Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[ChopinGal]

Remember me?! I'm the one with the gorilla.

If you've been reading through the past page of posts on the boyfriend issue, have you found that everyone really behaved themselves and spoke freely about a very hot topic (that usually can't even be brought up on some other threads)?!

I have to humbly admit that I've now found room to even entertain the thought of Sam being with someone other than the one to whom I wish to have her spend her days with (I shall remain big about this and not mention his Irish name)...

Thanks for some well written opinions on a very touchy subject. I think we have all benefited from the dialogue.

CG LOL I just realized the Irish name can apply to either guy!

[Skydiver]

to me, if anyone is pining, it's jack over sam, at least to me

he's the one that's kept asking, time and time again. She's said no.

now he has never pushed, and i dont' think he's ever acted inappropriately, as in pushed her so far that she'd feel harrassed, but i think that jack is the one that's pining. Sam is just rather...oblivious about the whole th ing.

she knows how he feels, but she's always been the one to set the boundaries. She suggested they leave it in the room, she said 'sir' in BTS.

[majorsal]

Thank you for the welcome everyone! As a big Sam and Amanda fan I will deffinately be posting here more often!

I was wondering, there has been so much negativity in various places about Sam and her relationship with Pete. What do you all think of it? I personally don't mind it. I know I'm probably in a minority but I think it's good that they're not showing Sam pining for Jack all the time and having her experiencing a relationship with someone else. I used to be a die hard shipper but I don't seem to be so much anymore. I'm all for character development and giving the actors and actresses on the shows a chance to portray all the aspects of their characters that they can and I love the fact that through Sams relationship with Pete we get to see a whole new side of her that we wouldn't have seen if she was just there pining for Jack. It gives a whole new emotional depth to the character that just wouldn't have been explored if it hadn't been for Pete and I personally think that it's good that they chose to explore the character that way. If they want to keep her a believable military officer there's no way she could be with Jack unless one of them leaves and through bringing in Pete we've learnt a whole lot more about her. It gives us more to relate to and it gives Amanda some great material.

Lucy

I agree, Lucy, it's great to see this side of Sam. But speaking as an S/J shipper (and I think I can speak for literally all), I'd like to have seen this side expressed with a relationship with Jack. I know about the regs, but while the head says it's logical to show her with someone besides Jack, the heart says 'NOOOOOO'! Logic or not, my heart can't enjoy seeing her with another. So this whole 'new side' of Sam feels a little... I don't know what word to use. Not tainted. Not warped.... maybe wasted. (You know, what should have been *with a man of her heart*.) And I don't like Pete. I don't think he's good enough for her, and I'm not impressed with the actor playing him.

So here's to character developement! Just wish (personally) that it had been with Jack.

And here's to other character developement! Like, WHAT'S IT LIKE TO COMMAND THE SGC'S PREMIER TEAM!?! You know, little things like that that haven't been explored enough. And what happened to Cassie?

Welcome to the group, Lucy, and thank you for sharing your thoughts/feelings on the wonderful Sam Carter and Amanda Tapping.


Sally

[majorsal]

spoilers for s8's gemini

[SIZE=1]

<snip>

While I agree that the fault does not lie solely with Carter, I do think it lies primarily with her.
Gemini

Spoiler:

Both O'Neill and Teal'c wanted to kill Replicarter from the start; Sam convinced them not to. Then once Carter and Teal'c were at the Alpha Site with Replicarter, O'Neill and Teal'c continued to warn her of the danger. Carter is Teal'c's CO, therefore the decision to kill Replicarter had to come from her or O'Neill. O'Neill wasn't there; he was relying on Carter's judgement. She persuaded him to trust Replicarter. And she was wrong. She let her personal feelings--her connection with Replicarter--be manipulated. She played right into the enemy's hands as Replicarter knew she would. You can argue all you want about her reasons, but bottom line, she was wrong, and her error of judgement put the galaxy in danger. So she's right to blame herself. I don't see that she's beating herself up unduly about it at this point.

