I hate to admit it, since I like Carter better than Weir, but...

[sueKay]

The only way I'd be happy with Sam on Atlantis would be if it was Sam from s7 or earlier....The character underwent a transformation in s8 and I've disliked her since then

[Killdeer]

I was one who didn't like the idea of Carter coming over. But I watched the first three episodes, and thought it might work out after all. I liked her in Reunion - I really did. Amanda's acting has greatly improved over S9-10, and with the bit of added tension between her and Ronon and her and Sheppard, I thought this might actually have potential.

I very much regret to say that it hasn't panned out like I hoped, and seeing Elizabeth's natural chemistry with the other characters in TMC only reinforced what we've lost. Carter has done nothing more or less in TR or the Seer than Weir would have done, and the attempts to force a relationship between her and Sheppard in place of the natural relationship between Shep and Weir make me want to throw something at the screen (I don't mean "relationship" in the romantic sense, less anyone misunderstand me). Not to mention the relationship that Rodney and Elizabeth had - that can't be duplicated. They're trying too hard to make everyone like and accept Carter - I like her better when there's more tension. They don't have to show Shep and Carter having screaming matches at each other, but some realistic tension would go a long way to changing the feeling that they just yanked Weir out and pushed Carter in - saying the same lines, making the same decisions, even standing the same way on the same balcony. I watched Carter become instant best buddies with Cam and Vala - I said months and months ago that I didn't want to see the same thing happen with Sheppard, and yet.....here we are.

Other people have said that you can't force chemistry where it isn't. I completely agree. Carter isn't bad, she isn't doing anything wrong, but....it's not working for me. Carter will never have Elizabeth's chemistry with the cast, just like Jonas on SG-1 was a nice guy (I really did like Jonas), but he didn't have Daniel's passion or connection with the team. And it just wasn't as interesting. There wasn't that spark there.

And needless to say, all of the above is only my own opinion, and I am not trying to speak for any other fan or fan group. Add other disclaimers as needed.

[LoneStar1836]

In Atlantis S4, we've not had Carter...we've had a cardboard cut-out that looks like Amanda Tapping cos TPTB brought her over with no plan as to what to actually do with her, and have givn AT woefully little to work with.

Totally agree. Carter has been sorely underutilized and the skills that she has to offer have been totally forgotten about. I think they have been forgotten about in part because the writers don't want her moving in on the other characters' turf, ie Shep (her military skills) and McKay (her scientific skills).

I'm bummed to agree with this statement. While Carter was my favorite character on SG1, I think what we're watching here on SGA is a poor copy. I wonder if TPTB didn't want to have Carter overwhelm the show, so they went too far in the opposite direction. Carter has hardly any scenes and rarely interacts with the team. She's added little to nothing to this season so far, IMO. It's frustrating.

I don't see the point of bringing over Carter and making all this hubbub when Carter ended up doing the exact same things that Weir does, if not less.

That's what I think is going through their minds. There was already enough backlash about Weir being cut loose so they wrote Carter low key so she wouldn't stand out and contribute to the show in a different way. So far I've found the character pretty useless, and I had no qualms about her coming over to SGA. I was hoping she would add to the show, but so far the writers have yet to justify their decision to do the switch.


As far as the chemistry question goes, well they need some time to establish some, imo. I've liked some of the individual scenes like with Shep, but the character just has so very little to do, little screen time so far that the writers/actors haven't worked out the kinks of interacting with each other. *shrug* I didn't find Weir in season one all that great early on.

[Avenger]

You're kidding, right?

Joe and Torri had immediate chemistry. Joe and David had immediate chemistry. But with Amanda, we're supposed to wait another ten episodes, even though she's known them and been around them for at least three years?

That's ridiculous. The Carter character doesn't gel with the others, IMO. It's as simple as that. There are too many military/scientific characters already. They didn't need one who can double as both.

She hasn't been around the Atlantis folks for three years. The only person on the Atlantis cast you can make that claim for is David Hewlett as they have had half a dozen episodes of SG-1 and Atlantis where they have worked together.

Furthermore, Carter and Sheppard had an incredible scene and great interaction in Seer, which was the last episode we saw Carter in and the first episode where her role as leader of Atlantis had truly been established by the writers.

[Killdeer]

Furthermore, Carter and Sheppard had an incredible scene and great interaction in Seer, which was the last episode we saw Carter in and the first episode where her role as leader of Atlantis had truly been established by the writers.

I didn't like those scenes. They rather turned me off of the episode.

My opinion only.

