Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[ChopinGal]

... In a way that's how I feel about McKay on Atlantis--he's best in small doses. Me too!

As for the discussion of Season 9 taping and viewing habits. I've been taping season nine *in case* there's a good episode. But I don't make a point to rewatch them. Me too, no desire to watch again; I'm not taping though. I did watch Beach Head last night & sort of watched the Baal episode while doing other stuff. I tend to still stop doing other stuff during *old* episodes. Me too! When "Solitudes" comes on, for example, I don't pay bills or read the newspaper through it even though I must have seen it at least 5 times. Solitudes was one of the earliest and best! The fine acting and herculean physical effort put forth by RDA and AT still stand out!

I don't see myself buying the boxed set unless the whole rest of season 9 goes up in quality quite a bit. Me too! Season 8 was a tough call for me, but I decided with New Order & a few other episodes it was worth it -- & also for the commentaries & features. Me too but haven't yet listened to any of the commentaries! Well, the commentaries have been very disappointing for me. A couple of good ones, but mostly talking *through* the episodes & not *about* the episodes. I just about whoopsed my cookies during the PU commentary with all the nauseating fawning over CB. At least CB had the grace to seem a bit embarrassed by it. Oh boy, that's not sounding good at all!

Edit: oh and all the gushing over how Vala allowed them to write a whole new tone (or words to that effect) made me want to say, "you think Stargate inhibits you? find another show." Maybe the writers should think about leaving rather than the actors!!

Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant. It's going around.

Okay, I think I responded above and I am disappointed to read that the extras on S8 did not seem to do it for you. I will probably feel the same and not rushing now to listen to any of them. Thanks for all this info, jckfan!

[Coley]

I just about whoopsed my cookies during the PU commentary with all the nauseating fawning over CB. At least CB had the grace to seem a bit embarrassed by it.
Edit: oh and all the gushing over how Vala allowed them to write a whole new tone (or words to that effect) made me want to say, "you think Stargate inhibits you? find another show."Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant.

LOL!!!

[Suzotchka]

ha! Yes, Rygel was great b/c he was so amoral. I doubt I would have enjoyed him that much if it had become the "Rygel show" though. In a way that's how I feel about McKay on Atlantis--he's best in small doses.

As for the discussion of Season 9 taping and viewing habits. I've been taping season nine *in case* there's a good episode. But I don't make a point to rewatch them. I did watch Beach Head last night & sort of watched the Baal episode while doing other stuff. I tend to still stop doing other stuff during *old* episodes. When "Solitudes" comes on, for example, I don't pay bills or read the newspaper through it even though I must have seen it at least 5 times.
I don't see myself buying the boxed set unless the whole rest of season 9 goes up in quality quite a bit. Season 8 was a tough call for me, but I decided with New Order & a few other episodes it was worth it-- & also for the commentaries & features. Well, the commentaries have been very disappointing for me. A couple of good ones, but mostly talking *through* the episodes & not *about* the episodes. I just about whoopsed my cookies during the PU commentary with all the nauseating fawning over CB. At least CB had the grace to seem a bit embarrassed by it.
Edit: oh and all the gushing over how Vala allowed them to write a whole new tone (or words to that effect) made me want to say, "you think Stargate inhibits you? find another show."
Sorry this turned into a bit of a rant.

I totally agree with everything you said. I tape season 9, but don't rewatch. I don't feel the need to be home and watch it at the same time I'm taping. The old episodes I still watch. Haven't watched the first 4 episodes of S9. Actually, I tried watching the first episode, and couldn't stand it and haven't even put season 8 into the DVD player yet. The only way I'd buy season 9 is if the season improves and if there are really great (and I mean great) extras. My friends say I should get it to keep the set complete. But I remind them that I don't have (nor do I want) season 5 of Babylon 5 simply because Ivanova's not in it!

On another thought, does anyone think that AT will be reduced to a "guest starring" on the show(s). Will they keep her in the opening credits?

[AGateFan]

I totally agree with everything you said. I tape season 9, but don't rewatch. I don't feel the need to be home and watch it at the same time I'm taping. The old episodes I still watch. Haven't watched the first 4 episodes of S9. Actually, I tried watching the first episode, and couldn't stand it and haven't even put season 8 into the DVD player yet. The only way I'd buy season 9 is if the season improves and if there are really great (and I mean great) extras. My friends say I should get it to keep the set complete. But I remind them that I don't have (nor do I want) season 5 of Babylon 5 simply because Ivanova's not in it!

