Why I hate Kaidan Alenko.
I've been putting some thought into why I have such strong angry feelings about Kaidan Alenko, and have come to a conclusion. Serious discussion, not a rant.
Note: This does not entirely apply to Ashley Williams.
Let it first be made clear that I did not hate Kaidan in ME1. I romanced Kaidan.
I don't hate Kaidan because I'm bitter about Horizon. I am bitter about Horizon, and that colors my vision in a way. But in this case, my anger at him for Horizon is not my reason for hating him.
I hate Kaidan because I hate everything he represents. Shepard goes out of her way to save the galaxy. Several times over. And she gets grounded and the Alliance takes her ship. Kaidan follows orders like a good little soldier, showing no initiative whatsoever. He gets promoted to a serious leadership position and made a spectre.
I do not believe Kaidan deserves spectre status. Spectres need to have initiative, and they need to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Kaidan has neither of those qualities. It almost feels like Udina just looked for the closest Alliance soldier rather than looking for the best. I'm certain there are better candidates out there, but it seems that convenience was a factor in this case.
There are many of Shepard's party members throughout the games that I feel could make very good spectres. Garrus is the obvious choice here, but there are several others--Miranda if she hadn't been working for Cerberus would have been fantastic, for example. Thane, also, in his younger years. But as far as Kaidan or Ashley? I don't believe they earned it. They are not Shepard's equal--or even close.
As for Ashley? She shows initiative, which is a huge boost for her. She isn't afraid to voice her own opinion, but she still follows orders when necessary. Her obsessive loyalty to the Alliance could be a problem, since the spectres work for the council. Not as bad as Kaidan in any case, IMO, since her promotion didn't take her as far.
And, going on about the promotion thing, I see Kaidan outranking Shepard as an issue aboard the Normandy. Though Shepard has been given command of the ship, Kaidan may still be able to pull rank. On the other hand, he's not really the type. Same reason he makes a bad spectre would make him a good member of your team.
Anyways, these are my thoughts on the whole situation. If anyone reads this I'll probably get a few flames--Ash and Kaidan are insanely popular. But this is my position on it all.
Note: This does not entirely apply to Ashley Williams.
Let it first be made clear that I did not hate Kaidan in ME1. I romanced Kaidan.
I don't hate Kaidan because I'm bitter about Horizon. I am bitter about Horizon, and that colors my vision in a way. But in this case, my anger at him for Horizon is not my reason for hating him.
I hate Kaidan because I hate everything he represents. Shepard goes out of her way to save the galaxy. Several times over. And she gets grounded and the Alliance takes her ship. Kaidan follows orders like a good little soldier, showing no initiative whatsoever. He gets promoted to a serious leadership position and made a spectre.
I do not believe Kaidan deserves spectre status. Spectres need to have initiative, and they need to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Kaidan has neither of those qualities. It almost feels like Udina just looked for the closest Alliance soldier rather than looking for the best. I'm certain there are better candidates out there, but it seems that convenience was a factor in this case.
There are many of Shepard's party members throughout the games that I feel could make very good spectres. Garrus is the obvious choice here, but there are several others--Miranda if she hadn't been working for Cerberus would have been fantastic, for example. Thane, also, in his younger years. But as far as Kaidan or Ashley? I don't believe they earned it. They are not Shepard's equal--or even close.
As for Ashley? She shows initiative, which is a huge boost for her. She isn't afraid to voice her own opinion, but she still follows orders when necessary. Her obsessive loyalty to the Alliance could be a problem, since the spectres work for the council. Not as bad as Kaidan in any case, IMO, since her promotion didn't take her as far.
And, going on about the promotion thing, I see Kaidan outranking Shepard as an issue aboard the Normandy. Though Shepard has been given command of the ship, Kaidan may still be able to pull rank. On the other hand, he's not really the type. Same reason he makes a bad spectre would make him a good member of your team.
Anyways, these are my thoughts on the whole situation. If anyone reads this I'll probably get a few flames--Ash and Kaidan are insanely popular. But this is my position on it all.