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ship_manifestoTitle: Scotch and Canada Dry
Author: Castalia (email - castaliafoster@gmail.com)
Pairing: Beckett/McKay
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Spoilers: Spoilers for the entire first season, including those episodes now airing in Canada. If you live in the US and haven't seen past The Storm, please be warned that you may be spoiled for the rest of the season if you continue.
Author's note: Thanks go to my flist and the wonderful Atlantis fans on LJ for insight and making this fandom so enjoyable. Thanks also to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
slashophile for the encouragement and the beta. Blame goes to canthlian, just because.
Stargate: Atlantis - the spin-off of a spin-off. TPTB's attempt at turning the Stargate universe into a franchise. A damn good show, surprisingly enough, and perfectly accessible to those who aren't familiar with SG1 or the movie. Every week, pretty people go through a great big ring (the Stargate, 'natch) which sends them through a wormhole to other planets. Stargates = the great intragalactic highway. For Atlantis, they've gone from intragalactic to intergalactic, sending a group of civilians and military personnel to the Pegasus Galaxy, on what could be a one-way trip unless they find more power sources capable of sending them home again. They planet-hop, trying to make new friends, acquire new knowledge and technology, and avoid pissing off too many potential enemies (so far, they're not terribly good at any of these).
The Backstory:
McKay: "You need to get out more."
Beckett: "We're in another galaxy; how much more 'out' can you get?"
(Rising)
Yes, this is touted as the Lost City of Atlantis. It was formerly located on Earth, built by the Ancients - a powerful and advanced race who were responsible for building the Stargate system itself, are the genetic precursors to humans, and are now only around in the form of ascended beings of energy. They moved the city to the Pegasus Galaxy (It flies. No, really.), only to run into a new threat, the Wraith. The Ancients had grown kind of lazy (being the smartest kids on the block and all), and so were unprepared for war on such a grand scale and proceeded to get their asses kicked. They all learned to ascend, sunk the city beneath the ocean, and got the hell of out Dodge.
Enter our heroes, 10,000 years later. By using a Zero Point Module to jack up the power to the Stargate, they launch the expedition to Atlantis. The first thing they do is make some friends, which is of the good. The second thing they do is make a really nasty enemy, which is not so good. The Wraith are, after all, the enemy that managed to defeat even the Ancients. The Wraith have been compared to "space vampires" - by use of a chemical they inject into their victims, the Wraith can suck the "life energy" out of a living human (the only living creature it "eats"). They're smart, tough, and incredibly hard to kill (the more recently one has fed, the more explosive power you need, basically).
The Wraith have an impact on pretty much every inhabited planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. By "culling the herds" every so many years, they ensure that no society progresses past a certain level of technology, and each of those societies has developed a different strategy to attempt to deal with this. They are a constant presence in the show, and the Atlantis team's focus has broadened to include searching for ways to combat their new enemy.
The Characters:
McKay: "I don't know if you noticed or not, but I'm an extremely arrogant man, who tends to think all of his plans will work!"
(The Eye)
Rodney McKay, Ph.D. (played by the incomparable David Hewlett) is the only character (other than Dr Weir) that the audience is already familiar with from SG1, having guested in the 4th season (48 Hours) and the 6th (Redemption). McKay is a brilliant astrophysicist, an expert on naquada generators, and the closest thing there is to an expert on Ancient technology. He's also incredibly arrogant, rude, snarky, and self-centered. He's the one who called Samantha Carter a "dumb blonde" and was shipped off to Russia forpointing out some hard truths his attitude. He's allergic to citric acid (something he points out at every chance), is always on the verge of hypoglycemia, panics a bit during crisis situations, and yells at small children (even makes them cry). He's also Canadian.
McKay: "Did I mention I know almost everything about almost everything?"
(Underground)
Why do we like this character, you ask? For just those reasons. Rodney is...unique. He's the first to blow his own trumpet about his brilliance in his field, but has more than a few insecurities hidden beneath that prickly surface. Asqwirky put it to me, he's "the snarky smart guy with a superiority complex to hide his inferiority complex." We know from his SG1 episodes that he feels second in his field, behind Carter ("You're an artist, Major. I'm just jealous...", Redemption), that he has the technical abilities but not the art behind them. He had a less-than-happy childhood ("My parents hated each other...blamed me.", Redemption), has a sister he's not close to and doesn't even know how to find (Hot Zone), and had wanted to be a concert pianist until his teacher told him to give it up because he had "no sense of the art" (Redemption). So he turned to science, and proved quite proficient at his field. He built an atomic bomb (not a working model) for his 6th grade science fair, was subsequently questioned by the CIA, and the experience led to his first job. What that was, we aren't told, sadly. He lives alone with his cat, and doesn't seem to have any close friends or family.
