bluemoonfics aka lovetheboys on ao3 and lj (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bluemoonfics) wrote2006-12-09 04:40 pm
bluemoonfics) wrote2006-12-09 04:40 pm
Stargate: Atlantis OT4 Epiphany. (Meta)
I think I've figured out why the Stargate: Atlantis OT4 resonates with me so much. Speaking as someone who has grown up with pretty mainstream examples for romance (and avidly reads conventional romance novels as well as group romance wherever I can find it...), I've always kind of marveled at my ability to take polyamory in stride. I was first introduced to it (to my best recollection, anyway) in Mercedes Lackey's Arrows trilogy, in which there are a few peripheral characters that are in a threesome relationship. I just kinda went "Oh, okay," and continued on with the story.
I don't recall exactly how else polyamory came to my attention. Possibly through MTV's Undressed which I watched when I could get alone time with the TV. I think they had something in there about it, anyway, but my memory is spotty at best.
Anyway, I’ve fallen hard for the SGA team (and the foursome) of Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex. I didn’t really know why, but this team seemed stronger to me than the first season with Ford. All respect to Ford, but he just didn’t seem to meld as well with the other three, possibly because he seemed so young to me. The actor who plays Ronon is only a couple months older than Rainbow Sun Francks, but Ronon himself has been through a lot more than Ford, or at least had some of his shiny rubbed off because of it. Ford was, I think, a little too innocent to really meld well into the other three.
Warning! Contains mild spoilers for episodes not yet shown in the US. I'll warn you when they're coming up.
So, John, Rodney, Teyla and Ronon. When I first ran across the OT4 I thought it was just entertaining, and then I started to think about it and it started to make sense. Even if you don't want them romantically involved together--or just in pairs, or whatever--you have to admit that the team works. Then I was looking through Amazon and looking at books about polyamory because I'm working on a threesome story with some of my original characters and I wanted to do some research. And I saw this book title and it was something about polyamory and astrology. Now, I only dabble in astrology; I mostly find it interesting what people tell themselves is "fated" by arbitrary measurements. Some of it's accurate, simply by sheer numbers something they say is going to be accurate about somebody.
But I'm also a pagan and believe strongly in the four elements and their properties. And the random thought occurred to me that Teyla is so a water sign. And the light bulb went off in my head. Each member of the team has an element they correspond to, at least mostly. I mean, I could point at John and say, "Air," Rodney is Fire, and Ronon is Earth. But I couldn't back it up, so I had to go out and do some research. And I found some things that I felt backed up my theory. Of course, since this is more or less hit-and-miss, I'm only highlighting the things that back up my takes on the characters, and there are some things in the links provided that undoubtedly contradict my feelings.
In my research the Four Humours came up. The Four Humors was a pseudo-medical concept from the 1600s that dictated there were four liquids that would influence the health of the body. Those same four liquids correspond to the four elements. An imbalance of one liquid or the other told the "doctors" what was wrong with the body. These came to be associated with personalities--both the good and the bad. And, of course, my initial information came from a Wikipedia entry without citations. So, take that as you will.
Since Teyla occurred to me first, let's explore water signs.
Teyla: Water
Teyla Emmagan was the first ally made by the new Atlanteans. Beautiful, charismatic and deadly, she made friends immediately with John and remains a staunch ally. "Psychologically, water is likely to be the predominant element in people who tend to be flowing, flexible, oriented toward harmony or union, and inclined toward deep feeling" (http://www.webwinds.com/myth/elemental.htm). Sounds a lot like Teyla, doesn't it? Of course, the same source contradicted itself by saying that water personalities tended to be unfeeling, but whatever.
The Humour associated with water is phlegm. Phlegmatics "are very consistent, relaxed, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality [air, John], the phlegmatic has many friends. But the phlegmatic is more reliable and compassionate; these characteristics typically make the phlegmatic a more dependable friend" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_humours)
Then there's the classic astrological correspondence. Of course, Teyla wouldn't have a Western Earth birthdate, but we can still take the elemental personality traits and cite them. "Like the water in a glass, water signs conform to the elements around them. Feelings, emotions, and deep personal conversations are what motivates and stimulates the water signs. ... Psychic and secretive are often characteristics of the water elements" (http://www.nanceestar.com/elements.html).
Of course, the same source goes on to say, "...Water signs dislike the strong boisterous personalities of the air and fire signs." Since Teyla seems to get along well with John and Rodney, I think this isn't that true. I know she finds them confusing and probably exasperating sometimes, but given their differing cultures I think this is probably to be expected.
