Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Skydiver]

my .02

Spoiler:

it was so NICE to see sam's cameos. i know they had to have done extra work to tape them prior to or, most likely, after her return and drop them in and it was a nice gesture and certainly helped to make things a bit easier. sam's absence was far less glaring

cameron, i think he'll be ok. at least he's not all 'i'm here, and i want what i want'...however i do think that they did push too hard wtih all the 'see, see, see, he's just the right man for the job' urging. please, you can't make us see him as a good replacemetn, we need to see that in his actions. don't force himon us, just let him be and we'll accept him

at some points, after way, way too many flashbacks, i felt like i'd just watched a 30 minutes hard sell infomercial.

i also have an issue with the medal. not him getting one per se, but the congressional medal of honor???? dude, they don't hand those out like they're candy. why is he getting one while the rest of sg1 doesn't? (folks who have done a HELL of a lot more) and what is sam, a lowly lt col, doning giving it to him? those are usually handed out by the president (they're that big of a deal. it is actually against the law for anyone who has not received one to even wear it)

landry was ok. i think he'll be fine.

i liked the tension between daniel and teal'c and yes, i did like that sam was off doing something else. I like that these people are going on with their lives. good for them

that's part of what made mitchell's backstory a bit grating. dude was built up like a marty sue. friends of sg1, bedside vigils, saved thier lives...and now he want to join the big kids????? sigh. bit OTT boys for my tastes

vala was predictible. I think she'll be popular simply because she is so ver the top, however i find her character embarrassing in some ways. if she's just here for comedic relief, eh, whatever.

the story itself.....bleh. of course, it is part 1 of 4-5 or so. it's all setup. it's like part 1 of rising. simply putting the characters on the board and setting things up. as such, it had a lot of info dump and bland exposition. whether or not the followup episodes are any good will ultimately determine the worht of this one.

this is another price to pay for thier 'writing each season as if it's our last'....they have no cliffy so there's no moment to start off each season, just a rather plodding 'ok, here's our enemy for the next 21 eps' set up

right now, i give it 3 of 5. not fantastic, not horrible...just there

[golfbooy]

Well, here's my two bits as well:

Spoiler:

As I've said before, I was a fan of SG-1 long before I had even encountered the Internet. The concept of fandoms, and the feelings of entitlement that come with them, is something that I've only come to be acquainted with in the last couple of years. My basic philosophy with SG-1 is that it's the producer's show (specifically Brad Wright's and Rob Cooper's), I'm just watching it.

That being said, I really enjoyed Avalon 1. That's probably not much of a shock to anyone, but there it is anyway. I thought it was a well put together episode, certainly intent on opening the show up for new storylines. I'm aware that there are many complaints that the episode moved too slow, but to be honest, I'm more than a little relieved that Avalon had a nice, measured pace to it. I can easily see how that translates into "slow" for some people, but for me, Avalon works as a great start to a three parter, and as a great start to what has to be understood to be a transitional period in the storyline.

In the hopes of keeping this post somewhat on topic for this thread, let me just say that I was absolutely delighted to see as much of Sam as we got in Avalon. I hadn't dared to expect nearly that much, and having Carter in the flashbacks and particularly her conversation with Mitchell helped to very much keep Sam in the story, despite Amanda Tapping's absence. I'm especially looking forward to seeing more of Carter and Mitchell. Their friendship came across as very easy and comfortable; kudos to Rob Cooper and the writers for making what I consider to be the right choice as far as that dynamic is concerned.

As far as Mitchell is concerned, I'm fairly satisfied in that regard as well. I thought Ben Browder put forth a very respectable first performance. I've never been much of a stickler for the order of the credits, and despite him having first billing, he certainly didn't come across as a true "lead" actor. Mitchell seems very much to be just another player in what I consider to be the most consistent, reliable cast on television. They are very much an ensemble. I loved the reverence and respect that Mitchell has for the SGC and the members of SG-1 in particular. While being very much a hero himself, he seems to be quite aware of just how truly remarkable each member of SG-1 is, even if Carter, Teal'c, Daniel, and O'neill continue to downplay their own significance.
I'm more than willing to give the writers and Ben Browder a chance to show me more.