Beckett: "What kind of plan is that?"
Sheppard: "A Rodney McKay kind of plan, but it's all we've got."
(The Eye)
In Atlantis, Rodney is now the Head Scientist, and a member of the primary off-world team along with Major Sheppard, Lt. Ford, and Teyla Emmagen. He ranks rather high up in the Atlantis hierarchy, forming a triad of sorts with Weir and Sheppard, and has thus inherited quite a lot of responsibility. He's charged with evaluating any alien technology they might find, as well as finding a way to develop a more permanent source of energy for Atlantis. Already, the character has shown a good deal of development. In the first few episodes, McKay is exploring Pegasus with only the needs of the Atlantis team in mind. He is quite willing to take a ZPM from a planet where it is protecting villages of children (Childhood's End), and has to be smacked down by Weir after he brings it back to Atlantis. After his actions bring the Wraith to that planet, he gets the first taste of how much of a negative impact he and his team can have if not careful. He also seems to have taken to heart one of the core tenets of SG1: "We don't leave anyone behind." Whereas he was quite willing to write off Teal'c as a lost cause back in 48 Hours, he is now one of the first to insist they go back for any lost teammates. In Suspicion, Ford and Teyla are left behind on a mission, and McKay is the first to insist that they "can't just leave them there!". Throughout the two-part episode made up of The Storm and The Eye, Rodney is quite protective of Weir when the two are kidnapped, even stepping between her and a gun. Self-preservation is important to McKay, but now he has others to preserve as well.
McKay is usually willing to say what no one else can or wants to say. If he thinks someone is being stupid, he'll say so. His own scientific team is often exasperated with him, especially when he's in uber-snark mode - Zelenka: "You're not pleasant when you're like this, McKay." (The Storm) He's also shown himself to be quite capable of looking at situations in a detached, scientific, almost cold manner. In Hot Zone, after several members of his team have died and are going to be autopsied, he has a hunch about the cause, and tells the doctors to "start with their heads".
An important part of McKay's characterization is related to the Ancient gene, a specific gene that enables those who possess it able to use Ancient technology. Rodney doesn't have it, and is quite put out about that fact, not to mention visibly jealous of those who do possess the gene naturally. This becomes enough of an issue that he is the first to volunteer for gene therapy, promptly getting himself in hot water when he activates a personal shield he can't properly control (Hide and Seek).
McKay: "Did you ever doubt me?"
Weir: "Yes. Several times."
(The Eye)
Rodney is quite likely the second least liked person in Atlantis (Dr Kavanagh is possibly more obnoxious). Everyone respects his obvious brilliance, but not many have much patience with his blunt arrogance. Some of his quirks can be irritating to those around him - he gripes about food constantly, regarding his allergy and ever impending hypoglycemia; he readily admits that he panics during crisis situations ("I react to certain doom in a certain way. It's a bad habit."); and he has absolutely no patience with anyone he thinks is less intelligent than he (which is nearly everyone). When he activates the personal shield in Hide and Seek, the "tests" the other characters perform to see how it works are rather extreme. Sheppard throws him off a balcony, admits to having shot him in the leg first, and when McKay asks one of his scientists, Grodin, to hit him, Grodin does so immediately, punching him hard in the face with absolutely no hesitation. However, the other characters (not to mention the audience) can't help loving McKay. In a way, he's very easy to relate to. He's a hardcore geek (as is David Hewlett, part of what makes him such a fan favorite), speaks his mind, is funny as hell, and at the end of the day is actually rather heroic in his way. He's saved the day thanks to his own brand of bravery almost as much as with his scientific brilliance. Already he's starting to think differently, and even other characters are pointing it out. In the first few eps, he's nervous as hell before going into a dangerous situation. By mid-season, he wants to be out there.
This character is really far too complex to be summed up in a few paragraphs. McKay must be experienced. Despite all his bad points (or maybe because of them), one can't help falling in love. Part of this is no doubt due to David Hewlett, who has a remarkable ability to portray the least likeable characters and still make you like them. He's also rather adorable, and IMO, sexy as hell (oops, is my inner fangirl showing?).
Beckett: "I'm a bloody medical doctor, not a magician!"
