Sam Carter/Jack O'Neill Ship Discussion Thread

[trupi]

And back to our regular scheduled discussion..........................

[VSS]

Hmmm, would the robot Jack commit suicide? He doesn't apparently but I can see that happening as his "life" is no longer his own. Harlan doesn't seem to be getting human emotions at that point, to him he is creating new life even though that new life had someone else's memories.

spoiler for Double jeopardy since you haven't seen it

Spoiler:

They're not exactly happy living with Harlan and that's why they leave. They don't bury the gate (who ever does? Maybe only the Nox!).

So I could see it happening, too. People who have suicidal tendencies usually don't get over those tendencies even if their situation improves. It's the way they are, and if they get depressed again, they're going to think about it again. As far as suicide statistics go, middle-aged men are also at the highest risk.

I guess that I don't see that much affection other than friendship between Sam and Daniel. They are co-workers who are also friends, Sam and Teal'C is also like good co-worker/friend sort of thing. Jack already has a friendship with Daniel and he and Teal'C have a sort of cross culture warrior bond. Now I see a definite affection between Sam and Jack. It can be argued that it is just a friendship at that point but it is there. A lot of officers with a subordinate, especially a women or academic or both, would bark orders and watch them scurry around trying to do everything. Now I know that Jack isn't that kind of guy but I know of senior officers that are a lot like Jack that would just mess with Sam all the time for the kicks of watching her get flustered (non-SEXUALLY). What Sam and Jack have had from the beginning is not a normal subordinate-superior relationship, it is something more, call me a romantic but still I think that given free reign and nothing else to live for, they would get together. Excuse me we're getting mortared.

In general, I agree with all of that. What I meant is just for this episode. I saw a degree of closeness between RobotSam and RobotDaniel that was missing between RobotSam and RobotJack. With different dynamics there might be a different outcome. Sam does not end up with Jack in every AU situation that comes up. Now, she ends up unhappy in those AU situations, and I'd like to discuss this in greater detail when we get to TbftGoG, but their getting together is not inevitable.

The way I read that scene was if you see your commanding officer go down with a normally fatal shot to the chest, wouldn't you want to go and at least check to see if he's still alive? This is one of those scenes that I've notice many people consider to be shippy (not on this thread but elsewhere), I guess because Sam is showing concern for Jack. But to me, in a battle situation like that, Sam is more likely to be thinking 'My CO just got shot!' rather than 'The guy I have feelings for just got shot!'

I think she overreacted, and that's where the shippy vibe comes from. If it were only a reaction to her CO getting shot, she'd also be thinking that he'd kick her a** all the way back to earth for not being more careful. This is one of those situations where I wonder what she'd have done if it were Daniel, but we don't know the answer to that. She may have done the exact same thing for him, too.

I know you've heard this from others, but please stay safe out there! And I want to say thank you to you and your fellow soldiers for your service.

Yes.

But remember that happened to real Jack and his real son. Robot Jack has never actually lived through any of those things.

I was hoping someone would bring this up. I think RobotJack has lived through those things- he remembers everything. He has no idea he's not the real Jack and he feels like he is the real Jack.

And to answer my own question, I think that's why they re-animated the RobotTeal'c. To the team, and obviously to Harlan, once Robot Teal'c existed he became an intelligent entity separate from Teal'c and he "deserved" to live. The fact that the real Teal'c existed somewhere else had no meaning to them- the RobotTeal'c was sufficiently different and special even with only a day or so of independent life that they felt he needed to be saved, if possible.

[EvenstarSRV]

She could feel both you know.

Very true.

But remember that happened to real Jack and his real son. Robot Jack has never actually lived through any of those things.

True, but he does have the memories of them, so I think he could still take that lesson from his memories. Rather like how while his experiences with Sam happened to the real Jack, Robot Jack has those memories, which could provide a foundation for a relationship with Robot Sam.

Ok I'm going to say this just because its been weighing on me for a while. None of us do what we do because we want to serve our country. I don't know a single person that patriotism was the reason they joined. "Selfless service" is a word that likes to be thrown around by bureaucratic officers who are trying to justify their worthless existence. Pat Tillman may have joined for that reason and we see how well that went. Most POG's (say it with me P-ooo-geh-s) or People Other than Grunts do it for economic reasons. Most G.I. are young and hotheaded and need an adrenaline soaked couple of years to burn off the testosterone before entering society. As for Special Forces, it varies between services and unit but most of us are here because we can't or won't do another job. I could have a better paying job in a research lab somewhere, but everyday I get up, look at the bloody (its the light refracted off dust in the air) sunrise and think "I love my job!". Nationality and patriotism go out the window when bullets fly, you fight for yourself, your team, and your comrades. Rant ended.

