Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[kiwigater]

hey there - poking my nose into a new thread

I'd just like to compliment you guys on staying so calm and not running off frothing at the mouth

I only wish more of the Gabit attendees were online so we could grill them on exact words, tone of voice, posture etc....

If true, I'm quite horrified at this sort of treatment - I met Amanda in Chicago last year, and she was absolutely the best person Genuine, caring, and honestly interested in talking to YOU, and so chuffed at the love and suppport that she had received from the fans. I would hope that that continues, no one wins when things get ugly in fandom

[Simhavaktra]

ON EDIT...This is my 2500th post on GW and I'm now a First Prime. *weeeeeeeeeee*

Congratulations. ÜberPrime - it has a ring to it, doesn't it?

So... tell us which False God you're now industriously undermining???

[nell]

Just my humble opinion...

Perhaps TPTB see Sam's character as a dead end because she is in an implied relationship with Jack and he is not physically present for the UST/RST dynamic. And, Carter can't have a romantic interest with another character because Sam and Jack are loyal and true to one another. Which is as it should be. So, they are stymied and stuck because the formula for a successful series is to include UST at least. Now Vala can deliver that for them.**cough** I.Won't.Go.There.

Foolish.Silly.TPTB. We have lots of ideas to keep Jack active in the series and Sam's and Jack's relationship going and he doesn't even have to be present. Well, I want him to be but RDA can't or won't right now. Ya know, one-sided phone calls and conversations about what Sam and Jack did on their vacation to the cabin. Ahem, fishing....

So, what's my point? What is my point? Oh, yeah. This is what I wrote on Joe's blog because I think that they don't know what to do with a single, professional woman over 35 who's in a healthy, loving relationship AND is bright, brave, competent and can have it all!!! Heck, RDA was 45 when he started as Jack O'Neill. What is it with this sexist stuff in these times?

Originally Posted by nell
SAM CARTER ROCKS!!! The Stargate franchise can take credit for creating a brilliant, competent, confident,interesting, assertive, brave, loyal, loving and kicka$$ female character!!! We've seen the scientist/soldier/woman develop over the past 9 seasons through the talented interpretation of Amanda Tapping. Go all the way and continue to expand Carter's role. Single, professional women can be attractive and powerful lead characters when the scripts maintain their roles through intelligent storylines. Be Bold, Amanda's talent and Sam's character can break the mold in stereotypes for women actors/characters. 'Nuff said!!

Hope I'm not off topic too much. I think my Shipper and AT sides are showing!! Proud of it!!

[Queen Eleta]

Big hugs for (((AMANDA))) and

bigs hugs for (((SAMANDA))).

And I am NOT a huggy type person, but I just felt a need, so that's saying something.

[Traveler Enroute1]

While I play the goofball with the best of them, I’m not much good at portraying Pollyanna, nor comfortable doing it, and, that’s what I feel I’d be if I tried to project rosy sunshine here. (I assure you all - Samanda doesn't want to see me doing doing my rendition of sweetness and light, especially on the eve of Samhain. )

If this half the season one place, half the season the other place scenario comes to pass:

I fear for the character of Samantha Carter. The current configuration of TPTB apparently don’t know what they want to do with her, much less what ought to be done with her, logically speaking, nor how, precisely, they mean to go about accomplishing any of it. Having seen them create the banal, crass, senseless, obtuse and tedious this year, from what used to be Stargate SG-1, I am afraid that they are incapable of making a decent transition between SG-1 and Atlantis for the character, and all that will be accomplished in 10 eps on each show, will be to harm both shows and damage the character, who has been, like Stargate SG-1 itself, something both incredibly special and magnificently cool back in the day.

I ache for Sam Carter the woman – sent off into a distant galaxy, far from the home she’s made for herself, and the life she’s built there, to a place whose enemy she doesn’t know, without her teammates / family-by-choice whose support and input she’s come to know and depend on for 8 or 9 years. I suspect that Sam Carter the woman defends her heart with walls thicker and stronger than anything Cheyenne Mountain can hope to boast, and losing the people she’s let through those walls, having to live and work without them or the possibility of seeing them when she wants to or needs to, would be horribly painful and difficult and wounding for her. And, I fear that TPTB won’t be up to writing that well; we’ll get yet another version of Carter that will ring false on examination, and that will diminish the character, and both shows on which she has appeared.