Spoiler:

You've given me a lot of food for thought. I think Sam being tricked or manipulated by a version of herself is *very* interesting. If RC's as much Sam as she thinks she is, then she knows *exactly* what buttons to push to get Sam to do what she wants. Didn't it look like RC really wanted to die? Look how close she got to Teal'c killing her (on more than one occasion too). How could she have bargained on Sam running into that room to stop Tea'c? Because she know just how Sam was going to think. She knew Sam was in the other room (I thought she was at the SGC and was talking to RC via the MALP ) and would stop Teal'c if need be. Pretty good way of showing your intent if you're one breath away from being wiped out of existance. I think it's a bit unfair to judge Sam on being manipulated by RC, because RC knew EXACTLY how to do it because she knew EXACTLY how Sam would act/react. How can anyone win in a situation like that? This wasn't just any enemy, this was a ghost of youself with a major advantage. RC was always one step ahead of Sam. She planned this right down the line, and the only thing that could have stopped her is if she misjudged on Sam getting to Teal'c before he fired. How does one win in a battle of wills with someone that's basically yourself?

I love debates.

Sally

[astrogeologist]

I think pete is a necessary part of her life. I think, whether she ends up with jack or not, she needs to have another relationship that doesn't end with 'he's a control freak and we broke it off'

[...]but i do think that pete is necessary. Sam needs to 'break the curse' and actually have a good relationship that doesn't end in blood shed or death

Great post Skydiver! I think you nailed some of what AT and the writers were attempting to accomplish by introducing a boyfriend for Sam.
.
.

[astrogeologist]

I would have to say that I don't care for Pete. I want to like him because Sam seems to like him, but the storyline just isn't working for me. I think he does love her, but he does not seem right for her at all, and he is not an interesting character to me. I want Sam to be with someone who has a lot to offer her and I don't see that in Pete. Also, I think one of the problems for me is that he just doesn't fit into the overall Stargate arc---he just seems added on/thrown in to give Sam a boyfriend that doens't die. I am fine with the idea of Sam having a love interest so that the character could be further developed, but I would have much preferred someone that was already part of the Stargate story---an example would be Agent Barrett. Or maybe it would be another soldier, not part of her unit; or another alien! Someone where the stories around their dating made some sense to the larger stories. Of course the other problems some people have mentioned involve his behavior at the stake-out. They just did not write this character well at all---I think alot of the fans reacted because they like Sam and want her to be with someone more honorable, interesting, and part of the overall storyline!

Well put Chocdoc!
.

[astrogeologist]

Remember me?! I'm the one with the gorilla.

If you've been reading through the past page of posts on the boyfriend issue, have you found that everyone really behaved themselves and spoke freely about a very hot topic (that usually can't even be brought up on some other threads)?!

I have to humbly admit that I've now found room to even entertain the thought of Sam being with someone other than the one to whom I wish to have her spend her days with (I shall remain big about this and not mention his Irish name)...

Thanks for some well written opinions on a very touchy subject. I think we have all benefited from the dialogue.

CG LOL I just realized the Irish name can apply to either guy!

I want join ChopinGal and thank everyone here for their well-thought-out and considerate comments on such a volatile topic.
.
PS: (I had to come back and add this)

Blue Jello for all who have posted on this thread... everyone has maintained a such a wonderful, positive and constructive discussion.
.
.

[MajorSam]

Ah, but, not liking what we learn about a person can make for good drama, too. Sam's a fallible human being. She has her weaknesses

Yup, completely true, which is why I didn't start going into a bloodthirsty rant about how she's gone to the dogs.

I must say, like a few others, that this discussion has once again astounded me. Pete is one of the touchiest subjects out there, yes we've all maintained our balance, tempers, and, from what I see, respect of each other. Everyone brings in their own views and opinions, which enrich everyone elses. I think that WEEE should be our own SG team, we certainly seem to work well together!

I also want to send a MASSIVE THANKS out to Majorsal for getting me MY NEXT GLOWY GREEN JELLO! EEEEEEEHH *jumps around in insane crazy Jello dance*

Keep up all the fabulous posts. This thread is quickly becoming the topic which go through to get to sleep! And my last thoughts before sleep are a very special thing, I must say

Here's to... I think we should have a name for our little corner of the forum... hm... well, something to do with either/or Sam/Amanda... Samanda something or another... I don't know. what do you guys think?

