Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[sg-1fanintn]

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.

I just want to thank you all for all the wonderful times you have given me and the encouragement you have given me with my fanart. You really are the Best of the Best. Each and every one of you will always be in my heart and thoughts even if I am not here with you.

Keep the fires of Samanda burning bright.

Peace and Love ( Amanda Forever )
Kat

I don't know how I missed this message, or the reply posts, until now! Kat, I PM'ed you, but wanted to write here too. I hope you'll see one or the other! We will miss you so much! Whatever is going on, I hope is is resolved quickly and happily, and that you can be back with us again soon.

Your contributions to this discourse are so great---from your winning personality, to your comments, to your wonderful art! Please know that we're with you in thought, even when you can't be with us online. And here's hoping God gives you and your family the strength to deal with whatever you're facing.....and get past it to a happier place.

I sent you my e-mail address in my PM......and if you ever need to talk to an objective outsider, I'm here.

Hugs,

sg-1fanintn

[ChopinGal]

A Samandan Bedtime Story

It was a dark and stormy night ... SG-1 had just returned from their mission to defeat the enemies of Samanda. The team looked quite disheveled and dirty but stumbled down the ramp with smirks and grins on their faces. Even Teal'c seemed more lively than usual. Hammond was there to greet them.

"Colonel, how did it go?"

"Not bad, not bad at all, General" replied O'Neill as he devilishly winked at Carter and Daniel. "Mission accomplished!"

"Would you like to run with that, Jack?" asked Hammond. But the Colonel merely waved his hand and bowed and said "Sir, with all due respect, let me get showered and shaved - let's clean us up - and I'll be glad to be debriefed." Hammond nodded at the bedraggled team and gave them a two-hour reprieve. "We'll meet at 2100 hours for the full story."

Interestingly, all four team members were on time and almost eagerly awaiting the General's entrance into the briefing room. Carter was sitting up and forward, barely stifling a giggle; Daniel looked wide awake and had a cup of coffee and notebook in front of him; Teal'c was whistling a strange tune (yes, whistling) to himself, and Jack was playing with a pair of dice. This aura of good will seemed to fill the room. A strange beneficent energy seemed to be present.

Hammond entered and noticed the relaxed and somewhat silly expressions on SG-1's faces. He cleared his throat, thinking that this would help them focus a bit more, but, instead, it seemed the signal to get them chuckling, trying to stifle their laughter, looking from one to the other, and, finally, letting loose with uproarious and unending peals of guffaws, giggles, chortles, sniffles, snorts, and sounds so loud and raucous that Hammond rose to close the door at the far end of the room. By then, Sam was holding her arms around her stomach and convulsing with laughter; Daniel was heaving and breathless from laughing so long and so loud; Teal'c was hooting, and Jack was on the floor under the briefing table, kicking his legs as he screamed in delight. Let the dice fall where they may!

Hammond was beside himself - did the medical staff miss something in the past hour's exams? Were they all infected by a virus off world? He went to the light switch and turned the lights on and off, twice, to get their attention. As quickly as the "outbreak" began, it subsided. In fact, they all seemed a bit shaken and stunned themselves - Jack, especially, since he was on the floor and under the table. With a bit of quiet shuffling and straightened files and shoulders, they resumed their positions.

Hammond was the first to speak: "What just happened?!"

Silence was replaced with Sam stammering, "General, I really don't know what came over me ... er, us. But I must say that I've never felt better after a mission as I do now." Daniel agreed, "You know, I feel the same way.” Teal'c nodded and raised an eyebrow, “Indeed.” Jack sat back, as if to think a bit more about this uproarious state of affairs, and nodded "Best darn trip through the wormhole that I ever had!"

"Can we get back to the mission objective, Colonel?" reminded Hammond (who was certainly not quite as euphoric as his team members had become).

"Yes, oh yes" smiled Jack. "Kick some butt and rescue all those lovely citizens of Samanda, brave souls who had left the shelter of their peaceful kingdom to defend their Queen’s honour. At first, things didn’t look too promising. We weren't having much success in eliminating the enemy with its nasty feelings and snarky remarks - UNTIL ... the Nox showed up to lend a hand!"

