Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[SunKrux]

These are fantastic! Thanks, mini geek ... obviously, there are more heavenly bodies out there than just Sam and Janet (and Vala ... in deference to our newbie, SunKrux)!

Gee thanks! I feel so special and loved.

Aw come on, Vala is not THAT bad.

[minigeek]

Kat,

I just want to echo some of the sentiments of the others here. I know I've only just "met" you, but I really hope things look up for you and your family very soon. I'll be thinking about ya, and sending good Karma your way. Be well, hun!

[Agent_Dark]

Oh noes Kat Hope it all works out for the best, and hope you do get to go meet Amanda
Best wishes and all that

[SunKrux]

Hear Ye Hear Ye Hear Ye

Good Citizens of Samanda

The above Roll Call of Samanda has been updated through the expedient service of Qasim who was able to provide Jester with the original post. Since coming to Samanda, Q has been quite helpful and friendly and eager to serve.

The lad seems to have skills in accounting, economics, computers, and maintaining records. I think it proper to appoint him as Royal Administrative Assistant as he seems quite able to undertake many duties in managing the kingdom. Oh yea, what say you all?

By past decree, so let it be known that minigeek is now Royal Terminator and APM (Alternate Pain in the Mikta) and sunKrux has been assigned to the Royal Security staff. The dancer of spaz has had a slight change in title, requesting "Royal Documentarian" to be added, and Uber is now Royal Videographer in addition to being the first and prime Pain in the Mikta.

Please confirm or advise regarding these appointments.

Your humble servant, Jester

Coolness. btw, it's SunKrux, not sunKrux. I'm sure the fingers slipped.

[Uber]

Coolness. btw, it's SunKrux, not sunKrux. I'm sure the fingers slipped.

Excellent. So the small "s" versus big "S" is your version of my umlaut issue.

[tsaxlady]

Okay I have a few minutes to try and get caught up on some of the recent posts.

Lets see were to start.

How about 5'1" so I guess I fit right in with most everyone here in the height department. Okay I know a little closer to the ground than most but hey that's okay. You should see me with one of the bands I play in - I'm the Baritone Sax player and the rest of the section (two Altos & two Tenors) are all over 6'. Everytime we play some place new people ask how come the only female and shortest saxophonist plays the largest instrument.

minigeek - way cool on the job.

Season 8 DVD's - well I have been a part of a couple different CD projects that the first release was blown by the wrong cut being put on the recording. At the Burbank Battlestar Galactica Con Bear McCreary told how in one of the season one episodes the wrong sound track was used and shown on TV. He said he was at home watching the episode when he noticed music that should not have been there - they showed it the first time with the directors demo music instead of the final music for the episode. So sometimes big mistakes are made and I'm sure someone will pay big time for this one.

A side note about the commentaries for S8. I don't know how many of you listen to them but I started with the one AT did of course and then decided to go to the ones that the other region discs did not have on them IGTBK & Citzen Joe. After listening to both of these I can tell you that the commentaries were recorded really late this time. In both of these commentaries they talk about S9. In fact on the one for CJ they talk about the script for Ethon being finished and let a smaller spoiler slip about a clip used in CJ that the episode the clip was from will play a part in Ethon. They also talk about Avalon, Origin and several other S9 & SGA S2 episodes. This would lead me to believe the reason the other region discs don't have all the commentaries is because they were not finished when they were created.

48 Hours - okay I have not had time this weekend with the parade yesterday and playing this morning. I'll rewatch it later tonight when I get back home (at work current writing lesson plans for the sub tomorrow). I also plan on watching an S8 episode with commentary running tonight.

[Agent_Dark]

A side note about the commentaries for S8. I don't know how many of you listen to them but I started with the one AT did of course and then decided to go to the ones that the other region discs did not have on them IGTBK & Citzen Joe. After listening to both of these I can tell you that the commentaries were recorded really late this time. In both of these commentaries they talk about S9. In fact on the one for CJ they talk about the script for Ethon being finished and let a smaller spoiler slip about a clip used in CJ that the episode the clip was from will play a part in Ethon. They also talk about Avalon, Origin and several other S9 & SGA S2 episodes. This would lead me to believe the reason the other region discs don't have all the commentaries is because they were not finished when they were created.

