Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[ChopinGal]

Well I think I'll just leave the fanfic to others, because my muse just doesn't seem to want to wake up for me.


Kat

Are you kidding, Kat?! You're one of the brilliant visual artists around here! Creativity takes many shapes and forms - some of us paint with words; others with images and screencaps!

[Coley]

Citizens of Samanda,

I am delighted to announce that the Big Day was a complete success. I have finally taken my first step towards full citizenship (which I hope you won’t mind me saying took about 20 minutes longer than it should have… ), and am now eagerly awaiting the next stage in my education (or “Season One”, as I believe it is called). I have also come to the astonishing realisation that I live just a short tram ride away from the Stargate itself, although in this reality it is called “Starr Gate”, and is disguised as a go-karting track.

Hopefully, the next edition of the “Oh Yea Times” will contain a full report of my initiation into the ways of Samanda - among the highlights, watch out for the Royal Accountant's majestic "uncontrolled dismount" (luckily, she bounces quite well), and the recipe for her speciality dish of pasta, courgettes / zucchini, Parmesan cheese and crème fraiche (a delicious feast, and the side-effects do wear off after a day or so ).

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the Royal Accountant for her efforts in showing me the way forward, and especially for ensuring I was able to enjoy Stargate The Movie in complete comfort and safety - the additional wrist and ankle restraints fitted to the settee to prevent me falling off in moments of intense excitement were a particularly nice touch. And for those who care about these things, I can confirm that the RA only consumed a single bottle from the Royal Liquor Cabinet in my presence. Of course, what happened after I had left is anybody’s guess…

Finally, apologies to anybody who was looking forward to seeing a photo of a middle-aged bloke in lycra shorts, but it turned out to be a bit too cold for that kind of thing. Maybe next time, eh?

1s4S

I think that the citizens of Samanda can rely on the "Oh Yea Times" to come up with a completely one sid - uh I mean balanced report about the 1speed4Sam Stargate innaugeration.

Be assured all citizens who are worried about my well being after my MTB tumble - it was in fact a majestic flight through the air followed by a precisely executed roll on impact in response to my bike suddenly taking on a mind of its own! The mouthful of grass I ended up chewing on was a welcome supplement to the inadequate rations set aside for the day. Those of us who ride our bikes hard and fast are well versed in the zen of flying and the importance of a well timed landing!! In fact after 1speed's triple somersault over his handlebars last year I think we could earn big bucks perfoming in the circus - or even as stunt guy and gal on SG1!!

[ChopinGal]

AT - So the series has been taken over by scantily dressed eye Candy - it's just not on is it Rick!

Rick - Errr no it's a terrible shame!

Same dialogue, different speakers:

Setting: a small cottage in the heart of the English countryside; couple watching the telly ...

Coley/Royal Accountant - "So the series has been taken over by scantily dressed eye candy - it's just not on , is it Tone!"

Blacky Tone aka 1s4S (strapped down on Coley's settee) - "Err, no it's a terrible shame"

Added lines:

Coley to Tone: "Stop drooling all over my new rug! You're worse than Hugo (her dog)!"

Tone to Coley: "You can release the straps, I'm willing to stay and watch!"

[Coley]

Thank you, I really needed a good laugh today!!!!!!!! BTW, I had beans last night.....oooooooooops.

Welcome Lida!!

[Coley]

I don't think most of us were really upset by the idea of sleeveless T-shirts. I for one truly enjoyed the eye candy on the screen. I mean you have to admit, they all have gorgeous bodies and showing off their well-defined arms isn't necessarily a bad thing. I think more than anything it has to do with many of the other issues we have had with the show recently, in that what the writers have choosen to given us hasn't always been done in the proper context or at the proper time. In Beneath the Surface, I didn't have an issue with scantily clad men and women, because obviously this was a very hot and sweaty environment. This would have been a perfect episode to see Sam and the others decked out in sleeveless t-shirts( we did get to see MS and CJ), instead they dressed Sam in big bulky pajamas.

