Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Lys]

Maybe I'm going to sound a little naive, but how do we know that AT wants to leave ? That's speculation. Did I miss something ? I understand that the writers brought Vala because they didn't know what she was going to do after little Olivia's birth, but didn't she say that she was back to work on a full-time basis ?

[chocdoc]

After reading the last few comments from Amanda and seeing how the other actors are more than happy to give us hints as to what their characters will be facing in the upcoming season, I can almost guarantee you Amanda has been given the 'say-nothing' orders. I doubt we will hear or see anything regarding Sam until Beach Head, outside of the tiny bits and pieces of information they have already given us.

Ben and Claudia( Mitchell and Vala ) are being used as the big draw to hook new viewers for season nine, and Amanda( Sam ) is being used as the big mystery to draw back the old viewers. They are giving us just enough hints to keep people speculating until mid-August.

Will Sam be a member of the military when she returns?
Will Sam be leader of SG-1 when she returns?
Will Sam join SG-1 purely on a consultant basis?
Will Sam be single/involved with someone when she returns?
Will Sam be married to Jack when she returns?

They don't say yes or no to any of these questions, but they give hints to ideas that will make people speculate.

There was/is absolutely no reason to say that Sam is not single other than to have shippers continue to hope that the end of season eight meant something.

Nor is there any reason to hide the truth about whether or not Sam will be in the military when she returns, other than this is their cliff-hanger to keep us all waiting with abated breathes to see what will happen when Sam walks through the door.

Sam fans will want to see her come back as a member of the military and take back control of SG-1.

Browder/Mitchell fans will want to see Sam step back into a purely scientific role so that Mitchell can take the lead and control of SG-1.

Shippers will want to see some acknowledgement as to whether or not Sam is indeed involved with Jack. From the spoilers we've recieved thus far, they've written the characters to now have the possibility to be together...it's just a matter of whether the writers chose to go that direction or not.

But regardless of what kind of Stargate fans we are, Ben may be the draw for new fans but Sam is definitely the season cliff-hanger, all the answers regarding SG-1's future lie with her return and I seriously doubt anyone is going to drop a hint before her official return in August.

I agree with you, Foreversg1. I doubt AT can say much because Sam is being used as the big mystery. She has a strong Sam base and Sam/Jack base and they want to keep those fans watching too. But maybe ATwill give a hint?

Speaking of, has anyone seen the SFX interview of her yet?

As far as the Vala discussion, I'm thinking that TPTB didn't know AT was pregnant when they wrote or filmed PU, but I could be wrong. I thought that AT did not let them know until she was comfortable with making this info public. Then when fliming PU, they liked CB and thought they should get her back.

I think they then wrote the first 6 episodes to make sure the door is open for Vala to return. This makes sense to me regardless if AT comes back for season 9 or not. There is room for another actress, (we've right now have 4 regular male actors and 1 regular female actor) and Vala and Sam are soooooo different, that there is plenty of room for good stories for both.

A sidenote: I think having Vala will take the pressure off of Sam for the "sex" part, and just let Sam be the soldier and scientist that she is (a role that I love and that AT plays so well). I'm glad too that Lam is coming in to give Sam another professional woman to interact with and perhaps build a friendship (not quite like Frasier, but some kind of female friendship). Right now the show is soooooooo heavily dominated by men.

[dmovies]

Maybe I'm going to sound a little naive, but how do we know that AT wants to leave ? That's speculation. Did I miss something ? I understand that the writers brought Vala because they didn't know what she was going to do after little Olivia's birth, but didn't she say that she was back to work on a full-time basis ?

Amanda didn't say she wanted to leave the show. She said she wanted her part of be that of a recurring character this season because she has an infant to care for and didn't think she could work the 14 hour days. The studio agreed with her. I have a copy of the news report on this somewhere in my SG1 files, but it would take a lot of looking to find it. As for Claudia Black being beautiful - yuk! She looks hard - not exactly a role model for any lady. But I am definately a Sam fan- so maybe I'm not entirely objective.

[chocdoc]

Maybe I'm going to sound a little naive, but how do we know that AT wants to leave ? That's speculation. Did I miss something ? I understand that the writers brought Vala because they didn't know what she was going to do after little Olivia's birth, but didn't she say that she was back to work on a full-time basis ?

We don't -- This is just speculation. And yes, she is back at work on a full-time basis (and thank goodness she can bring Olivia to work with her!). I think, but correct me if I'm wrong anyone, that IF there is a season 10 and IF Amanda decides to leave and do something else, THEN the question is, would they use Vala to replace Sam. And have TPTB been kind of grooming Vala for this possibility, just in case.

[chocdoc]

Amanda didn't say she wanted to leave the show. She said she wanted her part of be that of a recurring character this season because she has an infant to care for and didn't think she could work the 14 hour days. The studio agreed with her. I have a copy of the news report on this somewhere in my SG1 files, but it would take a lot of looking to find it. As for Claudia Black being beautiful - yuk! She looks hard - not exactly a role model for any lady. But I am definately a Sam fan- so maybe I'm not entirely objective.

Hi dmovies,

I actually have never read that AT herself said she wanted to be recurring versus a regular. She did say should would have to cut her hours a bit, but I don't think she ever said she wanted to be recurring. And I have never read anything from any official source saying this or any producer.