I worry that Amanda will overextend and overwork herself in such a 10-episodes-here&10-episodes-there scenario, with two shows to work on, and two shows to which to give of herself, and I hate to think of her burning herself out, in any way, in the doing. I hope she’ll be wise, and strong, and only give what she decides she can afford to give of her time and her energy and her life if she takes up this challenge? trial? experiment? proposal? from TPTB. There’s more to life, and better, than working on Stargate SG-1, and the fact that I discovered her work there, won’t confine me to appreciating it there, if she decides to move on.

I hope Amanda chooses what’s good and right for her; what will make her happy and best serve her interests, plans, priorities, desires, needs, and dreams. She deserves much better treatment than to have to call the TPTB to find out what they’re planning for her employment. She’s a fine actress, a talented and entertaining performer, an intelligent, kind, giving, thoughtful, loyal, and pleasant person with integrity and strength and considered priorities, a hard worker, a devoted wife and mother, a grateful heart, a bright soul, and a beautiful woman. I hope Amanda knows that truth, and that people in her life make sure she's cherished for it. No validation from TPTB, or me, for that matter, is required to make any of that true, nor does this development, nor the discussion of the character Amanda plays on Stargate change or diminish that truth.

Sincerely given from your heart, Simhavaktra and sincerely taken to mine. A beautifully expressed opinion. Thanks.

Just sayin', Samandans know how to do respectful even when displeased.

[binkpmmc]

The posts on behalf of AT and Carter at the Mallozzi blog are growing in stature - anyone, new, old, just dropping by, who thinks this is bad business and disresepctful to AT, and the character she has worked so hard to develop over the past 9 years, should join in there and let their voices be heard - in a nice way. Most of the comments championing AT and Carter thus far are very respectful and very, very good, while still expressing the deserved anger towards TPTB.

[minigeek]

This must be really hard for Amanda whether it all works out well or not. Like some said before me, good thing she is spending a weekend with her fans, at least she knows how much she is appreciated and loved by all of us.
But it must also have been hard to tell her fans the news.

I think so too, Dani. And I think that's why some fans came away from those remarks feeling saddened on her behalf. She doesn't seem to know what "the powers that be" want to do with her character, and if the quotes we got are accurate, it certainly 'sounds' as though she might be a little frustrated as well.

What really upsets me the most is the way it was handled. How awful must Amanda have felt finding out that the other actors had been contacted already and then to hear that TPTB didn't "know what to do with her character"? Knowing how much thought and effort Amanda put into her character and the development of Sam, which, let's be honest, made Sam what she is today, this must have felt like a slap in the face.
I just hate the thought of Amanda's feelings being hurt like this.

Nail on the head. Exactly. If the powers that be "don't know what to do" with Sam Carter, that means they don't have a story where her character fits in. Which means they haven't been looking at her as an integral member of the Stargate universe. She's been with the series for going on a decade now, heck, she *is* one quarter (at least) of what makes Stargate..... Stargate, if you ask me. To hear that they "don't know what to do" with her character is like saying, she's superfluous to what's going on anyway so they're going to just try and plug holes with her. It doesn't matter what comes from that, the simple fact is that HAD TO HURT, the actress, on a personal level. There's simply no ifs ands or buts about it. It had to. Amanda is the kind of person who feels things deeply; look at her quotes about kindness and her ongoing positive spirit. Even at GABIT she came out on stage and was apparently almost crying because she was so moved at how many fans were there - just to see HER. I think she deserves all the support from her fans she can get right now. If people want to write her letters (c/o Bridge) and just tell her how she's made a positive impact in their lives, that kind of thing can go a very long way towards making a person feel appreciated. It can also make each individual/fan feel better too, knowing they've sent in a letter of support. It's not a campaign or a crusade, it's just a couple of paragraphs to the lady that makes ya smile every week. I know Amanda tries to read every piece of her fanmail, so if you ask me, it'd be a couple of paragraphs very well spent.

mini

[Traveler Enroute1]

Sorry TE1, I'm only at 2,500 posts. Not 25,000. But give me a few weeks though.