(The Eye)
Carson Beckett, M.D. (played by Paul McGillion) is the Chief Medical Doctor in Atlantis. He hails from Scotland, and sports a lovely accent and the occasional strange trope. This character holds an interesting position on the show, because although he's not in the main credits or even in every episode, he nevertheless gets a lot of attention. Some of the series promotion pictures feature him along with the rest of the main cast, interviews with the actor have been published on the web and in various magazines, and the character has a profile in the first issue of the Official Stargate Magazine (the only character not in the opening credits to be featured). He's even had one episode focused almost exclusively on him. It's very likely that he could be in the main credits next season.
From his first scenes in the Pilot, Carson is established as the source of much of the humor on the show. We learn that he is the one who discovered the Ancient gene, even possesses it himself, but he's dreadfully afraid of using the thing. Within the first ten minutes of the Pilot, he accidentally activates the Ancient drone weapon and nearly kills General Jack O'Neill and Major John Sheppard before managing to shut it down. He hates Gate travel, and seems to hesitate to use any form of Ancient tech. Because he is one of the few who naturally have the Ancient gene, he is taught to fly the PuddleJumpers (small Ancient ships), but balks at doing so, especially during The Storm and The Eye. He is given a P-90 in The Eye, but appears to know very little about how to use it. His true bailiwick is the laboratory - peering into microscopes, poking patients with needles, and dissecting alien lifeforms. He's responsible for patching up the injuries the Atlantis teams incur, as well as becoming the resident xenobiologist in the city. Most of what we know about the Wraith thus far, we've learned from Carson's experiments. He also develops the Ancient gene therapy (which works on the first trial, with McKay), so is obviously a specialist in genetics. No other medical doctors have been seen treating patients, though he does have a staff of nurses and other specialists such as pathologists working under him.
Beckett: "It's not that I mind lending people a hand."
Sheppard: "No, of course not."
McKay: "You're a generous man, Carson."
Beckett: "But it's the principle of the thing, isn't it? You can't go and volunteering someone for something without consulting them first. That's not even volunteering, is it? It's being pressed into service."
Episode 1.07, Poisoning the Well, gave us an entire ep devoted to Dr Beckett, a rarity for a supposedly minor, recurring character. The storyline revolves around a culture who has devoted nearly all their resources to developing a drug that will give them immunity from the Wraith. Beckett is tapped to help them out, and with his advanced knowledge and equipment, he and the Hoffan scientists are able to make a breakthrough. They perform a test on a terminally ill patient who volunteers (much to Beckett's disquiet), and the drug does seem to work, but not quite like they expected. Instead of only providing immunity, it eventually kills the Wraith prisoner they use for the test (all mourn Steve...*sniff*). While Carson insists they slow down and do more tests before leaping to any conclusions, the Hoffans disregard safety and the scientific method and begin innoculating their people. It doesn't take too long for the drug to start killing - approximately 50% of those inoculated die, including the lead Hoffan scientist, Perna, of whom Carson had become quite fond. The Atlantis team tries to convince them to stop, but the Hoffans take a vote and find in favor of continuing, preferring to wipe out half their numbers rather than live in fear of the Wraith. This has a profound effect on Carson who has unwittingly helped this happen, and at the end of the episode he says that the event has made him disagree with Churchhill's maxim, "Victory at all costs."
So far, Carson seems well-liked by most of those with whom he interacts. He and Dr Weir are on a first name basis, and when important decisions are made, he is usually included in the discussion along with the main cast. So far, we don't really know terribly much about him. He's from Scotland (most of us are assuming from the Glasgow area, since the actor was born in Paisley), is close to his mum, and thinks his homeland is beautiful but an acquired taste. Like many tv doctors, he has a very compassionate heart, and takes his oath very seriously.
The Evidence, or Why This Pairing Works
Geeks in love. It's an incredibly appealing concept, IMO. This pairing was one of the first to be jumped upon by fans; by the time the pilot had aired, a livejournal community had already sprang up. Although there is now more Sheppard/McKay slash (likely due to both being main cast members, and thus in every episode), even the 'shippers are seeing the Beckett/McKay. Which is easy to do, when you look at canon.
After the flashback prologue, the first thing we see in the pilot of Stargate: Atlantis is a Beckett/McKay scene. Both men have been assigned to the project investigating the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, and so spend at least six months working together before the series begins. (Long enough to be on a first name basis - unless they are referring to each other while talking to others, Carson and Rodney never call each other anything but their first names.) In this scene, Rodney is trying to persuade Carson to sit in "the chair", which controls the Ancient outpost. Carson is quite reluctant ("I break things like this!"), but lets Rodney convince him. Of course, Carson proceeds to nearly kill two people with the drone weapon, but no one's perfect.
