Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[majorsal]

The thing about Sam that makes her experiences so utterly different and perhaps a bit annoying at times is that she appears to be so completely forgiving and understanding about everything.

With every obstacle in her life she seems to gractiously just accept it and move on without any residual affects; no distrust or disliking for those involved. As MajorSal said in her quote, Sam is virtually raped by Jolinar but after the initial shock of it all, she accepts it and moves on. We never see any distrust from her and the Tok'ra (well other than Anise).

She is blended a second time in Nightwatchers and again just shrugs it off as if it were nothing.

In Desperate Measures, she is used as a lab rat by Adrian Conrad and yet when Sam sees his dead body on the Prometheus we really see no reaction from her. One would have thought that seeing the man who was responsible for her abduction would have caused some sort of mental flashback, angst, something.

In New Order, Sam is kidnapped and tortured by the replicator Fifth, but in Gemini when Sam speaks of Fifth it's with pity and regret in her voice. There is no heat, no show of pain. In fact, we see her almost excuse his actions due to the fact that he is child-like and has feelings for her.

However, each of the other main characters have had story arcs written into their characters that lasted many years. We've seen them struggle in dealing with feelings they have towards specific people. We've seen their anger, pain and frustration in dealing with people who have wronged them.

Over the past eight years, we have seen Teal'c expose his feelings for Apophis: his utter hatred of all the things Apophis did to him. We saw the pain and hate in his eyes each time he had to deal with Tanith, and we felt his raw desire to avenge Sho'nac's death by killing Tanith with his own hands.

Jack has openly worn his dislike and distrust for people on his sleeve. We hear him voice his discontent with any and all situations. We see him verbally attack and question the Tok'ra, the Tollan, Kinsey, ect. We watch him mock Baal continually and see him gloat when Baal is forced to come to him for help.

We see Daniel kill all the symbiotes in Bloodlines for what has been done to his wife Share. We see him deal with his anger and frustration for Teal'c after Share is killed. Since his ascension we have seen Daniel question and become frustrated with Oma and the ascended way have dealing with things. In Full Circle, we watch Daniel frustration reach a breaking point when he goes against all the rules of Ascension and attacks Anubis. In Threads,

Spoiler:

he doesn't just accept that he's dead again and take the path of enlightenment once more;

he pushes, questions and delves to find answers he needs.

Each of the other characters have spent years dealing with deep seeded emotional issues, yet one of the few we have been allowed to see with Sam is one of frustration for not having a boyfriend, a relationship, a family. We
were lucky with Sam in the beginning seasons, we did get to see her delve somewhat in dealing with Jolinar and her father, but over the years they've been steadly putting Sam into a position of eager acceptance or repressive denial, and neither in my opinion has allowed Sam to grow and change in a positive manner.

I know AT's new baby may unintentionally change the way we see Sam on screen. There is a possibility that she may not be the SoldierSam that she has been in the past, but the writers still have a great opportunity to really do some great thing with Sam. My only fear is that with all the new characters, and especially a new male character, that too many of the new storylines will revolve around them and Sam will once again become a filler character as she was in season six. I can accept no Sam in the first five episodes, but without Jack in season nine, I'm not sure if I can accept a water-downed version of the Sam we have come to know and love.

ForeverSG1

VERY well said! And I'd like to add my probs with the fallout (lack of actually) from Entity. That ep was ripe with PTSS possibilities. I know they showed Sam a bit beaten at the end of Entity, but they didn't even come close to what I think would be hounding Sam's psyche for a while after that experience. Would she be afraid of the dark after that? Touching a computer? Did she suffer a bit of sensory deprivation? Did she 'really' remember what it was like to have her soul, for want of a better term, inside another object besides her own body? There's many things I would have loved to have seen followed up on this, but they never said one thing. What a waste.


Sally


*ptss is post tramatic stress syndrome*

[jckfan55]

DVDs with Bloopers and Outtakes... You know they'd sell like hot cakes... Hey! That could be our motto! (wow, I'm in a corny mood this fine evening...)

Hotcakes...and blue jello.

