The Samanda Whinge nuts

[NearlyCircular]

The last couple of days I've been thinking about the whole Mitchell fiasco, and I believe that there’s one key scene which should have been omitted. Usually I think that they leave way too much out, but this scene made a huge difference to me.

What if they hadn’t put in the scene in the first episode last year where Mitchell caressed the gate and said something like “It’s bigger than I thought”? That one scene told us that he was completely inexperienced at gate travel. If we go by past shows (Jack to the Russian Colonel Vaselov in Lockdown) Mitchell should have had no place on an SG team, much less commanding SG-1.

On the other hand, if he hadn’t said that, we might have assumed that he’d actually been through the gate, maybe even been part of an SG team for a while before doing the heroic pilot thing at Antarctica. It would even explain why he wanted to be on SG-1, because he’d have known from experience that they were the primary team.

I could even buy the co-leader bit with Sam under those circumstances. I’d still have problems with his rash actions, but at least I’d understand the reasoning behind making him leader of SG-1 when Sam wasn’t there. I think TPTB wanted us to see the SG world through the eyes of a newcomer, but the way they went about it defied logic completely.

NC

[astrogeologist]

OK, I have to say that the first two episodes have deflated my hopes... again.

They really seemed to be mentioning Carter and AT in the spoilers and photos and interviews and articles lately... so I was hoping that Season 10 would bring back some of that great Sam Carter... but it doesn't seem to be happening. And the lack of it makes sense if they'd actually already sketched out many of the episodes and the overall story arc of Season 10 right after Season 9 wrapped -because that means that Season 10 was pretty much mapped out a long time ago... and the more recent appearance of the acknowledgement and fronting of Carter/AT is... just afterthought.

AT has consistently come across as so classy thoughout this whole debacle. She's making a life for herself, and I can't do anything but admire her for her glass half full approach. She sees herself as lucky - how can I fault anyone that humble?

But TPTB? Whoever made the nasty decision to write Carter out of command? Boy, do I wish I could give that person (or people) a good smacking! And the same for whoever has decided to write Carter as basically ineffective anymore... What have they written her as effectively and heroically doing in the past couple of Seasons? Not much! She's hardly ever (if ever) the one who actually figures things out anymore, instead she's just in the room when someone else figures it out.

The last thing that stands out for me is in Reckoning, where she's working with her father on the Ancient weapon. Where she figures out how to read the writing on the wall (turning the sections), and later when she figures out some stuff on her laptop with her father watching her (parting the Red Sea said sarcastically). Even here, she wasn't doing it *all*, Jacob/Selmak was helping.

After that? What has Carter done? Where are the big heroics? Where is the brilliant mind that we saw in previous season? Where's the hero that we saw in the bunker in Singularity?

Sigh....

[astrogeologist]

The last couple of days I've been thinking about the whole Mitchell fiasco, and I believe that there’s one key scene which should have been omitted. Usually I think that they leave way too much out, but this scene made a huge difference to me.

What if they hadn’t put in the scene in the first episode last year where Mitchell caressed the gate and said something like “It’s bigger than I thought”? That one scene told us that he was completely inexperienced at gate travel. If we go by past shows (Jack to the Russian Colonel Vaselov in Lockdown) Mitchell should have had no place on an SG team, much less commanding SG-1.

On the other hand, if he hadn’t said that, we might have assumed that he’d actually been through the gate, maybe even been part of an SG team for a while before doing the heroic pilot thing at Antarctica. It would even explain why he wanted to be on SG-1, because he’d have known from experience that they were the primary team.

I could even buy the co-leader bit with Sam under those circumstances. I’d still have problems with his rash actions, but at least I’d understand the reasoning behind making him leader of SG-1 when Sam wasn’t there. I think TPTB wanted us to see the SG world through the eyes of a newcomer, but the way they went about it defied logic completely.

NC

A newbie Lieutentant or Major would have been *fantastic* - someone for everyone to see Stargate with 'through new eyes', with new enthusiasm - and the enthusiasm of youth to go along with it. As a Major he still could have commanded when Sam wasn't there - they would have just made a statement that it was temporary, until Carter returned.

I would not have accepted any character coming in and taking over command of SG-1 over Carter just because someone decided that Carter should be written out of command so that the show would have The New Lead Male in Command of the Team. Makes me want to puke. I feel like a fool now for thinking that they were going to let Carter/AT command the team! What a fool am I for thinking that they were going to let the woman command the team?

[majorsal]

OK, I have to say that the first two episodes have deflated my hopes... again.