Now, on to Vala. I have to admit, I've never had a problem with the character. Most of her critics seem to launch missiles upon Vala from a moral apex that is so shakily built that if they fling one more stone the whole mountain will come crumbling down. For me, the only problems that Vala has been associated with are certain issues I have with Prometheus Unbound, not Vala specifically. I've a lot more reason to take Damian Kindler and the other producers to task than I have to rant and rail against Claudia Black, the costume department, and the character of Vala in and of herself. I'll be the first to admit that I really don't mind the outfits. I think Vala's attire is seminole to creating the character, and I don't find it to be at all out of place on SG-1. Does no one else remeber the past Goa'uld females we've encounted? I'm as blue-blooded of a male as you're likely to find anywhere, and yes, I certainly don't mind seeing any beautiful woman, how shall we say, emphasized. But that's not why I'm watching Stargate; trust me, I'm not sitting there in my living room, mouth gaping open, staring agog at the screen. There is no doubt alot more to Vala than we've been presented with, and I'm curious enough to wait for more. There, now that all of that is out of the way, let me just add that I really like the effect that Vala is having on Daniel Jackson. It's the first time in a long while that Daniel has had any kind of significant, worthwhile storyline outside of the rather nebulous ideas of ascension. And, while his interaction with Vala is a far cry from the bland, ever-faithful, oft beleaguered widower of Shar'e from the show's early years, it doesn't seem that out of character for me. Whether you think it a good change or not, Daniel has been different since his decension in Fallen, albeit in subtle ways. At this point I'm glad to see something, anything, that puts him off his game a little.

For me, the jury is still out on General Landry. I've never been enamored with the casting of Beau Bridges, but I find that I don't hate Landry yet. I'm not sure I like him, either though. I need to see more of his interaction with the rest of SG-1. I will say, however, that Beau Bridges is trying very, very hard, whaterver that's worth.

As for everyone else, I think that Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel were as entertaining and spot on as ever. I love those characters and I'm willing to stick around as long as they're saving the world every week.

The worst thing about the whole show is, by far, the crapped-out, worthless, irredeemable decision to cut the credits. I know damn near all of the words in the dictionary, and certainly all of the "bad" ones, yet even I can't express how astoundingly furious I am over this change.

Storywise, I'm severly disappointed in where they cut the episode off. I've said for years that one thing I like about Stargate is that the producers have become terrible at writing episodic television. One hour is hardly ever enough, and I find that to be the case here as well. I didn't get enough of the whole Merlin/Ancients bit to adequately judge that portion of the story. So that verdict will have to wait until next week. I'd have preferred Sci-fi to show Avalon 1 & 2 back to back, giving us a bit more of the story and hopefully a look at the Ori as well. But, alas, it was not to be.

One last thing to add to this grossly prodigous post: I cannot wait for more of the Jaffa storyline. It's always been a part of SG-1 and, for as many complaints as I read about it online, I think it's far too intricately tied to the Stargate Universe to ignore. It adds a depth to the show that is sorely missing from Atlantis.

Ok, that's it. I'm stopping now. I swear. Except to finish by saying, well done indeed, Sci-Fi; if not for your bungling, slapdash approach to programming we'd have been merrily on our way to the next chapter in Stargate's saga. As it is, you've stunted the story at a place devoid of any suspense, danger, or grand revelation. What a cliffhanger! I can't wait till next week to see Vala get her comeuppance when she gets squished under that ceiling.