[astrogeologist]

spoilers for s8's gemini

Spoiler:

You've given me a lot of food for thought. I think Sam being tricked or manipulated by a version of herself is *very* interesting. If RC's as much Sam as she thinks she is, then she knows *exactly* what buttons to push to get Sam to do what she wants. Didn't it look like RC really wanted to die? Look how close she got to Teal'c killing her (on more than one occasion too). How could she have bargained on Sam running into that room to stop Tea'c? Because she know just how Sam was going to think. She knew Sam was in the other room (I thought she was at the SGC and was talking to RC via the MALP ) and would stop Teal'c if need be. Pretty good way of showing your intent if you're one breath away from being wiped out of existance. I think it's a bit unfair to judge Sam on being manipulated by RC, because RC knew EXACTLY how to do it because she knew EXACTLY how Sam would act/react. How can anyone win in a situation like that? This wasn't just any enemy, this was a ghost of youself with a major advantage. RC was always one step ahead of Sam. She planned this right down the line, and the only thing that could have stopped her is if she misjudged on Sam getting to Teal'c before he fired. How does one win in a battle of wills with someone that's basically yourself?

And the Blue Jello Award goes to Major Sal!


Wonderful post MajorSal! I agree wholeheartedly!
Have you posted your comments above at the Gemini episode thread? I think your comments would help balance out some of the Sam-bashing.
.
Photos are screen captures from the episode 48 Hours.
.

[majorsal]

my interpretation of pete is that sam came out of grace bound and determined that she was going to have a 'life'

and we all know show single minded sam can be when she sets her mind to it

I'm willing to bet that pete wasn't the first guy he tried to set her up with and sam probably surprised the hades out of him by saying yes

I think pete is a necessary part of her life. I think, whether she ends up with jack or not, she needs to have another relationship that doesn't end with 'he's a control freak and we broke it off'

I don't think that pete is right for her. I think that she's so independant and he's so desperate to recapture his lost marriage that, eventually, he'll put demands on her that she's not ready to accept

but i do think that pete is necessary. Sam needs to 'break the curse' and actually have a good relationship that doesn't end in blood shed or death

Keep out the nagging her, checking up on her, following her, risking her life and the lives of her teammates, and recast the character, and I'd have been able to accept this 'growth by boyfriend' story a heck of a lot better. If all of that had been done, all I'd be fretting on is the ship issue.


Sally

[MajorSam]

Ok, felt like posting what I posted in Gemini thread when it first aired all those weeks/months ago in... i think it was the UK. hope it's not repeating anything here.

~~~~~~~

Ok, i'm not going to quote anyone, but to all the people who are going on about, or argueing about Sam's stupidity, I agree sure it was definately a dufus thing for her to do, but honestly, imagine you're just at a normal work day, when all of a sudden an alien type clone thing shows up, asks to be destryoed. you realize "you" were made by an evil guy you betrayed. So you meet with him/her, and are shown how "you" were made to kill the people who are most important to you in your life. You know "you" can think and feel like you do. "you" went through, what, the most horrible nightmares you could imagine? How would you feel? I know that I couldn't see these things and be sickened by them. They're "you!" FCOL. Why would you expect "you" to be evil? "you" were put through horrors, and are now trying to escape and be killed because of them. I mean, driven to death because of not being able to live with yourself, or through more of things that go against everything you know and feel and believe in. I don't think everyone thinks "oh, well, she/he's been put through everything horrible that you could be put through, but ooooooh, i'm actually evil inside and so being put through that I must have turned so."

Ok, basically what i'm saying, is that you know yourself, and what you feel, belive in etc. If you were put through horrers like killing everyone you care about, why the )*$^* would you think that you'd be turned evil because of it? You'd be distraught, maybe even suicidal like Replicarter claimed to be. You know that's how you would react, so again, why would you pop up and be like "oh, well, I'd be turned evil!" you wouldn't!

Sam is a normal flawed human being, but people seem to not be able to accept when she makes mistakes. No one's super woman, why can't you accept her flaws? Maybe if she never did you'd think she's an unrealistic character who has no feelings, and TPTB made a silyl "perfect" person or whatever. Ya, it was a huge mistake but I know myself that I would be horrified for my other self! I wouldn't want to kill her, I'd try and make it better. It would disturb me to know what my life could have been, or still could possibly be like.

then there's all the fact that she's made by Fifth. Ok, Sam's a strong woman, despite making some mistakes. Fifth, although learning about "betrayal" is still a "flaw" himself. They don't know the extent of what he can do, although they do know he's evil. They all trust Sam, often with their lives. I seriously doubt that they'd say "oh, well, if Fiiiiiifth has her so she's going to crumble and become his puppet and do anything he wants and is thus evil" Nothing like this has ever happened, and judging by what's happened in the past, I say again, I doubt they would automatically be like "OOOH EVIL"

I don't know if this has been talked about yet, but about bringing her to the Alpha Site? She has all of Sam's thoughts and memories, she already knows all the addresses, it's not like they're giving her their most secret information!!!

Giving Reppy all the info. about the disruptor. All the stuff i've said so far is saying that yeah they'd be suspicious, but how could they know she's all evil? She comes, tries to get them to kill her, shows Sam some of the very personal things that happened to her by Fifth, and all that, and tells them that Fifth is immune and could come and kill them all. What choice do they really have? People have already said, they couldn't ignore her just for hte fact she was made by Fifth. Imagine what would have happened if she was telling the truth, they killed her, Fifth comes, kills them. Well I guess they wouldn't care then, would they...

I think it's unfair that, from what I see, no matter what they did in this situation, trusted her, or killed her, Sam is seen as this massive screw up who's an idiot and has put the galaxy at risk and bla bla.
So ya, Sam did make a mistake in this one, but honestly how could they have predicted such a thing would happen?

Sorry for all that... I hope it made sense. That's just some of how I feel on all the massive hating that Sam's been getting in the past almost 2 years now. I hope that you all give what I had to say some thought, and try to understand what I'm trying to say, because I know that sometimes people are soo close-minded. Again, to each his own (opinion)

MSam