I'm sorry to have provoke a rant. I meant is as a general thank you (not implying any particular motivation for serving), and I'm glad to hear you love your job.

[Coela Bellatore]

True, but he does have the memories of them, so I think he could still take that lesson from his memories. Rather like how while his experiences with Sam happened to the real Jack, Robot Jack has those memories, which could provide a foundation for a relationship with Robot Sam.

It may feel that way to him, but RobotJack feels that RealJack should get to live his life. If he really felt like those memories belonged to HIM then he would not have accepted it like he did in that discussion with RealJack at the end. I can see him feeling that his past was a lie now that he is a robot and no longer feeling like he should be alive.

Very true.

I'm sorry to have provoke a rant. I meant is as a general thank you (not implying any particular motivation for serving), and I'm glad to hear you love your job.

No big, it wasn't you, I just feel like there is this misconception between the public and the military that TPTB (top brass) like to exploit. Just laying out how it really is.

[Petra]

Why those personal things? Does that mean something to Jack or is that how special ops people are trained?

I guess Hammond also isn't the most open person and there probably aren't many people who know such private stuff. I guess Jack thought it would make Hammond think twice - because who else would know about this?

I'm unsure why Jack is the most angry. On the other hand, Daniel's face in this scene is rapturous, Sam is somewhere in between. I think that Jack's main problem is being stuck there, but as you point out he's also very upset back at the base. Maybe as an action-oriented soldier type he feels he's useless in this setting. You'd think with his injuries he be happy to be this way but the only time he even seems remotely interested is when he jumps over the railing.

See, for me it ties directly to Sarah and his feelings for her. Maybe he still harbours some hope that they'll get back together -especially after the near miss in the last episode - and Harlan's decision takes this matter out of Jack's hands. Throughout the episode Jack keeps saying "My life was stolen" and this is probably what makes him so angry. There is nothing he can do to take control of his life, as he knew it, back.

Honestly, to me it seems like Sam and Daniel would be much more likely to hook up in this situation. In fact, throughout the episode they're together (which doesn't seem to happen as much as it should otherwise). They're both fascinated by the possibilities of being "better" and I think they'd both have enough to do to keep themselves occupied for a few hundred years. Jack is really angry and isolates himself. I'm sure he'd eventually get over it, but that could turn into depression for him. It reminds me a little of 2010 in that way- Sam adapts and thrives and Jack doesn't. So, I don't know.

Logically I could agree with you. But I've never seen any romantic chemistry between Daniel and Sam, to the point where thinking of them both in that way is just..unthinkable. I would have less problems envisioning Sam and Teal'c, although even they don't give me this vibe..

Why did they allow Harlan to re-animate the robot Teal'c? It's not as if they were saving his life- he was already alive and living on earth. I don't get that. It seemed cruel.

I guess they act pretty selfishly at this point - not that i can blame them. All they have left of their life is their team, and the team isn't complete without Teal'c. Ergo, he needs to "live".

leiasky and Toomi - the fic you are talking about wouldn't happen to be Sally Reeve's "Double Discovery", would it? In it Sam finds the journal written by Robot!Sam detailing what happened after they had been left behind with Harlan.

[leiasky]

leiasky and Toomi - the fic you are talking about wouldn't happen to be Sally Reeve's "Double Discovery", would it? In it Sam finds the journal written by Robot!Sam detailing what happened after they had been left behind with Harlan.

Hmm, I don't know. Could be. Do you have a link?

The way I read that scene was if you see your commanding officer go down with a normally fatal shot to the chest, wouldn't you want to go and at least check to see if he's still alive? This is one of those scenes that I've notice many people consider to be shippy (not on this thread but elsewhere), I guess because Sam is showing concern for Jack. But to me, in a battle situation like that, Sam is more likely to be thinking 'My CO just got shot!' rather than 'The guy I have feelings for just got shot!'

At this point, she's now done this twice. One in 'The Nox' (which I attribute more to inexperience than her feelings) and then here in 'Heroes'. . . and to a lesser extent in 'Continuum' as she was moving to Jack's side in the middle of Ba'al being armed with something that had just harmed Jack.