[Skydiver]

vala may be beyond annoying, but she will serve her purpose.

i do like her and daniel's byplay to a point. and yes, daniel needs something more than the tedious Ascension gig. That got old the first time he came back from the dead

so from that aspect, yes, vala serves a purpose. I still don't care for her over the top moments. the super silly over the top stuff just doesn't appeal to me. she will be a source of a lot of humor, but just not much appeal to me

and i agree with you about the Jaffa storyline. I think it could be very interesting to watch them go from slaves to rulers and it could be a good storyline for teal'c

[Major Fischer]

Vera annoyed me a great deal in her first appearance, and I fond her slightly more tolerable in Avalon. Unfortunately she feels like she's in a different show than everyone else, and some of the humor they use her for just makes me cringe. All the implications that she'd had sex with Daniel I could have done without.

Not because Jackson should be celebate, but because I don't want to think about sex with the bottem dweller. IMO she was a character who barely fit in the one episode she did and is totally unsuited to an arcing story.

[Skydiver]

in that fantastic world of 'what if' i'd have liked to have seen them use Sarah Gardner (chances are it was an actress availabilty issue)

sarah had hte goauld knowledge. i think there's some fantastic issues between her and daniel, not to mention her and sam. every single time sam met sarah (and did she ever meet the real sarah? or only osiris?) sarah tried to kill her. That's got to be an issue between them

like i said, vala serves her purpose. I don't care for it, but there's not much i can do about it. time will tell if she does get more developed or if she's just there for the easy and fun laugh.

i do think that she is a tribute to sam in a way. Sam, in all her 8 years, was a strong enough character that there was no real need to turn her into a sum of her lines and costuming. She was real and three dimensional, fun and falliable. And she was a woman who didn't have to trade on her gender, but had enough skills to stand on her own

[Uber]

vala may be beyond annoying, but she will serve her purpose.

i do like her and daniel's byplay to a point. and yes, daniel needs something more than the tedious Ascension gig. That got old the first time he came back from the dead

so from that aspect, yes, vala serves a purpose. I still don't care for her over the top moments. the super silly over the top stuff just doesn't appeal to me. she will be a source of a lot of humor, but just not much appeal to me

and i agree with you about the Jaffa storyline. I think it could be very interesting to watch them go from slaves to rulers and it could be a good storyline for teal'c

My Feelings about Avalon...the Day After...

WARNING...Spoilers for this episode are included in the following text and I'm just TIRED of seeing pages of LONG WHITED OUT TEXT...



I confess I went into Avalon all ready to not like it...and so when I watched it the first time last night, I got exactly what I expected.

But then I realized I had been unfair to set such expectations on it...and watched it again. I liked it significantly better the second time. I haven't QUITE warmed to Cam just yet (which as a HUGE Ben Browder fan surprises me a lot)...but it is JUST the first episode...

First off I was delighted to see ANY SAM at all.

Next, I love the fact that Cam and Sam seem to be genuine friends...like maybe more than just of a connection than we saw. And NO I don't mean a shippy kind of connection here folks but I sense there's more to their friendship than just her showing up at his hospital. For instance, it's clear that he didn't know Daniel Jackson at all except by his name and face from a remembered visit at the hospital but with Sam and that conversation he had with her, I sensed more rapport. I mean he felt comfortable enough to share his insecurities with her and to practically BEG her to return...

>>On a side note, I'm guessing there will be Sam/Cam Shippers....LOL Funny thing is, they'll have the same problem Sam/Jack Shippers had except in reverse. THIS TIME SAM'S THE RANKING OFFICER IN THE COMMAND STRUCTURE. Isn't that a hoot?

Okay...back to my yammering.

I loved how he tried to get the "band back together"...but Sam has her Area 51 thing plus personal issues *cough*Cassandra AND I THINK JACK*cough* Daniel has his dreams of going to Atlantis and Teal'c's too busy dealing with politics on Dakara...and realized it ain't going to happen (well not for a while at least). So for the first few episodes, SG-1 is just going to be SG-Him.

Now I was alittle disappointed with how flat his jokes came off while on Dakara...asking every Jaffa in sight to join SG-1...

