Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[Myrth]

Go with it Uber Perhaps another video to highlight how brilliant Amanda is will take your mind off it [hint hint].

I think it's a crappy way for Amanda to have found out.. but then it bears remembering that there are three sides to every story... so I'll wait to hear more from Amanda I think. But yeah.. Amanda is my interest in this show and I love the idea of Carter & Vala.. I think there's a dynamic of great potential there.. it'll be a shame if the boys f**k it up.

[/myrth's 2 cents]

Don't get me wrong...I'm still very suspicious and concerned...but I loved the fact that a PTB made a deal out of it and didn't ignore or dismiss it out of hand. That helps me a little.

I was very upset this weekend and it was starting to interfere with my work. So I'm going to use this little bone as a life preserver to save me from my own frustrations of what could be happening. Might be denial...but I need it right now if I'm ever going to finish this project.



Like I said...either way, we can still show our continued love and support for Amanda/Sam. Sending in polite letters to whoever we want talking about how great she is is always a great idea regardless of the current fandom issues.

And if she gets screwed over, I know where my remote is...especially after being subjected to The Ties That Bind.

[Agent_Dark]

oh, i'm sure she'll be at the *end* of whichever show now. the dreaded 'and' is just around the corner now...

and the moment i see claudia black's name in the regular cast, while amanda's shoved to the end... it'll be a sad day indeed.

argh, i'm getting depressed again.



sally

I always thought the 'And Mr.X as Dr. Y' meant more than simply listing the actors name in the opening credits O.o. Though I've always thought the fuss about credit order to be a bit silly.

[majorsal]

To a point SGPTB do have a say in how Sam is written, but it seems like to me that some here may not be seeing it that way. Granted, I do not have as much time (ya know watching the show) invested in "Sam" as most of you here do. I just hate to see hard working PTB gettin' slammed/bashed for stuff that quite honestly are out of their control. The fact that even most of them do not know what their future holds makes me feel just as much for them as I do Amanda.

sun, i've been with this show from the beginning, and i've seen problems starting since season 5. that's four years ago and four years of seeing one missed opportunity and mistake after another. and now we're dealing with an actor on a show being pushed aside to make way for new storylines for their new characters.

thinking ahead, i just can't see this working out without more ppl being upset/offended.

i appreciate your upbeat view on things... but maybe i'm not in the right frame of mind to see it that way. or, i've been beaten to the ground so often that i'm just expecting another blow. (being an s/j shipper does that to a person)

i just want to find out if/when amanda signs. i also want to know if michael shanks signs/stays.


sally

[majorsal]

I always thought the 'And Mr.X as Dr. Y' meant more than simply listing the actors name in the opening credits O.o. Though I've always thought the fuss about credit order to be a bit silly.

i didn't know what to make of it myself until i read someone's post (he/she knew somebody in-the-know) that said it could mean anything the producers wanted it to mean. either you're a big deal (by SHOWING that you're a big deal on the show) or you've just gotten that extra 'look at me!' at the end with no extra treatment.

i guess because the first time i ever saw it used (in the 80s when some movie star was on a night time soap), i figured it was a 'nice' way of highlighting someone that might have/should have been first in the ranking but for some reason couldn't, so they listed them last with the little flag for attention.

it can be spinned how the individual wants it i guess (the perfect user-friendly catchall), but i've always seen it as being at the end of the line. and i'm dreading seeing amanda in the basement.



sally

[GateGipsy]

Amanda is one class act, and Gabit seemed like the best con so far. I say seemed because I only got to go on Sunday, thanks to a stomach virus my son brought home from nursery. I'm sorry I missed meeting all the GateWorld folks.

ChopinGal, I was bowled over by Amanda's reply to your question about this thread. You guys here deserve a huge round of applause for all your hard work. Well Done!

[Agent_Dark]

Amanda is one class act, and Gabit seemed like the best con so far. I say seemed because I only got to go on Sunday, thanks to a stomach virus my son brought home from nursery. I'm sorry I missed meeting all the GateWorld folks.

ChopinGal, I was bowled over by Amanda's reply to your question about this thread. You guys here deserve a huge round of applause for all your hard work. Well Done!