Oh, so the Region 1's do have the commentary for Citizen Joe and IGTBK? I wonder if anyone who has the region 1's would be willing to rip the audio commentary soundtrack for those 2 episodes to a mp3 file for me?

[minigeek]

Aw come on, Vala is not THAT bad.

Ok, this being the (sane) gateworld forum, and not the (cough) other forum, I'm going to go ahead and feel free to be honest about how I feel here!

In point of fact, I really loved Vala when she was first introduced in PU (neat episode acronym eh? lol), I thought she was an amazing character. Heck, she stole a starship! Kidnapped Daniel, and the sparks off those two?? How cool is that?! Wow. This season she's had a couple of really good, really hilarious moments, and lord knows Claudia Black is a fantastic actress, she really is. But, well........

I feel like the writers have done Vala a bit of a disservice this year, overall. As a fan, I'm disappointed in her character for season nine thus far. Primarily, I'm disappointed in the way the writing has continually hammered and hammered at the "sexual stereotype" act they invented for her. We all know Vala's got a very sensual side to her, that she uses sex as a crutch, and that's not necessarily terrible, it's even funny from time to time, goodness knows Claudia pulled it off as well as I think was possible for any actress (perhaps even better than most). But I'd wager that anyone who didn't see Prometheus Unbound last year probably doesn't even realize what Vala is really capable of. Not this year.

Her dialogue ....... I've been bummed by the fact that it's repetative and frankly, at times, a little too cliche for my linking. If I can use a (terrible) metaphore for a moment, for me it was like having a really fantastic piece of triple chocolate cake with butter frosting on it ..... and then squirting Hershey syrop all over it. Gahhh! There's doing something well, and then there's overdoing it.

In my humble (and very personal) opinion, Vala is a fantastic character that was cheated out of a fantastic character storyline. Her potential is off the scale, so I haven't given up on her. I'm keeping fingers and toes crossed that once she returns, there's more meat to her motivation; more storyarc-driven conflict. Lets face it, she's got a killer back-story, with the Goa'uld and the fact that the Tok'ra essentially ripped the symbiot out of her body and left her in an uncerimonious heap to fend for herself, completely alone in a cold, uncaring universe. Ouch. If anyone has a great past to draw powerful character motive from, it's Vala Mal Doran. And if anyone can understand a little of what she might be going through with those issues, hey, it's Sam Carter, right???

I REALLY want to see that potential play out a bit. I want to see Vala interact with the other characters on SG-1 at a more personal level (that doesn't involve such blatant innuendo every other line). One particular scene that stands out, was during "The Powers That Be" when she confessed to Daniel that she had no idea how to be a hero; how to save a life. That was a great first step. But selfishly, as a viewer who DID see Prometheus Unbound, I want more of that kind of stong storytelling for her character. Because the idea that two strong female characters can co-exist in the same universe is a good idea (whomever has that in their sig right now!). And I don't want to see an actress like Claudia Black go to waste on a character the writers never plan to flesh out to her full potential.

That's why Vala frustrates me right now. Because I know she and Sam Carter could have some frickin AMAZING scenes together, if the darn writing team would just be brave enough to set their pens to paper and leave their stereotypes at the door for five minutes.


mini(the soapbox)geek

[Simhavaktra]

Kat,

I'll keep a good thought for you in hopes that Real Life smooths out and calms down promptly, and everything comes out well, including you going to go to GABIT.

{{{Kat}}}

[Traveler Enroute1]

Hello Samanda,

I just wanted to come by and say 'Aveo Amicuse'. Unfortunately my family is going through a bit of a crisis at the moment and I don't think I'll be around much anymore. I'll try to drop by and lurk when I can, but more than not, I won't have much time to post.

ForeverSg1, my prayers are with you and your family. Peek in when you can, even if you can't post. You'll be in our thoughts, and there's always a smile here for you.

