Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[ForeverSg1]

Evening everyone....here's another one for ya

Guess that episode:


Rename this episode or add a caption!

I kept thinking of this caption as I was uploading the picture.

Sam: Oh, say can you see!
or
Sam: O Canada!

I figured I'd do both since Sam is American but AT is Canadian hehe

[Skydiver]

Evening everyone....here's another one for ya

Guess that episode:


Rename this episode or add a caption!

I kept thinking of this caption as I was uploading the picture.

Sam: Oh, say can you see!
or
Sam: O Canada!

I figured I'd do both since Sam is American but AT is Canadian hehe

Sam discovers precisely where Jack keeps his stars.

[astrogeologist]

Sam could have been a walking cliche. She could have been really dull as an Über Geeky Scientist or over the top as a Rambo wannabe... but AT made even the most ridiculously complicated material interesting and attainable. Her character is a soldier that does what she's told, killed who knows how many enemy soldiers in the line of duty - but AT managed to bring pieces of her personality and character in and as a result, Sam never seemed to be trying to be masculine.

No matter what she does, she maintains her strength and presence without losing her femininity...

Very well stated, Uber!

[NearlyCircular]

More guess-the-episode clips. No hints this time because you all are just too good at this.

Clip 1

Clip 2

NC

[NearlyCircular]

Sam discovers precisely where Jack keeps his stars.

ROFL!

NC

[Agent_Dark]

More guess-the-episode clips. No hints this time because you all are just too good at this.

Clip1

Spoiler:

Smoke and Mirrors

Clip2

Spoiler:

Small Victories

[NearlyCircular]

Clip1

Spoiler:

Smoke and Mirrors

Clip2

Spoiler:

Small Victories

Got them! Reward yourself with some blue jello.

NC

[Skydiver]

just some cross postage for those of us that don't get out much

[Please forward to any interested person or forum]

Yes, it's that time of year again: Time for you, the fans, to honour
those you consider to be the best of the Stargate fandom.

We have a lot of new and exciting changes this year. Are you an
Atlantis fan? You'll have the opportunity to nominate your favourite
authors, artists, and vidmakers from the Pegasus galaxy because we've
included Atlantis in the Stargate Fan Awards. The awards for Atlantis
will run at the same time as those for SG-1 and will offer all of the
same categories.

We also have a new Awards site. Come check out our 2005 look at
http://www.stargatefanawards.com/

When you're there, please remember to read the Rules and Regulations -
- and you may also want to check out our new Help area (which
includes our FAQ). This year we're excited about bringing you a
completely new layout for the Awards process, which means a different
nomination method than that used in years past.

We will be open for nominations on March 14 2005, so now is the time
to start making notes on the stories, art, websites, and videos you'd
like to nominate. Nominations will be open for four weeks.

As always, if you have any questions or comments you can reach the
Team via email <[email protected]>, through the contact form
on our website, or by joining our Awards Discussion list <SG1Awards-
[email protected]>.

Go forth and nominate!

The Stargate Fan Awards Team
http://www.stargatefanawards.com/

_____

and you know, as someone who used to work for the team, fic about the less popular characters (ie anyone but jack or daniel) tends to not get nominated as much as fic about the popular characters/pairings (jack/daniel, jack, daniel, jack/sam)

so, if there's any fic, sites, artwork, vids, etc that you like, head on out and nominate it

[chocdoc]

I think it's a combination of the actor and the writing. The writing has to give them the opportunities to shine and the chances to be seen as heroic, a positive role model, and yet friendly. And then the actor has to take advantage of the scenes (if they are written for their character).

I wrote some of this earlier in the thread, but I want to take it a bit further here: When I first saw Stargate, I watched it with the judgemental eyes of someone with several decades of science fiction novels, movies and TV behind me. And the movie just didn't cut it as top-level scifi - I saw it as a B-grade scifi movie and I didn't connect with any of the characters in a sympathetic fashion.

So when they made it into a TV series, I wasn't expecting much and only caught pieces of a few rerun episodes in syndication in weird times on local independent stations... say while channel flipping after 1am in the morning...

But then, one day, a little over a year or so ago, I caught the beginning of Forever In A Day... and there was the lead female character working shoulder to shoulder with the guys as they fought a pitched battle against the bad guys (Jaffa, I later found out). The female wasn't overly butch or macho... and yet there was simply no reference to her being female! She was simply one of the team as they all worked their automatic weapons on the bad guys. And then, she picks up the RPG and launches a grenade at the bad guys - and that's a big piece of weaponry - very macho - and usually only handled by the lead macho guy. But in this scene, the female soldier (Sam, as I later learned) didn't look macho - she just looked competent. And yet she didn't look like an emotionless, hard-hearted soldier either... she shot the RPG and then picked her automatic weapon back up and rejoined the basic firefight. No fanfare. Just competence.