Whooo!

[ChopinGal]

*plugs ears and squeezes eyes shut*

on a much nicer note (for me); i'm hoping kat can remember the fifth answer to amanda's 'top 5 best things about rda'.

sally

ps - i'm curious on what the crowd's reaction was to amanda talking about david and that sex scene - in a room with a lot of s/j shippers. care to share?

LOL ... I knew that DDL line was gonna hurt your sensitive shippy heart! Oddly enough, it didn't draw too vocal a response from the audience. It did draw laughter because Amanda can really work a story - facial gestures, body movements, and she painted quite a scene of their bouncing back and forth across the room, trying to stay on their mark! It was funny and you can tell that she and David have become friends.

As Kat may have mentioned, the Q&As seemed to touch on a lot of Amanda rather than Sam questions at times: her painting, her love of horseback riding and Coronation Street, her own timidity in being with other "stars" from other shows, her love of being a new mum and her own mum. There was an interesting question that posed: "If you could get inside the head of another person for one day, whom would you choose?" She sat and pondered this for awhile and finally said "my mum". And you could tell that was a compliment of the highest order. Believe me, speaking from experience, I think all daughters should raid their moms' minds and live there for awhile!!

Wow, I didn't write down the "5 best things or worst things about Rick" ... I'll have to check Kat's answer to see if it'll jog my memory. Did she mention that AT said "he gives great hugs!"

I asked about her new hobby of painting and if Don Davis had any influence on her artwork. She laughed and complimented him as the fine artist he is, but let us know that she only dabbles and did some "dragonflies" and kiddie art for Olivia's room and for friends. But she would never show Don her "work"! She has some of his in her own home.

Someone asked how she rides horses if she is a self-proclaimed "klutz". She said that she thinks she's a good rider because the horse is more coordinated than she and in charge! And then laughed about getting an uncoordinated horse and that would be disaster for her! She loves horseriding.

Will be back later as I think of some more things.

[ChopinGal]

I agree 100% with everything you said above golfbooy and the following is what I put on the blog:

I know you have nothing to do with negotiations but you are part of the creative team and you do make yourself available to the public and you can certainly carry the message back to those that need to know and do make those decisions.

I find it interesting that the other cast members (including 2 who had been on the show only 1 year and 1 who had only been in at most 7-8 episodes if you count the coming episodes of S9) had all been approached regarding their return status and AT (an integral member of the cast for 9 years) was not and the excuse given was "we don't know what to do with Carter". I find it interesting that in Paragraph 6 you suggest that Carter is a supporting character after 8 years as a core, integral member of a team of only 4 people, 7 of those years as second in command (and sometimes command)of the elite team and 1 year as the sole leader of the elite team of 3, but in S9, and now as a prospect for S10, she is relegated to a "supporting" role in many episodes.

Right there is the problem. The shiny new cast members and the shiny new direction apparently have no integral core place for one of the 2 remaining ORIGNAL characters (and the actress) who has been with this show for all 9 of its years, the "bedrock" of SG1 the "Obi-Wan-Kenobi" of SG1.

It is nice to see you try and put some sort of positive spin on this but it is not working in the context of what you are actually saying - there is apparently a place, a core, integral place on SG1 for Daniel, Teal'c, Mitchell and a place for Vala, however, for the strong, intelligent, independent, competent, loyal, commander and soldier that is Samantha Carter, there is not so she has to be split between SG1 and SGA in order to use all of her potential???!!! This makes no sense.

You started season 9 with Daniel going off to Atlantis - why not follow through and let him go - why Carter? The addition of a new male lead, who looks inexperienced and incompetent next to Carter (and who, as has been noted in many posts, many places by many fans, will not be accepted by many in a co-leader or leader role as long as Carter is around) and the fawning over vala from all sides of TPTB beg that question to be asked and answered honestly - how there can be no full-time, integral, lead role for the character of Samantha Carter after 9 years of development and 9 years as a major, central figure (including comander of the team) on a team of only 4 people (and only 3 people in S8) is a pathetic testimony to the state of affairs at Stargate SG1.