When I think of Teyla, I picture her as cool, calm and collected. The quintessential diplomat. But she can also be deadly, quietly like someone drowning in a calm pond, or raging like a flood. She is a deep well of knowledge and emotional strength. Lots of water metaphors come to mind when I think of Teyla. Of course, the writers still haven't given us much to go on with Teyla: she remains still very much a mystery. But until we know more, I'm associating Teyla with the water.
John: Air
And not just 'cause he's a flyboy, though his strong affinity with the air does speak towards my argument. But John is very much like Teyla: he doesn't seem like much of a threat until he is. The air is all around us, and we only stop to think that it can harm us when it whips us around like toys. When John is fearsome like a tornado the best thing to do is hunker down and hope it blows over.
The Humour associated with air is blood, making John's personality type Sanguine. "A person who is sanguine is generally optimistic, cheerful, even-tempered, confident, rational, popular, and fun-loving. They can be daydreamy to the point of not accomplishing anything and impulsive, acting on whims in an unpredictable fashion" (wikipedia). Now, I've never really seen John as the naval-gazing type, but the rest of that does seem to fit him. John's always the first to say, "We can get out of this," in tough situations. As for the acting on whims, really, he probably could've programmed a 'jumper or had Rodney or Zelenka rig up a remote control so they could fly the nuclear bomb into the Hive ship, but instead he hops into the 'jumper on impulse, ready to sacrifice himself. Actually, that can be seen as kind of day-dreamy, wanting to sacrifice oneself for the cause and all that. John's a romantic.
Moving towards astrology, going by Joe Flanigan's birthdate, John Sheppard is not an air sign, but an earth sign. But since I can't find a birthdate for John here, I'm going to just go from the elemental correlation here. "Here [in the air signs] you will find the talkers and communicators of the zodiac. If you need something written or spoken, ask an air sign. Ideas seem to materialize out of thin air for them. These people are like the air we breathe. Always moving and changing. Just when we think we know them poof, they change again. Very social these air signs. If your party seems dull and no one is talking, you don't have enough air sign people to fill in the gaps between words with more words." And we all know John can talk. He can chatter and charm with the best of them. He's a skilled diplomat in that he's mastered the art of saying many words but almost nothing of substance. But when he uses just that tone of voice, you know he means business.
"Objective and rational; no emotionalism here. The air signs are so objective they can become impractical in their actions and beliefs. Superficial, these signs never want to get into heavy emotional discussions about the dreaded 'feelings' dialog that are more important to watery signs. Like the air [itself], these signs hate to be restricted. Freedom of thought and movement are their most cherished desires." Like John and his just wanting to fly, and being so very bad at taking and following orders, even from people he respects. He has to trust his own instincts first. The only bit I disagree about is the lack of emotion-driven decisions, since John has made many of those to protect his people and do what he thinks is right.
"Fire signs work well with air signs. Fire needs air to generate heat. The fires stimulate and help motivate the air signs into new ideas" (nanceestar). Well, we all knew that already. Rodney and John are a fabulous team, even if you don't want them romantically together. Their banter is enough to show their relationship, no matter what form it takes in your mind, is strong. Which, I suppose, brings us to...
Rodney: Fire
Ah yes, Rodney McKay, the man who I would want to punch in real life but who is endlessly entertaining to watch on screen. He's so...well, see if this sums him up: "Aggressive. Likes to have his own way. Easily angered and bad tempered" (http://www.sheridanhill.com/humors.html). "Can be mean-spirited. A doer and a leader" (wikipedia). All of those descriptors come from the fire Humour, which is bile, also called choler. We've seen Rodney be all these things. And somehow, despite his sharp tongue and superior airs, the scientists of the expedition follow him. That must mean he has some leadership tendencies in him.
And here, David Hewlett is actually a fire sign, though I don't think it fits his personality as well as it fits Rodney's. "Fire is bright, strong, and takes control. It wants to be in charge. You never can miss fire. Never subtle, the most confident of all the signs. When it wants something you will know! Fire people do not stop until they get what they want. Look to the fire people as the leaders. ... People look to fire people as the energy boosters of the zodiac. Want to start something with enthusiasm? Find yourself a fire sign. The motivator s and pep talk people are usually fire people." Well...that mostly fits Rodney, if he thinks a plan will work from the outset. He's very impatient to work on his own projects, but has to be poked, prodded and shoved to work on something he thinks is hopeless.