~~~~~~

[the dancer of spaz]

Yup, completely true, which is why I didn't start going into a bloodthirsty rant about how she's gone to the dogs.

I must say, like a few others, that this discussion has once again astounded me. Pete is one of the touchiest subjects out there, yes we've all maintained our balance, tempers, and, from what I see, respect of each other. Everyone brings in their own views and opinions, which enrich everyone elses. I think that WEEE should be our own SG team, we certainly seem to work well together!

I also want to send a MASSIVE THANKS out to Majorsal for getting me MY NEXT GLOWY GREEN JELLO! EEEEEEEHH *jumps around in insane crazy Jello dance*

Keep up all the fabulous posts. This thread is quickly becoming the topic which go through to get to sleep! And my last thoughts before sleep are a very special thing, I must say

Here's to... I think we should have a name for our little corner of the forum... hm... well, something to do with either/or Sam/Amanda... Samanda something or another... I don't know. what do you guys think?

SAMANDA?!?!

That was hilarious! I can hear someone saying in funkily, and it's killing me right now... Seriously... I'd give you rep points, but GW doesn't like me right now.

[MajorSam]

SAMANDA?!?!

That was hilarious! I can hear someone saying in funkily, and it's killing me right now... Seriously... I'd give you rep points, but GW doesn't like me right now.

*self concious blush* thanks for liking it! I've been saying it for yeaars, just never really on the forums...

and hey, all ya gotta do is quickly give some other people rep. Or just remember and give when you can

[majorsal]

And the Blue Jello Award goes to Major Sal!

Thanks!

*takes slurp of blue wonderfulness*

Wonderful post MajorSal! I agree wholeheartedly!
Have you posted your comments above at the Gemini episode thread? I think your comments would help balance out some of the Sam-bashing.

I haven't even read one post in that thread, I'm sorry to say. But if you'd like to post it there, you've got my permission. In fact, I hope you do (and let me know if anyone replies).

I love this thread.

Sally

[NearlyCircular]

Gateworld has posted a review of Gemini which points out some of the very things we've been saying about the episode on this thread. Gemini Review

The reviewer notes that the plot development comes at the expense of Sam's character. Quoting from the review,
"The trouble is that when a story is written to serve the needs of a plot characters tend to get lost or twisted along the way, and this is precisely what seems to have happened with "Gemini." While the intention of the writers was clear after a little thought -- Sam was meant to have made a perfectly human mistake, trusting her emotions -- there was no need to malign Sam's character to achieve those aims..."

The review does go on to praise Amanda's performance in the episode.

Oh, and I just wanted to join the chorus and thank everyone for maintaining the civil tone of the thread. This thread is rapidly becoming one of my happy places.
.
.