Paragraph 6 overall, in particular this line: "I think that, given the chance, it would be a shame not to make full use of the character's potential" tells the story that after 9 years there is not a full-time, integral, core place on Stargate SG1 "to make full use of the character's potential" the potential of one of it's lead characters, one of the characters that made the show a success for 9 years, that made the show something a large portion of the fanbase wanted to watch, and I say again, that is just downright pathetic, especially when it appears that this is being done to make room for the male lead, who is overshadowed by the strong female lead of Samantha Carter, and a new female character that is nothing but cheap, crass sexual inuendo jokes and a caricature of everything that is wrong with many sci-fi shows and movies.

This is a nice try at spin - right now I'm not buying it. His paragraph 6 is very telling and it is a major problem for me.

bink, kudos! This is a boffo post and right on the money!

Tell me how "making full use of the character's potential" should not have been translated into making Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter the leader of SG1 for future seasons! She was being groomed for this task in S8 and did assume the reins briefly. AT, herself, wanted to become more proactive and portray Sam as a leader, a capable soldier and scientist now that the interpersonal dimension of Sam's arc had been addressed.

My take? TPTB and the writers have boxed themselves into a corner with all these past months' of spin and focus on "the new concept of SG1". I have yet to see a win/win for the entire cast around this mess. It was one thing to move the show forward with new hires and write around AT's maternity leave, but the boys got so carried away that they forgot the one lead who is the heart of the show - Amanda!

And now it's payback time from the fans. We do have valid questions and concerns: first of all, about the respect due a fine actor, a veteran of the series, who seems to be getting the runaround lately. And, secondly, about the future of the SG1 arc itself. Is there really a future SG1? Why not fold your cards, guys ... and rename the key players something else. Break it off and break clean!

If Sam Carter is sent to Atlantis, tell me where her "character's potential" will bloom? We already have a female leading commander (scrap that for Sam); we already have a feisty female soldier (nope, save the combat scenes for Teyla, Sam's just an extra), and, then, we already have our brilliant scientist in McKay (so let Sam be his backup?!) ... nothing rings true here.

Excuse me while I go use some mouthwash to get this bad taste out of my mouth ....

[ChopinGal]

Amanda is one class act, and Gabit seemed like the best con so far. I say seemed because I only got to go on Sunday, thanks to a stomach virus my son brought home from nursery. I'm sorry I missed meeting all the GateWorld folks.

ChopinGal, I was bowled over by Amanda's reply to your question about this thread. You guys here deserve a huge round of applause for all your hard work. Well Done!

Thanks so much for your support and really missed meeting you at GABIT! Hope you and the little guy are feeling much better. I'm glad you did manage to come on Sunday as AT really hit her stride with the panels and was just delightful to watch!

I'm now developing a nice case of "concrud" to take back to the office this afternoon! (Cough, wheeze ... my daughter got sick there and seems to have passed it along.)

[minigeek]

I always thought the 'And Mr.X as Dr. Y' meant more than simply listing the actors name in the opening credits O.o. Though I've always thought the fuss about credit order to be a bit silly.

The "with" or the "and" is considered of equal (or greater) status as appearing first, AD, you're quite correct. And it's never the actors that duke it out over billing, it's always-and-forever their agents. (and apparently their fans <insert wicked grin here>)

[SnoggingPicard]

i am so conflicted.

i want amanda to continue because i want to continue to see sam carter.

but, i think amanda's being screwed over and i want her to say 'take this job and shove it'.

but, i like the idea of amanda being on both shows because if/WHEN sg1 ends, sam will still have a place to be.

but, i'd like to see amanda in other things too.

but, what other roles could even match what sam carter offers amanda? i can't imagine seeing her as a mere housewife after seeing her blow up a sun.

but, i'd like to see amanda quit sg1 all together so that she won't be attacked to the anchor going down.

but, i really believe that sg1 is only going to last through season 10 (and was only given the renewal for the 10th season/longest lasting US scifi show bragging rights), and i want amanda attached to that to the end.

but, amanda deserves to be treated better.

but, atlantis might be a better show to be on full time.

