actually my biggest problem with the odyssey is that it takes away so much of odysseus's responsibility. he doesnt make a choice to sacrifice his men; it's literally given to him as the only choice. the choice of a plot line where he's basically forgotten everything (and being drugged) when he's with calypso instead of choosing to portray it as him cheating or being assaulted removes so much of the depth of his misery and background for his choices. he doesnt do the "nobody" bit with the cyclops, and he instead just has a little moment of foolish anger. the choices he does make (such as listen to the siren song) have no real consequences.

you could almost call him blameless, and it takes so much of the choice and responsibility and development away.

but his side-stepping during his conversation with abbot and his talk with whitaker in 2x9 are the first times his sabbatical isn't something he hides behind, something he uses to soften or deflect the sting of those comments about him not being here anymore.

with abbot, robby doesn't joke it off or reassure him. when jack tells him the sabbatical will be a lot of time to self-reflect and adds, you just make sure you come back. and if it gets dark, you call me, robby looks down and smiles widely with his teeth, but he doesn't answer. he doesn't promise anything. he doesn't even acknowledge him. instead, his face is taken over by an expression of amusement at the idea of ‘coming back.’ and then he just walks away!!!!!

he drops the pretense entirely when talking to whitaker; his words are direct, unmistakable: if i don't come back, you've got a swinging bachelor pad.

it's one thing to imply that the usual repercussions don't apply because you'll be gone for a while. it's another thing entirely to casually introduce the possibility that you might not return to your house, your home—the life those consequences belong to.