All eyes turned to Jack as he summed up their experience: "You see, General, this enemy is about the lowest life form in existence - it just lives to be a parasite and sucks up all humor and good will and communication and civility wherever it lands, and the Nox intuitively knew how to eradicate the problem - once and for all. We were so gung-ho on physical assault that we didn't think this out like the Nox . The real weapon for getting rid of such a problem is: LAUGHTER! These little buggers don't know what to do with something funny - they take themselves so seriously that there is no room for a joke, a pun, a snort, a chuckle, God forbid - a belly laugh - and there is absolutely no room for laughing at yourself. The Nox surrounded the planet with an energy shield which projected continuous streams of old movies and TV shows: Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Comedy Central, Lucille Ball ... you get the picture? Well, we sure did! Turns out all the 'good guys', like Strix and Uber and Coley and chocdoc and minigeek, survived the 'Blast from the Past' detonation of unending playfulness and comedy by the Nox. But the anti-Samanda forces didn't know what hit 'em - didn't know which rock to crawl under - and they didn't make it - not a one - they started to disintegrate right before our eyes. However, we were laughing so hard that we could hardly see them - we had tears coming down our cheeks. We fell to the ground and rolled around hysterically - while they screamed and shrivelled and just dried up and went *poof* - just like that! Now you know why we looked so dirty and disheveled when we came down the ramp!"

Hammond raised his eyebrows and scrutinized his flagship team … it was certainly one of the daftest debriefings he had ever sat through! And yet, they seemed to have met their objective.

“One more thing, Colonel. The Samandans?”

“We didn’t lose one, sir, and returned them all safely to their kingdom. In fact, not a single shot was fired against the enemy. You could almost say ‘we killed them with kindness’” … at which point, Sam snorted; Daniel snickered; Teal’c smiled broadly, and Jack threw snake eyes.

Hammond knew he was in for a very, very long night.

[LaCroix]

A Samandan Bedtime Story

The Final Solution

"It was a dark and stormy night" - SG-1 had just returned from the mission to defeat the enemies of Samanda. The team looked quite disheveled and dirty but stumbled down the ramp with smirks and grins on their faces. Even Teal'c seemed more lively than usual. Hammond was there to greet them.
"Colonel, how did it go?"

"Not bad, not bad at all, General" replied O'Neill as he devilishly winked at Carter and Daniel. "Mission Accomplished!"

"Would you like to run with that, Jack?" asked Hammond. But the Colonel merely waved his hand and bowed and said "Sir, with all due respect, let me get showered and shaved - let's clean us up - and I'll be glad to be debriefed." Hammond nodded at the bedraggled team and gave them a two-hour reprieve. "We'll meet at 2100 hours for the full story."

Interestingly, all four team members were on time and almost eagerly awaiting the General's entrance into the briefing room. Carter was sitting up and forward, barely stifling a giggle; Daniel looked wide awake and had a cup of coffee and notebook in front of him; Teal'c was whistling a strange tune (yes, whistling) to himself, and Jack was playing with a pair of dice. This aura of good will seemed to fill the room. A strange beneficent energy seemed to be present.

Hammond entered and noticed the relaxed and somewhat silly expressions on SG-1's faces. He cleared his throat, thinking that this would help them focus a bit more, but, instead, it seemed the signal to get them chuckling, trying to stifle their laughter, looking from one to the other, and, finally, letting loose with uproarious and unending peals of guffaws, giggles, chortles, sniffles, snorts, and sounds so loud and raucous that Hammond rose to close the door at the far end of the room. By then, Sam was holding her arms around her stomach and convulsing with laughter; Daniel was heaving and breathless from laughing so long and so loud; Teal'c was hooting, and Jack was on the floor under the briefing table, kicking his legs as he screamed in delight. Let the dice fall where they may!

Hammond was beside himself - did the medical staff miss something in the past hour's exams? Were they all infected by a virus off world? He went to the light switch and turned the lights on and off, twice, to get their attention. As quickly as the "outbreak" began, it subsided. In fact, they all seemed a bit shaken and stunned themselves - Jack, especially, since he was on the floor and under the table.

With a bit of quiet shuffling and straightened files and shoulders, they resumed their positions. Hammond was the first to speak: "What just happened?!"

Silence was replaced with Sam stammering, "General, I really don't know what came over me ... er, us. But I must say that I've never felt better after a mission as I do now." Daniel agreed, "You know, I feel the same way.” Teal'c nodded and raised an eyebrow, “Indeed.” Jack sat back, as if to think a bit more about this uproarious state of affairs, and nodded "Best darn trip through the wormhole that I ever had!"

"Can we get back to the mission objective, Colonel?" reminded Hammond (who was certainly not quite as euphoric as his team members had become).