but, i can't stand the idea of new-comers kicking sam carter out of the sgc.

but, i can't stand the idea that the ptb don't want to write for sam carter anymore.

but, i don't want atlantis fans to resent amanda/sam.

but, i get so steamed thinking that i allowed myself to ignore the writing on the wall. i've been doing that since season 7 even began. 'oh, it won't happen' became 'god, i can't believe they did it!' to 'i'm ready for the next hit'.

but i want to see sam interact with teal'c, daniel, landry, etc.

but i want this show to return to the adult, intelligent, respectable scifi show is once was.



i just don't trust these ptb. a lot of my fears have come true over the last three seasons, so why should i expect that it should stop now? should i be waiting for pete/david to return now? heck, he'll prob lure sam back and then dump her for vala!



sally


ps - sorry for the negativity. it comes in stages and waves.

I didn't know you could read my mind! You nailed it. This whole thing is so confusing and so twisted...it's hard to know what I'm thinking at times let alone how I would like AT and TPTB to handle it. Gosh, I need a cold shower or something.

[ChopinGal]

I was going to write something like this in recognition of our 1000 pages, but it seems even more appropriate now, in light of the news from GABIT. I’ve said a lot of this before on this thread, as have others, but what the heck, what’s a celebration without some old relative droning on with stories you’ve heard before?

I’ve been an avid reader for all my life, and was drawn to science fiction in my teens, because at the time, it was virtually the only genre where women were allowed to be strong, or independent, or fighters, or leaders. Sad, isn’t it? The only way that women could be taken out of their “traditional” roles, even in fiction, was usually on other planets or in the distant future.

So I’ve been reading and watching science fiction on tv and in the movies since the sixties. If a science fiction show was on network television, chances are I watched it. In most of those shows, there were female characters, but most were not the leads. If they were featured in an episode, it usually had to do with romance in some way, because apparently, that’s what the writers think women want. There were exceptions to this, Captain Janeway, Kira Nerys, Susan Ivanovich, etc., and I certainly enjoyed those characters, and at the time, thought they were the best I could hope for. But they were still in the distant future and/or in a distant galaxy.

Then I found Stargate SG1. And Sam Carter. A woman in the here and now, who was strong, independent, a fighter, and if not a leader yet, certainly a woman who held the respect and admiration of her colleagues. Wow, I thought, finally, somebody got it right.

They’ve written a woman who is not there just because she’s a)married/engaged/dating the lead; or b) the token female who’s usually a scientist or doctor, “acceptable” roles for women

They’ve written a woman who’s on screen as much as the rest of the team.

They've written a woman who actually gets to fight with the rest of the team.

They’ve written a woman who doesn’t have to dress in a skin tight, cleavage exposing costume.

They’ve written a woman who is more concerned with her job and her teammates than with her social life(at least most of the time)

I’ve been waiting a long time for a character like Sam Carter. I think she resonates with so many of us because she could be us. Sure, much smarter and much better looking, and getting to do much more exciting things regularly, but it’s fiction after all. It wouldn’t be entertainment if she were dumb, ugly and led a boring life.

My very favorite shows are the ones which have a character that I can identify with in some way. I can’t put myself in the shoes of most characters who get to do really cool things on tv, for the simple fact that they’re male. So with Sam Carter, I got someone I could identify with, who actually got to do things like blow up a sun, go to other planets, shoot the bad guys, get hurt and actually bleed; not just sprain an ankle running in high heels from the bad guys and have to be saved by the male lead. In short, I got a female hero, an entity that’s been sorely lacking in television.

Here’s to Sam Carter and to Amanda Tapping, who’s made Sam real to us, and fought to keep her true.

NC

Just found this in trying to catch up and it's a beautiful post! NC, you say so well what many of us "women of a certain age" are thinking.

I got to talk to Amanda briefly during the autograph session and I punched that fact that our SaGC thread is not composed primarily of the young-male fanboy demographic but is the home of many mature "professional women" who see parts of themselves, their struggles and their strengths, in AT and the role of Sam. I looked her right in the eye when I conveyed my support from our group and I think what I saw from her was a mental high-five! She rose to give me a big hug and I kissed her on the cheek!

