Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[nell]

i'll ask you this, nell. why are you so mad?

spoilers for 'insiders'

Spoiler:

from what i've heard, the command issue was handled, and even though sam didn't come out the winner, neither did mitchell! isn't that parly a victory? wasn't it basically admitted that they're co-leading? (am i reading this wrong?)

i also was told there wasn't any sam-barrett ship? isn't that good?

i'm just trying to find out what's making you so angry like this? (so i can be prepared)

sally

For starters:

Spoiler:

It does not make sense to have two leaders! Even Jack made it crystal clear in one or more episodes that HE was the ranking colonel. It makes sense to have one leader. I think they continue to do Sam a disservice with this solution. She's the experienced soldier!

And number two: Vala was leading a team on base while Sam was captured by Ba'al. Sam did not lead a team for seasons!! Vala leads SFs on base and she's not military and not even an official SG-1 member.

BTW, I'm not worried about Sam and Jack. They're together. TPTB won't admit it!!

[ShimmeringStar]

S10 Insiders

Spoiler:

Sam was captured by Ba'al and downloaded the planet addresses of the ancients for his diabolical plans or else Barrett would be killed. While she was with Ba'al, Teal'c, Cam and Vala each led SFs to separate areas to locate the herd of Ba'al's to pinpoint them for releasing a poison or knock out gas. Teal'c, Cam and Vala clearly gave signals to the SFs with each of them and the SFs obeyed.

My problem? What you said, it doesn't make sense for her to lead a team---she's not military, she's not trained, she has not proven herself!!!!

My point!!!

I also was expecting that

Spoiler:

Sam would download a bogus list of addresses or something. Ba'al was in a hurry to leave. He didn't even check the download. But she gave him the real info. I was disappointed that TPTB wrote a part for Sam that she would capitulate so easily.

Spoiler:

*coughs* Though Barrett was an okay character, I did say out loud when that came on "Let Barrett die!" I mean c'mon... she's going to give up the actual codes for Barrett? Where's the suspense? And what made him so special when she just had an intensely indignant scene with him where she proclaimed they were just friends????! (And now that I muse on it... is that another revisionist arc on Sam's romantic history getting ready to come out of the SGC closet??? ) While I understand Sam's compassionate nature and that she couldn't bear the thought of him getting killed, it irks me how can they write her staunchly saying you can kill me one minute, but then breaking down not more than two seconds later when they threaten to kill Barrett. Damn. Kill the characterizations just to move the arcs along so that Ba'al can run off to find the weapon for SG-1 and come back in a later ep.

And the apology to Landry at the end.... Oh hell! Stop making Sam aplogize for her actions!

Sorry. I really looked forward to this one. Had my anticipation level up there. But.... I held my breath for nothing but a few good parts.

RE: "200" promo clip:

Spoiler:

Now I did LOL at the end of the one promo clip where Teal'c is looking down with brow arched at his bare chest in the skimpy outfit!

[AGateFan]

Ok guys i have a question. Isn't sam to young to be a Lt. colonel?

Shes only 3 years younger then Mitchell and she has saved the world over 10 times so I am going to go with no. Would you ask the same question about Mitchell?

[ShimmeringStar]

Ok guys i have a question. Isn't sam to young to be a Lt. colonel?

Cam is allegedly younger than her since he's going back to his

Spoiler:

Class of '87 reunion in a ep much later in S10, well after the mid-season break.

So isn't he a bit young to be Lt. Colonel too?

But snarking aside... I think Astro or Kat or someone here in the thread made a post or two explaining in detail about how it isn't/wouldn't be unusual for her to be Lt. Colonel at close to 40 years old.

[Lord_Minister]

Cam is allegedly younger than her since he's going back to his

Spoiler:

Class of '87 reunion in a ep much later in S10, well after the mid-season break.

So isn't he a bit young to be Lt. Colonel too?

But snarking aside... I think Astro or Kat or someone here in the thread made a post or two explaining in detail about how it isn't/wouldn't be unusual for her to be Lt. Colonel at close to 40 years old.

Yeah Cam is way to young!

[majorsal]

For starters:

Spoiler:

It does not make sense to have two leaders! Even Jack made it crystal clear in one or more episodes that HE was the ranking colonel. It makes sense to have one leader. I think they continue to do Sam a disservice with this solution. She's the experienced soldier!