They really seemed to be mentioning Carter and AT in the spoilers and photos and interviews and articles lately... so I was hoping that Season 10 would bring back some of that great Sam Carter... but it doesn't seem to be happening. And the lack of it makes sense if they'd actually already sketched out many of the episodes and the overall story arc of Season 10 right after Season 9 wrapped -because that means that Season 10 was pretty much mapped out a long time ago... and the more recent appearance of the acknowledgement and fronting of Carter/AT is... just afterthought.

AT has consistently come across as so classy thoughout this whole debacle. She's making a life for herself, and I can't do anything but admire her for her glass half full approach. She sees herself as lucky - how can I fault anyone that humble?

But TPTB? Whoever made the nasty decision to write Carter out of command? Boy, do I wish I could give that person (or people) a good smacking! And the same for whoever has decided to write Carter as basically ineffective anymore... What have they written her as effectively and heroically doing in the past couple of Seasons? Not much! She's hardly ever (if ever) the one who actually figures things out anymore, instead she's just in the room when someone else figures it out.

The last thing that stands out for me is in Reckoning, where she's working with her father on the Ancient weapon. Where she figures out how to read the writing on the wall (turning the sections), and later when she figures out some stuff on her laptop with her father watching her (parting the Red Sea said sarcastically). Even here, she wasn't doing it *all*, Jacob/Selmak was helping.

After that? What has Carter done? Where are the big heroics? Where is the brilliant mind that we saw in previous season? Where's the hero that we saw in the bunker in Singularity?

Sigh....

i so agree with everything you've said, astro... and it almost makes me want to cry.






sally my hero-->

[DEM]

The last thing that stands out for me is in Reckoning, where she's working with her father on the Ancient weapon. Where she figures out how to read the writing on the wall (turning the sections), and later when she figures out some stuff on her laptop with her father watching her (parting the Red Sea said sarcastically). Even here, she wasn't doing it *all*, Jacob/Selmak was helping.

Oh, hello! I know this isn't a popular opinion, but Carter in Reckoning makes me twitch. Frankly, astro-G, I think you're being too generous. Carter read monitoring data from her laptop screen whilst Jacob-Selmac did the work; heck, even Ba'al did more to get the device unlocked by guessing!

I'd been itchy since at least Evolution, but Reckoning was when I'd officially had enough of Jacob-Selmac.

[Mandysg1]

A newbie Lieutentant or Major would have been *fantastic* - someone for everyone to see Stargate with 'through new eyes', with new enthusiasm - and the enthusiasm of youth to go along with it. As a Major he still could have commanded when Sam wasn't there - they would have just made a statement that it was temporary, until Carter returned.

I would not have accepted any character coming in and taking over command of SG-1 over Carter just because someone decided that Carter should be written out of command so that the show would have The New Lead Male in Command of the Team. Makes me want to puke. I feel like a fool now for thinking that they were going to let Carter/AT command the team! What a fool am I for thinking that they were going to let the woman command the team?

I know how you feel
Here, this might make you feel better, http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2943741/1/

[astrogeologist]

OK, so I went and plotted the ratings again... this time taking into account what were SciFi vs. syndication ratings. Except for the Season 10 premiere, all ratings are from GW's Season rating pages.



So... it looks to me that the syndication ratings have been steadily dropping... but the folks on Stargate are all quoted as saying that the ratings definitely went up for Season 7 and then 8... so it would seem that they are looking at the Scifi showing ratings, which did shoot up for Season 8.

Season 9 however... and the season premiere of Season 10... a different trend....

[the dancer of spaz]

Astro, nice post!

I will whinge over the fact that they do seem to have AT/Sam front and center in the media, promos, etc. all of a sudden. Either it's based off of availability (which may or may not be the case) or they're really pimping her out. And if they're pimping her out to the masses, and they're not really going to have a lot of focus on her this season, it would seem to me that they're trying to bring in more viewers - or appease the existing ones.

I'm not delusional enough to think that AT/Sam are (is?) so huge that they could bring in millions of new viewers, however I do wonder why TPTB are utilizing AT in such a way so that it seems like they're trying to keep certain viewers.

And if they recognize her value in that way, why were they completely incapable of truly providing some material for her and her character? It's all very backwards.

[ChopinGal]

yeah. mitch is too mentally young to be a leader. he's like shep. they've worked so hard to make him quirky and likeable that they've made him, well impotent as a leader.

there's no menace, no steely determination, no dark side. he's just been made so freaking cute and adorable and fun that he's a crappy leader

Wow ... great observation! The boys are still boys. It takes a (wo)MAN to lead!

