Federal agents need sex too!

[ealgylden]

carolinecrane has posted her first Without a Trace fic (with a CSI cameo, which is nice), Circumspect, and of course it's good, full of pretty guys with bad communication skills and longing in their hearts (and other places). But it got me thinking. I rarely check ratings (they're much less important to me than pairings), so it didn't really hit me that this story is NC-17. So I was reading along, la la la, when hey... sex scene! It was a surprise, and it was also a surprise that it was a surprise (if that makes sense). The overall paucity of WaT fic of any sort had completely distracted me from the fact that this is one of the most PG fandoms I've ever been involved in. It's very... chaste.


I think that I do partially understand why it's such a small fandom, slash-or-any-otherwise, despite being a relatively popular show. Like the thirty-six flavors of Law & Order, and like CSI (the somewhat soapy Season Three notwithstanding), WaT is a plot-driven drama without mountains of character folderol. The character moments are there, yes, but they normally aren't allowed to drown out the main action of the episode (unlike on ER, NYPD Blue, etc.). Also, there tend not to be huge plot holes that cry out to be plugged by fic- while there are places where a "missing scene" story would be effective (I'm a sucker for "missing scene" fic, I admit), it isn't usually a case of "the canonical characterization/acting/dialogue/whatever makes no sense to me without this fic," as sometimes happens in other fandoms.

It doesn’t help that it's a contemporary cop show, not a scifi/fantasy show, which means no playing in a rich universe of Slayers, kryptomutants, elves and kings, angels and demons, golden-hearted space pirates, or any variation of folks with swords. It lacks the constant character intensity of family dramas like Everwood and the snappy workplace banter of the Sorkinverse. It's just people doing a tough job without grandstanding (much. Jack's a bit of a showpony), and while that's eminently watchable, it's not necessarily fic-inspiring. And in terms of "notice this!" character moments, it's tapas rather than a steak and potatoes.

And maybe all that's part of the reason for the PG-ness of the fandom. Since there are so few writers playing with these characters, there isn't the breadth of choice you see in bigger fandoms. So partially it's coincidental- the majority of the authors who've been drawn to the show tend not to write Strong R/ NC-17 fic in general. But I think it's partially a factor of the show itself. There really aren't mountains of subtext to play with. Sure, I see it, and so do some of you guys, but it's not an easy sell like, say, The Sentinel or Highlander. Martin and Danny will flirt madly in one episode and then barely have a scene together for the next three. And while one can posit (as this one is happy to do) that Danny's hair is so ruffled because he and Martin spent their lunch break somewhere other than the local deli, the casual touches, ambiguous lines and wandering eyes that provide the meat of so many slash fandoms are in short supply. Martin and Danny have a vibe (mileage varies, as ever), but it's a subtle one.

There's also the Eric Close factor, and that's definitely a YMMV situation. I think he's lovely. I have ever since I saw him in one of the original Hercules TV movies years ago (before Herc headed off on his Legendary Journeys). But I tend to agree with declineandfall in that he doesn't necessarily have an overtly sexual presence on-screen. His acting as Martin is understated, intelligent and effective, but it doesn't exactly scream "must have sex!". Not to me, anyway. I'd need to rumple him up a bit before I dragged him off to my lair.

Enrique Murciano, on the other hand, gives Danny a pretty obvious sex-drive; there's an undercurrent of sensuality throughout much of his performance, and Danny flirts with every woman, man and lamppost that crosses his path. Martin is a bit passive, flirtation-wise, and I find it tougher to imagine him making the first move than Danny. He needs to be seduced (and suddenly I have Danny-as-Clark-Gable in my brain telling Martin, "You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how." Note to self- get more sleep). And while I can see Martin responding very positively to a good seduction [points to Caroline's fic again- like that!], I understand that the pretty-but-passive element of Close's portrayal (and Close himself, even) is a sticking point for some. A friend of mine called Martin a Ken doll, glossy but not anatomically correct. I'm sure she's not the only person who sees him that way, either.

Still, I'm starting to feel bad for the boys. They're young! They're healthy! They need sex! And all they get are sweet, romantic kisses before the screen fades to black. There's a definite shortage of smut** in this wee little corner of fandom (thank the volcano gods for Caroline). Hopefully next season will slurp in more writers with a wider variety of styles, and we’ll get to read everything from chaste cuddles to rimming and more (hi again, Mom!), and there will big, complex, plot-driven epics alongside the fluffy, slice-of-life vignettes. Fingers crossed.


** To which statement the traditional response would be, "So why don't you write it, if you want to see it so badly?" Except that the last time I wrote fiction I was in junior high, and those muscles have pretty well atrophied. Ah well.

Anyway, tonight we get Nick vs. bats on CSI (I thought the case was ooky but Nicky was very cute), followed by "Kam Li," one of my least favorite episodes of WaT. It's not bad, just uninspired (though an uninspired WaT is still better than most of what's out there). No real Danny/Martin goodness that I remember, but we do get some background/character development on Martin, so all is not lost. Plus, Winston Zeddemore and Holland Manners are in it.


And now I'd better eat something before I pass out. How did it get to be so late already? The day has just vanished.