[marielabbott]

I didn't like those scenes. They rather turned me off of the episode.

My opinion only.

Also just my opinion, but the Carter/Sheppard scenes were a large part of why I did not like that episode. I see no chemistry between the two.

[Cautious Explorer]

As for Weir, I have to agree that she really does have great chemistry with the team, and TMC definitely showed how much I missed her, even though she really only interacted with Shep most of the time. I was never strictly a Weir fan, and honestly didn't care that much when Carter was coming over, but this episode really made me realize how much of an impact Weir has made the expedition.

You've summed up my feelings. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of Carter coming onboard (I would have felt the same about any SG-1 character) but at least my favorites were still going to be there. Even with the team still in place this season hasn't felt right. I didn't realize what Elizabeth brought to the show until she returned and it finally felt we had SGA back again.

I very much regret to say that it hasn't panned out like I hoped, and seeing Elizabeth's natural chemistry with the other characters in TMC only reinforced what we've lost. Carter has done nothing more or less in TR or the Seer than Weir would have done, and the attempts to force a relationship between her and Sheppard in place of the natural relationship between Shep and Weir make me want to throw something at the screen (I don't mean "relationship" in the romantic sense, less anyone misunderstand me). Not to mention the relationship that Rodney and Elizabeth had - that can't be duplicated. They're trying too hard to make everyone like and accept Carter - I like her better when there's more tension. They don't have to show Shep and Carter having screaming matches at each other, but some realistic tension would go a long way to changing the feeling that they just yanked Weir out and pushed Carter in - saying the same lines, making the same decisions, even standing the same way on the same balcony. I watched Carter become instant best buddies with Cam and Vala - I said months and months ago that I didn't want to see the same thing happen with Sheppard, and yet.....here we are.

Other people have said that you can't force chemistry where it isn't. I completely agree. Carter isn't bad, she isn't doing anything wrong, but....it's not working for me. Carter will never have Elizabeth's chemistry with the cast, just like Jonas on SG-1 was a nice guy (I really did like Jonas), but he didn't have Daniel's passion or connection with the team. And it just wasn't as interesting. There wasn't that spark there.

And needless to say, all of the above is only my own opinion, and I am not trying to speak for any other fan or fan group. Add other disclaimers as needed.

You've explained this so well. No conflict, no chemistry, no character. How am I supposed to accept Carter?

[bluealien]

Weir had obviously interacted with Sheppard and the team for 3 years so they had built up a relationship in that time. Overall I would say that she had the best chemistry with Rodney and they had a true friendship. Weir and Sheppard bantered a lot and you felt at times that neither one really ever knew the other. They never really shared anything except work related issues but it never really got any deeper than that. They had a nice easy going relationship but the main thing that held that relationship together was Atlantis but we saw them drifting apart in that respect more and more and by the end of season three they seemed to have very different views and opinons on what was best for Atlantis.

In TMC Weir only interacted with Sheppard and I really wouldn't say either of them had any great chemisty, or even seemed comfortable with one another. Sheppard was his usual awkward self around her and didn't seem too sure on how he should act or treat this duplicate Weir. She seemed like she was giving him one of her pep talks where they didn't always see eye to eye. The guilt that he couldn't save the real Weir seemed to be lingering there with Sheppard, and you could see he wasn't sure about how he felt about having her/repli Weir back. I don't think he would have been comfortable with letting her return to Atlantis, and didn't put up too much resistance when she suggested the diversion. I think Sheppard realised that this wasn't the real Weir and that he had to let her go. He finally seemed to have closure when he said he had shipped all her personal items back to earth.

Weir was like the mother of the team keeping her boys in line and either snipping or wringing her hands in worry. They now have to stand on their own 2 feet. Carter's is more professional and is someone that Sheppard has more reason to obey not just because she is his commanding officer but because he respects her experience, and what she can contribute to the defense of Atlantis. They seem more on the same wavelenght when it comes to what they need to do to defend Atlantis. This is the kind of relationship I want to see between the leaders of Atlantis and they have a great dynamic. I want to see them bounce ideas off each other and use their collective experience to be able to solve the problems of the day. Carter so far has done a great job of this.

She is not there to be front and center, that was the whole idea of bringing her over. She is more like the Landry of SG1 and that is what JM said she would be from the start. It gives the team the opportunity to stand on their own two feet and gives more screentime to develop them instead of trying to find ways to give Weir something to do. I don't want Carter shoved into eps when she has really nothing to contribute. Each episode she has featured in so far she has been able to contribute something, and I want it to remain like this.