Jack always carried that dark side with him and it was revealed to us in early episodes and we could then excuse his more boyish moments. Gosh, I miss Jack!

[ChopinGal]

The last couple of days I've been thinking about the whole Mitchell fiasco, and I believe that there’s one key scene which should have been omitted. Usually I think that they leave way too much out, but this scene made a huge difference to me.

What if they hadn’t put in the scene in the first episode last year where Mitchell caressed the gate and said something like “It’s bigger than I thought” ....

NC

It's a male thing ... size always seems to be important.

But you're right because that frame showed him as an infatuated schoolboy who had a lot to learn, not a mature man capable of leading.

[ChopinGal]

A newbie Lieutentant or Major would have been *fantastic* - someone for everyone to see Stargate with 'through new eyes', with new enthusiasm - and the enthusiasm of youth to go along with it. As a Major he still could have commanded when Sam wasn't there - they would have just made a statement that it was temporary, until Carter returned.

I would not have accepted any character coming in and taking over command of SG-1 over Carter just because someone decided that Carter should be written out of command so that the show would have The New Lead Male in Command of the Team. Makes me want to puke. I feel like a fool now for thinking that they were going to let Carter/AT command the team! What a fool am I for thinking that they were going to let the woman command the team?

We were all fooled, weren't we?! You're not alone, Astro!

IMHO, AT has had to make peace with what she's now been given. There are powerful people behind the curtain calling the shots ....

I wish the show were ending on a high note exemplifying a professional woman at the top of her game. Sadly, that doesn't seem to be a part of the equation any more. As you so well pointed out in your posts, it's been quite a while ... much too long ... since Sam Carter has lived up to her potential.

I get so irked at having to watch Amanda just standing there in many of the episodes and working with few lines. Did you notice that her voice has been quieted by lack of dialogue in many of the scenes? Passive rather than vocal. TPTB's version of foot binding. They're giving her crumbs.

[scarimor]

...

What if they hadn’t put in the scene in the first episode last year where Mitchell caressed the gate and said something like “It’s bigger than I thought”? That one scene told us that he was completely inexperienced at gate travel. If we go by past shows (Jack to the Russian Colonel Vaselov in Lockdown) Mitchell should have had no place on an SG team, much less commanding SG-1.

Yeah, that's the bit that makes it scream sexism:- experienced female pushed aside for inexperienced male. We could assume that he'd done lots of 'gate training, or even been on an SG team, but for that stupid opener. We still wouldn't have seen much evidence of his experience in subsequent episodes, but you might fan-wank your way around it if you tried really really really hard.

It's probably one of the most ill-conceived 'character' moments the writers thought they were doing so well *snort*. An unecessary moment in the introduction of the character - a tacky short-cut to 'poignancy' and 'ooh-ah-significance' - he's so pleased and wowed to be at the SGC. Write a scene that doesn't make the show look stupid, dimwits!
crap-shoddy-crap-shoddy-crap-shoddy-crap-crap.

[ReganX]

Where are the big heroics? Where is the brilliant mind that we saw in previous season? Where's the hero that we saw in the bunker in Singularity?

Shunted aside and carefully ignored.

Next to a true hero, a hewo would look like brass next to gold or coloured glass next to a ruby.

[ReganX]

A newbie Lieutentant or Major would have been *fantastic* - someone for everyone to see Stargate with 'through new eyes', with new enthusiasm - and the enthusiasm of youth to go along with it. As a Major he still could have commanded when Sam wasn't there - they would have just made a statement that it was temporary, until Carter returned.

They could even have kept most of Mitchell's introduction intact - even the Antarctica bits, if they were bound and determined to show that he only got the post at his own request.

Spoiler:

LANDRY: You're not here to join SG-1, you're here to lead SG-1.
MITCHELL: *Does a remarkably good impersonation of a deer in headlights* Sir?
LANDRY: *smiles slightly (good to know the new general has a sense of humour)* Temporarily, Major. Colonel Carter will be back as soon as her project at Area 51 is complete.

I would not have accepted any character coming in and taking over command of SG-1 over Carter just because someone decided that Carter should be written out of command so that the show would have The New Lead Male in Command of the Team. Makes me want to puke. I feel like a fool now for thinking that they were going to let Carter/AT command the team! What a fool am I for thinking that they were going to let the woman command the team?

You're not the only fool - when I first watched Stargate, had anybody told me that the same people who had created and written for Sam's character could do something so sexist, I would not have believed them.

[DEM]

"Interesting, if somewhat limited, gene pool."



"How about like exact same guy, like exact same guy?"