Sam goes to Jack with an almost single minded determination. I think the lines between her concern for a CO and her concern for him because of her feelings were a little too blurred at these points to make a clear distinction.

[josiane]

[center][b]Tin Man

I think it's a sad episode. The first time you watch it you think that something horrible has happened to SG-1 and when you find out they're really ok, there's a bit of relief. Until you realise that the copies can't go home. These guys have all the memories and emotions of the original SG-1. They think they have family, friends, work, hobbies, houses, cars etc back home. Imagine finding out that what you thought was your life was false and you could never go back, even for just one quick peek. That's what always gets me on this episode.

Implications for Sam and Jack: For the real Sam and Jack, not much except he now knows she posesses a mole somewhere on her person. For the other Sam and Jack, quite a bit more possibly. They're no longer an official military unit. They aren't human, they can never go back to Earth. Jack has promised to bury the gate, so for now they're stuck there. Just the four of them and Teal'c. I don't think it would have happened in a matter of days or even weeks, but over time I think it is very likely that Sam and Jack became more than friends. We know that there's the foundation being built for something more than a friendship (even though the real Sam and Jack don't know it yet) but with the regs, neither of them is even going to allow that thought to cross their minds at this point. The clones however, don't have that obstacle. [/COLOR]

I agree with all of this, I find Tin Man very sad too. Because even though they are not our SG1, they think they are - to the robots there's no difference, so they have basically had their lives taken away from them. And I think the fact that Jack is the one who comes across as the most angry is entirely in keeping with his character. He doesn't like inaction (unless he chooses it, like fishing ), he hates to feel helpless, like he's not in control. And this situation takes the control away from him - they are essentially prisoners, because they cannot leave the planet. So it stands to reason he'd be furious. Teal'c has a similar character, but is more accepting of fate - I hate to use the word 'stoic' as it has to be the most overused adjective for him, but I think this would mitigate the anger for him - especially if he knows that his real self is still out there working to free the Jaffa. Sam and Daniel would both find plenty to keep them occupied and interested.

I also agree that I think Robot!Sam and Robot!Jack would have hooked up eventually, though not immediately - this is still S1 Sam and Jack where there's attraction and growing friendship, but they're not bursting at the seams with UST and barely suppressed emotion yet. I see VSS's point about Robot!Sam and Robot!Daniel, and Robot!Jack locking himself away emotionally though. I guess I can't see Robot!Sam and Robot!Daniel hooking up unless Robot!Jack did put himself out of the picture though - possibly if he did, but if he didn't, or only did for a bit before coming round, as it were, then no, it would be Robot!Sam and Robot!Jack all the way. Yes Robot!Sam and Robot!Daniel have the shared interest in their situation, which puts them together more during the episode, but they already do have a connection on that level as their real selves, and Sam still falls for Jack. The robot versions are still the same people, after all.

But overall, yes, a very sad episode. It's all very well Teal'c saying ours is the only reality of consequence, but I still care about the characters alternate versions and so feel it when they suffer, almost like I would if it was the real ones. I guess with the alternate versions there's just the consolation that the real ones are still OK, but still.

[josiane]

Leiasky this is the fic: http://uk.geocities.com/mystories_uk...discovery.html (I just looked it up myself )

[VSS]

I agree with all of this, I find Tin Man very sad too. Because even though they are not our SG1, they think they are - to the robots there's no difference, so they have basically had their lives taken away from them. And I think the fact that Jack is the one who comes across as the most angry is entirely in keeping with his character. He doesn't like inaction (unless he chooses it, like fishing ), he hates to feel helpless, like he's not in control. And this situation takes the control away from him - they are essentially prisoners, because they cannot leave the planet. So it stands to reason he'd be furious. Teal'c has a similar character, but is more accepting of fate - I hate to use the word 'stoic' as it has to be the most overused adjective for him, but I think this would mitigate the anger for him - especially if he knows that his real self is still out there working to free the Jaffa. Sam and Daniel would both find plenty to keep them occupied and interested.

I agree that it's sad to think of these alternate versions left behind. Even worse is
Continuum.

Spoiler:

It tugged at my heart strings to know that Cam was left all alone back in the 1920's. That was the saddest part of the whole thing because he really didn't get the big reset like everyone else did.