"Yes, oh yes" smiled Jack. "Kick some butt and rescue all those lovely citizens of Samanda, brave souls who had left the shelter of their peaceful kingdom to defend their Queen’s honour. At first, things didn’t look too promising. We weren't having much success in eliminating the enemy with its nasty feelings and snarky remarks - UNTIL ... the Nox showed up to lend a hand!"

All eyes turned to Jack and he summed up their experience: "You see, General, this enemy is about the lowest life form in existence - it just lives to be a parasite and suck up all humor and good will and communication and civility wherever it lands, and the Nox intuitively knew how to eradicate the problem - once and for all. We were so gung ho on physical assault that we didn't think this out like the Nox . The real weapon for getting rid of such a problem is: LAUGHTER! These little buggers don't know what to do with something funny - they take themselves so seriously that there is no room for a joke, a pun, a snort, a chuckle, God forbid - a belly laugh - and there is absolutely no room for laughing at yourself. The Nox surrounded the planet with an energy shield which projected continuous streams of old movies and TV shows: Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Comedy Central, Lucille Ball ... you get the picture? Well, we sure did! Turns out all the "good guys" like Strix and Uber and Coley and chocdoc and minigeek, etc. - survived the "Blast from the Past" detonation of unending playfulness and comedy by the Nox. But the anti-Samanda forces didn't know what hit 'em - didn't know which rock to crawl under - and they didn't make it - not a one - they started to disintegrate right before our eyes. However, we were laughing so hard that we could hardly see them - we had tears coming down our cheeks. We fell to the ground and rolled around hysterically - while they screamed and shrivelled and just dried up and went *poof* - just like that! Now you know why we looked so dirty and disheveled when we came down the ramp!"

Hammond raised his eyebrows and scrutinized his flagship team … it was certainly one of the daftest debriefings he had ever sat through! And yet, they seemed to have met their objective.

“One more thing, Colonel. The Samandans?”

“We didn’t lose one, sir, and returned them all safely to their kingdom. In fact, not a single shot was fired against the enemy. You could almost say ‘we killed them with kindness’” … at which point, Sam snorted; Daniel snickered; Teal’c smiled broadly, and Jack threw snake eyes.

Hammond knew he was in for a very, very long night.

OMG!! That was good and not a soul was lost.

[stargate barbie]

If these very small vocally rude minority would actually get AT fired, I would be in shock! How that would even be conceivable or possible --- it is almost too difficult to comprehend, given the huge AT fanbase that exists. TPTB have to know that a very important part of fandom continues to watch because she is still on the show. This HUGE part of fandom would be stunned if this really were the case. Look at the fan outcry on just the leadership issue alone for Sam. Imagine if AT were pushed out and replaced when she did NOT want to be---they would lose a large contingent of their fanbase that they cannot afford to lose ---the ratings are "solid", not fabulous. They could easily go down---there are so many changes already---losing Sam would be the last straw for many, many fans. I think they know this. They need every segment of their audience right now.

well they managed to get daniel back after the sam character and her fans drove him away. <overly theatrical wink>

(i'm kidding obviously, and i don't mean any offense, i too wanted daniel back, i just didn't go about trying to get him back the way a small vocal minority did)

[Skydiver]

on the 48 hours story

my favorite angsty part...the look on sam's face in the briefing room, when they're dialing the gate and she knows that teal'c will get erased and there's nothing she can do

[stargate barbie]

on the 48 hours story

my favorite angsty part...the look on sam's face in the briefing room, when they're dialing the gate and she knows that teal'c will get erased and there's nothing she can do

haven't had the chance to rewatch yet, but from memory;
i love the ending where they're filling T in on what he missed. great team interaction, and AT's reactions really prove what a fantastic actress she is.

well thats all from me today folks, when i get back here you will most likely have surpassed 900 pages (on my view anyway), so in advance i'd just like to say well done everybody!

[Uber]

A Samandan Bedtime Story

The Final Solution

It was a dark and stormy night ... SG-1 had just returned from their mission to defeat the enemies of Samanda. The team looked quite disheveled and dirty but stumbled down the ramp with smirks and grins on their faces. Even Teal'c seemed more lively than usual. Hammond was there to greet them.
"Colonel, how did it go?"

<snippety doo da>

“One more thing, Colonel. The Samandans?”

“We didn’t lose one, sir, and returned them all safely to their kingdom. In fact, not a single shot was fired against the enemy. You could almost say ‘we killed them with kindness’” … at which point, Sam snorted; Daniel snickered; Teal’c smiled broadly, and Jack threw snake eyes.