And number two: Vala was leading a team on base while Sam was captured by Ba'al. Sam did not lead a team for seasons!! Vala leads SFs on base and she's not military and not even an official SG-1 member.

BTW, I'm not worried about Sam and Jack. They're together. TPTB won't admit it!!

i haven't seen this ep yet. won't for an hour and 15 minutes.

Spoiler:

i NOW go into every episode with the worst case scenario. season 9 threw me too many times to let this happen again.

i totally expected mitchell to come out the clear winner! which would make sam the clear loser. i'm not really sure exactly what was said and how it was replied to, but it doesn't look like mitchell is the clear winner. or even the winner?

but i expected sam to be crushed tonight. i didn't happen, from what ppl are saying.

vala leading a team? heck, why not? she's got as much experience and know-how as mitchell. was it explained at all that vala was doing this because she could sense baal?

sam and jack? i'll believe they're together when either they *show* me, or *tell* me.

sally

[nell]

S10 Insiders

Spoiler:

*coughs* Though Barrett was an okay character, I did say out loud when that came on "Let Barrett die!" I mean c'mon... she's going to give up the actual codes for Barrett? Where's the suspense? And what made him so special when she just had an intensely indignant scene with him where she proclaimed they were just friends????! (And now that I muse on it... is that another revisionist arc on Sam's romantic history getting ready to come out of the SGC closet??? ) While I understand Sam's compassionate nature and that she couldn't bear the thought of him getting killed, it irks me how can they write her staunchly saying you can kill me one minute, but then breaking down not more than two seconds later when they threaten to kill Barrett. Damn. Kill the characterizations just to move the arcs along so that Ba'al can run off to find the weapon for SG-1 and come back in a later ep.

And the apology to Landry at the end.... Oh hell! Stop making Sam aplogize for her actions!

Sorry. I really looked forward to this one. Had my anticipation level up there. But.... I held my breath for nothing but a few good parts.

I'm glad you said this because I was thinking the same thing

Spoiler:

Would a specially trained military officer give up critical info that would risk the life of the planet not to mention the GALAXY for one man. Hey, I like Barrett but DON'T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS. TPTB did Sam wrong!!

[majorsal]

I'm glad you said this because I was thinking the same thing

Spoiler:

Would a specially trained military officer give up critical info that would risk the life of the planet not to mention the GALAXY for one man. Hey, I like Barrett but DON'T NEGOTIATE WITH TERRORISTS. TPTB did Sam wrong!!

Spoiler:

so there WAS sam-barrett ship???

sally

[ShimmeringStar]

Did they

Spoiler:

give a rationale for Vala leading a team? Because at the face of it, it wouldn't make any sense for her to be *leading* a team when she isn't even a full-fledged member of SG-1 yet.

Rationale, however, could be that as a former host, she could sense Ba'al because of the Naquadah in both of them. Of course, then Sam should be out there are a Goa'uld sensor too...

*coughs* Now Astro... is there ever a rationale behind what they write???!

Things just happen.... then in future eps... years later.... then we get the revisionist rationale.

Spoiler:

But to me it didn't seem like she was leading a team per se, more of group of two or three armed airmen through the base. Playing games with semantics, yeah, I guess you could say she's 'leading a team,' but really she's just got

But yeah, I agree with everyone's sentiments so far -- things Sam and others strived to reach/obtain for years just seemed handed to Vala on a silver platter, no questions asked. (Even after Cam warned her she was just probationary and wouldn't be doing much.)

[nell]

Spoiler:

so there WAS sam-barrett ship???

sally

Spoiler:

Sally, dear, NONE, NADA, NOTHING! Sam made clear she is his FRIEND. Not to worry!!! Really!!! Trust me!!!

[the dancer of spaz]

i'll ask you this, nell. why are you so mad?

spoilers for 'insiders'

Spoiler:

from what i've heard, the command issue was handled, and even though sam didn't come out the winner, neither did mitchell! isn't that parly a victory? wasn't it basically admitted that they're co-leading? (am i reading this wrong?)

i also was told there wasn't any sam-barrett ship? isn't that good?

i'm just trying to find out what's making you so angry like this? (so i can be prepared)

sally

OK... about "Insiders"...

Spoiler:

First of all, I was totally surprised to hear the infamously controversial line said in this episode. I was expecting it next week. After grilling him about whether or not he'd be able to control Vala, when Cameron says that he doesn't control anybody, Landry concedes with an ever-so-witty, "Who does?" or something else that was meant to disregard any suggestions that Cameron can't handle it. And that's me being a bit tame, since I wasn't too annoyed with the episode beyond Sam's ineffectiveness towards the end (funny... I could've sworn we talked about this earlier... ).