So, I'm sitting there stunned at how well that scene was done - and how much I hadn't expected it. After more than 3 decades of scifi, I was used to seeing the male macho lead who is also smart and sexy and solves almost all of the galactic problems... is never wrong (in the end) and has heroic scenes in every episode. And the female characters are usually not-so-heroic... wrong quite often (because it's the male lead who gets to be right)... not nearly as strong in character, and, of course, dressed in something sexy all the time... skin tight 'uniforms' (catsuits) or something in leather that leaves lots of skin exposed and looks like it belongs on a movie set for the Amazons or 'Invasion of the Alien Sluts'. This intro scene in FIAD surprised me and I started trying to figure out when the syndicated reruns were being shown so that I could catch more of them.

I came to realize that the idea of the Stargate allowing them to explore the galaxy was a really cool scifi idea (this wasn't how it was presented in the movie - in the movie they only talked about the gate going to Abydos).

And then there was Sam Carter. Wow! Did they do a good job with her character or what? Yes, there were still lots of things written in the classic fashion for the female character (like when she stupidly stands up to get shot in The Nox)... but there were so many moments where they 'broke the mold' that I was willing to let the more standard stuff slide (just wince and hope its over soon).

It didn't take long for me to get onto Amazon.com and buy the DVDs (trying to catch the shows in syndication on independent stations is frustrating). When I got to see Season 1 in its entirety (and in order), I winced at the 'reproductive organ' lines... and at the scenes in Emancipation, Broca Divide and Hathor and such... but then I was completely in awe of how well they wrote other scenes for this female scific lead. Singularity was simply fantastic. Seasons 2 and 3 were also wonderful - and I think what struck me was what chocdoc or deepspace said awhile back on our thread -- Sam was being treated as an equal amongst the scifi hero leads. She was getting 'equal screen time'... what seemed to be an equal amount of large heroic scenes... and, quite frankly, I was blown away and it put a great big grin on my face!

Over the first three to four seasons, they developed the character and added depth and scifi to her character (e.g. Jolinar), and yet they allowed her to show her human side and her feelings (e.g. Secrets, The Tokra, Enigma, etc.). Overall they developed a fantastic character.

And then there was AT - the actress who made it happen. Who took the lines and scenes as written and played them differently than I'd ever seen a female scifi lead play them. She didn't come across as the female who used her femininity to get what she needed from the guys - in fact, she was written and/or played as if she wasn't even aware of her affect on the guys most of the time - and that is definitely not something I was used to seeing in the female lead of any scifi show! And I love that shyness that AT gave to the character of Sam Carter. Shyness and humility and a lack of arrogance or obnoxious ego. She doesn't need to assert herself because she's comfortable with her own competence - she knows what she can do and she doesn't need to prove it every minute of the day.

I was also extremely impressed that AT didn't play Sam Carter as an Ice Queen or a butch macho military woman. And I really think this is AT coming across on the screen - she just seems... 'nice'! And how cool is that? As someone said earlier - she seems like she'd make a great friend! In most scifi shows, or even cop/detective shows and such, the female leads often come across as a bit reserved or cold to me... like they've had to deal with the hard realities of life as a 'woman in a man's world' and there is a bit of hardness to their faces quite often (unless they turn on the sex appeal to get something)... but AT doesn't show that sort of face very often... she just looks like... a person... someone who could be a friend or relative. Somehow AT comes across as real to me on the screen. All I can do is applaud loudly for her accomplishments at something that very few are able to do.

I honestly don't think that Sam Carter would be nearly the positive female lead that she is if someone other than AT had been cast to play her.

Since participating in this thread, you have all shown me even more of the positive scenes, lines and aspects of the character of Sam Carter. I can't thank you all enough! This thread is fun and I have a greater appreciation for AT as an actress and for Sam Carter as a character.

Astrogeologist,

Thank you for writing this wonderful post!!! And also thanks to others such as Uber for their thoughtful posts.

Like AstroG, I also was not impressed with Stargate the movie. I liked the first half and thought it had so much potential, but then the second half just bombed for me. I really enjoy science fiction films and so when I believe they are bad, it is really disappointing! I loved scifi as a kid (such as Lost in Space, Time Tunnel, Land of the Giants, etc--not good shows really, but you know, when you're a kid, they are cool!). I love scifi as an adult, both in film, tv, and books.

Because I disliked the Stargate movie so much, I almost did not watch the series, but decided from the beginning to give it a try. I couldn't pass up trying out a new scifi series! I cringed with the first few episodes, but even then I liked Sam Carter---I cringed at the writing, not her character, and thought there is a lot of potential here---how often do you see an astrophysicist who is a captain in the Air Force, who can hold her own in two male dominated fields, and is physically fit. I was instantly hooked on the character, and by the last half of the season Sam Carter became an outstanding character in scifi with episodes like Singularity, Enigma, and Solitudes---for me the most outstanding character in scifi. From the beginning, AT played Sam as a multidimensional complex character. I too think that no one could then or now play Sam Carter like AT.
AT made and still makes Sam Carter a believable character that makes you care about her---you can feel what she feels whether it is bravery, exhaustion, anger, hurt, determination, vulnerability, conviction, shyness, fear, silliness, or happiness.

Thanks to AT for bringing Sam Carter to life for a large audience to enjoy and appreciate!!!