Hammond knew he was in for a very, very long night.

Excellent job...but can we call this something other than The Final Solution? There are certain not so good historical connotations connected with that phase...

[sg-1fanintn]

A Samandan Bedtime Story

The Final Solution

It was a dark and stormy night ... SG-1 had just returned from their mission to defeat the enemies of Samanda. The team looked quite disheveled and dirty but stumbled down the ramp with smirks and grins on their faces. Even Teal'c seemed more lively than usual. Hammond was there to greet them.

"Colonel, how did it go?"

"Not bad, not bad at all, General" replied O'Neill as he devilishly winked at Carter and Daniel. "Mission accomplished!"

"Would you like to run with that, Jack?" asked Hammond. But the Colonel merely waved his hand and bowed and said "Sir, with all due respect, let me get showered and shaved - let's clean us up - and I'll be glad to be debriefed." Hammond nodded at the bedraggled team and gave them a two-hour reprieve. "We'll meet at 2100 hours for the full story."

Interestingly, all four team members were on time and almost eagerly awaiting the General's entrance into the briefing room. Carter was sitting up and forward, barely stifling a giggle; Daniel looked wide awake and had a cup of coffee and notebook in front of him; Teal'c was whistling a strange tune (yes, whistling) to himself, and Jack was playing with a pair of dice. This aura of good will seemed to fill the room. A strange beneficent energy seemed to be present.

Elaine, you are so special! That's just what this evening needed!

[ChopinGal]

Excellent job...but can we call this something other than The Final Solution? There are certain not so good historical connotations connected with that phase...

You're right ... I've edited my copy ... the story can stand alone, it doesn't need a title! Unless, however, you have something else in mind?

[ann_sgcfan]

A Samandan Bedtime Story

With a bit of quiet shuffling and straightened files and shoulders, they resumed their positions. Hammond was the first to speak: "What just happened?!"

Silence was replaced with Sam stammering, "General, I really don't know what came over me ... er, us. But I must say that I've never felt better after a mission as I do now." Daniel agreed, "You know, I feel the same way.” Teal'c nodded and raised an eyebrow, “Indeed.” Jack sat back, as if to think a bit more about this uproarious state of affairs, and nodded "Best darn trip through the wormhole that I ever had!"

"Can we get back to the mission objective, Colonel?" reminded Hammond (who was certainly not quite as euphoric as his team members had become).

"Yes, oh yes" smiled Jack. "Kick some butt and rescue all those lovely citizens of Samanda, brave souls who had left the shelter of their peaceful kingdom to defend their Queen’s honour. At first, things didn’t look too promising. We weren't having much success in eliminating the enemy with its nasty feelings and snarky remarks - UNTIL ... the Nox showed up to lend a hand!"

All eyes turned to Jack as he summed up their experience: "You see, General, this enemy is about the lowest life form in existence - it just lives to be a parasite and sucks up all humor and good will and communication and civility wherever it lands, and the Nox intuitively knew how to eradicate the problem - once and for all. We were so gung-ho on physical assault that we didn't think this out like the Nox . The real weapon for getting rid of such a problem is: LAUGHTER! These little buggers don't know what to do with something funny - they take themselves so seriously that there is no room for a joke, a pun, a snort, a chuckle, God forbid - a belly laugh - and there is absolutely no room for laughing at yourself. The Nox surrounded the planet with an energy shield which projected continuous streams of old movies and TV shows: Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, Comedy Central, Lucille Ball ... you get the picture? Well, we sure did! Turns out all the 'good guys', like Strix and Uber and Coley and chocdoc and minigeek, survived the 'Blast from the Past' detonation of unending playfulness and comedy by the Nox. But the anti-Samanda forces didn't know what hit 'em - didn't know which rock to crawl under - and they didn't make it - not a one - they started to disintegrate right before our eyes. However, we were laughing so hard that we could hardly see them - we had tears coming down our cheeks. We fell to the ground and rolled around hysterically - while they screamed and shrivelled and just dried up and went *poof* - just like that! Now you know why we looked so dirty and disheveled when we came down the ramp!"

Hammond raised his eyebrows and scrutinized his flagship team … it was certainly one of the daftest debriefings he had ever sat through! And yet, they seemed to have met their objective.

“One more thing, Colonel. The Samandans?”