I don't know if it's a victory yet. Because if we were worried about that line being said at the cabin, and we have yet to actually see that episode, I'm wondering if the conversation in "Uninvited" won't be much, much worse... But that's just me preparing myself for the worst, so I won't be surprised.

To the positive:

Sam and Vala SPOKE to each other. Beyond that, they actually WORKED together for a bit. *gasp* And it actually worked. It was subtle, not slightly OTT like Sam and Cam (I'll get to that in a moment).

In the interrogation room with the whole team and Ba'al, when Sam was sitting across from Ba'al at the table, and Vala was moving around and fidgeting like a kid in desperate need of some ritalyn (and I mean that in an endearing way ), Vala asked Sam for clarification on the weapon at Dakara. It was most definitely an opportunity for them to clue in the clueless audience as to what the weapon on Dakara was for, but it was a nice way to have them discuss the issue.

I did wonder why the director had Vala/CB kneel quite so far down so that Sam/AT had to look down at her, but perhaps with Ba'al in the shot, they had to do it so it wouldn't look awkward. As it stands, however, I was like, "Hmmm... I don't like the symbolism of Sam looking down at Vala at all." It's possible I was reading too much into it, though.

Sam and Cameron had multiple moments written where I got a brother/sister vibe. Yeah, the one when they came through the Gate was a tad forced. But I honestly do see a friendship between the two of them, as much as Cameron grates. If I see Ben acting through Cameron and Amanda acting through Sam, it's a lot more enjoyable to watch.

That dynamic isn't as seamless as even the few tidbits we got of Sam and Vala (which is odd, considering they've been shoving the Sam and Cam friendship down our throats for over a year now, and they were pretty much avoiding Sam and Vala moments), but it is nice to see because it gives Sam a chance to let her hair down. She's got someone who's her equal in rank. She doesn't have to listen to him, and she certainly doesn't have to prove herself to him. Plus, he does respect her and cares about her opinion in a very shipless way, imo.

So, I'll take the friendship between the two of them, because through that dynamic and AT's intepretation, we get to see a lighter side of Sam.

I'll give the ep a 6 out of 10, because I've come to expect 4s all the way through. It wasn't all bad, but you could probably miss it, unless there's talk of Cliff Simon coming back for future episodes - in which case, you may want to know what's going on.

[nell]

*coughs* Now Astro... is there ever a rationale behind what they write???!

Things just happen.... then in future eps... years later.... then we get the revisionist rationale.

Spoiler:

But to me it didn't seem like she was leading a team per se, more of group of two or three armed airmen through the base. Playing games with semantics, yeah, I guess you could say she's 'leading a team,' but really she's just got

But yeah, I agree with everyone's sentiments so far -- things Sam and others strived to reach/obtain for years just seemed handed to Vala on a silver platter, no questions asked. (Even after Cam warned her she was just probationary and wouldn't be doing much.)

Well, not to be nitpicky but

Spoiler:

Vala signalled 2-3 SFs and they obeyed her "commands" so that is alot of responsibility for a non-military, non-official team member. Really! My bigger gripe is that I think it wasn't until Sam was a major before she lead a team in Evolution?

[ShimmeringStar]

Spoiler:

so there WAS sam-barrett ship???

sally

No Sal,

Spoiler:

There was unequivocally *NO* ship between Barrett and Sam. Sam was drinking a cup of coffee and Barrett came and sat next to her and he started acting out and made some mention (I can't remember the exact words) about her not cooperating with him because of their past. She emphatically (I stress emphatically because how Amanda played that scene was a high point of the ep for me) told him they were *just* friends.

[Skydiver]

Ok guys i have a question. Isn't sam to young to be a Lt. colonel?

nope, somewhre around here someonedid the math. sam has just enough time in service adn time in grade to be a lt colonel

if anyone's a bit too young it's cam who's a bit younger than sam

[majorsal]

Spoiler:

Sally, dear, NONE, NADA, NOTHING! Sam made clear she is his FRIEND. Not to worry!!! Really!!! Trust me!!!

okay. *whew*

Spoiler:

when you were saying sam was going to give info to save this one man, it was sounding a bit shippy.

sally