Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[hrh36]

Meandering back to the Favorite Sam Pic challenge,
here's another of my all-time favorite Sam pics




And that smile in that photo! Just makes me smile, can't help it!

Maybe AT was thinking about how much she liked working with hubby on the set.

hrh

[astrogeologist]

But here is one last tidbit for tonight about Amanda mentioned this past weekend. Christopher Judge & Michael Shanks were on the same panel when they were told they only had 2 minutes left on stage they said they would quickly answer the questions of the 12 people still in line waiting to ask questions - It was fun watching them answer things in lighting round fashion running back and forth from one side of the stage to the other. Someone asked Christopher why they changed the style of hats they were from Season 1 & 2 to the new style in S3. Chris said "Amanda was having hair issues!"

http://img250.echo.cx/img250/9048/01x065f00234md.jpg
http://img250.echo.cx/img250/9754/01x065f00350ae.jpg
http://img250.echo.cx/img250/762/3x075f0061nh.jpg
http://img250.echo.cx/img250/5701/3x075f0123dp.jpg
http://img250.echo.cx/img250/5294/hat7bi.jpg

Great Sam pics...I prefer the later season hats too so I'm on board with AT on that one...

I'm on board with those later season hats too! Much better than the floppy fishing-hat look And - great pics, tsaxlady!

[astrogeologist]

*takes deep breath and pokes head through door* Hello! I've been reading this thread for the past few...well, weeks, I suppose...and thought it was about time I actually posted something! Sam's been my favourite tv character and role model ever since I first started watching the show. Amanda Tapping is amazing!!! My fave Sam eps are 'Learning Curve' and 'Urgo' for the humour and great interplay between characters, 'Grace', 'Threads' and 'Moebius' for AT's amazing acting and 'Death Knell' and 'In the Line of Duty' for sheer Sam brilliance!
The main reason I'm finally posting (!) is because I was re-watching 'Gemini' today and got a bit freaked out by all the changes that have hit Sam over the last two seasons. Does anyone else think that some - just a little bit! - of her 'morality', for lack of a better word, has begun to slip away? I mean, when she lied to Fifth and left him on Halla, we at least saw some of the effect it had on her, we know that it really tore her apart. But in 'Gemini' she tells RepliCarter to trust her and promises to help her build a new life - yet is all the while preparing to kill her, apparently without a second thought. And since the writers opened up her more feminine side, with Pete etc, how often have we gotten to see more than a few seconds of kick-butt soldier Sam?
*sighs* Hopefully this is just me being a melodramatic drama queen! And dont get me wrong, I still love and respect the Sam character!!! I just hope we see a more confident and in charge Sam in season nine. Which, btw, I probably wont be seeing for AGES, coz australian networks seem to hate sci-fi. GRRR.
Anyways, ending on a happier note, Sam rocks - no matter what the silly silly PTB try to do to her!

*realises how much written and how much sense it really doesn't make...and runs away!* please dont hate me, oh wonderful Samandans!!! You'll like me once you get to know me!!! Honest!!!

Welcome aboard, Charlie! Your concerns and hopes for Sam are shared by many. Please feel free to post here with us - we are a group of folks who share an admiration for both the character of Sam Carter and the acting range of Amanda Tapping. We don't always agree on every point... some are shippers, some arent'... some want more personal drama and some don't... but when all is said and done, we all want to see great things for Sam Carter and AT.

I can empathize with you about Gemini - I had the same qualms over the scenes that you mentioned. As a Sam-fan, I can rationalize things in Sam's favor... but it still leaves me feeling a bit odd... I loved seeing two Sam's on the screen - I love those types of episodes. But the way that they ended that particular episode rang false for me... there was no redemption for our Sam. It's one thing to have her falter and/or make mistakes and/or show vulnerabilities... but it's quite another to just leave it there -where's the heroic struggle back?

At any rate, as much as I *love* seeing episodes with two Sam's on the screen, I've watched Gemini once and I have no desire to watch it again - it makes me sad to see Sam written that way... And again, the folks on this thread have heard me say it before - it's the lack of balance that I have problems with... Sam makes mistakes, but they aren't balanced with any recovery, redemption, altruistic heroism...

As for her morality (or duplicitousness) in dealing with Replicarter (telling Replicarter that they were going to help her while at the same time reassuring Teal'c and Jack that Sam understood that they were going to have to destroy RC)... That was probably as it should have been - but I empathize with your feelings on how wrong it feels to lie like that - and I didn't want Sam to have to be in the position to have to be lying like that.