It's not a matter of the attire in itself being inappropriate, it's a matter of when and where they choose to wear it. If we are talking about a scene in the gym...then yes by all means I'ma all for sleeveless shirts. I'd even enjoy seeing our team in shorts...I have to admit I'm more of a leg gal myself. I didn't mind seeing Sam or Teal'c wearing the sleeveless T's on the gou'ald cargo ship. I mean it was just the two of them, it's was like taking a long car trip...you wanna be as comfortable as possible, right?

Now granted I've read interviews with AT where she's commented that the briefing room is on the third floor of the studios and it tends to get very hot in there and perhaps this was a compromise between the actors/producters in order to deal with the extremely heat. If this is the case, then I guess I can understand the reasoning, but in terms of it being working attire on a AFB, I think it's highly inappropriate.

Kat

Nicely put again forever

[majorsal]

Yes, just b/c we see something doesn't mean it's there ... and just b/c we don't see something doesn't mean it isn't, either. For instance, Michael Shanks & Teryl Rothery have 'fessed up to putting Daniel/Janet shippy moments in for fans of those characters (including some liplock that got trimmed from 2010) & I can cite scenes in Rite of Passage & Meridian that bear this out.

you bring up some good points. the only time i ever saw janet/daniel, and i mean *really* saw it, was in rite of passage, when they held hands a little too long in the hallway. that was shippy to me, without the usual ambiguousness that floats around shipping regulars on that show.

You can find some quasi-shippy flutters between Sam & Daniel in S1. Seems TPTB were toying with making S/D The Big Ship but thought better of it (he *is* married, after all) & gravitated to S/J.

i saw the fuel for shipping sam and daniel if they really wanted to go in that direction, but i also saw big evidence that they were shipping sam and jack from the first ep on. in janet's premier ep (broca divide), i saw janet/jack. teryl said that she was told there was a history between janet and jack, so she played it that way (watch how she caresses his face when he's saying he wants to be experimented on). but they seemed to drop it and never 'really' go back to actively portraying it.

Likewise, the controversial (but popular) Jack/Daniel pairing is alluded to in the performances—and even in a DVD commentary that refers to UST between the characters. (I'm not asking you to buy into it, but the J/D shippers aren't entirely imagining it, either.)

i'm pretty sure the actors didn't mean it to come off that way. the one time rda was told about slash (macgyver/murdoc), he had a very adverse reaction to it. i've also heard that the scene in 'the light' where daniel's in cardiac arrest and jack brings him through the stargate to the planet, jack was supposed to do cpr on him. i heard that both actors didn't want to do it because of how it could be construed. i'm not trying to ruin anyone's fantasy, i'm just saying that i doubt the actors wanted it to come off gay.

There are a few flirty Fraiser/O'Neill moments that may or may not have been meant for the J/J shippers. Even the Sam/Janet shippers seemed to get a very occasional shout-out. It's all part of the fun & it keeps the fandom happy.

i never took their scenes together in a slashish way, but that's mainly because i didn't want to. the one ep where i saw real fuel for it, though, was rite of passage. you could look at it as cassie's two moms, if you wanted to. but i guess i choose not to do that, because i want to be able to relate to sam, and if sam were gay, i wouldn't be able to.

the same thing applies for me with the xena/gabrielle relationship in xena. i know the actresses purposely put in little things here or there for their big lesbian following, but i choose to pay attention to the other stuff they also put in that showed they were straight. and it really just goes to being able to relate.

this isn't easy for me to admit, but if they'd written sam gay, i wouldn't be into her like i am. not because i have an aversion to homosexuality (i read sam/janet slash), but because i'm not gay and can't follow this character's life journey the same way as if they were straight.

(There was even a Teal'c/Jonas scene where I thought they were going to fall into each other's arms. I'm sure they didn't mean it to be sexually charged but it came off that way, IMO. Surprised the hell outta me, 'cause I certainly wasn't expecting that—or looking for it.

please excuse the ot, but what scene?