You know, right now I can't see beyond the utter disrespect TPTB displayed with regard to Amanda. I am sickened by their collective lack of regard for her contributions over the last decade or so. They could have given her the courtesy of a phone call. The fact that she had to ring them up to find out what was going on is completely and unquestionably wrong.

The idea of an SG-1 without Sam is a dreary prospect for me. I stumbled through the first few episodes because I knew she was coming back and I wanted to know what storyline she'd have to face when she returned. And as much as I now like Vala and love CB, the idea of a repeat of the Daniel/Vala Sexkitten Comedy Hour is about as appealing to me as eating my shoe.

Furthermore, the very fact that they don't know what to do with Carter is truly pathetic. Why don't they know? Is it because of Jack and ship?

As I've been saying, as much as I love ship, it's only one tiny part of who Carter is. She's a hero. She's a scientist. She's a soldier. She's brave. She's loyal. She's compassionate. She's strong. She's blown up suns. She's decimated Goa'ulds. She's rescued allies and survived hellish scenarios. There's 8+ years of development for this amazing character...and they're stuck because of the one aspect of her personality that includes Jack?
Seriously. That's tragic.

They have a unique opportunity to take Carter and Vala and have them become really close friends...each adding more depth to the other. But instead, TPTB have chosen the route of cowardice, further feeding the Vala vs. Sam mindset.

But hey, that effectively ends the command debate, now doesn't it?

Amen, Über. In their minds that debate ends, but hey. Also, I wondered, too, if having no Jack made these guys want to do away with just about all of him, including his love interest. Can Jack really be gone if, having invested Jack and Sam in a ship (of sorts) Sam is still there? In bad punn-age, her ship is hitched to his, and when he left, she gets towed out after him. Agreed, it's very bad planning and blindsighted cropping of valuable character establishment, but it comes down to business as Hollywood usual.

Just what they'll do with the remaining original duo and new guy is going to be quite interesting.

Just sayin'

[the dancer of spaz]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to say hi and join in the fray a bit before I headed off to bed.

I'm not going to say anything, because I'm just so flabbergasted and disturbed by the situation, and we apparently need to remain positive or something...

Where you guys stand on the situation, I stand, too.

The thing is.. We need more information, and we need it to be as verbatim and timely as possible. Please don't take that as an unruly or inconsiderate demand. I understand the time zone issues and schedules, etc. It's just that a repeat of the 8-10 pages of "What exactly happened?"-"I can't tell you, sorry," cannot and should not be repeated ever again.

I guess we need to start brainstorming about what to do, should TPTB at Sony/SciFi/Bridge be testing the waters here to see how the fandom reacts. I'm glad no one wants to go psycho on anyone. That's awesome. But I don't think we can just sit back and take it IF this isn't really what AT wants and IF that will somehow confirm TPTB's bizarre beliefs that AT/Sam really isn't wanted anymore. We may never know, because I doubt she'd do anything to turn us into a seething mob. I respect that immensely.

But we DO need to see if there's anything we can do within the confines of GW that can show a widespread/general respectful appreciation for an actor and a character who has been on the series since day one. This may need to be taken out of the confines of Samanda as well.

Beyond that, I'm totally at a loss here.

[Traveler Enroute1]

Big hugs for (((AMANDA))) and

bigs hugs for (((SAMANDA))).

And I am NOT a huggy type person, but I just felt a need, so that's saying something.

Thanks, Queen Eleta, hugs are so appreciated tonight!

Just sayin'.

[Traveler Enroute1]

Sam is checking out Teal'c


Now Teal'c is checking out Sam


The Million Dollar Smile that hopefully we WILL be seeing a lot of in S10

COOL pics, tsaxlady! Refreshing my spirit tonight. But what's this about Teal'c checking out Sam/Sam checking out Teal'c? Careful or CJ might get nervous; ships tend to sail away or get towed! Kidding.

Just sayin', hope that Smile reappears regularly in S10, too.

[Myrth]

Having been in a situation twice now, where after giving my all to an employer, I was disregarded I can tell you... regardless of profession it does hurt.. alot.