[astrogeologist]

Bringing her back in S9 and dealing with some of the fallout from Janet's death would bring us full circle. We saw Sam being drawn into Cassie's life in Singularity and Sam fighting her own emotional battles over this new, somewhat maternal, relationship. I thought it was one of the first times that Sam's vulnerability started to show. She had to go beyond her good-soldier training and deal with deeper feelings and emotions.

In S9, we could see Sam letting Cassie go as all mothers have to do once their children grow up. It would be a very nice arc and offer AT some grand acting moments. Katie Stuart would be so perfect as the original Cassie too. Most importantly, as already mentioned ... how does Cassie become a part of the Stargate program in such a way that she holds the key to SG1's return in 1969? Writers, please, don't forget the original canon - let the fans in on where you were going with this!

Great ideas, Chopingal!

[astrogeologist]

One of my favorite Sam eps is Nightwalker. Besides doing a great job commanding the mission, she also looks very cool in black. Both Teal'c and Jonas respected her position as leader. Too bad season 8 didn't show more of Sam's leadership abilities.

Hi Rogue! Good to have you join us!
Welcome to the SaGC

[astrogeologist]

Just read in the news thread that Amanda has been nominated for a LEO award for her work on THREADS! and for the life of me i can't remember who she is up against but it is only one other Actress.
I really hope she wins as her scenes with C.A was heartbreaking to watch, anyway well done Amanda on your nomination!

WOO HOO!! Glad to see others beside the people on this thread recognize what a great actress Amanda is!!! I loved the scenes with Amanda and Carmen. They were so touching. I cry every time I watch them together.

Chopingal found an online interview-article of Carmen Argenziano and she asked me to post the link for the folks on this thread

http://www.scifigate.net/threadsofdiscussion.php

[astrogeologist]

*takes deep breath and pokes head through door* Hello! I've been reading this thread for the past few...well, weeks, I suppose...and thought it was about time I actually posted something! Sam's been my favourite tv character and role model ever since I first started watching the show. Amanda Tapping is amazing!!! My fave Sam eps are 'Learning Curve' and 'Urgo' for the humour and great interplay between characters, 'Grace', 'Threads' and 'Moebius' for AT's amazing acting and 'Death Knell' and 'In the Line of Duty' for sheer Sam brilliance!

One of my favorite Sam eps is Nightwalker. Besides doing a great job commanding the mission, she also looks very cool in black. Both Teal'c and Jonas respected her position as leader. Too bad season 8 didn't show more of Sam's leadership abilities.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...e/PDVD_340.jpg

Charlie and Rogue: I downloaded and added your choices to our summary list of Carter/AT bests
Great choices, thanks for posting!

[astrogeologist]

Great new sig pic, Forever!


I'd be willing to make a webpage/gallery of your Sam pics if you want... send me a PM if you are interested

[sg-1fanintn]

I empathize with you about Gemini - I had the same qualms.....As a Sam-fan, I can rationalize things in Sam's favor... but it still leaves me feeling a bit odd... I loved seeing two Sam's on the screen. But the way they ended that particular episode rang false for me... there was no redemption for our Sam. It's one thing to have her falter and/or make mistakes and/or show vulnerabilities... but it's quite another to just leave it there -where's the heroic struggle back?

I've watched Gemini once and I have no desire to watch it again - it makes me sad to see Sam written that way... And again, the folks on this thread have heard me say it before - it's the lack of balance that I have problems with... Sam makes mistakes, but they aren't balanced with any recovery, redemption, altruistic heroism...

As for her morality (or duplicitousness) in dealing with Replicarter (telling Replicarter that they were going to help her while at the same time reassuring Teal'c and Jack that Sam understood that they were going to have to destroy RC)... That was probably as it should have been - but I empathize with your feelings on how wrong it feels to lie like that - and I didn't want Sam to have to be in the position to have to be lying like that.

Soldiers sometimes have to make tough decisions, and that's what Sam had to do in dealing with Replicarter, as well with Fifth. I'm sure she abhored what she had to do, but unless she got Replicarter to trust her, she would be unable to extract the information she needed. War is tough. The Replicators were waging war on the universe. We had to get any edge we could.

As for Sam's morality over the past couple of seasons, I don't think it has slipped at all. People (not in this thread) have accused her of being dishonest to Pete, stalking Jack, being a basket case, etc. What happened is that we were seeing a woman at war with herself. She loved one man she felt she couldn't have. She tried to let go, and she tried hard, but was unable to force herself to stop loving him or to fool herself into loving someone else. At the same time, the demands of her job increased (especially after Jack became General and quit taking the lead on their missions). And having to fight the Replicators, as well as the snakeheads, increased the stakes to our planet if she didn't make the right decisions.

