what I mean.
I always thought she should have become CMO when Carson died, she had the experience, the leveled head and she was one of the first to come, which in my mind is just invaluable, for the links it created between people back then.

So yeah, if I had to take a vote, I would make Marie a doctor and have her become the CMO of Atlantis. She would take Carson with them if he wanted, so he could continue his own Pegasus DWB, and she would also ask Teyla to help her meet people with other types of medicines, because she would know that to keep going in the Pegasus Galaxy, they would need to adapt themselves rather than the contrary ^_^

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Well, we've seen Carson "helping" to take the city back in "Return I & II", so we can assume that if something was done, legally or not, he might decide to help.

Good point--I keep forgetting that!


The only Doctor I've ever really liked in the Franchise was Janet Fraser from SG1, she had ethics, was very much no nonsense and yet had enough of an open mind to accept that some things where just out of her realm.
I don't know how she would fair on Atlantis though.

My choice too! (I wept *buckets* when Janet died...)

So yeah, if I had to take a vote, I would make Marie a doctor and have her become the CMO of Atlantis. She would take Carson with them if he wanted, so he could continue his own Pegasus DWB, and she would also ask Teyla to help her meet people with other types of medicines, because she would know that to keep going in the Pegasus Galaxy, they would need to adapt themselves rather than the contrary ^_^

Absolutely! They're going to run out of supplies at some point and they need to have established the identification and safe use of native medicines before then!

[stella-pegasi.livejournal.com]

I think my icon says it all...Carson Beckett is the doctor I want. I haven't read everyone's post yet; however, I think the general consensus is that Keller is just very young and very naïve. I also thought she seemed out of her realm during the Shrine, perhaps it was because she knew that Rodney had feelings for her and she realized she had feelings for him? She was simply too distraught to be creative. Yeah…right…I don’t think so.

First of all, I think the producers were smitten with her and didn’t care if they wrote anything that made any sense. She was right to beat up on herself during the Shrine. She shouldn’t have missed that big a behavioral change in Rodney.

So…the answers to the questions…

Carson inspires more confidence.

Carson is the better CMO.

Carson would return to Pegasus in heartbeat…not only to be on Atlantis with his friends but with the Pegasus natives he feels responsible for. I also believe that Keller would go back as well without hesitation, especially if she was still involved with Rodney.

Carson would be quicker to aid in the rightful recapture of Atlantis by the people she belongs to, but I think Jennifer would help and neither one of them would rat the others out.

Doctor to go with them….ummm…I know I’d love to see Bones McCoy, as tygtig mentioned earlier. Me…I would love to see “The Doctor” from Star Trek Voyager…if nothing else, it would throw Woolsey for loop. Or perhaps, Phlox from Enterprise. I liked him, he would have fun with McKay.

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I agree with your Carson assessment here--very well thought out.

Doctor to go with them….ummm…I know I’d love to see Bones McCoy, as [info]tygtig mentioned earlier. Me…I would love to see “The Doctor” from Star Trek Voyager…if nothing else, it would throw Woolsey for loop. Or perhaps, Phlox from Enterprise. I liked him, he would have fun with McKay.

I'm really liking the idea of McCoy or The Doctor. Phlox never really appealed to me as a doctor, I'm afraid. My concern with Dr. McCoy is that for all the advances of the 23rd century, his answer did seem to be, "he's dead, Jim" a lot.

On the other hand, I wouldn't mind seeing Karl Urban in Atlantis...*happy sigh* (Not that I didn't love DeForrest Kelly...)

[tarlanx]

Keller was out of her depth. Her inexperience was frightening and her lack of professionalism disconcerting..so:

1. Carson
2. Carson
3. Carson...because Keller never really fit in. Her treatment of Ronon and Teyla (as Pegasus natives) was terrible.
4. Carson. He helped them get Atlantis back before against direct orders. (The Return) I could see Keller ratting them out in some naive impression that she was actually helping them.
5. Janet Fraser (SG1) was awesome!

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

Keller was out of her depth. Her inexperience was frightening and her lack of professionalism disconcerting..so:

It was my biggest problem with her as a character. Okay, being out of her depth on off-world missions? Understandable. That same wide-eyed reaction to something happening in the infirmary? Not so much.

It didn't help that she so often was the stand-in Heroine of the Week who needs Rescuing. Yes, on occasion, she got herself out of a situation. More often than not, someone had to save her.

Oh, Janet. Now there was a strong female character who was competent and feminine and you never *once* thought of her as helpless.

[rissabby.livejournal.com]

IMO Carson "owes" the people of Pegasus. In the same way that John does (for waking the Wraith) and Rodney does (for reprogramming the Replicators and other things). (Hmm. The writers perhaps overused this trope.) So, he would be more driven to go back. Also, I don't remember if canon ever dealt with his Earth family and friends being told that he was alive(-ish). Perhaps he would rather go back than put his mother through the shock of his return. The fact that he was on the first expedition, tells us that he was ready not to go home.