On another thought, does anyone think that AT will be reduced to a "guest starring" on the show(s). Will they keep her in the opening credits?

I think the ultimate plan is to make her a guest star... or remove her completely. (Sadly)

And I did buy Season 5 of B5 and am thinking about getting season 1 of Crusade just to finish off my B5 collection.....I know I got issues.

[Suzotchka]

[QUOTE=AGateFan]I think the ultimate plan is to make her a guest star... or remove her completely. (Sadly)

Oh man! That is SO not fair!

I need some chocolate .....

[Melora]

Hey All!

It seems Joe is answering fan questions over at the Solutions Forum too. He addressed the very question you have been discussing over the past few posts (whether Sam will be a guest star, etc.). He stated that Sam will be more like a "guest" character on SGA and compared it to the size of role Mitch Pileggi played this year.

If you want to read his answers, here is the link. I warn you, some of the fan questions are not all that nice to Sam . It is interesting to see how Joe responded to some of them.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sg1so...ssages?msg=799

Joe's answers start at message #30. The answer about Sam's role on SGA is #56.

[Suzotchka]

Hey All!

It seems Joe is answering fan questions over at the Solutions Forum too. He addressed the very question you have been discussing over the past few posts (whether Sam will be a guest star, etc.). He stated that Sam will be more like a "guest" character on SGA and compared it to the size of role Mitch Pileggi played this year.

If you want to read his answers, here is the link. I warn you, some of the fan questions are not all that nice to Sam . It is interesting to see how Joe responded to some of them.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sg1so...ssages?msg=799

Joe's answers start at message #30. The answer about Sam's role on SGA is #56.

You're absolutely right. I started reading it and I just had to stop. I wonder, if Sam Carter was a guy, would they have treated the character differently? (Not trying to start anything with that question, it's really just me being curious).

[Agent_Dark]

It's definitely not a Sam-Friendly place. The website is ok, fairly unbiased but with a definite Daniel swing, but the forums are absolute rubbish. Just imo of course - I'm sure alot of them say the same things about GW

JM's answers were interesting. Especially the 'I would say thats an extreme interpretation of events' in response to a 'Sam Hating' question. He also pointed out that he thinks the uproar over the Sam on Atlantis thing was unjustified (which I kinda agree with). He said that'd basically be something similiar to what Colonel Caldwell does in Atlantis, something which I suspected anyway.

[Skydiver]

You're absolutely right. I started reading it and I just had to stop. I wonder, if Sam Carter was a guy, would they have treated the character differently? (Not trying to start anything with that question, it's really just me being curious).

depends. in many ways, and in a very general way, stargate has/had a love triangle, sam, daniel and jack...with sam and the ship between her and jack being seen as competition or a threat to the friendship - or more - between jack and daniel.

so every scene that was jack/sam is often seen as something that COULD have been jack/daniel.

when you're invested in a particular character/pairing and something threatens it, you don't like that something. remember the reactions to Pete and Laira those of you that were around then? same basic thing

now not every jack/daniel fan feels the same way. many see that friendship and relationships can co-exist...but some don't. and sam is an easy target for those that like the jack/daniel dynamic

[Lexa Jayde]

sam has to be one of the best characters on TV... so well put together and so well acted by the amazing AT

[Suzotchka]

depends. in many ways, and in a very general way, stargate has/had a love triangle, sam, daniel and jack...with sam and the ship between her and jack being seen as competition or a threat to the friendship - or more - between jack and daniel.

so every scene that was jack/sam is often seen as something that COULD have been jack/daniel.

when you're invested in a particular character/pairing and something threatens it, you don't like that something. remember the reactions to Pete and Laira those of you that were around then? same basic thing

now not every jack/daniel fan feels the same way. many see that friendship and relationships can co-exist...but some don't. and sam is an easy target for those that like the jack/daniel dynamic

You're right. And it's a shame that people can't see past that. I've never seen Sam as a threat to anyone. Her relationships with her friends (like all of us) are each unique and different. No two friendships are quite the same. And if she was/is with Jack, she could still be friends with Daniel. And Jack would still be friends with Daniel.