Amanda has worked hard to maintain the integrity of Sam Carter and it will be a shame if the character's future arc does not continue to reflect Sam as such a refreshing and positive role model for all ages.

[Tok'Ra Hostess]

Sometimes TPTB are being trustworthy, and sometimes they're actually noble. Sometimes the best they can be accused of, is muddling through; sometimes they're just lazy; sometimes they mess up; sometimes they mess up and don't even know they've messed up; sometimes they hose up; sometimes they purchase the entire agricultural complex; and sometimes they totally miss the, let us say... completely inappropriate... aspects of their brilliant ideas in the very glare of that "brilliance" itself.

<snip>


All I know is that, like the Chinese reporter who declared he could recognize any propaganda when he heard it simply because he'd had so much practice listening to propaganda, I'm recognizing propaganda in Joe's last message. And, TPTB have given me more than enough practice in listening to propaganda.

Yup, yup, yup.

So in other words, TPTB are human, like fans are, and subject to the same diseases caused by power and flattery.

As to the propoganda, well, d'uh, eh? They produce fiction for a living.

That being said, I tend to think that JM is mostly candid, up front, while toeing the company line. When he's being dodgy it's up to us to get a clue that he can't/won't answer some questions, to show some respect and to drop the subject.

Disclaimer: I love the Carter character. Her role in the series fired my imagination like no other fictional character ever has.

That being said, I can understand the sticky situation the writers/producers can get into when they "make it up as they go along" which is how SG-1 has always been written. It makes it very difficult to build a storyline for one character, let alone for six or eight(I'm losing count ).

Am I saying that there's nothing significant left for the Carter character? No way! But how to write those significant roles so that they fit into the overall story and with everyone else's stories?

At this point in the negotiating stage how many writers are in the SG sea, trying to secure a seat on the season 10 boat? How many different ideas are being pitched for the Sam character? Whose ideas do they go with? What story/character developments do RCC and co. present to their bosses? How many of those ideas have been shot down by the ivory tower execs?

As to AT having to go to RCC, bad form, yes, I agree, but considering that it's the squeaky wheel that always gets the grease and considering AT's apparently undemanding nature, I can see how a busy(swamped, maybe?) producer could take her easy-going-ness for granted. I'm not excusing it, mind you, just saying that neglect happens all the time and not only by wicked people.

And is it true that AT got 20 eps for season 10/3? If so, then that's 5 more than this season! And in two top-rated series at that! Way to go, girl!

Sam's a Great Character - for All SG Series.

[ShardsofGlass]

ChopinGal,

Thanks so much for the reports from Gabit. AT sounds like a lot of fun and very personable. When you get a chance to catch your breath, I'm hoping you or any of the other Gabit attendees can remember if AT talked about Season 9 at all. I'm especially interested (and I'm sure a lot of other people are as well) in if she addressed the command issue! Thanks.

[SnoggingPicard]

Just found this in trying to catch up and it's a beautiful post! NC, you say so well what many of us "women of a certain age" are thinking.

I got to talk to Amanda briefly during the autograph session and I punched that fact that our SaGC thread is not composed primarily of the young-male fanboy demographic but is the home of many mature "professional women" who see parts of themselves, their struggles and their strengths, in AT and the role of Sam. I looked her right in the eye when I conveyed my support from our group and I think what I saw from her was a mental high-five! She rose to give me a big hug and I kissed her on the cheek!

Amanda has worked hard to maintain the integrity of Sam Carter and it will be a shame if the character's future arc does not continue to reflect Sam as such a refreshing and positive role model for all ages.

Good for you! I'm so glad that you gave her this message, and I personally would love to give YOU a big hug for passing along our support. She is such an amazing role model. I grew up with Sam Carter and even when I felt like complete crap, I always managed to find something in her character that would inspire me or buck me up a litle bit. It is so easy to connect with her and see a part of yourself in her successes and struggles, and AT brings her to life in such a beautiful way. I don't think she realizes what a postive and overwhelming impact she has had on so many people through her character, so I'm really happy that you managed to convey a little bit of that to her. I'm going to have to green you for that!