These two are also one of the last things we see in the Pilot. Everyone in Atlantis is attending a celebration of sorts, and amidst all the mingling, Rodney has sought Carson out (in the background, you can see Rodney is the one to approach Carson and begin talking - quite a social achievement for McKay). They trade quips like any good buddy pairing, prompting quite a few reviewers to mention them as the "comedic duo" of Atlantis in articles. Beckett is the only character so far who I'd say McKay is truly friends with on any personal level. (Not that he doesn't care for his teammates, but I wouldn't say they're close friends quite yet.) Carson puts up with Rodney's quirks with an easy grace, able to verbally swat him like a fly when the buzzing is too much. Their teasing is rather adorable. Rodney calls medicine "about as much of a science as, oh I don't know, voodoo?", and is the one to let us know how much Carson doesn't like going through the Stargate. Carson makes up superhero names for Rodney when he has the personal shield device, pokes a wee bit of fun at him after he faints from lack of food thanks to the shield, and gently teases him when McKay suffers temporary facial paralysis after being shot in the face with a Wraith stun weapon. He also worries about him, though, especially after he thinks his gene therapy might put Rodney in danger from the shield.
(as Beckett injects McKay with a deactivated mouse retrovirus to deliver the Ancient gene)
McKay: "Are there any side effects?"
Beckett: "Dry mouth, headache. The irresistible urge to run on a small wheel."
For all that he dismisses medicine as voodoo, McKay trusts Beckett as a doctor, enough to volunteer for experimental gene therapy (not even FDA approved, so only legal in the Pegasus Galaxy). In The Eye, Rodney is briefly tortured by the Genii, who have taken over the city; he cracks relatively quickly, much to his own dismay, after receiving a knife wound on his arm (it's done through his jacket, so we don't see how bad it is). By the time the siege is over and the city is reclaimed, Beckett has received his own wound, a concussion. Rather than let the nurses or another doctor take care of his arm, Rodney bandages it himself (rather badly, on the outside of his jacket), waiting for Carson to do it himself.
McKay: "Carson."
Beckett: "Rodney."
McKay: "Just in time to see how this ends, huh?"
(The Eye)
The Eye also gives us another interesting scene. In this two-part episode, a massive hurricane-like storm is threatening the city, and a handful of people have stayed behind to try and harness the storm's energy to power up the shield that protects the city, thus saving it from the dangerous tidal waves. Most of the main cast are in separate small groups throughout most of the episode, not meeting up again until the very end. When they all converge in the control room, there's a nice moment when the two men acknowledge one another, which stands out because it is the only such acknowledgement during the reunion.
The ep that has even the 'shippers calling Beckett/McKay canon is Hot Zone. While exploring the lower levels of the city, the Atlantis scientists expose themselves to a nanovirus which causes hallucinations and death by brain aneurism. Beckett and his team don protective suits and head down to help McKay and his scientists. Carson examines Rodney himself, and acts like he doesn't want to believe Rodney could be infected (McKay: "Stop trying to convince me I'm fine, Carson."), until McKay starts seeing things. Things get a little tense and Rodney starts listing his last requests (a scene that could have been incredibly cheesy, but Hewlett pulls it off brilliantly), but he's the first of those infected to survive. The look on Carson's face when they realize Rodney is going to make it says it all.
It's still very early in this series for anyone to say of any of the characters that "they're so doing it." With Beckett/McKay, most of the appeal is the idea of friendship that can become something more. Luckily, the producers and writers have realized the comedic chemistry between Hewlett and McGillion, and are giving us plenty of interaction. McGillion has said in interviews that his favorite relationship on the series is the one b/w Beckett and McKay, which has been compared to the snarky friendship between McCoy and Spock on Star Trek, and has conveyed his desire for an episode that focuses on their friendship. Personally, I think Beckett would be very good for McKay, who for all his brilliance lacks significant human connection. They are an excellent team professionally, and just as good a match personally, with enough push-and-pull of personalities to balance each other out.
They're pretty hot together, too. Scotch and Canada Dry. Who knew?
The Fandom
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
beckett_mckay - the Beckett/McKay LJ Community, where much of the fic for this pairing is posted (and from which I gakked the title of this essay). So far, mostly the usual "getting to know the new fandom" type fics.
atlantis100 - Atlantis drabble community.