As for Cam winning the medal, I didn't mind it at all. I could be wrong here, but my sense is that maybe they weren't quite sure he was going to make it for quite a long while...and primarily it's thanks to him and General Hammond that SG-1 was able to get to the chair in Antarctica. And it seems clear that Sam wasn't bothered by it...she was brimming with pride in awarding it to him on behalf of the President...who was perhaps unavailable because he still needed to fill his Vice Presidential slot...

>>On another side note, I sure hope we get to see Kinsey again...I mean come on...Kinsey as Goa'uld. You know you love it too...

What was I saying? Oh yeah...

The Teal'c/Cameron friendship...or lack thereof. I got quite a kick out of the fact that Teal'c doesn't seem to like Cam at all right now. I mean, he appreciates what Cam did in Antarctica...but personality-wise, think OIL and WATER. It'll be interesting to see how Cam wins his friendship.

Now for Vala. She served her purpose in annoying Daniel to no end and by preventing him from going to Atlantis...(sigh, I don't think he's ever going to go). Some of her quips were a LITTLE over the top for my taste but not enough to make me cringe and change the channel. I love how she kinda got caught in her own trap which made me laugh... We started to get a small sense near the end of Prometheus Unbound that she was really ready to tell Daniel the truth so I sense hope for her.

Plus, Vala is a survivor. We know she hosted a Goa'uld...but for how long? And we know that she was tortured because of what the snake did using her as a host...and I also wonder about how much psychological damage she suffered during that time. I think we also saw hints of this in Prometheus Unbound and it was interesting then to watch Daniel try to figure her out. And I know I'm in the minority, but in PU, I loved watching her beat the crap out of Jackson (who as you all know isn't my favorite *cough*understatement*cough*) who she was clearly attracted to...but again, she's a survivor. And an opportunist. Kind of Ferengi-like in her approach to obtaining wealth. But as for Daniel, she had something to do and wasn't about to let a hunkahunka burnin love stop her...either in PU or in Avalon.

>>Okay yet another sidebar here...but in PU, did any of you catch Daniel doing the "I'm crushing your head" act on Vala? So in his spare time, he must watch old episodes of "Kids in the Hall"...

And now back to the review...

General Landry...hmm. I don't adore him yet...but I'll give it time. His relationship with Cam should be interesting...especially when the whole thing with his daughter develops.

I hated seeing so little of Jack...but then I already miss Jack and RDA. *sigh*

>>Hmmm...time for another sidebar. Since when does Jack have a motorcycle? I mean, we know Sam does...*thinks happy shippy thoughts*

Back to the show...

Cute acknowledgement about "not ever seeing Cameron before" kind of a nice wink and a nod to Farscape fans who enjoyed seeing them as John and Aeryn (like me) and of course the "limited gene pool" quip...again, just a cute way to acknowledge the similarities between their appearance (which I only kinda see...but then I know them both so well as separate personalities).

Here's a question for you all who have seen the episode...when Daniel and Vala are in the tunnel and she comments that she's a little afraid of whatever creature might have been left behind to guard the treasure, and Daniel said something like "it would be running from you when it gets to know you," was it just me or did you see kind of a hurt expression on her face? I saw that and it kinda told me that Daniel's judging her by the way she's acting/has treated him...but perhaps that's just a façade and he doesn't really know her at all. She seemed genuinely to have her feelings hurt...which tells me that there might be some more depth to her character and personality than maybe was first thought...

I still think it was a little slow...but sheesh, compared to SGA and BSG with MAJOR cliffhangers, there's no way this slower paced episode could compete with what happened in those two...and that kind of comparison isn't quite fair to Avalon. And I've decided to give SG-1 a fair chance to keep me as a fan...and that means probably at least the first half of the season.

All in all, right now I'll give Avalon a 3.5 out of 5 possible zats (originally it was a 3, but I upped it a half point for the inclusion of Sam clips and for the line by Cameron to a not very impressed Teal'c "I just love the rapport we're building between us..."

And this number could easily increase or decrease depending on the next few episodes and how Avalon served as a foundational, laying out the pieces kind of episode leading up for Sam's return.