And the point you make about Teal'c is interesting. I think he's far more accepting because of his age and experience. Think of the things he's witnessed. Being stuck there probably isn't even close to the worst one among the range of possible outcomes he could have had. I agree it's important to him that the fight is still being carried on in the real world, but he knows that it is and it's possible that Teal'c might even feel relieved that he doesn't have to worry about being hunted down by Apophosis' goons. Although I'm sure he will miss his family, it's likely he doesn't count on even seeing them again at this point anyway.

[leiasky]

Leiasky this is the fic: http://uk.geocities.com/mystories_uk...discovery.html (I just looked it up myself )

Oh my gosh! I've never read this story!

Great - so much for work today. LOL!

[VSS]

There but for the Grace of God

Favorite Quote: Sam: Thank you. I also wish to blow us all to hell.
Favorite Scene: When Daniel realizes Jack and Sam are engaged.

Thanks, Jas!

This seems to me to be the first of a three-part ending for S1, and it has a very apt title because nothing anyone in the AU does in this episode is really wrong- it’s out of their hands because it seems like a series of unrelated things leads them to this point. Unlike some AUs where there is one defining event (Continuum), we don’t know what the divergence point is for this AU. It could have been before any of these people were born. With these Aus that show Jack and Sam together but the world falling apart, it’s easy to say Sam being civilian was the defining event, but clearly in this AU Daniel’s lack of involvement came sooner and therefore probably had a bigger effect. But doesn’t it seem as if they’re trying to imply that Jack and Sam having a relationship is mutually exclusive with also having a safe world? Once PoV rolls around, I get that distinct impression. As if their getting together means the all of us are going to die.

Anyway, this is a great Daniel episode.

Spoiler:

I don’t understand why Jack won’t give him a few minutes to bring home a few scientific items- after all, they’re all lying there waiting to be taken. The place looks like an alien version of the SGC and Daniel’s lab. It’s interesting to me that the goa’uld only came in and destroyed the place, but took no items with them. They’re not a curious race.

It’s an eerie scene when Daniel suddenly can’t find the team, and then when Colonel Hammond comes in, it’s pretty clear he’s in an AU. Why is he still a colonel and Jack a general? Why isn’t AU Jack his usual sarcastic self? Is it because AU Jack is more serious, or because neither Jack would be cracking any jokes when the world is literally ending? I still think he’d throw in one or two.

Daniel's videotape

Spoiler:

So he translates the radio transmission which just happens to be from the planet Daniel just visited. Wow, that is quite the coincidence! , and from that and the video of the gate, they can pinpoint the homeworld of the destroyers. But they've got their gate theories mixed up here. The address for earth that Daniel uses in the beginning is the same one Sam punched in in Solitudes. So the address of the destroyers ought to be the same on earth as it is on that planetl, and the gate should be the same as well. They don't need his video to figure it out, and they don't need his knowledge of the point of origin. They're confusing their earlier address theory with their current address theory. By this time, they're supposed to be using the theory that addresses are the same everywhere, except for the point of origin.

Sam is gorgeous in this ep. I bet AT liked wearing earrings, makeup and real clothes for a change! So, if this SGC program is also only a few months old, and they’re engaged, that means their first meeting went something like this:

Spoiler:

Sam: Hello, General. I’m Dr. Samantha Carter.
Jack: Pleased to meet you, Dr. Call me Jack.
Sam: Certainly, Jack. (Smiles)
Jack: So- how about we talk about this stargate stuff over dinner. Is seven okay?
Sam: Sounds great.

Seriously, they had to have started dating right away. I wonder why, in this AU, Jack got over Sara so much faster. I can’t really figure that out.
I get the feeling the AU Jack is a little less- I don’t know- bitter? Hardened? than our Jack. There’s the lack of sarcasm that I already mentioned, plus he’s a general, which must have happened after the Abydos mission. But if Daniel wasn’t there, why didn’t he kill himself? Did he have some kind of revelation all on his own and that’s why he seems so much better off (well, right up until he’s shot, that is). I think Jack would never have volunteered to help an AU Daniel whom he didn’t know. He’d have had Sam, Katherine and anyone else on that base through the gate before he’d help some theoretical people in another world, so again, AUJack is a different man.

Implications for Sam and Jack: In a similar AU, they have very strong feelings for each other. Is this because they’re different people- or because the situation is different? If it’s because of the latter, then it reinforces the idea that they have a natural attraction for each other that transcends whatever situation they find themselves in but can only be manifested when it's appropriate, like in this AU. That certainly is the feeling we’ve gotten over this season.