Pegasus Gate Slash Archive - Atlantis slash archive, with affiliated mailing list and LJ community.
Atlantica - All purpose Atlantis site, with new and growing fic archive.
Author: Castalia (email - castaliafoster@gmail.com)
Pairing: Beckett/McKay
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Spoilers: Spoilers for the entire first season, including those episodes now airing in Canada. If you live in the US and haven't seen past The Storm, please be warned that you may be spoiled for the rest of the season if you continue.
Author's note: Thanks go to my flist and the wonderful Atlantis fans on LJ for insight and making this fandom so enjoyable. Thanks also to
slashophile for the encouragement and the beta. Blame goes to canthlian, just because.Stargate: Atlantis - the spin-off of a spin-off. TPTB's attempt at turning the Stargate universe into a franchise. A damn good show, surprisingly enough, and perfectly accessible to those who aren't familiar with SG1 or the movie. Every week, pretty people go through a great big ring (the Stargate, 'natch) which sends them through a wormhole to other planets. Stargates = the great intragalactic highway. For Atlantis, they've gone from intragalactic to intergalactic, sending a group of civilians and military personnel to the Pegasus Galaxy, on what could be a one-way trip unless they find more power sources capable of sending them home again. They planet-hop, trying to make new friends, acquire new knowledge and technology, and avoid pissing off too many potential enemies (so far, they're not terribly good at any of these).
The Backstory:
McKay: "You need to get out more."
Beckett: "We're in another galaxy; how much more 'out' can you get?"
(Rising)
Yes, this is touted as the Lost City of Atlantis. It was formerly located on Earth, built by the Ancients - a powerful and advanced race who were responsible for building the Stargate system itself, are the genetic precursors to humans, and are now only around in the form of ascended beings of energy. They moved the city to the Pegasus Galaxy (It flies. No, really.), only to run into a new threat, the Wraith. The Ancients had grown kind of lazy (being the smartest kids on the block and all), and so were unprepared for war on such a grand scale and proceeded to get their asses kicked. They all learned to ascend, sunk the city beneath the ocean, and got the hell of out Dodge.
Enter our heroes, 10,000 years later. By using a Zero Point Module to jack up the power to the Stargate, they launch the expedition to Atlantis. The first thing they do is make some friends, which is of the good. The second thing they do is make a really nasty enemy, which is not so good. The Wraith are, after all, the enemy that managed to defeat even the Ancients. The Wraith have been compared to "space vampires" - by use of a chemical they inject into their victims, the Wraith can suck the "life energy" out of a living human (the only living creature it "eats"). They're smart, tough, and incredibly hard to kill (the more recently one has fed, the more explosive power you need, basically).
The Wraith have an impact on pretty much every inhabited planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. By "culling the herds" every so many years, they ensure that no society progresses past a certain level of technology, and each of those societies has developed a different strategy to attempt to deal with this. They are a constant presence in the show, and the Atlantis team's focus has broadened to include searching for ways to combat their new enemy.
The Characters:
McKay: "I don't know if you noticed or not, but I'm an extremely arrogant man, who tends to think all of his plans will work!"
(The Eye)
Rodney McKay, Ph.D. (played by the incomparable David Hewlett) is the only character (other than Dr Weir) that the audience is already familiar with from SG1, having guested in the 4th season (48 Hours) and the 6th (Redemption). McKay is a brilliant astrophysicist, an expert on naquada generators, and the closest thing there is to an expert on Ancient technology. He's also incredibly arrogant, rude, snarky, and self-centered. He's the one who called Samantha Carter a "dumb blonde" and was shipped off to Russia for
McKay: "Did I mention I know almost everything about almost everything?"
(Underground)
Why do we like this character, you ask? For just those reasons. Rodney is...unique. He's the first to blow his own trumpet about his brilliance in his field, but has more than a few insecurities hidden beneath that prickly surface. As
qwirky put it to me, he's "the snarky smart guy with a superiority complex to hide his inferiority complex." We know from his SG1 episodes that he feels second in his field, behind Carter ("You're an artist, Major. I'm just jealous...", Redemption), that he has the technical abilities but not the art behind them. He had a less-than-happy childhood ("My parents hated each other...blamed me.", Redemption), has a sister he's not close to and doesn't even know how to find (Hot Zone), and had wanted to be a concert pianist until his teacher told him to give it up because he had "no sense of the art" (Redemption). So he turned to science, and proved quite proficient at his field. He built an atomic bomb (not a working model) for his 6th grade science fair, was subsequently questioned by the CIA, and the experience led to his first job. What that was, we aren't told, sadly. He lives alone with his cat, and doesn't seem to have any close friends or family.Beckett: "What kind of plan is that?"
