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This one has me stumped...and I think you posted it once before...and I *still* can't figure out what episode it's from! It looks like some kind of alien creature has busted out of its containment and is now going to wreak havoc on Earth!
You have been talking about AT's reactions in scenes where she's not the main character, and I agree with what everyone has said. She is always "on", even when she's not the focus of the scene. I was watching "Urgo" today, and loved the scene where Sam is talking to Urgo (he's invisible here) whilst she's walking down the corridor. General Hammond and Janet appear and there's a funny conversation between them all. Janet and General Hammond then continue to discuss the problem and are the focus of the scene, but you see Sam in the background continuing talking with Urgo. I think Amanda's acting here is great.
I'm sorry the pics are not great, but perhaps our Royal Photographer can do a better version of this.
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. Grace:Maybe It's Alive?!
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AT again shows the pain of the concussion headache without words or histrionics
- just a simple closing of her right eye for a short moment and then she moves on.
This was another portion of the episode that impressed me - the writers were really thinking about the scifi - venting the atmosphere as a way to try and get the ship moving (now I have no idea as to whether or not that would be able to get the ship enough velocity to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time, but I'm not going to spoil things by running the physics equations! It's scifi, and this was a good brainstorming idea towards problem solving Sam's dilemma!).
I also really liked this scene - where Sam sees Grace being sucked out (shades of Prometheus! Sam knows what this feels like!). And even though Sam knows that she's got a concussion, (a 'massive headache' and waking up on the floor every now and then are big clues), she can't take the chance that Grace isn't real. She shuts the doors and stops the atmospheric venting.
Great job staggering out into the corridors to search for Grace.
And then look who shows up behind her... boy, does AT do a great job of looking annoyed again?!
Another of my all-time series favorite dialogue exchanges: DANIEL:Hey! Have I told you my latest theory yet? It's really cool. Lose something? CARTER: Did you see a… DANIEL: Little girl? CARTER:Yeah. DANIEL:No. Did You See A...- click to listen to audio clip I can't help laughing every time I hear that exchange - it's so old-time humor... something I could imagine hearing in a Bob Hope/ Bing Crosby movie.. or Jerry Lewis/Dean Martin movie... and yet, these lines would also fit in a Monty Python skit... LOL! And so infuriating to the logical-minded! How could he know she was looking for a little girl if he hadn't seen her... well, he is a hallucination...
And Sam takes it so well... I'd want to smack him. Hallucination or not! Of course, Sam is smarter than me and she knows that there's no point in trying to smack a hallucination... but I'd still want to do it!
Here they use Sam's Daniel hallucination very well - using Daniel to let Sam think through the scifi possibilities that the cloud itself may be sentient (not a new idea in scifi, and one that scifi buffs would have been wondering if that's what the episode was heading towards). Very in character for Sam to visualize Daniel as the one presenting this idea to her so that she can take the more skeptical scientific approach.
AT did a great job of passing out again! That slide down the exposed steel girder looked painful (I wonder whose idea it was that she do it right there? More bruises for AT! ) And the whole time she's hearing her Daniel hallucination go on and on about talking to the cloud... and that maybe Grace is the cloud's way of communicating to Sam. Right near the end, she looks like she wants to say something like, 'Hold on a sec, I'm pretty sure I'm passing out.' And even after she's collapsed face first onto the floor, she can still hear her Daniel hallucination telling her to talk to the cloud.
Just talking about this reminded me of Agent Dark's rotating sig pic from Grace (shows just Sam's eyes). I then quickly thought of the scene from Paradise Lost, where Sam's admonishing (and getting admonished) Dr Lee. I LOVED the look on Sam's face through out her little tiff with Lee, because you saw her conflicting emotions. And it's a rarity to see Sam out of control, and I saw not only her losing it, but being a bit ashamed of her behavior when she saw that Teal'c had been watching her. I really loved that scene.