“We didn’t lose one, sir, and returned them all safely to their kingdom. In fact, not a single shot was fired against the enemy. You could almost say ‘we killed them with kindness’” … at which point, Sam snorted; Daniel snickered; Teal’c smiled broadly, and Jack threw snake eyes.

Hammond knew he was in for a very, very long night.

Excellent post Chopingal! Very well put! I would have given you some green, but at last I am out.

[golfbooy]

Ok, recent events on a few threads have bamboozled me into posting my own diatribe about Gemini. Pathetic, I know. I am such a sucker.

To begin, here's one case where I wish I were totally ignorant of online fandom. My compulsion for news about Stargate is what drove me here in the first place, but had it not been for GateWorld and other such lovely websites, I would have sat forever in ignorant bliss as to the raging hellstorm this episode elicited from both Sam lovers and Sam haters. Anyway, I watched Gemini. And I loved it. I thought it was a great episode, full of tension, and maintaining a rather portentious tone the whole way through. I thought Amanda Tapping did a bang-up job as Replicarter, whose creation by the writers hadn't sat right with me since New Order. Boy, was I wrong on that one.

So, you can imagine my surprise at discovering just how many people absolutely despised Gemini. I mean, some people feel that it ruined Sam's character forever, that it ruined SG-1 forever, that the writers were no longer worthy of any respect at all. And, after having read what others feel, I understand where they're coming from. But I can say that I never saw the episode in the same way as they did, and if I may be so bold, think that many are simply seeing what they want, not what's there. Perhaps TPTB didn't do a good enough job framing each choice made in the episode, of anouncing aloud what the consequences each action or nonaction would bring. Anyway, here's the way I see it. Proceed at your own risk.

Spoiler:

A lot has been made of how easily Sam allowed herself to be duped, of how Teal'c didn't follow his orders, of how Jack should have known better. But by my reckoning, there was only one instance in Gemini where a different choice could have been made regarding the whole situation. Everything that proceeded after that point was, in my view, unavoidable, particularly when looking at things from the character's (not a fan's) point of view. The SG-1 team did everything I'd expect them to do in dealing with Replicarter. They only could have avoided the situation by not meeting her at all. Period.

Hence, the point in the episode I'm referring to above. That would be when Sam, Teal'c, and Jack are sitting in the briefing room deciding whether or not to meet Replicarter. If you're inclined to think that SG-1 should never have met with Replicarter at all, that they should have simply moved on without meeting her and gaining whatever intel on the whereabouts, intentions, and strength of the replicators available, then that's a perfectly valid viewpoint. If you think the most logical course of action would have been to instantly shoot Replicarter, as she asked, because replicators are evil and that the whole thing is that simple, fine. If you think that Sam's curiosity about Replicarter was a red flag for trouble to come, that Jack should have kiboshed the whole thing right then, well that's fine too. But once the decision to go ahead and meet Replicarter at the Alpha Site was made, a series of circumstances and information comprised of truths, half-truths, and outright lies, forced SG-1 and Sam into every decision she made hence.

So moving on, both with my rant and in the episode, we come to Replicarter's arrival at the Alpha Site. Once there, she immediately pronounces that Fifth is coming, and that he has made himself and all replicators immune to the Ancient disruptor built by Jack. STOP. What to do? This is one of those places where people say that Sam screwed up--that she trusted Replicarter. Sorry, but that's just not the case. The two choices at this point are to either not believe Replicarter and hope that this information isn't true or to assume that at least some part of what Replicarter says is actually happening and to prepare. I ask you, given what you know of SG-1 in the past, what decision do you think they'd make? Potentially doom the entire galaxy with inaction or try to find a means of stopping the replicators (who will arrive shortly) with action? If you can honestly say that the SG-1 you know would not pursue a solution in this situation, then we're watching two different shows. As Aris Boch loved to remind SG-1, they were choiceless.

Anyway, we all know that Sam and SG-1 did assume that there was a threat from Fifth. Which was absolutely true, he was on his way. And like it or not, one puny Ancient gun and a few untested Asgard satellites probably weren't going to stop his replicator army. Anyone saying that things only made it past here because Sam allowed Replicarter to enter her mind and show her how she had been tortured by Fifth is ignoring the facts of the situation. Whether or not Sam did the "hand in the head" thing, the potential dangers behind Replicarter's warnings still remained, as did the only options. So, do nothing and hope, or amend the disruptor and be proactive?

