Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[binkpmmc]

I don't think it's cheesy...it doesn't come out cheesy in my mind at least.

I just can't tell. I can hear her say it so clearly in my mind...she was irritated at the time and her tone communicated that sentiment.

Wasn't it Upgrades when Janet was after her about the armband?

whoops - Historian beat me to it.

[jckfan55]

Back to this post...wasn't there one where she lost her patience with Janet? I seem to remember her fussing at her. I have her voice in my head right now saying, "Dammit, Janet!" and I don't know if that's real or something I read in a fic or what.

Any clues for the blonde and clueless?

Not sure about that quote, but in Ascension she did seem a bit annoyed with Dr. F after her exam when she "passed out" on the planet. "Are we done?"
J: Come back if you start speaking an alien language. S: I'm sure I'll have no choice.

[jckfan55]

Ask anyone who's listened to me whine incessantly lately. The two reasons I'm sticking this out are Amanda "Isn't she lovely" Tapping and Brad "He just might be able to resurrect the show" Wright.

Maybe BW's presence helped AT decide to sign on for S10. I hadn't heard this before, but it does make me feel more hopeful. RCC can be a good writer, but BW has the vision of who the characters really are, IMHO.

[starprops]

Great post here and above CS.

BTW, after seeing a specific episode this year that shall remain nameless, I am now more than ever pushing/hoping/dreaming for the return of our favorite Napoleonic Powermonger. She's just brill and her presence adds such depth and pathos to any episode she's in. Further, her scenes this year...especially those with Landry...were incredibly compelling and helped make the episode. You know my big gripe about that episode though

Spoiler:

NO MEANINGFUL SCENES BETWEEN HER AND SAM. I mean she was her best friend FCOL. She performed her eulogy even. And TPTB decided to focus on Sam's friendship or whatever with Martouf from seven million years ago and ignore the much more recent/relevant friendship between her and Janet??? GROWL.

Back to this post...wasn't there one where she lost her patience with Janet? I seem to remember her fussing at her. I have her voice in my head right now saying, "Dammit, Janet!" and I don't know if that's real or something I read in a fic or what.

Any clues for the blonde and clueless?

Sam got perturbed with Janet in "Upgrades" when Sam was working on her "wormhole theory" book and Janet interupted - Janet was concerned for her health and Sam just wanted to continue writing and tried to brush Janet off - [showing her "armband high" was in full swing]..

starprops

[AGateFan]

Great post here and above CS.

BTW, after seeing a specific episode this year that shall remain nameless, I am now more than ever pushing/hoping/dreaming for the return of our favorite Napoleonic Powermonger. She's just brill and her presence adds such depth and pathos to any episode she's in. Further, her scenes this year...especially those with Landry...were incredibly compelling and helped make the episode. You know my big gripe about that episode though

Spoiler:

NO MEANINGFUL SCENES BETWEEN HER AND SAM. I mean she was her best friend FCOL. She performed her eulogy even. And TPTB decided to focus on Sam's friendship or whatever with Martouf from seven million years ago and ignore the much more recent/relevant friendship between her and Janet??? GROWL.

Back to this post...wasn't there one where she lost her patience with Janet? I seem to remember her fussing at her. I have her voice in my head right now saying, "Dammit, Janet!" and I don't know if that's real or something I read in a fic or what.

Any clues for the blonde and clueless?

Well she seemed a bit annoyed with everyone in ASCENSION.

Fraiser: Make sure you come back if you start speaking an alien language.
Carter: I am sure I will have no choice....*snarkiely under her breath as she gets up to leave*

EDIT: Doh Jackfan55 beat to this quote.

[NearlyCircular]

Has someone mentioned the blow up at Lee in Paradise Lost, or the great scene with Jack in The Light? I know she was "under the influence" in the last one, but I always felt that we saw the real Sam there, snarking back at Jack the way she might if there weren't military restrictions.

NC

Edited to add - whoops, I see The Light was in the original list.

[DEM]

I dunno which fills me with more glee: That scene in The Light or the 2nd convo with Janet in Upgrades. O Hell, they're all great!

Don't know if this counts, but there was also the impatience with Kendra in Thor's Hammer.

KENDRA: Yes. This means we are close.
CARTER: Daniel. She said that hours ago.

Ha! Irony!

[Daivy]

Hey guys! I'm back again! Sorry I couldn't come earlier, but, in two weeks I've got a week vacation, so I should visit Samanda a bit more.

Hope ya don't blame me for me bein' absent for such a long time!

See you soon,

Daivy

[jckfan55]

Has someone mentioned the blow up at Lee in Paradise Lost, or the great scene with Jack in The Light? I know she was "under the influence" in the last one, but I always felt that we saw the real Sam there, snarking back at Jack the way she might if there weren't military restrictions.

NC

Edited to add - whoops, I see The Light was in the original list.

I agree--it was like the Light freed her up to say what she was *really* thinking.

