I don't get it...
Seriously, how come I like all of McKay's possible/impossible love-interests: Carter, Katie Brown, Alina, Nola, Keller et al. -and Fran is just too cute! I would have loved for her to have become a recurring character, oh the Pygmalion-type stories we could have seen- but I really cannot stand any of the ladies of small virtue they throw at Sheppard: Chaya and all the rest including Larrin -unfortunately since that seems to be it for the poor guy now that Elizabeth and Teyla have been taken out of the unrealistic 'will they/won't they' game which TPTB clearly wanted us to waste our time upon, except that they were not fooling anyone- strike me as quite vulgar. And will most probably give him the clap...
After thinking about it mightily -ie, devoting a full 5 minutes to the problem- I have concluded that it's because:
1) the SGA writers organize all of Sheppard's hookups as one-night stands.
2) the way Sheppard seems to let his sexual urges overcome his duty to the Atlantis expedition. Chaya is a perfect example. And so is Larrin, actually: I had no problems with the last episode, 411, until I realized that he had apparently given away the location -not to mention the fact of the continued survival of Atlantis- to yet another group of total strangers. Well-done, supposedly halfway competent military commander of said city: with friends like these, it's a wonder Atlantis needs any enemies.
I really don't understand this bias, considering the fact that I am more of a McKay fan than a Sheppard fan. Logically, shouldn't I find McKay's love interests more irritating than Sheppard's? But no, to be fair, I think I like both of these socially retarded idiots equally, it just so happens that the actresses TPTB choose opposite Sheppard look so vulgar, whereas the ones they pair with McKay look so nice and cute.
Upon further reflection, I think I'd be OK with a pairing between Sheppard and any of the women we have seen paired with McKay so far. So it's really the actresses themselves, which physical type -and/or lack of acting abilities- I dislike. Pheww. That's a relief.
Or maybe my real problem is that all of Sheppard's 'girlfriends' are trying to use him or what he represents and he simply lies back and lets them do it, sometimes risking Atlantis in the process, whereas all of the women we see McKay interact with seem genuinely interested in him or at least see him as a person, not his position in Atlantis or his genes or whatever, and that by interacting with them he does not endanger Atlantis. He only sabotages his own romantic chances, usually by opening his mouth and putting his foot in, but that's besides the point.
ETA: I find this post particularly interesting, because even though I tend to disagree with most of her opinions -I am so relieved not to have to put up with Elizabeth and Carson's characters anymore- isagel's analysis of Larrin/Sheppard dynamic highlights a point which is not dissimilar to mine: Larrin does not care for Sheppard himself, she is only out to use him for her own goals.
Well, I am glad to have that sorted out, even if I may inadvertantly have established that I am a hopeless romantic. Sorry... :D
Yes, this is the kind of thing McShep fans actually ponder seriously (in case anyone was wondering what such weirdoes do in their spare time).
And on that encouraging note, a rec for all SGA or LoTR fan.