Soo big hugs to Amanda... and I'll write, but she'll have support from me regardless of what she does. The woman is a true inspiration... words can't emphasize the depth of meaning I say that with. And I'll tell her so in a letter

I think so too, Dani. And I think that's why some fans came away from those remarks feeling saddened on her behalf. She doesn't seem to know what "the powers that be" want to do with her character, and if the quotes we got are accurate, it certainly 'sounds' as though she might be a little frustrated as well.



Nail on the head. Exactly. If the powers that be "don't know what to do" with Sam Carter, that means they don't have a story where her character fits in. Which means they haven't been looking at her as an integral member of the Stargate universe. She's been with the series for going on a decade now, heck, she *is* one quarter (at least) of what makes Stargate..... Stargate, if you ask me. To hear that they "don't know what to do" with her character is like saying, she's superfluous to what's going on anyway so they're going to just try and plug holes with her. It doesn't matter what comes from that, the simple fact is that HAD TO HURT, the actress, on a personal level. There's simply no ifs ands or buts about it. It had to. Amanda is the kind of person who feels things deeply; look at her quotes about kindness and her ongoing positive spirit. Even at GABIT she came out on stage and was apparently almost crying because she was so moved at how many fans were there - just to see HER. I think she deserves all the support from her fans she can get right now. If people want to write her letters (c/o Bridge) and just tell her how she's made a positive impact in their lives, that kind of thing can go a very long way towards making a person feel appreciated. It can also make each individual/fan feel better too, knowing they've sent in a letter of support. It's not a campaign or a crusade, it's just a couple of paragraphs to the lady that makes ya smile every week. I know Amanda tries to read every piece of her fanmail, so if you ask me, it'd be a couple of paragraphs very well spent.

mini

[majorsal]

what amazes me, truly astounds me, is that they *did* have an arc for sam - commander of sg1.

as i said before, sam had two main arcs in the last two years (s/j and commander of sg1). just because one is pushed back doesn't mean the other one is useless.

i'd *really* like to know what would have happened if amanda hadn't taken maternity leave at the beginning of the season. would we still have mitchell? would he have immediately been put as merely the fourth of the team? heck, would we have even had vala for all that time?

to know that they don't know what to do with her character (which has already been shown by 2 of her 5 eps being sam/other related) is just unbelievable.

what about showing sam leading her team? what about the trials and tribulations of what sg1 goes through now with this new threat? what about sam's trials and tribulations with not only leading the team without her mentor (jack), but how this would make her grow in experience and confidense as said leader? how they could ignore this wonderful opportunity is beyond me. s/j ship has NOTHING to do with sam leading sg1!

i can't wait to hear more from the gabit folks.




sally

[Traveler Enroute1]

hey there - poking my nose into a new thread

I'd just like to compliment you guys on staying so calm and not running off frothing at the mouth

I only wish more of the Gabit attendees were online so we could grill them on exact words, tone of voice, posture etc....

If true, I'm quite horrified at this sort of treatment - I met Amanda in Chicago last year, and she was absolutely the best person Genuine, caring, and honestly interested in talking to YOU, and so chuffed at the love and suppport that she had received from the fans. I would hope that that continues, no one wins when things get ugly in fandom

Poking noses are very welcome here, kiwigater, esp when they love the scent of AT! Nice of you to drop by tonight; you just might be page 988!
(Sorry, no prizes for that. )

So cool you got to meet AT in person. I hear nothing but good things about her appearances. And yeah, we're a pretty reserved Kingdom, preferring to do battle where and in a manner it does the most good. Frothing is a little over the top for us. Of course, if our fellow Samandans at Gabit are willing to be grilled on this, grilled they will be. Respectfully, of course!

Just sayin', don't think there's no anger here; it's perking in many of the posts, kindly of course. Thanks for supporting AT here; the more the better.

[Ancient 61]

The comments on Joe's Blog are just building up to what may be one huge blast. This is a quote from there. "Joe, if you want to have a look at what fans think of this BRILLIANT idea, just take a peak in the characters folder at GateWorld. Or over at Our Stargate. Or at the Sony Forums. Or any other place where all things Stargate are discussed. This is one of those universally reviled ideas. Do the franchise a favor, and drop it."
I think that this says it all.
Joanne