The conceit that Sam would flip for an oaf like Pete strikes me as more of a male fantasy than is pairing her with someone sensitive, supportive & caring ... whether that happens to be Martouf or Narim or Janet.

on that i agree 100 percent.

Personally, I'm crazy for Carter (see my screen name) but I find the idea of a Carter/Fraiser pairing very beautiful & romantic, so I ship it.

i read it, but it took a while to get myself into the right mindset to handle it. but i just look at it as an alternate reality sam and janet, and then i can enjoy it. heck, i only read it for the sex!

Less controversially ... I'm pleased as punch to see that the criminally neglected Cassandra storyline has a champion in Amanda. TPTB dropped Cassie like a hot potato & in a way that reflected poorly on Sam (the now-infamous "Cassie's a tough kid. She'll survive").

i wasn't bothered by sam's remark about cassie in heroes 2, but not following up on it is what makes things look bad. and i can't figure out why they haven't mentioned cassie. or janet! these ppl mean a LOT to sam, and not even a fly-by mention was ever made of either. i'd think janet would be mentioned even above cassie, seeing as sam would be reminded every day she was at the sgc that her friend was gone. the first time i saw janet's replacement (the stepford doctor), i expected to see a sad look on sam's face because of how much she missed janet. nada.

As for "interpersonal relationships," I hope AT means Jacob, Mark, Cassie, Janet—Sam's ad hoc family, as opposed to yet another boyfriend (unless they can get Sean Patrick Flannery to reprise Kurt Cobain ... I mean Orlin).

i hope it means them too (minus orlin as 'boyfriend'), but i REALLY hope it means jack! as astro said once, it's all about balance.

That said, the Black Widow's had a lot of death to cope with & it's rarely treated as something with lingering consequences, much as AT tries to pull in that direction.

what cracks me up/irks me the most about the black widow curse is that the vast majority of them weren't her boyfriends. if someone just admirering sam makes him her boyfriend, that woman's got a string of guys half way across the galaxy!

The Leo nomination is good news, even though I wish it was for Moebius. Comedy rarely gets the kudos it deserves and, as good as these actors are at drama, they're even better at being funny. NerdCarter was an utter delight & I wish she'd get some props ... especially after her boss stole all her theories on spinwave technology.

the leo awards nominees are rather odd to me this year. i agree completely with amanda's and ms's noms, but some of the other stuff leaves me scratching my head. atlantis up for best show, but not sg1? peter deluise up for best screenwriting for affinity... i'm not a professional writer, but i could have done a much better job with that script that what showed up on screen. it wasn't that complimentary to sam or teal'c, and the ending result was that neither sam or teal'c could lead a normal life. why? why'd they move teal'c to the getto? move him again to a nicer part of town, instead of just making him move back to the base. the parts where pete's helping sam in her investigation were almost laughable, and that's only because sam could have figured all that stuff out in her sleep. or in a coma.

i sure talked a lot in this post.

i hope i haven't offended anyone in this post. if so, please forgive.



sally

[ChopinGal]

I think that the citizens of Samanda can rely on the "Oh Yea Times" to come up with a completely one sid - uh I mean balanced report about the 1speed4Sam Stargate innaugeration.

Be assured all citizens who are worried about my well being after my MTB tumble - it was in fact a majestic flight through the air followed by a precisely executed roll on impact in response to my bike suddenly taking on a mind of its own! The mouthful of grass I ended up chewing on was a welcome supplement to the inadequate rations set aside for the day. Those of us who ride our bikes hard and fast are well versed in the zen of flying and the importance of a well timed landing!! In fact after 1speed's triple somersault over his handlebars last year I think we could earn big bucks perfoming in the circus - or even as stunt guy and gal on SG1!!

LOL Ouch! You can always apply for stunt double for AT if this keeps up!

Methinks that the Court Jester will also be responding to 1s4S soon about his indoctrination - in the formal language of the Court, of course. The Jester is now in her office and should not even be typing this ... sigh! So, know that you will hear from me soon oh royal one-speed-biker and acrobat.

