Sam Carter/Amanda Tapping Discussion/Appreciation

[minigeek]

I guess you could see it that way. Would the episode have been crap if it had of been someone other than Sam? Probably - but because I couldn't imagine the episode with someone other than Sam in it. However, having said that, one of the big reasons I did like it was because of Amanda.
As for the script and story, well I thought it was definitely stronger than Epiphany's. And incidently, I didn't get much of a 'Grace' feel to it. In fact, if you want to compare it to an SG-1 episode, I thought it had more in common with Tangent.

They could have put in that Lt. that Rodney switched bodies with - they snark well together too, what's her name? She'd have worked. But I definitely found GUP more interesting to watch only because AT was in it. I love watching her work; I love the nuance she injects into everything she does. I love the expressions and the sense of humor. She stole this episode, and in as much as I'm a proud SAmandan at that fact, I don't think that was entirely the point - is all I'm saying - the episode itself should have had some substance beyond the fact that you can put AT in pretty much anything and she can make it look decent, if not entirely spectacular.

[Agent_Dark]

Some brainy SAmandan will know this....

I was really excited about getting to 800 posts, because I thought that's when you get your extended avatar choice, but I haven't got one.

Have they upped the limit, or are people just being nasty to me personally?

Tj xx

Upped the limit.

[Agent_Dark]

They could have put in that Lt. that Rodney switched bodies with - they snark well together too, what's her name? She'd have worked. But I definitely found GUP more interesting to watch only because AT was in it. I love watching her work; I love the nuance she injects into everything she does. I love the expressions and the sense of humor. She stole this episode, and in as much as I'm a proud SAmandan at that fact, I don't think that was entirely the point - is all I'm saying - the episode itself should have had some substance beyond the fact that you can put AT in pretty much anything and she can make it look decent, if not entirely spectacular.

Lt Cadman and except for the fact that they've already done that in Duet
And I'm beginning to have a feeling that development of McKay is going to come over the entire season. First Trinity, now Grace Under Pressure (which both explored, imo, related issues with McKay) combined with

Spoiler:

the supposed 'darker' McKay I've been hearing about for season 3

...

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

How could you not include that certain shot!

Yeah, and that shot (assuming were talking about the same thing) should've had more light, then it would've been hotter.

[minigeek]

Okay so you thought this would be more of a Rodney introspective where he'd make changes/decisions regarding his life based on his experience...kind of like Sam did in Grace?

Yuppers.

The problem I think is that McKay is not Sam so to hope for a lot of growth for him by this one experience would be I think hoping for too much. So I didn't expect him to come to a deeper understanding of himself or desire to change things. He is at this point simply not capable of having the lifechanging experience that Sam did on the Prometheus and actually Sam wouldn't have been ready for it either a few years before it happened...but she was just at that right place for the kind of deep and personal introspective and was open to the revelations and experiences.

But that (to me) is a cop out for his character. He's quote capable of growth and strong, compelling moments. The actor is capable of doing those and the writers should be capable of writing them in. I think they dropped the ball and went for cheap and easy rather than meaningful and worthwhile. We could have had a powerful episode for McKay, one of only 20 in a season which supposedly has many imaginations at work on it, and instead we got a cop out imho.

IMHO, Grace Under Pressure was a one up to give Carter/McKay banter fans like me something to squee about.

That's a cop out. They could do the squee scenes (I was looking forward to them too, I love Carter/McKay), and still have a strong (even powerful) script. Especially for a character like McKay.

So I was hoping for a fun Amanda episode...and I got it.

Yeah, I enjoyed seeing Amanda too, and I laughed too. But only because she was .... Amanda. And she did what she does best.

I also got some moments where McKay made made those little epiphanies, but nothing earth shattering. But then if the realization that his arrogance caused that the anihilation of a large sector of a solar system didn't give him pause, I certainly don't imagine a bump on the head and some alone time with his Delusion!Sam would either.

So why bother writing a whole episode around it? Ya see what I mean? There are only 20 episodes in a season and an unlimited supply of intelligence and imagination to make those episodes special; to make them meaningful *and* funny.