[sg-1fanintn]

Wow! Not a tremendous amount of posts here today, but the ones that have been made are so high quality! I pulled several quotes to include in my comments, but finally just gave up, because you had so many interesting and quotable things! And I had a feeling we would break the forum last night, so I just chuckled when it went down.

I was thrilled to see Sam (just like the rest of you)!!! They DID go to a lot of extra trouble to do that, and I think it was to reassure us. And Amanda looked and sounded great! It just made me happy.

Not enough Jack. And I agree with others who have said that the

Spoiler:

motorcycle

comment was a clue. We'll see. Another thing I thought was a clue was when Sam told Cam,

Spoiler:

"I have reasons for wanting this job."

But again, we'll see.

I felt generally positive about BB, although I know it's because of the way the script was written. After all, he was

Spoiler:

just as disappointed that SG-1 had disbanded as I was. See how that helps you to identify with him?

My favorite line: "Walter, it doesn't look like we're going to be getting the band back together."

Vala.....costuming bothered me. Some of the over the top lines were too over the top. But she had some good moments too. And I think she looked hurt when

Spoiler:

Daniel wasn't glad to see her when he entered the briefing room.

I thought the episode came off as a little slow and contrived all in all, especially in comparison to SGA, which absolutely soared! I'm still not buying the

Spoiler:

King Arthur thing,

, but I'm trying to stay open-minded. All in all, it was a sad ep for me, because RDA is really going. But it was not as bad as I expected. I give it a 2.5 on a scale of 5, and I'm hoping for a better hour next week. And we know that everything will get better when Sam gets back for real!

[Lida]

My Feelings about Avalon...the Day After...

WARNING...Spoilers for this episode are included in the following text and I'm just TIRED of seeing pages of LONG WHITED OUT TEXT...



I confess I went into Avalon all ready to not like it...and so when I watched it the first time last night, I got exactly what I expected.

But then I realized I had been unfair to set such expectations on it...and watched it again. I liked it significantly better the second time. I haven't QUITE warmed to Cam just yet (which as a HUGE Ben Browder fan surprises me a lot)...but it is JUST the first episode...

First off I was delighted to see ANY SAM at all.

Next, I love the fact that Cam and Sam seem to be genuine friends...like maybe more than just of a connection than we saw. And NO I don't mean a shippy kind of connection here folks but I sense there's more to their friendship than just her showing up at his hospital. For instance, it's clear that he didn't know Daniel Jackson at all except by his name and face from a remembered visit at the hospital but with Sam and that conversation he had with her, I sensed more rapport. I mean he felt comfortable enough to share his insecurities with her and to practically BEG her to return...

>>On a side note, I'm guessing there will be Sam/Cam Shippers....LOL Funny thing is, they'll have the same problem Sam/Jack Shippers had except in reverse. THIS TIME SAM'S THE RANKING OFFICER IN THE COMMAND STRUCTURE. Isn't that a hoot?

Okay...back to my yammering.

I loved how he tried to get the "band back together"...but Sam has her Area 51 thing plus personal issues *cough*Cassandra AND I THINK JACK*cough* Daniel has his dreams of going to Atlantis and Teal'c's too busy dealing with politics on Dakara...and realized it ain't going to happen (well not for a while at least). So for the first few episodes, SG-1 is just going to be SG-Him.

Now I was alittle disappointed with how flat his jokes came off while on Dakara...asking every Jaffa in sight to join SG-1...

As for Cam winning the medal, I didn't mind it at all. I could be wrong here, but my sense is that maybe they weren't quite sure he was going to make it for quite a long while...and primarily it's thanks to him and General Hammond that SG-1 was able to get to the chair in Antarctica. And it seems clear that Sam wasn't bothered by it...she was brimming with pride in awarding it to him on behalf of the President...who was perhaps unavailable because he still needed to fill his Vice Presidential slot...

>>On another side note, I sure hope we get to see Kinsey again...I mean come on...Kinsey as Goa'uld. You know you love it too...

What was I saying? Oh yeah...

