Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Tracy Jane]

Ah, at last.... internet!!!!!
Sorry guys, I was only meant to be away a little while. I have been working in country NSW. With the New Year heatwaves and bushfires etc... closing the main highways I ended up staying on an extra week, and have only just got back.

Looks like it might take me a while to catch up here, but I look forward to reading all your posts.

But heck, what on earth happened to all our emoticons. Everything's gone... different. Not sure if I like all the new ones. At first I couldn't find Samanda because it didn't have the old icon!

I know what you mean. I like the new icons, but maybe we should have both. The new one seems a little cheap for Samanda. It's great as a smiley, but not for our thread.

[deepspace]

Don't know if this has already been answered but Coley and 1speed4Sam have registered for GABIT2 also!

I'm glad to hear 1speed and Coley will be off to GABIT again, but what about you Jester?

On another note, I just got my latest issue of the official Stargate magazing. There's a wonderful long article about Amanda *wide grin*.

[chocdoc]

i thikn it could also have something to do with depending so much on her to carry the show. even if they 'don't know what to do with her', they seemed to have a hard time writing an eps that was sam lite the last time she directed. even if they can't write something around sam, tehy know they can depend on her to give 120% so they use her that way...which is good. but it also means that they're depending on her so much to 'be there' that they might be hampering her future a bit.

who knows, maybe if they have vala to deal with they can write a sam-lite eps and let her direct, or let her direct an atlantis eps, finally take a chance to pay her back for all she's done over the years

This is why I have found this such an ironic situation. On the one hand, they are telling AT that they don't think she can direct an episode next season because then they would have to reduce her role too much in several episodes, yet on the other hand, they are not sure what to do with her character! I think I'm not sure how to interpret, "we haven't figured out what to do with your character yet." Does this mean, we don't know what Sam will be doing in general, say stay on the team or not? Or is it referring to, we don't know how often we want sam to go to Atlantis yet, given some needs for that show's storylines. It's all so vague.

Personally, I think TPTB are having trouble knowing how to write for any of the characters, except say Vala! Mitchell hasn't been easy to write for--they have written him inconsistently so far. I think he will have two episodes coming up where he will be front and center. Teal'c's only focus this whole year has been the Jaffa nation---I find that storyline not real compelling, and I really like it when Teal'c is doing something else too! Daniel has really been not as central lately and in the first part of season 9 he was for me, Vala's sidekick. And they seem to be vacillating between writing the archeologist and the military action Daniel --and not finding for me a good balance between the two. Lam--well they don't seem to know what to do with her character. I say make her a professional and act like one, and lay low on any relationship issues during her introduction, but they didn't do that. Landry has been okay--doing what a general does.

[chocdoc]

first off, poo on gateworld for going screwy last night!

Spoiler:

yes, i noticed that scene too! (who exactly *was* in charge while landry was sick?)

the end scene where sam visits orlin at the home was my fave. it was the only part of the ep that i connected with emotionally.

sally

Me too, sally. This is the only part I connected with as well. I hope I see more scenes in upcoming episodes that grab me. I'm needing those and needing a team episode where the whole team goes, dare I say, off-world and dare I say, stays together!!


Hey deepspace---glad to have you back!! You have alot of catching up to do!!

[ForeverSg1]

A true ensemble cast would list the cast alphabetically in the credits, which has never been the case with SG-1. There is definitely an ensemble feel to the show, but there's always been a sort of pecking order as far as who gets the most story time. RDA (until he started cutting back) was involved in almost everything with AT and MS getting not quite as many storylines, and CJ coming in third.

I agree that things are more of an ensemble nature now, but it's still not a true ensemble if the cast is not listed alphabetically. No matter what it seems like, the fact is that one person is listed first and that person is the lead.

I do believe you are correct in that a true ensemble cast would have been listed in alphabetical order and in all honestly I really think it should have been done this way in season nine. Ben Browder would still have been in the first spot, but it would have been obvious that the cast was an ensemble with no real lead. Because I seriously doubt that the 2.5 million people who watch the show every week are really tuning in to see Ben Browder alone. I'm not saying that he is not bringing in new fans like yourself, but it just seems silly to me when you are adding so many new characters in one season that you don't just make it ensemble cast.

I may be a bit naive in my way of thinking, but when I saw the original credits for the pilot, I really just saw the actors names in the order the characters appeared. First we saw Jack, then we saw Daniel, then Sam and lastly Teal'c. Yes, RDA was given top billing due to the fact that he was the named actor on the show which was obvious by his name being before the show's title, but the rest were pretty much unknowns so I really didn't see it as a matter of MS getting second billing because he was any more popular than AT or CJ.

When MS left, the credits changed but I still saw it as order by which they appeared on the show. Jack, Sam, Teal'c then Jonas. It was only when MS came back that things changed.

