Canon vs. Fanon, part 16: Clumsy, Sneezy Geek

[sg_fignewton]

In honor of redial_the_gate doing Daniel's last canonical sneeze this week with One False Step, I hereby present the next installment of Canon vs. Fanon: Clumsy, Sneezy Geek.

Comments

[martyfan]

I agree with everything you said here, and would like to add that as far as Daniel's allergies go, there is one reference past season two. However, it is in a deleted scene, so it doesn't strictly count as canon since it wasn't in the actual episode. In "Ripple Effect," in season nine, DesertCamoDaniel is interrogated by our SGC, and during the questioning he takes a dose of meds and explains that they're for his allergies. However, as this version of Daniel is also married to a still-living Sha're, and his Abydos is still around, his situation cannot be directly applied to the "canon" Daniel. :)

[sg_fignewton]

Good catch! And oooh, don't you wish that scene had made the cut? We needed more interesting AUs a lot more than we needed to know about Martouf's love life. And Sha're! And Abydos!

Ah, well. At least your AU canon is made of win. :)

[martyfan]

After a bit of digging, I managed to turn up the original script for that particular scene, and have copied it for your amusement

[sg_fignewton]

Oh, I'd read this at the time and failed to bookmark it! Thank you.

(LOL at DCUDaniel. I immediately envisaged Daniel in the DC Comics universe...)

[beanpot]

As for Daniel getting bullied by SGC personnel - it's not only a contradiction of canon, but an insult to the people who make up the SGC.

What drives me nuts about this particular fanon myth is that it is often used to set up Daniel (or any other geek) to be rescued by someone else and lead to their one true love. I have huge issues with accepting any member of SG1 as a wilting Victorian flower who swoons onto chaise lounges at the drop of a hat.

Or that the bullies run rampant through the SGC. Because more often than not, it turns out the only members of the military that aren't bullies in these fics are Jack and Sam.

[sg_fignewton]

I can't speak to the ship fics, as I don't read those. But I've read enough annoying gen fics that mae Daniel a "wilting Victorian flower" (hee hee!) to get the point. :p

bullies run rampant through the SGC

I'm not the only one who finds that downright offensive? Oh, good. :)

[zats_clear]

nope, you're not the only one who finds it offensive...altho I will admit to a certain fondness for a Makepeace wants Daniel at any cost fic that I once read

[sg_fignewton]

::thwaps zats with the scepter of the Realm of Ship-free Stargate::

[shutthef_up]

Yay! I'm delighted to see another Fanon vs. Canon!

There is no other scene (and if I'm wrong, please do correct me) throughout the series in which we see Daniel carelessly dropping his gear or leaving things behind because he's too preoccupied with his work.

I can think of one other occasion. While it's not because of preoccupation with his work, it's rather nonsensical anyway.

Crystal Skull: When Teal'c goes back to the cavern to collect the skull, Daniel has recovered and runs after Teal'c. As he runs across the narrow bridge/path, he strips off his tac vest and tosses it down the chasm. I have to assume his sidearm is still attached. No, I have no explanation for that despite it being one of my favorite episodes. But I also wouldn't use it to illustrate him being consistently careless. It's a one-off and it isn't accidental. It's intentional, though we don't know why he did it

[sg_fignewton]

Oh, good catch with Crystal Skull! Will edit to include. Maybe it was to run more quickly after Teal'c? He barely made it through as it was.

(And WORD on that being such a great ep, all round.)

You've made that observation about early Daniel before, and I love it for what it says about him. But no, I wouldn't call it careless or sloppy as much as inexpert. The straps dragging through the dirt while he practically staggers - yes, I love that scene too! And it's an even better reflection of Daniel's gradual evolution into solider than his use of the P-90, I think.

Glad you're enjoying these! :)

[aurora_novarum]

I assumed it was to be lighter to catch up with Teal'c, who's already running full book out of the cave.

I agree with you about Daniel being sloppy with his tac vest/holster.
I do remember realizing Daniel rarely ever zipped up his vest and/or jacket because in "Between Two Fires" (I think it's that one. It's the last Tollan episode) he is zipped up tight (so are everyone else. It must have been REALLY cold filming on location that day. Heh.) It struck me as an unusual sight, and I realized Daniel doesn't often zip up in the early seasons. Considering the tac vest protection is only as good as it covers you, that is a bit careless.

Later seasons, at least 9 and 10 but may even be as far back as post-ascension, Daniel is consistently "zipped up" in his gear.

[sg_fignewton]

Slightly sloppy with zipping up his gear isn't the same as careless with it, though. I do love that trend, I really do.

And yeah, it makes more sense to be protected. But it's such a delicious Daniel quirk that really, I don't care. :)

[green_grrl]

"Oh, could you? I mean, go slow."

Just--yay. One of my all-time favorite Daniel lines. :-)

And ITA with this whole post!

[sg_fignewton]

Oh, we all do love our snarky Daniel! Glad you like. :)

[abyssinia4077]

I always figured the military-bully thing is taken from the movie when they did initially bully him and he did have to prove his worth. But it's very true we don't see it much at all beyond that except for occasional people like Simmons who, well, treat everyone in SGC like that

[sg_fignewton]

As I said, the military-bully thing is unquestionably canon from the movie. But it's only the first half of the movie, when Daniel is not only useless but (as they see it) has deliberately lied and gotten them stranded. Kawalsky, who knocked him down, is actually the first one to call him "Daniel" instead of Jackson. And since show supersedes movie...

As I pointed out, the people who try to intimidate Daniel aren't aiming specifically at him, but at getting everyone in the SGC to do their bidding. Daniel is just as intractable as everyone else. :)

Also, maybe people watched Window of Opportunity and Daniel getting his papers knocked out of his hands one too many times and assumed it happened more often?Hee! Really, it's the only time we see him too absorbed in his work to be knocked over, but half the fics out there seem to have airmen dodging Daniel as he walks through the halls, reading at the same time

[abyssinia4077]

Yep. Well, honestly, show doesn't have to superseded movie. Initially Daniel did have to prove himself to them and he did screw up and they had a reason to be suspicious but once he proved himself, well, he proved himself and they accepted it so any of that later stuff? Not so much. If nothing else, knew people would see the respect the SGC veterans have for him (and that's before they start hearing the stories and rumors and gossip)

Daniel is just as intractable as everyone else.

I would argue more than some...

Hee! Really, it's the only time we see him too absorbed in his work to be knocked over, but half the fics out there seem to have airmen dodging Daniel as he walks through the halls, reading at the same time!

Yep! But it happened again so often maybe it *feels* like more :) Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't an unknown event to have him walking around the halls reading something and people dodging around him so that it's a bit of a natural ebb-and-flow of how people move at SGC.

Re Serpent's Venom: I just

[sg_fignewton]

Yes, I'd say you're right, that the movie isn't superseded as much as part of the natural evolution of the character. ::nods::

I have no objection to the idea that Daniel is sometimes so absorbed in his work that he'll wander to a briefing with his nose in a report or a book, and that SGC personnel are used to sidestepping him. It's the same guy who dozed off with a nuclear bomb as a headrest and got distracted into reading the next page instead of answering Sam and Jack in Serpent's Venom, after all. :) But really - not canon, folks. Use it by all means, but use it lightly.

I don't see how improperly strapped equipment = fumbling, though. It does make him look more awkward to have his holster bang against his leg, but it's not as if he's ever dropped his gun.