"These people are very proud and confident." But I think Rodney in particular is only outwardly as confident as he seems, especially after Doranda. I agree with most of the fanon opinions I've seen of him that while he can act extraordinarily arrogant, I think that's just him overcompensating for actual feelings of inferiority in other aspects of life or personal relationships. The kind of arrogance that Rodney has usually masks something deeper that he feels insecure about.
"Fire people can also be very arrogant and self-centered." Yeah, no explanation needed there... "Don't go to a fire person for sympathy or comforting. They just don't have the time. They are too busy getting their needed recognition. They have no patience for emotionalism or heaviness. They tend to run over the weaker, shyer signs. Generally compatible with air signs.... Without the encouragement and ideas of the air signs the fire signs would be lost. A fire sign is the boss who takes your ideas and motivates and leads all the employees to better sales and marketing while taking all the credit" (nanceestar). Wow, does that last sentence fit Rodney to a T, or what?
But for all those traits that can be seen as negative, there's also the fact that Rodney can be endearingly cheerful and enthusiastic. The best example is his glee when testing the personal shield with John in Hide and Seek. In more recent episodes (SPOILER), Rodney's enthusiasm over seeing his whale friend, and then the thrill of discovery of the lab and all this new knowledge was so adorable. It made him seem like an overeager puppy instead of, well, an asshole as he often comes off. (END SPOILER)
Ronon: Earth
Ronon Dex is the newest addition to the team. He's physically the biggest and most intimidating, and has the most weapons about his person. He's mysterious, coming from a planet destroyed almost into oblivion by the Wraith and on the run for seven years, giving him rusty people skills. The Humour that corresponds with Earth is Melancholy, from the Greek melas black and kholé bile. "Often very kind and considerate, ... but also can become overly obsessed on the tragedy and cruelty in the world, thus becoming depressed. A melancholy is also often a perfectionist, being very particular about what they want and how they want it in some cases." I thought of Ronon's weapons when I read this, and his disdain for the military weapons on Atlantis in favor of his own gun. He takes great pride in his weapons and would consequently be very picky about it" (wikipedia).
"Psychologically, [earth] is therefore predominant in persons who focus extensively upon physical reality, and who may tend toward qualities such as perseverance, inflexibility, realism and pragmatism" (webwinds). I don't think Ronon would've survived as long as he did without these qualities. Ronon is a very straight-forward thinker. (SPOILER) In The Return, Part II Ronon was the first to suggest simply shooting all the replicators. He has very little patience for Rodney's technical talk, and just wants the bottom line simply put. He's interested in what would work rather than why it works. (END SPOILER)
Astrologically speaking, Ronon is almost a pure earth sign. "The most stable, consistent and sometimes rigid of all the signs. Once they make up their minds, like mountains they cannot be moved without huge efforts. Practical, patient, reasonable, and persistent are these signs. ... Not much one for spontaneity or flexibility. (We have to leave that up to the air signs). Not as sensitive as the water signs, the earth signs are still aware of the needs and often want to serve others. These people are not much one for the limelight. If it can be done, an earth sign will do it without the need for recognition. Often so rigid, they become stuck with old routines to the point of impracticality. Fear of starting something new, earth signs can be very cautious to the point of missing a great opportunity" (nanceestar). Such as when Ronon was so hesitant to stay in Atlantis, and so suspicious of John, Rodney and Teyla when they first encountered them. But he was also willing to help in exchange for reciprocity. Ronon's usually pretty eager to jump in and help as well, especially when it involves fighting the Wraith.
Unfortunately, like Teyla, we don't know as much about Ronon's character as we do about John and Rodney. I'm not sure if this is just the writers not thinking about it enough, not giving the "aliens" enough of a concrete back story, or that we the viewers can't extrapolate as much about Ronon and Teyla as we do about John and Rodney because we're not as familiar with their cultures. But until we learn more, Ronon is a rock.
The Team
"The fast moving, changeable Air signs fascinate Earth signs though they are un-trusting of their unworkable schemes. Fire signs are too forceful for [Earth's] slower thorough nature. Earth shares with the Water signs the characteristics of retentiveness, self-protectiveness, and acquisitiveness. Water signs will sooth and comfort the worry element so often found in the earth people" (nanceestar).