I just think with Ben, Amanda, Chris, Michael, Beau, Lexa and now Claudia joining the cast, it just seems a bit egotistical to believe that any one member of the cast is any more important than the others. It's obvious to me that if losing RDA didn't cause the show to collapse, that losing anyone else won't really change things, so why does the show need a lead character instead of simply being an ensemble cast?

Just my two cents,
Kat

Edit: And part of the reason I may have been getting a bit irritated by all the hubba about Browder and Claudia joining the show is having to come across articles like the following where two of the long standing actors are completely ignored from being mentioned as if they don't really matter. But then who can blame the reviewers and writers when so much emphasizes has been given to Browder and Claudia being a part of the show.

http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.ht...2&ref_type=101

[majorsal]

Errrm, to be fair, RDA earned that spot by having the lead in MacGuyver, just like Scott Baluka or whatever his name is got the lead in Enterprise because of having the lead in Quantum Leap and Ben Browder now has the spot cos he was the lead in Farscape. He's a bigger name than Tapping, apparently, he'll draw in the fans. Grumble, mutter, grumble.

while i agree with your logic, macgyver and quantum leap were network shows, where farscape wasn't. i think there's a lot of ppl that wouldn't know ben browder anymore than amanda tapping or michael shanks. and out of the scifi world, would most ppl know ben more than amanda or shanks?

i don't think ben took amanda's lead of the show role (i never felt she *was* lead of the *show*), it's that i feel ben and amanda/michael/chris are equals, so why did this guy get top billing over the other 9 year established cast?

on an aside: i was walking through the livingroom and saw john larroquette on tv. now *that* man grabs my attention.

(played by john larroquette) colonel cameron mitchell: last commanded sg-6 for five years. grizzled and sharp-witted, but stepped down from command because of a mission gone bad. was willing to step up to the plate, though, and command another sg team because of the ori threat. (i like john )



sally

[ShardsofGlass]

I do believe you are correct in that a true ensemble cast would have been listed in alphabetical order and in all honestly I really think it should have been done this way in season nine. Ben Browder would still have been in the first spot, but it would have been obvious that the cast was an ensemble with no real lead. Because I seriously doubt that the nearly two million people who watch the show every week are really tuning in to see Ben Browder alone. I'm not saying that he is not bringing in new fans like yourself, but it just seems silly to me when you are adding so many new characters in one season that you don't just make it ensemble cast, which would have made even more sense seeing as they are going to have Claudia joining next season.

Actually, Beau Bridges would've been first this season and Claudia Black would've been first next season.

I may be a bit naive in my way of thinking, but when I saw the original credits for the pilot, I really just saw the actors names in the order the characters appeared. First we saw Jack, then we saw Daniel, then Sam and lastly Teal'c. Yes, RDA was given top billing due to the fact that he was the named actor on the show which was obvious by his name being before the show's title, but the rest were pretty much unknowns so I really didn't see it as a matter of MS getting second billing because he was any more popular than AT or CJ.

And you're right, it has nothing to do with popularity. Sure, popularity is a factor in picking a certain actor for a role because they'll bring in viewers. But it's the size of the role that determines where in the credits someone falls. You could put Brad Pitt on SG-1, but if he's playing the role of Teal'c, for instance, he'll still come in third in the credits because that's where the role goes. Okay, they'd probably give him a special credit at the end because he's Brad Pitt, but you get my drift. No matter how popular someone is, if they're playing a supporting role, their name is going to fall in the credits according to the size of the role, not how popular they are.

When MS left, the credits changed but I still saw it as order by which they appeared on the show. Jack, Sam, Teal'c then Jonas. It was only when MS came back that things changed.

I think that's because AT had moved up to second from third and they didn't want to demote her, and they couldn't give MS his old spot in second place, so they gave him a special credit at the end.

I just think with Ben, Amanda, Chris, Michael, Beau, Lexa and now Claudia joining the cast, it just seems a bit condescending to believe that any one member of the cast is any more important than the others. It's obvious to me that if losing RDA didn't cause the show to collapse, that losing anyone else won't really change things, so why does the show need a lead character instead of simply being an ensemble cast?

I don't think anyone is more special than the others. Imagine how dull the show would be without all the characters, but some parts are larger than others, even if it's by a tiny bit. I think it's a matter of the role a person is playing. The largest role gets the first billing. They could've picked an unknown to replace RDA and that person would still have gotten top billing because that's what the role is.

Edit: And part of the reason I may have been getting a bit irritated by all the hubba about Browder and Claudia joining the show is having to come across articles like the following where two of the long standing actors are completely ignored from being mentioned as if they don't really matter. But then who can blame the reviewers and writers when so much emphasizes has been given to Browder and Claudia being a part of the show.
http://www.tv.com/tracking/viewer.ht...2&ref_type=101

I can definitely see how that is irritating, but I truly think that's because they were new and if you don't advertise them and promote them, how will anyone know they're on the show now. But now, six months after the premiere, have you noticed that there wasn't a single article about Ben? He's old news now and the focus has shifted again.