Sheppard: "A Rodney McKay kind of plan, but it's all we've got."
(The Eye)
In Atlantis, Rodney is now the Head Scientist, and a member of the primary off-world team along with Major Sheppard, Lt. Ford, and Teyla Emmagen. He ranks rather high up in the Atlantis hierarchy, forming a triad of sorts with Weir and Sheppard, and has thus inherited quite a lot of responsibility. He's charged with evaluating any alien technology they might find, as well as finding a way to develop a more permanent source of energy for Atlantis. Already, the character has shown a good deal of development. In the first few episodes, McKay is exploring Pegasus with only the needs of the Atlantis team in mind. He is quite willing to take a ZPM from a planet where it is protecting villages of children (Childhood's End), and has to be smacked down by Weir after he brings it back to Atlantis. After his actions bring the Wraith to that planet, he gets the first taste of how much of a negative impact he and his team can have if not careful. He also seems to have taken to heart one of the core tenets of SG1: "We don't leave anyone behind." Whereas he was quite willing to write off Teal'c as a lost cause back in 48 Hours, he is now one of the first to insist they go back for any lost teammates. In Suspicion, Ford and Teyla are left behind on a mission, and McKay is the first to insist that they "can't just leave them there!". Throughout the two-part episode made up of The Storm and The Eye, Rodney is quite protective of Weir when the two are kidnapped, even stepping between her and a gun. Self-preservation is important to McKay, but now he has others to preserve as well.
McKay is usually willing to say what no one else can or wants to say. If he thinks someone is being stupid, he'll say so. His own scientific team is often exasperated with him, especially when he's in uber-snark mode - Zelenka: "You're not pleasant when you're like this, McKay." (The Storm) He's also shown himself to be quite capable of looking at situations in a detached, scientific, almost cold manner. In Hot Zone, after several members of his team have died and are going to be autopsied, he has a hunch about the cause, and tells the doctors to "start with their heads".
An important part of McKay's characterization is related to the Ancient gene, a specific gene that enables those who possess it able to use Ancient technology. Rodney doesn't have it, and is quite put out about that fact, not to mention visibly jealous of those who do possess the gene naturally. This becomes enough of an issue that he is the first to volunteer for gene therapy, promptly getting himself in hot water when he activates a personal shield he can't properly control (Hide and Seek).
McKay: "Did you ever doubt me?"
Weir: "Yes. Several times."
(The Eye)
Rodney is quite likely the second least liked person in Atlantis (Dr Kavanagh is possibly more obnoxious). Everyone respects his obvious brilliance, but not many have much patience with his blunt arrogance. Some of his quirks can be irritating to those around him - he gripes about food constantly, regarding his allergy and ever impending hypoglycemia; he readily admits that he panics during crisis situations ("I react to certain doom in a certain way. It's a bad habit."); and he has absolutely no patience with anyone he thinks is less intelligent than he (which is nearly everyone). When he activates the personal shield in Hide and Seek, the "tests" the other characters perform to see how it works are rather extreme. Sheppard throws him off a balcony, admits to having shot him in the leg first, and when McKay asks one of his scientists, Grodin, to hit him, Grodin does so immediately, punching him hard in the face with absolutely no hesitation. However, the other characters (not to mention the audience) can't help loving McKay. In a way, he's very easy to relate to. He's a hardcore geek (as is David Hewlett, part of what makes him such a fan favorite), speaks his mind, is funny as hell, and at the end of the day is actually rather heroic in his way. He's saved the day thanks to his own brand of bravery almost as much as with his scientific brilliance. Already he's starting to think differently, and even other characters are pointing it out. In the first few eps, he's nervous as hell before going into a dangerous situation. By mid-season, he wants to be out there.
This character is really far too complex to be summed up in a few paragraphs. McKay must be experienced. Despite all his bad points (or maybe because of them), one can't help falling in love. Part of this is no doubt due to David Hewlett, who has a remarkable ability to portray the least likeable characters and still make you like them. He's also rather adorable, and IMO, sexy as hell (oops, is my inner fangirl showing?).
Beckett: "I'm a bloody medical doctor, not a magician!"