BTW ... it is soon time to honour Mr. One Speed with his new royal name ... let's give some serious thought to that, oh Royal Accountant and Stunt Double.

CG/Jester

[Coley]

Coley just reached 200 posts!

So good to have you back online with us!

I was going to give you some Special Royal Blue Jello... but the Queen has been practicing with a Goa'uld Hand Device... and well..

Of course, it may not be the warping effect of a Goa'uld Hand Device... perhaps it is a sign that too much *special* blue jello has already been imbibed...

Oh, look, she went and got some more

Gosh astro - many thanks!! At first I thought I'd consumed too much sloe gin tonight!!

[ChopinGal]

Coley just reached 200 posts!

So good to have you back online with us!

I was going to give you some Special Royal Blue Jello... but the Queen has been practicing with a Goa'uld Hand Device... and well..

Of course, it may not be the warping effect of a Goa'uld Hand Device... perhaps it is a sign that too much *special* blue jello has already been imbibed...

Oh, look, she went and got some more

Congratulations to our Royal Accountant/Editor for reaching another milestone!

The new communication device seems to be working quite well! Hopefully, the new edition of the Oh Yea What Say Times will be going to press soon.

[majorsal]

Here are some images and sounds from the director's special on Avenger. The first pictures of Amanda are when she's standing outside Felger's door and she's asked about Sam's relationship with Felger. (you're right Kat, Amanda has a great giggle and an infectious smile!)

The second set of pictures show Martin Wood demonstrating how Felger should kiss Sam. I loved the look on Amanda's face when Martin says "When you kiss Amanda...," and then she bails before Martin can finish the kiss.

NC

thank you, nc. with you doing this, it gives the opportunity for ppl like myself that don't have the dvds to be able to enjoy amanda's participation.

(((nc)))


sally

[astrogeologist]

I think that the citizens of Samanda can rely on the "Oh Yea Times" to come up with a completely one sid - uh I mean balanced report about the 1speed4Sam Stargate innaugeration.

Be assured all citizens who are worried about my well being after my MTB tumble - it was in fact a majestic flight through the air followed by a precisely executed roll on impact in response to my bike suddenly taking on a mind of its own! The mouthful of grass I ended up chewing on was a welcome supplement to the inadequate rations set aside for the day. Those of us who ride our bikes hard and fast are well versed in the zen of flying and the importance of a well timed landing!! In fact after 1speed's triple somersault over his handlebars last year I think we could earn big bucks perfoming in the circus - or even as stunt guy and gal on SG1!!

Same dialogue, different speakers:

Setting: a small cottage in the heart of the English countryside; couple watching the telly ...

Coley/Royal Accountant - "So the series has been taken over by scantily dressed eye candy - it's just not on , is it Tone!"

Blacky Tone aka 1s4S (strapped down on Coley's settee) - "Err, no it's a terrible shame"

Added lines:

Coley to Tone: "Stop drooling all over my new rug! You're worse than Hugo (her dog)!"

Tone to Coley: "You can release the straps, I'm willing to stay and watch!"

ROTFLMAO! You folks are so great with the written word! Love the humor!

[majorsal]

(snip)

And in a lame attempt to throw in some on topic thoughts, I am very happy with what they’ve done with Sam’s wardrobe over the years. You know, Amanda is so beautiful that they must have been fighting the urge to come up with excuses to put her in more revealing costumes at every opportunity, but they have largely resisted. I appreciate that.

the only time i cringed at what sam was wearing was in season 8's endgame, when she's traipsing around in her shiny leather shirt. i'd think someone trying to 'hide' wouldn't be wearing shiny/attention grabbing clothes. but other than that, i can't remember sam's wardrobe being wrong, for want of a better term, in an ep.


sally

[NearlyCircular]

I didn't know that about Elizabeth Moon. I've enjoyed her Heris Seranno and Esmay Suiza series. Started with "Once a Hero" and then found all the books that came before that. David Weber's Honor Harrington series also has strong women. Both these series are military SF, but have good character development, IMO. Weber gets a bit technical, so I kind of skim over those parts. I think one of the things I like about Stargate is that it isn't just action/adventure(which I enjoy) but has characters you care about.