However, if their attraction is because they're totally different people in this AU, then our Jack and Sam aren't necessarily destined to be together. At this point in the series, it’s kind of hard to tell which way it’s going to fall. Is it inevitable- or not?

[EvenstarSRV]

This seems to me to be the first of a three-part ending for S1, and it has a very apt title because nothing anyone in the AU does in this episode is really wrong- it’s out of their hands because it seems like a series of unrelated things leads them to this point. Unlike some AUs where there is one defining event (Continuum), we don’t know what the divergence point is for this AU. It could have been before any of these people were born. With these Aus that show Jack and Sam together but the world falling apart, it’s easy to say Sam being civilian was the defining event, but clearly in this AU Daniel’s lack of involvement came sooner and therefore probably had a bigger effect. But doesn’t it seem as if they’re trying to imply that Jack and Sam having a relationship is mutually exclusive with also having a safe world? Once PoV rolls around, I get that distinct impression. As if their getting together means the all of us are going to die.

I felt that it was more that this AU could not translate that deep space transmission, so it couldn't send in a team to take out the ships before they reached Earth. If our reality's Daniel had not come back with the translated Gate address, I think our reality would have been attacked in a similar way as this AU. So I wouldn't say that the Sam/Jack relationship caused the attack, it was more just incidental to it.

Seriously, they had to have started dating right away. I wonder why, in this AU, Jack got over Sara so much faster. I can’t really figure that out.
I get the feeling the AU Jack is a little less- I don’t know- bitter? Hardened? than our Jack. There’s the lack of sarcasm that I already mentioned, plus he’s a general, which must have happened after the Abydos mission. But if Daniel wasn’t there, why didn’t he kill himself? Did he have some kind of revelation all on his own and that’s why he seems so much better off (well, right up until he’s shot, that is). I think Jack would never have volunteered to help an AU Daniel whom he didn’t know. He’d have had Sam, Katherine and anyone else on that base through the gate before he’d help some theoretical people in another world, so again, AUJack is a different man.

My personal theory for this AU is that, as their Gate expert, Sam went with Jack on that first mission to Abydos and that's where the two first bonded.

I think, in the end, Jack chose to help the other reality because he had a choice between pretty much futilely trying to save his world and giving another world a chance. I think he made a similar choice in 2010.

However, if their attraction is because they're totally different people in this AU, then our Jack and Sam aren't necessarily destined to be together. At this point in the series, it’s kind of hard to tell which way it’s going to fall. Is it inevitable- or not?

To me, I don't really see Sam and Jack as destined for each other. With the multiverse theory, there are literally an infinite number of AUs, so there's bound to be as many realities where they are together as where they are not. But, personally I like that in the realities where they are together, it's not due to something rather intangible like destiny, but something more immediate and specific to the characters.

*sheepishly holds up non-shipper flag*

[KatG]

.
My personal theory for this AU is that, as their Gate expert, Sam went with Jack on that first mission to Abydos and that's where the two first bonded.

This is actually a very good theory and could make an excellent fic.

[josiane]

There but for the Grace of God

Sam is gorgeous in this ep. I bet AT liked wearing earrings, makeup and real clothes for a change! So, if this SGC program is also only a few months old, and they’re engaged, that means their first meeting went something like this:

Spoiler:

Sam: Hello, General. I’m Dr. Samantha Carter.
Jack: Pleased to meet you, Dr. Call me Jack.
Sam: Certainly, Jack. (Smiles)
Jack: So- how about we talk about this stargate stuff over dinner. Is seven okay?
Sam: Sounds great.

Seriously, they had to have started dating right away. I wonder why, in this AU, Jack got over Sara so much faster. I can’t really figure that out.
I get the feeling the AU Jack is a little less- I don’t know- bitter? Hardened? than our Jack. There’s the lack of sarcasm that I already mentioned, plus he’s a general, which must have happened after the Abydos mission. But if Daniel wasn’t there, why didn’t he kill himself? Did he have some kind of revelation all on his own and that’s why he seems so much better off (well, right up until he’s shot, that is). I think Jack would never have volunteered to help an AU Daniel whom he didn’t know. He’d have had Sam, Katherine and anyone else on that base through the gate before he’d help some theoretical people in another world, so again, AUJack is a different man.