[Strix varia]

you know, folks can bag on sam for being cold and unemotional but you know....me personally? I don't like to burst into tears in public. I don't like or like to be around women tossing a tizzy because someone stole her parking space

and you know, i trust and respect men more who don't act out or explode. control of emotions doesn't mean that you don't feel them, it just means that you aren't ruled by them

I think that's particularly important for women working in traditionally male-dominated occupations (like the military or fire service). A certain stoicism is expected, especially for anyone in a leadership position. I do think there is a double-standard when it comes to anger, though. It's okay for men to express their anger (chewing out a subordinate for misconduct shows strong leadership), but if a woman does it, she's being a b****.

[Skydiver]

Hotcakes...and blue jello.

how about blue jello hotcakes?

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

she'd been having a lot of extraordinarily strange daydreams. About a bad-guy named Apophis. Who flew around in an Egyptian pyramid.
From The Knife's Edge of Madness http://vikingchick.gyrfalcon.net/knife.htm

LOL! Great fic, Strix varia. So many good points, but that paragraph in particular just had me laughing so hard.

A finely crafted story. Thanks for sharing it.

[Skydiver]

I think that's particularly important for women working in traditionally male-dominated occupations (like the military or fire service). A certain stoicism is expected, especially for anyone in a leadership position. I do think there is a double-standard when it comes to anger, though. It's okay for men to express their anger (chewing out a subordinate for misconduct shows strong leadership), but if a woman does it, she's being a b****.

maybe that's one reason i identify with her to a point. I work with a lot of guys. first at the tv station where i was the first female in the department for a coupel of years, then now at my current job, i'm surrounded by engineers and guys.

now many of them are 'old fashioned' in the fact that they like to open doors, ceed the chairs, etc, but they're also pretty much 'good old boys' and nice

but i know that emotions make them uncomfortable. so, just that they can't write you off as some 'weak' female, you just don't wear your heart on your sleeve

[majorsal]

Originally Posted by Strix varia
I only watched Heroes once, but I was under the impression that the Janet/Daniel action was taking place quite a ways from the gate, whereas the Sam/Jack action was taking place near the gate. Did anyone else have this same impression?

I couldn't tell who was where.. I couldn't get a clear picture of the set-up or who was where or how things were positioned relative to each other.
.

I couldn't tell either, so to take this huge leap and say 'Sam killed Janet!' is just ridiculous to me. There's no evidence at all to even begin the debate. What was going on with Sam, Jack, and Sg13 was far and removed from what was going on with Daniel, Janet, and Wells. That scene wasn't meant to be interpreted that way, or we would have seen Sam living with her tremendous guilt. End of story.


Sally

[Skydiver]

VERY well said! And I'd like to add my probs with the fallout (lack of actually) from Entity. That ep was ripe with PTSS possibilities. I know they showed Sam a bit beaten at the end of Entity, but they didn't even come close to what I think would be hounding Sam's psyche for a while after that experience. Would she be afraid of the dark after that? Touching a computer? Did she suffer a bit of sensory deprivation? Did she 'really' remember what it was like to have her soul, for want of a better term, inside another object besides her own body? There's many things I would have loved to have seen followed up on this, but they never said one thing. What a waste.


Sally


*ptss is post tramatic stress syndrome*

there is a great fic, maybe it's one of suz's, where the boys notice sam being very quiet and touchy...as in feeling leaves, picking up dirt, tracing her fingers over bark

i remember that jack talks daniel out of a hershey bar and gives it to sam who enjoys the smell and taste

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

I suppose that begs another question - What would it take for Sam to snap?

Cassie sentenced to death.

Janet dying.

Some guy giving up on Jack(or anyone else for that matter) just because he can't figure out how to work some alien device.

Religious zealots throwing a bound and weighted Teal'c to his death in a lake. (She looked pretty p*ssed, there. )

Oh! A favor from the Photographer Royal: Could you get me that screen shot closeup of Sam, framed by the bars of her cell in Demons? The particular shot I mean is after Teal'c is "dead" and laid out on the slab. It's late, and SG-1 are looking out at him, and Sam's got this really interesting look on her face.