Well, Sam, Jack, and Teal'c, like SG-1 always has been, were proactive. They were going to try and find a solution to stop Fifth, regardless of the dicey circumstances. Remember that to them, even if Replicarter had been lying about Fifth's immunity, they still had the original design to the disruptor. From their point of view, allowing Replicarter to help them discover a means of modifying the weapon would only lead to better odds of survival--a weapon against both modified and unmodified replicators.

Wait a minute, some will say, SG-1 should still have assumed that Replicarter was working with Fifth and not allowed her access to the device! Again I ask, what would that have changed? The choices for our team remain the same--do nothing and hope Replicarter is lying, or try to increase the options and possiblity for a successful defense against whatever kind of replicators might be coming. If only the characters could have seen those handy asides that took place between Replicarter and Fifth, then they might have forseen things as we the audience did. But they weren't privy to that luxury, and maybe we shouldn't have been either.

After all of this, things were pretty much settled. Replicarter developed immunity to the weapon, betrayed and murdered Fifth, and fled the Alpha Site. Without the Ancient disruptor the possibility of anyone stopping Replicarter on the rampage was extremely remote. The episode ends with Replicarter and her brethren now immune to the disruptor, and with SG-1 feeling kicked in the teeth (Sam in particular). Wow, how much does that suck? Still, these types of things have always happened in the Stargate universe. Some of the absolute best episodes of SG-1, for me, are the ones where our guys screw up big time, where they totally blow it, where stuff happens and at the end of the episode things are way, way worse than when they started. Things can't be all happy gateroom celebrations and long, slow pull-aways from the team hanging out at Jack's cabin. Good and bad things happen to these four characters; it's why we know them so well, and it's why the show has stayed on the air for nine years.

So, that's my brief (the sad part is that that is brief for me) take on Gemini. But to close, it's worth pointing out that if Sam had done the exact opposite of what she did, had she told everyone in that first briefing room scene to find her replicator double and whack her without hesitation, then she no doubt would be lambasted as a cold-heated *****, someone incapable of feeling compassion, even for "herself".

I'm also frustrated with fandom's comfort level with the replicators. That is, everyone online seems to think that dealing with the replicators is easy. They talk about the events of Gemini as though SG-1 should have been able to defeat Fifth and Replicarter without breaking a sweat. It's as though since the replicators have been around since season three, then they shouldn't be a threat at all. So, for the record, I feel the need to tell everyone: Nobody defeats the replicators with aplomb. Not even the redoubtable SG-1. In fact, up until Jack was able to create the Ancient weapon in New Order, only the freakiest and most fictional of circumstances have allowed SG-1 to keep the replicators at bay. In Nemesis they had to crash Thor's ship to stop them. And one still survived. So in Small Victories we nuked that one, solo replicator. Overkill? No, because they're unstoppable killing machines. In Enemies the replicators are stopped only after once again hurtling the ship they're aboard into a planet at breakneck speed. But, just to add to their total evilness, before they are stopped the replicators are essentially able to kill Apophis, something SG-1 hadn't been able to do in five years. In Menace, the only reason Teal'c, O'neill and the entire SGC weren't overrun by the replicators was because Jack was able to kill Reese. Let's face it, they would never have stopped the replicators if not for those unduplicable circumstances. Then there's Unnatural Selection. Here, SG-1 had to literally stop time in order to halt the replicator advance. And that was only possible through the betrayal of someone who has to be considered a child. At the very least he's childlike. After that, the Asgard tried to chuck them into a black hole for crying out loud. They're unstoppable.

So, while, yes, SG-1 has fought the replicators a number of times, they'd never really been able to "defeat" them. At best they had been able to fend them off, keep them out of our galaxy. But, what we'd been told right from the beginning was that if the replicators actually made it to our galaxy, then we would be toast. In that light, the events of Gemini do seem rather portentious, don't they? Fifth was coming to our galaxy, wasn't he? Meh, Carter and SG-1 still should have done nothing. At least then nobody would look like a fool, right?

[Simhavaktra]

You're right ... I've edited my copy ... the story can stand alone, it doesn't need a title! Unless, however, you have something else in mind?

"The Last Laugh - An Excellent Tale From The Annals of Samanda"?

[chocdoc]

Excellent post Chopingal! Very well put! I would have given you some green, but at last I am out.

Yes, Chopingal---yet again you have put a smile on my face.

[chocdoc]

Ok, recent events on a few threads have bamboozled me into posting my own diatribe about Gemini. Pathetic, I know. I am such a sucker.