Sheppard is still the leader of the team and he will always be the main focus. I think we will see more of Carter in the second half of the show and again I hope she remains fairly low key, but continues to contribute in vital ways as she did in the eps she featured. She has a different dynamic with Sheppard than Weir had but just as good or even better IMO. They have a great understanding and respect for each other and I think Sheppard had outgrown Weirs kind of leadership. This was evident in season three as they were not on the same page more often than not, and this cannot be good for the overall safety of Atlantis. I think Sheppard will grow more and more under Carters leadership and will become the mature confident leader that we have seen of late. The slightly immature and cocky flyboy has grown into a mature and more hardened man, and this will make for more darker and grittier eps for the future which I am looking forward to.

[prion]

Quote:
Originally Posted by majorsal
give it time, guys. sam's not even been in all the 10 eps of this first half.

of course, it's if you *want* to give her a chance...

sally

I don't think a lot of people have been willing to do that.

Personally I think even though she hasn't even been around that much and despite the fact that she's been a little out of character (only to an extent) she's still 100x better than Weir ever even had the potential to be.

That's what makes it so hard to figure out how people could feel the way they do about Weir. The character was a diplomatic negotiator put into a situation (show) that thrives on action... it didn't make sense.

And the actress seems like a better fit for a show like BSG - a show that caters to a fan-base that cares more about character drama as opposed to an action oriented franchise like StarGate that or the technology/science that are central to the SG mythology.

The thing is that in tv-land, people don't give characters much of a chance. networks give shows a few episodes and then can 'em if the ratings aren't good enough. Many people who watch TV have the attention span of a gnat

But also, Sam doesn't NEED to be developed anymore. She's had a decade. If the writers couldn't develop her in a decade, well... *cough*. I don't think carter has any more potential than Weir; after watching last night's episode and the one in syndication, Weir is capable of diplomacy and launching into war as well. Her character could have been a lot better, and Torri worked with what was given her, but the writers seem to struggle when it comes to writing material such as negotiations.

[Agent_Dark]

people keep using this 'chemistry' word as if its the answer to everything. what is chemistry? is the ability to be able to write 'omg they are teh lurrrve' fics based off a few looks in an edited scene? is it how the actors themselves get along when cameras are not rolling? or is it a convenient excuse as to why one character is better than another, without any real objective thought behind it?

[vaberella]

people keep using this 'chemistry' word as if its the answer to everything. what is chemistry? is the ability to be able to write 'omg they are teh lurrrve' fics based off a few looks in an edited scene? is it how the actors themselves get along when cameras are not rolling? or is it a convenient excuse as to why one character is better than another, without any real objective thought behind it?

I have to say I totally agree. Those were the exact same questions running through my head when I read the posts above.

[elbo]

I agree. When Weir is with the team, you can see the chemistry, but it's not there with Carter, at least not yet.

Maby, you can see, but not me. There is NO chemistry between Weir and the rest of characters, unless the one you want to see. If you want it bad enough you can see the same chemistry between the team and a whale.

[darkrose]

But I also like her on SGA so far, and I'm looking forward to a more active role for her in the second half. I also really liked Carter in Reunion at the end when she went off world on the rescue mission

I hated that, because from a purely practical standpoint, it made absolutely no sense: the current military commander and chief scientist are captured, so we'll send the new base commander, the military XO, and the unofficial science second-in-command off on the rescue mission. Huh?

It's frustrating to me because Sam's presence raises all kinds of questions: what's her relationship on the org chart to John? Why did the IOA decide that the expedition would now be under American military command, rather than civilian? Why did they give command to someone with no previous command experience, and no experience in the Pegasus Galaxy? There a lot of ways they could have answered any of these, but so far, they've just been ignoring the questions.

[JSPuddlejumper]

I love Amanda Tapping as an actresses and she is great on SG1.

BUT so far

For Atlantis, the actresses who plays Elizabether Weir is the best.

But keep in mind that Carter has been absent for most episodes, and is filming the Ark of Truth.

However, they should definitely bring back Weir for more episodes (season 5) and possibly bring her all the way back in a 2 hours season (possibly) series finale in season 5.

[p-pos]

it is kind of hard to judge the two characters especially when sam has been missing for most of the season.

i am not understanding what all this chemistry talk is. In TMC Weir fitted in better because the viewer was used to seeing her with the team for three years doesn't mean she has more chemistry with the team. sam has had one scene with ronon, none with teyla, the scenes with john are fine and her and rodney are good.

to me weir/carter are interchangeable as leaders of atlantis.