My expectations are powerfully colored by the fandoms I've been in, but, dude -- all these relationships, where is my angst? It is confounding how nice and well-adjusted everybody seems to be.

There needs to be an outbreak of the un-charming kind of character flaws.

Like dandruff?

Dandruff is not a character flaw. Dandruff is like flatulence, love-handles, and allergies -- physical flaw. Although if a character were simultaneously to have dandruff, flatulence, love-handles, and allergies, he might be insecure enough to develop character flaws.

Not that I particularly want to read fanfic about black garments turning gray and sex acts being interrupted by farts and sneezing.

You're very optimistic. I was trying to match the degree of flaw to the fandom. Still, maybe Ronon could ... I guess hiccoughs don't count either, huh?

Ronon could stink up the joint with massive B.O. Being naturally stinky is a physical flaw, but being unwilling to bathe regularly would be a character flaw.

Still and all, B.O. is not so much with the interpersonal angst, so much as the Ivory jokes. When I think character flaw, I think relatively big.

If you don't think Ivory jokes around Ronon don't have the potential to get real painful real fast, you're not thinking big at all.

McKay has the love handles and the allergies (real or imagined), and an argumentative tactless personality to boot. The good writers tend to employ at least some of that in service of realism.

Give them time with the angst. Although I think they've got a good grounding with Sheppard, if they work it. Possibly an orphan, or at least on the outs with his family; nearly cashiered for insubordination and with a black mark on his record; forced to shoot his commanding officer; forced to take over said officer's command without any training or support; and now contaminated with an alien virus that can turn him into a killing machine.

Of all of them, he's actually gotten the most development on the show, it's just that we don't see him change that much in response to all that.

If he doesn't change, aren't they just events, and not actually development?

Hence my line where I said, "if they work it." The SG-1 writers are terrifically bad at actually following up on that sort of thing. And yet, if I were a trusting soul, I would think, aha! they're setting him up for some interesting stuff!

But it's Gekko, so probably not.

Shep's the Jack O'Neill of this show: he'll stay snarky and sane despite everything, and David Hewlett will get the actual character development and angsty acting.