Obviously the four elements work well together, or our species never would've survived at all. Water and Earth mix easiest: mud is one of the most useful natural building materials, for one thing. Water can move earth, and earth can stop water in its tracks. Likewise Fire and Air work well together: Fire needs Air to burn, and Air is given warmth by Fire. The four of them balance each other, provide strength where another is weak. The same holds true for the Team. Rodney is the thinker, Teyla's the diplomat, Ronon's the muscle and John is the charm. Together they are practically unbeatable.
I don't recall exactly how else polyamory came to my attention. Possibly through MTV's Undressed which I watched when I could get alone time with the TV. I think they had something in there about it, anyway, but my memory is spotty at best.
Anyway, I’ve fallen hard for the SGA team (and the foursome) of Rodney McKay, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, and Ronon Dex. I didn’t really know why, but this team seemed stronger to me than the first season with Ford. All respect to Ford, but he just didn’t seem to meld as well with the other three, possibly because he seemed so young to me. The actor who plays Ronon is only a couple months older than Rainbow Sun Francks, but Ronon himself has been through a lot more than Ford, or at least had some of his shiny rubbed off because of it. Ford was, I think, a little too innocent to really meld well into the other three.
Warning! Contains mild spoilers for episodes not yet shown in the US. I'll warn you when they're coming up.
So, John, Rodney, Teyla and Ronon. When I first ran across the OT4 I thought it was just entertaining, and then I started to think about it and it started to make sense. Even if you don't want them romantically involved together--or just in pairs, or whatever--you have to admit that the team works. Then I was looking through Amazon and looking at books about polyamory because I'm working on a threesome story with some of my original characters and I wanted to do some research. And I saw this book title and it was something about polyamory and astrology. Now, I only dabble in astrology; I mostly find it interesting what people tell themselves is "fated" by arbitrary measurements. Some of it's accurate, simply by sheer numbers something they say is going to be accurate about somebody.
But I'm also a pagan and believe strongly in the four elements and their properties. And the random thought occurred to me that Teyla is so a water sign. And the light bulb went off in my head. Each member of the team has an element they correspond to, at least mostly. I mean, I could point at John and say, "Air," Rodney is Fire, and Ronon is Earth. But I couldn't back it up, so I had to go out and do some research. And I found some things that I felt backed up my theory. Of course, since this is more or less hit-and-miss, I'm only highlighting the things that back up my takes on the characters, and there are some things in the links provided that undoubtedly contradict my feelings.
In my research the Four Humours came up. The Four Humors was a pseudo-medical concept from the 1600s that dictated there were four liquids that would influence the health of the body. Those same four liquids correspond to the four elements. An imbalance of one liquid or the other told the "doctors" what was wrong with the body. These came to be associated with personalities--both the good and the bad. And, of course, my initial information came from a Wikipedia entry without citations. So, take that as you will.
Since Teyla occurred to me first, let's explore water signs.
Teyla: Water
Teyla Emmagan was the first ally made by the new Atlanteans. Beautiful, charismatic and deadly, she made friends immediately with John and remains a staunch ally. "Psychologically, water is likely to be the predominant element in people who tend to be flowing, flexible, oriented toward harmony or union, and inclined toward deep feeling" (http://www.webwinds.com/myth/elemental.htm). Sounds a lot like Teyla, doesn't it? Of course, the same source contradicted itself by saying that water personalities tended to be unfeeling, but whatever.
The Humour associated with water is phlegm. Phlegmatics "are very consistent, relaxed, and observant, making them good administrators and diplomats. Like the sanguine personality [air, John], the phlegmatic has many friends. But the phlegmatic is more reliable and compassionate; these characteristics typically make the phlegmatic a more dependable friend" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_humours)
Then there's the classic astrological correspondence. Of course, Teyla wouldn't have a Western Earth birthdate, but we can still take the elemental personality traits and cite them. "Like the water in a glass, water signs conform to the elements around them. Feelings, emotions, and deep personal conversations are what motivates and stimulates the water signs. ... Psychic and secretive are often characteristics of the water elements" (http://www.nanceestar.com/elements.html).
Of course, the same source goes on to say, "...Water signs dislike the strong boisterous personalities of the air and fire signs." Since Teyla seems to get along well with John and Rodney, I think this isn't that true. I know she finds them confusing and probably exasperating sometimes, but given their differing cultures I think this is probably to be expected.
When I think of Teyla, I picture her as cool, calm and collected. The quintessential diplomat. But she can also be deadly, quietly like someone drowning in a calm pond, or raging like a flood. She is a deep well of knowledge and emotional strength. Lots of water metaphors come to mind when I think of Teyla. Of course, the writers still haven't given us much to go on with Teyla: she remains still very much a mystery. But until we know more, I'm associating Teyla with the water.