Just sayin'.

[SunKrux]

In honor of all Samandans 5' 4" or shorter ...


Thanks to Geogirl for the pic

President of SPotWU
Short People of the World Unite!

As a person of 5'2" I think that's frellin' hilarious! Thanks!

[Strix varia]

So let's fill our cups half-full and down a toast to our Queen for all the pleasure she's given us for eight great seasons and to her future success. I said it before and will say it again: Amanda is Canada's hidden treasure and TPTB don't realize how lucky they are. Perhaps some other producer/director will move her forward in a new direction and, of course, we Samandans will be following along! Her star is still on the rise ...

I'll drink to that.

[Strix varia]

I'm right with you on this.

Sam and Teal'c and a couple of new faces gating around the universe on a science quest with fighting action thrown in.

Hey wasn't that what the show was all about in the first place?

Leaving Mitchell, Jackson, Vala and another in comic strip adventure for the boys!!

I know which one I'd watch!!

Eh, I'd be okay keeping Mitchell, too, as long as Sam was in command.

[SunKrux]

It's difficult to say really. It doesn't sound like Amanda was pulling back her time for this season. It seems that she started working full-time fairly soon after returning. Also, BB signed his contract before AT did, I think. So, I think TPTB planned to bring BB in and probably, for all kinds of erroneous reasons, decided to run wild with the publicity that BB was going to be SG1 leader. I doubt TPTB called AT on the phone and said, is it okay if we bring in BB and he'll be leader even though Sam was in season 8. They just did it (and now they are backpeddling a bit about this leadership issue).

Having seen Ben at several cons, I can say with relative comfort, that Ben is a very gracious person and an all around nice gent and progably had no choice in how Mitchell was/is being advertised to the fans. I seriously doubt he'd plot to take over anyone's role at SG1 (I know that's not what you're saying, but some fans may think that). Considering that Ben is the "newbie" to SG1, he probably has little to no say in the matter. Sorry...had to pipe in here...blame the Scaper in me. LOL

It is true that AT does not seem to be upset about it in her interviews, but I might chalk that up to the fact that AT is professional and so is not going to express alot of discontent even if she feels it (hopefully she isn't feeling it). And she is in a funny position in the sense that they accomodated her quite well (thank goodness and as they should, IMO). So she may not want to rock the boat, even though, yeah, she may have wanted and expected to continue as SG1 leader. And/or maybe like you say ---she wants more flexibility now that she sees what it is like to balance career and motherhood (which makes perfect sense too).

I guess I'm saying I don't know if we will really know. AT has the info about how the Mitchell/sam leadership issue played out in the second half---so maybe she does feel comfortable with it -- I hope so because, like Coley said, if AT had hoped to be leader, she certainly deserved to be leader this season, given her time, talent, and commitment to the show for 8 years.

Well said. AT may not think this is a real problem, after all she has that little bundle of joy to worry and fuss over. I can so see her doing that, with a smile on her face too. I bet AT is a great mum!

[SunKrux]

Just another thought AT really didn't get a fair chance at the leadership role in season 8 (in my opinion). Season 9 was the season that it could have been reaffirmed.

If BB/Sci Fi or whoever wanted BB to lead the show I guess it would be difficult to have Amanda lead SG1.

In my opinion if Amanda wanted the lead and could commit to the time required for this there is no reason why she shouldn't get the lead and BB could have been brought in as a Major. Or someone esle for that matter.

I got hooked on the show not knowing ANY of the actors - to me that shows it doesn't need a Star name just great acting and a great show!

Problem is, in most of the world, Ben isn't a "star" name. AT is WAY more recognized than Ben is I bet. SG1 has been around much longer than FS was and had way better advertising than FS ever did. *secretly prays that SciFi's lack of judgement on FS' part doesn't spill into SG1's life Seriously, at the movie the other night, while in line to purchase my ticket, I mentioned FS and the person looked at me like I was speaking in tongues. LOL I bet if I had said SG1 the person wouldn't have looked at me like that. It's totally more mainstream than FS is atm.