To begin, here's one case where I wish I were totally ignorant of online fandom. My compulsion for news about Stargate is what drove me here in the first place, but had it not been for GateWorld and other such lovely websites, I would have sat forever in ignorant bliss as to the raging hellstorm this episode elicited from both Sam lovers and Sam haters. Anyway, I watched Gemini. And I loved it. I thought it was a great episode, full of tension, and maintaining a rather portentious tone the whole way through. I thought Amanda Tapping did a bang-up job as Replicarter, whose creation by the writers hadn't sat right with me since New Order. Boy, was I wrong on that one.

So, you can imagine my surprise at discovering just how many people absolutely despised Gemini. I mean, some people feel that it ruined Sam's character forever, that it ruined SG-1 forever, that the writers were no longer worthy of any respect at all. And, after having read what others feel, I understand where they're coming from. But I can say that I never saw the episode in the same way as they did, and if I may be so bold, think that many are simply seeing what they want, not what's there. Perhaps TPTB didn't do a good enough job framing each choice made in the episode, of anouncing aloud what the consequences each action or nonaction would bring. Anyway, here's the way I see it. Proceed at your own risk.

Spoiler:

A lot has been made of how easily Sam allowed herself to be duped, of how Teal'c didn't follow his orders, of how Jack should have known better. But by my reckoning, there was only one instance in Gemini where a different choice could have been made regarding the whole situation. Everything that proceeded after that point was, in my view, unavoidable, particularly when looking at things from the character's (not a fan's) point of view. The SG-1 team did everything I'd expect them to do in dealing with Replicarter. They only could have avoided the situation by not meeting her at all. Period.

Hence, the point in the episode I'm referring to above. That would be when Sam, Teal'c, and Jack are sitting in the briefing room deciding whether or not to meet Replicarter. If you're inclined to think that SG-1 should never have met with Replicarter at all, that they should have simply moved on without meeting her and gaining whatever intel on the whereabouts, intentions, and strength of the replicators available, then that's a perfectly valid viewpoint. If you think the most logical course of action would have been to instantly shoot Replicarter, as she asked, because replicators are evil and that the whole thing is that simple, fine. If you think that Sam's curiosity about Replicarter was a red flag for trouble to come, that Jack should have kiboshed the whole thing right then, well that's fine too. But once the decision to go ahead and meet Replicarter at the Alpha Site was made, a series of circumstances and information comprised of truths, half-truths, and outright lies, forced SG-1 and Sam into every decision she made hence.

So moving on, both with my rant and in the episode, we come to Replicarter's arrival at the Alpha Site. Once there, she immediately pronounces that Fifth is coming, and that he has made himself and all replicators immune to the Ancient disruptor built by Jack. STOP. What to do? This is one of those places where people say that Sam screwed up--that she trusted Replicarter. Sorry, but that's just not the case. The two choices at this point are to either not believe Replicarter and hope that this information isn't true or to assume that at least some part of what Replicarter says is actually happening and to prepare. I ask you, given what you know of SG-1 in the past, what decision do you think they'd make? Potentially doom the entire galaxy with inaction or try to find a means of stopping the replicators (who will arrive shortly) with action? If you can honestly say that the SG-1 you know would not pursue a solution in this situation, then we're watching two different shows. As Aris Boch loved to remind SG-1, they were choiceless.

Anyway, we all know that Sam and SG-1 did assume that there was a threat from Fifth. Which was absolutely true, he was on his way. And like it or not, one puny Ancient gun and a few untested Asgard satellites probably weren't going to stop his replicator army. Anyone saying that things only made it past here because Sam allowed Replicarter to enter her mind and show her how she had been tortured by Fifth is ignoring the facts of the situation. Whether or not Sam did the "hand in the head" thing, the potential dangers behind Replicarter's warnings still remained, as did the only options. So, do nothing and hope, or amend the disruptor and be proactive?

Well, Sam, Jack, and Teal'c, like SG-1 always has been, were proactive. They were going to try and find a solution to stop Fifth, regardless of the dicey circumstances. Remember that to them, even if Replicarter had been lying about Fifth's immunity, they still had the original design to the disruptor. From their point of view, allowing Replicarter to help them discover a means of modifying the weapon would only lead to better odds of survival--a weapon against both modified and unmodified replicators.