[Skydiver]

I remember reading 'looking up' a while ago. it's a nice relatively realistic approach to the situation the characters were in

[chocdoc]

I completely commisserate with you MajorSal... I'm feeling much the same way... Sam was (is) such a great character... (hmmm... great name for something?)... at any rate, Stargate and AT created something special with the character of Sam Carter over the first several seasons. A hero with depth, humanity and admirable qualities in abundance. The writing for Sam's character over the past couple of seasons has divided the fan base... and turned some fans away from the character... while others have rallied around for support. For the overall health of the character within the larger scope of the Stargate universe and fanbase, I hope that they can write Season 9 storylines that appeal to a wider audience in a positive manner for the character... storylines that generate the sort of general fan positive approval that we saw from so many of the early season Sam-centric episodes.

This is an interesting point. I have been trying to figure out the reasons for this division in the fan base in regard to Sam's character. I agree that it is partly the way Sam has been written lately, but I can't help but think that there is another agenda for many of the Sam bashers. I wonder how many of them ever thought of Sam as their favorite character in the first place? I know that many said, I liked her in the first three seasons. So what happens in season 4: Divide and Conquer---the Sam/Jack romantic story arc becomes more pronounced. As well in season 5, some claim Daniel is left with not much to do and sam is a bit more in the forefront. Season 6: MS leaves, Jonas comes in and is bashed by some fans. Season 7: more on Sam on a personal level (yet I still argue that most of the episodes had nothing to do with this, but it just felt like it because it was so unusual to focus on sam's personal life) and more Sam/Jack, taking Jack away from screen time with Daniel. Season 8: less Sam but still dealing with personal issues, particularly the Sam/Jack relationship (although again Sam does ALOT of other things in Season 8!!).

So, the potential for Sam bashing was on the horizon since season 4. Notice how, until recently and not at the same level of intensity, Jack is rarely bashed--- he can't be truly bashed because this would interfere with the Jack/Daniel dynamic, which for some of the true Sam bashers, is the center of Stargate SG-1---Teal'c and Sam are background characters and Sam particularly is better in the background or part of the team only.

I guess what I am trying to say is that sam bashing does not only occur because of some weak writing. Some weak writing provides the impetus that is already there from season 4 on to lead to sam bashing. One could argue that all of the characters have suffered from some weak writing in the last several seasons, and they all make mistakes, but do not receive such harsh criticism (except Jonas).

I have to say, friends who simply watch the show still like Sam alot---they have no idea that a minority of the fan base dislikes this character so much.

[chocdoc]

I couldn't tell either, so to take this huge leap and say 'Sam killed Janet!' is just ridiculous to me. There's no evidence at all to even begin the debate. What was going on with Sam, Jack, and Sg13 was far and removed from what was going on with Daniel, Janet, and Wells. That scene wasn't meant to be interpreted that way, or we would have seen Sam living with her tremendous guilt. End of story.


Sally

Yes! Great point!!

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

[QUOTE=Strix varia

I can think of two times when Sam reacted very much like a female (and very unlike a guy). In Solitudes, she got so frustrated at being unable to get the gate to work that she was practically in tears, and in Singularity, again, she was in tears having to leave Cassie alone... Crying in anger and frustration is a very female reaction, and AT did an absolutely fantastic job portraying the emotion in those episodes.[/QUOTE]

<nods>

See, now even the Sam Bashers liked Sam in those two eps. They're even okay with how she reacted at the end of ITLOD.

All I'm saying is that it's not the end of the gender as we know it if they write some emotion, some reaction to some of the hell Sam's been through.

What emotional release Sam has shown since D&C is no worse than Solitudes, no more extreme than Singularity, but suddenly she's some weak, unqualified, undignified, poor excuse for an officer and a woman. Puleeze!

[Uber]

I think that's particularly important for women working in traditionally male-dominated occupations (like the military or fire service). A certain stoicism is expected, especially for anyone in a leadership position. I do think there is a double-standard when it comes to anger, though. It's okay for men to express their anger (chewing out a subordinate for misconduct shows strong leadership), but if a woman does it, she's being a b****.

I thought she was great in Prodigy when she took Hailey down a few pegs in the General's office...

She was very authoritative and had a commanding presence without trying to be masculine.

[NearlyCircular]

Maybe we should draw on those practice targets 'I'm a Sam Basher!'
Oh wait, maybe we should put that on OUR practice targets

You asked for it, you got it.

Is it obvious that it's spring break, and I've got more time to spend doing things like this?