I still maintain the Sam did the best she could under the circumstances. She realized she couldn't stop loving Jack when she thought he had been killed in "Heroes." Then she learned she had lost her best female friend instead. And as the ill-advised wedding approached, she discovered her father was dying. How well could you have coped? Sam is smart and tough.....but she's also human. And without all these crises, our S/J might never have reached that observatory understanding.....or gone fishing!

I think S9 will be much better for our Sam.

[sg-1fanintn]

And in response to an earlier post I made......I am not pro-Vala! I was just considering probabilities if AT didn't re-up for S10 (if there is an S10). I think Vala is a reprehensible woman too.....much more amoral than Aeryn Sun. But I bet the writers could write her a change of heart.....and I'm just saying they're considering their options if they need to next year.

Here's another idea. RDA, AT, MS & CJ have all said they would participate in any movies that might be made. Has anyone considered that's what might happen after S9? The four of them could start making movies, maybe two to four projects a year, under the SG-1 banner.

Then, Cam (and yes, maybe Vala---not for it----just saying it's possible) would form the basis to keep the weekly series running (under a new name) alongside Atlantis (which would become the flagship of the TV franchise). The more I think about it, maybe this year is all about transitions!

Oh, yes, a question: don't you just hate the Sci Fi promos that say "Meet the New Team"? I keep wanting to scream at the TV: "We don't need no stinkin' NEW team!"

And one more question: why is Gateworld suddenly posting Battlestar Gallactica stories on our home page? If I want to know what's new with it, I can click the BSG thumbnail at the top of the page.

Apparently, I'm like Jack. I have issues.

Ok.....calming down now......

[jckfan55]

My Dear Keeper

It may have something to do with my proximity to the Royal Liquor Cabinet. I told you to come join me ... even your scientific abstracts will take on a new life!

Except ... I staggered and fell behind the Royal Bar and ended up seeing many more stars than you this evening! My twinkle has a wrinkle in it ... I'm laying off the sloe gin for the rest of the night. I'll let our Royal Accountant pick up the slack!

Jester

So do you double as the Royal Barkeep?

[jckfan55]

Re S9, the more I hear that I am going to be "floored" and "blown away" by the "awesome" episodes to come the more I feel like somebody is trying to sell me a used car. Where was all this flooring, blowing-away awesomeness during much of the distinctly low-budget S8? The S9 spoilers posted to date have yet to quicken my pulse (well, maybe if Orlin comes back), quite unlike the Atlantis spoilers. A couple of the S9 storylines have a distinctly deja-vu feeling about them, too. Besides, the wholesale decimation of the cast, beginning in Heroes & continuing through the end of S8 almost certainly means growing pains & adjustments, as the audience gets used to at least five new characters—and they to each other. If a similar infusion of fresh writing & producing talent were taking place I might be less guarded in my outlook, but at present it seems like too much change in front of the camera & too little behind it.

Please forgive this rant but the insistence with which the "awesome" nature (though I'd settle for AuSam instead) of S9 is ballyhooed just agitates my B.S. detector. Of course, good execution could make all the difference, but I'd feel better if TPTB started promising less & delivering more. But that's just me. Harrumph!

Good point. I'm not holding my breath for earthshattering stories. I'll just hope for entertaining ones. With Sam in fine form, of course.

Tsaxlady—thanks for the inside info on the S9 clip. I can get out of my funk now.

[jckfan55]

Tune in next week to see Teal'c reunited with his long lost son, the young jaffa Moro'n who grew up hating the Tauri, but now must reconcile those feelings of hatred with his desire to bond with his father. Daniel attempts to keep his virtue intact and maintain his sanity as Vala continues her relentless pursuit. Meanwhile, the citizens of Samanda continue their vigil, anxiously waiting for news of Lt. Colonel Carter, who is floundering somewhere in the writer's imaginations.

NC

for a second I thought this was a real spoiler. Breathes into paper bag to stop hyperventilating in anxiety attack.

[jckfan55]

And here's a cool pic of our Sam to play with...

Guess The Episode

...or create your own episode title...
...or create a caption...

Photo is from the Official Amanda Tapping Website

Episode guess:

Spoiler:

Failsafe?

Caption: Are you sure this is where Daniel said he lost his contact lens? No wonder he usually wears his glasses.

[Uber]

A poster named Yasureyoubetcha made a really great observation regarding Sam and how she handled Replicarter. Basically, his theory, and it really makes sense to me, is that Carter overcompensated with Replicarter because of the mistakes she knew she had made with Fifth.

What do you all think? Did this Yasureyoubetcha guy get it right or what??? If he was on this thread, I'd have to blue him just for that alone...

I'm RE-posting this because I think it got lost amidst all the posts from the last day or so...and I really think it's very insightful and truly gives a good reason for why Carter treated Replicarter with almost kid gloves...