[Lys]

Amanda didn't say she wanted to leave the show. She said she wanted her part of be that of a recurring character this season because she has an infant to care for and didn't think she could work the 14 hour days. The studio agreed with her. I have a copy of the news report on this somewhere in my SG1 files, but it would take a lot of looking to find it. As for Claudia Black being beautiful - yuk! She looks hard - not exactly a role model for any lady. But I am definately a Sam fan- so maybe I'm not entirely objective.

Thanks for the info about AT. But I have to disagree regarding Claudia Black. I find myself that she looks a little hard but that's not to say that she can't be a role model. I don't understand why women are reduced to their looks to qualify them as role models. In my understanding, a role model is someone you're going to admire and try to follow not because of their looks but because of their behaviour.
That's this sort of role model I want to have and that's because of her behaviour that I admire Sam. I don't know much about Vala, but I'm willing to follow her and accept her as a role model if her behaviour is a strong and endearing one.
No offence meant dmovies.

[SamFan31]

ChopinGal, those are really great !

Is there also a shippy version of "Gone With the Wind" with Sam as Scarlett O'Hara and Jack as Rhett Buttler ?

(corrected at Lys' suggestion)

For Lys and the shippers...

Gone with the Wind

[astrogeologist]

When I’d read this earlier it made me think about 2 books I recently picked up about women in the armed services. I finished about a month ago: She Went to War: The Rhonda Cornum Story about Major Rhonda Cornum (Army officer, helicopter pilot, flight surgeon, wife, and mother, with a Ph.D. in biochemistry). She was a POW in Iraq during Desert Storm, suffering through her imprisonment with both arms broken (from the helicopter crash).

Still trying to finish reading Generally Speaking: Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy (Ret.) She was the Army’s first woman three-star general (and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence). I’m only a third of the way through, but it is a very good read so far. (It’s tough when you’re trying to feed the reading habit in amongst the newer addictions, ehhh… *habits* of GW, writing fanfic, Photoshop… reading seems to take forever no matter how you try to sneak it in… while eating, while brushing your teeth, while…. ) Both of these books were/are good. And they were both examples of women in high-visibility leadership roles who took crisis situations as they came, coolly, calmly, and level-headly.

Wouldn't it be great if the Stargate PTB got in touch with Major Cornum and then did a Stargate episode 2-parter with Sam's role based on some of Cornum's real-life experiences? Cornum could be on set as an advisor...and plot events and such would have to be set in the Stargate universe with scifi elements and such... How great would it be to feature a real life female hero in the actions of Sam Carter - and to focus on her competence and capabilites and fortitude - instead of her shortcomings? And at the end of the show, they would post an explanatory note on the screen - or perhaps at the beginning? I'll bet AT would go for such a wonderful tribute.

[Lys]

For Lys and the other shippers...

Gone with the Wind

Wonderful ! SamFan ! Did you post it either on the shipper thread ?
And you should say "for Lys and the shippers", I'm not one, but I guess I'm dealing with too much penguin love to ignore them sometimes.
And I really, really can imagine Jack saying that famous last line of Rhett Buttler :
"My dear, I don't give a damn."

[SamFan31]

Wouldn't it be great if the Stargate PTB got in touch with Major Cornum and then did a Stargate episode 2-parter with Sam's role based on some of Cornum's real-life experiences? Cornum could be on set as an advisor...and plot events and such would have to be set in the Stargate universe with scifi elements and such... How great would it be to feature a real life female hero in the actions of Sam Carter - and to focus on her competence and capabilites and fortitude - instead of her shortcomings? And at the end of the show, they would post an explanatory note on the screen - or perhaps at the beginning? I'll bet AT would go for such a wonderful tribute.

What a great idea!! It would be so neat if TPTB would pursue your suggestion.

[Lys]

I feel the need to do a total off topic and inapropriate post, (Sky ! I beg your pardon ! ) to let you know that :

Yeah ! 500 posts !

Doing happy dance !!!

I know I'm silly.

[SamFan31]

Wonderful ! SamFan ! Did you post it either on the shipper thread ?
And you should say "for Lys and the shippers", I'm not one, but I guess I'm dealing with too much penguin love to ignore them sometimes.
And I really, really can imagine Jack saying that famous last line of Rhett Buttler :
"My dear, I don't give a damn."

Thanks, Lys. No, I didn't post it on the shipper thread. I'm not a shipper either and I pretty much stay in the SaGC thread (chicken that I am! ).

Edit: And congrats on post 500!

[Lys]

Thanks, Lys. No, I didn't post it on the shipper thread. I'm not a shipper either and I pretty much stay in the SaGC thread (chicken that I am! ).

Edit: And congrats on post 500!

That makes two of us ! Welcome to the hen house !

[florence]

Thanks, Lys. No, I didn't post it on the shipper thread. I'm not a shipper either and I pretty much stay in the SaGC thread (chicken that I am! ).

Edit: And congrats on post 500!

Would you mind if I posted the link to your post in the shipper thread ? I'm sure all the shippers would appreciate your work, as I do

Congrats on 500 Lys !

[SamFan31]

Would you mind if I posted the link to your post in the shipper thread ? I'm sure all the shippers would appreciate your work, as I do

Congrats on 500 Lys !

Hi Florence and welcome! That's fine to post a link in the shipper thread, I don't mind at all.