Redial the Gate: some meta on Nick Ballard

[fignewton]

grav_ity has just posted a delightful recap of Crystal Skull over at redial_the_gate. There's sure to be some great discussion there, but I wanted to encourage some thoughts on another subject: Nick Ballard.

Most fanfic writers tend to demonize Nick. He's a cold-hearted, selfish creep who puts his own crazed obsessions over the life of his grieving grandson, abandoning him to a series of foster homes where he will be cruelly abused and traumatized, because no one realizes he's more comfortable speaking Arabic than English, and anyway, the one family that was really nice to him couldn't adopt him because Nick refused to sign the papers, and...

Erm. Yeah.

As we discussed back when we did canon vs. fanon on pre-series Daniel, all we really know about Daniel and Nick, pre-series, are these facts:

1. Nick took Daniel to a waffle house after the funeral.

2. Nick did not take custody of Daniel.

3. Daniel visited Nick regularly before they had a final argument and falling-out over Daniel's theories.

The rest of it? All fanon.

Now, Daniel calls him, and I quote, "The great explorer, the not-so-great grandfather Nicholas Ballard." But despite his reference to their disagreements - "Oh, please, he kicked me out. We had a huge fight." - Daniel is quite surprised when Janet tells the team that the doctors told her that "any friends of Dr Jackson's are welcome." So how much of Daniel's perceptions of Nick are based on assumptions, and how much is reality? Everyone talks about Daniel's "abandonment issues," but do we have any canon proof that he actually has any?

If you consciously set aside the fanon condemnations of Nick, what are we really supposed to make of him? randomfreshink suggested once that Nick might have felt he was making the best possible choice for Daniel - he was older, he didn't have the right temperament or patience to deal with a small child, and he couldn't offer Daniel the proper stability he needed. How plausible do you find that theory? Nick is unquestionably conniving and manipulative - he virtually blackmails Jack into bringing him to the SGC, and he takes advantage of Daniel's inability to speak for himself to finagle his way onto the planet. But to be fair, it looks like Daniel inherited that particular trait in spades. "Oh, yes, I can find the address on the other side of the Stargate and get the team back. Sure I can." Sound familiar, anyone?

Was it cruel of Nick not to take Daniel? Do you think they had any ties other than blood? How much did Daniel know Nick before his parents died? He cared enough about him to keep in touch after he'd grown older - from the dialogue in the ep, it seems that they only parted ways a few months before Daniel first stepped through the Stargate. Was their relationship only a professional one, archaeologist to archaeologist?

My question isn't how likeable we find Nick - I can't say I like him very much myself. My questions is, does Nick deserve the pillorying he gets from fanfic, and is there another, canon-based way to perceive the character?

A few other questions on the lighter side: Daniel, why are you the last one to go back through the Gate when it nearly shut down on you last time? And then, isn't it amazing how the team knows to conveniently leave space for him in the middle as they walk down the causeway?

Was anyone else utterly charmed at how Nick introduced himself, pointing to his chest and pronouncing his name? That must be genetic, too - it's exactly how Daniel introduced himself to Sha'uri in the movie, and we see him do it time and again in the show.

Also, this is the only episode in the entire series (and SGA, if you want to include his guest-appearance there) where Daniel is not only unfazed by the prospect of radiation, but actually argues in favor of longer exposure! Of course, this is before Meridian, but we've seen Daniel nervous about radiation as early as Singularity....

Comments

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

Yes, here definitely was a relationship, so even if Daniel wasn't raised by Nick, there's plenty of reason to call the "abandonment issues" thing into question. I don't know how much help Nick could've been with opening doors for Daniel, though - he'd been disgraced for decades. That's like our Daniel trying to, say, get Nyan a job in academia without using SGC clout - his rep would hurt, not help.

obviously Daniel's parents found and excavated a temple

Just to play devil's advocate here :) - do we know that? Just because they were setting it up doesn't mean they'd actually found it. Occam's Razor says they did, but I want to point out that we don't actually know...

I do agree that the multiple languages does suggest broader travel, although simply by virtue of the family he would've been exposed to several (his parents would speak Arabic, even if they never took him to Egypt, so he'd pick it up from them; he'd learn Dutch from Claire and Nick).

Yes, I agree with the "kid in picture is other foster child, or even natural child of foster parents." It's the only that makes sense, really. And, like you, I picture Daniel having an amicable relationship with his foster parents, but not a very close one.

[randomfreshink.livejournal.com]

Just to play devil's advocate here :) - do we know that? Just because they were setting it up doesn't mean they'd actually found it

I do think the evidence that they found it is pretty much not in question actually. First off, they're not setting it up in Egypt -- meaning getting something like this out of Egypt is not easy, and so there has to be some major connection there.

I could see one of the Dr's Jackson being hired to be a consultant to assemble an exhibit - but two? Doens't seem likely (given museum budgets). Also, the Jacksons are so obviously in charge of everything--directing the workers, holding the plans for reasembly. And being so deep in what's going on--so excited by it--that to view this as just something they got hired in to do doesn't really go with the facts.

They're also dressed far more informally than they should be if they were desk acacemics, or museum staff hired on to handle this.

So I think the family pattern is the stuff they discover up keeps getitng them in troulbe (Nick with his skull, the Jacksons and their temple, Daniel and the Stargate he opens.)

[sg-fignewton.livejournal.com]

So I think the family pattern is the stuff they discover up keeps getitng them in trouble (Nick with his skull, the Jacksons and their temple, Daniel and the Stargate he opens.)

Hee! Oh, for the win. :)