John: Air
And not just 'cause he's a flyboy, though his strong affinity with the air does speak towards my argument. But John is very much like Teyla: he doesn't seem like much of a threat until he is. The air is all around us, and we only stop to think that it can harm us when it whips us around like toys. When John is fearsome like a tornado the best thing to do is hunker down and hope it blows over.
The Humour associated with air is blood, making John's personality type Sanguine. "A person who is sanguine is generally optimistic, cheerful, even-tempered, confident, rational, popular, and fun-loving. They can be daydreamy to the point of not accomplishing anything and impulsive, acting on whims in an unpredictable fashion" (wikipedia). Now, I've never really seen John as the naval-gazing type, but the rest of that does seem to fit him. John's always the first to say, "We can get out of this," in tough situations. As for the acting on whims, really, he probably could've programmed a 'jumper or had Rodney or Zelenka rig up a remote control so they could fly the nuclear bomb into the Hive ship, but instead he hops into the 'jumper on impulse, ready to sacrifice himself. Actually, that can be seen as kind of day-dreamy, wanting to sacrifice oneself for the cause and all that. John's a romantic.
Moving towards astrology, going by Joe Flanigan's birthdate, John Sheppard is not an air sign, but an earth sign. But since I can't find a birthdate for John here, I'm going to just go from the elemental correlation here. "Here [in the air signs] you will find the talkers and communicators of the zodiac. If you need something written or spoken, ask an air sign. Ideas seem to materialize out of thin air for them. These people are like the air we breathe. Always moving and changing. Just when we think we know them poof, they change again. Very social these air signs. If your party seems dull and no one is talking, you don't have enough air sign people to fill in the gaps between words with more words." And we all know John can talk. He can chatter and charm with the best of them. He's a skilled diplomat in that he's mastered the art of saying many words but almost nothing of substance. But when he uses just that tone of voice, you know he means business.
"Objective and rational; no emotionalism here. The air signs are so objective they can become impractical in their actions and beliefs. Superficial, these signs never want to get into heavy emotional discussions about the dreaded 'feelings' dialog that are more important to watery signs. Like the air [itself], these signs hate to be restricted. Freedom of thought and movement are their most cherished desires." Like John and his just wanting to fly, and being so very bad at taking and following orders, even from people he respects. He has to trust his own instincts first. The only bit I disagree about is the lack of emotion-driven decisions, since John has made many of those to protect his people and do what he thinks is right.
"Fire signs work well with air signs. Fire needs air to generate heat. The fires stimulate and help motivate the air signs into new ideas" (nanceestar). Well, we all knew that already. Rodney and John are a fabulous team, even if you don't want them romantically together. Their banter is enough to show their relationship, no matter what form it takes in your mind, is strong. Which, I suppose, brings us to...
Rodney: Fire
Ah yes, Rodney McKay, the man who I would want to punch in real life but who is endlessly entertaining to watch on screen. He's so...well, see if this sums him up: "Aggressive. Likes to have his own way. Easily angered and bad tempered" (http://www.sheridanhill.com/humors.html). "Can be mean-spirited. A doer and a leader" (wikipedia). All of those descriptors come from the fire Humour, which is bile, also called choler. We've seen Rodney be all these things. And somehow, despite his sharp tongue and superior airs, the scientists of the expedition follow him. That must mean he has some leadership tendencies in him.
And here, David Hewlett is actually a fire sign, though I don't think it fits his personality as well as it fits Rodney's. "Fire is bright, strong, and takes control. It wants to be in charge. You never can miss fire. Never subtle, the most confident of all the signs. When it wants something you will know! Fire people do not stop until they get what they want. Look to the fire people as the leaders. ... People look to fire people as the energy boosters of the zodiac. Want to start something with enthusiasm? Find yourself a fire sign. The motivator s and pep talk people are usually fire people." Well...that mostly fits Rodney, if he thinks a plan will work from the outset. He's very impatient to work on his own projects, but has to be poked, prodded and shoved to work on something he thinks is hopeless.
"These people are very proud and confident." But I think Rodney in particular is only outwardly as confident as he seems, especially after Doranda. I agree with most of the fanon opinions I've seen of him that while he can act extraordinarily arrogant, I think that's just him overcompensating for actual feelings of inferiority in other aspects of life or personal relationships. The kind of arrogance that Rodney has usually masks something deeper that he feels insecure about.