[astrogeologist]

So perhaps I should thank RDA for his limited time on screen because it gave me a chance to get to know Sam, and to feel that, were she a real person, she and I could relate to each other as friends. We could discuss the difficulties we both have at expressing feelings for a guy we care about, our concern that we don't always live up to the expectations of others and the problems associated with designing a more stable Naquadriah FTL drive (that one's been a problem for me lately).

I love that you and Sam share a lot of common problems in life and love. And, darn it, those Naquada reactors and FTL drives are just the bane of the work week ... what's a girl to do?!

ROTFL! Thanks so much - you guys are great!

[astrogeologist]

Evening everyone....here's another one for ya

Guess that episode:


Rename this episode or add a caption!

I kept thinking of this caption as I was uploading the picture.

Sam: Oh, say can you see!
or
Sam: O Canada!

I figured I'd do both since Sam is American but AT is Canadian hehe

Can't place the episode...hmmmm....

More guess-the-episode clips. No hints this time because you all are just too good at this.
Clip 1
Clip 2

The first one completely stumped me, but I really like Sam's statement! The secone one, I could see them standing on the ramp after saving the world (again)... but couldn't come up with the episode title. Kudos to AgentDark for nailing both episodes!

This is lots of fun - please post more!

[astrogeologist]

Seeing as everyone is inventing new games, I was wondering if anyone would like to "continue the story". I have written a short start. It's not particularly good or funny, but I'm hoping you guys can bring that into it.

THE LOST ELDER
A story of the city of Samanda

Majorsam was sitting in the great hall of Samanda by herself, bored. She had just decided to go to the fridge and get some jello when the large double doors of the Samandan court burst open. It was the royal Page, panting and flapping a piece of paper around in the air.
“Madam President, we have a matter of utmost importance. A message for you from, um, well, a system lord. No name specified. He claims he has captured our Wise Elder, Nearly Circular.”
“Let’s see”, said Majorsam taking the paper. It had a wax seal on it, imprinted with a symbol of an atom . It was not the insignia of any of the known system lords.
“How is this possible, the goa’ulds jaffa could not have possibly gotten past our Head of Security Agent Dark.”
“Zatted”, replied deepspace.
“Oh god, how many times?”
“Only once, but it was one of those strong ones. You know how they can vary.”
“Ok, get me Vice president Sally immediately, and round up a team, oh, and tell them combats and camouflage.”
“Yessir.”
“And check at the royal observatory for anything unusual that might have been sighted in the past 24 hours.

***

After receiving the news vice president Sally immediately began to collect all the citizens of Samanda inside the great hall. Majorsam was preparing a small team consisting of the Jester Chopingal, the Accountant Coley, and AstroG, the Keeper of the flame. When she had their attention she said “Ok folks, we have a possible location for a cloaked ship just six Ks north of here. We’re going to approach with caution and attempt a search and rescue. Dancer of Spaz, you’re our Lurker Extroidinaire, so I want you to go ahead and, well, lurk. Try to gather as much info as possible on our enemy target.”
“Madam president, do you think maybe we would do better without wearing our orange t-shirts? They don’t exactly, er, blend in with the surroundings”, replied the lurker.
“Right, then kit up in standard issue BDU’s. Kat, I’m afraid I need the royal nanny to stay here and help sally look after the citizens. Oh, Uber, do we have a photo of the Elder to show the locals, incase they’ve seen her?”
“Um, not sure”, replied the royal photographer.
“Just a sec”, said astroG. “Let me check my archives. Here we go, found one.”



“Er, is this the only photo of reference that we’ve got?”
...

ROTFLMAO! Deepspace - this was hilarious! And so in character for the denizens of the SaGC!
Definitely worthy of some royal blue jello!


First - you must continue this story (I'm not going to try, because I can not do justice to what you have started - and I love your writing style!). Second - you should write a fanfic (not about the SaGC, but about SG-1) - you write well and you would undoubtedly go a great job of writing Sam, Jack, Daniel, Teal'c and the rest.

I really loved season7. Like you said, it was kind of like the year of sam.

Am off now to download and archive your wonderful comments from Season 7.

[Agent_Dark]

Evening everyone....here's another one for ya

Guess that episode:

Its from Fallen right? Where Sam's just given her 'Star Wars' breifing and O'Neill tells her how crazy the plan is and she asks him wether its more crazy than blowing up a sun or riding and asteroid through the earth.

[astrogeologist]

Its from Fallen right? Where Sam's just given her 'Star Wars' breifing and O'Neill tells her how crazy the plan is and she asks him wether its more crazy than blowing up a sun or riding and asteroid through the earth.

And I have to say that 'riding and asteroid through the earth' has to be one of the grandest scifi ideas of the entire Stargate series. And it was so understated! Blowing up a sun? That's nowhere near as mind-bending to me as riding an asteroid right through our planet! Just pop it into hyperspace... here... then pop out again on the other side... and the billions of people on earth just go on with their lives! Definitely a bold sci fi idea...!

[Agent_Dark]

[Please forward to any interested person or forum]

Yes, it's that time of year again: Time for you, the fans, to honour
those you consider to be the best of the Stargate fandom.


so, if there's any fic, sites, artwork, vids, etc that you like, head on out and nominate it

Yep, I'm off to nominate some of my favourite Sam fics