[STARGATE7777]

It seems as though they are struggling with all the actors to find their place on the show. I was watching Prototype with my husband the other night. It was the first episode of season 9 that he has watched. After about 10 minutes he said "Something's wrong with this show. It's as if they are just reading their lines or are in a hurry to be somewhere else."

In my opinion, RDA had a great deal more influence on this show than most people realized. We are seeing the result in season 9. It 's as though everyone is acting instead of reacting to each other. I think that RDA had great timing, whether it was comedy, angst, drama, whatever. The other actors played off this. It wasn't so much the lines but the way they were delivered. He always made it believeable.

Now, it just seems forced, or rushed or...off. AT seems to be the only one who is able to continue to give performances that show emotion or connection with other characters on the show. The rest of the actors, most of the time, are cringe worthy. I know they are good actors, we have seen them give great performances but right now they might not be bad actors but they are certainly acting bad.

[binkpmmc]

Hey, AT made#7 on what celebs people are searching for.

She's also #18 on the MOVERS List which means: "Movers are the search terms that have increased their buzz score over the previous day's score by the greatest percentage. Leaders are the search terms with the greatest buzz score for a given day".

Some more info from Yahoo on the Buzz Movers:

"Buzz leaders are the subjects with the greatest buzz score on a given day. These subjects are the most searched subjects on Yahoo! for that day.
Back to top


What do the numbers mean?
A subject's buzz score is the percentage of users searching for that subject on a given day, multiplied by a constant to make the number easier to read.
More precisely, each point is equal to 0.001% of users searching on Yahoo! on a given day. For example, a buzz score of 500 for "Pokemon" translates to 0.5% of all users searching on Yahoo!

For buzz movers, the number displayed is the percentage increase in the subject's buzz score from the previous day."

I hope someone at TPTB notice these things - I do not see any of the other "so-called" stars of the show listed here, nor did I see any of them on that MSNBC Poll AT was part of awhile back either - MSNBC polls and Yahoo searches seem more mainstream to me than anything the others have been involved in, except perhaps a 10 minute part in CSI.

[majorsal]

*Please remember, I am not in the least bit defensive nor am I defending Ben. I am just sharing my OPINION.

Why write that Sam transfered? Cause maybe she wanted to since the team had split up. Maybe because she wanted to explore other avenues of the scope of SGC. Maybe because she thought her research abilities would be put to better use in studing all the artifacts and such SG teams had found.

There could be any number of reasons why Sam was transfered. Doesn't mean it's any thing other than either her choice or the higher ups thought she'd be MORE useful else where. Simple as that, at least in my book it is.

sounds like finding excuses for the ptb's writing decisions.

Please don't think that I'm dissing RDA as I'm just as much a fan of his as I am of Ben's, I'm just saying that RDA had a popular show where as Ben did a lot of character work on various shows before landing on Farscape. Ben's played several different characters over the years and basically, RDA has played mainly, two...Mac and Jack. I think both men are equally talented and the fact that one had a popular main stream show over another, means that RDA possibly had a better agent or a different agenda as far as his career choices are concerned. Still doesn't make him any better than Ben. Just makes him different.

richard's very successful career started with a leading spot on general hospital for five years. then throw in numerous guest starring spots on network tv shows. then throw in numerous tv movies. then macgyver comes along, with him being the sole lead for seven years. throw in some macgyver tv movies and a few more unfulfilled tv shows... you've got a long and respected career on network television, culminating with him starring on sg1 and being an executive producer as well. in my book, rda earned the right to have his name above the title.

the opening credits have ben's name first and then amanda's. fine, i can live with it. but the collection of pics shown 'before' the name stargate is shown is ALL bb/cm. almost feels like ben's name above the title. (maybe this is the real reason why we didn't have opening credits for a while. didn't want to shock the fans with the sudden realization that the newcomer really 'was' the lead of it all???)




sally

[majorsal]

Yeah. The thing causing an outcry atm is that the credits should have had team pics at the head, not Browder shots.

yes, TEAM pics! (as in four equal members of the cast/team)



sally

[majorsal]

Yes, if they're going to go Sam light, they might as well let her direct. They know she can do it. The baby might not even be much of an issue. After all, she was supposed to direct an episode without Sam in it much to give her a chance to prep & she managed quite well in a pretty Sam heavy episode. And if she wants to direct in the future I'm all for it, but I'd hate to lose her from the screen.

that's how i feel too.



sally

[ForeverSg1]

[minigeek]

Just got in from dinner - popped in and wanted to say a blanket THANK YOU for the birthday green jello, guys. Twasn't that bad, so far as birthdays go I suppose.

xoxox,
mini(the old)geek

[Simhavaktra]

Just got in from dinner - popped in and wanted to say a blanket THANK YOU for the birthday green jello, guys. Twasn't that bad, so far as birthdays go I suppose.

xoxox,
mini(the old)geek

Belated Happy, MG - and many more, each happier still.

Hmm... Birthday Dinner... There ought to have been cake...