The Teal'c/Cameron friendship...or lack thereof. I got quite a kick out of the fact that Teal'c doesn't seem to like Cam at all right now. I mean, he appreciates what Cam did in Antarctica...but personality-wise, think OIL and WATER. It'll be interesting to see how Cam wins his friendship.

Now for Vala. She served her purpose in annoying Daniel to no end and by preventing him from going to Atlantis...(sigh, I don't think he's ever going to go). Some of her quips were a LITTLE over the top for my taste but not enough to make me cringe and change the channel. I love how she kinda got caught in her own trap which made me laugh... We started to get a small sense near the end of Prometheus Unbound that she was really ready to tell Daniel the truth so I sense hope for her.

Plus, Vala is a survivor. We know she hosted a Goa'uld...but for how long? And we know that she was tortured because of what the snake did using her as a host...and I also wonder about how much psychological damage she suffered during that time. I think we also saw hints of this in Prometheus Unbound and it was interesting then to watch Daniel try to figure her out. And I know I'm in the minority, but in PU, I loved watching her beat the crap out of Jackson (who as you all know isn't my favorite *cough*understatement*cough*) who she was clearly attracted to...but again, she's a survivor. And an opportunist. Kind of Ferengi-like in her approach to obtaining wealth. But as for Daniel, she had something to do and wasn't about to let a hunkahunka burnin love stop her...either in PU or in Avalon.

>>Okay yet another sidebar here...but in PU, did any of you catch Daniel doing the "I'm crushing your head" act on Vala? So in his spare time, he must watch old episodes of "Kids in the Hall"...

And now back to the review...

General Landry...hmm. I don't adore him yet...but I'll give it time. His relationship with Cam should be interesting...especially when the whole thing with his daughter develops.

I hated seeing so little of Jack...but then I already miss Jack and RDA. *sigh*

>>Hmmm...time for another sidebar. Since when does Jack have a motorcycle? I mean, we know Sam does...*thinks happy shippy thoughts*

Back to the show...

Cute acknowledgement about "not ever seeing Cameron before" kind of a nice wink and a nod to Farscape fans who enjoyed seeing them as John and Aeryn (like me) and of course the "limited gene pool" quip...again, just a cute way to acknowledge the similarities between their appearance (which I only kinda see...but then I know them both so well as separate personalities).

Here's a question for you all who have seen the episode...when Daniel and Vala are in the tunnel and she comments that she's a little afraid of whatever creature might have been left behind to guard the treasure, and Daniel said something like "it would be running from you when it gets to know you," was it just me or did you see kind of a hurt expression on her face? I saw that and it kinda told me that Daniel's judging her by the way she's acting/has treated him...but perhaps that's just a façade and he doesn't really know her at all. She seemed genuinely to have her feelings hurt...which tells me that there might be some more depth to her character and personality than maybe was first thought...

I still think it was a little slow...but sheesh, compared to SGA and BSG with MAJOR cliffhangers, there's no way this slower paced episode could compete with what happened in those two...and that kind of comparison isn't quite fair to Avalon. And I've decided to give SG-1 a fair chance to keep me as a fan...and that means probably at least the first half of the season.

All in all, right now I'll give Avalon a 3.5 out of 5 possible zats (originally it was a 3, but I upped it a half point for the inclusion of Sam clips and for the line by Cameron to a not very impressed Teal'c "I just love the rapport we're building between us..."

And this number could easily increase or decrease depending on the next few episodes and how Avalon served as a foundational, laying out the pieces kind of episode leading up for Sam's return.

Great post, well thought out and well written. However, I personally don't think Vala, at least at this time, is capable of anything , emotionwise, except self-preservation. Hurt? Nope, don't think so.

[Lida]

Vera annoyed me a great deal in her first appearance, and I fond her slightly more tolerable in Avalon. Unfortunately she feels like she's in a different show than everyone else, and some of the humor they use her for just makes me cringe. All the implications that she'd had sex with Daniel I could have done without.