[Deejay435]

Nah, I got over taking that kind of stuff personally years ago. I'm more concerned about seeing another rift in the fandom like the one that developed in S6, due to the absence of Shanks. To this day, I read missives from Daniel fans who are downright evil to Amanda Tapping.
Because Carter was superseded for a variety of reasons, some unavoidable (AT's pregnancy), I could see a nasty ruction develop between the Tapping and Browder fandoms, much as the Daniel & Jonas fans and the Sam & Daniel fans were at each other's throats in seasons past. Now, I'm mighty unhappy that the beloved Janet Fraiser was shoved under the bus in S7 and then supplanted by a new character in S9, but I really try to vent about it as little as possible b/c it doesn't seem to serve any purpose, IMO.
Theoretically, had Adam Baldwin been A) available, B) affordable & C) acceptable to the Skiffy, the S9 command problem could have been easily solved by bringing in Col. Dixon as team leader. I suspect, however, that SciFi had its heart set on Mr. Browder, especially as Bonnie Hammer seems tacitly aware that cancelling Farscape was the deed for which she will be forever remembered. Plus, the Cooper/Wright duo may have felt that they needed to replace the fans who would depart when RDA did by harvesting as much of the FS audience as possible.
Aside from the fact that RCC undermined Sam's character rather severely in S8, there were some cold—and very unpleasant—business realities that ensured that, as far as Sam's future as team leader was concerned, The Fix Was In. Although I suspect they are mistaken, SciFi believes that its bread & butter audience is composed of 18-25 year old males. (At that age, I hesitate to call them "men.") Hence Vala. And Dr. Lam.
The notion of a woman toplining one of their series is probably anathema to them. They also probably don't think of Amanda Tapping as a "draw" (I know: we all disagree; no flames, please) and wanted to replace RDA w/a leading man who, like RDA, brought a ready-made fanbase with him. Hence Mitchell. As we've seen, Cooper/Wright (primarily RCC, I suspect) were only too happy to comply.
I'm not saying this is how it should be, just that I have a strong certainty this is how it is, for better or worse. (Worse, IMO) Nor do I think it's at all coincidental that both Teryl Rothery & AT felt the tug of the old vaudeville hook at a time when they were drawing close to the big 4-0. Amanda slipped it—and quite deftly, too.

One thing I think the Skiffy is getting a bum rap on is the selection of the writers. I've seen nothing to indicate that anyone is being imposed on RCC & BW, although the duo probably bears responsibility for the dearth of new voices. (SGA fares better b/c Martin Gero & Carl Binder do most of the scripting—and they know how to write good female characters.) A number of good writers have fallen away from the series over the years & I'd love to know why. Some of the best Carter-centric episodes were the work of Heather E. Ash, who is greatly missed, at least by me. The show needs to re-engage some of the 'old' voices or integrate more new ones—but that's hardly a radical, minority view amongst the fandom, is it?

Just want to say I think you're mistaken in where you think the majority of this thread, anyway, is focusing their ire regarding the treatment of Sam recently. I don't see most people focusing on Ben. Please don't mistake the fact that many of us think the character of Cameron Mitchell is a mess for criticism of BB.

I like Ben Browder. I was excited to see him coming onto SG1 when RDA left. (Though, in truth, I might have preferred Adam Baldwin, but that's a personal preferance.) As to the job BB's doing....I don't see too many people here, in this thread blaming Ben. Certainly, not the majority of people. I think BB's been given a whole lot of craptastic crap to work with. Maybe he could have done better with it, maybe not. But the blame whirling dervish that is Cameron Mitchell belongs the least at BB's feet.

As for your analysis of how the blame can be shared among the Sci-Fi network, and the showrunner-I agree. I add poor scripts to that mix, whoever is to blame for the current lackluster writing staff.

The problem with Sci-Fi network, as I've always seen it, is that they simply don't understand the genre. They see it as a previously untapped niche, where they can make some good money. But they don't get science fiction. Nor really, do they get science fiction fans.

[AGateFan]

I dunno which fills me with more glee: That scene in The Light or the 2nd convo with Janet in Upgrades. O Hell, they're all great!

Don't know if this counts, but there was also the impatience with Kendra in Thor's Hammer.



Ha! Irony!

Speaking of impatience. She was a little annoyed in SPIRITS with the indian guy and talking to animals. She did the little red riding hood thing

[scarimor]

Maybe an Evil!Janet can come back through the gate? :O

Yes please. Evil!Janet would make my knees buckle.

[DEM]

Yes please. Evil!Janet would make my knees buckle.

Pshaw. Janet!Janet makes your knees buckle.


And that's all I'm gonna say about that.

[Skydiver]

Good points. I think it's been clear that Sam is the true leader, no matter how much they push Mitchell to the front. I think "Scourge" reflected that.

i agree. mitch may want to think that he's the leader but it's sam that's running the show

[ParadoxRealities]

now if only TPTB would acknowledge it!

I know I probably don't need to say this here, but if anyonehasn't voted in the "who should lead SG-1?" poll please do so. We're falling! http://forum.gateworld.net/showthread.php?t=24329