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Meta: My Favourite TJ Moments (or Why I Love TJ)
I started out in the challenge with meta about Sam Carter and Teyla - my favourite female characters from Stargate SG1 and Atlantis respectively; now, I'm going to cover my favourite female character from Universe: Tamara Johansson, otherwise known as TJ.
While much of TJ's arc in season one was focused on her doomed love affair with Col Young, and later in season two on the triangle that emerged between TJ, Young and Varro, TJ was a great character in her own right. She was a medic having to act as the Chief Medical Officer with few supplies and not enough skill. She constantly fought for her patients; constantly worked to cure them and heal them. She was compassionate and empathic. Yet at the same time TJ was an officer, a Lieutenant, and she had skills there too; demonstrating her kick-ass attitude when she could.
Season 1, Air Part 3
If I could name a moment I fell in love with TJ as a character, it's the moment where she stealth sedates Col.Telford, who is residing in Col.Young's injured body and not respecting it. She states unequivocally that her patient comes first and as the Chief Medical Officer on board, she has the right to make the call. Up until this point, TJ had impressed for the simple reason that she was clearly out of her depth (as she wasn't a doctor, only a medic), but trying her best anyway but here is where she takes charge and assumes the authority her position provides. I have to admit, I think a lot of the reason why I fall in love here is because TJ reminds me in this moment of Janet Fraiser because I can so see Janet making the same call.
Season 1, Time
This is my favourite SGU episode and in the second doomed timeline, there is a great moment where TJ - having watched Chloe die, having watched Eli say his goodbye, having watched so many of her patients die and knowing she's unable to help them - breaks down in the corridor outside the infirmary. She's not looking for anyone to comfort her but simply can't hold back her grief and upset any longer, and is almost crawling away like a wounded animal. It's an incredibly powerful moment (beautifully acted by Alaina Huffman). This moment of vulnerability showed TJ's compassion and her humanity, and made her likeable and relatable.
Season 1, Incursion Part 2
The Destiny has just been boarded by the Lucien Alliance and their Alliance leader Kiva is throwing her weight around and starting to hurt the prisoners. But a heavily pregnant TJ keeps her cool regardless, faces off against Kiva going toe to toe with her and insists on treating the wounded. I loved this moment because it showed strength of character and bravery, and garnered TJ respect from the enemy.
Season 2, Intervention
The season opener was a roller-coaster ride of emotional upheaval for TJ as she loses her unborn baby, Carmen. But Destiny creates a false reality, a dream, in her mind suggesting that the baby has been saved by advanced aliens. The end moment of the episode when TJ sees a nebula outside of Destiny that had been in the dream, there is such a sense of hope that her baby isn't lost, and yet grief that either way TJ has lost her.
Season 2, The Hunt
It was rare that we got to see TJ be a soldier alongside her medical duties but The Hunt was great for giving us a really kick-butt TJ who despite being grabbed by the beast, patches up the soldier taken with her, tells him to find his balls or live with the shame of her rescuing his butt, fixed the radio, works out that the beast is intelligent and talks Greer into believing it too. That moment though where she tells the other soldier to buck the hell up is just perfect.
Honorable Mention: Season 1, Water - which is the only time we ever got to see TJ command Destiny. And she did a great job of it too; getting an alien life-form to trust her enough to get them off the ship. My only regret is that Universe ended too soon for us to see TJ evolve the way Sam and Teyla did.
While much of TJ's arc in season one was focused on her doomed love affair with Col Young, and later in season two on the triangle that emerged between TJ, Young and Varro, TJ was a great character in her own right. She was a medic having to act as the Chief Medical Officer with few supplies and not enough skill. She constantly fought for her patients; constantly worked to cure them and heal them. She was compassionate and empathic. Yet at the same time TJ was an officer, a Lieutenant, and she had skills there too; demonstrating her kick-ass attitude when she could.
Season 1, Air Part 3
If I could name a moment I fell in love with TJ as a character, it's the moment where she stealth sedates Col.Telford, who is residing in Col.Young's injured body and not respecting it. She states unequivocally that her patient comes first and as the Chief Medical Officer on board, she has the right to make the call. Up until this point, TJ had impressed for the simple reason that she was clearly out of her depth (as she wasn't a doctor, only a medic), but trying her best anyway but here is where she takes charge and assumes the authority her position provides. I have to admit, I think a lot of the reason why I fall in love here is because TJ reminds me in this moment of Janet Fraiser because I can so see Janet making the same call.
Season 1, Time
This is my favourite SGU episode and in the second doomed timeline, there is a great moment where TJ - having watched Chloe die, having watched Eli say his goodbye, having watched so many of her patients die and knowing she's unable to help them - breaks down in the corridor outside the infirmary. She's not looking for anyone to comfort her but simply can't hold back her grief and upset any longer, and is almost crawling away like a wounded animal. It's an incredibly powerful moment (beautifully acted by Alaina Huffman). This moment of vulnerability showed TJ's compassion and her humanity, and made her likeable and relatable.
Season 1, Incursion Part 2
The Destiny has just been boarded by the Lucien Alliance and their Alliance leader Kiva is throwing her weight around and starting to hurt the prisoners. But a heavily pregnant TJ keeps her cool regardless, faces off against Kiva going toe to toe with her and insists on treating the wounded. I loved this moment because it showed strength of character and bravery, and garnered TJ respect from the enemy.
Season 2, Intervention
The season opener was a roller-coaster ride of emotional upheaval for TJ as she loses her unborn baby, Carmen. But Destiny creates a false reality, a dream, in her mind suggesting that the baby has been saved by advanced aliens. The end moment of the episode when TJ sees a nebula outside of Destiny that had been in the dream, there is such a sense of hope that her baby isn't lost, and yet grief that either way TJ has lost her.
Season 2, The Hunt
It was rare that we got to see TJ be a soldier alongside her medical duties but The Hunt was great for giving us a really kick-butt TJ who despite being grabbed by the beast, patches up the soldier taken with her, tells him to find his balls or live with the shame of her rescuing his butt, fixed the radio, works out that the beast is intelligent and talks Greer into believing it too. That moment though where she tells the other soldier to buck the hell up is just perfect.
Honorable Mention: Season 1, Water - which is the only time we ever got to see TJ command Destiny. And she did a great job of it too; getting an alien life-form to trust her enough to get them off the ship. My only regret is that Universe ended too soon for us to see TJ evolve the way Sam and Teyla did.