Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[chocdoc]

Happy Birthday, Strix! I hope you had a great one yesterday!!


Comments on Scourge:

Spoiler:

It was okay. Not great and not bad, IMO. And I too, like Deejay435 said, thought Sam was great in this one. Sam's interaction with Woolsey was worth the episode to me. AT did such a great job. I have been liking the way Sam has been written so far. Yes, I would like to see more personal interactions, no doubt, but I do like seeing Sam's competence and abilities continually shining through. And the way Sam handled the situation last night was great. I also thought this was a team episode, and I liked that as well. I consider this one an okay episode really because the story wasn't that compelling really, but I will still rewatch this one.

Sam rocked in this one!


Does anyone have any hope that season 10 will be any good? I don't find myself really excited like I used to be, but I'll continue to watch because AT is so good in the show. And I have been liking Daniel again, very much. And Teal'c too.

[ForeverSg1]

My views about The Scourge:

Spoiler:

The most ironic thing about the entire episode was the fact that Mitchell was whining about SG-1 being glorified babysitters, and yet who was the one who got stuck actually babysitting yet again? You guessed it, Sam. While the three guys were walking through the halls, listening to Mitchell complain about their situation, Sam was the one staying with the IAO delegates while they toured the facility. When the guys went to look for the missing red coat in the cave, who stayed back to play babysitter? Correcto mundo, Sam! And who was the one who actually had to deal with the tantrums when the Mitchell and Teal'c went off looking for the F-302s? We have a winner! Sam!!!

As much as I thoroughly enjoyed the scene between Sam and Woolsey, I have to say that I was totally floored that when Mitchell and Teal'c went to go get the F-302's they once again left Sam behind with the IAO members.

Yeah, yeah I know, if Sam had gone we wouldn't have had the great scene with Sam and Woosley, but logically it made absolutely no sense whatsover. I'm sure some would say it's because Sam was the only other military member of the team and therefore she had to stay back, seeing as Mitchell, the ace fighter pilot and star of the show, obviously had to be the one to attempt to retrieve the planes. I mean I'm sure it never occured to anyone that they could ferry the people faster with three planes than they could with two?

I know Mitchell is the new guy and they are trying to give us time to get to know him better, but I'm really starting to OD on the man. I mean in every major scene he seems to be pushed in the forefront. Was there a reason why Mitchell had to be the one who went to look for the red coat? I mean couldn't Sam and Teal'c have done the scene just as easily? Or even Sam and Daniel? Or Sam, Teal'c and Daniel? Why are we rarely allowed to have any moments alone with the other members? I loved the scene with Sam and Daniel on Dakara in Stronghold simply because it gave us a nice Sam/Daniel moment together.
I miss these moments. Oh well, enough of the negatives.

Things I really enjoyed about this episode:

1. Snarky Sam
Absolutely Samtastic scene with Woolsey, this scene alone would make me watch this episode again.

2. Teal'c
The man actually had some great one-liners in this episode.
I love this guy!

Mitchell: I think they are looking for more than reassurances.
Daniel: Well can you blame them? I mean three years ago we promised them we'd share all off-world technologies.
Mitchell: Of a non-military nature.
Daniel: That wasn't in the original wording of the agreement.
Mitchell: Hey, I dont want to argue about this. I'm right. We'll leave it at that. (*A Mitchell-head-smacking-moment* )
Daniel: Compelling argument. Teal'c, what do you think?
Teal'c: I think I should have remained with the tour.

Mitchell: When we get back, I'm gonna help you find your own place.
Teal'c: That will be unnecessary.
Mitchell: Dude, what are friends for?
Teal'c: For listening when they are told that will be unnecessary.

Mitchell( whispering ) : I think we are good to go.
Teal'c( grabbing Mitchell's arm ): Perhaps we should keep any unneccessary conversation to a minimum.

Have I mentioned how much I loved this guy?!?

So? Has anyone else noticed that Teal'c always seems to be the one in charge when he and Mitchell are alone together? You can definitely see who the alpha male is now that Jack is gone.

I really enjoyed seeing Daniel's interact with the Chinese delegate. It's nice to see him doing what he does best, instead of just being the straight man to Mitchell's jokes. I also think the delegates words were a foreshadowing of the future. Really made me wonder what China has in store for the Stargate program.

The storyline was pretty cheesy. I personal don't care for stories that revolve around bugs invading cities, planets, or what not. Living in the state of Texas, I've lived through bug infestations: cockroaches, june bugs, locusts, cicadas...we got em all, and let me tell you it's not a pretty sight. Big 'ewwww' factor. Like AD stated, I really wasn't impressed with the bugs. I also wondered how they managed to consume a human body so quickly including its bones, but I digress.