We got AT and we got DH in an episode together, and that was great. We got snark and banter and funny innuendo, and that was great. We DIDN'T get an episode that meant anything more than that; and its premise was as much about character revelation as the original GRACE's premise was revelation. So it fell flat for me. As a narrative (with or without Amanda Tapping) the script packed zero punch. It really ... disappointed this fan.

Ah well. I expect a lot more from my TV than I once did, mind you. So I'm probably not the easiest customer to please. I'll grant that. I want substance with my frivolity!

[ForeverSg1]

How could you not include that certain shot!

Laugh, special shots for AD and those who wish to drool over Amanda.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9270/pdvd0498sj.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8079/pdvd0509xb.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4130/pdvd0555zu.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5518/pdvd0571ex.png

[minigeek]

Lt Cadman and except for the fact that they've already done that in Duet
And I'm beginning to have a feeling that development of McKay is going to come over the entire season. First Trinity, now Grace Under Pressure (which both explored, imo, related issues with McKay) combined with

Spoiler:

the supposed 'darker' McKay I've been hearing about for season 3

...

I would love to see that. McKay is one of my favorite characters on Stargate, too. I hated him at first, but this season, he's begun to grow (slowly) - and as he has, I've really begun to enjoy him a great deal more. Plus, I've always enjoyed DH's work. Been a fan of his for a while.

[minigeek]

Laugh, special shots for AD and those who wish to drool over Amanda.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9270/pdvd0498sj.png

AD, if I may be so bold ... this one (above) is SIG-WORTHY for ya. Don't you think?

[Agent_Dark]

Laugh, special shots for AD and those who wish to drool over Amanda.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9270/pdvd0498sj.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/8079/pdvd0509xb.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4130/pdvd0555zu.png

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/5518/pdvd0571ex.png

Whooohooo!

Laugh, special shots for AD and those who wish to drool over Amanda.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/9270/pdvd0498sj.png

AD, if I may be so bold ... this one (above) is SIG-WORTHY for ya. Don't you think?

Haha, it would definitely be - but I prefer higher res images (DVD caps) for my sigs... perhaps when Atlantis S2 is released

[the dancer of spaz]

To me, there's a difference between liking something because your favorite character is in it, and liking something because it actually has a good story to it.

I'm sorry, but minigeek makes a phenomenal point here. It's something I've been wrestling with elsewhere, and it's an honest issue. I think it's hard for people to reconcile the two, but it's really important to be able to tell the difference between them.

[Skydiver]

with two of next year's cons having been announced, and amanda attending them, let's start a little head count and see if we can organize a little samanda get togther at each of them

in july we have Shore Leave in Maryland, usa

in november we have AT2 in london ( i guess)

so, who is going to each one?

once we get a general idea then we can start organizing some meet ups at the con.

folks that are going can also use this list to see if they can find roomies and the like

Me?

i'm hoping to do both. I've sent my money in for shore leave although i do not have a confirmation yet. and i'll look into AT2 once things are announced

[minigeek]

I'll know better in January whether my schedule will permit me (oddly, it's not about money for me, it's about time!)

But I HOPE to make it to Maryland in July for my very first con *ever*

And I very much hope to make it to AT2 come next November.

I'll probably get my tickets in January for the Shore Leave thing (if they are still available).

mini

[Uber]

Sure it's a bit of a cop out...and perhaps at some point in the future, McKay will have grown enough to have an experience that actually does change his life.

But first he has to allow himself to change...and he ain't there yet. Sure, baby steps in tiny increments...and he's changed just from the span of his experiences while in Atlantis...but not substantively enough to be ready for the kind of introspective Carter had in Grace.

JMHO of course...but I was looking forward to and got some fun banter. I knew not to t expect substantive character growth from McKay...I had hoped after Trinity but I learned from that that he just isn't ready to make those kinds of changes yet.

meh...to each their own. For me? GUP is a keeper because I got to see yet another side of Amanda's acting skills in another not-Carter character.

[Skydiver]

i only got the shore leave now because, well with the pic included it's 95, so, while it is a decent amount of money, it won't break the bank if something happens.


and i'm fairly sure i can sell my tickets if i have to

[Skydiver]

Upped the limit.

yeah, darren got ornry and tweaked the limits again