Not because Jackson should be celebate, but because I don't want to think about sex with the bottem dweller. IMO she was a character who barely fit in the one episode she did and is totally unsuited to an arcing story.

Vera? Did I miss a character. I only saw Vala.

[Major Fischer]

Vera? Did I miss a character. I only saw Vala.

No, you didn't. That's what I get for doing about six things at once.

[Lida]

No, you didn't. That's what I get for doing about six things at once.

ROFL Only six things? You must have kids.

[Uber]

Great post, well thought out and well written. However, I personally don't think Vala, at least at this time, is capable of anything , emotionwise, except self-preservation. Hurt? Nope, don't think so.

I'm not so sure.

Vala can't be a 2 dimensional character and with her backstory I believe that she has certain layers of depth that we've yet to really see. Plus...from spoilers for future eps

Spoiler:

it's clear at some point she's willing to sacrifice herself for others

showing that somewhere deep within her is a woman of courage, empathy and character. And by deep, I mean deep, deep, DEEEEEEEEEEEP within her...though and we won't see any of that until the time comes.

I just get the sense that there's more to her than meets the eye and I'm glad to see a glimpse here and there that give me hope.

PS...That bit about her possibly becoming a woman of integrity and all and how that part of her is buried way, way, WAY DEEP inside her...let me just emphasize and clarify. Remember the episode Fallout...where Sam, Teal'c and Jonas had to use a drilling machine to go deep within the planet's surface? Remember how deep they went? Well, you'd have to go deeper than that in Vala to find that heroic compassionate empathetic side. But it's there. Just deep, DEEP down.

Okay...all better now.

[golfbooy]

Originally Posted By Skydiver:
in that fantastic world of 'what if' i'd have liked to have seen them use Sarah Gardner (chances are it was an actress availabilty issue)

I have to say that I agree with this 100 percent. I've always enjoyed Osiris/Sarah Gardener when her character appeared in the past, and I would have relished the chance to have her involved in the story in a more direct way. Her relationship with Daniel was always worth exploring more, as was her reintroduction to a normal life once Osiris was removed. As a matter of fact, right up until the last ten minutes of Chimera, I figured that there was bound to be some fodder for future episodes with Daniel helping Sarah get past her experience. Instead we got the Twilight Zone version of SG-1. You know, the one where Sam inexplicably forgives Pete for treating her like crap, then proceeds to tell him everything about the SGC. But that's a rant for another post. Suffice it to say, I expected to hear more from Sarah Gardener.

In fact, before the additions of Ben Browder and Claudia Black were announced, my solution to the casting issues that had arisen for season 9 was to go for the three man team of Carter, Teal'c, and Daniel. I thought then, and still believe, that those three characters, as played by those three actors, are strong enough to carry the show. As far as covering Amanda Tapping's pregnancy was concerned, my guess was that they would split the five or six episodes she'd miss between Sarah Gardener and Ishta, easliy filling the necessary tv formula of at least one female lead. But, as is now apparent, that was not to be.

i do think that she is a tribute to sam in a way. Sam, in all her 8 years, was a strong enough character that there was no real need to turn her into a sum of her lines and costuming. She was real and three dimensional, fun and falliable. And she was a woman who didn't have to trade on her gender, but had enough skills to stand on her own

I'm not sure that I buy that Vala works as a tribute to Sam. I think that the writers are trying to create a unique character for the show. Maybe Vala is a tribute to Amanda Tapping, in that she exists as a part of this six episode stint, primarily, to allow Amanda Tapping to take as much time off as she needs or wants. That, at least to me, seems very magnanimous on the part of the producers, especially in light of the way most shows operate. Stargate seems to be very family friendly indeed. Then again, I may just be mincing words here. At any rate, I do agree that Vala's presence does allow for a contrast between her and Carter. And I feel that that contrast reflects quite well on Carter, who at least in my opinion, has very little to prove to anyone.