(The Eye)
Carson Beckett, M.D. (played by Paul McGillion) is the Chief Medical Doctor in Atlantis. He hails from Scotland, and sports a lovely accent and the occasional strange trope. This character holds an interesting position on the show, because although he's not in the main credits or even in every episode, he nevertheless gets a lot of attention. Some of the series promotion pictures feature him along with the rest of the main cast, interviews with the actor have been published on the web and in various magazines, and the character has a profile in the first issue of the Official Stargate Magazine (the only character not in the opening credits to be featured). He's even had one episode focused almost exclusively on him. It's very likely that he could be in the main credits next season.
From his first scenes in the Pilot, Carson is established as the source of much of the humor on the show. We learn that he is the one who discovered the Ancient gene, even possesses it himself, but he's dreadfully afraid of using the thing. Within the first ten minutes of the Pilot, he accidentally activates the Ancient drone weapon and nearly kills General Jack O'Neill and Major John Sheppard before managing to shut it down. He hates Gate travel, and seems to hesitate to use any form of Ancient tech. Because he is one of the few who naturally have the Ancient gene, he is taught to fly the PuddleJumpers (small Ancient ships), but balks at doing so, especially during The Storm and The Eye. He is given a P-90 in The Eye, but appears to know very little about how to use it. His true bailiwick is the laboratory - peering into microscopes, poking patients with needles, and dissecting alien lifeforms. He's responsible for patching up the injuries the Atlantis teams incur, as well as becoming the resident xenobiologist in the city. Most of what we know about the Wraith thus far, we've learned from Carson's experiments. He also develops the Ancient gene therapy (which works on the first trial, with McKay), so is obviously a specialist in genetics. No other medical doctors have been seen treating patients, though he does have a staff of nurses and other specialists such as pathologists working under him.
Beckett: "It's not that I mind lending people a hand."
Sheppard: "No, of course not."
McKay: "You're a generous man, Carson."
Beckett: "But it's the principle of the thing, isn't it? You can't go and volunteering someone for something without consulting them first. That's not even volunteering, is it? It's being pressed into service."
Episode 1.07, Poisoning the Well, gave us an entire ep devoted to Dr Beckett, a rarity for a supposedly minor, recurring character. The storyline revolves around a culture who has devoted nearly all their resources to developing a drug that will give them immunity from the Wraith. Beckett is tapped to help them out, and with his advanced knowledge and equipment, he and the Hoffan scientists are able to make a breakthrough. They perform a test on a terminally ill patient who volunteers (much to Beckett's disquiet), and the drug does seem to work, but not quite like they expected. Instead of only providing immunity, it eventually kills the Wraith prisoner they use for the test (all mourn Steve...*sniff*). While Carson insists they slow down and do more tests before leaping to any conclusions, the Hoffans disregard safety and the scientific method and begin innoculating their people. It doesn't take too long for the drug to start killing - approximately 50% of those inoculated die, including the lead Hoffan scientist, Perna, of whom Carson had become quite fond. The Atlantis team tries to convince them to stop, but the Hoffans take a vote and find in favor of continuing, preferring to wipe out half their numbers rather than live in fear of the Wraith. This has a profound effect on Carson who has unwittingly helped this happen, and at the end of the episode he says that the event has made him disagree with Churchhill's maxim, "Victory at all costs."
So far, Carson seems well-liked by most of those with whom he interacts. He and Dr Weir are on a first name basis, and when important decisions are made, he is usually included in the discussion along with the main cast. So far, we don't really know terribly much about him. He's from Scotland (most of us are assuming from the Glasgow area, since the actor was born in Paisley), is close to his mum, and thinks his homeland is beautiful but an acquired taste. Like many tv doctors, he has a very compassionate heart, and takes his oath very seriously.
The Evidence, or Why This Pairing Works
Geeks in love. It's an incredibly appealing concept, IMO. This pairing was one of the first to be jumped upon by fans; by the time the pilot had aired, a livejournal community had already sprang up. Although there is now more Sheppard/McKay slash (likely due to both being main cast members, and thus in every episode), even the 'shippers are seeing the Beckett/McKay. Which is easy to do, when you look at canon.
After the flashback prologue, the first thing we see in the pilot of Stargate: Atlantis is a Beckett/McKay scene. Both men have been assigned to the project investigating the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, and so spend at least six months working together before the series begins. (Long enough to be on a first name basis - unless they are referring to each other while talking to others, Carson and Rodney never call each other anything but their first names.) In this scene, Rodney is trying to persuade Carson to sit in "the chair", which controls the Ancient outpost. Carson is quite reluctant ("I break things like this!"), but lets Rodney convince him. Of course, Carson proceeds to nearly kill two people with the drone weapon, but no one's perfect.