Sally
I'm replying to my own post because I don't like what I said at the end, where Sam was ashamed of her behavior. I don't know why I said that, because I really think she was embarrassed by Teal'c seeing her like that. I felt she was very self-conscious at that moment, looking quickly away from him. But I really didn't see her ashamed of herself. (why'd I say that? )
Alt Sam was *wonderful*! Well actually, I should be saying Amanda was wonderful in her portrayal of a dorky Sam. All those little quirks and nuances that only someone as 'aware' as Amanda could pull off. Amanda really needs another acting award.
Sally
Last edited by majorsal; 18 March 2005, 10:30 PM.
Reason: the spelling bee stung me
I also have to give a thumbs up to the director of this episode for some of the great shots they have of AT. I really love the close up shots like the one above and I like the one of her waking up for the first time after her concussion when you see her eye open. That was a very cool shot.
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. Grace: Who Are You?
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. GRACE:Like a diamond in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
Sam wakes up on the floor...again.
SAM:My mother used to sing that to me. GRACE:How obscure. SAM:I'm so tired. GRACE:You can't sleep. Not yet. SAM:Why? GRACE:Because we need to talk.
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Sam is sitting at a table. GRACE:Eat; you need to keep your strength up. SAM:Do you have a name? GRACE:I'm Grace. SAM:Who are you? GRACE:You know. SAM:No, I don't know. JACOB:I'm your father. SAM:Dad? JACOB:I know it sounds corny but you get to an age, you get to an age where you think of everything you did wrong as a parent. Don't take this the wrong way. SAM:I know, I don't look so good. JACOB:I wanted so many things for you Sam. And look what it's brought you instead. SAM:Sure, but the massive headache really takes the edge off it all. Click for audio clip JACOB:Are you happy Sam? SAM:What? JACOB:Just answer the question. SAM:Well at the moment things are a little rough, but in general, sure I'm happy. JACOB:No you're not. You're content, you're satisfied, you're in control and that's the problem. SAM:Okay, I'm really not following here. JACOB:I'm saying you're missing something vital from your life. And the sad part is you have no idea what I'm talking about. SAM:Dad, I am happy. I've seen and done things most people couldn't even dream of. I have an incredible life. JACOB:And yet you're alone. SAM:Well lately the dating scene's been a little stale but then again I am marooned on a space ship. Click for audio clip JACOB:No, always. For as long as she was alive, your mother showed me a world beyond just ambition and career. She gave my life meaning and balance and it was my honour to love her for the short time she was with me. And if I were young again and I met her for the first time even knowing her fate, I would do it all again. That is love.
Sam, I know you've denied yourself the experience because you think it must inevitably end in pain and loneliness. It's time to let go of the things that prevent you from finding happiness. You deserve to love someone and be loved in return.
Sam looks around and Jacob is gone.
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. The inclusion of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" was a wonderfully written and implemented idea for the story - allowing us a glimpse into Sam's childhood ('My mother used to sing that to me') and integrating it into the scifi storyline as it becomes Grace's song and sort of a haunting signature backdrop for this entire episode.
The scenes with Grace were well done. Grace appears and then disappears. Sam asks who she is, but doesn't get an answer from Grace - her Dad answers instead. Nicely written and filmed... just like dreams, the subconscious does not always supply answers and things don't always make sense when we are dreaming (or hallucinating...)... and just like in dreams, the subject and scenes morph one into the next and we are pulled along... usually not questioning things until we wake up.
I love almost all episode scenes between Sam and Jacob, and this one just about makes me cry. (AstroG goes looking for scenes of Rambo Kick-a$$!Carter to counter the effects of making these screen caps and audio captures...).
Some of my favorite lines were: SAM:Sure, but the massive headache really takes the edge off it all. Click for audio clip
and SAM:Well lately the dating scene's been a little stale but then again I am marooned on a space ship. Click for audio clip
Love Sam's humor - and how AT played it.
This entire scene with Jacob is a showcase for AT's acting prowess. Her facial expressions are perfect - she's *there* in the scene - she *is* Sam - she's playing it just like I'd expect someone to if I was sitting across from them and we were having this conversation. AT just makes it *real*. And she plays none of it over the top. My screencaps above do not do justice to the acting that AT provided for us in this scene.
The subject matter was also heartwrenching. Well-written dialogue for what Sam might think when having a concussion-induced delusion discussion with her father.
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