Overall, I think this episode was more like past SG-1 episodes than most, just one of the less enjoyable ones. Mitchell was bareable and that's always a good thing. I managed to make it through the entire episode without wanting to huck my remote control through my television screen.

Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all had some very good moments in this episode.

That being said, I really just have to say that the use of the beaming technology to save SG-1 is really becoming a very anticlimatic ending for me. Was anyone else disappointed that we didn't even see a look of defeat on the team's face at the end before they were beamed up? I mean they were out of bullets, the bugs were swarming and the last shot we get before they are beamed up is of their feet. Oh well.

Not a great episode, but it did have some wonderful scenes that would make me watch it again.

Kat

[AGateFan]

Happy Birthday, Strix! I hope you had a great one yesterday!!


Comments on Scourge:

Spoiler:

It was okay. Not great and not bad, IMO. And I too, like Deejay435 said, thought Sam was great in this one. Sam's interaction with Woolsey was worth the episode to me. AT did such a great job. I have been liking the way Sam has been written so far. Yes, I would like to see more personal interactions, no doubt, but I do like seeing Sam's competence and abilities continually shining through. And the way Sam handled the situation last night was great. I also thought this was a team episode, and I liked that as well. I consider this one an okay episode really because the story wasn't that compelling really, but I will still rewatch this one.

Sam rocked in this one!


Does anyone have any hope that season 10 will be any good? I don't find myself really excited like I used to be, but I'll continue to watch because AT is so good in the show. And I have been liking Daniel again, very much. And Teal'c too.

Sadly no. The Stars of stargate have been relegated to background characters and the new characters that should have been background have been propped up as the 'new stars'. And by propped I mean literally forcibly held up because they cannot keep themselves up by the level of characterization they have been given.

Stargate SG-1 was about SG-1. After RDA left they should have focused on Carter, Daniel and Teal'c slowly bringing the new guy in, learning about him and accepting him and such. It should have been from their point of view. Instead we get new guy and the world that revolves around him. I much rather see the world that revolves around Carter, Daniel and Teal'c as those characters have earned my love over a long period of time. I really could give 2cents about the new guys.

EDIT: And next year with the SG universe revolving around 2 new people I dont care anything about, well, no there is just no hope anymore. If not for the other 3 still being present and a good ep with them from time to time, and the fact I am taping the show for someone else, I would have already stopped watching.

[Mandysg1]

Since everyone is talking about what they look like, here's a pic of me with minigeek. (Oh I'm the shorter one)

[JanSam]

It'll get better. I understand your negative feelings and your need to find something positive to hold onto as well. I feel like I'm battling that all the time.

But I'd like to consider myself a realist. I mean, realistically, there's probably not much more they can do with this show before it is either canned or changed completely. If things are going to get better, then by all means, I think it's important to focus on the future and what it has to offer. However, if things aren't going to get better, then perhaps we should focus on the past... You know, all of the good things that got you watching the show in the first place. I'm sure there are tons of things you can remember! I'm open to some suggestions myself. I need a good pick-me-up these days, too, and since I can't screencap ANYTHING, maybe someone else can get the ball rolling on that!

A friend on another board was struggling with this and not liking Mitchell so I instructed her to go back to the first season......pick out the Non-Carter episodes and find scenes and dialog that she liked and we would discuss each season. Of course we can't keep to the Non-Carter episode....can't help it but anyway here is a collage of Foothold that I did for the discussion for that Season. I have more if you want them......we are on Season 4 currently.



Cheers,

Jan

[Skydiver]

i watched scourge twice last night, and still missed the middle, i need to go back and rewatch

but i do have to say that, as cheesy as the bugs were, as much of a blatant ______ has an attitude adjustment set up the plot was, as silly as the cgi was i do think that this was the first episode this season where the kids actually acted like a team.

mitch wasn't an annoying juvenile jerk, sam got to do something, daniel and the chick was a little annoying - but hey it seems that all the chicks fall for daniel - and teal'c got in some fantastic one-liners

to me, it only took them 17 episodes to actually figure out how to write the kids as a team

[binkpmmc]

Happy Birthday, Strix! I hope you had a great one yesterday!!


Comments on Scourge:

Spoiler:

It was okay. Not great and not bad, IMO. And I too, like Deejay435 said, thought Sam was great in this one. Sam's interaction with Woolsey was worth the episode to me. AT did such a great job. I have been liking the way Sam has been written so far. Yes, I would like to see more personal interactions, no doubt, but I do like seeing Sam's competence and abilities continually shining through. And the way Sam handled the situation last night was great. I also thought this was a team episode, and I liked that as well. I consider this one an okay episode really because the story wasn't that compelling really, but I will still rewatch this one.