These two are also one of the last things we see in the Pilot. Everyone in Atlantis is attending a celebration of sorts, and amidst all the mingling, Rodney has sought Carson out (in the background, you can see Rodney is the one to approach Carson and begin talking - quite a social achievement for McKay). They trade quips like any good buddy pairing, prompting quite a few reviewers to mention them as the "comedic duo" of Atlantis in articles. Beckett is the only character so far who I'd say McKay is truly friends with on any personal level. (Not that he doesn't care for his teammates, but I wouldn't say they're close friends quite yet.) Carson puts up with Rodney's quirks with an easy grace, able to verbally swat him like a fly when the buzzing is too much. Their teasing is rather adorable. Rodney calls medicine "about as much of a science as, oh I don't know, voodoo?", and is the one to let us know how much Carson doesn't like going through the Stargate. Carson makes up superhero names for Rodney when he has the personal shield device, pokes a wee bit of fun at him after he faints from lack of food thanks to the shield, and gently teases him when McKay suffers temporary facial paralysis after being shot in the face with a Wraith stun weapon. He also worries about him, though, especially after he thinks his gene therapy might put Rodney in danger from the shield.
(as Beckett injects McKay with a deactivated mouse retrovirus to deliver the Ancient gene)
McKay: "Are there any side effects?"
Beckett: "Dry mouth, headache. The irresistible urge to run on a small wheel."
For all that he dismisses medicine as voodoo, McKay trusts Beckett as a doctor, enough to volunteer for experimental gene therapy (not even FDA approved, so only legal in the Pegasus Galaxy). In The Eye, Rodney is briefly tortured by the Genii, who have taken over the city; he cracks relatively quickly, much to his own dismay, after receiving a knife wound on his arm (it's done through his jacket, so we don't see how bad it is). By the time the siege is over and the city is reclaimed, Beckett has received his own wound, a concussion. Rather than let the nurses or another doctor take care of his arm, Rodney bandages it himself (rather badly, on the outside of his jacket), waiting for Carson to do it himself.
McKay: "Carson."
Beckett: "Rodney."
McKay: "Just in time to see how this ends, huh?"
(The Eye)
The Eye also gives us another interesting scene. In this two-part episode, a massive hurricane-like storm is threatening the city, and a handful of people have stayed behind to try and harness the storm's energy to power up the shield that protects the city, thus saving it from the dangerous tidal waves. Most of the main cast are in separate small groups throughout most of the episode, not meeting up again until the very end. When they all converge in the control room, there's a nice moment when the two men acknowledge one another, which stands out because it is the only such acknowledgement during the reunion.
The ep that has even the 'shippers calling Beckett/McKay canon is Hot Zone. While exploring the lower levels of the city, the Atlantis scientists expose themselves to a nanovirus which causes hallucinations and death by brain aneurism. Beckett and his team don protective suits and head down to help McKay and his scientists. Carson examines Rodney himself, and acts like he doesn't want to believe Rodney could be infected (McKay: "Stop trying to convince me I'm fine, Carson."), until McKay starts seeing things. Things get a little tense and Rodney starts listing his last requests (a scene that could have been incredibly cheesy, but Hewlett pulls it off brilliantly), but he's the first of those infected to survive. The look on Carson's face when they realize Rodney is going to make it says it all.
It's still very early in this series for anyone to say of any of the characters that "they're so doing it." With Beckett/McKay, most of the appeal is the idea of friendship that can become something more. Luckily, the producers and writers have realized the comedic chemistry between Hewlett and McGillion, and are giving us plenty of interaction. McGillion has said in interviews that his favorite relationship on the series is the one b/w Beckett and McKay, which has been compared to the snarky friendship between McCoy and Spock on Star Trek, and has conveyed his desire for an episode that focuses on their friendship. Personally, I think Beckett would be very good for McKay, who for all his brilliance lacks significant human connection. They are an excellent team professionally, and just as good a match personally, with enough push-and-pull of personalities to balance each other out.
They're pretty hot together, too. Scotch and Canada Dry. Who knew?
The Fandom
beckett_mckay - the Beckett/McKay LJ Community, where much of the fic for this pairing is posted (and from which I gakked the title of this essay). So far, mostly the usual "getting to know the new fandom" type fics.atlantis100 - Atlantis drabble community.Pegasus Gate Slash Archive - Atlantis slash archive, with affiliated mailing list and LJ community.
Atlantica - All purpose Atlantis site, with new and growing fic archive.
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