Thinky thoughts...

[agilebrit]

First off, icon. Because I love making my fandoms collide:



If Tony doesn't have a t-shirt that says that, he totally should.

Second of all, meta!

So, we're watching S3 of BSG (as we do), and the difference between a character like Gaius Baltar and Tony Stark struck me.

Why do I loathe Gaius and love Tony? Hotness is not a factor; Gaius is handsome, brainy, and occasionally gets a sarcastic zinger off. Also, glasses. Did I mention the accent? *drool*

And then I knew.

Tony Stark is a Rogue.

Gaius Baltar is a Weasel.

Tony will pretend to go along with a terrorist group, and pretend to build their weapon, and stall for time--and then kill them dead. He may be a bit of a bastard, he may be an alcoholic, he may be an irresponsible little boy with lousy impulse control...but in the end, he'll do the right thing for the right reasons. And he might die trying.

Gaius, on the other hand will do anything to preserve his own skin. The man has no principles whatsoever, other than "What's best for Gaius." He will lie, cheat, steal, and sell out his own species if he thinks he's going to die. And that's as far as he takes it. He's not scheming to betray the Cylons later, all he's doing is figuring out how best to stay alive for the next three seconds. He doesn't have ulterior motives, and he doesn't have angles.

So, the difference is, the Rogue is redeemable. Sawyer will run into a burning building to save Claire. Rhett will join the army after the war is lost. And Tony will build a suit to kill terrorists with. But Gaius will always be a Weasel.

Then again, I hope that Gaius surprises me one day.

Comments

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

Well said!

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Also, Tony totally has better hair than Gaius.

There went my credibility.

[ithildyn.livejournal.com]

I'd trust Tony to watch my kids (if I had any) but I wouldn't let Gaius anywhere near them. Tony might teach them how to blow up their swing set, but his heart would be in the right place [g]

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

Gaius would totally hand my kid over to the Cylons without the glimmer of a second thought if he thought he'd live three seconds longer by doing so. Tony, not so much.

[texanfan.livejournal.com]

Gaius will never surprise us because you are completely right, he's a weasel.

I don't know about the right reasons on Tony. I note that he didn't declare any kind of war on injustice, just the people who hurt him. That and the people using his toys without his permission. This gives him tons more bravery and principle than Gaius, but it doesn't make him a champion.

I've really loved being surprised by Sawyer this past season though. :)

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

And see, I wasn't surprised by Sawyer at all this season. I knew he had it in him--he just had to deal with his personal demons first.

With Tony, I don't think it's a matter of "My toys! You no have!" It's more a matter of "I built these things to protect AMERICAN interests, because I believe in this country, and the BAD GUYS have them now, and this is wrong." He also says more than once that he wants to "protect the people." So, I think he's a little more noble than you're giving him credit for.

But then, I freely admit my bias. ;)

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

Your obsession is so cute!

I've not seen Tony Stark in action, but Gaius Baltar is a weasel. I felt a small sensation of pleasure at the thought of him perishing in an earlier episode...

[agilebrit.livejournal.com]

You need to see Iron Man. Seriously, we go to a lot of movies, and this is the best one I've seen this year. Tony is the classic "Rogue with the Heart of Gold," and we love him and root for him and ache for him.

I haven't had something catch hold of me like this since Firefly.