Wait a minute, some will say, SG-1 should still have assumed that Replicarter was working with Fifth and not allowed her access to the device! Again I ask, what would that have changed? The choices for our team remain the same--do nothing and hope Replicarter is lying, or try to increase the options and possiblity for a successful defense against whatever kind of replicators might be coming. If only the characters could have seen those handy asides that took place between Replicarter and Fifth, then they might have forseen things as we the audience did. But they weren't privy to that luxury, and maybe we shouldn't have been either.

After all of this, things were pretty much settled. Replicarter developed immunity to the weapon, betrayed and murdered Fifth, and fled the Alpha Site. Without the Ancient disruptor the possibility of anyone stopping Replicarter on the rampage was extremely remote. The episode ends with Replicarter and her brethren now immune to the disruptor, and with SG-1 feeling kicked in the teeth (Sam in particular). Wow, how much does that suck? Still, these types of things have always happened in the Stargate universe. Some of the absolute best episodes of SG-1, for me, are the ones where our guys screw up big time, where they totally blow it, where stuff happens and at the end of the episode things are way, way worse than when they started. Things can't be all happy gateroom celebrations and long, slow pull-aways from the team hanging out at Jack's cabin. Good and bad things happen to these four characters; it's why we know them so well, and it's why the show has stayed on the air for nine years.

So, that's my brief (the sad part is that that is brief for me) take on Gemini. But to close, it's worth pointing out that if Sam had done the exact opposite of what she did, had she told everyone in that first briefing room scene to find her replicator double and whack her without hesitation, then she no doubt would be lambasted as a cold-heated *****, someone incapable of feeling compassion, even for "herself".

I'm also frustrated with fandom's comfort level with the replicators. That is, everyone online seems to think that dealing with the replicators is easy. They talk about the events of Gemini as though SG-1 should have been able to defeat Fifth and Replicarter without breaking a sweat. It's as though since the replicators have been around since season three, then they shouldn't be a threat at all. So, for the record, I feel the need to tell everyone: Nobody defeats the replicators with aplomb. Not even the redoubtable SG-1. In fact, up until Jack was able to create the Ancient weapon in New Order, only the freakiest and most fictional of circumstances have allowed SG-1 to keep the replicators at bay. In Nemesis they had to crash Thor's ship to stop them. And one still survived. So in Small Victories we nuked that one, solo replicator. Overkill? No, because they're unstoppable killing machines. In Enemies the replicators are stopped only after once again hurtling the ship they're aboard into a planet at breakneck speed. But, just to add to their total evilness, before they are stopped the replicators are essentially able to kill Apophis, something SG-1 hadn't been able to do in five years. In Menace, the only reason Teal'c, O'neill and the entire SGC weren't overrun by the replicators was because Jack was able to kill Reese. Let's face it, they would never have stopped the replicators if not for those unduplicable circumstances. Then there's Unnatural Selection. Here, SG-1 had to literally stop time in order to halt the replicator advance. And that was only possible through the betrayal of someone who has to be considered a child. At the very least he's childlike. After that, the Asgard tried to chuck them into a black hole for crying out loud. They're unstoppable.

So, while, yes, SG-1 has fought the replicators a number of times, they'd never really been able to "defeat" them. At best they had been able to fend them off, keep them out of our galaxy. But, what we'd been told right from the beginning was that if the replicators actually made it to our galaxy, then we would be toast. In that light, the events of Gemini do seem rather portentious, don't they? Fifth was coming to our galaxy, wasn't he? Meh, Carter and SG-1 still should have done nothing. At least then nobody would look like a fool, right?

A fabulous analysis, golfbooy! Thanks for taking the time to write it! I really enjoyed Gemini as well when it first aired. Then I read some reactions-- good and bad--and you have helped me remember why I liked it so much. Carter's mistake (along with Jack and Teal'c) didn't bother me -- I really liked the story--I wanted to know what was going to happen, and frankly AT's acting was great as well. All the characters have made mistakes -- it would be incredibly boring if our heroes saved the day every week.

I've listened to the commentaries for Red Sky with Martin Wood and AT (I love when the do commentaries together) and they both said that they had hoped that in this episode, it hadn't all worked out -- that SG1 needs to live with consequences of some poor choices every so often-- makes them more human, but the writers didn't go for that.

[ChopinGal]

"The Last Laugh - An Excellent Tale From The Annals of Samanda"?

Thanks, Simhavaktra ... a worthy title ...

or "He Who Laughs ... Lasts"

Hmm, anyone else want to "rename the Bedtime Story"?! Feel free - I'm easy! (Oops, not that kind of easy!)

I'll check in tomorrow to see what my options are! Good night!