I'm glad that you mentioned Elizabeth Moon again. The 2 series you mentioned and the next one featuring Kylara Vatta are some of my favorite books. She writes heroines who don't think of themselves as heroic. They become heroes by displaying courage, intelligence and initialtive when they're placed in threatening situations. They often have messed up social lives, which makes them more endearing. Does any of this sound like a character that we know? Moon has avoided the problem mentioned earlier of series going past their prime by creating new characters and new series within the same universe, thus keeping things fresh.

I like the Honor Harrington series as well, but I skip a lot of the details, just like you do. She's a bit larger than life, which I don't mind, but I think the series may have peaked. (She can't lose many more limbs or vital parts, can she? ) If you like Sam whumping, check out Honor.

You may not have read James Alan Gardner's Festina Ramos books, but they feature another strong female character. The last few books in the series aren't about her exclusively, but she always shows up and makes an impact. If you're going to read them, start with the first, Expendable, to best understand the background of her character.

NC

[NearlyCircular]

You know, for years I thought it must just be chilly down there under Cheyenne Mountain and that's why Sam wore those long sleeved tees. So what's happened in the last couple of years to force them into no sleeves? Did the new president cut the air conditioning budget? Did Siler mess up the venting system? Did Jonas crank up the heat, then take the key to the boiler room back to Kelowna with him? Did Walter forge signatures on orders telling all SG1 personnel to go sleeveless, because he's secretly into arm porn?

NC

[astrogeologist]

i wasn't bothered by sam's remark about cassie in heroes 2, but not following up on it is what makes things look bad. and i can't figure out why they haven't mentioned cassie. or janet! these ppl mean a LOT to sam, and not even a fly-by mention was ever made of either. i'd think janet would be mentioned even above cassie, seeing as sam would be reminded every day she was at the sgc that her friend was gone. the first time i saw janet's replacement (the stepford doctor), i expected to see a sad look on sam's face because of how much she missed janet. nada.

I wasn't bothered by what Sam said about Cassie in Heroes either... it sounded just like something the folks in my family would say in response to a question like that. Unfortunately, as it has become the last time that Cassie was mentioned... and many folks are peeved about that... with it now being the sole remark about Cassie since Janet's death, some are seeing it as a callous and uncaring remark statement. That's too bad, because I've loved the Sam-Cassie relationship since Singularity, so I hope that they get a chance to make some references to it in Season 9. I thought it was great that they had a few sentences in Heroes that allowed us to know that Sam stepped in to take care of Cassie now that Janet was gone. I still don't think Sam was uncaring or unfeeling, nor was the remark improper (because I envision a whole lot more between Sam and Cassie than that one remark)- it's just too bad that it stands as the last reference to Cassie. Folks want to know more details of the relationship between Sam and Cassie.. and I'd love to learn a bit more myself. Did Cassie move in with Sam after Janet's death? Or was she already old enough to go off to college, so she's basically living in the dorms? If so, does she live with Sam on winter and summer breaks and such? I doubt that the series is ever going to give us all the answers to all of these questions, but hopefully, we'll learn more than we know now.

what cracks me up/irks me the most about the black widow curse is that the vast majority of them weren't her boyfriends. if someone just admirering sam makes him her boyfriend, that woman's got a string of guys half way across the galaxy!

Well said, Sally! I never understood that BWC either... of course, beings that they never made reference to Sam dating or having a date, the common assumption seemed to be that she had *no* dates whatsoever over the first 6+ years of the show (I didn't agree with that, I just figured we weren't seeing it on the screen, but I saw no reason to assume that she didn't occassionally go on a date).

and that's only because sam could have figured all that stuff out in her sleep. or in a coma.

LOL!

i sure talked a lot in this post.

i hope i haven't offended anyone in this post. if so, please forgive.

Great post, Sally!