"Fire people can also be very arrogant and self-centered." Yeah, no explanation needed there... "Don't go to a fire person for sympathy or comforting. They just don't have the time. They are too busy getting their needed recognition. They have no patience for emotionalism or heaviness. They tend to run over the weaker, shyer signs. Generally compatible with air signs.... Without the encouragement and ideas of the air signs the fire signs would be lost. A fire sign is the boss who takes your ideas and motivates and leads all the employees to better sales and marketing while taking all the credit" (nanceestar). Wow, does that last sentence fit Rodney to a T, or what?
But for all those traits that can be seen as negative, there's also the fact that Rodney can be endearingly cheerful and enthusiastic. The best example is his glee when testing the personal shield with John in Hide and Seek. In more recent episodes (SPOILER), Rodney's enthusiasm over seeing his whale friend, and then the thrill of discovery of the lab and all this new knowledge was so adorable. It made him seem like an overeager puppy instead of, well, an asshole as he often comes off. (END SPOILER)
Ronon: Earth
Ronon Dex is the newest addition to the team. He's physically the biggest and most intimidating, and has the most weapons about his person. He's mysterious, coming from a planet destroyed almost into oblivion by the Wraith and on the run for seven years, giving him rusty people skills. The Humour that corresponds with Earth is Melancholy, from the Greek melas black and kholé bile. "Often very kind and considerate, ... but also can become overly obsessed on the tragedy and cruelty in the world, thus becoming depressed. A melancholy is also often a perfectionist, being very particular about what they want and how they want it in some cases." I thought of Ronon's weapons when I read this, and his disdain for the military weapons on Atlantis in favor of his own gun. He takes great pride in his weapons and would consequently be very picky about it" (wikipedia).
"Psychologically, [earth] is therefore predominant in persons who focus extensively upon physical reality, and who may tend toward qualities such as perseverance, inflexibility, realism and pragmatism" (webwinds). I don't think Ronon would've survived as long as he did without these qualities. Ronon is a very straight-forward thinker. (SPOILER) In The Return, Part II Ronon was the first to suggest simply shooting all the replicators. He has very little patience for Rodney's technical talk, and just wants the bottom line simply put. He's interested in what would work rather than why it works. (END SPOILER)
Astrologically speaking, Ronon is almost a pure earth sign. "The most stable, consistent and sometimes rigid of all the signs. Once they make up their minds, like mountains they cannot be moved without huge efforts. Practical, patient, reasonable, and persistent are these signs. ... Not much one for spontaneity or flexibility. (We have to leave that up to the air signs). Not as sensitive as the water signs, the earth signs are still aware of the needs and often want to serve others. These people are not much one for the limelight. If it can be done, an earth sign will do it without the need for recognition. Often so rigid, they become stuck with old routines to the point of impracticality. Fear of starting something new, earth signs can be very cautious to the point of missing a great opportunity" (nanceestar). Such as when Ronon was so hesitant to stay in Atlantis, and so suspicious of John, Rodney and Teyla when they first encountered them. But he was also willing to help in exchange for reciprocity. Ronon's usually pretty eager to jump in and help as well, especially when it involves fighting the Wraith.
Unfortunately, like Teyla, we don't know as much about Ronon's character as we do about John and Rodney. I'm not sure if this is just the writers not thinking about it enough, not giving the "aliens" enough of a concrete back story, or that we the viewers can't extrapolate as much about Ronon and Teyla as we do about John and Rodney because we're not as familiar with their cultures. But until we learn more, Ronon is a rock.
The Team
"The fast moving, changeable Air signs fascinate Earth signs though they are un-trusting of their unworkable schemes. Fire signs are too forceful for [Earth's] slower thorough nature. Earth shares with the Water signs the characteristics of retentiveness, self-protectiveness, and acquisitiveness. Water signs will sooth and comfort the worry element so often found in the earth people" (nanceestar).
Obviously the four elements work well together, or our species never would've survived at all. Water and Earth mix easiest: mud is one of the most useful natural building materials, for one thing. Water can move earth, and earth can stop water in its tracks. Likewise Fire and Air work well together: Fire needs Air to burn, and Air is given warmth by Fire. The four of them balance each other, provide strength where another is weak. The same holds true for the Team. Rodney is the thinker, Teyla's the diplomat, Ronon's the muscle and John is the charm. Together they are practically unbeatable.
go OT4!
Re: go OT4!
Thanks for responding. I appreciate comments, even if I don't answer them extremely promptly....