I wonder whether perhaps Charlie didn't die in this world, so Jack didn't retire at any point and therefore his career went differently from that point? Hence making General so much quicker. He could have been involved with the Stargate program therefore much like General West or Hammond, and could perhaps have met Sam in Washington when she was part of the program trying to get the gate to work in the first place - hence giving them a little longer to get to know each other and make the engagement more plausible? This could also explain the getting over Sara quicker thing - they could have divorced at some point way earlier, completely unrelated to Charlie. Dunno, it's all just speculation, but just occurred to me

Implications for Sam and Jack: In a similar AU, they have very strong feelings for each other. Is this because they’re different people- or because the situation is different? If it’s because of the latter, then it reinforces the idea that they have a natural attraction for each other that transcends whatever situation they find themselves in but can only be manifested when it's appropriate, like in this AU. That certainly is the feeling we’ve gotten over this season.

However, if their attraction is because they're totally different people in this AU, then our Jack and Sam aren't necessarily destined to be together. At this point in the series, it’s kind of hard to tell which way it’s going to fall. Is it inevitable- or not?

On the Sam and Jack together in every AU thing, well to be honest I think it's entirely plausible, provided that circumstances in that universe bring them together. Because they're still the same people, basically, even if their experiences mould them slightly differently around the edges. I think having Sam and Jack together in this episode is just another way of framing the question though, almost, on the part of the writers. It goes along with the other hints we've had and situations playing around with the idea of an attraction between them - like Broca Divide, the lunatic fringe comment in The First Commandment. They're planting the idea in our heads (and the idea is also being planted in Sam and Jack's heads), and from such acorns etc etc...

[VSS]

My personal theory for this AU is that, as their Gate expert, Sam went with Jack on that first mission to Abydos and that's where the two first bonded.

I agree with KatG that this is an excellent idea!
If Sam was on that trip she was most likely the one who talked Jack into not blowing the bomb, and then helped him get over the death of his child and disintegration of his marriage. Hence he's not still torn up over that, he's moved on and about to marry Sam.

So that totally fits with your theory about the lack of translations because it seemed as if they hadn't been anywhere much yet. And the only thing that ultimately saves our planet are the gate addresses translated by Daniel that allow him to eventually travel to that little alien laboratory, screw up and touch the quantum mirror, thereby getting the advance warning of the attack. Nice theory, EvenstarSRV
!

I think, in the end, Jack chose to help the other reality because he had a choice between pretty much futilely trying to save his world and giving another world a chance. I think he made a similar choice in 2010.

2010 was more of an AT thing than an AU thing, although they're the same thing, the way they were approached in the episode really changes how I look at them. In 2010, he was apparently living alone and very bitter, having not only lost Sam but even worse been betrayed by her and everyone else. He didn't have anything to lose. And, actually, he might not really lose anything. After all, in TbftGoG they are totally different people- in 2010, the people in the new timeline SG-1 intended to create are literally still themselves, because the timeline changes in the middle of their lives. And the same would be true of anyone else in the entire world who had been alive when the timeline became altered (i.e. in 2001). They're changing their lives dramatically, but they most likely aren't going to die because of what they do.

On the Sam and Jack together in every AU thing, well to be honest I think it's entirely plausible, provided that circumstances in that universe bring them together. Because they're still the same people, basically, even if their experiences mould them slightly differently around the edges. I think having Sam and Jack together in this episode is just another way of framing the question though, almost, on the part of the writers. It goes along with the other hints we've had and situations playing around with the idea of an attraction between them - like Broca Divide, the lunatic fringe comment in The First Commandment. They're planting the idea in our heads (and the idea is also being planted in Sam and Jack's heads), and from such acorns etc etc...

In 2010 they didn't end up together. Those events took place after Divide and Conquer and that was our real Jack and Sam in 2010- I wouldn't even call them AU versions. On the other hand, Sam picked the wrong guy- that's my consolation. Like EvenstarSRV I don't think they are destined to be together in every AU/AT. But I think they're miserable if they're not. So that's my little shippy compromise. Of course, that's provided they're very much like our Sam and Jack, because with all the little quantum changes, they could very well end up being different people, right up to where their parentage becomes different and they truly aren't Sam and Jack anymore.

And that's the thing about AUJack. He's different. There's not a snarky comment in the entire ep. And, he's a general, which could also be explained by his personality- our Jack does not necessarily play well with others, at least not at this point in time. AUJAck seems more settled and less edgy. Of course, that could be because he's actually happy.