Sam rocked in this one!


Does anyone have any hope that season 10 will be any good? I don't find myself really excited like I used to be, but I'll continue to watch because AT is so good in the show. And I have been liking Daniel again, very much. And Teal'c too.

I agree Carter was excellent and gave the impression of really taking charge of this one because she KNEW the deal, she knew and was the only one really willing to lay out the truth of the matter and their situation and she, of course, was the one that figured out how they could get out of there, with the help of Daniel's suggestion that they get to the research site.

On S10, pretty much the only thing I will say, and that I have thought, that is not negative, is that since the ratings started their little decline in CD I see it as a sign that their new golden boy was not exactly golden, IMO (a 1.7 for an ep that showcased their new golden boy was not what I think TPTB had in mind the way they pimped him early on and, to be honest, I was a little surprised too. Where ARE all of the so-called BB and FS fans, all of the fans this alleged "star" was supposed to bring along). Couple this with the continued decline to the 1.5 Ethon got and the fact that no ratings have been provided for OTG, I am hoping (albeit perhaps naively) that TPTB have been occupied in the last few weeks running around like chickens without heads re-writing some of the S10 eps to focus more on the BIG 3, in particular Carter and Daniel.

This hope probably has odds as great as my winning Powerball tonight ($365 million and supposedly I have a better chance of dying in the next 30 seconds than I do of winning Powerball, so they say) but, for some reason, I have not yet been able to give up all hope and, annoyingly, I keep clinging to anything I can grab onto and this is what I am grabbing onto for dear life right now since the ratings really are not playing out the way I think TPTB thought they would.

In fact, I am a little surprised that it did not take into S10 for the ratings to really start to show their vulnerability to this new golden boy and this silly new direction but I really do believe that since: (1) they have been diminishing the BIG 3, (2) Mitchell is written so very, very poorly, (3) Mitchell has not proven himself capable, or deserving, of co-leadership of THIS team, (4) Carter is not the sole leader, (5) Daniel has not been Daniel in so many ways, (6) Carter and Daniel, in particular, appear to be annoyed with Mitchell in several episodes, (7) they are not acting like a team, (8) Mitchell acts like a "look at me" hothead who gets the BIG 3 into danger unneccesarily, (9) the BIG 3 are written with such distance between them it is at times as if they have not been friends and saved each others, and the worlds, butts for the past 8 years, etc., etc., it has in fact hurt them, plus, IMO, a lot of the writing and directing has been horrendous in S9. (I won't even mention the vala and sprog crapfest we are in for because that is just going to be a collosal waste of time, hopefully they will play that one down too but I doubt it).

My hopes and fears will play out soon enough but it never ceases to amaze me at how truly arrogant TPTB involved with Stargate have been in the past so it will not surprise me (it will, once again disappoint me, but not surprise me) if they do not change one dammm thing because they will not admit mistakes have been made, huge mistakes IMO.

One last observation I want to make that has been nagging me, everyone keeps saying that on-line fandom is but a tiny piece of the real world that watches this show so what we think and say is generally useless and not listened to. I liken on-line fandom to the exit polls and other polls that are done in politics, for example. A very, very tiny percentage of people are polled (like in the presidential election, they will use polls that included 3,000-5,000 people, or less, to determine who the next president will be in a vote that will eventually include tens of millions of people and generally the polls are accurate). It is based on how all other polls are done that I sometimes believe that on-line fandom plays a different type of role than some may like to think and PTB do pay attention to what is said. Look, on-linefandom has been complaining about and criticising S9 to a fair-thee-well and other pro-people have been telling them to shut-up and stop watching and that they are just a small minority of the fans. Well look at what is happening, the negativity, the criticisms, the complaining has been growing, not dissipating, and in conjunction with that the ratings are showing their vulnerability and have been in a decline. In any forum I visit these days, including OS, there is almost universal criticism of certain things (one in particular that many here criticize as well) and a distinct lack of that same type of enthusiasm and happiness that came with every Friday or with the anticipation of the season finale (this year the overwhelming attitude seems to be dread) or with the anticipation and excitement of a new season (again dread seems to be the overwhelming feeling). I have to believe that TPTB see it, hear it, feel it and if they do get it, like with the polls, will do something about it if they check their egos at the door. Anyway, sorry for the length just wanted to get a few things out.

[Strix varia]

Okay if someone has already posted this sorry - but I reading the thread backwords tonight. I read the LA Times online and when I clicked to see what the TV Highlights for tonight were look what I found.