I like the idea of clone!Janet going to Pegasus. There really needs to be another woman in a premier role, and there's a lot of growth potential for her character.

I'd also like to see someone be the voice of morality in Atlantis. That's one of the things I miss about Star Trek TOS. McCoy often, and Spock and Kirk sometimes, argued about whether an action was ethical. I want my heroes to be thinking about things like that.

I'm off to do some delightful babysitting so I can't do all the questions. But, I had a few fun moments thinking about:

Doogie Hower on Atlantis.

And, wasn't David Hewlett a doctor in some series? Let's have him go to Atlantis as Rodney's dumber (but still a genius) brother and find out why Rodney thinks medicine is like Voodoo. Also, more David Hewlett is Always Good.

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I think you might be thinking about the Kung Fu series where DH was a coroner. (Someone help me out here!)

I do wonder what clone Carson has been doing with regards to his family and what he's been doing on Earth. I can see him refusing to contact his family because there is no way he can explain what really happened and on some level, he doesn't feel "real".

I agree too on the owing bit. The expedition changed everything by virtue of walking through the Gate in the first place, but golly, they certainly screwed up things for the Pegasaurians in general, didn't they?

I'd also like to see someone be the voice of morality in Atlantis. That's one of the things I miss about Star Trek TOS. McCoy often, and Spock and Kirk sometimes, argued about whether an action was ethical. I want my heroes to be thinking about things like that.

I thought originally this would be Elizabeth, but they seemed to let that slide pretty early. :-(

[calcitrix.livejournal.com]

Well, Carson for all of those! Maybe it's just that we saw more of him, or just that he was written differently. Since he started as an extra and then became an official cast member second season, he slid into the role more slowly and they only used him when they had an actual medical plot (at least at first). Keller had more episodes written with her in mind from her first appearance, so right off the bat she's taken over by an alien tentacle-thing, getting kidnapped, falling down old mine shafts, etc. etc. and it seemed like her role was as much damsel-in-distress/potential girlfriend as medical doctor. It was harder to take her seriously as CMO.

Also Carson has the gene and can fly the city in a pinch!

As for doctors Atlantis might benefit by...Janet Fraser, for sure, but it might also be fun to see Dana Scully (X-Files) out there. She'd do great with all the weird stuff they encounter!

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I agree--I think it would have been easier to take Keller if she'd been presented in the role of doctor and less in the damsel in distress thing (I think I said something to that effect above).

ooooh, Dana Scully! I could see Rodney having the hots for her. But would she believe in the Wraith? (Oooh, X-files/Vegas crossover--I can see it now!)

[theeverdream.livejournal.com]

Carolyn Lam ;-D

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I never watched SG-1 through her introduction so is this suggestion tongue in cheek? :-)

[lisas-secret.livejournal.com]

I would have to go with Carson for all. (I actually stopped watching SGA for a while after he died.) Keller annoyed me because they were making her too young and too insecure about...just about everything. Also, they rarely showed her actually being a doctor.

I doubt that either would rat out the escape, but I really don't see Keller going back. I think there were too many things that were too hard/intense for her. She never seemed to deal with any of her mistakes/issues or grow from anything that happened to her.

Carson going back. I could see him going, if his mother had died or if he'd never gone to see her to say that everyone thought he was dead, but he got better. If he had created some kind of relationship with her again, I can't see him leaving her again. He really is a momma's boy at heart.

Strangely, the person who I want to see in Atlantis is Quincy, ME. He would be great at figuring out why people died and he could relearn his medical skills really fast in emergency situations.

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

QUINCY! I used to love Quincy! I haven't thought of that show in ages. :-)

[seekergeek.livejournal.com]

I would say Carson, with the proviso that he never leave the infirmary and that somebody else get the key to the pharmaceutical cabinet. That boy is bad about locking the drugs up and tends to over-medicate occasionally. Keller is simply too young and inexperienced to be CMO. Carson has more experience and I agree that he owes Pegasus because of some of his mistakes. Plus, he's helped liberate the city before, sorta. I don't see Keller ratting them out, but I don't think she'd understand why they'd want to do it in the first place. If I could have ANY doctor I wanted, it would definitely be McCoy. He doesn't take shit from anybody and his hypos would cure Rodney of his hypochondria toot sweet! *g*

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

The idea of Dr. McCoy is growing on me. I have to admit my initial reaction was 'he'd dead, John.' It used to annoy me as a child that they couldn't do more with medicine in the 23rd century.

Of course, that was then and this is now. Bones for me!

[tashirasbubble.livejournal.com]

Oh simple one......CARSON!!!!! He was well loved and has saved the Team on many occasion.

He was so up for things that were not authorised and breaking rules so stealing Atlantis would be nothing to him!

[sgamadison.livejournal.com]

I do think he would make the best fit in terms of attitude and experience. I also seriously doubt clone!Carson ever contacted 'his' family and I would think he'd be terribly lonely on Earth now.