That's why I like coming here. Everyone likes Sam here!

[AGateFan]

Hey All!

It seems Joe is answering fan questions over at the Solutions Forum too. He addressed the very question you have been discussing over the past few posts (whether Sam will be a guest star, etc.). He stated that Sam will be more like a "guest" character on SGA and compared it to the size of role Mitch Pileggi played this year.
If you want to read his answers, here is the link. I warn you, some of the fan questions are not all that nice to Sam . It is interesting to see how Joe responded to some of them.

http://forums.delphiforums.com/sg1so...ssages?msg=799

Joe's answers start at message #30. The answer about Sam's role on SGA is #56.

What do you want to bet this will also be her status on SG-1.

[Lexa Jayde]

i hope that she used well in the 2nd half of this season....

[Skydiver]

folks have been talking about in con reports that the second half of s9 does have more sam in it. that in the first half amanda was just working 4 days a week,b ut in the second half she was working more and so we get more sam

[golfbooy]

It's definitely not a Sam-Friendly place. The website is ok, fairly unbiased but with a definite Daniel swing, but the forums are absolute rubbish. Just imo of course - I'm sure alot of them say the same things about GW

JM's answers were interesting. Especially the 'I would say thats an extreme interpretation of events' in response to a 'Sam Hating' question. He also pointed out that he thinks the uproar over the Sam on Atlantis thing was unjustified (which I kinda agree with). He said that'd basically be something similiar to what Colonel Caldwell does in Atlantis, something which I suspected anyway.

I don't see how Carter playing a role similar in size and importance to Colonel Caldwell's this season can be looked at as "nothing to worry about". If you told me that Carter would be making such appearances as well as appearing on SG-1 that same week, then I'd think it was terrific. But that's clearly not the case. Caldwell is by all definitions a recurring character. While he may appear in multiple episodes, he drives the story in none of them and he is a character defined and created to literally be "not part of the team". That's his thing. And I'm afraid that is exactly what we're going to get if Carter spends some "quality time" on Atlantis. Caldwell is a walking cliche, used, in my opinion, to provide Atlantis with something, anything, that will engender some conflict, no matter how shallow. I know opinions on that will probably vary, but that is mine.

In the end, maybe I'm just turned off by the prospect of more episodes of SG-1 without Sam Carter. Thanks, but I've seen what those turn out like, and I'm not too excited by that prospect.

And, for the record, I'm against any regular from SG-1 having to play a role similar to Caldwell's on Atlantis rather than their own on SG-1. That's a step down and a slight to the actor. And it's even worse when you consider that Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, and Chris Judge have been with the show for so long. They are the stars of Stargate, and they are a huge reason why SG-1 has been a success for so long.

While I have always recognized that some form of crossovers with Atlantis was inevitable, I've never been too enamored of the idea. Putting Carter or Daniel on Atlantis is, to me, a stunt designed to draw attention and hopefully fans to the weaker show. I know that a lot of posters here feel that Atlantis is doing better right now, but I do disagree. The longer that SG-1 goes on, the harder it will be for Atlantis to ever be considered its own show. Crossovers for the sake of ratings or "just to do them" do nothing but further embed Atlantis in SG-1. And, given the story ideas that I've seen this season, I think that's a road best left unexplored. There seems to be a dearth of originality on Atlantis that makes me question its longevity. And while that is a concern of mine, I don't want to see the writers try and rectify the problem by continuing to neglect the development of any and all Atlantis characters not named Rodney Mckay. Teyla and Weir have had nothing. Nothing. Beckett is hardly around. Ronan, Zelenka, Lorne--all could use some serious development. Hell, Sheppard has had next to nothing. And, to be honest, Caldwell takes enough screentime away from those characters. Can you imagine how much screentime Carter or Daniel will require?

Rereading this post, I know I sound pretty down on the whole thing right now. That's because I am. And the more I think about it, the worse of an idea i think it is. I'm even more depressed because I can't help but think that Joe and the gang at Bridge are just going to dig their heels in and, damn it, they're going to show all of us nonbelievers how great they are.