TELEVISION
Friday Highlights
Amanda Tapping stars as Samantha Carter in the series, airing at 8 p.m. on the Sci Fi channel.

There is also a picture from tonights episode

Link to LA Times site

Cool!

[jckfan55]

....
I can only imagine that this would be disappointing for an actor who has been playing a role for so many years, to suddenly find that their character doesn't have much, well... character anymore. It could become kind of dull for them after a while. One of the challenges, and I assume also one of the joys, of acting is to have new challenges. Amanda especially is such a wonderful actress that her ability shouldn't be wasted on something mediocre. And yet at the same time I can see how it would be for an actress to want to stick with and be loyal to something that she's invested so many years of her life into.

I suspect AT is taking the approach of making the most of the moments she gets. "Scourge" certainly wasn't a Sam episode but

Spoiler:

but I did love calm, professional Sam in the cave. And notice, even if she wasn't out shooting the bugs or getting a 302, she did save the day in the end.

[ChopinGal]

... here is a collage of Foothold that I did for the discussion for that Season. I have more if you want them......we are on Season 4 currently.



Cheers,

Jan

Jan, this is so well done - you've managed to capture the essence of that episode and Amanda's terrific acting as well! I love it! It also reminds me of what I'm missing.

More Sam eppie collages, please, more ...

[ChopinGal]

Since everyone is talking about what they look like, here's a pic of me with minigeek. (Oh I'm the shorter one)

ROTFLOL My lord, I didn't know you two were the official stunt doubles for AT and TR!

[minigeek]

ROTFLOL My lord, I didn't know you two were the official stunt doubles for AT and TR!

Har. I only wish I looked that good. Maybe in my next life. Cute though!

Oh something neat happened to me last night, though. I was out with an actor-friend last night (completely unrelated to Stargate), and she had this cool car pick us up; an Audi A8, black with tinted everything and all the toys inside (there was a magazine in the backseat pocket that had stuff in it I couldn't afford if I was dreaming *cough* but it was nice to look at). And the driver was this great big tall dude in a long black car coat with a black hat on, who looked a lot like he was (and may well have been!) trained to kill people. He was very sweet and nice though, otherwise. We went all over downtown like that, and he pulled us up right in front of the theatre and later the club, right on the sidewalk, we weren't even allowed to open our own doors. It felt like I was a SUMbody I tell ya. LOL - very cool. If only for a night!

minigeek

[JanSam]

Jan, this is so well done - you've managed to capture the essence of that episode and Amanda's terrific acting as well! I love it! It also reminds me of what I'm missing.

More Sam eppie collages, please, more ...

Thank you ChopinGal for the compliments! Here is another one for ya. Not neccessarily a Sam episode....but Sam is always featured in the ones I do lol.

[Nem2k]

Oh something neat happened to me last night, though. I was out with an actor-friend last night (completely unrelated to Stargate), and she had this cool car pick us up; an Audi A8, black with tinted everything and all the toys inside (there was a magazine in the backseat pocket that had stuff in it I couldn't afford if I was dreaming *cough* but it was nice to look at). And the driver was this great big tall dude in a long black car coat with a black hat on, who looked a lot like he was (and may well have been!) trained to kill people. He was very sweet and nice though, otherwise. We went all over downtown like that, and he pulled us up right in front of the theatre and later the club, right on the sidewalk, we weren't even allowed to open our own doors. It felt like I was a SUMbody I tell ya. LOL - very cool. If only for a night!

how insanely cool! as an actor i have never had special treatment like that

although i got to ride around in a limo with lots of champagne for my uncles wedding. it was awesome cos you all the people just stare at the car in awe and you feel all special

[Tracy Jane]

Har. I only wish I looked that good. Maybe in my next life. Cute though!

Oh something neat happened to me last night, though. I was out with an actor-friend last night (completely unrelated to Stargate), and she had this cool car pick us up; an Audi A8, black with tinted everything and all the toys inside (there was a magazine in the backseat pocket that had stuff in it I couldn't afford if I was dreaming *cough* but it was nice to look at). And the driver was this great big tall dude in a long black car coat with a black hat on, who looked a lot like he was (and may well have been!) trained to kill people. He was very sweet and nice though, otherwise. We went all over downtown like that, and he pulled us up right in front of the theatre and later the club, right on the sidewalk, we weren't even allowed to open our own doors. It felt like I was a SUMbody I tell ya. LOL - very cool. If only for a night!

minigeek

Oh, Mini! When will you learn? You are a somebody! A very important somebody, actually!