Which brings me to admit another aspect of fandom that eludes my understanding. The same fans who rip Sam to shreds for her actions with Pete and with Jack absolutely adore Vala, not only despite, but actually because of the fact that Vala is the epitome of all that is shameful in Sam. To them, the idea of Sam as a sexual person with any kind of romantic entanglements is so denegrating to their grail of SG-1 that they simply cannot make a post without mentioning it in some regard. Yet they watch Vala constantly use her sexuality to acheive her ends and to attract those she's interested in, all the while proclaiming their love of the character, actress, and the act itself. So my big question is, why is Vala empowered by her own sexual self, but Sam weakened by hers? This observation extends beyond any one faction of fandom, and is, in large part, the way I think most people have felt about Sam's character for the past couple of years.

Wow, I'm kind of getting off on a tagent with that last bit. Perhaps I'll continue it later in another post. We'll see.

[Nikkirose]

I'm just happy AT/Sam was in this episode at all!! I didnt expect to see her!


But as far as overall episode 3/5.

[Skydiver]

I'm not sure that I buy that Vala works as a tribute to Sam. I think that the writers are trying to create a unique character for the show. Maybe Vala is a tribute to Amanda Tapping, in that she exists as a part of this six episode stint, primarily, to allow Amanda Tapping to take as much time off as she needs or wants. That, at least to me, seems very magnanimous on the part of the producers, especially in light of the way most shows operate. Stargate seems to be very family friendly indeed. Then again, I may just be mincing words here. At any rate, I do agree that Vala's presence does allow for a contrast between her and Carter. And I feel that that contrast reflects quite well on Carter, who at least in my opinion, has very little to prove to anyone.

tribute was probably the wrong word. Juxtaposition maybe?

vala is everything that sam isn't. vala is avarice, greedy, out for the quick buck and yes, a survivor. and since wealth makes it easier to survive, that's what she's gonna keep trying for. and she goes to get it however she can.

sam, on the other hand, is jsut as much of a survivor, but she does it with her brains and smarts....not her body and not looking for money. now sam does manipulate folks. She played aiden corso in Forsaken. she played fifth the first time, heck the second time too. she can and does knowhow to get people to do what she wants or needs. She just has the morales to do it for her own survival or the 'greater good' not to increase her bank book.

sam is more altruistic while vala is rather self centered

Which brings me to admit another aspect of fandom that eludes my understanding. The same fans who rip Sam to shreds for her actions with Pete and with Jack absolutely adore Vala, not only despite, but actually because of the fact that Vala is the epitome of all that is shameful in Sam. To them, the idea of Sam as a sexual person with any kind of romantic entanglements is so denegrating to their grail of SG-1 that they simply cannot make a post without mentioning it in some regard. Yet they watch Vala constantly use her sexuality to acheive her ends and to attract those she's interested in, all the while proclaiming their love of the character, actress, and the act itself. So my big question is, why is Vala empowered by her own sexual self, but Sam weakened by hers? This observation extends beyond any one faction of fandom, and is, in large part, the way I think most people have felt about Sam's character for the past couple of years.

Wow, I'm kind of getting off on a tagent with that last bit. Perhaps I'll continue it later in another post. We'll see.

to put it blunly, to some of these folks, vala is great simply because she isn't sam. to some of them, heck, sam could die and they'd still find fault with it.

vala isn't sam. vala is for daniel. this means that vala isn't competition for daniel like some see sam as being, vala is a compliment to daniel.

because of that, some folks will tolerate anything and everything vala does simply because she's not sam.

in many ways and among many circles, stargate was a love triangle with sam and daniel both being paired with jack. if you're a fan of j/d, then sam is competition because she's getting between the otp of j/d. (and honestly, among shippers, i don't see many of them seeing daniel as competition between jack and sam. mostly daniel is a match maker and friend, not a threat. maybe its the difference between jack and sam existing in some level (based on your interpretation of the show) on the show while jack and daniel as more than friends has never and will never exist on the show.)

many shippers don't see daniel as competition because there is no conflict possible with the show, while for the j/d fans, the show does place sam in direct competition so she's a threat.